With Ye Saint taking the lead in his demonstration and Ye Lingyue wrapping up with her precise finish, the rest of the team felt a rush of excitement—as if they'd been injected with adrenaline.
Without hesitation, they dispatched the remaining Black Forest Panthers with swift and ruthless efficiency.
They had only just entered Seven Star Mountain, and already they had taken down five mid-tier panthers. It was an impressive start to their hunt.
"Excellent work, everyone. Lingyue, your movements were even smoother than mine," Ye Saint praised, his eyes locking onto Ye Lingyue. He had noticed her steady composure during the entire fight—clearly not the demeanor of someone new to the wilds.
"I spent a month in the mountains before. I encountered a few Black Forest Panthers during that time, over on the mountain slopes." Ye Lingyue replied with calm indifference, though her words shocked the others.
She was only thirteen, yet she had survived alone in the dangerous Seven Star Mountain for an entire month? That kind of courage was extraordinary. It also explained how she had grown so strong—no wonder Song Han hadn't stood a chance earlier.
Hearing her story, Ye Ning and the others couldn't help showing admiration in their eyes, while Ye Qing clenched his teeth silently off to the side.
Just then, Ye Lingyue's brow furrowed slightly. Acting on instinct, she raised her right hand—and almost immediately, the body of the mother panther, lying not far away, flew into her grasp as if pulled by an invisible force.
Swoosh!
About a hundred steps away, the sharp whistle of an arrow split through the air and pierced the body of the Black Forest Panther.
At that very moment, Song Han appeared in the open clearing with his Mastiff trailing behind him.
The sudden arrow had startled everyone from the Ye family.
"Song Han! What is the meaning of this?!" Ye Saint still felt a chill in his bones. If Ye Lingyue hadn't reacted so quickly, he would've ended up dead from that shot.
"What's the meaning? You took my prey, and now you're accusing me instead?" Song Han spat out bitterly. Ever since Ye Lingyue had injured him earlier, he had been burning with resentment. When he got separated from his own group, this chance for revenge presented itself—he wasn't going to waste it. What he hadn't expected, though, was that the girl he hated so much would be able to dodge his attack so easily.
He hadn't fired that arrow casually. It was crafted from premium materials obtained by his father and refined by Master Lian specifically for this hunt. Song Guang Zhi had intended to use the special arrows for targeting high-tier predators deeper in the mountains, but Song Han had secretly taken one for this ambush.
Ye Saint and the others turned their attention to the panther's corpse. Underneath its belly, there was a small wound—barely visible, but clearly made by an arrow. If no one had looked closely, it would've gone unnoticed.
There was a long-standing rule in the mountain hunts: whoever wounded the beast first had the claim to it.
"Even so, firing an arrow so recklessly—you could've killed someone," Ye Ning protested, her tone sharp with anger.
"Oh? My bad. I thought all the figures here were just wild animals." Song Han sneered maliciously.
"In that case," Ye Lingyue spoke calmly, "that panther over there can be yours. But the rest, including this mother panther, belong to us."
She didn't argue or get emotional like the others. Instead, she walked over to the Mastiff and gently scratched its chin.
Unnoticed by anyone, her fingers lightly brushed a sensitive point near the Mastiff's snout.
"Hmph, at least you know what's good for you." Song Han hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. He picked up the panther and strutted off with a smug expression.
"Lingyue, are we really going to let him off that easily? That was too good for him!" Ye Ning was still fuming with indignation.
"Too easy?" Ye Lingyue's lips curled into a sly smile. "As if I'd let him off just like that. Cousin, can you dig the arrow out of the panther's body?"
Ye Saint nodded and removed the embedded arrow. As soon as he examined it closely, his face changed dramatically.
"This arrowhead… How does the Song family have something like this? It's made of Yuan Iron, and it's fifty percent pure!" His expression grew dark and serious.
Just a few days ago, Ye Huang Cheng had only just succeeded in producing a fifty percent pure Yuan Iron ingot. Now the Song family had refined it into arrowheads? If this news got out, the blow to the Ye family's standing would be immense.
"We'll hold onto this arrow. It might come in handy once we reach the mountain peak." Ye Lingyue patted her cousin's shoulder. Inwardly, she mused: I wonder what face Song Han will make when he learns that the Song family can even forge weapons with sixty percent purity Yuan Iron.
Trading a black panther for this arrow? Song Han was truly a fool.
Elsewhere, at that very moment, Song Han sneezed loudly inside his tent at the mountaintop camp.
"You used a Yuan Iron arrow for a single black panther? How can I have such a stupid brother like you?" Song Guang Zhi looked utterly disappointed.
As if that wasn't enough, for some inexplicable reason, the Mastiff that had accompanied Song Han had become sluggish since returning and now showed little interest in hunting. This only made Song Guang Zhi even more irritable.
"Young Master Guang Zhi, why are you so angry over a few nobodies from the Ye family?" asked Master Lian as he entered the tent. Both Song brothers quickly stood to greet him.
"Master Lian, you don't understand. There's a girl among the Ye family's group—very troublesome. Even the arrows you refined couldn't get past her!" Song Han quickly recounted what had happened.
"Oh?" Master Lian stroked his chin, visibly displeased. "She blocked my arrow? This girl must have some skill."
"Exactly! Her disrespect toward the Song family is no different than disrespecting you, Master Lian. Why not—" Song Han made a slicing motion across his neck, implying murder.
"Ridiculous!" Master Lian snapped angrily. "I am a man of status. How dare you suggest I lower myself to kill a mere girl?"
Though not a righteous man, Master Lian was incredibly proud. He wouldn't soil his reputation by taking out a child himself.
Besides, the entire mountain hunt was organized by Mayor Liu. That old man wasn't just a master of the Upper Celestial Realm—he also had deep connections with powerful figures in the Alchemist Association.
"Master Lian, my brother meant no offense. But there's no need for you to act personally. Why bother using a butcher's blade on a pig? That group is heading toward the mountain peak. All we have to do is lure some high-level wild beasts their way." Song Guang Zhi's voice was smooth and persuasive, quickly shifting the tone.
"Hmph... this plan might work. Let me think about it." Master Lian finally agreed, albeit reluctantly.
"Then allow me to thank Master Lian in advance. As a token of our appreciation, the Song family will gladly offer thirty percent of the mine's profits to you." Song Guang Zhi's words immediately lifted Master Lian's mood.
Who could have guessed? Even members of the Alchemist Association had infiltrated the Seven Star Mountain.
Far away at the mountain's peak, where the wind howled like crashing waves, a lone black figure stood unshaken by the raging gusts.
He stood dangerously close to the edge of a bottomless cliff, yet he was perfectly still, his eyes as sharp as blades. They glinted coldly, watching everything with eerie calm.
Despite his quiet presence, wild beasts instinctively avoided the area, sensing a terrifying power that no ordinary man could possess.
The black-cloaked figure said nothing, but a chilling smile slowly formed on his lips.