Cave

The silent night passed quickly. When the first ray of morning light arrived, Xiao Yu suddenly opened his eyes. A night of rest had restored his body to peak condition. After tidying up briefly, Xiao Yu headed toward the streets outside. Today was the day he would enter the Monster Beast Mountain Range!

By the time he reached the town gate, Xiao Yu saw many mercenary groups shouting for companions to enter the mountain range with them. Naturally, Xiao Yu knew that entering the mountain range as part of a group would greatly improve safety, but it would also greatly reduce the danger. For Xiao Yu, that went against his original purpose for coming to the Monster Beast Mountain Range to train!

Besides, joining a mercenary group would make things inconvenient for Xiao Yu. With that in mind, he was even less willing to let a mercenary group hold him back. An Eight-Star Dou Practitioner's strength was enough for Xiao Yu to attain a fairly high position in any mercenary group. After all, only the leaders of Qingshan Town's three major mercenary groups possessed the cultivation of a Dou Master.

Just as Xiao Yu was preparing to enter the Monster Beast Mountain Range directly, an excited shout reached his ears. "Myriad Medicines Pavilion is entering the Monster Beast Mountain Range to gather herbs! Xiao Yi Xian will be accompanying us! Fifty slots available, and you must be at least a Two-Star Dou Practitioner! Anyone interested, hurry up!"

For a moment, the scene fell quiet before erupting into an even greater uproar. Many mercenaries who had originally planned to travel in groups or alone rushed toward Myriad Medicines Pavilion in a frenzy.

Xiao Yu smiled and shook his head. "Is she really that enticing?" Yet he did not follow them. He was a Tier-Two Alchemist, and with the formidable strength of an Eight-Star Dou Practitioner, even if he encountered the leaders of the three major groups, he had the power to fight them!

"Are you going to the Monster Beast Mountain Range too?" A pleasant voice suddenly sounded beside him. Xiao Yu turned and saw a woman dressed in a plain white gown, her face veiled by a thin layer of white gauze. Her lively eyes were exposed, and she exuded a fresh, ethereal air along with a faint medicinal fragrance. Standing beside her made one's whole body relax!

Xiao Yu nodded lightly but said nothing. The woman continued, "Myriad Medicines Pavilion is recruiting people to enter the Monster Beast Mountain Range. You can join them. That way, you'll have some protection when you enter the mountains!"

Xiao Yu smiled and shrugged. "As you can see, there are far too many people in front of Myriad Medicines Pavilion. I can't squeeze in at all!"

The woman looked at the sea of heads surging at the entrance of Myriad Medicines Pavilion and sighed helplessly. "That's true. But I have a Myriad Medicines Pavilion card here. If you take it, you can join their party directly!"

Xiao Yu looked at the card in the woman's hand but did not reach out to take it. Instead, he stared at her in surprise and asked, "Could you be Xiao Yi Xian?"

There was no ripple in Xiao Yi Xian's eyes. It was not difficult to recognize her here. It was only because she stood in the back while so many mercenaries had rushed toward the entrance of Myriad Medicines Pavilion that no one had noticed her!

"Yes. So now I would like to invite you to join Myriad Medicines Pavilion's party. Are you willing?" Xiao Yi Xian asked with a slight nod.

Xiao Yu asked somewhat doubtfully, "Why did you take an interest in me? There should be plenty of Two-Star Dou Practitioners here!"

Xiao Yi Xian smiled. "Everyone in the party is an uncle. I'd be too bored by myself, so I wanted to find someone to chat with along the way!"

Xiao Yu nodded. "That's a pretty good reason!"

"Then you agree?" Xiao Yi Xian asked, slightly delighted.

Xiao Yu slowly shook his head. "No, I refuse!" With that, he walked past Xiao Yi Xian and headed straight into the Monster Beast Mountain Range.

A trace of astonishment flashed through Xiao Yi Xian's eyes. I was rejected? Then she smiled and shook her head, muttering, "What an interesting fellow. So aloof!"

Xiao Yi Xian put away the card in her hand and walked off in another direction.

Xiao Yu had rejected Xiao Yi Xian's goodwill mainly because he did not want to clash with the Wolf Head Mercenary Group. The strength of an Eight-Star Dou Practitioner was not enough for Xiao Yu to act freely here. One-on-one would be fine, but if the entire mercenary group came after him, his current strength would not be enough. Last night's dream training was proof enough!

Xiao Yu clearly remembered how Xiao Yan had come into conflict with the Wolf Head Mercenary Group in Battle Through the Heavens. Xiao Yan had Yao Lao protecting him, while he only had the system and no real safeguard!

Without thinking further, Xiao Yu plunged straight into the Monster Beast Mountain Range. Towering trees blocked out the sunlight, and the moment he entered, he felt a chill. Xiao Yu planned to gather some medicinal herbs in the Monster Beast Mountain Range and refine pills, while also practicing Dou Techniques and cultivation methods to improve his strength. He had not forgotten that the system's Sign-in mission was to save Yun Yun!

Circulating his Dou Qi and using the Moon Chasing Movement Technique, Xiao Yu's figure blurred. After several leaps, Xiao Yu vanished into the wilderness.

After running wildly for a long time, Xiao Yu had reached the edge of the outer region of the Monster Beast Mountain Range. Few people came here, but there were many more First-Rank magical beasts. Feeling the dwindling Dou Qi within his body, Xiao Yu slowly came to a stop.

After surveying the surroundings, Xiao Yu prepared to find a hidden cave and settle down. He intended to cultivate here for some time. Ahead stood a sheer cliff, and Xiao Yu remembered that such cliffs indeed contained many caves. He used Mo Scale in his hand, driving it into the cliff face. The sharp Mo Scale pierced the mountain wall as easily as cutting into soft tofu, and Xiao Yu swung across the cliff.

Sure enough, on a mountain ledge concealed by horizontal branches, a hidden pitch-black cave lay tucked behind the trees. Xiao Yu kicked fiercely against the cliff wall, withdrew Mo Scale, and shot toward the horizontal branches before the cave. Steadying himself atop the tree, he borrowed its force and flashed directly into the cave!

The cave was completely dark, making it impossible to see what lay inside. Xiao Yu casually waved his hand, and sharp Sword Qi severed branches from the trees. Then he tapped the tree with a finger, coating it in Bone Spirit Cold Flame. The warm firelight brightened the entire cave passage considerably!

Just as he was about to walk in, a sense of danger suddenly rose in Xiao Yu's heart. His body moved, and he slashed out with Mo Scale. Scorching Sword Qi, carrying a fierce gale, swept toward a black shadow!

Splat!

A foul, bloody stench drifted over, followed by the sound of something hitting the ground. Only then did Xiao Yu see the magical beast corpse on the ground, severed into two bloody halves by Sword Qi. "So it was a Rock Serpent!"

Xiao Yu paid it no mind. Though this First-Rank magical beast was fast and had a tough body, it was still doomed beneath the Ink Scale Sword. Moreover, although this beast's body was as hard as stone, it was still inferior to the Blizzard Demon Wolf from his dream. However, Xiao Yu guessed that the dream had probably strengthened the Blizzard Demon Wolf as well!

Walking through the quiet, dark cave, Xiao Yu abruptly stopped after about five or six minutes. Before him was a stone door that gave off a faint yellow glow, made even more conspicuous under the light of Xiao Yu's torch!

Xiao Yu was slightly stunned, then a trace of delight appeared on his face. "Could this be the cave where Xiao Yi Xian and Xiao Yan first came to search for treasure?"