C12 Nether Bow

In a critical moment, Lu Feng felt a tremor within the formation of his Essence Soul, and an odd sensation flooded through him. Instinctively, he slid under the Nether Leopard at an incredibly peculiar angle, his palm striking the ground to propel him to safety.

He had finally mastered the second level of the Exquisite Step!

Lu Feng had dedicated three years to perfecting this technique, renowned as the Array Master's most formidable method for evading danger. Despite his efforts, he had been stuck at Rank One until, in a life-or-death instant, he achieved a breakthrough.

The Exquisite Step is divided into four realms. The first, known as 'Flower Pursuing Tree', took Lu Feng over a year to practice within Elder Bai's 'Flower Sea Illusion Array'. Only then did he reach the point where not a petal could touch him – a mere entry-level achievement for the Exquisite Step.

Elder Bai explained that the Flower Sea was static, and the path of the falling flowers was predictable. Passing through without a touch was something any adept practitioner could eventually accomplish. The real challenge and power of the Exquisite Step lay in the subsequent realms: Shadow Covering Sly Step, White Dew River Crossing, and Void Control Wind.

Lu Feng had just grasped the second realm, the Shadow Covering Sly Step! In this state, he could detect the motion within the 'Flower Sea', finding the perfect moment to dodge amidst the enemy's shifting assaults.

The ultimate goal of this realm is to dodge using the enemy's force, leaving no trace and remaining undetected.

Bolstered by the second layer of the Exquisite Step, Lu Feng's confidence soared. He ran, nocked his arrows, and fired a series at the Nether Leopard.

"Good job!"

Huo Gen watched the scene unfold with immense satisfaction, praising loudly. He admired Lu Feng not just for his narrow escape, but for his immediate counterattack upon regaining his footing – a true testament to his courage and presence of mind.

Lu Feng's aim might have been off, but in that moment, it was more than sufficient.

The arrows may not have inflicted serious harm on the Nether Leopard, but they effectively hemmed it in, momentarily transforming it into a live target.

Huo Gen, with his impeccable timing, was not one to miss such an opportunity.

He drew his bow and nocked his arrows.

Right eye, front paw, neck, and back...

Huo Gen released several arrows in rapid succession. His use of the heavy bow far surpassed Lu Feng in both strength and precision. The trapped Nether Leopard had no chance of evading the onslaught.

Hit by the arrows, it was wounded!

Dealing with a severely injured Nether Leopard became much easier.

Lu Feng and Huo Gen worked seamlessly together, shooting, creating distance, shooting again, and continuing this pattern.

Soon, the Nether Leopard was riddled with arrow feathers and ultimately collapsed, lifeless.

Both men looked at the fallen Nether Leopard and shared a knowing smile. They were visibly exhausted, but the overwhelming sense of exhilaration from their narrow escape was palpable.

"Don't be fooled by its Rank One Spirit Beast status; it's got plenty of treasures on it," Huo Gen said eagerly, rubbing his hands together.

True enough, even the most basic Spirit Beast could possess treasures that would afford an ordinary person a brief stint of wealth.

Once a wild beast absorbed a certain amount of Heaven Earth Spiritual Energy, it transformed into a Spirit Beast, with a clear hierarchy from one to nine. The higher the rank, the more formidable the Spirit Beast.

When Lu Feng noticed the shimmering patterns on the Nether Leopard's body, he knew it contained a Beast Core, the hallmark of a Spirit Beast.

A Spirit Beast's Beast Core holds a fraction of its life's energy and some volatile Heaven Earth Spiritual Energy. Humans can harness this power through various means, such as refining it into pills, using it as the Array Heart in arrays, or even directly absorbing the energy for personal cultivation.

After ensuring the Nether Leopard was indeed dead, they moved it to a safe location for dissection. Huo Gen stepped forward and began the process.

Extracting a dagger from his pocket, Huo Gen pierced the Nether Leopard's belly. He cut through the fur and extracted the Beast Core.

"Take this. Whether you sell it or keep it for yourself is up to you," Huo Gen said with a smile, offering the Beast Core to Lu Feng.

Huo Gen's hands were slick with blood and reeked of the Nether Leopard's innards after he reached into its abdomen. Yet, within those soiled hands, he held a pearl that sparkled brilliantly.

The pearl bore identical patterns to those on the Nether Leopard's hide, radiating a greenish-black glow.

Lu Feng refrained from reaching out for it; he didn't desire to take it. It was Huo Gen who had risked his life to slay the beast, and the treasure was rightfully his.

"Take it. It's of no use here in the village."

Understanding Lu Feng's reluctance, Huo Gen insisted once more and tossed the pearl to him.

Lu Feng no longer declined and carefully accepted the Beast Core, casting a thankful look towards Huo Gen.

Indeed, the Beast Core was of great use to Lu Feng. Having left the Exquisite Valley, he brought only a selection of unfinished books on array formations. The two elders had provided no materials or jades for setting up arrays, claiming they were too costly and the valley's stock had been depleted.

Lu Feng was skeptical of this claim. Thus, he valued any potential array materials he encountered.

Huo Gen continued to process the Nether Leopard's carcass. Beyond the Beast Core, the creature's body was a trove of valuable resources. Its sharp claws could be fashioned into rudimentary claw weapons; its bones could be crafted into tools; and its sinew, known for its resilience, was ideal for bowstrings.

"This is quality material. I'll craft a bow and arrows better suited for you from this Nether Leopard," Huo Gen remarked, examining the sinew in his hands.

Grateful, Lu Feng smiled and inquired casually, "Mr. Huo Gen, where did you learn such remarkable archery skills?"

"It's a family legacy. Our village once produced a truly extraordinary individual long ago," Huo Gen replied with a mix of longing and admiration.

Respecting the ancestral tradition, Lu Feng refrained from probing further.

The two men finished processing the meat and hoisted the hefty leopard carcass to carry it back to the village. Weighing several hundred pounds, the dead Nether Leopard proved to be a substantial burden for both Lu Feng and Huo Gen.

To avoid stirring up excitement, the pair discreetly handled the leopard upon their return to the village, and the villagers simply regarded it as a typical wild leopard.

During the subsequent days, Lu Feng spent his daylight hours hunting with Huo Gen and honing his archery skills. In the evenings, he shared tales of the continent and imparted his cultivation knowledge to Huo Yu and Huo Niu. Meanwhile, Huo Gen diligently gathered materials from their quarry to craft a bow and arrows that would perfectly suit Lu Feng.

What baffled Lu Feng, however, was Huo Niu's situation. Despite having reached maturity with no apparent health issues, Huo Niu had yet to awaken his Life Soul. Even with Lu Feng's assistance, there was no response, leaving Lu Feng perplexed about what could be amiss.

Around the campfire, the group engaged in casual conversation. A disheartened Huo Niu inquired, "Mr. Feng, do you think I'll never be able to awaken my Life Soul?"

"Don't worry. While there are individuals who can't awaken their Life Soul, you're not one of them," Lu Feng reassured him. He was particularly puzzled because he could sense the presence of Spiritual Energy within Huo Niu.

Huo Niu, as if he hadn't fully grasped Lu Feng's reassurance, repeated to himself, "A person who can't awaken his Life Soul..." as if lost in thought.

Unable to come to terms with the possibility of not awakening his Life Soul, Huo Niu, who held a deep yearning for the path of a Soul Cultivator, let out a frenzied shout and dashed toward the village's ancestral hall.

Huo Gen, who had just finished forging a bow for Lu Feng, witnessed Huo Niu's outburst and asked with concern, "What's gotten into Huo Niu?"

"He's upset because his Life Soul remains unawakened," Lu Feng explained.

"No worries. Whenever he's feeling down, he heads to the ancestral hall to take in the scent of the incense. He'll be back out soon enough," Huo Gen said with a smile, passing the newly crafted bow to Lu Feng.

Huo Gen had invested significant time and effort into the creation of this bow, and Lu Feng, who had observed the entire process, treasured it deeply.

After taking the bow with both hands, Lu Feng admired the craftsmanship of his new possession. Its appearance was far from what one would expect of something crafted in a mountain village; it was exceptionally refined with no rough or jagged edges. The bow was a deep black, even darker than the fur of a Nether Leopard, devoid of any reflective sheen, allowing it to blend seamlessly into the night.

The bow was unadorned, favoring function over form. It bore special engravings that resembled the patterns found on a Nether Leopard's Beast Core, yet they weren't an exact match. Even with Lu Feng's extensive knowledge, the patterns eluded his full understanding.

The bowstring was a reddish hue, reminiscent of blood long since dried. The stark contrast of red against black lent it a somewhat eerie appearance, which didn't quite vanish in the darkness.

"Pull the bow to its full extent," Huo Gen suggested with a hint of pride, as if he anticipated Lu Feng's thoughts.

Lu Feng complied, and to his amazement, as the bow was drawn, the peculiar blood-red bowstring was consumed by darkness, eventually matching the pitch-black color of the bow itself. It was a truly curious sight!

At full draw, Lu Feng caught the scent of an unusual yet pleasant fragrance, seemingly emanating from the bow in his hands.

With a look of astonishment, Lu Feng turned to Huo Gen and inquired about the bow's secret.

"Haha, it's nothing more than a little wilderness ingenuity," Huo Gen chuckled with satisfaction. "I've treated the originally red bowstring with 'Wild Wolf Grass' from our village. It reacts with the leopard blood it's mixed with, creating this effect under tension."

"Mr. Huo Gen, I'm deeply grateful," Lu Feng expressed earnestly, committing Huo Gen's thoughtful gesture to memory.

"Now that the bow is yours, you should name it," Huo Gen suggested.

"Given its connection to the Nether Leopard, I shall call it the Nether Bow," Lu Feng decided after a moment's thought.

As they were about to delve deeper into the bow's mystical properties, a sudden loud crash interrupted them, and a plume of dust rose from the direction of the distant ancestral hall.

"What caused the ancestral hall to collapse?" cried out a villager in alarm.

"Brother Huo Niu is still in there!" exclaimed Huo Yu, her voice laced with concern. Fear painted her young face, and she looked on the verge of tears.

"Let's go check it out!" Huo Gen urged with a sense of urgency and dashed ahead.

Lu Feng stowed the Nether Bow into the Qilin Ring, placing it alongside the Nether Beast Core in a separate compartment, and quickly followed suit.

The abrupt collapse of the ancestral hall cast a foreboding shadow over the villagers. The hall, a sacred site for honoring their ancestors, had fallen, and its destruction was seen as a portent of ill fortune.

By the time Lu Feng and Huo Gen reached the site, a crowd of villagers had already gathered at the entrance of the hall, all of them stretching to get a better view.

"Make way, please, make way..." Huo Gen pressed through the throng, with Lu Feng right on his heels.

As the dust settled, a collective look of disbelief washed over the onlookers.

Where the ancestral hall once stood, there was now only the gaping maw of a vast and precipitous cavern, its depths shrouded in mystery and emanating an eerie aura.