Helping

Zeng Fan narrowed his eyes slightly. Yao Ling'er's words stirred something within him. "This guy seems to be cornered. Let's hear what opportunity he's talking about first."

Zeng Fan eased the pressure on his hands and moved a little further away from Yao Ling'er. "What's this opportunity you're talking about? Don't try to trick me, or I'll really have to marry you, little beauty." Zeng Fan smiled at Yao Ling'er with a hint of threat in his voice.

Hearing that her words had piqued Zeng Fan's interest, Yao Ling'er breathed a sigh of relief. She was genuinely afraid Zeng Fan would do something rash. Shame and annoyance flickered in her eyes at his words, but in her current situation, she didn't dare provoke him further.

Composing herself slightly, Yao Ling'er slowly began, "A while ago, when I was out gathering herbs with a senior sister, we discovered a cliff. There were Body Tempering Fruits growing on the cliff. These fruits can be refined into Body Tempering Pills, which can help those in the Body Tempering Realm break through a minor realm. If taken during a breakthrough to a major realm, the efficiency of the breakthrough will also be higher. When we found them, they weren't ripe yet, but I estimate they should be soon. If you come with me to pick them, I'll give you one of the Body Tempering Pills. What do you say?"

Zeng Fan's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly realized there might be a catch. "Then why aren't you two going to pick them yourselves? Why do you need someone to accompany you? Is there some danger in there?" Zeng Fan stared intently at Yao Ling'er as he spoke.

Yao Ling'er looked away guiltily. "There is some danger. A Scorpion Tiger is guarding it, and the two of us can't defeat it, so we had to retreat."

"Hiss~" Zeng Fan almost wanted to beat Yao Ling'er to death upon hearing this. Scorpion Tigers are Demonic Beasts that resemble tigers, possess immense strength, and their tails have evolved into a scorpion's tail filled with potent venom, making them very troublesome. Furthermore, an adult Scorpion Tiger is equivalent to a cultivator in the Spirit Gathering Realm, not something a few disciples in the Body Tempering Bone realm could provoke.

"Are you playing me? With that thing guarding it, how are we supposed to get it? Are you trying to get me killed? Or should I just marry you then!" Zeng Fan tightened his grip again, glaring ferociously at Yao Ling'er.

Yao Ling'er's wrist hurt from Zeng Fan's grip, and her beautiful eyebrows furrowed slightly. She quickly explained to Zeng Fan in a rapid-fire manner, "That Scorpion Tiger isn't an adult yet. Judging by its realm, it's probably equivalent to Body Tempering Bone Perfection. It's likely guarding the Body Tempering Fruits to help it break through its realm. I've already arranged with that senior sister to each bring one disciple at the Body Tempering Bone Perfection realm. After dealing with the Scorpion Tiger, we can each get a Body Tempering Pill. What do you think? Gao Shi wanted to come with me earlier, but I couldn't stand him, so I told him to find you."

Yao Ling'er was truly afraid of Zeng Fan and stopped playing games, quickly explaining the situation clearly to him.

Zeng Fan frowned. "The temptation of the Body Tempering Fruit is great, but the Scorpion Tiger isn't to be trifled with. One wrong move could cost us our lives. However, the other disciple will also bring someone at Body Tempering Bone Perfection. Although the disciples of the Alchemy Hall are not very strong in combat, with four disciples at the Body Tempering Bone realm, our chances are quite good. At worst, if things go south, we can just run. Better a dead comrade than a living me!"

Zeng Fan made up his mind and looked down at Yao Ling'er. "Deal. Don't try any funny business with me later!"

Yao Ling'er breathed a sigh of relief when Zeng Fan agreed. Her expression turned a little sulky. "Can you let me go now? Is this how you treat your allies? Don't worry, I needed to find someone to go with anyway. Since you defeated Gao Shi, it proves your strength is greater than his, and your chances of dealing with the Scorpion Tiger are naturally higher. I'm not stupid."

Zeng Fan slowly released his hand and took a few steps back, crossing his arms. Yao Ling'er quickly rubbed her hands, muttering, "Bastard, you have no idea how to cherish a damsel in distress!"

"Hmm?" Zeng Fan's gaze turned unfriendly again. Yao Ling'er flinched in fear. "I won't say another word!"

Only then did Zeng Fan relent. Since he had decided to do this, he wouldn't hesitate.

"When do we set off?" Zeng Fan looked at Yao Ling'er and began to inquire about the specific time.

"In the next few days. I need to wait for the other sister's person to be confirmed, and then we'll depart." As she spoke of this, Yao Ling'er's expression returned to normal. After all, the transaction was complete, and she had recognized Zeng Fan's strength. Now, they just needed to focus on preparing for the task, and obtaining the Body Tempering Fruits was the most important thing.

A few days later, in a lush green mountain range, four figures were trekking with difficulty. The sun blazed fiercely. One of the figures spoke with emotion, "How did you guys find this place? There isn't even a ghost in sight. It's amazing you could find herbs here."

"Hmph! Our current cultivation isn't enough, and we don't have enough Spirit Stones to exchange for medicinal ingredients, so sometimes we have to come out and gather them ourselves. What do you know? Only places like this have what we need," another figure replied. Her voice was crisp, like the tinkling of silver bells, clearly a woman.

Zeng Fan shook his head and remained silent, following behind the two women. The one who had just answered was Yao Ling'er. She was now ahead, talking to another woman. Today, Yao Ling'er wasn't wearing her usual alchemist's robe but a well-fitting outfit. After all, they might have to fight later, and a robe wouldn't be suitable for movement. Although the clothes weren't very tight, they appeared snug on Yao Ling'er in certain areas. As her body moved, the fabric stretched evenly to the sides, like parallel lines.

Beside Yao Ling'er was a delicate-looking young woman, appearing to be around the same age as them. She was a fellow disciple from the Alchemy Hall named Chen Yan, the one who had encountered the Body Tempering Fruit with Yao Ling'er.

Beside Zeng Fan was a cold-faced young man in black named Wang Ying. He was a man of few words, and Zeng Fan's conversations with him were met with only brief responses. However, the way he looked at Chen Yan was very gentle. There was clearly something between the two of them, but Zeng Fan didn't pry. As long as the person was reliable and didn't cause any trouble, that was all that mattered.

The four trekked onward and arrived at a cliff in the mountain range. A small tree grew on the cliff, entirely red. The spiritual energy concentration around the small tree was higher than in the surrounding area. A few small red fruits hung from the branches. This was likely their objective.

Yao Ling'er signaled for the two men to be careful. Zeng Fan looked around but couldn't see the Scorpion Tiger. "Could we be this lucky? Did the Demonic Beast go out?" Zeng Fan couldn't help but wonder. Suddenly, his shoulder was patted. Zeng Fan turned his head, and Yao Ling'er gestured in a certain direction. Zeng Fan looked closely and saw a barely visible cave entrance among the weeds below the cliff.

"So that's where it is." Zeng Fan's gaze sharpened. If Yao Ling'er hadn't warned him, and he had rushed straight for the cliff, tempted by the Body Tempering Fruits, the Scorpion Tiger could have launched a surprise attack from the cave, and he might not have been able to escape.

The four discussed the plan. They would first lure the Demonic Beast out and see if the prepared powder could weaken it. Then, Zeng Fan and Wang Ying would work together to kill or drive away the Scorpion Tiger. If the situation turned unfavorable, they would retreat and seek another opportunity.

The plan was temporarily set, with the understanding that they would adapt to any changes as they arose. The four exchanged glances, nodded at each other, and began to act!

As the four began their operation, three figures were also making their way through the mountain range. Judging by their direction, they were heading straight for the cliff.