The mountain wind was strong, howling like a ghostly wail, snapping off many branches and whipping up the snow on the ground, mixing it with the heavy snowfall from the night sky. Everything was covered in a blanket of white.
Qin Ming walked alone through the wind and snow, arriving at the foot of the mountain where the patrol group was based.
He decided to use the bow and arrows he had captured. Although he still thought of them as "soft bows," they were much better than the iron bow he had used before.
The fierce wind and snow hit his face, forcing him to squint. He changed out of his thicker warm clothes, putting on lighter outerwear after donning his armor.
He buried the bow and arrows he brought along, along with his pack, in a snow cave and weighed them down with heavy stones. Then, armed with four iron spears from the patrol, he headed up the mountain.
Qin Ming approached silently, gradually climbing towards the peak, just a few dozen meters away from a flat area.
If it weren't for the strong wind and heavy snow, the golden mastiff, as big as a fierce tiger, would have surely caught the scent of the intruder by now.
Even so, it seemed to sense something, its ears perked up, covered in golden patterns.
Inside a larger wooden cabin, flames flickered, and shadows of several people were visible through the window. In this bitter cold, they were drinking and enjoying the rich, steaming flavor of yak meat cooked in a copper pot over the fire.
"The fire spring in the Blood Bamboo Forest is about to go out. It's a good opportunity to deal with those spiritual creatures. We need to prepare in advance..."
The words drifted on the wind, and Qin Ming wanted to listen more. Some members of the patrol were targeting a certain spiritual creature in the mountain for their second rebirth.
Unfortunately, he couldn't eavesdrop any longer because the golden mastiff had appeared outside the cabin, looking in his direction and preparing to roar.
He aimed at the window and shot at the largest figure inside. The iron arrows flew like lightning through the night, piercing the wooden cabin with a series of whooshing sounds.
Inside, someone let out a muffled groan, and all the figures dropped to the ground. Then the cabin door burst open, and several figures rushed out, using tables and doors as shields, their eyes sharp as they searched for the hidden attacker.
The golden mastiff barked wildly, its roar scattering the snowflakes in front of it. Its massive body surged with incredible power as it charged towards Qin Ming.
Qin Ming ignored the mutated golden mastiff for now, focusing all his iron arrows on one target—Fu Entao.
He didn't care about the other patrol members; Fu Entao was the most dangerous. Wounding him was more meaningful than taking out a few others first.
Unfortunately, Fu Entao was only hit by one arrow, and it was a light wound. His specially made armor provided excellent protection, and the arrow only penetrated half an inch.
After that, Fu Entao swung his long knife, cutting through most of the arrows, and he used the trees as cover, quickly closing in on Qin Ming.
Judging by the force of the arrows shot at him, he realized that this opponent was not yet in their second rebirth and was not someone too difficult to handle.
It wasn't that Qin Ming lacked strength; it was that the patrol's hard bows couldn't withstand his immense power, and they ultimately broke under his force.
The mutated mastiff, covered in black and gold patterns, leaped towards him, its massive jaws exhaling white mist, its sharp teeth glistening as it roared, shaking the forest.
However, its huge body suddenly stiffened mid-air, its roar cut off. An iron spear flew at terrifying speed, piercing its head and splattering blood. Its fierce gaze dimmed in an instant.
There was no denying that this was a strong mutated creature capable of causing trouble for the reborn, but it was easily taken down by Qin Ming's simple throw of the spear—killed instantly!
With a thud, it fell five meters in front of Qin Ming.
In the distance, Feng Yian saw the golden mastiff's body hit the ground and shouted in pain, "Goldie!"
A surge of anger rose in Qin Ming. In the eyes of people like Feng Yian, the lives of villagers outside the mountain were worth less than that of a vicious dog, and he was losing his composure over it.
He swung his right arm forcefully, throwing another iron spear that whistled through the wind and snow towards Feng Yian.
Feng Yian, a burly man with a big beard and a hopeful second rebirth, reacted quickly. He moved swiftly to the side and swung his long knife, aiming to cut the incoming spear.
With a sharp clang and sparks flying, Feng Yian felt his entire arm go numb, his right hand trembling as he nearly dropped the knife.
He was shocked. What kind of strength was that? The spear grazed his body and crashed into a wooden cabin, breaking the thick door.
At that moment, Fu Entao, nearly two meters tall, stomped through the snow, kicking up waves of snow as he charged forward with astonishing speed, closing in on Qin Ming to less than ten meters.
Waiting for him was a specially made iron spear from the patrol, shooting towards him like a venomous snake in the night.
As a reborn, Fu Entao had keen senses and clearly detected the spear's trajectory.
He didn't want to waste any effort; his tall body merely shifted slightly to dodge it, continuing to charge forward without missing a beat, propelled by the wind.
He avoided the glinting iron spear, but right behind him, another patrol member was following closely, just a few meters behind, making him the second target.
This was Qin Ming's intention. If Fu Entao blocked, that was fine; if he dodged, the thrown spear would go towards the person right behind him.
The patrol member couldn't dodge in time because the distance was too short, and Fu Entao had blocked his view.
"Ah..." he let out a piercing scream as the spear pierced his chest. Even with armor, it couldn't stop the force, and it shattered, sending fragments flying.
However, this block changed the spear's trajectory.
The spear slightly veered off course and with a thud, pinned the patrol member against a tree as thick as a barrel, blood streaming down the spear shaft and staining the snow.
He struggled in immense pain, knowing he wouldn't survive.
Feng Yian and Shao Chengfeng felt a chill down their spines, as if they were the ones pinned to that tree, and they instinctively took a few steps back.
Fu Entao knew what had happened behind him, his expression turning cold. Ten meters was nothing for him to cover in a leap.
His curly black hair whipped back in the cold wind, and his fur cloak billowed. The long knife in his hand was specially made, wider and sharper. He swung it down with the force of a mountain, fierce and powerful!
Qin Ming was still as steady as a rock, but when he moved, it was like thunder—fast and fierce. He slightly shifted to avoid the terrifying blade and struck the side of the knife with the last iron spear in his left hand, deflecting its path.
Fu Entao was slightly startled; he realized this was not someone he could easily handle. This person must have undergone their second rebirth.
He pushed down hard on his knife, trying to knock the iron spear aside and continue his strong assault, but he encountered strong resistance.
Qin Ming pressed the spear against the knife, creating a shower of sparks, keeping the long knife away from his body. He then charged in, swinging his axe towards Fu Entao's exposed chest.
Fu Entao's pupils constricted. His heavy long knife couldn't push the iron spear back, making him realize for the first time that he was facing a formidable opponent.
He quickly raised his left arm, which was protected by a black armguard engraved with mountain monster patterns, to block the axe that shone like a clear spring. The clash produced a piercing metallic sound.
Using this moment, Fu Entao quickly retreated, like a storm, sending snowflakes swirling up from the ground, breaking free from the slightly passive position after their initial clash.
He shook his slightly numb left arm and looked down to see cracks forming on the armguard, nearly cleaved in two. It wasn't that his opponent's blade was too sharp, but rather that the overwhelming force had shattered it.
Due to his misjudgment of the arrow's power, he had initially thought he could instantly kill this archer, but now he was blocked and began to seriously assess the figure before him.
Qin Ming looked at the axe, noticing the blade was damaged with a noticeable chip. Although it was made from fine iron, it couldn't compare to the patrol's weapons and armor.
He knew very well that his strength was greater than Fu Entao's, but he was slightly lacking in speed. The reborn focused on flexibility and speed. He needed to engage in close combat, making Fu Entao mistake him for a fellow reborn, limiting his ability to escape with a single strike.
"Who are you, and why are you targeting us?" Fu Entao asked. Earlier, seeing Qin Ming's youthful appearance, he thought he was just an impulsive hot-blooded youth, wanting to beat him up before interrogating him.
But in the face of such powerful strength, he calmed down, viewing Qin Ming as an equal, even feeling a bit wary. After all, the other party was so young. Could he be a noble from Chixia City? But his clothes didn’t look like it.
Qin Ming didn't answer. He pointed the iron spear forward with his left hand and raised the axe slightly with his right, stepping forward calmly and steadily, despite his youth, exuding a strong aura.
Fu Entao frowned, increasingly suspicious of his identity.
As Qin Ming stepped out of the dark forest and approached the fire spring area, Feng Yian and Shao Chengfeng recognized him.
Earlier, they had found the figure familiar, but now illuminated by the firelight, his face became clear, and they were utterly stunned.
"You are from Shuangshu Village... Qin Ming?!" Feng Yian exclaimed in disbelief. He had seen this young man several times; hadn't he just recently undergone his rebirth?
Qin Ming didn't respond, steadily approaching his opponent. Then he suddenly accelerated, thrusting his spear forward like an ice snake transforming into a dragon, creating a terrifying sound as it cut through the air. The falling snow exploded, and the snow on the ground burst apart.
"You all surround him; don’t let him escape! I want him captured alive!" Fu Entao shouted quickly as he swung his knife.
His gaze was as cold as lightning, exuding confidence, mainly to prevent Feng Yian and Shao Chengfeng from hesitating in battle, boosting their morale.
"Let’s all attack together and finish him off quickly," shouted a burly patrol member, slowly approaching with his knife. He wasn't rushing in recklessly but trying to create psychological pressure on Qin Ming.
Seeing this, Feng Yian and Shao Chengfeng moved forward to surround him, taking up crucial positions, ready to ambush, subtly influencing the battle.
The clash between Qin Ming and Fu Entao was terrifying, with the iron spear leaving afterimages like dragons and snakes in the air, while the flashing blade resembled lightning in the rain, rapidly expanding the battlefield.
Feng Yian and Shao Chengfeng's faces changed dramatically. This young man named Qin Ming was so strong; could their leader really suppress him?
Qin Ming and Fu Entao charged back into the dense forest near the fire spring, forcing the three outside to follow cautiously, surrounding him.
In the forest, the two rushed past, and the previously intact trees suddenly cracked and splintered, branches falling to the snowy ground, and even large trees crashing down.
Suddenly, from the dark forest, a silver figure leaped down from a large tree, aiming to ambush Qin Ming.
Qin Ming was focused on fighting Fu Entao, his back turned to this direction, and the snow ape raised by the patrol launched a surprise attack from above, catching him off guard.
It was a mutated creature with claws capable of tearing apart fierce beasts. At that moment, it was incredibly fierce and violent, reaching for Qin Ming's neck with swift and deadly intent.
Qin Ming had long known there was a snow ape in the area. After climbing the mountain, he had secretly located its position and was always on guard against potential threats.
His feet moved like the wind, exceptionally agile, dodging the snow ape's attack while swinging his axe upwards. With a thud, the axe cleaved the ferocious snow ape in half!
Blood splattered everywhere as it howled, its two halves falling to the snow, soon lifeless and still.
Thanks to: Chen Sheng, Xiao Mo, Zui Dan Chun, Meng Ye Ye, Zui Yan Duan Feng, Chong Xian, Shi Jia Suo, and many thanks to the alliance leader for the support!