The City Lord’s team hunted their quarry first, surpassing everyone’s imagination.

Even the team couldn’t believe how easily they defeated their formidable foe when they looked at the carcass of the Cloud-Patterned Leopard.

“How did this happen?”

Vice Commander Zhou asked himself. While his legs kept up with his team, his mind replayed the entire journey.

—

As soon as they reached the forest, Lu Shao and Feng Yan tracked the beast using their superior senses and the tracing mark bestowed by the Soul Essence Crystal.

Once they had a rough idea of its location, Feng Yan turned to the team and asked, “Do you remember how you had to lure the Fox without offending it?”

Seeing the team members nod, he continued, “We are going to use the same tactic. We will bait the Leopard into showing itself without threatening it.”

The team readily accepted his lead. Lu Shao may be the Captain, but everyone knew who gave the orders.

“The Leopard likes to stalk its prey for long distances. It will abandon the hunt if the prey discovers it early.”

Lu Shao reminded everyone of the characteristics of their target. Using the knowledge they had of this particular beast, he presented his conclusion.

“Since this beast has hunted humans in the nearby villages, it will not consider a group of men threatening. As long as we act unaware of its presence, it will definitely launch a surprise attack.”

Feng Yan agreed with his inference. Staring down at the team he had trained, he smiled wickedly.

“These guards should have no problem dealing with any surprise attack, right guys?”

The team winced remembering the hellish training they had endured in the past week. Shadow imitations of their three possible targets would attack them anytime, anywhere.

While they slept, ate, or even when they pooped, life-like imitations of the beasts attacked them. After suffering numerous times, they had become immune to surprise attacks.

During this training, the Shadow beasts used to imitate the actual behavioral pattern as closely as possible. That is why, the team of guards knew their prey like the back of their hands.

After deciding on a plan, Feng Yan took the rear while Lu Shao led from the front. Even though the Sense Realm Experts detected the Leopard, they did not warn the team and continued as if unaware of the beast.

__

Before his mind could replay the scene of the fight, Zi Ming spoke to him.

“Vice Commander Zhou, I still cannot believe we succeeded in hunting down the beast!”

​ His incredulous tone matched the expression on his face. Zhou Ruan replied in a similarly astonished voice.

“Neither Can I, Third Commander, neither can I. If we tell anyone that our team killed a Cloud Patterned Leopard with just one casualty, they would call us liars!”

“I agree! It was all possible due to the training we received from Feng Yan. If not for the constant surprise attacks we had to deal with, we would never have recovered fast enough when the Leopard attacked.”

“Don’t forget the man himself! If he did not restrain the Leopard, it would have escaped and caused many more casualties.”

“And the Battle Techniques! Without that Staff technique, our damage would be nowhere near enough to hinder the beast’s movements.”

“How can you forget the High Grade Technique, Chop? That martial skill had enough power to break a Spirit Beast’s neck with bare hands!”

As they talked, they came to a realization. With a complicated expression, Third Commander Zi Ming asked, “Does that mean we owe our victory to Mister Ikasa?”

“Without his techniques and his Commander, we may not be alive. I guess we do owe the victory to him.”

Vice Commander Zhou surmised.

In the stadium, people had reached a similar conclusion. However, they attributed the success to Feng Yan, ignorant of the boss behind the scenes.

While the spectators discussed the heroics of Feng Yan, heads of the other two powers were concerned about the person himself.

“Who is he?”

In the Hu Clan’s Pavilion, the Clan Master questioned the Fifth Seat who was responsible for gathering information.

“His name is Feng Yan. He appeared in the City three weeks ago. My sources have seen him train the City Guards team at the Herb Garden. He should be related to the new owner.”

The Clan Master’s white eyebrows scrunched together. Lines formed on his head as he looked at City Lord’s Pavilion with suspicion.

“Did the City Lord invite external help?”

The Sect Master of the Monstrous Flame Sect also received similar information from his subordinates. He turned to his guest with worry.

“Path Finder Zhi, will this external help affect our plans?”

Zhi Yang smirked while caressing his white beard.

“Worry not. City Lord Zhen has just dug the hole deeper for himself. You should challenge him as soon as the results are announced.”

“As you wish, Deacon.”

An hour had passed since the City Guard’s had defeated their foe. During this time there was no change in the status quo between the Monstrous Flame Sect and the Chimp.

But the Hu Clan had another encounter with their target!

As soon as Zhen Ya put the screen up, the spectators were greeted to the gory scene of Cui Chen, the third seat of the Hu Clan, being impaled.

The right tusk of the Boar had penetrated through his stomach and came out of his back.

Cui Chen coughed up blood and poked the beast’s eye. This movement caused his injuries to aggravate. The constant movements of the Boar did not help. Before he could extricate himself from the tusk, he lost too much blood and his eyes closed for eternity.

Si!

The spectators and the team members gasped as they witnessed a Sense Realm Expert die!

“Don’t stand like fools! Attack!”

Yao Mao desperately shouted as he hacked at the beast’s neck with all his might. The Corpse hanging on his tusk hindered its motions, and a deep wound appeared on the Boar’s neck.

The beast rampaged trying to avoid attacks of the other three men left in the team. But to no avail. The numerous wounds that Yao Mao had inflicted were widened when the poles poked into them.

The enraged beast ignored Yao Mao and charged into the one who had poked his anus. Its rushing figure crashed into the guy who was recovering his staff after the attack.

Before the Boar could escape, Yao Mao caught up and hacked with all his might. The Saber landed on the previous wound made on the neck and lopped off the boar’s head.

Yao Mao breathed heavily as he was bathed in the blood spurting from the dead Boar’s neck.

He fell to his knees and removed the corpse hanging on the tusk.

“I have avenged you, Brother Cui”

He whispered and tied the dead body to his back. The least he could do was give his fellow Sense Trainer a funeral deserving of his status.

The spectators watched in silence at the saddening scene. Of the team of 10, only three remained.

The Hu Clan members were in a state of shock seeing the sorry state of their team. What hurt them the most was the loss of one of their peak powerhouses; the death of Cui Chen.

Hu Clan Master clenched his fists till his nails drew blood from his palms. He knew the risks. He knew he might lose some men. But he never expected to lose a Sense Realm Expert.

Not only the Hu Clan, even other Sense Realm Experts watching the screen were shocked. Every Sense Realm Expert was born after numerous years of hardships.

They were the jewels in the crown of their respective powers. If one fell, it took a long time to replace them. And the powers they belonged to would be vulnerable during this period.

This was the case with the Hu Clan. Its loss was beneficial for other powers. In fact, before the corpse was even cold, others were rejoicing.

In the City Lord’s Pavilion, Ikasa watched City Lord clench his fists with excitement. He was already planning to wage an economic war on the Hu Clan and the Sect.

Due to this incident, he might turn it into an actual battle against the Hu Clan!

‘Please, don’t be impulsive!’

Ikasa prayed looking at the fire in that bearded man’s eyes.

Situation in the Monstrous Flame Sect’s Pavilion was not much different.

Initially, the death of the Third Seat shocked the Sect Master. He became worried for his team’s Sense Realm Experts.

Zhi Yang had noticed his anxiety and scoffed.

“That fool who can’t even handle a pig deserved to die. And don’t forget he might have stood in our way. So his death is actually good for us.”

His words reminded the Sect Master of their goal. And his anxiety lessened. He firmed his heart and turned his attention to his team.

Enough time had passed for the crowd to process the death of an Sense Realm Expert. They understood Sense Realm’s importance but still underestimated their significance to the respective powers.

That’s why they were more concerned with whether the Hu Clan could get second place or not.

“What a pyrrhic victory!”

“They would at least rank second.”

“No. It is not definite yet. If they cannot reach before the Monstrous Flame Sect, they would still be third.”

“True, looking at the condition of the remaining team members, it will be difficult for them to return.”

“If the Monstrous Flame Sect doesn’t make a move soon, the team from Hu Clan will arrive first. Even if they were to limp their way here!”

As if the comments of spectators reached their ears, the team on screen began to surround the Chimp.

Whether they would succeed or not; Only time would tell.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep