Chapter 7: Encounter

It was pitch black outside the village, and the landscape was hard to discern. Very few people ventured out at this time.

"Uncle Yang?" Not far from the village, Qin Ming spotted a stoutly built man.

Yang Yongqing was surprised. "Xiao Qin, Shallow Night hasn't even arrived yet. Why are you out so early?"

"I wanted to try my luck in the wild and see if there are any mountain beasts that froze to death," Qin Ming replied.

Yang Yongqing chuckled. "We had the same idea. I just finished a lap around the outskirts of the mountains, but unfortunately, I didn't find anything."

Qin Ming was stunned. This middle-aged man with a thick beard had actually already returned from outside. He was early indeed.

"How could you be the same as me, Uncle Yang? Surely you're tracking some kind of rare, spiritual prey?" He knew Yang Yongqing was formidable, being one of the few Newborns in Twin Tree Village.

As they were chatting, they noticed dark shadows moving in the distance.

"Mountain Patrollers," Yang Yongqing whispered.

In an era without a sun, the wilderness was exceptionally dangerous. Strong individuals were needed to patrol the mountains and serve as lookouts.

A man wearing leather armor appeared. He was quite tall, carrying a bow and arrows on his back and gripping an iron spear. His long hair was loose, and he radiated a sense of wild power.

"Brother Shao," Yang Yongqing greeted him proactively.

Shao Chengfeng nodded. He was around forty years old with very sharp eyes. Stopping nearby, he asked, "Who’s this youngster out with you? Surely it's not that Er Bingzi?"

"Er Bingzi is from the neighboring village..." Yang Yongqing explained.

"Your Twin Tree Village is really lagging behind. Not a single person has entered Rebirth during their Golden Period in the last few decades," Shao Chengfeng said bluntly.

Yang Yongqing felt this was normal. In this entire region, very few people could achieve Rebirth at fifteen or sixteen. Talent wasn't something one could force.

He spoke up, "I really didn't see it in his early years, but Er Bingzi is quite impressive. I heard that after he recently made up for his physical deficiencies, his physical fitness jumped another level."

Shao Chengfeng nodded. "He is indeed quite something. I just wonder if he can compare to the top talents in that bright city in the distance."

"It's hard to say. Different environments produce different people," Yang Yongqing said with some emotion. He had seen the prosperity of the city and knew the brilliance brought by high-level power manuals.

"True," Shao Chengfeng agreed with the sentiment. "I heard two extraordinary youths appeared there who surpassed the Newborns of previous Golden Periods. A boy and a girl—they’ve stunned the entire region."

"That truly is a place of spiritual excellence," Yang Yongqing felt only envy, not jealousy. Those places were far away from them; there was simply no comparison.

Qin Ming listened intently throughout the conversation without interrupting.

After a brief stop, Shao Chengfeng vanished into the night.

No one knew what level of creatures resided in the pitch-black depths of the mountains or how many dangerous tribes existed. Mountain Patrollers were needed in the outer regions to monitor and provide early warnings.

Qin Ming asked, "Mountain Patrollers are all powerful figures. Do they have to enter the mountains every day?"

"Some are very responsible," Yang Yongqing replied.

Qin Ming was taken aback. Did that imply some were not? He hadn't expected this burly, bearded man to answer so subtly.

"The situation in the mountains is very wrong right now. It's too dangerous. I reckon it won't be long before the higher-ups organize a 'Mountain Sweeping Operation.' Some children from noble houses will likely follow along. Xiao Qin, you need to work hard and strive for Rebirth during your Golden Period." Yang Yongqing patted his shoulder. "If you happen to be favored by a noble lady who comes down, you might be able to change your destiny."

The two parted ways as Yang Yongqing headed back to the village.

Qin Ming processed the news as he made his way toward the wilderness.

He moved very fast, carving through chest-high snow as if breaking through waves, with snow spraying to both sides of his path.

By now, the night was less dense. Shallow Night had arrived, and the mountain forests were faintly visible.

Qin Ming stood outside the mountains, his alertness heightened. One never knew what dangers lurked in the areas that couldn't be seen clearly.

His stomach gave a loud growl. His body was signaling hunger again. He had forcibly suppressed it when he met his acquaintance on the road, but now it was completely out of control.

His stomach was churning with acid. Looking at the dark, dense forest, he gripped his hunting spear and charged inside.

He passed the habitat of the Mutated Squirrels and crossed the low hill, going further than he had last time.

After venturing a bit deeper into the forest, he found many tracks—fragmented beast bones and large hoof prints. He didn't have to worry about the deep snow making travel difficult, as many creatures had already trampled out small paths.

A wailing sound drifted over, sounding like a woman crying. It was quite bizarre in such a desolate forest.

Qin Ming suddenly accelerated, searching for the source of the sound. He quickly neared his destination.

In the pitch-black woodland, pairs of emerald-green eyes stared back. Shadows flickered there; at least a dozen creatures were present.

Someone who didn't know the truth might have been frightened by the crying, but for someone who traveled the wilderness year-round, this was an opportunity.

Qin Ming charged forward with his hunting spear. Immediately, the sound of fluttering wings erupted as a dozen or so creatures took to the night sky, startled into flight.

These were a type of carnivorous nocturnal bird about two feet long. They preferred living in flocks and had a cry like ghostly weeping. They hunted various small animals for food and sometimes attacked humans.

Qin Ming reached the spot in an instant and cursed his luck. There was only a pile of bloody bones and a few scraps of torn, blood-stained hide. A muntjac had been picked clean by them.

Having failed to snatch food from the birds' mouths, he turned and left, staying wary of an attack from the carnivorous birds.

He reached an open clearing where the trees were sparse. The area was stained with blood, and there were paw prints larger than a sea bowl. It was likely a feeding ground for a large predator.

As for the leftover remains, they had probably been carried off by other carnivores.

Just as Lu Ze had said, even the outer regions of the forest had become dangerous. One could only imagine what the depths were like.

Qin Ming remained on guard as he left the bloody scene.

A moment later, he found numerous hoof prints in the snow. His spirits lifted immediately, and he followed the trail.

In the night, about twenty dark shadows stood ahead. They were quite large, and their collective presence was intimidating.

"Saber-horned Deer!" Qin Ming's face lit up with joy.

In the past, deer herds were rarely seen in this area.

He took down his bow and aimed at a large stag.

These were not gentle deer. An adult male had six horns distributed across the sides and front of its head. They were flat and sharp, like six steel blades. If one were gored by them, it would certainly result in fatal wounds.

Even some predators didn't dare charge them head-on, opting for ambushes from behind. If a person fell into the middle of such a herd, the outcome would be grizzly.

Qin Ming drew his heavy bow into a full moon. With a whoosh, the iron arrow flew like a bolt of lightning, piercing the stag's lung.

Saber-horned Deer were notoriously fierce and dared to confront various predators. After being hit, the large stag didn't flee; instead, it immediately charged toward Qin Ming.

The herd was briefly startled before they followed suit, galloping toward him. Snow sprayed everywhere, and the dense thudding of hooves made the forest tremble.

Qin Ming didn't panic. He drew his bow again and hit his mark with precision. The iron arrow carried great force, sinking in completely and causing the stag's body to stagger.

He put away his bow and calmly climbed a very thick tree, hiding several meters up.

In the dense forest, it was difficult to aim at prey after climbing a tree because many branches blocked the view.

After running for a bit, the large stag began to stumble. It couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed into the snow with a thud.

The herd, spooked, came to a halt before galloping away into the distance.

Qin Ming waited a moment. Seeing no other dangerous mountain beasts, he jumped down from the tree and approached with his hunting spear.

This dark-brown Saber-horned Deer was exceptionally robust, weighing at least seven hundred pounds. It hadn't thinned down even in winter.

He was very satisfied with such a harvest.

The forest was dangerous and not a place to linger. He began dragging the deer back along his original path.

He truly felt the benefits of "Rebirth." With his greatly increased strength, he could drag such heavy prey through the snow at a fast pace without feeling tired.

The wilderness was full of various tree species like larch and spruce, some dozens of meters high, towering into the night.

The mountain wind grew stronger, blowing ice particles that stung his face.

Amidst the howling cold wind, Qin Ming felt goosebumps break out as a pair of large, furry paws suddenly rested on his shoulders from behind.

At the same time, he felt a gust of hot breath against the hairs on his neck. He realized it was likely a massive maw closing in, intending to snap his neck.

He immediately dropped his shoulders, crouched, and rolled into the snow to the side.

Even so, he was wounded. The large paws pressing on his shoulders were incredibly strong, like sharp iron hooks. They tore through his padded cotton coat and gashed his shoulders.

The snow exploded as a terrifying dark shadow, which had been hiding in a snow burrow, lunged forward after him.

Qin Ming reacted quickly, moving like a serpent on the ground to narrowly escape.

The violent dark shadow lunged again. Its sharp claws were enough to tear a person's entire face off, and its gaping maw revealed glinting, razor-sharp teeth.

Qin Ming didn't have time to stand up, but he didn't panic. He calmly reached out both hands, grabbed the creature's forelimbs, and held them firmly in place.

Those gruesome claws were inches from his face, almost touching, but they couldn't be pressed down.

Facing it head-on, Qin Ming finally saw the creature's appearance.

It had a massive donkey head with a wide mouth and long black bristles behind its neck. It had the body of a mountain wolf and was extremely fierce. It lunged to bite Qin Ming’s throat.

The scene was incredibly perilous. The heat from the bloody maw blew onto Qin Ming’s face, carrying a heavy stench of gore.

He remained composed in the face of danger, gripping the forelimbs tightly and using the creature’s own claws to block its mouthful of teeth.

Simultaneously, while resisting, he curled his body, retracted his legs to build power, and then kicked out violently, slamming his feet into its abdomen.

Qin Ming was undergoing Rebirth, and his strength was extraordinary. This single kick sent the several-hundred-pound beast tumbling backward, rolling repeatedly on the ground.

"A Donkey-headed Wolf!" He stared at the black beast in front of him.

It was also called a Mountain Mixer. It had the head of a donkey and the body of a mountain wolf, but it was far more dangerous than a common wolf. A normal specimen weighed at least one hundred and eighty pounds, but this one had clearly mutated; it weighed at least four hundred.

An ordinary person would surely die upon encountering it!

Its limbs were long, allowing it to walk upright. Some elders in the area had seen the eerie sight of a Mountain Mixer walking while carrying prey on its back.

The mutated creature before him was both cruel and clever. The moment it stood up, it pinned his nearby hunting spear into the snow.

Qin Ming was speechless. It really did have a bit of spirituality, knowing how to separate him from his weapon.

The Donkey-headed Wolf's eyes were malevolent, its thick bristles standing on end. It suddenly reared up, becoming much taller, and let out a roar, its presence overwhelming.

Qin Ming wasn't intimidated at all. He drew a short sword from his back and pressed forward. He was in the middle of his Rebirth transformation; if he met it head-on, he believed he could beat it to death with his bare hands.

The Donkey-headed Wolf moved, bringing a foul wind that stirred the snow. It let out a muffled roar that shook the snow from the tree branches.

Qin Ming’s short sword collided with its large claws, producing a crisp, vibrating ring.

The Donkey-headed Wolf stood upright, its eyes blood-red, trying to grab him and tear him apart.

Qin Ming's movements were like lightning. A bright flash of his blade sliced across the creature's mouth, shattering its fangs and drawing blood.

He followed up quickly, his right leg striking like an iron whip across its body. Accompanied by the sound of cracking bones, the beast let out a shrill scream.

Qin Ming pounced, pinning the four-hundred-pound Donkey-headed Wolf into the snow and raining down punches.

With a loud crack, he broke the wolf’s neck. It slumped to the side, motionless.

It was a mutated creature, and its thick, oily black fur was highly valuable; he had managed to keep it relatively intact.

If an outsider had been there, they would have been horrified to see the exceptionally fierce Donkey-headed Wolf beaten to death by Qin Ming’s bare fists.

Soon, Qin Ming found a remnant iron arrowhead on its body.

He was certain that this was the same mutated creature that had ambushed him on the road when he was raiding the Red Squirrel nests.

He hadn't seen it clearly then because of the distance, but he had managed to shoot the creature that day.

Qin Ming touched his shoulder. The wounds weren't deep, and the bleeding had stopped. The encounter had been terrifyingly close; if his reactions had been even a fraction slower, his shoulders would have been shredded, and his neck snapped.

He had exerted a lot of energy. His stomach was rumbling like a drum, and he was so hungry he felt faint. He desperately wanted to roast a deer leg right there and feast.

However, lighting a fire in the night was like a lighthouse in the fog or a guiding light. It would expose his location to every creature in the forest, which was far too dangerous.

Qin Ming looked at the Donkey-headed Wolf at his feet and the Saber-horned Deer not far away, then gazed at the low hill ahead. Dragging two large carcasses over the hill would be a major hassle.

He decided to "lighten his load."

The deer and the wolf had only just died and were still warm. As he sliced open their hides with his short sword, blood gushed out, staining the snow red.

Though he was a delicate-looking youth, his wilderness survival skills were top-notch because he had always relied on himself to survive.

He moved his blade quickly, efficiently clearing out the internal organs of both prey and burying them in the snow to mask the scent of blood.

"I hope there are no dangerous creatures nearby." Qin Ming thought it shouldn't be an issue since this was just the outer region of the forest.

However, just as he reached the halfway point of the hill, he heard a massive commotion in the distance.

This wasn't an ordinary sound. It startled many birds into the night sky and sent many mountain beasts fleeing in panic.

"Did the blood draw a giant beast?" Qin Ming frowned deeply, looking toward the distant dense forest.

The noise grew louder as it approached, accompanied by roars. The snow on the ground churned, and the sound of branches snapping echoed frequently.

Soon, he saw a massive creature as tall and sturdy as an armored vehicle. It was incredibly fierce, overturning every obstacle in its path.

It was wounded and covered in blood. It appeared to be a defeated giant beast fleeing to this area, not specifically targeting Qin Ming.

He gasped. It was a wild boar, but its size was terrifying—it weighed at least fifteen hundred pounds.

One must know that a six-hundred-pound wild boar could already be a king among its kind. This one far surpassed its kin. Its body was covered in bristles as thick and hard as steel needles, and its white tusks were longer than an adult's forearm. It looked terrifyingly savage.

Qin Ming felt uneasy. If such a magnificent Wild Boar King had been defeated, what kind of creature was hunting it?

He had expected the big fellow to pass by the foot of the hill and disappear, but its snout twitched, and it suddenly charged up toward the hill.

Wounded and highly sensitive, the scent of blood in the forest had provoked it.

Qin Ming realized he was in big trouble. Not only was this giant beast extremely dangerous, but the mysterious creature hunting it might also follow.

Vaguely, he could already hear movement in the distant forest.

The wind weakened and slowly died down.

The mountain-like Wild Boar King charged over, savage and bold. It trampled the snow and crashed through everything. Branches snapped and fell everywhere, and some dead trees were snapped right at the trunk.

Qin Ming’s expression shifted. He climbed a tree so thick it would take several people to encircle it. From his high vantage point, he prepared to shoot the boar in the eyes, heart, or other vital spots once it got close.

As the massive Wild Boar King neared, its stiff black bristles stood on end. When it lifted its head, its face was clearly visible—it actually had a layer of black scales that shimmered with a cold, metallic luster, making it look even more hideous and fierce.

Qin Ming frowned. He was completely locked onto by this oppressive, giant Wild Boar King. He nocked an iron arrow and aimed downward.

Suddenly, he felt something was wrong. The forest fell silent in an instant. The birds and raptors that had just taken flight vanished, and the fleeing beasts seemed to have disappeared. The vast forest was suddenly devoid of any sound. It was highly abnormal.

At the same time, he saw a ball of light rise from a distant mountain peak. At first, it was soft, but it quickly became brilliant as it rose higher.

In that moment, even the hot-tempered Wild Boar King didn't dare make a sound. It retreated silently, terrified of even snapping a twig. It became as cautious as a kitten, hiding in a dark, densely wooded area. Finally, it hunkered down in a hollow and buried itself in the snow.

In the era of Eternal Night, the sky should have been empty, permanently shrouded in darkness.

Yet now, the light in the sky grew brighter and brighter, hanging there like a clear, bright moon.

Qin Ming's heart hammered in his chest because he knew that in reality, that was an insect.