Boundless Demon Path

Introduction

Volume 1 Chapter 1 Deep in the Dense Forest

An hour later, the sky was about to turn completely dark, and every inch of land in the midsummer forest was baked by the scorching sun as if it were about to melt.
Ding Hao continued deeper into the forest, where it was said that no hunter had ever reached the end. Legends spoke of gods and monsters lurking in the depths of this forest, and even the most clever and strong hunters could never truly conquer it.
Since he was very young, Ding Hao had heard the village elders say that if you misbehaved or did bad things, you would be sent to the Black Wind Forest.
The Black Wind Forest was the name given by the villagers to this place, where everything grew larger than in other areas—animals and plants alike.
The towering trees had lush branches and leaves, and the depths of the forest were perpetually filled with a chilling wind, lifeless and dull, where even the sounds of insects were much weaker than elsewhere!
After growing up, Ding Hao no longer believed the words of the village elders and did not think there were any gods or monsters in the depths of the forest.
But he did believe that this forest had some mysterious aspects, and he was certain that one day he would completely conquer it, which was the dream of every hunter from Shanhe Village.
However, this forest had never given any hunter the chance to fulfill that dream!
It was like a monster lying in wait, opening its huge mouth, constantly devouring one excellent hunter after another!
Ding Hao was discovered in the forest by the old hunter Zhang Cheng, who had originally shot a few deer and was preparing to return to the village. On the way, he found Ding Hao, who was still a baby, in a simple bamboo basket. The baby was neither crying nor fussing, just staring at Zhang Cheng with bright, dark eyes.
The bamboo basket seemed to have been hastily woven, with sharp bamboo tips that had not been smoothed out. Zhang Cheng was afraid those tips would prick the baby, so after hesitating for a moment, he picked the baby up into his arms. The baby was wrapped in a large red belly band, and around his neck hung a piece of green jade with the name Ding Hao engraved on it.
Zhang Cheng thought Ding Hao's parents were nearby, just temporarily away, so he held onto Ding Hao and waited for them to come back. But when night fell, he still hadn't seen a single person.
So Zhang Cheng took Ding Hao home. For the next few days, he would hold Ding Hao every morning, waiting for his parents, but he never saw them come. Zhang Cheng decided to adopt him, calling him Ding Hao after the name on the jade, teaching him hunting skills until Ding Hao was thirteen, when Zhang Cheng was killed by a tiger in the forest!
Children in the mountains mature quickly, and Ding Hao had been hunting in the forest with Zhang Cheng since he was very young. He showed an astonishing talent for hunting—smart, resilient, brave, and calm; it seemed he was born with the qualities of a hunter. His mastery of hunting skills far surpassed that of his peers, and all the hunters in the village believed that Ding Hao would definitely become the best hunter in Shanhe Village when he grew up.
Two years ago, when Ding Hao returned to the village carrying a tiger, he proved this point even more. Standing nearly six feet tall, every muscle in his body was filled with explosive power, and in terms of speed and strength, no one in the village could compare to him.
With thick eyebrows and big eyes, his square face had sharp angles. Although he was only eighteen, he was already full of masculine vigor!
Ding Hao could no longer remember how many times he had come here. This area was far from the village, and if he didn't return now, he wouldn't be able to get back today. Moreover, if he went further, he would be completely out of the familiar forest, heading into the most legendary, dangerous, and mysterious part of the Black Wind Forest.
In many previous instances, he had stopped exploring here, partly because he felt he wasn't yet the best hunter in Shanhe Village and wasn't prepared. On the other hand, he still had concerns, feeling he hadn't fully repaid the villagers for raising him.
But now, these two points could no longer bind him. As he hunted the most dangerous tigers, Ding Hao felt that nothing could threaten him anymore. Additionally, due to his tireless hunting, he had exchanged mountains of game for enough silver for the villagers, greatly improving their lives over the past few years, freeing them from worries about making a living.
Checking the three quivers of arrows on his back and the bow that had accompanied him for five years, he pulled out the high-quality hunting knife he had just bought. Ding Hao finally stopped feeling gloomy and took the most crucial step of his life.
He had been walking for two hours, and the sun in the sky had already turned into a crescent moon. With the moonlight, Ding Hao's vision was not greatly affected. The sounds of insects were growing weaker, almost inaudible, and the silence was a bit strange.
Years of hunting experience made Ding Hao feel that something unusual was about to happen. He gradually slowed his pace, and along the way, small, gentle animals became increasingly rare. What he saw were carnivorous animals—wild boars, lone wolves, leopards—animals that were usually hard to spot were now appearing in his line of sight. Ding Hao deliberately concealed himself, not drawing the attention of these animals.
The sounds of insects had completely stopped, and the silence was almost unbelievable. Ding Hao's steps became even slower, the crunching of the thick layer of decaying leaves underfoot sounding exceptionally loud in the quiet forest.
Suddenly, a sound of running reached his ears, growing louder as it approached.
It was a tiger! Ding Hao squinted his eyes, a glint of cold light flashing by. Years of experience allowed him to quickly identify the sound as that of a tiger running, but strangely, he only heard the sound of the tiger running and not the sound of any other animals. Normally, if a tiger was hunting, based on the sound of its running and his direction, he would definitely hear the sound of the prey running away. Ding Hao was absolutely confident about this!
If it wasn't hunting, then what could make a tiger run for its life? Ding Hao was puzzled. Just then, another sound appeared in his ear—a sound of skin rubbing against the ground. Was it a snake? No, it didn't seem like it; even a python wouldn't make such a sound. What was it? Ding Hao couldn't determine, but this sound led him to another shocking conclusion—this tiger was fleeing for its life! It was escaping from something behind it!
Ding Hao had never known there was anything in the forest that could scare a tiger so much. As the sound drew closer, Ding Hao realized the tiger was in grave danger; whatever was chasing it was even faster than the tiger!
At this moment, Ding Hao began to consider his own safety. An animal that could make a tiger run for its life was definitely not something he could easily deal with.
Instinctively, his eyes darted to find the tallest tree, and he climbed up with the agility of a wild monkey. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief; aside from flying creatures, other animals basically couldn't pose a threat to him.
Standing on the tree, with the moonlight, Ding Hao's field of vision widened. Here it came! Accompanied by the appearance of this massive beast, a whirlwind stirred up on the ground, its patterned fur flickering like a phantom.
The tiger was about three meters long, with a tail about a meter long, and weighing around three hundred kilograms, indicating it was a male adult tiger. Yet at this moment, it was running madly—not to hunt, but simply to survive! Now Ding Hao was even more curious about what animal was chasing it!
It was getting closer. Behind it was an even larger whirlwind, mixed with dust and leaves, making it hard to see clearly.
In the blink of an eye, the tiger roared past the tree where Ding Hao was hiding, and at that moment, Ding Hao finally saw what was chasing it!
He gasped in shock, feeling grateful for his quick decision to climb the tree! Before him appeared a creature that was neither a python nor a snake, with two horns on its head and wings on its back. This monster had dark purple eyes the size of fists, was about eight meters long, as thick as a barrel, and covered in thick scales. Its gaping mouth revealed several rows of conical teeth, and just by looking at their hardness, Ding Hao had no doubt about its immense lethality.
The monster was still several meters away, but the stench from its mouth was already overwhelming. Just catching a whiff made Ding Hao feel a heaviness in his chest, and he immediately held his breath, cursing his luck; he hadn't expected the stench from its mouth to be so toxic.
This monster, of course, had no idea there was another prey above it in the tree, and it rushed past Ding Hao. However, as it moved, it created a whirlwind that briefly obscured Ding Hao's vision with the dry branches and dirt it stirred up.
At that moment, a mournful roar from the tiger announced the end of this chase. Ding Hao looked in the direction of the sound and found that the tiger had fallen silently. Just by looking at the unnatural twist of its body, Ding Hao could tell that a living tiger could never have ended up like that.
Ding Hao began to consider whether he needed to get closer to observe, but that thought was immediately dismissed. He remembered the consequences of being discovered by that monster. Just by looking at it, he could tell it was vicious and absolutely bloodthirsty. Glancing at its thick scales, Ding Hao began to doubt whether his bow and arrows could inflict any damage on it, and its mountain-like size made him lose all confidence in his own strength, not to mention it had deadly poison!
Ding Hao quickly concluded that this creature was definitely not something he could handle; staying put was undoubtedly the wisest course of action!
After a moment's hesitation, when Ding Hao looked back at the monster, he found that one-third of the tiger had already been devoured. The speed at which the monster was eating made Ding Hao suspect it was swallowing without chewing. However, the next action of the monster, which bit off the tiger's neck in one bite, immediately dispelled Ding Hao's doubts; he no longer dared to question the sharpness of its teeth!
In the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the tiger had been completely devoured, leaving only tattered tiger skin and scattered bones!
The monster didn't seem satisfied; its dark purple eyes darted around as if searching for its next prey.
Without any warning, a sharp bird call suddenly rang in Ding Hao's ears, and the monster's dark purple eyes flashed as it began to flee back the way it came!
There was actually something that could scare it! Ding Hao was suddenly stunned!