The sheep bleated frantically, swarming down in a blind panic.
There were hundreds of goats in this flock, their wool mostly a greenish-gray. Their white bone goat horns resembled a pair of pale, slightly curved sharp swords.
The flock had originally been leisurely grazing on green grass when suddenly two exploration team members appeared and began driving them forward.
The two men held scimitars without drawing them, and merely by shouting loudly, they easily drove the panicked flock.
Sir Zhen Jin, Zi Di, Cang Xu, and the others stood on a nearby ridge, looking down at the scene.
The flock attempted to change direction along the way, but personnel had already been ambushed in advance, suddenly appearing at the critical moment to block their path. Repeatedly corrected in their direction, the flock finally surged into a depression.
The exploration team began to close the net as more members emerged from all directions.
People were stationed on every flank, and finding themselves with nowhere to run, the sheep spun around in frantic circles.
The exploration members raised their swords and sabers, hacking down again and again to begin slaughtering the sheep.
Just as Cang Xu had said, the sheep were utterly cowardly, offering no resistance whatsoever in the face of the butcher's knife. They emitted terrified screeches and then shoved desperately against one another, all trying to squeeze into the very center.
Yet a few unlucky sheep invariably ended up on the outskirts, easily slaughtered one by one by the humans.
Watching this, Cang Xu spoke in a calm tone, "In the Central Empire, many nobles have begun enclosing land on a large scale to raise sheep. They farm domestic sheep."
"I once had the privilege of touring several empire-renowned sheep farms, and the sheer scale was breathtaking."
"In my view, the domestic sheep species possesses no inherent ability to make a living on its own; their survival relies entirely on the care and rescue of others."
"Domestic sheep possess no self-protection capabilities whatsoever. Rams are shyer and more cowardly than ewes, and even the faintest peculiar sound is enough to frighten them, which is why their flocking behavior stems purely from the need to dispel fear."
"They are not only cowardly, but also foolish. They do not know what danger is, nor can they sense its approach. It seems that no matter what happens, they stubbornly stay put. Even in wind and rain, making them migrate requires a lead sheep to show the way. In reality, however, the lead sheep also remains stationary unless driven by a shepherd or sheepdog."
"Domestic sheep are extremely fragile. They cannot walk for long periods, which easily causes them to collapse from exhaustion. When they run, their hearts beat too fast, making them prone to breathlessness. High temperatures or severe cold can wipe out batches of sheep. They are extremely susceptible to disease, and sometimes mere obesity alone can prove fatal to them."
"Compared to domestic sheep, goats are more active, robust, and courageous. Yet broadly speaking, they are much the same."
"The habits of these two types of sheep do not differ greatly."
"Goats are attached to humans and enjoy being stroked, making it easy for people to live in harmony with them. They are also easy to raise, and various types of forage can become delicacies for goats."
"Even so, domestic sheep remain more popular. This is because their coats are dense, allowing them to be made into yarn and other textile materials. Especially in recent years, the empire's textile machinery seems to have undergone a massive technological revolution."
"The Shata Family is also quite enthusiastic about this domestic sheep business, dispatching me to the Central Empire for investigation. Unfortunately, the empire's high nobility intend to monopolize the latest textile machinery. At the same time, land in the desert is scarce, the environment harsh, and the diurnal temperature range extremely extreme, making large-scale sheep farming impossible."
While they spoke, the greater part of the flock had already been slaughtered.
Among the participating members, Huang Zao was the most eye-catching.
He held a long spear, and with every strike, he pierced through three or four sheep.
He possessed Bronze-level strength, and although he could not mobilize Battle Qi, his physical fitness—far surpassing ordinary men—was unmistakably on display here.
Sir Zhen Jin had assigned him the task of leading the first encirclement of the flock. Harboring the intent to redeem himself through meritorious service, and knowing that his every move was being watched by his master, Huang Zao exerted himself with exceptional vigor.
Yet the next moment, his infallible long spear was blocked for the first time.
It turned out that the lead sheep of the flock had finally been driven to desperation and begun fighting back.
The lead sheep was twice the size of the surrounding sheep, nearly matching a small pony, and radiated a Bronze-level aura across its entire body.
The lead sheep broke into a four-hoofed gallop, aimed straight for Huang Zao, lowered its head, bared its sword-like white bone goat horns, and began its charge.
Clack, clack, clack, clack!
The hooves struck the mountain rocks, producing a rapid and crisp series of sounds.
It usually stayed still, but once it moved, it was astonishing. The ordinarily sluggish lead sheep suddenly burst into speed capable of changing one's expression in an instant!
Huang Zao gritted his teeth, held his long spear horizontally across his chest, and stood motionless in his tracks.
Lan Zao, serving behind Sir Zhen Jin, saw through his younger brother's intent and instantly shouted angrily, "Idol, get out of the way! You can't use Battle Qi!"
Huang Zao's ears twitched, catching his older brother's warning instantly, but he gritted his teeth and held his ground.
If I flee from battle once again, what kind of impression will I leave on the master? Older brother, you're the real idiot!
This time, I will wash away my disgrace!
Shouting inwardly, Huang Zao widened his eyes and thrust his long spear forward fiercely.
The tip of the spear collided with the white bone goat horns.
Then, to Huang Zao's extreme dismay, the spear tip shattered, and the entire shaft was batted aside.
The lead sheep rushed up to Huang Zao, and at the critical moment of impact, Huang Zao barely managed to cross the spear shaft in front of his chest.
Thud.
With a muffled sound, Huang Zao was sent flying on the spot.
His entire body traced an arc through midair, then crashed onto the grass-covered rocky ground, his vision blacking out as he nearly lost consciousness on the spot.
"This fellow..." Watching his younger brother ignore his warning and nearly get disemboweled by the goat horns, Lan Zao clenched his fists tightly, stepping forward eagerly to volunteer, "Master, please let me exert myself for you and finish off this beast!"
Sir Zhen Jin merely watched the arena, his expression indifferent, "Give the order: tell Huang Zao to rein it in a bit. I want to capture this lead sheep alive."
Lan Zao's expression shifted abruptly, and he wanted to say something, but Cang Xu intercepted him with an outspread hand.
Cang Xu smiled instead, "To gain such trust from Sir Zhen Jin, Huang Zao finally has a chance to wash away his humiliation. Knowing full well that he cannot mobilize Battle Qi and that his strength is inferior to the lead sheep, he still chose a dangerous head-on clash. Now that he has been knocked away and taken a fall, he should know he needs to adjust his mindset."
Hearing this, Lan Zao gave a start and knelt on one knee, "The master is benevolent and magnanimous, having long since seen that Huang Zao's mindset was unbalanced, and giving him chance after chance to adjust it and redeem himself through service! This subordinate was foolish; please punish me, Master."
Only then did Sir Zhen Jin smile, glancing at Lan Zao, "You brothers share deep affection; what crime is there? Go and watch from the side. Huang Zao's body is still weak, after all. If his attempt to capture it alive fails, you may step in for him."
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Lan Zao dropped to both knees, struck his forehead heavily against the ground with a dull thud, and then scurried hastily down the ridge.
In the depression, Huang Zao had already picked up a brand-new long spear and was preparing to strike again.
Seeing Lan Zao approach, he immediately grew anxious, "Older brother, why are you here? Did the master send you to take my place?"
Lan Zao snorted coldly, "The master told you to rein it in and capture this sheep alive. He's giving you a continued chance to prove yourself; only when you fail will I make a move."
Huang Zao was overjoyed, "That's great!"
Hearing this, Lan Zao was so furious he nearly slapped Huang Zao across the head on the spot. Having no alternative, he could only stand to the side to guard the flanks.
The ordinary sheep were quickly slaughtered, leaving only the duel between Huang Zao and the lead sheep in the arena.
Under the lead sheep's continuous charges, Huang Zao was driven into a wretched state.
Ordinarily, Huang Zao possessed a certain degree of confidence in dealing with this lead sheep using his long spear. However, Sir Zhen Jin's order to capture the beast alive left Huang Zao feeling restricted and bound.
Huang Zao and the lead sheep were both Bronze-level lifeforms, but Huang Zao could not mobilize Battle Qi, and his use of the spear was cautious and timid, allowing the lead sheep to naturally seize the upper hand.
Yet Huang Zao was bent on proving himself and showed not the slightest sign of retreat.
After a brief stalemate, both man and beast were covered in blood.
The lead sheep's body was covered in lacerations caused by the spear tip. As for Huang Zao, he already had burns and bandages, and most of the blood on his body was seeping out due to the strenuous exertion.
Secretly anxious, Lan Zao repeatedly wanted to step in, but failing to see his younger brother suffer a complete defeat, he could only forcefully suppress the impulse.
The lead sheep charged forward, and although Huang Zao—whose stamina had dropped severely—barely managed to dodge this time, he lacked the strength to pursue.
This time, the lead sheep did not turn around to continue fighting Huang Zao, but instead bolted straight out of the encirclement.
The surrounding encircling members were ordinary combatants, and shouts of alarm rose one after another as they hastily retreated, not daring to use their flesh and blood to block the frantically fleeing lead sheep.
Lan Zao was about to make a move when he suddenly heard Sir Zhen Jin's voice, "Enough. Fall back, all of you. Let me handle it."
"Master, I... can still fight," Huang Zao whispered, his face filled with unwillingness.
"You idiot, get down here right now! Don't ruin the master's mood," Lan Zao scolded angrily.
Everyone's gaze focused on Sir Zhen Jin.
Ever since Sir Zhen Jin became the leader of this exploration team, the vast majority of people had been privately guessing what tier Sir Zhen Jin's true strength reached.
Was it Silver-level, or Gold-level?
This island strictly forbade low-tier magic and Battle Qi, so could Sir Zhen Jin unleash his own Battle Qi? (Cang Xu's conjectures were far too terrifying, restricted only among the upper echelons of the exploration team without letting everyone know.)
The sheep charged over with Sir Zhen Jin maintaining a completely calm and composed expression.
Seeing that the horns were about to pierce Sir Zhen Jin, the youth suddenly reached out and, with split-second precision, grabbed both goat horns.
Then, Sir Zhen Jin pressed down with force.
The lead sheep's charge came to an abrupt halt as its entire head was forced into the ground by Sir Zhen Jin. Its strong, powerful legs kicked frantically, sending turf and dirt flying, but from start to finish, Sir Zhen Jin's hands were as steady as mountains, and his entire body felt cast in iron, unshaken by even a fraction.
The impression it gave was that the lead sheep had suddenly become as weak as a chick before Sir Zhen Jin!
Gasps of astonishment burst from the crowd, instantly transforming into cheers and shouts of acclamation.
Huang Zao could not help widening his eyes.
Without mobilizing any Battle Qi, Sir Zhen Jin had firmly suppressed the lead sheep using sheer physical strength alone.
Such strength won Huang Zao's heartfelt submission.
Cang Xu was also moved quietly by this sight.
He knew well that the physical structures of humans and animals differed. When humans did not mobilize Battle Qi and relied solely on their own physical attributes, it was actually very difficult for them to compare with lifeforms of the same tier.
Humans naturally could not run as fast as horses, climb flexibly through trees like monkeys, soar in the skies like birds, or breathe and swim beneath the water like fish.
Compared to the multitude of beasts, humanity's most prominent advantage lay in intelligence; a human's innate strength, speed, physique, and so on were simply insufficient among beasts.
Therefore, a powerhouse possessing Silver-level Battle Qi might very well lose to a Bronze-level magical beast if they failed to display their Battle Qi and relied solely on physical strength.
Such physical fitness...
This scene before him caused a conjecture to rise uncontrollably within Cang Xu's heart: Could Sir Zhen Jin truly possess Gold-level cultivation?
Before you continue