Chapter 81: Success


    As night fell, the vast wilderness forest was gradually enveloped in darkness.


    Han Ming crouched on a branch of a towering tree, squinting at a small mountain in the distance.


    "The Red Moon is resting in that mountain, likely recovering from its injuries. Tonight is the last chance. If it fully recovers, killing it will be even more difficult."


    Han Ming closed his eyes and silently reflected. A year and a half had passed, and the tracking mark Katarina had placed on the Xuantian Ice Silkworm was growing fainter. Fortunately, the mark was strong enough and hadn''t disappeared as Katarina had predicted it would after about a year. Otherwise, Han Ming would have lost his last chance.


    He opened his storage bag and pulled out the pale blue sword he had obtained from the stone coffin. On the hilt of the sword were two small characters: Qing Hong.


    Han Ming''s eyes revealed confusion.


    He had tried countless times to use this sword but had never discovered anything special about it.


    What was so unique about this sword that it could be placed alongside the magical beast core and the Hua Yuan Gong? It couldn''t be an ordinary sword, but up until now, he hadn''t found any distinctive features of the Qing Hong Sword.


    "Never mind, time is short. I''ll deal with the Red Moon first and study this sword later."


    Han Ming gently jumped down from the tree, holding his breath as much as possible, and cautiously made his way toward the small mountain.


    Fortunately, he didn''t encounter any unexpected obstacles along the way. If a magical beast had jumped out at this moment, Han Ming would have been in serious trouble. A fight would have inevitably awakened the Red Moon.


    Han Ming carefully climbed the small mountain and found a large cave halfway up. The rocks near the cave entrance had been scorched beyond recognition.


    It seemed the cave had been created by the Red Moon''s intense flames, which were hot enough to melt stone.


    To be safe, Han Ming layered three ice shields around himself. Although this would affect his agility, it was far better than being roasted alive.


    Han Ming quietly entered the cave, careful not to make any noise that might wake the Red Moon.


    He held a massive battle axe in his hand. The intense heat from deep within the cave made it hard for him to keep his eyes open, and the outermost layer of his ice shields was already showing signs of melting.


    The cave wasn''t very deep. After walking about fifty meters, the temperature inside rose even higher, and a bend appeared ahead.


    Han Ming cautiously pressed himself against the edge of the bend and peeked inside.


    He saw a creature with a human face, a lion''s body, and massive wings resting deep within the cave. Thick smoke billowed from the Red Moon''s nostrils as it breathed heavily.


    The Red Moon''s back was pierced with several arrows, and there was a long wound on its abdomen. It was clearly severely injured.


    How should he attack? Han Ming frowned, unsure of what to do despite being so close to the Red Moon.


    Just then, a faint rustling sound came from outside the cave.


    Damn it! Someone''s here! Why now of all times?


    Han Ming looked around but found no place to hide. In a panic, he had an idea. He climbed up the cave wall, digging his fingers into the stone to anchor himself securely to the ceiling.


    Fortunately, the cave was tall enough that he wouldn''t be easily spotted.


    Once Han Ming had steadied himself, light footsteps echoed in the cave.


    Han Ming cursed silently. Couldn''t these idiots walk more quietly? If he could hear them, so could the Red Moon.


    He didn''t consider that few people could rely solely on physical strength to reach the level of a first-tier War Madman like him. Most War Madmen relied on combat aura to achieve their strength, and their agility was far inferior to Han Ming''s. Moreover, Han Ming''s strength was three tiers higher than an ordinary person''s, putting him far ahead of typical War Madmen.


    As expected, the Red Moon heard the noise and slightly opened its eyes, glaring furiously toward the bend in the cave.


    Han Ming held his breath, staying perfectly still on the ceiling.


    The group of people finally reached the bend. One of them cautiously peeked around the corner and saw the Red Moon with its eyes closed, seemingly asleep.


    Han Ming silently cursed. The Red Moon was faking sleep to lure them in. He wondered if it had done the same when he entered. It was entirely possible. The thought sent a chill down his spine. If this group hadn''t followed him in, the Red Moon might have already attacked him.


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    The person who peeked around the corner, seeing the Red Moon asleep, was overjoyed. He whispered instructions to the seven or eight people behind him.


    The group carefully emerged, forming a semicircle around the Red Moon.


    "Attack!"


    A leader-like figure gave a low command, and the group suddenly released powerful combat aura!


    Han Ming was shocked. Among the eight people, five were first-tier War Madmen, and the other three were peak sixth-tier Great Warriors. Their strength was formidable.


    As they released their combat aura, the Red Moon suddenly lifted its head. Its human face twisted into a grotesque expression as it let out a roar and spewed a massive burst of scorching flames.


    The group shouted in alarm and scattered, desperately charging at the Red Moon. The three weaker Great Warriors were instantly reduced to ash by the flames.


    The remaining five War Madmen swung their weapons at the Red Moon. The beast roared and lunged at one of them, spewing another burst of flames. The flames melted even the rocks in their path.


    The cave was too narrow for the man to dodge. He screamed as the flames consumed half of his body, leaving the other half to collapse into a charred heap.


    The remaining four attacked, striking the Red Moon with their weapons. One of them even had a beast soul—a dark earth-type boar formed from his combat aura—which charged at the Red Moon. His sturdy earth-type combat aura minimized the burns he suffered.


    "Kill!" the four shouted in unison, their voices shaking the cave.


    The Red Moon, injured by the four and unable to maneuver in the narrow cave, roared in fury. It thrashed around, turning the cave into chaos. Hot, shattered rocks flew everywhere, and one even struck Han Ming''s waist, though he endured the pain.


    "Don''t let it escape!" the four shouted, engaging the Red Moon in a fierce battle.


    "Who''s there!? Get down!" One of the four, knocked to the ground by the Red Moon''s tail, accidentally spotted Han Ming clinging to the ceiling. He roared in anger.


    "Someone''s hiding up there, trying to steal our kill!"


    Discovering Han Ming''s presence infuriated the group. They despised such underhanded tactics. If you want to fight, do it openly. Hiding in the shadows, waiting to snatch the prize after others risk their lives, was despicable.


    One of them kicked a rock on the ground, sending it flying toward Han Ming.


    Seeing that he''d been discovered, Han Ming had no choice but to reveal himself. He flipped down from the ceiling and frowned. "I was here first. You came later. If I hadn''t hidden, what if you decided to kill me?"


    The four were barely holding their own against the Red Moon, with one of them already severely injured. They had no time to argue with Han Ming. After exchanging glances, they shouted in unison, "Retreat!"


    With that, they abandoned the fight and dashed toward the cave entrance.


    Han Ming knew their plan. They weren''t really running; they wanted him to face the Red Moon alone, then turn the tables on him.


    "Damn it! I''m straightforward with friends, but I''m not so kind to strangers. You''re no saints either!"


    Han Ming grinned and kicked the person at the front of the group as they ran past. "Trying to leave? No way! Even if I kill the Red Moon, you won''t let me go. You''re all trouble. No one''s leaving!"


    The man, furious at Han Ming''s attack, swung his sword at him.


    Han Ming was about to counter when he glanced behind the group and immediately crouched, covering his head.


    The man, confused, had no time to react. A massive wave of scorching flames erupted from behind him, blowing all five of them—including Han Ming—into the cave wall at the bend. The Red Moon, seeing the group trying to flee, had unleashed another burst of flames. Han Ming had noticed this just in time.


    Thanks to his quick reflexes, Han Ming wasn''t badly hurt. The other four, however, weren''t so lucky. Despite their War Madman-level combat aura, they were severely burned, rolling on the ground and screaming as they tried to extinguish the flames.


    Han Ming stood up and saw the Red Moon charging toward him, its attention fully focused on him. Realizing the danger, he swung his battle axe at the beast.


    Han Ming''s full-force strike was terrifyingly powerful. The massive axe struck the Red Moon''s chest, sending it flying deeper into the cave. The Red Moon, however, was cunning. As it flew back, it grabbed the axe and, taking advantage of Han Ming''s momentary exhaustion, wrested it from his grip.


    The force of the swing caused the cave to collapse, with massive rocks falling everywhere.


    Without his weapon, Han Ming quickly drew the Qing Hong Sword. Though he still didn''t know its full potential, he couldn''t face the flame-covered Red Moon unarmed.


    As the rocks fell, the four unfortunate men, unable to reform their combat aura in time, were crushed into pulp, their blood splattering everywhere.


    The cave entrance was blocked by the fallen rocks, but the Red Moon burst through, sending fragments flying in all directions.


    Han Ming pressed himself against the cave wall to avoid the debris. Unnoticed by him, some of the blood-splattered rocks flew past, and a few drops of blood landed on the Qing Hong Sword.


    The sword buzzed and glowed brightly, its pale blue blade turning blood-red.


    "What''s this!?"


    Han Ming was shocked, then ecstatic. Was this how the Qing Hong Sword worked?


    The Red Moon lunged at Han Ming, who barely had time to dodge. He swung the Qing Hong Sword at the beast.


    A sharp screech erupted from the sword as it released a blood-red crescent of light, sending the Red Moon flying. The sword, now glowing red, returned to its pale blue color.


    Han Ming immediately understood the sword''s mechanism. He bent down and stabbed the sword into one of the crushed bodies beneath the rocks. The sword absorbed the blood and glowed brightly again.


    The Red Moon let out a furious, agonized roar that echoed through the valley. A deep gash had been carved into its chest by the Qing Hong Sword''s light, revealing white bone.


    The intense pain drove the Red Moon into a frenzy. It gathered all its energy, transforming into a massive fireball, and charged at Han Ming.


    Han Ming, realizing the danger, swung the Qing Hong Sword again.


    Having trained under Li Xiaotian for a year, Han Ming''s understanding of martial arts had reached a high level. In this critical moment, his keen combat instincts allowed him to spot the Red Moon''s weakest point—its neck.


    As the Red Moon attacked, Han Ming quickly layered three ice shields around himself and swung the sword with all his might.


    A blood-red light surged from the sword, slicing through the Red Moon''s neck and severing its head. The intense flames blasted Han Ming out of the cave.


    Han Ming was engulfed in flames. The first ice shield shattered instantly, followed by the second as he flew through the air. The third broke just before he hit the ground.


    Enduring unbearable pain, Han Ming was flung far from the mountain, crashing into the trunk of a massive tree and reducing it to splinters. The towering tree collapsed.


    "Water! Water!!"


    Han Ming''s body was engulfed in flames. He frantically cast water spells on himself and rushed toward a nearby stream he had scouted earlier.


    In the dark forest, a fiery figure streaked past, igniting the surrounding trees. The figure leaped into the stream, and the intense flames instantly evaporated the water. However, the flames on Han Ming''s body were finally extinguished.


    Han Ming jumped up from the dry riverbed, landing on a low tree branch. With a light tap of his foot, he laughed maniacally and charged back toward the mountain.


    Moments later, Han Ming appeared at the cave entrance, holding a round, fiery-red orb in his hand—the fourth-tier fire-attribute magical beast core.


    "HAHAHAHA…" Han Ming laughed wildly, ignoring his charred, unrecognizable face and the steam rising from his body.