Xiao Ninger

"That guy Nie Li actually made me bait, how detestable!" Lu Piao saw a Horned Sheep charging straight at him, and was so scared he peed and pooped himself, scrambling backward.

At this moment, Du Ze and Nie Li were both hiding in the grass, holding crossbows.

"Oh my god, the Horned Sheep is too terrifying, shoot it quickly, shoot it quickly!" Seeing the Horned Sheep getting closer and closer, Lu Piao ran wildly.

"This kid Lu Piao, didn't we agree for him to stand still? The Horned Sheep would have obediently walked into the trap zone. Now that he's running, he's deviated from his position!" Nie Li frowned. The trap zone consisted of small dirt pits no more than two fingers deep. Once a Horned Sheep accidentally stepped into one while running, one of its legs would break. Then, shooting it with an arrow would be twice as effective with half the effort.

Seeing Lu Piao running frantically in panic, Du Ze also became nervous. He pulled the trigger repeatedly, and with a swish, swish, swish, three crossbow bolts shot out.

The Horned Sheep was a mutated creature. When uninjured, its reactions were extremely fast. Sensing the three crossbow bolts shooting from behind, it reacted swiftly, leaping repeatedly. The three crossbow bolts whizzed past the Horned Sheep's sides.

"What? Missed?" Lu Piao was stunned. The Horned Sheep's sharp horns were just inches away. Nie Li and Du Ze were actually pulling such a stunt. He felt like crying tears of blood in his heart, regretting befriending such bad friends! If those sharp horns were to gore him, he'd be instantly impaled.

Seeing the Horned Sheep dodge the crossbow bolts and continue charging at Lu Piao without pause, Du Ze's palms were sweating nervously. By the time he reloaded his crossbow, it would likely be too late. He could already imagine Lu Piao being brutally gored and his backside ripped open by the Horned Sheep.

"Nie Li, what do we do..." Du Ze stopped mid-sentence, not daring to disturb Nie Li.

Nie Li crouched halfway, his left arm held straight horizontally, the crossbow resting on it. His right hand gripped the trigger, his eyes fixed on the aiming sight. Even the horizontal movement of the crossbow was as steady as if it were on a fixed mount.

Du Ze found it hard to describe his feelings at that moment. Before Nie Li had even shot his arrow, Du Ze had a feeling it would be a sure hit. At this moment, Nie Li was like a leopard crouching in the grass, waiting for an opportunity to strike, exuding a formidable aura.

Although his body was weak and he wasn't even a Bronze Martial Artist, Nie Li's experience from his previous life remained. It was rich experience accumulated through countless bloody battles, some even insights gained at the brink of death. Regardless of the weapon – be it a saber, sword, crossbow, or even a piece of iron – in Nie Li's hands, it was a deadly weapon. Although Nie Li wasn't a Bronze Martial Artist, he always had hundreds of ways to use his vast experience to take down a Bronze or even a Silver Martial Artist!

The entire world seemed to fade away, leaving only Nie Li. The way Nie Li looked at the aiming sight was like a falcon about to dive.

Nie Li's still somewhat immature face showed a determined expression. His every move exuded a sense of imposing grandeur.

Swish! Nie Li pulled the trigger, and a crossbow bolt shot out.

The bolt streaked through the air like a silver flash, swift as a startled swan.

Nie Li aimed the crossbow bolt precisely at the Horned Sheep's blind spot.

"Hit!" Seeing the arrow fly, Du Ze was inwardly startled. At this moment, Nie Li gave him the illusion of a seasoned hunter.

The Horned Sheep didn't even have time to dodge. With a thump, the crossbow bolt struck its hind leg.

With a boom, the Horned Sheep let out a mournful cry and collapsed, falling right in front of Lu Piao's feet, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Lu Piao gasped for air, his nerves frayed to the extreme. Looking at the wailing Horned Sheep, he couldn't help but think, "My goodness, that was too close! Thank heavens, my backside is safe." If Nie Li's arrow had been even a fraction of a second slower, he would have been gored by the Horned Sheep!

If it were an ordinary crossbow bolt, this minor injury wouldn't have been enough to incapacitate the mutated Horned Sheep. It would have quickly gotten back up. However, their crossbow bolts were special; they were coated with a mixture of Black Marsh Grass and Zoysia Grass juice, which was practically the Horned Sheep's bane.

The poison quickly spread through the Horned Sheep's bloodstream to its heart. Its cries grew weaker.

"So fast?" Du Ze was astonished. He hadn't expected the potion Nie Li had concocted to be so potent. In just a short while, a robust Horned Sheep had completely lost its ability to resist.

Lu Piao was also surprised. He understood the strength of these Horned Sheep. It would take two Bronze 1-star Martial Artists working together a considerable amount of time to defeat one! Yet, this Horned Sheep was taken down by a single small crossbow bolt?

"That was too close!" Lu Piao still felt a lingering fear thinking about the scene just moments ago.

"If you hadn't run around randomly, this Horned Sheep wouldn't have posed any threat to you!" Nie Li said with a faint smile.

"Alright." Lu Piao couldn't help but blush. He had indeed not followed the plan; he panicked when he saw the Horned Sheep charging at him.

Looking at the fallen Horned Sheep, Du Ze still felt as if he were in a dream. Nie Li's expression and actions from earlier were still deeply imprinted in his mind, filling him with profound admiration. In his entire life, this was the first time Du Ze had admired someone so much! Nie Li's archery skills were truly master-class. Even with ten years of practice, an ordinary person might not reach Nie Li's current level!

"Let's pack up quickly. Besides the horns, the fur around the neck, and the Demon Crystal, don't bother with anything else!" Nie Li said swiftly. The Horned Sheep's Demon Crystal and Spirit were inside its head. The Demon Crystal was a crystal about the size of a thumb. Most Demon Beasts had Demon Crystals. As for Spirit, only one or two out of tens of thousands of Horned Sheep would possess a Spirit. A Spirit looked like a candle flame.

Horned Sheep that possessed a Spirit were generally much stronger than ordinary ones.

Horned Sheep were considered low-level Bronze 1-star Demon Beasts, so their components were relatively cheap. A pair of horns could be sold for five Spirit Coins, the fur around the neck for three Spirit Coins, and the Demon Crystal for five Spirit Coins.

Calculating this, even without a Spirit, a single Horned Sheep could earn thirteen Spirit Coins.

It had taken them at most five minutes to kill this Horned Sheep. If they hunted Horned Sheep like this, wouldn't the three of them be able to earn thousands of Spirit Coins in a day?

Du Ze couldn't help but feel excited. His family was very poor, and their annual income was only two to three thousand Spirit Coins. To allow Du Ze to enter Sacred Lan Academy, his family had even borrowed a lot of money from relatives and friends. Du Ze was their family's hope! If he hunted Horned Sheep with Nie Li, he could afford his tuition fees himself in the future!

Nie Li smiled slightly and said, "We need to hurry. We won't rest tonight!"

"Okay!" Du Ze said excitedly. Although they hadn't reached the Bronze 1-star Martial Artist realm yet, their bodies were already very strong. Staying up all night was nothing to them.

Lu Piao couldn't help but groan. These two guys were practically money grubbers, willing to forgo sleep for money! Although he grumbled, there was nothing he could do; he had already boarded the pirate ship.

The three of them cooperated closely, continuously hunting Horned Sheep. Every time they killed dozens, Lu Piao would transport the goods out to sell them.

In one night, Nie Li and the other two killed over 120 Horned Sheep, selling them for more than 1,400 Spirit Coins. Divided equally, each person received over 400 Spirit Coins.

This amount was already incredible for a student who hadn't yet reached the Bronze level. Even Bronze Martial Artists would consider earning twenty to thirty Spirit Coins a day to be a lot.

For seven consecutive days, they attended classes during the day and went to the trial grounds to hunt Horned Sheep every night. Their earnings reached over 10,000 Spirit Coins. For them, this was an astronomical sum.

The students of Sacred Lan Academy were all puzzled. For some reason, the number of Horned Sheep in the trial grounds had suddenly decreased significantly recently. Before, they could easily encounter one, and they often traveled in herds. Now, it took a long time to find even one. Could it be that large Demon Beasts like Striped Tigers had entered and were hunting the Horned Sheep? Sacred Lan Academy even dispatched instructors to investigate, but they found nothing.

On the eighth night, Nie Li and the other two were still hunting Horned Sheep under the dark night sky.

The night was pitch black; it was already the third watch.

Lu Piao yawned repeatedly and said, "Nie Li, I can't hold on anymore. I'm going to sleep in a tree for a while!" After seven consecutive days of relentless Horned Sheep hunting, he was exhausted.

It wasn't just Lu Piao; Du Ze was also starting to falter.

"Nie Li, I need to sleep too," Du Ze said. His eyelids were drooping. Seven full days, even an iron man couldn't endure it!

"You guys sleep for a bit. We'll take a break tomorrow night. I have other plans!" Nie Li said. They had already accumulated over 16,000 Spirit Coins. This was their first pot of gold, and they could do many things now, not necessarily continuing to hunt Horned Sheep.

Lu Piao and Du Ze climbed up the tall tree trunks and lay down, immediately falling into a deep sleep. Their youthful faces were etched with fatigue. Although they were both considered very mature for their age, they were still just two teenagers.

Nie Li moved through the forest, a bright moon hanging in the sky. The sounds of various insects occasionally echoed through the jungle, making the surroundings seem even quieter.

There were no large Demon Beasts here, so it was very safe.

Just then, Nie Li suddenly heard a strange noise. In the distance, within the jungle, there seemed to be a faint figure.

"Who could it be, still in the trial grounds this late at night?" Nie Li frowned and swept towards the depths of the jungle. He advanced several hundred meters, hiding among the trees, and looked towards the clearing bathed in moonlight. Under the bright moonlight, a tall and slender figure stood, her long hair reaching her shoulders. She wore a form-fitting leather jacket and exuded a faint cyan glow.

This was the glow of Soul Power!

Although she hadn't reached the Bronze level yet, she was about to advance to Bronze 1-star!

Under the glow of Soul Power, Nie Li's gaze fell upon her face. Her eyes were slightly closed, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. Her eyebrows were slender, her flawless white skin had a healthy pink hue, and her full lips were delicate and moist. She was beautiful in a different way than Ye Ziyun. Ye Ziyun was serene and elegant, like a beautiful violet, while this girl was charming and alluring, with a hint of sexiness and cold beauty, making one feel like a rose with thorns.

"Xiao Ninger, I didn't expect it to be her!" Nie Li was slightly taken aback. Xiao Ninger was even more diligent than he had imagined, cultivating her Spirit Beast this late at night. She was likely about to reach the Bronze 1-star Realm.

Recalling his past life, after Xiao Ninger advanced to Bronze 1-star, she had been seriously ill for over two years, and her cultivation had regressed significantly. Although she had managed to regain some cultivation through hard work, it was said that she had suffered from chronic illnesses afterward. However, despite her ailments, in the eyes of outsiders, she had always been as dazzling as a star. She was a strong woman.

Considering Xiao Ninger cultivating here so late at night, Nie Li suddenly understood a lot. Xiao Ninger was indeed working very hard, but she was also playing with her life!

After some thought, Nie Li walked directly towards Xiao Ninger.

"Who!" Xiao Ninger suddenly opened her eyes and shouted sharply. She pulled out a sharp short sword and looked at Nie Li vigilantly, a hint of coldness on her face.

Through the bright moonlight, her deep and expressive pupils possessed an indescribable charm.

Although she was only thirteen years old, she was undoubtedly a beautiful girl now. Her form-fitting leather outfit subtly accentuated her chest, which was quite impressive for her age.

"I'm Nie Li!" Nie Li said. Although he hadn't spoken to Xiao Ninger before, they were classmates and somewhat familiar with each other.

Xiao Ninger lowered her sword but still looked at Nie Li defensively and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Nie Li smiled faintly, "And what are you doing here?"

"I'm cultivating my Soul Power here!" Xiao Ninger looked at Nie Li in the bright moonlight. Nie Li had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, possessing a certain heroic spirit, not as detestable as some people.

Nie Li shrugged, "I was just wandering around."

"You're lying. Don't think I don't know you guys have been hunting Horned Sheep these past few days," Xiao Ninger said. She had discovered Nie Li and the other two long ago but hadn't approached them. Xiao Ninger had always found it strange that Nie Li and the others' bows and arrows seemed to be coated with something, allowing them to take down a Horned Sheep with a single shot. However, she wouldn't proactively inquire about others' secrets.

"So you knew all along." Nie Li looked at Xiao Ninger. When she pouted, her full lips were indescribably captivating. However, he already had Ye Ziyun in his heart, and he only had a degree of admiration for Xiao Ninger. He admired her beauty and her hard work. With Xiao Ninger's looks, she could have held a high position even without striving, but she insisted on relying on her own strength to make everyone look at her with new eyes.

It was just a pity that she was using the wrong method.