After breaking through to Dou Master, Xiao Li casually found a few magical beasts to test his strength against. First-tier magical beasts were no match for him at all.
He collected all the valuable materials from their bodies, then left the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Even for a Dou Master, staying there for long was dangerous. He also needed to buy supplies and prepare for an extended period of secluded cultivation.
At the entrance to Qingshan Town facing the Magical Beast Mountain Range, mercenaries gathered in groups, looking for people to team up with.
"Three-Star Dou Zhe with fire affinity! Which mercenary group needs one?"
"Two-Star Dou Zhe with water affinity. Hire me for just five hundred gold coins!"
The town's mercenaries could be divided into three broad categories. The first was made up of mercenary groups that had formed tight-knit organizations. There were only three such groups in Qingshan Town, each with around a hundred members. Most of their members were above Dou Zhe, and the leaders of all three groups were powerful Dou Masters. They could be called some of the strongest forces in Qingshan Town.
The second category consisted of temporary mercenary teams. These teams usually disbanded after completing a single mission. The trust and coordination between their members were far inferior to those of regular mercenary groups.
The third category was made up of lone mercenaries. These people generally had a few tricks up their sleeves to save their own lives.
Quite a few people noticed Xiao Li walking out alone. The magical beast blood on him had yet to dry. He had only just broken through to Dou Master, and still couldn't fully control his aura. Even the occasional wisp escaping from him was enough to make those nearby shudder.
"Which family's young genius is that? His aura is terrifying."
"He's covered in blood and came out alone. Was he attacked by a powerful magical beast in the Magical Beast Mountain Range? Is he the only one who made it back?"
The mercenaries nearby warily kept their distance from Xiao Li, not daring to underestimate him just because his face looked young.
Xiao Li found the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion in Qingshan Town and placed a bundle on the counter.
"Does your pavilion buy magical beast materials?"
The clerk didn't dare be careless. The young man might have been selling things on behalf of people in his group.
"We do, we do."
Xiao Li opened the bundle, revealing several pieces of magical beast remains and a Magic Core.
"See how much they're worth."
The clerk rubbed his hands together. He didn't mind the mess; he picked up the bloody beast parts and examined them.
"First-tier wood-attributed Magic Core. Purchase price: four hundred and twenty gold coins."
"First-tier fire boar tusks. Purchase price: one hundred and eighty gold coins."
"..."
The various magical beast materials came to around a thousand gold coins in total. Xiao Li didn't haggle much and sold them decisively. He could use the time to kill a few more beasts or spend it on cultivation.
Xiao Li took the money pouch from the clerk and was about to leave when the clerk called after him.
"You've got people backing you, don't you, young man?" the clerk asked with a smile.
Xiao Li didn't let his expression change. "What about it?"
Seeing that Xiao Li hadn't denied it, the clerk's smile widened. "It's like this: tomorrow, our Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion's herb-gathering team is heading into the mountains to collect herbs, and we need guards. You can go back and tell the others. If they're interested, they can meet the team at the entrance to the Magical Beast Mountain Range tomorrow. We'll make sure the pay satisfies you."
Xiao Li nodded but neither agreed nor refused. He walked straight out of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion and found an inn to stay at.
He didn't have much money right now. It wouldn't hurt to earn a little extra while heading into the mountains.
At dawn, Xiao Li circulated the Thunder Derivation Art. Threads of natural energy flowed into his body, strengthening his Dou Qi cyclone.
The whole day depended on its start, and cultivating in the morning worked quite well. It was just that, after Xiao Li broke through to Dou Master, the Yellow Tier high-grade Thunder Derivation Art had slowed his cultivation once again.
By Xiao Li's estimate, breaking through to Two-Star Dou Master would probably take two or three months.
"Once I get a little stronger, I'll have to visit a big city and look for high-grade lightning-type Cultivation Methods and Combat Skills."
Xiao Li made up his mind. But in the Jia Ma Empire, getting his hands on something like that would require not only strength, but considerable wealth as well.
If it were in the Black-Corner Region...
Xiao Li thought of that chaotic land without order.
"My strength as a Dou Master is still far from enough. To gain a foothold in the Black-Corner Region, I'd need to be at least a Dou Ling."
He shook his head helplessly. Without strength, he wouldn't get anywhere, no matter where he went. He still had to work hard at cultivating.
At the entrance to the Magical Beast Mountain Range
Relying on his powerful physique, Xiao Li pushed his way through the crowd to the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion's recruitment point.
The person in charge looked surprised by Xiao Li's age.
"Young man, we only recruit people at Two-Star Dou Zhe or above. Do you meet the requirement?"
"Of course," Xiao Li replied.
He clenched both fists. Pure purple Dou Qi wound around them, while a gauzy layer of Dou Qi, like tassels, swirled around his arms as well.
"Regional Dou Qi gauze! At such a young age... All right, all right, you meet the requirement. The pay is eight hundred gold coins."
The person in charge's eyes widened. Only a high-tier Dou Zhe could form regional Dou Qi gauze. He hadn't expected the boy before him to be so young and already so strong.
Among the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion's herb-gathering team, a fair-skinned little girl tilted her head and curiously looked at Xiao Li.
As if sensing something, Xiao Li turned to look at her.
He saw a girl dressed in a pale white skirt. Her looks weren't quite peerless, but she was still a rare beauty in the making. Her mischievous, expressive face radiated a fresh, ethereal air, and that distinctive quality made her much more charming.
Xiao Li's eyes lit up. What a pretty little girl.
The girl met Xiao Li's eyes, then hurriedly turned away and shyly rubbed the hem of her clothes between her fingers.
The man beside her hadn't noticed. He was simply saying, "Xiao Yi Xian, Master Yao told me to teach you more about herbs while we're out this time. You must study hard."
Xiao Yi Xian frowned. Naturally clever, she knew Master Yao wasn't a good person and was only using her.
But even though Xiao Yi Xian was unhappy, her voice still sounded sweet. "Then I'll be counting on you, Uncle Li."
The man called Uncle Li waved his hand and said nothing more.
Xiao Li's ears twitched. His hearing had grown sharper after becoming a Dou Master, and he had faintly heard the man's words.
"Xiao Yi Xian?"
Xiao Li looked at the girl's back. Seeing the adorable little girl who hadn't even started growing up yet, he was momentarily stunned.
Xiao Yan had first come to the Magical Beast Mountain Range at sixteen, when Xiao Yi Xian had been fifteen. Xiao Yan was eleven now...
That was it. Xiao Yi Xian must only be about ten years old right now, just a child in appearance.
People on the Dou Qi Continent matured a little earlier in both mind and body because of cultivation, but a ten-year-old child still couldn't inspire anything in Xiao Li beyond finding her cute.
Still, now that he knew she was Xiao Yi Xian, Xiao Li couldn't help but start considering the possibilities.
The Woeful Poison Body could raise its owner's cultivation simply by consuming poison, making its progress much faster than an ordinary person's. If he could recruit Xiao Yi Xian now and have her start cultivating early...