C21 Captured

In the heart of the dense forest, moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting a dappled glow on the quiet night. Two figures, one large and one small, darted through the woods with great speed.

Qin Biao leveraged his remarkable survival skills to leap from branch to branch, desperately trying to lose the man on his tail. But the man, a relentless Demon Hunter, seemed fixated on Qin Biao, doggedly pursuing him and nearly catching him several times. Thankfully, Qin Biao's robust tail and his years of evading capture in the forest afforded him a slim chance of survival.

Nevertheless, being caught was inevitable if things continued this way. The Demon Hunter was experienced and was merely toying with Qin Biao like a cat with a little rat. If he decided to get serious, Qin Biao wouldn't stand a chance of escape.

"Run faster, little rat! Don't bore me!" the man yelled, his face twisted into a maniacal grin as he taunted Qin Biao.

"This damn psycho..." Qin Biao muttered, his face clouding over with concern as he contemplated how to handle the human. Qin Biao was clueless about the man's tactics, and his own means of attack were woefully inadequate. A direct confrontation would undoubtedly end in defeat for Qin Biao.

As Qin Biao wrestled with his predicament, the man flung a talisman. Instantly, a scorching flame erupted from it, nearly singeing Qin Biao. In a last-ditch effort fueled by a fierce will to live, Qin Biao's hind legs propelled him with extraordinary force, allowing him to shift midair and narrowly evade the fireball.

The tree where Qin Biao had stood was not so fortunate; it was set ablaze, the flames roaring into the sky. Qin Biao, powerless to do anything else, fell to the ground and raced even faster into the forest depths.

"Ha ha ha! Keep it up! Keep going!" the man cackled, launching fireball after fireball from the talisman at Qin Biao, who had no choice but to keep moving and dodging each fiery orb.

Soon, Qin Biao's fur was scorched black, with some areas slightly burned. The man continued his relentless pursuit. There's an old saying that even a clay figure has a temper, and Qin Biao had reached his limit. With a few powerful leaps, he ascended a tree and vanished into the cloak of night.

The man was unhurried as he paused and gazed in the direction where Qin Biao had vanished, chuckling, "Little rat, the game is over. Time to come back with me, nice and easy."

With a cold laugh, the man drew his long sword and swiftly pursued Qin Biao through the trees, forgoing the use of fireballs this time. Perched on the highest branch, Qin Biao watched the approaching man with an icy stare.

The man quickly spotted Qin Biao and lunged with his sword. Qin Biao was ready, drawing his own dagger to engage in a fierce battle.

The two clashed midair, the man taken aback by the unexpected skill Qin Biao displayed with his weapon. To the man, Qin Biao was merely a plaything, easily disposed of at any moment, yet here he was, wielding his weapon with surprising adeptness.

Their exchange was intense, with each parry and thrust, but Qin Biao was clearly at a disadvantage. Whether in agility or strength, he was relentlessly overpowered by the man, narrowly escaping lethal blows several times. Despite his evasive maneuvers, he still sustained several cuts.

After a brief separation, Qin Biao leapt to a nearby tree, gasping for breath, while the man, gripping the trunk with one hand, smirked coldly at him. "Enough of this. I'm done playing," he declared, preparing to strike once more. That's when a brilliant silver light burst forth from Qin Biao!

Caught off guard, the man could only watch as the silver light struck the tree he was on, severing it in half in a flash!

As the tree toppled, the man lost his balance and tumbled towards the ground. Seizing the moment, Qin Biao acted, his dagger plummeting like a crescent moon, aiming directly for the man's throat.

"You dare!" the man bellowed, extending his sword in a futile attempt to block. But Qin Biao was quicker, ducking under the sword's swipe, his dagger making a clean cut across the man's neck.

"Puff!"

The sound of flesh being pierced was followed by blood gushing out like a fountain, threatening to stain the silver moon crimson.

Qin Biao's claws clung to the dagger as he pressed it against the man's throat, his powerful tail whipping the man's face over and over.

The man collapsed, struggling feebly on the ground, his throat emitting a gurgling noise.

With a forceful swipe, Qin Biao severed the man's head, then ceased his tail's movements and collapsed on the ground, gasping for air.

In less than ten seconds, Qin Biao, through sheer willpower, stood up, seized the talismans scattered beside the man, and leapt onto a nearby tree, swiftly departing the scene of turmoil.

Shortly after Qin Biao's departure, a group of Demon Hunters arrived at the site of the man's death. Witnessing the gruesome scene, they all inhaled sharply.

It was not uncommon for Demon Hunters to meet their end; it comes with the territory. But before embarking on this mission, they had confirmed that this was a low-level forest, devoid of any significant demons, let alone Shape Transforming ones. Equipped with superior gear and not new to such tasks, the likelihood of their demise here was slim to none.

The Demon Hunters exchanged worried glances, each seeing the deep fear in the other's eyes. They realized there must be an undetected, powerful demon lurking in the forest. If that were true, they might now be the prey.

With this thought, they hastily tidied up the man's remains and made a swift exit from the forest.

Unbeknownst to Qin Biao, who was lying half-dead on a tree trunk, his body flickering with healing silver light.

The silver light that had shattered the tree was Qin Biao's most significant achievement lately, allowing him to release all his stored spiritual force in one burst. Its power wasn't overwhelming, but it was lethal to an ordinary person. The only downside was that the technique drained all of Qin Biao's energy, necessitating a lengthy recovery. During this time, Qin Biao was as good as a corpse, unable to even lift a hand.

This is precisely why Qin Biao was reluctant to use the power; he had resorted to it out of sheer necessity. Now, Qin Biao lay unconscious, the faint silver light shimmering across his body, continuing to heal his wounds.