136: Prey and Hunter

Cangxuan Divine Realm, Thunder Cloud Mountain Range.

This was the ancestral land of the Thunder Cloud Clan, the sole overlord-level force within a hundred-thousand-mile radius.

The undulating mountains were perpetually shrouded in dense silver thunderclouds, and thick purple lightning bolts, like dancing silver snakes, constantly weaved and roared through the clouds, exuding a terrifying aura of destruction!

Deep within the mountain range, inside a magnificent palace built entirely from ten-thousand-year-old lightning-struck wood, the atmosphere was stiflingly oppressive.

In the center of the main hall, rows of neatly arranged Soul Lamps, crafted from special Soul jade, were enshrined.

Each Soul Lamp represented the life of an external member of the Thunder Cloud Clan.

At this moment, among the hundreds of brightly flickering Soul Lamps, five of them had, without any warning, completely... extinguished!

"Clatter."

An old servant, responsible for guarding the Soul Lamps, let his broom fall from his hand, landing on the cold floor with a faint sound.

But this sound, in the deathly silent hall, was like a clap of thunder, clearly entering everyone's ears!

At the head of the hall sat a middle-aged man wearing a purple thunder-patterned robe, with a majestic face and an even more dazzling and complex silver lightning imprint on his forehead!

He was Lei Wanjun, the current Clan Chief of the Thunder Cloud Clan!

His cultivation had astonishingly reached the Peak of the Middle Stage of the Demigod Realm!

He was only... one step away from the legendary Late Stage!

At this moment, his eyes, which had originally been filled with supreme majesty, were now completely... filled with a chilling, murderous intent cold enough to freeze one's Soul!

"Investigate!"

A cold, emotionless word slowly escaped his lips.

"Find out clearly! Who exactly?! Dared to touch my Thunder Cloud Clan's people?!"

"Yes!"

Below, several Clan Elders, already terrified into silence, hurriedly bowed and accepted the order, scurrying out of the hall like stray dogs.

In less than half an incense stick's time, the news returned.

"Reporting... reporting to Clan Chief!" an Elder knelt on the ground, trembling, his voice slightly shaking from extreme fear, "According to the last message transmitted before the Soul Lamps extinguished... Lei Meng's squad encountered an accident... near the 'Boulder Wasteland' on the outskirts of the Desolate God Domain!"

"And..." He swallowed with difficulty, adding, "Based on the residual Aura at the scene... the ones who attacked seem to be... two 'Wild Gods' who just ascended from the Lower Realm?!"

Wild Gods?!

Upon hearing these two words, Lei Wanjun's face, which had already turned ashen with rage, instantly flushed with a morbid redness!

He slammed his hand on the armrest beside him!

"Boom!"

The sturdy armrest, crafted from ten-thousand-year-old lightning-struck wood, instantly turned into a sky full of dust under his blow, like fragile tofu!

"Good! Good! Good!" He laughed in extreme anger, his laughter filled with endless brutality and murderous intent, "What... audacious dogs!"

"Mere Lower Realm ants who just crawled up! How dare they... bite the hand that feeds them?!"

"It seems my Thunder Cloud Clan has been too quiet for too long!

So much so that even these lowly 'Wild Gods' have forgotten... who is the true Dominator of this land!"

He slowly stood up from the massive throne made of thunder beast bones.

His tall and burly figure, like an awakened ancient thunder god, exuded a terrifying pressure capable of making heaven and earth tremble!

"Issue my command!" His cold voice, like a final judgment, echoed throughout the entire hall!

"Summon... 'Blood Butcher' Blood Butcher!"

Blood Butcher! Blood Butcher!

Upon hearing these two words, the few Clan Elders below, who had been trembling, suddenly shuddered!

Their eyes, which had been filled with fear, were instantly replaced by an even denser emotion, almost approaching "horror"!

Blood Butcher!

This name, within a hundred-thousand-mile radius of the entire Thunder Cloud Mountain Range, was simply... taboo!

He was not a member of the Thunder Cloud Clan, but a solitary... Loose Cultivator!

However, his notorious reputation was far more... terrifying than the Thunder Cloud Clan itself!

This person's cultivation had reached the Peak of the Middle Stage of the Demigod Realm!

His "Blood Transformation Demonic Technique" was even more bizarre and incomparably vicious!

What was most terrifying was... his hobby!

He was not fond of wealth, lust, or power.

His only hobby was... hunting!

Hunting those Geniuses who had just ascended from the Lower Realm, whose Divinity was not yet fully stable, and who were as "pure" as newborn infants!

He reveled in the perverse pleasure of toying with those Prodigies who should have had boundless futures, and finally, amidst their most desperate and unwilling wails, devouring their Divinity along with their Divine Soul!

The number of "Wild God" Geniuses who died by his hand was at least eight hundred, if not a thousand!

And the two words "blood butcher" were the notorious reputation forged for him by the unwilling blood of those tragically deceased Prodigies!

"Clan... Clan Chief... inviting Blood Butcher to act... this... isn't this... a bit of an overreaction?" an Elder mustered his courage and cautiously advised, "It's just two 'Wild Gods' who don't know their place, why bother..."

"Shut up!" Lei Wanjun suddenly turned his head, his eyes like purple lightning locking onto him, filled with undeniable murderous intent, "Although Lei Meng is only a collateral relative, he is, after all, of my Thunder Cloud Clan's Bloodline!"

"The dignity of my Thunder Cloud Clan cannot be... challenged!"

"I want all ants who dare to covet the majesty of my Thunder Cloud Clan to know..."

He spoke each word distinctly, his voice as cold as a knife!

"—Die!"

...Meanwhile, in a quiet valley tens of thousands of miles away from the Thunder Cloud Mountain Range...

Lin Ye was unaware that a deadly trap, specifically targeting him, had already been quietly laid.

At this moment, he was sitting cross-legged on a smooth bluestone, his brows tightly furrowed.

He looked at the other side of the stone wall.

That area was already enveloped by a dense, ice-blue light curtain exuding extreme coldness.

Su Qingyue had already entered the most crucial moment of her secluded cultivation to Break through to the Demigod Realm three days ago!

Although that incomparably precious divine source crystal contained vast energy, completely refining it and condensing Divinity was by no means an overnight task!

And maintaining the operation of the Nine Heavens Star Array, which was capable of withstanding the full-force attack of a Demigod expert, also required a massive amount of... Divine Power!

He couldn't wait any longer!

He had to take the initiative before Su Qingyue emerged from seclusion! To seek and seize the divine source that would allow the two of them to truly establish themselves in this cruel Divine Realm!

A bold and risky idea, like rampant weeds, grew uncontrollably in his heart!

"Since the natives of this Divine Realm regard us 'Wild Gods' as prey..."

He slowly stood up from the cold bluestone.

In his dark eyes, a cold, abyss-like murderous intent flickered!

"Then let's... see who is the true... hunter!"

...Three days later.

Desolate God Domain, a perilous place called "Blackrock Canyon."

Here, with its strange rock formations and complex terrain, it was a famous gathering place for "Ascenders" within a ten-thousand-mile radius.

Because, in the depths of this seemingly barren canyon, accompanied by fluctuations in space rifts, some extremely faint, shattered... divine source Auras would occasionally surge forth!

Although the Aura was extremely weak, almost negligible for Demigod experts who had already condensed Divinity, for "Wild Gods" who had just ascended from the Lower Realm and desperately needed energy to stabilize their Realm and adapt to the Laws of the Divine Realm, this was an unparalleled treasure that could drive them... mad!

At this moment, at the dark, deep entrance of the canyon, a thin figure, dressed in worn linen clothes, with an extremely weak Aura, as if he could be blown away by the violent Chaos gale at any moment, was slowly approaching with faltering steps.

It was... Lin Ye!

However, at this moment, he was no longer the terrifying existence that could suppress and kill an Early Stage Demigod with a single punch three days ago.

He had pushed his Aura Simulation, which had already reached the Minor Achievement Realm, to its extreme!

He not only perfectly mimicked the Aura of a "Wild God" who had just ascended, whose Divinity was unstable, and who was even struggling to resist the rejection of the Divine Realm's Laws!

He also deliberately retracted the Physical Body radiance of his God-Demon Prison Suppressing Body, which was powerful enough to change the color of heaven and earth!

Making himself look like a... soft persimmon with only a Realm but no Foundation whatsoever!

A perfect... prey!

He "struggled" to resist the terrifying gale blowing from the depths of the canyon, which was strong enough to tear apart Dharma Body Realm experts, and step by step, as if on a pilgrimage, he "stumbled" towards the depths of the canyon, which exuded a faint divine source Aura.

His face bore a perfectly appropriate expression of "vigilance" and "desire."

But beneath his lowered eyelids, in his dark eyes, there was a cold, hawk-like... calmness!

He was waiting.

Waiting for the venomous snake, which he had already locked onto and was hiding in the shadows, to... reveal itself!

...Deep within the canyon, behind an extremely secluded pile of rocks.

A gaunt figure, completely enveloped in a blood-red cloak, was silently lurking there, like the most patient hunter.

He was the infamous "Ascender Hunter" — Blood Butcher, Blood Butcher!

At this moment, his eyes, hidden in the shadows of his cloak, filled with endless greed and cruelty, were fixed on the thin figure at the entrance of the canyon, who was "unwittingly" walking into his "hunting ground" step by step, like a newborn lamb!

"Hehehe..."

A hoarse, chilling laugh, like that of a night owl, emanated from deep within his throat.

"What a... perfect prey."

"Just ascended... unstable Divinity... ethereal Aura..."

"Most importantly... within that Divine Soul, there's even a trace of... pure Origin that even I feel a tremor from?!"

Blood Butcher extended his withered, ghost-like fingers, greedily licking his already cracked lips, and a scorching flame erupted in his cloudy old eyes!

He could clearly feel that the Divine Soul Origin of this "prey" was tens of thousands of times purer than any "Wild God" he had hunted before!

If he could devour it... his Demigod Middle Stage Bottleneck, which had been stagnant for hundreds of years, might... be broken through in one fell swoop!

Thinking of this, he could no longer suppress the greed and... murderous intent in his heart!

His eyes, cold as a viper in the dark night, locked onto the approaching, unsuspecting "prey," and a cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Little thing..."

"Your Divinity..."

"This old man... will gladly accept it!"