Clan Cultivation System: Each Breakthrough in My Clan Earns Me Rewards-Chapter 46: Return (Unlock - with Coins!)

No one even knew that the matriarch was this big.

Before her, Shen Taofeng and his group felt like ants.

Her presence froze them for a few seconds until Shen Liqian and his vassals snapped them out of it.

Shen Liqian’s Hydras gathered around him, turning him into a beast himself.

Shen Yiren and Shen Jixian flanked the fellow hunters and brandished their weapons to protect them.

Not even they considered fighting the final boss of their first hunt.

The Cold-mane Longhorn Matriarch reared up.

A raw hush fell over the hunters, awe and fear pinning their feet to the snow.

Darkness immediately fell over the forest.

As she slammed down, a violent tremor erupted, knocking everyone off balance except Shen Liqian.

Then ice shards billowed from her paws and hurtled toward Shen Liqian.

Brandishing his sword diagonally, Shen Liqian cut them all down.

His Hydras swirled around him, batting the shards aside as well.

After parrying every shard, Shen Liqian looked up, smiling.

The Cold-mane Longhorn Matriarch let out a low, pissed-off grunt.

A second later, a wave of freezing mist rolled from her mouth straight at Shen Liqian.

This time, it wasn’t something Shen Liqian could cut as easily.

That didn’t intimidate him, though.

His Death Hydra coiled in front of him, then dove headfirst into the mist.

As it bathed in the foreign Qi, it began to wither and fade from the world.

The Death Qi thickened the Death Hydra.

Usually, Shen Liqian needed to cultivate those gains to permanently grow his Death Hydra.

That didn’t mean this Qi was useless in this battle.

It’s my turn to attack now.

His focus narrowed to a single point.

He lowered his sword and unsealed the remnants of the Cosmic Asura Hydra.

His bloodline boiled along with the Beast Intent of the ancient being.

His Hydras sank into him and vanished, their power surging with Shen Liqian’s Qi.

Snow around Shen Liqian was blown away by his sheer presence.

Small twigs snapped in half, while the closest trees bent away from him.

At his feet, the Snow Blue-eyed Tigress stared at him in fear.

Her cubs had already lost consciousness.

Across from him, the Cold-mane Longhorn Matriarch took a hesitant step back before steadying herself and coating herself in glacial Qi that made her seem like a diamond beast.

Her survival instincts kicked in.

Shen Liqian raised his sword overhead and swung down.

"Cosmic Severing."

A spatial rift opened in front of the matriarch, and Hydras barreled out at full speed.

They slammed into her, then circled, their scales gliding across the glacial armor and cutting it open along with the matriarch’s hide.

Blood spurted from her wounds as the Hydras tightened around her and sank their teeth deep into her flesh.

The matriarch howled and shook herself violently, but it didn’t help against the Hydras.

Now that her glacial armor had failed, was there anything that could truly save her?

As she thrashed, one of her legs cracked open.

Mercy had no place between predator and prey.

Anyone astute would notice that this was where the Death Hydra lingered, and its transcendent Qi was why she lost so much flesh, blood, and bone.

The Cold-mane Longhorn Matriarch fell onto her side, crushing trees.

For a moment, it felt like a mountain crashed down.

Shen Taofeng, Shen Yiren, Shen Jixian, and others were absolutely stunned by such prowess from their lord.

"I knew he was amazing... but he took that beast down in a single technique!"

"I think even a single Hydra would have been enough... it would only have taken more time..."

"Chief Liqian is godlike."

Once Shen Liqian’s Hydra crushed the matriarch’s heart, the beast died a slow death.

It stilled, and for a few breaths no one dared make a sound in the forest.

Shen Liqian’s Hydras returned to him quickly, as though they couldn’t stay away from him for long.

He inhaled deeply and exhaled.

It takes a lot of Qi to control all Hydras and Intents.

I can only imagine how powerful I’ll be when I get twelve Intents.

Others joined Shen Liqian and wordlessly stared at him.

He gave them a soft smile before turning to the Snow Blue-eyed Tigress.

The beast flinched under Shen Liqian’s gaze but forced herself to stand and offer gratitude.

She approached him slowly and licked his hand.

His chest warmed despite the cold.

Shen Liqian’s smile widened.

He extended his hand and stroked her white fur.

"You’re beautiful and soft, but also very brave.

"I wish to bring you and your cubs with me.

"Come with me."

His words shocked the others.

A moment later, Shen Taofeng nodded.

"This beast made me realize just how close we are to them.

"I would do the same in her place.

"I would beg anyone to save my children.

"I believe you were absolutely right, Chief Liqian.

"We should strive to live alongside the beasts and build our future with them."

His friends agreed with him.

Everyone shared the same feeling at the sight of the pleading beast mother.

Shen Liqian replied, "That’s a valuable lesson."

His eyes never left the mother tigress.

She lowered her head to her cubs, picked them up in her teeth, and lifted them to Shen Liqian.

He picked them up tenderly and smiled.

"Welcome to my household."

That day marked a turning point for the Shen Clan.

———

It had been more than a week since Shen Liqian left the village for his first hunt.

Shen Lexi often stared out the window in a daze.

Everyone knew she was worried about her son.

It was yet another moment where she had her head in the clouds.

Just then, shouts spread across the village.

"C-C-C-Chief Liqian has returned!"

Please be whole, Qian’er.

Shen Lexi immediately stood up.

Why is he stuttering so much?!

What happened to Qian’er?!

She ran out of the Clan Chief Manor.

No sooner had Shen Lexi stepped outside than she saw the reason everyone stood still, pale, and shivering.

She also saw why people were stuttering as they spoke.

The corpse of the Cold-mane Longhorn Matriarch loomed like a small mountain behind Shen Liqian and his group.

Terror rose first, and then pride rushed in behind it.

Shen Lexi parted her lips and joined the rest of the clan in a raw display of shock, fear, and pride.