Chapter 42: The Birth of the Strongest Duo

The fierce battle raged on.

Within the forest, a barefoot monk with a round, plump face and large ears stood quietly. Around his neck hung a string of black prayer beads that rested upon his rotund belly.

Facing him was a man in a red robe, who had already passed the second level of the Dragon-Seeking Tower. At this moment, he trembled all over, his face filled with terror.

Just moments ago, the red-robed man and his three companions had encountered the monk. Immediately, the four men attempted to seize the talisman the monk held.

Yet, with only a brief exchange, the monk unleashed a single move that wiped out three of them instantly. Only the red-robed man remained alive, albeit barely.

“Traveler, have you encountered Situ Yu within this hunting ground?” the monk suddenly asked.

“Situ Yu? The one ranked among the top twenty according to intelligence reports?” The red-robed man paused, instinctively shaking his head.

“Three groups in a row have failed to find him. Is Situ Yu not in this area?” the monk muttered to himself, then turned away without further attention.

Half a day later, the barefoot monk arrived in another part of the hunting ground.

“This monk is no ordinary man!”

Two prodigies, a young man and a young woman, regarded the monk appearing before them with subtle unease.

Both were listed in the intelligence report as outstanding talents qualified to compete for the top fifty in the hunt. Yet, the presence of this monk seemed to exert an invisible pressure upon them.

Clearly, his strength was extraordinary.

“Have either of you encountered Situ Yu in this region?” the monk inquired.

“No,” both shook their heads.

“No one here either?”

The monk’s eyes flashed sharply as he fixed his gaze on the young woman dressed in green. “If I am not mistaken, you are the eldest daughter of the Song family. The Song and Situ families have always been close, and I imagine your relationship with Situ Yu is quite significant.”

“So what if I am?” The green-clad woman’s voice was cool.

Indeed, she shared an exceptional bond with Situ Yu.

“In that case, forgive my rudeness.” Before finishing his sentence,

Whoosh!

The monk moved as if teleporting, suddenly appearing before her. With his stone staff raised, he swung it down toward her.

“What incredible speed!”

Startled, the woman reacted swiftly, drawing her sword to block.

But—

Crack!

The tremendous force shattered her sword instantly. The stone staff’s momentum was unstoppable as it struck her body again.

A white light shimmered briefly, and the green-clad woman was eliminated on the spot.

“Impossible!”

Her companion could barely react before witnessing her defeat.

The monk then swung his stone staff at him with the same relentless force.

With a single blow, the man—also a top fifty contender—was likewise eliminated.

The monk casually glanced at the talismans they had left behind, tossing them into his cloth bag without a second thought.

“No sign of him here either. Time to move on.”

“There are still three days left before the first phase of the hunt ends. Hopefully, I can find Situ Yu, or I’ll have to waste more time in the next phase.”

Sighing in frustration, the monk shook his large head and strode away, vanishing into the forest.

***

Outside the hunting ground, on the vast plain, the two prodigies—one in green, the other following behind—were escorted out.

A crowd of eliminated talents gathered, instantly recognizing them.

“That’s the eldest daughter of the Song family, and the top prodigy of the Cloudflipping Sect…”

“According to the intel, both were qualified to break into the top fifty, yet they were eliminated? And one after the other?”

“What happened? Who defeated them?”

Many talents were stunned.

Generally, those recorded in the intelligence, barring exceptionally bad luck, could easily pass the first phase with some caution.

For two top fifty contenders to be eliminated consecutively was truly astonishing.

The two recently eliminated stood together, their heads still dazed.

“Just one strike, and my weapon was shattered?”

“How is that possible?”

“Who exactly is that monk?”

They refused to believe they had been so easily dispatched.

They were utterly shocked by the monk’s displayed power.

“Incredible strength! Unbelievable!”

“Stronger than any Sea-Transformation realm expert I’ve encountered!”

“Even Xia Mang, ranked among the top three hunters, probably can’t compare.”

One staff strike.

No chance to resist.

Their hearts trembled at the overwhelming might.

Most puzzling was that none of them knew who the monk was. He was not listed in the intelligence reports, nor had anyone heard of him before—yet here he was.

“That monk is searching for Situ Yu?” The green woman’s eyes narrowed.

***

Meanwhile, Su Xin continued to roam the hunting ground alone.

Suddenly, his expression shifted.

Through his talisman, he sensed a nearby talent who, upon detecting him, immediately surged in his direction at astonishing speed.

“What incredible speed.”

Su Xin acknowledged the approach of a true powerhouse.

After days of battle, he understood that teams were generally weaker. Even when several teamed up, he remained unbothered.

True strength often belonged to those who roamed solo.

Like Cang Yan, whom he had faced before—a talent capable of breaking into the top twenty, fearless in exploring the hunting ground alone.

Su Xin himself was also alone, and any team daring to steal his talisman would be courting death.

Soon, the approaching figure drew near.

Su Xin readied himself for battle, but upon seeing the face clearly, he smiled.

“Duan Yunfeng!” Su Xin called out cheerfully.

“Su Xin?” Duan Yunfeng was initially stunned, then smiled back.

Both sheathed their weapons, unwilling to fight.

***

These two were equally matched prodigies who respected and valued each other deeply.

Even if a decisive battle were to come, it would wait until the final phase of the hunt.

“Haha, Su Xin, we’re quite lucky to meet early in such a vast hunting ground,” Duan Yunfeng laughed.

“Only if you were a woman would I accept that,” Su Xin teased.

Their friendship allowed for such banter, and Duan Yunfeng was naturally straightforward.

“How many talismans have you collected? Nearly complete?” he asked.

Almost 100,000 talents participated in the hunt, but only the top 1,000 with the most talismans would pass the first phase.

On average, possessing over a hundred talismans guaranteed passage.

“Almost there. What about you?” Su Xin replied.

“Still quite a few short,” Duan Yunfeng shrugged. “I acted too recklessly during my earlier wanderings, so my name was recorded early in that intelligence. All the talents here know me, and they flee or avoid me on sight.”

“At first, it was easier because talents were dense, and I could hunt some down to seize their talismans. But as more were eliminated, it became harder. Still, with three days left in the first phase, I can catch up easily.”

Su Xin nodded in understanding.

He remained relatively unknown, with no one aware of his true power.

Thus, whenever he encountered others—alone or in groups—they would immediately attempt to kill him.

Duan Yunfeng, however, was a bane to others; they avoided him, making it harder for him to gain talismans.

“By the way, many talents, including those listed in the intelligence, have formed alliances in this first phase,” Duan Yunfeng suddenly proposed. “Why don’t we team up as well?”

“Us teaming up?” Su Xin raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t that be too unfair?”

Indeed, it would be.

Duan Yunfeng was considered a top ten contender in the intelligence, and he had yet to reveal his full power.

Su Xin was no less formidable; he had barely exerted himself but had already outmatched Cang Yan, a top twenty hopeful, forcing him to surrender thirty talismans.

Either alone could easily slaughter the talents within the hunting ground.

Together—

“Haha, so what if it’s unfair? Let them think what they want,” Duan Yunfeng laughed. “Besides, your cultivation is only at the peak of the Sea-Transformation realm. Very few know your true strength. Even if we join forces, who really understands our combined power?”

“Moreover, together we can roam freely here. Even if we encounter other top ten contenders or the strongest, Xia Mang, we can find a way to eliminate them, clearing the path for later stages.”

Su Xin found himself tempted.

Duan Yunfeng was right. Many top-tier talents were scattered throughout the hunting ground. Though Su Xin could defeat them, killing them was difficult as they could always flee.

But together, few could escape their grasp.

They could eliminate the strongest rivals early, making subsequent hunts smoother.

Even Xia Mang—

Though powerful, the two combined could surely deal him a heavy blow.

With luck, they might eliminate Xia Mang prematurely.

“Alright, we’ll team up,” Su Xin agreed.

“Ha! That’s the spirit!” Duan Yunfeng laughed heartily.

Thus, the strongest duo in this hunt was born!