Qing Tan City

After watching Qin Jun and the others disappear into the distance, the demonic beasts soon went their separate ways, and the Beast Tide dissolved.

"Alright, everyone, there's no need for you to keep following us."

Qin Jun suddenly stopped and turned around. The reason he had remained silent until now was that they were all human.

Qin Jun was still willing to lend a hand to those who bore him no grudge. It was not as though helping them would cost him anything.

"May I ask your name, Young Master? I am Lan Ruoji. Thank you for saving us!"

A handsome man stepped forward and cupped his fists. Dressed in blue robes with a longsword at his waist, he carried himself with elegant grace. The bright smile on his face easily inspired goodwill.

Lan Weak Chicken?

Your parents must have thought highly of you, or they wouldn't have given you that name!

"Qin Jun. It was merely a small effort." Qin Jun waved dismissively while mocking him inwardly. He did not hide his identity, since his former self could be considered a disgrace to the royal family. His deeds had largely been sealed away by the royal palace, and only a small number of people knew just how Luohu the Third Prince had been.

"Greetings, Young Master Qin. My name is Li Yu, and I am from Burning Mountain Valley..."

"Young Master Qin, I am Wang Yuheng, from Purple Light Sect..."

"My name is Miao Yidao. Thank you for saving us, Young Master Qin..."

After Lan Ruoji took the lead in introducing himself, the other cultivators followed suit. Every one of them wanted to befriend Qin Jun.

Qin Jun impatiently waved them off. "Alright, you may leave now!"

He had little interest in befriending a group of Qi Refining Realm cultivators. Especially now that he had already broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, he truly had no interest in cultivators weaker than himself.

Besides, two super experts of the Void Transformation Realm stood beside him.

"Hmph! Those fellows are always hunting the demonic beasts in my territory. I really want to swallow them in one bite!"

If not for the fact that Qin Jun was also human, it would have finished off those insects while running earlier.

Qin Jun shook his head with a smile. The cultivators led by Lan Ruoji hurriedly scattered, terrified by the Demon King's dreadful aura.

Humans and demonic beasts had been enemies for generations. When demonic beasts ate humans, they could absorb the spiritual energy contained in human flesh and blood, accelerating their cultivation.

Those capable of cultivating qi were collectively called cultivators. Cultivators killed demonic beasts to obtain their inner cores, which contained the spiritual energy accumulated by the beasts over their lifetimes. Not only could these cores assist cultivators in cultivation, but demonic beasts' hides, flesh, tendons, and bones were also useful to cultivators—for refining Magic Tools, making medicinal ingredients, and so on.

In short, humans and demonic beasts were utterly incompatible.

If not for the Mythological System, the Howling Celestial Dog would never have submitted to Qin Jun.

"Junior Sister, take good care of yourself."

Senior Sister Li spoke softly to Chang Qianqian. Chang Qianqian smiled sweetly. "Don't worry. Qin Jun is protecting me. He promised to escort me back to Xuanling Sect."

"Then I can rest easy." Senior Sister Li nodded. After glancing at Chang Hao, she left.

Chang Hao was extremely famous within Xuanling Sect, but now, because of the Howling Celestial Dog, he looked utterly miserable. He stood to the side with his head lowered, never saying a word. Although she was puzzled, she guessed it had something to do with Qin Jun, so she did not dare interfere.

"Alright, let's continue on our way!"

After glancing in the direction Lan Ruoji and the others had left, Qin Jun clapped his hands. Naturally, no one objected.

"Howling Celestial Dog, what rank is the strongest demonic beast under your command?"

"There are three fourth-rank demonic beasts. One of them is about to break through to the fifth rank and take human form."

"Oh? How about summoning them to serve me?"

"That won't work. They hate humans."

"Tch!"

Qin Jun chatted with the Howling Celestial Dog as they advanced, with Daji and Chang Qianqian following closely behind. Chang Hao trailed at the very end as the group headed toward the horizon.

With the Howling Celestial Dog accompanying them, no demonic beasts dared approach along the way.

Though Qin Jun was delighted, he also felt somewhat regretful. He had wanted to farm Experience Points by killing demonic beasts, but with the Howling Celestial Dog around, he could not do so.

Fortunately, he had sounded out the Howling Celestial Dog. As long as he did not kill demonic beasts within its former territory, it would be fine. Demonic beasts often slaughtered one another anyway; it was the law of nature. The weak could only become food for the strong.

After the Howling Celestial Dog joined them, Chang Qianqian became immensely interested in it and circled around it every day. As for Chang Hao, she had completely ignored him. The once kind and amiable Senior Disciple Brother had become an eyesore in her eyes.

Chang Hao also became exceptionally obedient. He no longer argued with Qin Jun. Whenever Qin Jun told him to gather firewood or find water, he did so without complaint. It seemed the Howling Celestial Dog had frightened him badly.

The journey was dull, so Qin Jun began having Daji train him. Although he had the Mythological System, he understood the importance of combat experience. He did not merely want his subordinates to be invincible; he also wanted to possess supreme power himself. Only one's own strength could provide the greatest sense of security.

Thus, Qin Jun's path of being beaten officially began. Chang Hao and Chang Qianqian watched every battle, both shocked by Qin Jun's talent. His combat instincts were exceptional, and he almost never made the same mistake twice. Furthermore, after breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, all Eight Extraordinary Meridians had been unblocked, allowing him to make remarkable progress each day.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

Qin Jun and the others finally caught sight of a town. The Gan Yue Kingdom was vast and rich in resources. Although it had only one hundred and thirty-seven cities, it possessed many towns. The cities were separated by great distances, and traveling on foot took a long time. Qin Jun's group was in no hurry, so what should have been a three-day journey had been stretched into five days.

"Qing Tan City? After passing through it, we should reach Xuanling Sect soon, right?" Qin Jun asked Chang Qianqian. His former self's memories mostly revolved around the royal capital, and he knew little about the geography of the Gan Yue Kingdom. He could not even remember how many cities there were in total.

Chang Qianqian smiled. "That's right. After passing Qing Tan City, it'll take another day to reach it."

The time when Xiahou En had captured her had left her constantly anxious, but following Qin Jun these past few days had eased her nerves considerably. Qin Jun, who came from Earth, occasionally told jokes that often made Chang Qianqian and Daji laugh, causing Chang Qianqian's affection for him to grow day by day.

"We're finally almost there."

Qin Jun murmured. As long as he escorted Chang Qianqian back to Xuanling Sect, he could receive a reward and draw a skill as well.

At present, aside from the Desert Eagle, Qin Jun truly had no offensive methods worth mentioning.

Cultivators fought using all kinds of spells and martial techniques. He could not possibly just brawl with people barehanded, could he?

The Desert Eagle's power was also limited. Against enemies with quick movement techniques, they could easily dodge its bullets.

Therefore, Qin Jun desperately hoped to draw an insanely powerful skill!

The group arrived before the city gates. Qing Tan City's walls stood seven or eight meters tall, while its gates were five meters high and four meters wide. Carriages and pedestrians crowded the road, making the place seem quite lively.

Two rows of soldiers stood before the gates. When Qin Jun and the others approached, one soldier stopped them and said, "Four people and one dog. Ten copper coins."

They had to pay to enter the city?

Qin Jun Frowned. The Gan Yue Kingdom had no such regulation; at most, they would check one's identity.

Chang Qianqian was unsurprised. She directly took ten copper coins from the money pouch at her waist.

The group entered Qing Tan City just like that. The moment they stepped inside, a petite figure crashed straight into Qin Jun's arms.