Treasure, Where Are You?

This was Xiao Bai's first life-and-death battle, and it brought him countless benefits.

He lacked combat experience, did not know how to use Dou Techniques at the right moments, had not mastered the laws of jungle survival... In short, he still had many shortcomings.

If he had not won through the sheer number of Dou Techniques he possessed this time, he might not have defeated it so easily.

That was Xiao Bai's first realization, and it made him understand the importance of real combat.

The old man had not deceived him. Actual combat was the only standard for testing the results of cultivation.

Flowers raised in a greenhouse could never surpass wildflowers that grew in the open, endured the blazing sun, wind, and rain, yet still stood tall and proud amid the weeds.

Resting was out of the question. Improving his strength was what mattered most.

Help me up. I have to keep working hard and strive for the great ideal of showing off freely.

Xiao Bai got to his feet, unconcerned with the dust on his clothes. He casually brushed it off, rubbed his hands together, and walked toward the dead snake.

He was feeling a little excited and mentally exhilarated.

After all, this was the first achievement he had personally earned through his own efforts, and it held tremendous commemorative value.

It was like receiving your first paycheck after entering the workforce. The feelings were complicated.

You always wanted to share those hard-earned wages with your parents and tell them that you had grown up and could make money on your own.

Wasn't Xiao Bai thinking the same thing right now? He decided to properly commemorate this special day.

When he reached the snake's head, a dagger appeared in his hand. He plunged it straight into the head, forcefully cut across the forehead, then pulled, and a huge blue Magic Crystal came into view.

Xiao Bai was not afraid of the blood in the slightest. Overwhelmed by wild joy, he reached out, dug out the Magic Crystal, and clenched it tightly in his hand.

Feeling the power within this Magic Crystal, this Magic Crystal with such special meaning, the joy on his face did not diminish in the slightest.

Then, after that, this Magic Crystal that carried so much meaning was tossed into the Heaven and Earth Forging Furnace—the Strengthening Furnace—and broken down into the purest energy.

He raised his head to look at his handiwork, nodded in satisfaction, and began searching for his next target.

He told himself that there would be Magic Crystals, there would be resources, there would be everything.

At last, Heaven did not disappoint those who worked hard!

After walking a long way, killing several more first-tier magical beasts, and even being chased by a second-tier One-Eyed Blood Wolf once, Xiao Bai finally found a cliff.

"It wasn't easy, but I finally found a cliff. I wonder if my luck will be as absurdly good as those Sons of the Plane in legends, letting me find that cave in one go and saving me a lot of effort."

Xiao Bai thought this with the dreamy optimism of a daydreamer.

He even began imagining himself jumping down, finding it, and spotting that cave at first glance. Then he would reap enormous gains in that cave, turn all its resources into strength, successfully usher in his own new era, and write his own magnificent epic.

He would travel along, teach every villain and bully a lesson, and accumulate experience points. He would keep leveling up, keep crushing all dark forces, and turn the world into a beautiful place for humanity.

At the thought of this, drool nearly flowed from Xiao Bai's mouth.

He took out the rope he had prepared long ago, tied one end to a tree at the edge of the cliff, and let the other end hang down along the sheer rock face to somewhere unknown.

Xiao Bai tested it and made sure it was secured tightly before carefully beginning his descent with the rope.

This sort of thing was dangerous. This was the Monster Mountain Range, where anything could happen.

The spot where Xiao Bai tied the rope was remote, and there were no traces of magical beasts nearby. That was why he felt safe going down.

Xiao Bai descended along the rope while observing the surrounding environment.

Unfortunately, there was nothing but cliff all around him. There was not the slightest sign that a cave might exist.

Though he had expected it, he still felt a little disappointed.

Of course, he also confirmed one thing: he was not some Son of the Plane, merely an ordinary transmigrator.

But how could he give up so easily? Xiao Bai had perseverance and determination.

He continued descending the rope, thinking that perhaps the cave was just a little farther below. If he gave up like this, wouldn't he be missing out on the treasure and letting a cooked duck fly away?

Unfortunately, human plans could never match the heavens' designs. Below him, there was nothing but sheer cliff faces. There was absolutely nothing there.

Xiao Bai sighed. This time, he was certain.

Since there could not possibly be a cave here, the treasure he was searching for could not possibly be here either.

So, he climbed back up the rope and returned to the top of the cliff.

Standing at the cliff's edge, Xiao Bai felt stifled.

The outcome of his first expedition was not very satisfying, but he had at least searched the area successfully. It counted as gaining experience for future adventures.

Perhaps this was the legendary principle that practice made perfect!

He searched several more cliffs in succession and killed many magical beasts. His strength had even been enhanced to Six Star Dou Zhe, but where exactly was the cave hiding the treasure?

Xiao Bai was starting to lose heart. What kind of constitution did he have that could block luck itself?

This is so hard!

"Cave, treasure! Where the hell are you?"

Xiao Bai shouted at the sky, venting his feelings and releasing the frustration that had built up over this period.

On the other side of the forest, a group of people was searching for something.

"Did any of you hear something?"

The leading man raised a hand, signaling his subordinates behind him to stop, then turned and asked.

"No, Third Commander. Did you hear wrong? Or have you been too tired lately and started hallucinating?"

"Yeah, Third Commander. Why don't you rest for a while? Let the brothers search. We'll send you a message when we find him."

Hearing the words of his underlings, the man known as the Third Commander was also puzzled. Had he really heard wrong?

After pondering it for a moment without finding any answer, the Third Commander gave up.

"Since none of you heard it, I probably did hear wrong! There's no need to rest. We'll keep searching. We have to find that person as quickly as possible and let him know that the Wolf Head Mercenary Group is not something any random nobody can provoke!"

The Third Commander spoke in a grave tone.

"Yes, yes! Keep moving forward!"

At the command of a minor leader, the group began moving again, and the direction they headed was none other than Xiao Bai's location.

Xiao Bai knew nothing of this and was still tying down a rope to lower himself over a cliff face.

Once everything was ready, Xiao Bai moved with nimble agility. Like a spirit monkey, he sprang out, grabbed the rope with one hand, and rapidly descended.

This was the result of his recent efforts. Practice made perfect, after all.

By now, this whole sequence of movements had become second nature. Without the slightest pause, he descended along the rope.