The mist-like Qi, mixed with golden electrical sparks, collided with the horizontally swirling tail blade.
*Hiss! Clang!*
The impact was so powerful that even though the Qi had been activated and transformed into a protective membrane in a fully charged state, it still couldn't deflect the trajectory of the tail blade's slash.
The Qi was compressed to its limit amidst continuous explosions, with the tail blade and the Ming Lei Shen Dao blade separated by a mere sliver.
Li Fan, wielding the blade, and Jin Mie Ren, turning sideways, both came to a halt.
*Hum~ Clang!*
A moment later, one person and one dragon passed each other, completing their slashes simultaneously.
The crimson dust scattered from the tail blade grew brighter as it was blown towards them.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Li Fan's figure was quickly swallowed by the black smoke stirred up by the explosions.
*Roar!*
Jin Mie Ren looked back with a high-pitched roar, as if declaring victory.
*Crack! Sizzle!*
A crisp cracking sound emanated from the largest fissure on the crimson tail blade.
As the cast mineral layer cracked and peeled away, the tip of the broken crimson tail blade fell onto the sandy ground.
From the billowing black smoke, a figure with a tilted neck slowly emerged.
"Properly maintaining one's weapon is also one of the swordsman's duties. Jin Mie Ren, you've been too negligent in this regard."
Li Fan looked at the crimson broken tail on the sand and sighed.
*Roar!*
Jin Mie Ren let out a roar with a questioning tone.
"We're constantly being chased, we don't have time to maintain the tail blade! Don't make excuses like that. Shanshan, it's time to end this!"
*Bang! Bang!*
The Mantis Captain's solid spherical fists collided twice, and it advanced with a stride.
Dill, riding on a wind-filled cloud, arrived beside Li Fan.
"Li Fan..."
"I know, Dill. That Iaido slash was pretty cool, it stunned you, but that move's dangerous..."
"That's not it, meow! Your entire back is scorched black!"
Dill urgently reminded him.
"It's fine. It's just from when I dived into the sand to avoid the explosion. We'll deal with it after Shanshan and Zhanzhan run further away."
"Your leg guards are on fire, meow."
Dill hesitated for a moment before reluctantly informing him of the situation.
"I feel it! Ugh! Ugh!"
Li Fan immediately fell into the sand pit and rolled back and forth.
After a month of high-intensity combat, Jin Mie Ren, with its stamina depleted, couldn't escape far before losing the strength to continue.
It could only stop and fight the Mantis Captain to the death.
After several rounds, its body fell to the side, beaten to death by the Mantis Captain's relentless punches.
Dill fired a signal flare, and cat-paw-shaped black smoke exploded in the sky.
"A signal flare from an unknown area. I wonder if Eller's team can see it."
Li Fan said uncertainly, looking at the black smoke.
"Eller is the most professional Melu Cat team in Sandstone Cave, they definitely can, meow."
Dill said with conviction.
"That's good then."
Li Fan said, lying down on the sand.
This month of intense training and hard battles had almost depleted his stamina.
Dill also relaxed immediately, lying on her back beside him.
Half a day passed. Under the setting sun, a large sand ship with a black cat paw insignia as its flag appeared on the horizon.
Before long, a Melu Cat wearing a red scarf leaped from the deck.
"Oh ho! It's Jin Mie Ren, meow!"
The Melu Cat exclaimed.
"Eller, your business is doing well. You've upgraded to a large sand ship."
Li Fan informed him.
Li Fan had a deep impression of Eller's Melu Cat team, as they had previously transported the Horned Dragon's horns, the broken sword tail, and carried the bodies of Slash Dragons across regions.
"I bought it on loan, meow. But you guys, why do you look so disheveled?"
Eller asked curiously.
"We've been focusing on special training for a long time. We haven't had the energy to pay attention to anything else. Once this corpse is transported back to Sandstone Cave, you can contact the Dragon Chronicle Institute for reception. They'll settle the fees."
Li Fan informed him.
"That's true, with Jin Mie Ren's corpse in hand, we don't have to worry about not getting paid for transport, meow. But to contact an organization like the Dragon Chronicle Institute, you'll need to identify yourselves, right?"
"Just say it's a research sample provided by the Chief Hunter squad."
Li Fan informed him.
"Oh ho! You're a member of the Chief Hunter squad, meow?"
Eller seemed quite shocked.
"Don't I look like it?"
"There's a bit of a difference from the rumors, but since you were able to hunt Jin Mie Ren, there's no need to prove it further, meow."
Eller informed him.
"By the way, did you bring the latest recruitment progress brief for the Fifth Expeditionary Force?"
Li Fan inquired.
"Of course, meow."
Eller unbuckled his backpack, found a scroll, and handed it over.
Li Fan unrolled it and observed for a moment. He noticed that the recruitment had reached one-third of the required number, and the report was ten days old.
Recalling the progress reports of the Fifth Expeditionary Force he had seen before, he felt depressed realizing that the overall preparation progress had no discernible pattern.
It wasn't strange for expedition preparations to encounter various difficulties.
But without a pattern, Li Fan couldn't estimate the approximate departure time.
Deciding when to return became a problem.
"Let's not think about that for now. Dill, call Fery. We're heading to the volcano!"
"Understood, meow!"
Dill finished speaking, took out a signal flare, and began to launch it.
"Oh ho! Aren't you guys going back to the Sandstone Cave base to rest and resupply?"
Eller asked in surprise.
"Time is tight, so we're not going back. Eller, be careful on the road. A very intimidating Deep Jagras will accompany and protect your sand ship."
As Li Fan said this, he took out three one-thousand-z-valued jade coins from his waist pouch.
"When transporting monster corpses, please help feed it. If this Deep Jagras encounters any difficulties, I hope the Melu Cat team can provide assistance."
"Oh ho, this is the first time I've received such a business commission, meow. But as long as there's money, we'll handle these small matters."
"This Deep Jagras is called Big Mouth. I feel that if you guys work together, you'll achieve great things in the sand plain transportation industry, but I really don't have the time to facilitate your cooperation."
As Li Fan spoke, the Ignis had already appeared in the air. Parchi, waving from the ship, lowered a rope.
"You're going on a long journey... to the New World, meow!"
Eller quickly guessed the reason.
"If all goes well... I will. I wish you great prosperity."
Li Fan said, grabbing the rope and climbing up.
"Oh ho! Even after becoming a Chief Hunter, you're still striving forward, meow. It seems I need to work harder too."
Eller sighed and turned to direct the loading of Jin Mie Ren's corpse.
The jungle on the outskirts of Dundorma.
Pabobo and Eudora sat opposite each other by the campfire.
In the firelight, Pabobo flipped through a thick stack of hunting contracts in his hand.
"How about hunting a Rathalos tomorrow? Based on our current location, we can reach it in two days."
Pabobo suggested.
"Uh, Master Pabobo, we haven't returned to Dundorma in a month. Can we go back tonight to rest and resupply?"
Eudora hesitated for a moment and said with courage.
If they were in a wild area, it would be impossible to return to base for supplies and rest casually.
But when hunting escaped monsters around Dundorma, there were many opportunities to enter the city for supplies.
Initially, Eudora thought they were undergoing outdoor adaptation training, but the more she thought about it, the more it felt wrong.
Because similar outdoor adaptation training was only conducted for one-star and two-star hunters.
She was already a Chief Hunter, so there was no reason for her to be assigned such basic training.
"You go back. Remember to meet me here tomorrow morning."
Pabobo replied.
"And you?"
"I prefer to stay in the wild."
"Alright."
Eudora stood up and asked curiously, "Master Pabobo, is there a special reason for this?"
"Returning to a densely populated city always brings back some unpleasant memories."
Pabobo replied after a moment of silence.
"Oh, I'm leaving then. See you tomorrow morning."
Eudora hadn't expected that a peak hunter who loved challenging limits would also have something he didn't want to face.
Taking a bath, having a big meal, and wondering what Li Fan and Dill were experiencing.
Returning to her home, whose outer wall bore the marks of tremors, Eudora completed these necessary procedures by midnight.
Remembering that her armor and weapons still needed maintenance and cleaning, she sighed and slapped her forehead, then quickly ran out with her full set of armor.
Fortunately, the blacksmith's workshop in the city was open twenty-four hours.
After handing it over to the staff, Eudora, relieved, sat on a bench in the shop to wait.
"Eudora?"
Eudora turned her head and saw Pazhizhi, holding a charcoal pencil, waving at her from a nearby table.
The two female hunters sat together.
"It's been a while since I've seen you. Are you preparing to go to the New World?"
Pazhizhi closed her notebook and asked.
"Yes, I've been training with Master Pabobo recently for the Great Sword."
"Ah? You're still his student?"
Pazhizhi looked surprised.
"Yes, after studying for a while, I feel that my attack strategy against monsters is clearer and more mature."
"It must have been difficult for you to learn from him."
Pazhizhi sighed.
"Master Pabobo might have a peculiar personality, but I think he's a good person."
"Perhaps."
"Is there some kind of rift between you? When I mentioned you to him, he had the same attitude."
Both siblings were among the top hunters, and Eudora didn't understand why their relationship was so distant.
"No, I just don't want to face him."
Pazhizhi's eyes were filled with confusion.
"By the way, Master Pabobo said that returning to the city brings back bad memories. Can you tell me the specific reason?"
Eudora thought Pazhizhi might know.
"It might be related to personally experiencing the fall of an empire."
Pazhizhi speculated.
"Master Pabobo is a survivor of the empire's fall? The most recent empire to fall..."
Eudora began to ponder.
"The Shus Empire, twelve years ago, led by the Palu royal family."
Pazhizhi immediately provided the answer.
"It was indeed a tragic memory. A nation destroyed overnight."
Eudora had learned about this history when she was young.
It was said that the Shus Empire at that time was several times more advanced than the current Kingdom of West Sildra.
Its army, with the support of various advanced technologies, could easily hunt most monsters.
Unfortunately, according to historical records, like those powerful nations that shone in the river of history, it was destroyed overnight.
"It was done by the Forbidden."
Pazhizhi stated calmly.
"So, you and Master Pabobo are both survivors of the Shus Empire?"
"To be precise, we are royalty."
"This is truly unexpected. So Master Pabobo is resistant to cities because he personally experienced the descent of the Forbidden."
Eudora speculated.
As a native of Dundorma, although she always felt that the city's defense capabilities needed to be strengthened, a belief always permeated her heart.
This was home, the safest place in the world.
But the survivors of the Shus Empire, after experiencing the devastating blow of the Forbidden, would no longer feel safe even within the grand, towering city walls, and would even be reminded of tragic memories.
"That's about right."
Pazhizhi agreed.
"Fortunately, your mindset hasn't been affected."
Eudora said thankfully.
"Actually, I don't want to face it either. But compared to Pabobo, I haven't given up the idea of revenge."
Pazhizhi sighed.
"Uh, I admire that courage."
Eudora didn't know what else to say. She missed the days when Li Fan was by her side.
"Just kidding. Who in this world would seek revenge against the Forbidden? We can only try to avoid it. By the way, don't train with Pabobo tomorrow. How about we form a temporary team?"
Pazhizhi smiled faintly and shifted the topic to forming a team.
"Do we have a target monster?"
Generally speaking, top hunters wouldn't form a team before establishing their hunting target.
Pazhizhi took out a contract and showed it to Eudora.
"This is a Rajang!"
Looking at the monster's image in the center of the contract, Eudora said with some surprise.
"That's right. I've wanted to hunt it for a long time. There was just a sighting report from the Lava Caves under the jurisdiction of Ignis Village. Although the local branch doesn't recommend hunting it, top hunters of the Guild have a privilege: once they deem themselves capable, they can customize contracts below six stars."
Pazhizhi explained.
Eudora immediately understood. Ignis Village had sighted a Rajang, but fearing the greater threat if the hunt failed, they had no intention of issuing a contract.
However, top hunters had the authority to customize six-star contracts for its討伐.
"Will there be enough time?"
Eudora was somewhat tempted.
Thinking about Li Fan's reaction when he heard she had hunted a Rajang upon his return with the monster squad, she couldn't help but want to participate.
"The Fifth Expeditionary Force's preparations haven't even reached half. If we travel by the high-speed jet airship newly developed by the Dragon Chronicle Institute, we'll definitely have enough time. The only problem now is that we're still short of members, but I've already talked to Gu Xing, and he's quite interested."
Pazhizhi became more excited as she spoke.
"Can't Gu Xing be replaced? Can't we find another teammate?"
Eudora tentatively asked.
"Do you have someone in mind?"
"I think Master Pabobo would be great! And his Ice-elemental Spearfish Great Sword is exactly the right element to counter the Rajang."
Upon hearing the suggestion, Pazhizhi's expression darkened.
"I don't want to face him. Gu Xing is fine."
Pazhizhi insisted.
"Hmm, I don't want to hunt with Gu Xing. Are there any members of the top hunter squad willing to participate?"
Eudora inquired.
"The Guild Master is recuperating, and those three have been assigned to guard the headquarters and cannot participate in external hunts."
Pazhizhi said helplessly.