Chapter Seven: A Matter of Life and Death

Yi Tian and his three companions moved swiftly through the forest, their bodies doused with a secret potion crafted by the tribe to ward off poisonous insects and serpents. In less than half an hour, they had ventured more than twenty miles deep into the wilderness.

Along the way, they spotted many fierce beasts; these creatures would flash past their eyes and vanish into the distance, always keeping far from the group. Suddenly, as they pressed onward, Yi Tian and the others faintly heard the roars and clash of two wild beasts in combat.

Something was happening.

Yi Tian and Yi Feng immediately lightened their steps, quietly approaching the source of the commotion. After covering three or four more miles, they discovered signs of a fierce battle in a small valley: a massive white wolf and a golden python, thick as a barrel and over thirty feet long, were locked in deadly combat.

The white wolf was an imposing creature, nearly ten feet long and over five feet tall, but compared to the python, it was like an infant before a giant. Yet, the struggle between them was fierce and evenly matched. The wolf was blindingly fast, darting around the python in a blur of white, leaving deep claw marks and tearing wounds in the serpent's scales.

The golden python seemed defensive, yet it would occasionally lash out with terrifying force. Its thick, agile tail, like a divine blade, would sweep at the white wolf, gouging trenches six or seven feet deep and several yards long into the earth. Even with the wolf’s speed, a single blow from the python's tail could shatter bones and draw streams of blood.

Their battle shook the entire valley—cracks riddled the ground, massive boulders were smashed to rubble by the python's tail, and swathes of vegetation were flattened in the chaos.

"Those are two dangerous-class beasts," Yi Feng whispered in alarm. "We'd best leave quickly. We can't handle beasts of that level."

Yi Shan and Yi Li clearly felt the same. They had only just begun their training and were not even first-rank warriors yet; facing such dangerous beasts was almost certain death.

Fierce beasts were divided into three categories: common, dangerous, and extremely dangerous. Common beasts were no match for ordinary, untrained people and could only be hunted with numbers and traps. Dangerous-class beasts required the skills of a warrior, while extremely dangerous beasts were just a step away from being monstrous—warriors below the fourth rank would struggle to hunt them.

The golden python and the white wolf before them were dangerous-class. Even as first-rank warriors, hunting them would be perilous; only those of the second or third rank could match such creatures.

"Let’s wait and see," Yi Tian whispered. "These two are both dangerous, but while they’re locked in battle, we might reap the rewards. If it proves impossible, we can retreat safely."

Hearing this, Yi Feng and the others relaxed a little. The presence of these powerful beasts had deeply unsettled them; it was their first time facing such overwhelming force, and their hearts were pounding. Fortunately, they were still some distance from the clashing monsters, giving them ample time to withdraw if needed.

But Yi Tian felt a surge of excitement. He had not expected to encounter two dangerous-class beasts so close—just twenty miles into the outskirts. Usually, such creatures dwelled more than a hundred miles in, and with their meager strength, venturing that far would be sheer folly. Yi Tian had only intended to hunt a few common beasts near the outer edges.

In the valley, the battle raged on. As time passed, both the python and the white wolf grew more grievously wounded. This turn of events brought a glint of hope to Yi Feng, Yi Shan, and Yi Li—they saw a possible opening.

Suddenly, the fight took a sharp turn. The white wolf, careless for a moment, was struck on the hind leg by the python’s tail. With a sickening crack, its left rear leg was left a bloody mess, the bones crushed to splinters.

Driven to madness, the white wolf, though slowed, leapt onto the python’s body, its sharp claws savagely raking at the serpent’s flesh, focusing especially on its head. In mere moments, the python’s skull was laid bare, scales shattered, flesh torn, and bone exposed.

In retaliation, the python coiled its massive body around the wolf, squeezing relentlessly. The bones within the wolf’s frame cracked and snapped, its form twisting grotesquely, until finally, the struggle ceased. The golden python had emerged victorious, but it, too, was badly injured—its life not in immediate danger, but its strength greatly diminished.

"Shall we do it?" Yi Tian asked his companions.

Yi Feng, Yi Shan, and Yi Li’s eyes gleamed with excitement. They, too, saw the python’s weakened state and sensed a real chance to kill it. The temptation was immense: the hide of a golden python and the pelt of a white wolf were worth at least twenty or thirty gold coins—a considerable fortune for them. The flesh alone, rich with vitality and energy, would match the blood deer Yi Tian had hunted before and would feed the four of them for four or five months. With this haul, they wouldn’t need to risk the mountains again for a long time.

But more than the spoils, the glory awaited them: if, on their very first foray, they succeeded in killing two dangerous-class beasts, their names would become legendary in the Yi Tribe. For the ambitious Yi Feng and Yi Shan, this was the highest honor. As for Yi Li, the fighting spirit blazed in his eyes.

"Let’s do it!" The three agreed.

The four of them quickly spread out, each drawing their Blood-patterned Bow.

The Blood-patterned Bow was forged entirely from meteoric iron and infused with the blood of fierce beasts through secret methods. Veins like flowing blood shimmered along the bow’s surface. It was a weapon of the highest order, an excellent conductor of true energy, and cost fifty gold coins apiece.

Yi Tian held his Blood-patterned Bow and, with his immense strength, drew the bowstring fully. Yi Feng and Yi Li could only manage a third, and Yi Shan managed a half-draw. To fully draw the bow required at least three thousand pounds of force.

By chance, Yi Feng glanced toward Yi Tian and was stunned to see him draw the bow completely.

How had Yi Tian become so strong?

With a thunderous snap, Yi Tian’s arrow shrieked through the air like a streak of black light, powered by five layers of surging true energy. In an instant, it pierced the python’s left eye, sinking halfway into its skull.

The golden python roared in agony—a beast’s howl that echoed through the valley. Despite its injuries, it quickly detected the presence of the four hunters. Had it not been so gravely wounded, it would have sensed them sooner.

Furious, the python lunged toward them, shattering rocks and sending debris flying in its wake.

"Kill it!" Yi Tian’s companions followed his lead, loosing their arrows one after another.

With sharp cracks, three more arrows struck the python’s head—one split its scales and lodged in the skull, another blinded its remaining eye, and the last buried itself in the serpent’s open mouth.

Driven to true fury, the python, now blind, was undeterred. Their attacks wounded it further but still failed to be fatal, and it charged at them with renewed ferocity. In the blink of an eye, it closed the hundred-yard gap to seventy yards—just a few breaths away from their position.

"Kill it!" They had never considered fleeing; the python was too fast. Their only hope was to stand their ground and slay the beast with all their might.

At that moment, they faced the first life-or-death crisis of their lives.