Sect Leader's Rise to the top!

The North-Eastern Canyons were such a popular destination was because of the presence of these [Stone-Ram]. These were solitary creatures that only ever interacted when mating with each other. This meant an experienced Hunter team could use a combination of traps and skill to defeat one with some difficulty, however, it was worth the effort when considering the value of their materials. Everything from their hides to their horns was in high demand by the craftsmen and alchemists of Huang City.

Kai figured that this new hunting ground would allow his disciples to progress quickly without much danger of being overrun by the beasts. Plus, the profits and contribution points earned from here were much better than in the Eastern swamp, making the decision an easy one for him to make.

When the group had finally found another [Stone-Ram], it was already being attacked by a Hunter group. Kai didn't recognize them, but they wore high-quality armor and were well coordinated.

They were doing well in keeping the beast under control using a series of harpoons that had been lodged into its relatively soft underbelly. The ends of the harpoons had heavy-looking chains that they were using to hold down and somewhat control the movements that the beast could make. This was only possible with a group of over 30 Hunters at [Mortal-Grade-3] all working together.

Kai watched as the group struggled but by the looks of things, they would eventually defeat the creature. Kai didn't waste any more time watching them and instead chose to move even deeper into the canyon. This prompted stares and murmurs from the nearby hunter group.

"Are they going deeper than this? that's insane..."

"They must be new haha, I bet you 10 silver we won't ever see them again!"

"Do I look like a charity?, go get your 10 silver from another sucker!"

"Hey you two idiots, stay focused!, the beast is trying to break free again!"

The sounds of battle slowly faded as Kai's party traveled down a rough path, heading deeper into the canyon. It was clear that very few used it as it was unmaintained and seemed deserted.

The path soon reached another branch, with one leading deeper into the canyon while the other led into a visibly open space. Within the space were two [Stone Ram] in the middle of a devastating battle with each other.

[Stone-Ram] [626 Qi] [Grade 2]

[Stone-Ram] [551 Qi] [Grade 2]

Their horns collided against each other, creating a deafening sound. After the impact, the two beasts would distance themselves a little before quickly charging towards each other again.

When the beasts had tired themselves out, they each headed to a separate corner of the large space and lay down to rest while keeping a close eye on each other.

"Looks like a battle for territory", Ryu said as he looked out of the carriage curiously.

"This is perfect. Split into two teams, including Qiulong, and take one each. I will be observing from here".

Ryu looked at Kai in disbelief. Was he really asking them to fight these massive things by themselves?. What's worse was that he wanted them to split their combat force in half while doing it?. As powerful as Qiulong was, she was only half the size of these creatures.

Mina on the other hand had a smile on her face. She had already noticed that Kai's power seemed to be constantly improving at a rapid pace and she wanted to do the same. If this was the path Kai said they should take, then she would not question it. She pulled out her twin hammers and headed for the larger of the two [Stone-Ram].

"Mr. Lao, would you please accompany me. We will take that one down". Mina said as she focused her inner Qi while walking towards the beast slowly.

Old Lao could only smile while scratching his head. "Indeed, young Ryu, it seems you will have to take the other one with Qiulong. Good Luck to you". Old Lao said as he strode behind Mina while slowly unwrapping his spear.

"Wait, let's at least discuss this a bit more before we...wait!...", Qiulong rushed behind Ryu and threw him onto her back before rushing towards the remaining [Stone-Ram]. Ryu screamed loudly but was preparing his weapon nevertheless.

Kai looked on as the two battles began. Mina and Old Lao fought methodically, with Mina attracting the beast's attention while dealing some damage with her hammers. Whenever the was an opening, Old Lao would rush in with a spear thrust, looking to exploit any weaknesses. When the beast was distracted, Old Lao would pierce a soft part of its body with his spear, causing it to bleed profusely.

The beast would then be angered and switch targets to focus on him, which prompted Mina to unleash a Qi enhanced attack on the new wound, dealing even greater damage to it and forcing its attention back on her. With this strategy, the battle was drawn out, however, they remained safe and in control of the situation. They would eventually win.

Kai then looked over to the battle with Ryu and Qiulong and could only sigh. Qiulong was fighting the beast head-on. She had already become a [Grade-2] [Rock-Stalker] so the battle with the [Stone-Ram] was not too tough for her. They were quite equally matched, however, Qiulong's species excelled in speed and defense so her attack was not the best.

She could do very little against the [Stone-Ram's] thick hide. However, it turned out that the real issue was its horns. They proved to be a dangerous obstacle that stopped Qiulong from fully committing to any attack. Her body was too large, so she could not completely dodge the horns in this enclosed space. With every engagement, Qiulong would take some damage to her scales.

Ryu on the other hand was standing at a distance, simply observing. He could not approach the battle between the two large beasts carelessly unless he was willing to risk getting accidentally struck by Qiulong's thick tail or impaled by the Ram's horns.

Just when Kai was about to say something, Ryu's eye's shone as he made a sudden move, quickly hurling his chain-claw weapon towards the beast. It seemed that Ryu had been waiting for this particular moment as the claw flew in a clean arc and accurately struck the [Stone-Ram's] left eye, making it bellow in pain as it lifted its head up.

Qiulong did not let the opportunity slip by as she bit down hard on the beast's neck. She then deftly wrapped her large body around the [Stone-Ram] and began to constrict it, limiting its movements. Like that, Qiulong and Ryu had gained the upper hand. Ryu continued to assist by dealing damage to the Ram's vital points, but the battle was pretty much won at this point.

The two battles ended and Kai was genuinely impressed. "If they can fight like this while split up, imagine how strong they'll be together. Looks like there is nothing for me to worry about". Kai thought as the team slowly reconvened around him.

Ryu had a tired look on his face but there was also a hint of pride on it. Old Lao was quietly cleaning the blood off his spear, while Mina rushed up to Kai.

"Master, the task is completed!" She said in a serious tone.

"Well done", Kai said while he subconsciously patted her head, causing the young girl to blush.

"Remember to only collect the most valuable parts to save space on the carriage. Continue to the other valleys in this layer to look for new targets. Your task from now on will be to collect a minimum of 10 [Grade-2] hearts as well as 10 gold worth of materials".

"Understood Master", Mina said seriously.

Kai just nodded his head. She had been acting strange ever since she saw him use his Wind-Qi, but he didn't want to probe into all of that, so he decided to ignore it for now. There would be plenty of time for all of that later.

"I'll be heading off to take care of some business for a while. Remember that this is also a part of your cultivation training, so put all your effort into it!".

Kai took one final look at his disciple's current stats and noted the progress they were making. Their body cultivation had finally reached [Mortal-Grade-4] which was part of the reason why Kai had decided to move them away from the Eastern-Swamps. The [Grade-1] beast essences would no longer be useful to them. Mina had actually been the first to reach this stage and was stuck there for the longest due to Kai not allowing them to hunt [Grade-2] beasts before.

[Sub-Core 1] [Mina] [Qi 80/100]

Body:[Divine Yin Physique] [Mortal-Grade-4]

[Manuals]

>[Modified-Dragon Subduing Law]

>[Primordial Dragon Physique]

[Sub-Core 2] [Ryu][Qi 45/70]

Body:[None][Mortal-Grade-4]

[Manuals]

>Internal: [Modified-Dragon Subduing Law]

>Body: [Primordial Dragon Physique]

[Sub-Core #4] [Lao Ren][Qi 33/40]

Body:[None][Mortal-Grade-4]

[Manuals]

>Internal: [Modified-Dragon Subduing Law]

>Body: [Primordial Dragon Physique]

[Sub-Core #3] [Qiulong] [Qi 530/600]

[Grade-2] [Rock Stalker] [Qi 600]

[Manuals]

>Internal: [Dragon Subduing Law]

>Body: [Primordial Dragon Physique]