"Ha," Yuan exhaled, recalling the demonic beasts they'd faced. Abruptly, he closed his eyes, an unexpected move that made everyone in the group pause. They had assumed they must stay alert, but once Yuan settled into a meditative posture, they followed suit, easing into uneasy rest.
They waited in silence until the rain finally ceased. At that soundless moment, Yuan opened his eyes, rose to his feet, and let out a relieved sigh.
Finally, I can begin, he thought. With a single clap, he snapped his companions awake. They jolted upright, bracing for an attack. Yuan couldn't help but smile and a soft chuckle escaped him.
His laughter puzzled them. They glanced around, no beasts stirred, no threat approached. Tianyu furrowed his brow and demanded, "Luanyuan, why did you wake us?"
Yuan pointed toward the valley entrance. Tianyu squinted in confusion, but before he could speak, Yuxin gasped and then laughed with delight. Tianyu turned to her. "The rain! Do you hear it?"
He strained his ears. "Has it… ended?"
A broad grin spread across Yuan's face. "Yes, it's over. Now we can find fresh water… and finally eat."
Tianyu's eyes brightened, exhaustion melting away. The others beamed as if they'd just broken through a cultivation barrier without even trying.
Yuan shook his head, still chuckling. "Enjoy the moment, but stay vigilant. This is only the beginning. Six days remain in this cruel tournament and we intend to survive it, not become everyone else's joke."
With those rallying words, the group settled, though their eyes still glittered with excitement. They all nodded in agreement.
"Brother Luanyuan is right," Haoran declared. "We want to survive this cruelty, not drop dead! Vigilance in everything!" The others echoed him like a battle cry, "Survive this cruelty! Vigilance in everything!"
Their morale swelled. Yuan returned their nods and added, "Exactly. To endure this trial, we must watch every step. Now, let's head out, gather firewood, grill our meat, and quench our thirst. And if any demonic beasts cross our path, we'll slaughter them!"
"YES!" they roared, filing out of the cave into the daylight. For the first time since entering the depths, their eyes burned at the sudden glare. After ten minutes of squinting and readjusting, they pressed on.
They moved through the Deep Pond Forest with cautious, measured steps. Whenever a normal beast appeared, they dispatched it swiftly, but after the third kill, Yuan waved them off. "We don't need to butcher every creature," he said. "Only the demonic ones."
The group fell silent. Instead of random kills, they began to track a lone deer-like animal, hoping it would guide them to water. After half an hour of stealthy pursuit, the creature led them to a secluded pond.
Just as they prepared to drink, Yuan raised a hand, silencing everyone. Hidden behind a thicket, they watched the creature drink, hastily, with twitching ears and darting eyes. An uneasy chill ran down Yuan's spine, so he held them back.
No sooner had the creature finished than a massive, shadowy form burst from the underbrush and swallowed it whole. Haoran's jaw dropped. "Nothing to wor—"
But the scene left no doubt, this was a demonic beast, swift and deadly. Judging by its speed and size, it certainly wasn't a weak one. Yuan's heart pounded as he readied his blade. The real hunt had begun.
Haoran stood with his mouth agape, utterly speechless. The others were equally stunned, though none gaped quite as widely.
"What…?" Yuxin murmured under her breath, yet everyone heard. They exchanged bewildered looks, and Tianyu turned to Yuan, his eyes a mix of shock and admiration. "Did… did you foresee that?"
Yuan only nodded slowly. Their eyes widened even further, and praise broke out around him.
"Truly worthy of being the greatest talent in the Loose Long family," Haoran said, envy mingling with awe.
"Indeed," Meilan managed, still too surprised to elaborate.
They had always known Yuan was powerful, able to face demonic beasts alone, but this went beyond raw strength.
"What should we do now?" Yuxin asked after gathering herself.
Yuan smiled at her. "What else but kill it?"
He cast his gaze around the clearing. The others fell silent, waiting for his plan.
Yuan's mind raced, how to take down this swift demonic beast without losses, and reap all the benefits. Thick trees surrounded the pond, and the only easy path was the narrow trail the prey had just taken. Any other approach would mean forcing their way through dense undergrowth, slow, exhausting, and dangerous.
The pond itself wasn't large, only about ten meters across and its waters were crystal clear. Yet even so, the demonic beast remained hidden beneath the surface. Then Yuan noticed something unsettling. a human skeleton lying on the pond floor.
Though the bones were obscured by the water, he could tell the skeleton was missing both arms and legs.
Surprised, Yuan scanned the shoreline and his eyes lit up with greed. Half buried in the mud near the water's edge lay a sword. He couldn't yet tell if it was intact or sharp enough to wield, but if it was, it would be the finest weapon he'd ever held.
Suppressing a chuckle of excitement, Yuan leaned closer to the water. The pond's depths yielded no other surprises, but he was undeterred, if anything, he felt energized.
It may be difficult, he thought, but the rewards are worth it.
He turned to his companions, nodded, and began outlining their plan.