Mu She sneered coldly. "I never expected you to find this place. There are quite a few good things inside."
As soon as Mu She finished speaking, the system's voice rang out in Xiao Yan's mind.
"Congratulations, Host, for completing the Green Mountain Town instance dungeon. You completed it swiftly and have received one Low-level Summoning Talisman and 1,000 Summoning Points. Because your completion rating was exceptionally high, you have also been awarded the strength of three stars. Please check your rewards."
Name: Xiao Yan Age: 15 Strength: Seven-Star Dou Zhe Cultivation Method: Flame Mantra (Low Huang Tier) Dou Techniques: Stone Crushing Palm (Low Huang Tier), Eight Extremities Collapse (High Xuan Tier), Mystic Divination Palm (Low Xuan Tier) Summoned Expert: Hai Bodong (Three-Star Dou Ling) Summoning Slots: 1/2 Items: None Summoning Talismans: Four Low-level Summoning Talismans Summoning Points: 2,000 (can be exchanged for various items in the System Mall)
That familiar sensation descended upon Xiao Yan once again, and just like that, he broke through to become a Seven-Star Dou Zhe.
Xiao Yi Xian was nervous at first, but then she remembered that the old man beside her was a Da Dou Shi expert, and she was no longer afraid.
Mr. Yao also emerged from behind them, grinning lewdly as he walked.
"There are plenty of fine medicinal herbs here, along with mountains of gold coins. Such good things must not go to waste." Mr. Yao rubbed his hands together as he spoke.
Mu She looked at the gleaming-eyed Mr. Yao and snorted inwardly. His furious gaze turned toward Xiao Yan.
Mu She waved his hand, and several dozen more mercenaries entered from behind, tightly sealing off the cave entrance.
Mu She glanced at Hai Bodong, then leaned closer to Mr. Yao and asked, "Is that poison even working? Why do they look completely fine?"
Mr. Yao burst into laughter three times.
"Judging by the timing, the poison should take effect right about now."
Before Mr. Yao could finish, foam spilled from his mouth and he collapsed. His body convulsed uncontrollably before he breathed his last.
Mu She froze on the spot.
Xiao Yan smiled. "Fine. Since you're here, I'll deal with all of you at once. Saves me the trouble of tracking you down later."
Mu She hurriedly waved his hands. "Impossible! Why are you completely unaffected? Yet that guy was poisoned to death!"
Only then did Xiao Yi Xian understand. She looked at Xiao Yan, while Xiao Yan made a face at her.
Xiao Yi Xian muttered softly, "What a childish fool."
At that moment, ten thousand grass-mud horses galloped through Mu She's heart. Still, against a Da Dou Shi expert, he had no chance of winning.
Mu She hardened his resolve. As long as he could capture Xiao Yan, there would still be a chance to turn things around today.
"Brothers! Get them! Whoever captures Xiao Yan alive can cultivate my High Huang Tier cultivation method!" Mu She shouted, and the mercenaries' eyes immediately lit up.
They rushed forward like starving wolves that had spotted meat. Cultivation methods truly could make people lose their minds.
Xiao Yan could only say, "Old Hai, I'll have to trouble you."
Hai Bodong nodded. "They're just a bunch of small fry. It'll merely take a little time."
The several dozen mercenaries who had just charged forward all turned into ice sculptures in the blink of an eye. The temperature throughout the cave plummeted, transforming it into a frigid world.
Mu She was stunned. A Da Dou Shi could not possibly possess such power, but with the arrow already on the string, he had no choice but to fire it.
While Hai Bodong was dealing with the mercenaries, he leaped into the air and charged toward Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan did not yield in the slightest. With a cold snort, he rushed straight at Mu She.
Mu She's face twisted as he arrogantly snarled, "You brat still wet behind the ears, yet you dare act so wildly!"
Xiao Yan immediately shouted toward the sky, "Eight Extremities Collapse!"
A thunderous boom echoed through the cave. Xiao Yan flipped several times in midair before landing back where he stood.
Mu She was sent flying backward as well, dragging along his numbed arm.
"What a powerful Dou Technique, brat! I never expected someone as young as you to cultivate such an advanced technique. Yet from the moment we were born, we could only fight Magical Beasts for food and live like animals. If we wanted to cultivate advanced Dou Techniques, we could only spill blood and wage war for them!" Mu She roared madly.
The mercenaries inside the cave had already all been dealt with by Hai Bodong, and Xiao Yan merely watched Mu She quietly.
Mu She fixed Xiao Yan with his venomous snake-like eyes, as if he wanted to devour him whole.
With Xiao Yan's permission, Hai Bodong froze Mu She into an ice sculpture as well. Every member of the Wolf Head Mercenaries was wiped out just like that.
Xiao Yan walked up to Mu She and said, "Do you think you're the only one in this world living that way? What a joke!"
After saying that, he left with Xiao Yi Xian and Hai Bodong.
Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Yi Xian. "Where are you going now? If you want to return to Green Mountain Town, I can take you back."
Xiao Yi Xian lowered her head. "I don't know either, but I don't want to go back. I want to see the outside world. And I know of a place deep within the Magical Beast Mountain Range. It's a basin with many medicinal herbs inside."
Xiao Yan nodded. That place had also been mentioned in the original story.
Thus, with Xiao Yi Xian leading the way, the three of them traveled for several days before reaching that basin.
With Hai Bodong protecting them, they remained safe. Xiao Yan spent two days building a crude house.
Xiao Yan had actually intended to head straight for the Tagor Desert to search for Heavenly Flames, so he had not planned to stay here for long.
However, the system's mission the next day shattered Xiao Yan's plans.
"Ding! New mission: Find the Myriad Beast Spirit Fire. Mission clue—the Amethyst Winged Lion King! Mission reward: 1,000 Summoning Points, one Low-level Summoning Talisman, and an increase of three minor realms in strength."
Xiao Yan was instantly fired up. Still, he had never expected the Magical Beast Mountain Range to contain the Myriad Beast Spirit Fire, which had not even been mentioned in the original story. Though it ranked only twenty-second on the Heavenly Flame Ranking,
it was perfect for the current Xiao Yan, and was also essential for improving the Flame Mantra.
However, this Heavenly Flame was connected to the Amethyst Winged Lion King, a sixth-tier Magical Beast. It would not be easy to deal with.
He could only discuss the matter with Elder Yao and Hai Bodong.
But to head to the Amethyst Winged Lion King, he would have to leave this basin and bid farewell to Xiao Yi Xian.
Xiao Yan knew that Xiao Yi Xian had already begun eating poison, which meant she had discovered her Woe Poison Body.
The last time he had seen her, Xiao Yi Xian had eaten so much poison that she had passed out.
Xiao Yan waited until Xiao Yi Xian woke up.
When Xiao Yi Xian saw that Xiao Yan had discovered her secret, she nervously clenched the poison in her hand.
Xiao Yan smiled. "In just a few days, you've stepped into the Dou Zhe realm. It seems your constitution is quite formidable."
Xiao Yi Xian asked timidly, "Will all of you hate me?"
"How could we? What nonsense are you thinking? But I still have many things to do, so we must part ways today." Xiao Yan said as he stroked Xiao Yi Xian's hair.
Hai Bodong coughed lightly twice outside the room, reminding Xiao Yan to watch himself.
Xiao Yi Xian nodded. She knew that all feasts eventually came to an end.
"Where are you planning to go next?" Xiao Yan asked.
Xiao Yi Xian smiled. "Perhaps I'll go to the Chuyun Empire. It may suit me better there."
"When we meet again, I hope you'll still be Xiao Yi Xian."
Xiao Yi Xian raised her head. "Even if I change, will we still be friends?"
Xiao Yan tapped Xiao Yi Xian on the head and said fondly, "Of course we'll still be friends. Friends for life."
And so, Xiao Yan left that basin, temporarily parting ways with Xiao Yi Xian.
Before you continue