A Serious Problem

Tonight was destined to be sleepless.

Xiao Han lay on his bed, sorting through the information in his mind.

According to the Storyline of Battle Through the Heavens, one year from now, after Xiao Yan completed his coming-of-age ceremony, he would head to the Monster Beast Mountain Range. There, Xiao Yan would encounter Yun Zhi. Or rather, Yun Yun, the Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect.

A year later, Xiao Yan and Yun Yun would have an indescribably romantic encounter in a cave.

Xiao Han did not know what Yun Zhi looked like. He knew even less whether she would be his type.

But since he had bound the Invincible Destroyer King System, no matter what, Xiao Han could not simply sit back and let this happen. If for no other reason than improving his strength, he had to disrupt the key to this event beforehand.

"Mm, and Xiao Yi Xian!"

A name surfaced in Xiao Han's mind.

During Xiao Yan's journey to the Monster Beast Mountain Range a year later, aside from encountering Yun Yun of the Misty Cloud Sect, who went by the alias Yun Zhi, he would also meet Xiao Yi Xian, who possessed the Calamity Poison Body.

Not only that, Xiao Yan would also obtain several rather good Dou Techniques during his training.

"Mm, Dou Techniques are currently my weakness. No matter what, I have to make a trip to the Monster Beast Mountain Range ahead of time."

The next day

Xiao Han arrived at Xiao Xun'er's courtyard.

"Brother Xiao Han, you're here!" Seeing Xiao Han enter the courtyard, Xiao Xun'er, who had been cultivating, was slightly delighted.

After spending several days together, Xiao Xun'er had discovered that Xiao Han was not only generous and kind, but also decisive in killing and approachable. "Brother Xiao Han, where are you taking your little sister to play this time? I was originally planning to rest today, but since you're already here, let's go!"

Xiao Xun'er might not have realized it herself, but she had rejected Xiao Yan just last night, only to go out with Xiao Han today. If Xiao Yan found out, who knew what he would think?

"Sister Xun'er, Brother Xiao Han came to say goodbye this time. I'm about to leave on a short journey." Seeing Xiao Xun'er so cheerful, Xiao Han hardened his heart and told her the truth.

"A journey?" Xiao Xun'er's smile stiffened, and a trace of reluctance appeared between her brows. "Brother Xiao Han, where are you going?"

"The Monster Beast Mountain Range."

"The Monster Beast Mountain Range?" Xiao Xun'er looked at Xiao Han strangely and said, "Brother Xiao Han, you're already a five-star Dou Zhe or above. Do you still need to go to the Monster Beast Mountain Range?"

"Yes." Xiao Han nodded, his tone extremely firm. Looking at Xiao Xun'er, he continued, "This is the Battle Qi Continent, where experts are as common as clouds. Among those my age, perhaps no one can defeat me. But if I look toward the Central Region, this little bit of strength of mine probably wouldn't even qualify me to carry their shoes. Without strength, how can I protect the people I want to protect?"

The person Brother Xiao Han wanted to protect?

Who could it be? Was it me?

Xiao Xun'er could not help thinking so.

At the thought of being unable to see Xiao Han for a long time, Xiao Xun'er's phoenix eyes furrowed slightly with reluctance. After a pause, she said, "Brother Xiao Han, the Monster Beast Mountain Range is incredibly dangerous. You don't need to do this. As long as you stay by my side, I'm confident I can make you a supreme expert!"

Xiao Xun'er came from the Gu Clan, one of the Eight Ancient Clans and a superpower of the Battle Qi Continent. Xiao Han did not doubt that Xiao Xun'er possessed such ability.

Knock

Xiao Han flicked Xiao Xun'er on the forehead, making her rub it resentfully in pain. He said, "Xun Er, a man who needs to rely on a woman is not a real man. Besides, if I relied on your abilities, even if I became a supreme expert, the people of your clan would still look down on me. Just wait. At most six months, at least one month. Brother Xiao Han will definitely return before the coming-of-age ceremony."

After Xiao Han spoke, he had already vanished from Xiao Xun'er's sight.

Looking at his disappearing figure, Xiao Xun'er dearly wanted to say that she would go train with Xiao Han. But then Xiao Yan's figure appeared in her mind, and in the end, those words never left her lips.

"Ling Ying, follow him in secret. If anything happens to Brother Xiao Han, I'll hold you accountable!"

Blue skies, a fierce west wind, and wild geese flying south.

A young man rode a yellow dapple horse, cracking his whip as dust billowed behind him while he traveled alone along the official road.

The youth was only fifteen or sixteen years old and did not seem to have come of age yet. Whenever passersby encountered him traveling alone, they could not help giving him a second look. They seemed to be wondering which family's rebellious child this was, daring to run away from home.

Xiao Han had already grown used to such looks. What left him both amused and helpless along the way was that several kindhearted people had actually stopped him. They truly took him for some rich young master who had run away from home and wanted to send him back.

However, these people were all ordinary people. Relying on his own abilities, Xiao Han cleverly escaped from their hands.

As he continued eastward, Xiao Han suddenly discovered a serious problem: he was lost.

According to his memories, the town where Xiao Yi Xian lived was called Qingshan Town. It was also the destination of this trip.

There were many forks in the road along the way. Moreover, this was the Battle Qi Continent, where bandits roamed freely. It was nothing like Huaxia Country on Earth. There were very few travelers on the official roads, and most of them were merchants. Even among merchants, he might not encounter five or six people in an entire day.

"Oh? Not bad luck. There seem to be people ahead!"

While lost, Xiao Han spotted a caravan ahead. Amid the crowd, flashes of blades could be seen.

"A battle?"

Xiao Han's expression tightened. He dismounted, led his horse into the bushes beside the official road, then leaped several times with his movement technique. Using the brush as cover, he hid atop the trunk of a large tree and watched the battle on the road.

On the ground ahead was a caravan of two hundred people. The caravan had quickly arranged its carriages into a circle, forming a defensive perimeter.

Such a crude defense was utterly insufficient to withstand the assault of the other group.

"It's the Black Wolf Gang!"

Xiao Han frowned slightly. The Black Wolf Gang was more than fifty kilometers from here, so why had they appeared in this place?

Although Xiao Han had never left Wutan City, as the grandson of the Third Elder Xiao Family and a direct descendant of the Xiao Clan, studying the distribution of forces within the Gamma Empire had been one of his required lessons.

The Black Wolf Gang had not originally been part of his required studies, but because it was a force near Wutan City, the Xiao Clan still knew a little about it.

The Black Wolf Gang's leader, Black Wolf, possessed the cultivation of a Four-star Dou Zhe. Aside from him, there were two bosses: the Second Boss and the Third Boss. They were a level weaker than Black Wolf, possessing only the cultivation of a Three Star Dou Zhe and a Two-star Dou Zhe.

In the eyes of the Xiao Clan, they were naturally an insignificant little force. But to traveling merchants, they were simply the nightmare in their hearts.

"Why is the Black Wolf Gang here?" Xiao Han's mind was filled with questions.

Once the Black Wolf Gang broke through the defensive circle formed by the carriages, the battle below became almost completely one-sided. Before the bloodthirsty and warlike Black Wolf Gang, even though the caravan had hired mercenaries for protection, they only managed to briefly hold back the gang's offensive and delay the caravan's destruction.