Holy Cow! There's a Cow!

But those mercenaries were different!

Little Fairy Doctor had an excellent reputation in Qingshan Town; she was gentle, kind, possessed superb medical skills, and charged very little. She had saved countless injured mercenaries and was considered the untainted "white moonlight" in the hearts of many men who lived by the blade.

Furthermore, there were those with impure intentions who had long coveted this delicate flower, only held back by her popularity in town and the protection of Wanyao Pavilion, which kept them from using force.

At this moment, seeing this strange young man frighten Little Fairy Doctor into such a pale, submissive state with just a few words, their protective instincts flared.

Looking at Little Fairy Doctor's pale and helpless appearance, the urge to play the hero instantly shattered their reason!

"Stop right there!"

A burly mercenary with a scar on his face took a fierce step forward, blocking the doorway.

"Kid, what the hell did you say to Little Fairy Doctor? Scaring her like this? If you know what's good for you, get lost! Otherwise, I'll chop you up and feed you to the wolves!"

"That's right! Little Fairy Doctor belongs to our Qingshan Town; who gave you the right to just take her away?"

Another tall, thin mercenary also drew the short blade from his waist, his eyes malicious.

"Let go of Little Fairy Doctor! Or we'll make sure you leave here horizontally!"

In the blink of an eye, five or six mercenaries surrounded him in a semi-circle, all looking fierce and menacing. Their Dou Qi surged; most were at the Dou Zhe level, and the scar-faced leader even possessed the cultivation of a one-star Dou Shi.

In this Qingshan Town, this was already a force not to be underestimated.

They figured that with their superior numbers, dealing with a soft-looking pretty boy would be as easy as pie.

The atmosphere in the shop turned tense in an instant, and some customers, sensing trouble, quietly slipped away.

Mr. Yao opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing, merely retreating another step in silence.

Ning Chen looked at this group of "hot-headed" mercenaries, not only unbothered but finding it quite amusing.

The wicked grin on his face grew even brighter, even carrying a hint of exaggerated mockery.

"Oh? You brave heroes... are you trying to stand up for this young lady?"

Ning Chen tilted his head, his tone flippant.

"What a pity. I'm in a good mood today and I want to take her with me. You lot... can you stop me?"

"You're courting death!"

The scar-faced mercenary flew into a rage. His earth-yellow one-star Dou Shi Dou Qi erupted violently, and he threw a punch wrapped in a gust of wind directly at Ning Chen's chest! The other mercenaries also shouted and rushed forward, brandishing their weapons!

Facing this chaotic and disorganized attack, Ning Chen couldn't even be bothered to lift his eyelids.

He simply stepped forward, ever so lightly.

BOOM—!!!

It was like a dormant volcano suddenly erupting, or a raging tide from the deep sea crashing onto the shore!

A terrifying pressure, vast as an abyss and scorching as the sun, erupted from Ning Chen without reservation!

The crimson fire-attribute Dou Qi surged like a tangible, raging wave!

"Ahhh—!"

The scar-faced mercenary in the lead hadn't even touched the corner of Ning Chen's clothes before he was struck by an invisible giant hammer. He let out a miserable shriek and flew backward faster than he had come.

The other mercenaries charging in were like fallen leaves in a gale, tossed aside and sent tumbling into a heap by the terrifying Dou Qi pressure and the scorching heat wave.

Mr. Yao was already deathly pale, gripping the edge of the counter so hard his legs were trembling. He felt immensely grateful for his choice just moments ago.

Little Fairy Doctor was also stunned by the sudden, terrifying aura, covering her small mouth with her hands, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

Ning Chen brushed off some non-existent dust.

He turned his head toward the petrified Little Fairy Doctor and once again flashed that devilish, "nuclear" smile.

"See? The trouble is solved. Shall we go?"

With that, he ignored the wailing mercenaries on the floor and the terrified crowd in the shop, walking straight toward the door.

Little Fairy Doctor glanced at the groaning mercenaries on the ground, a flicker of pity crossing her eyes, but she dared not defy him. She lowered her head and followed him with quick, small steps.

Stepping out of Wanyao Pavilion and onto the street, many people who had been alarmed were already watching from afar, pointing and whispering, but no one dared to approach.

Ning Chen stopped and looked back at the pale, anxious Little Fairy Doctor, chuckling softly.

"Hold on tight."

Before the words had even faded, the air behind him suddenly twisted—it was scorching!

"Whoosh—!"

A pair of magnificent wings, constructed entirely from condensed, crimson flame Dou Qi, suddenly unfurled!

With a wingspan of nearly two zhang, the firelight rippled, and the scorching heat wave caused the surrounding crowd to gasp and retreat in a panic.

Dou Qi Wings! A Dou Wang expert!

At this moment, the minds of everyone who witnessed this scene went blank.

In a place like Qingshan Town, a Dou Shi was already an expert, and a Da Dou Shi could dominate the region. When had they ever seen a Dou Wang capable of condensing Dou Qi wings and soaring through the sky?!

Little Fairy Doctor was also dumbfounded, gazing up at the pair of flame wings that seemed to set the sky ablaze, her small mouth slightly agape.

Ning Chen reached out, wrapping his arm around Little Fairy Doctor's slender, willow-like waist, and with a single beat of his wings, he took flight amidst her instinctive, faint cry of surprise!

"BOOM!"

A gale erupted, and a stream of fiery light shot straight into the sky!

Under the gaze of countless eyes filled with shock, fear, and awe, Ning Chen held Little Fairy Doctor close, transforming into a brilliant crimson streak that vanished into the clouds beyond the horizon of Qingshan Town in an instant.

The street fell into a deathly silence for a moment.

Then, a mercenary collapsed on the ground, letting out a wail filled with a sense of utter powerlessness, his voice thick with tears.

"Dou... Dou Wang... He was actually a Dou Wang powerhouse!"

"Little Fairy Doctor... has been snatched away!!!"

"Yameiluo! Yameiluo! Stop joking around! You bastard!"

Another mercenary pounded the ground, his face twisted in regret and despair.

High above in the sky, the wind whistled past their ears.

Little Fairy Doctor kept her eyes tightly shut, feeling the large hand around her waist, her heart cold and filled with confusion.

What exactly... does this person want to do to me?

However, contrary to Little Fairy Doctor's expectations, Ning Chen did not do anything to her afterward; he simply lowered his altitude and flew straight toward the depths of the Magic Beast Mountain Range.

This behavior did not put Little Fairy Doctor at ease; instead, it made her even more worried.

After all, in this situation, no one would expect this "evil" Dou Wang powerhouse to have any good intentions.

Found it!

High in the air, Ning Chen, who had been searching the Magic Beast Mountain Range for half a day, stopped abruptly, his burning gaze locked onto a cliffside.

There, halfway up the cliff, partially hidden by dense vines and protruding rocks, was a faint, pitch-black cave entrance that would be extremely difficult to spot without careful inspection.

That was the target of Ning Chen's trip: the mysterious cave that held the remnant map of the Purifying Lotus Demonic Flame from the original story!

The reason he hadn't asked Little Fairy Doctor was that Ning Chen knew he had arrived more than a year earlier than the original timeline.

Little Fairy Doctor likely hadn't discovered this cave yet, and asking might only complicate things, so it was better to find it himself.

Without further hesitation, Ning Chen held Little Fairy Doctor and dove straight toward the cave entrance on the cliffside, his figure turning into a streak of light.

"That is..."

Little Fairy Doctor could barely open her eyes against the oncoming gale.

But when the familiar outline of the cave—which she had secretly marked but hadn't dared to explore yet—came into view, a storm of shock surged in her heart!

How could he possibly know about this cave?!

This was a secret cave she had only discovered by chance not long ago, intending to explore it once she was fully prepared!

Was this mysterious and powerful man's goal also this place?

Who exactly is he? Could he have been watching me from the shadows all this time?

A series of questions left Little Fairy Doctor feeling nearly suffocated.

Ning Chen was completely unaware of this, or perhaps he simply didn't care.

He landed precisely on a protruding rock platform outside the cave entrance and released his hold on Little Fairy Doctor.

Little Fairy Doctor's legs went weak, and after barely steadying herself, she immediately took a half-step back in alarm, her hands unconsciously gripping the corners of her clothes. Her beautiful eyes remained fixed on Ning Chen's back, her heart pounding like a drum.

Ning Chen, however, didn't even look at her, as if she didn't exist.

His gaze swept over the large patches of withered vines hanging over the cave entrance and the deep darkness behind them.

"SWISH!"

The moment his gaze swept past, a grayish-brown shadow, fast as lightning and carrying a foul stench, lunged out from a crack in the rock wall, aiming straight for Ning Chen's face!

It was a Rank 1 Magic Beast covered in rock-like scales: a Rock Snake!

It had camouflaged itself perfectly, and its sudden attack was enough to catch most Da Dou Shi off guard.

However, Ning Chen simply raised his hand casually, and a thread of Dou Qi, condensed to the extreme, flashed from his fingertip.

"PUFF!"

With a faint sound, the ferocious Rock Snake's head was severed from its body while it was still in mid-air. The cut was as smooth as a mirror, and the carcass fell limply down the cliff, not even a drop of blood splashing onto Ning Chen.