Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time-Chapter 659: The First Nascent Soul Realm Beast

Han Yu continued walking, slower than before. His robe fluttered in the wind, its patched side cracking slightly as ice formed along the seams. He brushed the frost away.

Another growl shook the mountains.

This one was closer.

Han Yu's face remained calm. He steadied his breathing and extended his spirit sense carefully, probing the land around him. Only jagged rock formations appeared at first. Then the faint heat signature of something massive lying down. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Han Yu narrowed his eyes.

"Something is waiting."

He did not turn back.

Instead he moved along the narrow ridge, boots crunching the frost underfoot. His every sense sharpened. His instincts hummed. He knew that once he crossed this ridge, he would truly be inside the Inner Ring and there would be no backing out without a fight.

He adjusted his robes again and muttered:

"Let us see what greets me tonight."

The mountains answered with silence.

Then another rumbling growl.

Han Yu smiled faintly.

"I suppose that is my welcome."

He continued forward.

Soon night arrived and Han Yu was in the middle of a mountainside. Not wanting to press ahead in the dark, he found an alcove formed from some collapsed rocks and made it his home for the night.

Han Yu remained pressed against the cool stone of the alcove, one hand on the halberd, the other steadying himself. The night had been peaceful for almost an hour, peaceful in the sense that nothing had tried to kill him.

The winds had stopped earlier, which was unusual, but he enjoyed the silence while it lasted. The fire crackled gently, grilling a strip of Frost Hill Wolf meat that gave off a delicious aroma. The warmth soothed his bones and the shadows flickered in comforting rhythm.

If anything, he was a bit regretful about not buying a bit of alcohol to go with it.

ROARRRRR~

But as soon as that roar thundered through the mountain range, everything changed.

HISSS

Han Yu extinguished the fire immediately, wiping away the embers with a few quick motions and covering the glowing stones with dirt.

He gathered his halberd and slowly approached the edge of the alcove. His eyes scanned the dark horizon. The sky was a mess of clouds, allowing only shards of moonlight to spill through. Visibility was poor, but not enough to hide something gigantic.

Another roar followed, louder this time. It vibrated against Han Yu's chest like a gong.

Then came the metallic clashing.

Clang. Clang. Clang.

Han Yu frowned. That sound was unmistakable. Metal striking metal, or something extremely hard striking something equally hard.

No beast in the Outer or Middle Ring made noises like that. But this was the Inner Ring and strong beasts were common here. It was clear that something new had entered the scene.

Han Yu steadied his breathing and pressed two fingers to his eyelids, guiding spirit Qi into them. The blurry dark world sharpened instantly. It was the most basic Qi amplification technique that every cultivator knew.

Normally it was used to enhance one's limbs, but it also worked on sense organs, albeit to a limit.

The rocky outlines gained definition and the starless sky became clearer. His vision stretched across the mountain valley like a taut bowstring.

He squinted.

There. A flicker. A glint of reflected moonlight.

Han Yu whispered to himself.

"Scales."

Only scales could reflect moonlight like polished metal. And not just any scales. These had to be thick, overlapping plates belonging to something extremely powerful.

The clashing grew louder.

Clang. Clang. Clang.

Sparks flew in the distance, faint and tiny like dying fireflies.

A wave of spirit Qi washed over Han Yu a moment later. It was weak by the time it reached him, barely at the Qi refining realm, but it originated from something far stronger. The faint remnants told him all he needed to know.

Something at the level of Peak Core Condensation was fighting. Possibly even stronger.

The noise approached.

Han Yu pressed his back against the alcove wall, halberd raised slightly. His grip tightened. His muscles coiled. His spirit sense extended as far as possible without alerting anything.

The mountains trembled.

Then, from behind a tall shadowy ridge, something burst into the moonlight.

Han Yu finally saw it in its full monstrous form.

A massive beast, easily five meters tall, rising higher than most mountain boulders. Its wings unfurled to reveal a ten meter wingspan, covered in shimmering scales the color of pale ice. White and blue plates layered its entire body, glinting with every movement. Its talons carved grooves into the mountain rocks as it hovered slightly before landing.

Han Yu's eyes widened slightly in recognition.

"That looks like a Frost Wing Wyvern."

He had seen sketches in old bestiary manuals.

Frost Wing Wyverns were considered rulers of mountainous regions. They were not true dragons, but had a trace of their bloodline and shared enough traits to inspire fear. Their scales could repel blades. Their breath could freeze rivers. And their claws could rip through iron.

One Frost Wing Wyvern was enough to wipe out a small sect or a city.

But the Wyvern was not alone.

Something smaller zipped across its vision like a streak of lightning. It leaped off one mountain wall, then another, then another, ricocheting with explosive force. Each time it shot forward, a loud clang echoed from the Wyvern's scales.

Han Yu focused harder.

The moving blur resolved into a silhouette. Then the silhouette sharpened into a shape.

Han Yu let out a very quiet, very tired sigh.

"Oh come on…"

He whispered the words slowly, incredulously.

"What the fuck… another ram."

Indeed. A Rocky Hoofed Ram. Except this one was far, far larger than any he had fought so far. Even from the distance, he could tell this beast stood nearly three meters tall at the shoulders.

Its horns were thicker than tree trunks, and each time they struck the Wyvern' scales, sparks erupted as if metal clashed against metal.

Han Yu almost laughed.