Chapter 339: Operation Bait
What a disaster.
As soon as Qi Han realized what had just happened, he stared mournfully at a shard of emerald-green carapace lying not far from him.
The Ice Jade Scorpion's body had also been blown to bits. Unlike the Snowfield Ice Pheasant's soft flesh, its tough exoskeleton had managed to withstand some of the blast—though it had still been shattered into pieces.
With a frustrated grunt, Qi Han gave the chunk a hard kick and sighed.
"Seriously, you stupid scorpion… You were already dead. Did you have to drag the other one down with you?"
He'd been planning to swoop in and reap the rewards as the fisherman who waited—
But the fish was gone.
Leaving behind only frustration and empty snow.
Qi Han's figure blurred as he dashed away from the blast site.
The explosion had been massive—no doubt other Snowfield Ice Pheasants in the area would have noticed and might come to investigate.
Better to get clear of this area before making his next move.
. . . . . . .
Now seated lazily on a slope of a nearby snowy ridge, Qi Han stared out over the pristine snowfield with a blank expression.
Nothing. Not a single good idea.
He had considered using bait to lure another Snowfield Ice Pheasant down from the sky—but no matter what ten- or hundred-year spirit beasts he caught and tossed into the hunting zone, they all fled the moment he released them.
Can't blame them—spirit beasts weren't stupid.
They knew this was Snowfield Ice Pheasant territory.
Entering it was basically suicide.
No one was going to obediently play the part of bait.
He even tried using corpses as bait—
No luck.
Snowfield Ice Pheasants were nothing like that gluttonous Hellfire Dragonfish he'd encountered before. These spirit beasts were picky eaters—they only hunted living prey, and they enjoyed the thrill of the hunt.
A corpse?
Not interested.
So what now?
"Meoww~"
A soft purr sounded from inside his jacket. Pururu, the Misty Cloud Cat, wriggled slightly, nuzzling against Qi Han's neck as if apologizing for being unable to help.
Qi Han smiled, rubbing the little cat's head gently.
"It's fine. The environment here is just too harsh. You can't leave my coat, so there's not much you can do. Once we get to the Star Dou Forest later, you'll be a huge help."
With Pururu stuck inside his clothes to stay warm, its combat effectiveness was greatly reduced. At best, it could carry Qi Han with a Mist Flash in an emergency. But even that skill consumed a lot more energy when used with a passenger than when Pururu moved alone.
And as for its Mist Clone skill…
Wait. Clone?!
Qi Han's eyes suddenly lit up. He sprang to his feet.
Of course! Why hadn't he thought of that earlier? Pururu's Mist Clone!
A Mist Clone could act as bait—it would follow his commands, behave however he needed it to, and even if it got destroyed, there'd be no danger to Pururu itself.
Unlike ordinary clone skills used by speed- and agility-type spirit beasts—which were basically mirages, easily destroyed and incapable of dealing any real damage—Pururu's Mist Clone was much more refined.
It had evolved from the typical Misty Cloud Cat clone skill, but with a twist.
Pururu's Mist Clone wasn't just a phantom. It could solidify into a real body, capable of performing simple attacks and even sharing part of the original's power. It could fight alongside Pururu to a limited extent—something most clone skills couldn't even dream of.
Of course, the skill wasn't without its drawbacks.
The spirit power cost to create a Mist Clone was ten times greater than for an ordinary illusionary one.
If the clone survived and remerged with the original, some of the unused spirit power would return, making it possible to summon another soon after.
But if the clone was destroyed before returning, that spirit power was lost completely, and Pururu would need considerable time before it could make another.
Qi Han clenched his fist, determination flaring in his eyes.
This was the solution.
Time to launch: Operation Bait.
Pururu's clone getting destroyed and the spirit power consumption that came with it—
Not a big deal.
Before this mission, Qi Han had made another trip to the Tang Sect and stocked up on recovery pills and spirit power replenishment elixirs, just in case. Plus, since he'd helped Yu Hua purge the lingering medicinal toxins in his system with the "Qing Dynasty Blessed Pork Meat," the grateful Yu Hua had gifted him a trove of high-grade pills—far better than anything sold outside.
So what if spirit power gets burned up? He'll just pop pills like candy.
"Pururu, here's the plan…"
Eyes blazing with determination, Qi Han gently tapped Pururu's head and began explaining the strategy.
"Meow!"
As Pururu listened, its eyes started to sparkle as well.
Yes! Finally a chance to help the pooper-scooper!
After finishing their man-to-cat briefing, Qi Han crept back to the edge of the Snowfield Ice Pheasant's hunting territory, crouching low and keeping perfectly still.
In his arms, a shimmer of misty light rippled across Pururu's body, and with a quick leap from his collar, a brand-new Pururu No. 2 materialized.
Being a clone, it wasn't affected by the extreme cold.
Pururu No. 2, fully under its original's control, tiptoed its way into the hunting grounds, moving cautiously at first. But it soon started to act more boldly—frolicking and bouncing through the snow like a clueless spirit beast that had wandered in by accident.
Pururu's fur was a mix of dark silver and pale gray—noticeably different from the pure white of the snowfield. If a Snowfield Ice Pheasant were flying overhead, it would absolutely notice.
The perfect bait.
Qi Han and Pururu didn't even dare breathe loudly, eyes fixed on the sky above Pururu No. 2.
So… would it work?
Not long after, a soft whoosh—the subtle sound of wings slicing through the wind—reached Qi Han's ears, and a glint of excitement flashed across his face.
It's coming! It's really coming!
He could see the shadow in the sky rapidly enlarging. A Snowfield Ice Pheasant dove like a bullet, talons outstretched toward Pururu No. 2.
Qi Han's expression quickly shifted—from excitement to dismay.
This one's wingspan had to be at least nine meters wide.
A solid ten-thousand-year-level beast.
Pururu No. 2 barely lasted a moment before it was shredded by the bird's claws. Simultaneously, the mist around Pururu's body evaporated, and it slumped weakly in Qi Han's arms.
Qi Han was prepared for this. He swiftly pulled out a spirit power restoration pill and popped it into Pururu's mouth. The little cat munched, swallowed, and almost instantly looked a little more lively.
The Snowfield Ice Pheasant, sensing something was off after that one strike, let out a frustrated screech and scanned its surroundings.
Its dynamic vision might have been excellent, but its static vision was average at best.
And Qi Han, perfectly still and clad in gear that blended seamlessly into the snow, remained invisible even to the Ice Pheasant's sharp gaze.
After a few tense moments of inspection, the massive bird gave up and took off, disappearing into the sky.
Only then did Qi Han exhale and relax a little.
Honestly, even though he knew the odds of being spotted were low as long as he didn't move, he still felt a jolt of nervous dread when that avian gaze swept across his position.
Roughly ten minutes passed. Qi Han figured the ten-thousand-year beast had left the area.
Pururu gave a soft chirp, signaling that it had recovered enough spirit power to conjure another clone.
Time for round two.
Once again, Pururu No. 2 made a dramatic return—bumbling into the hunting zone with an "I'm lost and dumb" act and bouncing around like a complete fool.
Sure enough, another Snowfield Ice Pheasant soon dove in for the kill.
Qi Han focused—and couldn't help but feel overjoyed.
This one had a wingspan of only about five meters—probably no more than three thousand years of cultivation.
"Let's go, go, go!!"
Qi Han couldn't sit still anymore. He clutched Pururu tightly and charged forward.
Pururu, sensing the urgency, flared with misty light and burned a huge amount of spirit power to launch a Mist Flash with Qi Han in tow.
The Snowfield Ice Pheasant's claws pierced through the clone—only to feel nothing but mist.
Before it could even process what just happened, Qi Han had already burst from the side, blade in hand, slashing down with all his might.
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