The next day.
It was a misty morning, and the sky had just begun to lighten.
Xiao Yi Xian, ready to set out, pulled Xiao Ze along as they plunged into the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
Just as Xiao Yi Xian had said the day before,
large numbers of low- and mid-tier Magical Beasts had migrated to the outer edges of the Magical Beast Mountain Range to escape the fighting.
Xiao Yi Xian and Xiao Ze hadn't gone far
before they encountered several waves of Magical Beast attacks.
Fortunately, all these Magical Beasts were only Tier 1. Even without Xiao Ze, Xiao Yi Xian's Dou Shi strength was more than enough to handle them with ease.
After killing several more Tier 1 Magical Beasts,
the two successfully reached a place once known as a "safe zone."
However, this former "safe zone" was now occupied by a Tier 2 Magic Pattern Turtle. Its formidable strength had made it the undisputed overlord of the area.
Xiao Ze had no intention of stepping in to fight a Tier 2 Magical Beast.
As it happened, Xiao Yi Xian had only just broken through to the Dou Shi level and was sorely lacking in combat experience, so the battle fell to her.
After a fierce fight,
with Xiao Ze's guidance, Xiao Yi Xian paid a steep price but ultimately managed to kill the Tier 2 Magical Beast.
After searching the area, Xiao Yi Xian had gathered all the medicinal herbs growing there.
After a short rest, the two set off again.
They continued onward,
passing through many areas
and encountering plenty of ferocious Magical Beasts.
But thanks to Xiao Yi Xian's formidable strength and Xiao Ze's presence, they managed to deal with them all without any serious trouble.
Xiao Yi Xian had reaped a rich harvest along the way.
Her backpack, once nearly empty, was now packed with all kinds of medicinal herbs, along with several Magic Cores from Tier 2 Magical Beasts.
"Xiao Ze, we're here!"
After crossing a mountain ridge and stepping over a small stream,
the two finally reached their destination.
It was a scenic valley, shrouded in mist, with clear springs burbling softly. A gentle breeze stirred the green leaves, bringing a cool, refreshing air to the place.
"This is where those high-tier medicinal herbs you mentioned grow?" Xiao Ze stood on a large boulder, leaning forward to gaze down at the secluded valley.
"That's right, this is the place!" Xiao Yi Xian's cheeks were flushed, like ripe fruit, tempting enough to make someone want to take a bite.
She panted as she came up beside Xiao Ze. She was utterly exhausted from the journey.
If Xiao Ze hadn't been there with her, she never would have dared venture alone into such a dangerous place.
After all, this area was home to a Tier 3 Magical Beast!
"Roar!"
As if answering the sudden arrival of the two intruders,
an angry roar echoed through the valley.
They looked over and saw a black serpent, more than ten zhang long, suddenly leap from a cold pool deep in the valley. Its body was covered in pitch-black scales, and its emerald-green eyes glinted with a chilling light.
Countless sprays of water burst into the air, and its presence filled the entire valley.
"Is that the Tier 3 Magical Beast you mentioned?" Xiao Ze looked at the black serpent before him and turned to ask Xiao Yi Xian.
"That's the one—the Tier 3 Magical Beast, the Green Nether Python!" Xiao Yi Xian said excitedly, her pretty face flushed.
"Good!"
Xiao Ze gave a slight nod.
Then he raised a hand and swept it through the air.
He didn't even use a weapon.
He simply unleashed a streak of Dou Qi.
Yet the Dou Qi transformed in midair into a long, swordlike blade of energy. Its phantom tip gleamed with a frigid light as it cut through the air and struck the black giant serpent's vital point.
"Hiss~"
The black serpent let out a pained hiss.
It twisted its body, covering itself in thick Dou Qi that hardened into black armor, trying to withstand the phantom sword that had torn through the air.
"Die!" Xiao Ze's icy voice rang out.
The streak of sword energy landed directly on its vital point. Meeting no resistance at all, it sliced the black serpent in two as easily as cutting tofu.
A great deal of foul-smelling blood poured from the wound.
The black serpent thrashed on the ground for a while, then finally breathed its last and became a corpse.
"That's it?" Xiao Yi Xian looked surprised.
From the moment Xiao Ze struck to the black serpent's death, barely the time it took to drink a cup of tea had passed. This terrifying Magical Beast, ruler of the Tier 3 region, was now nothing more than a corpse.
The speed of it all had surprised even Xiao Yi Xian.
"It's over." Xiao Ze lowered his arm and said calmly, "You can go down and gather those high-tier medicinal herbs now."
Hearing him, Xiao Yi Xian immediately headed down into the valley.
First, she went over to inspect the black serpent's corpse. Once she had confirmed it was completely dead, she took out a small knife and began searching its body.
At last, she pulled out a Tier 3 Magic Core.
After that, she cheerfully began gathering the few high-tier medicinal herbs that had ripened.
After a busy stretch,
she finally accomplished the goal of her trip.
"All done, Xiao Ze. We can head back!"
Xiao Yi Xian tucked the herbs into her backpack and returned to Xiao Ze, looking travel-worn.
Tiny beads of sweat dotted her delicate nose, and her fair cheeks were flushed.
A bulging pack hung on her back,
filled with all the medicinal herbs they had gathered on this trip.
"Wait a little longer." Xiao Ze surveyed the terrain, his swordlike brows drawing together slightly.
"What is it?" Xiao Yi Xian asked, puzzled.
"Come on. I'll take you somewhere good!" As if he had thought of something, Xiao Ze's lips curled up, and he led Xiao Yi Xian in a new direction.
"Where?" Xiao Yi Xian asked in confusion, but followed behind him all the same.
After walking through the valley for a while, the two eventually reached a cliff.
"Xiao Ze, why did you bring me here?" Xiao Yi Xian looked around. It was extremely quiet here; even the chirping of insects and birds that had filled the forest had abruptly fallen silent.
"Follow me!"
Xiao Ze glanced up at the cliff before him, then leaped onto it.
Xiao Yi Xian, following behind him, was confused.
But she still followed.
Soon, the two spotted a dark cave in the sheer cliff face.
"Hm? Is this... a cave dwelling left by someone from the past?" Xiao Yi Xian was surprised. She hadn't expected to find a cave dwelling in a place like this.
"Come on. Let's go take a look!"
Xiao Ze smiled faintly, then took the lead.
That was right.
This was the cave dwelling he had learned about from Mu Li—the same cave that Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian had come across back then.
The cave was pitch-black, with not a trace of light.
Xiao Yi Xian pressed close to Xiao Ze, wary of the dangers lurking in the darkness.
The two walked for more than ten minutes.
At last, they reached a stone door.
Xiao Ze felt around on its surface until he found the mechanism, then opened the stone door that had been sealed for many years.
Beyond the door, a dazzling light greeted them.
More than a hundred Moonlight Stones, used for illumination, were embedded in the vast stone chamber. At its center, a skeleton sat upright in a chair, lending the entire chamber a gloomy air.
"Wow! So many gold coins!"
"Xiao Ze, this pile must be worth at least several hundred thousand, right?"
"Who was the owner of this cave dwelling when he was alive? How could he have been so rich?"
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