Chapter 20: The Hunt Begins!

Dustin Li crouched low in the dense thorns, his body completely hidden beneath the foliage. He barely breathed, waiting.

Soon, he heard footsteps—slow at first, then approaching rapidly.

Not far from his hiding spot, the carcass of a Black Armored Wolf lay in a pool of its own blood. A Steel-Tail Tiger Demon, lured by the scent of fresh flesh, gnawed at the remains, its powerful jaws crunching bone with ease.

Then, a figure entered Dustin's field of vision.

"Him?"

Dustin narrowed his eyes. The man was clad in white light armor, an iron spear strapped to his back. He was the same person Dustin had seen outside the stronghold—the one who had flashed him a smile.

"Roar!"

The Steel-Tail Tiger Demon snarled at the approaching figure, baring its fangs before lunging, claws gleaming under the dim light.

"Foolish beast!"

With a cold snort, the armored man flicked his wrist. In an instant, the iron spear landed in his palm, glowing faintly. A sharp whistle cut through the air as the weapon pierced straight through the monster's skull.

A single strike—clean and precise.

Dustin's gaze darkened. This man is strong.

Only a warrior at the Energy Gathering Realm could take down a second-tier monster so effortlessly. Against a mere first-tier beast, it was nothing more than a trivial effort.

The armored warrior strode toward the Black Armored Wolf's corpse, inspecting the remains with sharp, experienced eyes. His brow furrowed slightly, then he scanned the surroundings.

"Someone else killed this wolf," he muttered.

His battle-hardened instincts told him the Steel-Tail Tiger Demon hadn't taken down the wolf—it had only been scavenging. Which meant...

Someone else was nearby.

A second set of footsteps echoed through the woods. Moments later, five more figures emerged from the undergrowth.

"Big brother!"

"Brother, Tiger!"

From their words, Dustin immediately understood. They were a team, and this man was their leader.

Among them, one face stood out—Lennox.

Dustin's mind raced. Are they hunting me?

It was possible. Kao and Onyx had been under Lennox's command, and Dustin had killed them both in Shiwu Mountain. Perhaps they had recognized him back at the stronghold.

His suspicions were confirmed when one of the men spoke.

"Brother, what about that kid?"

"We tracked him all the way here. He should be close, but he's nowhere in sight."

"He just killed a Black Armored Wolf. He couldn't have gone far!"

Koel remained silent for a moment before ordering, "Lennox, skin the tiger and take its tail. The rest of you—spread out and search the area. If you find him, kill him immediately. If he escapes, send the signal."

"Yes!"

Dustin's eyes sharpened. So it's not Lennox—it's Koel who wants me dead.

But why?

His fingers clenched around his sword hilt. Was it Jude Zhang?

That crippled fool had every reason to want revenge. If he had hired mercenaries, these men would be perfect for the job—hunters who valued gold over morals.

Dustin spread his life perception outward. The hunters had already begun their search, moving in different directions to cover more ground.

Only Lennox remained close, carefully skinning the Steel-Tail Tiger Demon.

A chance.

With silent precision, Dustin launched forward, his body cutting through the undergrowth like a shadow.

A Sudden Attack

Lennox sensed movement and spun around, gripping the twin axes at his side.

His pupils shrank. "It's you!"

The man before him wore a black cloak and a bucket hat—the same figure Koel had marked for death.

"Buzz!"

A brilliant inner energy aura erupted from Dustin's body—an unmistakable sign of a warrior at the peak of Body Refinement Realm.

Lennox's mind screamed danger.

"Damn it! He's stronger than we thought!"

There was no time to hesitate. Lennox hurled one of his axes, then reached into his robe, pulling out a red signal tube.

"Tch!"

Dustin's blade flashed.

The axe was deflected in mid-air.

In the same breath, a cold steel edge pressed against Lennox's throat.

"Move, and you die."

A thin line of blood seeped from where Dustin's sword touched his skin.

Lennox froze. His fingers loosened, and the signal tube fell to the ground. He knew—one wrong move and his head would roll.

Dustin's voice was cold. "Who hired you to kill me?"

Before Lennox could answer—

"Whoosh!"

A streak of silver light cut through the darkness.

Lennox's eyes widened in shock. A steel arrow had pierced his heart from behind.

"What—?"

Blood spurted from his lips. His vision blurred.

Before he collapsed, he heard Koel's mocking voice.

"Kid, I knew you were hiding nearby."

With a dull thud, Lennox's body hit the ground.

Dustin spun around, his senses screaming danger.

One by one, figures emerged from the darkness. Koel stood at the front, flanked by three warriors, with an archer hidden in the shadows.

Realization struck.

Lennox had been bait.

The moment the trap was revealed, Dustin didn't hesitate.

He turned—and ran.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Arrows sliced through the air like silver vipers, their deadly tips gleaming under the moonlight.

Dustin dodged with precise footwork, never slowing down.

"Damn it! He's too fast!" Koel growled.

Despite being an Energy Gathering Realm martial artist, his raw speed couldn't match Dustin's Inch-Step Technique.

But he wasn't worried.

Even if Dustin escaped, he had no proof of their actions. The Martial Hall wouldn't act on baseless accusations.

The True Hunt Begins

Dustin finally halted deep within the forest, concealed beneath thick vegetation. His breathing steadied.

Through his life perception, he sensed the hunters spreading out again, searching in a loose formation.

Five of them remain.

Only Koel had reached the Energy Gathering Realm. The others were peak Body Refinement Realm warriors.

If I take them out one by one…

A cold glint flickered in Dustin's eyes.

He wasn't going to run.

He was going to hunt them down.

The First Kill

A scarred man with a curved blade moved cautiously through the underbrush, cursing under his breath.

"Damn brat. A mere Body Refinement runt shouldn't be this hard to kill."

His sharp eyes scanned the darkness.

A moment later, he spotted a python coiled around a nearby tree, its forked tongue flicking in and out.

"Tch. Just a weakling."

With a quick lunge, the man severed the snake's head, watching it roll into the dirt. He bent down, retrieving the snake's gallbladder for later sale.

Then—a flicker of movement.

His instincts screamed at him. He whirled around, blade flashing—

"CLANG!"

His arms trembled as his sword was parried. Sparks flew.

A shadow darted in.

"SHNK!"

A sword pierced his heart.

His mouth opened in shock, but no words came.

The last thing he saw was Dustin's cold, merciless gaze.

The blade was withdrawn. Blood dripped from its tip.

Dustin's expression was unreadable as he vanished back into the jungle.

One down. Four to go.

Above, the storm clouds gathered.

A bolt of lightning split the sky.

The real hunt had just begun.