Chapter 174: Hyena Demon

Li Xuanfeng exclaimed, watching the hyena howl occasionally, directing the hyenas below to herd the deer towards another, more fertile grazing ground. Once the deer had eaten their fill, it herded them back into the forest.

Li Xuanfeng had hunted many demons in the mountains for years, but this was his first time seeing a pack of demons like this. He patiently waited for an entire afternoon. As the sun set, casting a golden hue everywhere, the hyena finally led a few deer out of the herd. It swayed unsteadily deeper into the forest, holding them with its front paws, walking upright but awkwardly, appearing quite eerie.

The grey-furred hyena, perhaps inexperienced, tripped twice within dozens of steps. Frustrated, it flung the rope away, howled furiously twice, and then, holding the rope in its mouth, ran on all fours.

Casting an invisibility spell, Li Xuanfeng followed behind the grey-furred hyena. After it moved through the forest for a while, a large stone wall covered in green vines appeared. There was a large opening in the wall, revealing firelight within. Two hyenas were sound asleep in front of the cave entrance. The grey-furred hyena howled once and then stumbled inside.

The two hyenas were only at the second or third level of Fetal Breath cultivation, so Li Xuanfeng casually walked past them. He finally heard the crackling of a fire, followed by a cacophony of sounds.

"Eee-yaa-yaa... hee-hee-haa..."

Inside, it sounded like a group of playful children, boisterous and unusually lively. They constantly communicated with high-pitched laughter. Sometimes they roared loudly, sometimes they laughed heartily, and sometimes they softly hummed or chuckled quietly. The sounds echoed throughout the cave.

The dark red firelight illuminated the stone walls, casting countless distorted shadows, as if a multitude of demons were dancing wildly. Amidst the high-pitched laughter, there were a few mournful cries of deer, making it quite eerie.

As a child, Li Xuanfeng had heard elders say that hyenas' calls were eerie, like the high-pitched laughter of children. Now he truly understood. Knowing that there were Spirit Forging level demons inside, and fearing he might alarm them, he dared not extend his spiritual sense to investigate. He lingered at the cave entrance for a while, secretly pondering:

"The cave is narrow, and it might be inconvenient for me to fight with my bow inside. I still need to find a way to lure them out."

So he retreated a few miles, pondered for a moment, and then descended near the edge of the forest. He extended two fingers, and a burst of flame, fueled by his magical power, erupted. He touched the large tree in front of him. The flames immediately crackled as they climbed along the treetops and branches. In just a few breaths, the entire tree was engulfed in flames.

The night wind arrived at just the right time, saving Li Xuanfeng the effort of using his power to conjure strong winds. He then used the wind to move several miles away and waited patiently for a while. As expected, groups of hyenas rushed over, howling around the growing wildfire.

These hyenas were merely minor Fetal Breath demons, and naturally had no way to deal with the flames. After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, two demonic winds finally swept in, conjuring rain with their magical power from above.

These two Spirit Forging hyenas didn't seem to have any special lineage or inherited techniques. They didn't know any techniques for manipulating clouds and bringing rain; they merely used their magical power to gather moisture. The weather had been humid for the past few days, and there was a good amount of moisture in the night air, so the fire gradually subsided.

Li Xuanfeng did not strike immediately. Instead, he waited quietly from a distance. Firstly, he wanted these two demons to expend more of their magical power. Secondly, there were many powerful demons in Mount Dali. If the fire truly spread, he didn't know how many demons it would attract, which would then become problematic.

Once the flames were mostly extinguished, Li Xuanfeng drew his bow and nocked an arrow. A brilliant golden light continuously flickered on the bow. The arrow pierced the air and flew directly towards the lower back of one of the demons.

The demon was soaring through the air above the forest, surveying its surroundings, when it suddenly found an arrow flying through the air. Its fur bristled, and it only managed to erect a greyish-black demonic energy shield, letting out a shriek as it tried to dodge.

The demonic energy shield shattered like thin paper before the golden arrow. The Spirit Forging hyena was pierced by the golden arrow and was pinned to the ground like an ordinary hyena, howling piteously.

"This one is a bit weak... I hope I didn't kill it with one arrow."

Li Xuanfeng was too far away to gauge the demon's cultivation level with his spiritual sense. If the arrow had killed it instantly, the Geng Qi would have already spread throughout its body, likely killing it immediately.

Li Xuanfeng quickly prepared his bow, intending to cripple the other hyena. However, that hyena reacted quickly and boldly. It had already ridden the wind and reached him, exhaling a black breath towards Li Xuanfeng's face.

Li Xuanfeng raised his bow to block. That hyena, at the fourth level of Spirit Forging cultivation, seemed to have killed people before. It understood the fragility of a cultivator's physical body. It swiped a paw at his bow, while its breath continued, spewing onto his body.

"Clang."

The hyena miscalculated. The Golden Geng in Li Xuanfeng's hand was both heavy and hard, deflecting its claw, even producing a crisp metallic clang. Li Xuanfeng dared not be careless. He channeled his magical power to block the breath. For a moment, magical light splattered everywhere. The demon refused to show weakness. Its two claws were dark, striking at Li Xuanfeng with powerful, heavy blows. Fortunately, Li Xuanfeng had received a talisman, making his strength demon-like. They exchanged blows fiercely, creating a lively spectacle.

Li Xuanfeng's full cultivation was channeled through his bow. When the demon got close, his power immediately diminished by more than half. This demon was also cunning, clinging stubbornly to Li Xuanfeng, refusing to let him create distance. They were forced into a stalemate.

The man and the demon remained in a stalemate in the air for more than a dozen exchanges. Li Xuanfeng seized an opportunity. He slapped his storage pouch, from which two yellow talismans flew out. They transformed into two fire spells, blocking the demon's magic. This gave him a chance to retreat a few steps. He drew his bowstring, gathering energy. A golden ray shot from the bow, blasting towards the hyena's face.

The hyena demon shifted positions several times in the air, but the golden ray followed like a shadow. It could only erect a thick magical energy shield, enduring the golden ray head-on.

The Geng Qi exploded on the hyena demon's magical energy, disrupting its energy circulation. Li Xuanfeng seized the opportunity. With each step back, he shot an arrow, continuously attacking the hyena demon with golden rays while widening the distance.

In just over a dozen breaths, five arrows had already been fired. The hyena demon felt greatly strained. It spewed a stream of black gas towards Li Xuanfeng, and then descended into the forest like a meteor, hoping to use the cover of night and the forest to evade Li Xuanfeng's arrows.

"Seeking your own death!"

Li Xuanfeng sneered. He took out a dark-green arrow from his waist, drew his bowstring, and, even through the dense treetops, locked onto the fleeing figure. Although the distance was too great for his spiritual sense to lock on, the demon had been struck by his Geng Qi, allowing him to vaguely sense its position.

The golden arrow continuously gathered power, rising slightly with the demon's movements. Li Xuanfeng lightly released his grip. The golden arrow finally streaked across the night sky, falling to the ground like a meteor.

The demon never imagined it could be hit after running so far. Its fur bristled. It frantically dug at the ground three or four times, trying to dig a hole and hide, but there was no time. It took the arrow head-on, its midsection pierced. Before it could even recover its breath, the second arrow arrived. After being struck by two arrows, it immediately collapsed onto the ground, barely clinging to life.

Li Xuanfeng landed nearby, riding the wind. He used his magical power to lift the demon. The hyena demon still tried to resist, struggling and spewing intermittent black gas. Li Xuanfeng sent a stream of True Essence into its body, sealing its cultivation. He hurriedly picked it up and ascended on the wind, landing next to the previously wounded hyena demon, which had a weaker cultivation.

That hyena demon was barely breathing. It seemed its cultivation had only recently broken through to the Spirit Forging level. A group of Fetal Breath hyenas surrounded it, howling softly. Seeing Li Xuanfeng descend, they immediately scattered and fled like the wind.

Li Xuanfeng quickly channeled his magical power to sustain its life. He pulled the dark-green arrows from both demons and carefully healed their wounds. Only then did he ascend on the wind, his bow slung over his back. Carrying one demon in each hand, he headed home.