Chapter Forty: Blood Beasts of the Northern Realm

Chapter Forty: Blood Beasts of the Northern Territory

The land lay frozen for thousands of miles, and the northern region in October had already transformed into a world of snow. Those venturing out now did so mostly for livelihood or business—such as the psychic hunters.

At the edge of the endless black forest, four figures burst forth aboard two snowmobiles. On the first vehicle, someone injured was strapped behind the driver, their pursuers a horde of fierce beasts hot on their heels.

Among the monsters were oversized wolves and wild dogs, but there were stranger creatures as well: a leopard-like beast with two heads—one large, one small; another whose tail bore an extra head; and even winged beasts with fleshy appendages growing from their sides, faces twisted and hideous, nothing like any species known to nature.

The two snowmobiles sped ahead, pushing their limits, yet failed to shake off the dozen or so ferocious beasts trailing them.

“Lina, Kevin, take Captain Tu and go ahead. I'll cover the rear,” shouted Xia Zheng, sitting behind a burly man on the second snowmobile, activating his headset to speak over the comm channel.

“You can’t! How could you handle so many blood beasts alone? They all possess C-class strength, and you’re only D-class now,” Lina objected. As vice-captain, she had assumed command after Tu Xingxing was grievously wounded.

Xia Zheng patted Kevin’s shoulder and leapt from the vehicle, continuing over the channel, “Don’t worry, I’m a Mind Adept. Even if I can’t beat them, I can escape. Captain Tu’s injuries can’t wait—go, hurry!”

“You…” Lina hesitated, glancing at Tu Xingxing, whose wounds were severe. Her healing abilities could only preserve life, not restore it fully.

Kevin halted as well, shouting to Xia Zheng, “Kid, don’t die out there. We’ll wait for you at the town. Lina, let’s go—don’t waste Xia Zheng’s sacrifice.” With that, he moved to Lina’s side, urging her forward.

“Alright then… Xia Zheng, be careful.” She resumed driving, quickly distancing themselves.

Xia Zheng gripped his pistol in one hand and the Thunderblade in the other, releasing his mental power. Instantly, the beasts’ speed slowed, and they surrounded him, ignoring the escaping Lina and Kevin.

“These beasts bred by the Blood Clan are truly troublesome—just as hateful as their masters,” Xia Zheng thought, his animosity toward the Blood Clan growing ever since he had encountered them, especially for their slaughter of humans.

The Blood Clan first appeared in the Federation’s northern territory, and these blood beasts were their creations.

Fearing the cold and prone to hibernation, the Blood Clan bred fierce guardians immune to the chill, capable of even greater combat prowess in freezing climates, imbuing them with some of their own mysterious energies.

Later, the Blood Clan migrated south, conquering Evernight City and settling most of their kind in the Federation’s southernmost region. Unable to adapt to the heat, the blood beasts remained in the north, becoming a major scourge. Not only were they ferocious and powerful, but their reproduction rate was astonishing; without regular culling, the northern ecosystem would be utterly destroyed. Blood beasts ranged from D-class to A-class, with rumors of rare A+ specimens—truly terrifying.

Xia Zheng had come to the north with Tu Xingxing’s team, their mission primarily to hunt blood beasts and protect a small town called Kriwovka, especially ensuring its trade routes remained open. The rewards were generous, both in experience and payment, as merchant caravans here spared no expense for safety—what they paid was negligible compared to their profits.

After a week of tempering, Xia Zheng grew rapidly, gaining status within the team. Upon learning he belonged to the Celestial Endurance Squad, Tu Xingxing and the others expressed interest in joining the company; Xia Zheng gladly welcomed them, and after informing Chu Yan, invitations for trial training were extended. Next time Xia Zheng returned to Portland, he could participate in the evaluation.

Through slaying blood beasts, Xia Zheng amassed vast experience, reaching D-class—his progress bar nearly ninety percent. Once he submitted his current missions, he would advance to C-class, a remarkable pace among newcomers, though still only out of the novice phase among psychics.

Their routine was to hunt blood beasts by day, submit tasks and collect rewards by night. Xia Zheng often drank with Tu Xingxing’s group or browsed the hunter’s market in town, sometimes trading goods directly with others—a life full of adventure and camaraderie.

Yet unexpectedly, yesterday the four ventured deep into the black forest. After hunting a pack of ordinary C-class blood beasts, they encountered a B-class elite—a blood qilin cloaked in flames. If slain and brought back, its carcass would fetch at least a million Federation dollars. Driven by greed, Tu Xingxing’s trio launched a reckless ambush.

They were no match. Tu Xingxing was gravely wounded, the others suffered minor injuries. If not for Xia Zheng’s mental power rescuing Tu Xingxing, the tale would have ended in tragedy.

But their escape triggered pursuit by a host of beasts, drawing more C-class monsters to their trail, making their situation dire.

Fortunately, the B-class blood beast seemed wary and did not leave the forest, giving them a brief respite. Now, with Xia Zheng volunteering to cover the rear, Tu Xingxing’s group managed to flee.

A black-furred blood wolf, unable to contain itself, lunged with jaws wide.

Xia Zheng did not strike directly with the Thunderblade; instead, he swept the blade flat across the wolf’s neck. Sparks flew—the wolf’s neck fur was so tough the blade skittered off like steel, unable to cut.

“Damn,” Xia Zheng cursed, firing a shot into the wolf’s eye. It howled and retreated, wounded but not dead.

The other beasts surged forward, attacking as well. Xia Zheng struggled; he could handle two or three, but facing more than a dozen was perilous.

With a mental command, a dozen hidden weapons shot from his belt, each striking the eyes of nearby blood beasts—injuring, but not penetrating.

“No time for pleasantries,” Xia Zheng thought, recalling the day his master Shen Hua had led him away. His imagination unfurled, and his brain unleashed a torrent of mental power, almost recklessly. Concentrating on his back behind the chest, two wings of light slowly formed—not as natural or solid as Shen Hua’s, but passable.

He beat the wings once, repelling the beasts and instilling terror in their dim minds. They retreated a few steps, unwilling to leave entirely.

Xia Zheng rose slowly into the air, firing at the beasts below. He finally killed one—the winged blood beast, preventing it from pursuing him aloft. The effort cost him much mental power due to hovering.

But soon, dozens more C-class and D-class blood beasts rushed from the black forest. He dared not linger, immediately propelling himself with the wings of light, flying toward the distance. The beasts below gave desperate chase, never giving up; his flight was swift, but he could not fully escape.

Kriwovka lay tens of kilometers away across open plains. Xia Zheng sensed his mental power draining rapidly; if he kept this up, he would eventually fall from the sky and become prey. He changed direction, crossing rivers and mountains, forcing the beasts to halt and howl in frustration.

Ten minutes later, Xia Zheng was forced to descend—his mental reserves depleted. Upon landing, he was utterly exhausted.

“No wonder Master was so tired that day—she carried me and Mirabelle for over ten kilometers before feeling fatigued. My abilities are still far too lacking.” Xia Zheng felt drowsy, his head aching—a symptom of mental exhaustion.

“I might as well head to the Nalan family. Once I leave this area, I’ll contact Captain Tu and the others.” There was almost no signal in the mountains.

He still had some supplies—enough for two or three days. What mattered most now was a good night’s rest.

The mountain sky quickly darkened, snow began to fall—a miserable night.

Xia Zheng felt too weak to continue; he could collapse at any moment, which would be dangerous.

He found a cave, drove out a hibernating bear, lit a campfire, scattered medicinal powder inside and out to ward off poisonous insects. He roasted his food over the fire, eating while half-asleep, consuming a surprising amount—never feeling full. Eventually, he suppressed the urge to keep eating, deciding sleep would suffice.

Between the powder and the fire, the cave was clean enough, free of pests, though the smell was unpleasant. He made do.

At the cave entrance, he used his mental power to move a boulder, blocking the opening. Still uneasy, he found another rock inside and moved it as well, feeling much safer.

He left a gap for ventilation, preventing the air from becoming stale and oxygen-deprived.

He set up a simple alarm, capable of releasing tear gas and sulfurous compounds.

When all was done, he was exhausted. Unrolling a sleeping bag beside the fire, he crawled in, closed his eyes, and soon snored thunderously—a sound lost in the wind and snow outside.

As he slept, the strange phenomenon in his body resurfaced. Green light burst from his lower abdomen, spinning into a vortex, quickly absorbing energy and converting it into mental power.

The glow bathed the cave in emerald, freezing the insects in terror.

The vortex, like a nebula, devoured energy for nearly six hours before fading. Xia Zheng then emitted waves of mental energy, each pulse radiating dozens of miles. Most people and animals could not sense it, but Mind Adepts could.

Yet there were exceptions.

Ten kilometers north of the cave, a giant yellow-spotted spider with a human face felt the waves. Its compound eyes flashed with thought, its furry antennae contracting in hesitation.

When the strongest wave reached it, it made up its mind, abandoning its nest and braving the storm to follow the source. Any beast or blood beast encountered was killed, wrapped in silk, and swallowed as reserve food.

Despite the blizzard, its speed was slowed, and by the time it emerged, the mental waves had faded. It could only search the area where it sensed them before.

As a blood beast, it knew that hunting psychic humans was key to its evolution. By consuming them, it gained thought and self-awareness, setting it apart from other beasts.

Elsewhere, at similar distances, a lynx as tall as two prairie horses, cloaked in red fur, was also heading for Xia Zheng’s cave.

From yet another direction, farther away, a huge silver python with a unicorn horn was approaching—so that from all sides, at least four or five A-class blood beasts were converging on Xia Zheng’s location.

His mental power advancement was like a beacon, attracting these intelligent blood beasts. To them, a Mind Adept was the ultimate nourishment—the key to becoming high-tier beasts.