Supreme Emperor of Mist

"Retreat! We're not the Thunderhorn Copper Rhino's target!" Qin Huang pushed his younger brother Qin Hu back by a few steps as he slowly retreats.

As for Qin Qin and Qin Qi, they're trapped in a restricted cavern nearby with another Thunderhorn Copper Rhino guarding the entrance that's impossible for the beast to force its way in.

They're lucky that the demon beast's body mass exceeds what the small gap can fit. But at the same time, unlucky because it was a quasi fourth-level Flesh Refining Yao Beast.

Against a monster of this size and strength, they can only retreat and wait for their turn for it to lower its awareness of the surrounding before they look for an opportunity to escape.

**Bzzzt!**

"Hide yourself! The thunder attack is here again!" Qin Qin warned her sister. They quickly rolled onto the ground with their hands covering their head when a bolt of yellow lightning flashes through where they're at.

"BOOM!" a hole about the size of an adult head appeared on the end of the cavern's wall. The monster had fired no less than six attacks into the cavern to force the two maidens out.

"What are both of them doing out there! Can't they help?" Qin Qi complained. At this moment, her act of venting her anger out is pointless as Qin Huang and Qin Hu can't take action. They're just two second-level cultivators, after all.

"It's pointless. Qin Huang's skill is the best amongst all of us, but it's still far from enough for him to fight against the Thunderhorn Copper Rhino. Let's hide and wait for our chance to escape when the Yao Beast was tired." Qin Qin used some Spiritual Energy to dug some soil out from the wall.

This way, she could widen the space between her and the narrow gap of the cavern. Her action was also adapted by Qin Qi as they're trying to create a chance to escape.

**ROAR!**

The Yao Beast howled and struggled before the narrow point of entry.

"Brother, what can we do?" Qin Hu panicked. He did not expect that they'll encounter a Yao Beast of this level on their second day of the Annual Hunting Festival.

...

...

"Young master, why did you help them if you're going to kill the two servants anyway?" Lu Qing Yun and Lu Yi couldn't understand their young master's action earlier towards the three servants of Jiao Household.

"Didn't the rule stated that hindering another team and personal attack is not allowed in these seven days? I'm just following the rules." Qin Lan smiled while he answered their curiosity. At the same time, he's chuckling inside himself towards the fact he had just said.

(Rules... It only exists if people are enforcing it. The number of committee members of those in Middle-Attainment Rank can be counted with both hands, so how much can they do? Even with the help from the four households, that's just another dozen of cultivators...)

(The biased opinion from those belonging to the four households will somewhat affecting the end results on the seventh day. This is not a competition for the outsiders, but to determine how well those from the four families did)

(As for the regular cultivators, those with potential will be recruited into one of the four families. As for those without talent, their survivability will be up to their fate...)

"But... I keep having a feeling that the young master's action has a more important reason behind it. I'm unable to describe it using words," Huo Zunjie added.

"That's normal to feel this way." Qin Lan hinted Lu Qing Yun to stop pushing the wheelchair as he made himself much more comfortable.

"The Jiao Household has been eying for the position of the first family of Fu-Rong Town for quite some time. Plus, they won't be messing around with the Horned Demon Boar for no reason." Qin Lan started to explain the reason he helped them in the first place.

"Since giving them a helping hand will allow us to keep the Horned Demon Boars to ourselves, why can't I be generous and entice them further with a few pills?" Qin Lan continued.

It was a lawful approach without breaking the rules, even if they were questioned at the end of the Annual Hunting Festival.

"Huo Zunjie," Qin Lan called.

"Yes, young master," Huo Zunjie quickly replied.

"The last servant amongst the three of them, if you found him on the street, persuade him to serve the Qin Household. Tell them that I'm willing to accept him and his family if they're willing to be relocated to the Su-Hang Town." Qin Lan had quite an impression on the servant.

"Zunjie understands."

"Good. We should continue." Qin Lan pointed in a direction where the party soon encountered a swarm of Foul Essence Ants.

Their schedule was packed with Yao Beast to hunt as the team proceeds further northwest to the largest intersection between the inner and outer zone of the Western Demon Forest.

Just like that, their third and fourth day ended with hunting and more hunting from day till night. There are close to 260 corpses that belonged to various Yao Beasts inside their Qiankun Pouch, which is enough to put them into one of the top five teams.

...

...

Fifth Day.

There are only three days left until the end of the Annual Hunting Festival. Based on the report given by the rule enforcement committees, there are only forty-one teams remain from the initial 230.

They're considered the cream of crops amongst the younger generation this time.

"Report," one of the enforcement committees came closer to the patriarch of Jiao Household and whispered a few words before leaving.

"En," Jiao Cheng slightly nodded after he listened to the report he's waiting for.

"Qin Household... Even heaven is standing by my side this time in my effort to pull you down from the spot of the first largest family in Fu-Rong Town."

Jiao Heng smirked.

Because in the report, the team of four from the Qin's younger generation is still stuck with the Thunderhorn Copper Rhino. With two members considered out of the festival, having only Qin Huang and Qin Hu struggles to compete brought them no significant result.

Although the situation is much better in the Chu and Hu Household, their current position is far from the Qin Household's team.

As for the remaining team with Qin Lan and his three servants, they're likely incapable of doing anything against a Quasi Fourth-Level Yao Beast.

"Looks like Heng-Er's chances of winning are much better than the others. As long he followed the plan and headed to the burrow with the Silver Canis Demon and mature Yellowtail Fox Demon, he's going to be at the first spot for sure in this festival."

Jiao Cheng calmly shut his eyes as he rests comfortably on his patriarch chair.

...

**Pew!!! - Pew!!! - Pew!!!**

**Bam!**

Three wine jars were thrown onto a plot of uneven ground surrounded by dead branches. It was thrown in the way to make sure the container would break and splatters its content around on impact.

Balls of dough made from a mixture of medicinal herbs, blood from the Yao Beast, and some bits of meat and bones scattered around the area once the container was broken.

A swarm of over a hundred Foul Essence Ants made its way out unhindered as they started to gobble and devour the food of an unknown source deliciously. But there was a difference this time compared to when Qin Lan searching for the Foul Essence Silver Ink.

This nest contains a "Leader" within, which significantly strengthens the swarm against outsiders.

A shriek came from the inside of the nest minutes later.

It was a mild one to the ears of the cultivator. But to the ants, it was an absolute command. Instead of digesting the food they ate, the swarm of Foul Essence Ants collaborated and vomited the food into one of the delivery channels into their nest.

Multiple big-headed Foul Essence Ants came out from the other channels connecting to the nest. They immediately searched for "intruders" hiding on top of the trees.

**Whistle!**

Qin Lan gave his signal to engage.

Then, the sound of battle from four different directions can be heard. But only one of the big-headed Foul Essence Ant fell onto the ground dead. The other three remained engaged with their targets.

Soon, Lu Yi, Lu Qing Yun, and Huo Zunjie came down from their hiding spot. Following them from behind them are the three slightly gargantuan Foul Essence Ants with strength close to a third-level Flesh Refining cultivator.

"Be careful. The [Battering Assault Ant] packs a punch when you give them a chance to attack. Always make sure that you focus on defense first." Qin Lan warned them.

Each time he moves forward by a few steps, the Heart Puncturing Needle will rob the lives of an unlucky Foul Essence Ant. If there were more than one present, Qin Lan would rely on the Mistral Core Long Fist to deliver a quick and deadly attack.

Two more Battering Assault Ant Demons pops up from the exit channel nearby to "ambush" Qin Lan.

"Mistral Mirage Steps!" Qin Lan vanished. Four Qin Lans appeared afterward as the battle elevated from two against one into four against two.

Although it was just a mirage, Qin Lan's perfect execution of this movement art made it as vivid as possible.

"Golden Lord Holy Fist!!!" Qin Lan smiled as he smashed open the skull protecting the Battering Assault Ant's head.

"Bring it on!" Qin Lan seems to found his motivation again.