C12

Chen Wu wasn't the least bit intimidated by Hu Wang looking for trouble. The moment he decisively killed Lee Wang, he knew there was no turning back from his feud with Hu Wang.

Hu Wang had struggled immensely to steal the Bloodline Spirit Talisman from Chen Wu, which would have allowed Lee Wang to become a Demonic Pet Master. Yet, his efforts were in vain as he met his end at the hands of Chen Wu.

Lee Wang could easily imagine the agony Hu Wang must have felt upon hearing the news. Chen Wu's pain was Lee Wang's pleasure.

"Chirp—"

Blood Rain slightly diminished in size, transforming into a regular hawk before perching on Chen Wu's shoulder, pecking at his collar as if to claim credit.

"Thank you, Blood Rain," Chen Wu said, stroking its sturdy, sleek feathers.

The Elder Village Head felt a tinge of sorrow at the sight of the dead bodies strewn at the doorstep. He also noticed the villagers nearby, who were watching with horror. They hadn't seen the clash between Chen Wu and Lee Wang, but they had witnessed a bird Demonic Beast ruthlessly turning the Servants into pincushions. It was only natural for them to be terrified.

Nonetheless, many courageous men from the Hunting Team, strong and young, who had followed in their ancestors' footsteps to hunt for a living, mustered their bravery. A group of them cautiously peered into Chen Wu's courtyard, catching sight of Blood Rain on his shoulder, and were utterly astonished.

The eldest of the Hunting Team, Old Wu, stepped forward with a mix of awe and uncertainty as he gazed at Chen Wu and the bird Demonic Beast preening its feathers. Accustomed to the forest's dangers, he recognized the aura of menace and was too frightened to even breathe heavily. He inquired, "Elder Village Head, what has happened here?"

Chen Fengqing sighed deeply but remained silent. Zhu Tie, however, could barely contain his excitement as he blurted out, "I know what's going on! This Demonic Beast is Little Wu's Demonic Pet, and he's a Demonic Pet Master! He's the one who took down all those Hu Family dogs!"

"Ha! For years, those curs have been killing people left and right, hiding behind their Demonic Pet Master. They got what they deserved!"

As the group of men listened to Zhu Tie's animated account of what they had witnessed, they regarded Chen Wu with a mix of awe and curiosity. Shaking his head, Chen Wu turned and went back inside his room.

He was determined to use the Skill Crystal Stone as soon as possible to enhance Blood Rain's abilities.

"Blood Rain, come on, swallow this!" Chen Wu tossed an irregular, fist-sized stone to Blood Rain. Although he wasn't sure how to use it, he figured swallowing it would do the trick.

Blood Rain had already sensed the extraordinary energy within the peculiar stone. Upon swallowing it, the massive stone melted instantly, transforming into a surge of energy that spread throughout the Iron-feather Eagle's body.

Blood Rain let out a pained croak and quickly lay down, closing its eyes to absorb the strange energy. In less than half a minute, Blood Rain opened its eyes, now gleaming with a sharper brilliance.

"Ding! Iron-feather Eagle has learned the advanced skill 'Eagle Eye'!"

Eagle Eye: An advanced talent skill of the Iron-feather Eagle. During Eagle Eye, the eagle's perception is enhanced, slowing down the movement of all objects in its sight by 1.5 times.

Chen Wu eagerly activated the system's scanning feature to check the results.

[Biological]: Iron-feather Eagle

[Attributes]: Beast

[Type]: Unevolved

[Skills]: The Hawk Strike Force, Iron Claw, Feather Arrow, Eagle Eye

[Potential]: High-grade Bronze

[Bloodline]: None

[Level]: Bronze Grade 2

[Status]: Healthy

This was undoubtedly a highly practical skill. The Iron-feather Eagle excelled in speed and had impressive burst strength. Eagle Eye would boost its perceptual abilities, effectively slowing down the enemy's movements in its vision, allowing it to anticipate and react to the enemy's next move.

"Good job, Blood Rain!" Chen Wu exclaimed, patting Blood Rain's head with excitement. Blood Rain modestly preened its feathers, its eyes now even more piercing.

While Chen Wu had Blood Rain consume the Skill Crystal Stone, the Hunting Team members had cleared away all the Servant corpses outside. But when Chen Wu opened the door, he was greeted by Old Man Chen Yong, who stood hesitantly at the doorstep.

"Master Wu, is there something on your mind?"

Chen Yong looked hopeful as he said, "Chen Zi, you've become an exceptional Demonic Pet Master. The rest of us have a favor to ask of you."

"What's the matter, Master Wu? You go first."

Chen Yong spoke with urgency, "Chen Guang, that old rascal, has been missing for three days now. Someone spotted his blood-stained clothes near the black cave on the right side of Phoenix Nest Mountain. I fear he's run into trouble and can't make it back. That area is teeming with Demonic Beasts, and it's nearly impossible for ordinary folks like us to escape once we're in..."

Chen Wu's face paled, "Uncle Chen hasn't come back?"

He had assumed Uncle Chen had made it back to the village. Uncle Chen had drawn the Blood Wolf away from him, and when the beast quickly returned, Chen Wu noticed it wasn't bloodied, suggesting Uncle Chen hadn't been caught and had likely escaped. But now, to his dismay, he realized Uncle Chen had been missing for days.

Chen Wu's tone was grave, "Rest assured, Master Wu. I share responsibility for Uncle Chen's disappearance. I promise to help you find him, but it can't be right now..."

Suddenly, Chen Wu looked up, his expression a mix of severity and detachment. Blood Rain let out a warning screech and soared into the sky.

"Roar—!"

A vicious wolf howl, followed by the agonized scream of a villager, jolted everyone in the yard.

"Boom!"

The right wall of Chen Wu's home crumbled, revealing a massive creature with blood-red fur, nearly the size of a small elephant, standing two meters tall and four meters long—a veritable Giant Beast.

Its dark red eyes glinted with a bloodthirsty cunning, and its gaping maw left no doubt that it could easily snap off a person's head in one bite. This was the Blood Wolf, a notoriously savage member of the Beast-type Demonic Beasts, from the Dark Demonic Wolf Clan, specifically the lower-ranking Blood Wolf Clan.

The Blood Wolf, with its acute sensitivity to blood, could accelerate its growth by consuming the flesh and blood of other Demonic Beasts. However, excessive blood loss would trigger its racial "berserk" state, doubling its strength and driving it to fight to the death!

The Blood Wolf instantly fixed its gaze on the Iron-feather Eagle soaring in the sky and unleashed a menacing howl that made the men of Chen Village's legs turn to jelly as they whispered in terror, "It's Hu Wang's Blood Wolf!"

In all of Green-mount Town, there were only a handful of renowned Demonic Pet Masters, and Hu Wang was among the notorious few. His Blood Wolf was vicious and had a history of mauling and even killing commoners. Far from restraining it, Hu Wang let it run wild, once even commanding the Blood Wolf to slaughter an entire family of a dozen who were business rivals to the Hu Family!

His infamy was well-known.

Yet, Hu Wang's background was solid. Rumor had it he had an elder brother holding a position in Flame City, which made even the Green-stone Town's mayor wary of crossing him. Turning a blind eye to Hu Wang's actions only emboldened him further!

After all, this was a world where power was the ultimate law!

Despite the establishment of a so-called royal system with laws and regulations, they merely served to constrain the Everyman, while the powerful enjoyed the privilege of taking lives at their whim.

Standing eight feet tall, with a physique as formidable as a tower of iron, was Hu Wang. His eyes were a blood-red, icy and maniacal as he glared at Chen Wu.

"You little wretch, I can't believe you're still alive! You dared to harm my son; today, you, you, you..."

He pointed at each villager standing behind Chen Wu, his face twisting into a deranged grin, "All of you will join my son in death!"