Chapter 9: This Guy Seems a Bit Weak
The jackal stared intently at Qian Zhaoguang, who stood before it holding his saber, circling restlessly in small steps.
The old butler explained, "This is a Wind Jackal, a small type of soul beast known for its speed. This one has a cultivation of about twenty years. Remember, canine-type soul beasts all have 'bronze heads, iron bones, and tofu waists'. Identify its weak point, respond calmly, and it won't be a match for the two of you."
Qian Zhaoguang acknowledged with a grunt, his eyes equally fixed on the Wind Jackal before him.
He could clearly feel his adrenaline surging wildly, his blood flowing faster, and his heart pounding like a war drum.
He was thoroughly excited now!
After years of arduous study, today was finally the chance for real combat!
The Wind Jackal, possessing a somewhat irritable temperament, couldn't hold back its impatience. It let out a piercing shriek, its four limbs forcefully pushed off the ground, and it lunged straight towards Qian Zhaoguang.
As a twenty-year soul beast, this Wind Jackal didn't possess much intelligence.
But its instincts told it that the two-legged creature before it had no soul power fluctuations and was weaker than itself!
Qian Zhaoguang reacted with lightning speed, making his move the instant the Wind Jackal began its attack.
His body lowered, both hands gripping the saber hilt close to his body, the blade tip angled diagonally upwards and to the side.
Every muscle in his body tensed, coiling like a fully wound, taut gyroscope, ready to unleash its stored energy.
A green cyclone of air erupted around the Wind Jackal in mid-air.
This maneuver not only altered its landing point but also increased its speed by another fraction.
"Left side, be careful!"
Huo Yutong's Spirit Eyes had already perceived the opponent's trajectory, and she loudly reminded Qian Zhaoguang.
Facing the soul beast now practically upon him, Qian Zhaoguang remained incredibly calm.
The long saber swept upwards from below, slashing diagonally towards the upper left.
The blade traced an ice-blue crescent moon through the air.
Qian Zhaoguang's movements didn't pause; he continued to rotate his body and arms.
The long saber drew a figure-eight pattern in the air and, once again moving from bottom to top, fiercely delivered a second slash towards the upper right.
Two lightning-fast strikes, completed in the blink of an eye.
These were saber techniques he had practiced diligently for years, already carved into his bones, forming muscle memory.
The thought had barely flashed through his mind before his body automatically executed the rapid response.
Huo Yutong, watching the battle from behind, gasped, her mouth wide open in astonishment.
She felt as though she had only seen two streaks of blue light flash through the air.
Accompanied by two soft plop sounds, the ferocious Wind Jackal had already been dismembered into four pieces while still airborne.
A shower of blood mixed with shattered internal organs rained down onto the ground.
Sensing things were about to get messy, Qian Zhaoguang had dodged aside beforehand, avoiding being drenched.
The old butler stared at the scene before him in utter astonishment, hardly able to believe his own eyes.
A twenty-year Wind Jackal could pose a danger even to elite soldiers in the army, yet his grandson had killed it instantly with just two strikes?
Although he had always known Qian Zhaoguang possessed innate divine strength, this was simply too shocking and unconventional.
He was still just a six-year-old child with only Level One soul power!
Qian Zhaoguang flicked his long saber, sending blood droplets sliding off the chillingly glinting blade.
"This Wind Jackal doesn't seem very strong... But why was I able to cut its body apart directly? This blade isn't that long, right?"
The old butler led Huo Yutong, whose small face was tightly furrowed, forward to examine the Wind Jackal's remains.
A white soul ring floated above the gore, emitting a faint glow.
"Hiss... The cuts are clean and decisive, both passing through weak points in the bone structure. Xiao Guang, your three years of practice truly weren't in vain. Your eyesight and wrist strength are commendable," the butler remarked.
At this moment, Huo Yutong's gaze towards Qian Zhaoguang was already filled with little stars of admiration.
"Brother Zhaoguang is amazing!"
Qian Zhaoguang smiled shyly, no longer dwelling on his earlier question. He wiped the blade clean with a cloth, sheathed it behind his back, and looked惋惜 (wǎnxī - regretfully) at the ten-year soul ring.
"A pity. Wasted a soul ring, and I ruined the fur too."
The old butler casually nudged the carcass a couple of times with his foot, saying, "Killing soul beasts in self-defense during a hunt is a very normal occurrence. As long as you don't intentionally go on a killing spree, it's fine. Soul beast materials are mostly of little value to Soul Masters, not worth much money. Generally, only materials from some soul beasts over ten thousand years old hold any collection value."
"So what do we do now? Just leave it here?" Qian Zhaoguang asked.
Huo Yutong looked like she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Seeing a living creature perish right before her eyes made her feel somewhat unable to bear it, and also slightly nauseous.
Qian Zhaoguang, however, didn't feel much of anything; it didn't even cause a ripple in his heart.
In his previous life, while helping out in the kitchen of his martial arts school, he had assisted in slaughtering pigs numerous times. He had seen plenty of scenes like this, and butchering meat was second nature to him.
Besides, you attacked me, so I killed you. That's perfectly justified; there's nothing particularly cruel about it.
The old butler, well aware of Huo Yutong's current state of mind, gently patted her head with his large hand.
"Let's just leave it here. We still need to continue searching for a suitable Spirit-type soul beast. Nature operates on survival of the fittest. As Soul Masters, killing soul beasts is a necessary and justified act. Don't dwell on it too much."
After briefly sensing the surrounding environment, the old butler gestured for Qian Zhaoguang to head in another direction.
"Let's go. Wind Jackals are social animals. The smell of blood here will soon attract its kin."
Moving away from the site of the kill, the trio once again resumed their search for Spirit-type soul beasts.
The practical combat training for the two youngsters and the old butler's field lessons continued in an orderly fashion.
Over the course of the day, they encountered several different types of soul beasts.
There were Ten-Year and Hundred-Year ones, with Ten-Year beasts being the most common.
After instantly killing another Ten-Year soul beast, Qian Zhaoguang didn't make any further moves against them.
Soul beasts below one hundred years were too weak; with his brute strength and meticulously honed saber skills, it was basically an instant kill upon encounter.
Hundred-Year soul beasts and above could still pique his interest somewhat, requiring him to approach the fight seriously.
Huo Yutong also tried battling Ten-Year soul beasts several times using her White Tiger Dagger.
Leveraging the enhancement from her Spirit Eyes and the old butler's guidance, she grew very rapidly.
She progressed from being flustered in her initial confrontation to facing her opponents with calm composure after only four battles.
In her fifth battle, she was even able to independently kill a Ten-Year soul beast without sustaining any injuries.
For a six-year-old girl who looked adorable, soft, and harmless, this was nothing short of a miracle.
As evening approached, the three set up a tent in the forest to rest.
With the old butler's formidable strength as their backing, they didn't need to gnaw on cold, dry rations. They could build a campfire and enjoy a hot meal.
"Coming right up! Let's have fish tonight."
By the small river, the old butler merely slapped the water surface casually a few times and easily smacked several large fish onto the bank.
This type of fish, unique to the Douluo Continent, had few bones and plentiful meat, making it a rare delicacy during outdoor camping.
Qian Zhaoguang swiftly killed the fish, gutted and scaled them, removed the bloodlines, took out prepared wooden skewers from his storage ring, skewered the fish, and handed them over to Huo Yutong.
Subsequently, he took out a grilling rack with a metal mesh, skillfully added charcoal, lit the fire, and produced a cluster of jars and bottles containing various seasonings.
Huo Yutong didn't dawdle either. She expertly rubbed various powdered spices evenly inside and outside the fish, placed a few Perilla leaves inside the belly cavities, and deftly arranged them on the metal grill.
The entire sequence of actions flowed like clouds and water, completed in one smooth go, leaving the old butler watching from the side completely stunned.
The tacit understanding/coordination between these two... it's clear they must have done this together countless times!
(End of Chapter)