Experiencing It Firsthand—Fighting People!

On the outskirts of the Myriad Beast Mountain Range, within an unnamed peak, a young man was leaning against a large tree, gasping heavily. Three corpses lay in front of him—naturally, they were the men who had followed him all the way from the Auction House, planning to kill him and steal his goods.

After resting for a while, the young man took the Storage Rings from their bodies. Not daring to linger, he left the place and continued deeper into the mountains.

"Big Brother, this kid's a little tricky. Why didn't we take the chance to strike and capture him? He just went through a big battle, so he shouldn't have much fighting strength left." The young man did not know that three people were hidden even deeper in the forest, similarly harboring the thought of killing and robbing him. They were just more cautious, which was why they had managed to see the scene of the young man slaughtering that entire earlier group.

"Exactly. If we let him recover, we might not be able to take him down. We can't end up like those guys, dying at his hands," another person said, equally puzzled.

"Idiots. This is the Myriad Beast Mountain Range. Magical Beasts are everywhere. The commotion just now wasn't small. Magical Beasts will be drawn here very soon, and when that happens, we won't just be facing one young man. I don't want to end up in a Magical Beast's mouth. Hurry and follow. He just went through a fierce battle and dealt with that group. Right now is exactly when his guard is down," the leader scolded. He stirred his Dou Qi and continued following the young man.

When the two who had spoken and asked questions imagined the scene of being trapped among a horde of Magical Beasts, their faces turned deathly pale, and they fawned, "Big Brother is right to teach us. Big Brother really thinks things through."

The few of them said no more and simply continued following the young man.

Zhao Li left Qingzhou City and headed straight for the Myriad Beast Mountain Range.

Following the glow of the setting sun, Zhao Li arrived at the outskirts of the Myriad Beast Mountain Range. He searched along the way, planning to find a quiet, secluded place to stay for a while.

Zhao Li did not know the direction, and before he knew it, he had arrived at the place where those people had fought earlier.

Zhao Li saw several Magical Beasts gnawing on chunks of flesh. The torn clothes around them made Zhao Li understand that those bits of meat were most likely people who had entered the mountains to fight for their lives and ended up dying in the mouths of Magical Beasts.

Zhao Li naturally understood that once one entered the Myriad Beast Mountain Range, everything was a matter of risking one's life. Those people had long expected this day would come.

Although Zhao Li did not fear these Magical Beasts, he did not want trouble either. He restrained his aura, did not disturb them, and continued into the forest.

Before long, Zhao Li's eyes suddenly brightened, and his view opened up.

Only then did Zhao Li realize he had already left the forest filled with lush branches and leaves and arrived in a small valley.

Looking at the scenery before him, Zhao Li felt refreshed and delighted. "I didn't expect there to be a valley like this. Not only is the scenery beautiful, even the Dou Qi is a few shades denser than outside. This is a good place. I'll stay here for a while."

Zhao Li decided to live in this valley for a while and was just about to open up a Temporary Cave Dwelling when suddenly, a heart-rending voice rang out. "No!"

Zhao Li's heart stirred. "Someone? Should I go take a look? Or leave and find somewhere else? Judging from the voice, it isn't far from here. It sounds like they've run into trouble. I should go take a look. I'll be staying here for a while, so I might as well speak to the people here."

Zhao Li focused his senses for a moment, then sped toward the source of the voice. Very quickly, he saw several people outside a crude Wooden House in the valley.

At this moment, Ye Yuntian was already heavily injured and unable to move. He had bid on the pill in the hope that it could ease his younger sister's pain, never expecting it to bring a fatal disaster upon them. He had originally thought that if he compromised and handed over the pill, these people would leave. He had not expected them to be so vicious as to have lost all reason. His father had died beneath the villains' blades, and while distracted, he too had been ambushed and gravely wounded. Watching the villains walk toward his younger sister, he felt only despair, along with regret surging into his heart like ants tearing at him. All he could do was plead, "No!"

"Damn it, weren't you arrogant? Didn't you kill my brothers? I'm going to make you watch your father die miserably and watch your sister get humiliated by us. Aren't you so capable? Come on, keep coming, come..." Before he could finish speaking, an ice spike had already pierced his brow. His breath cut off, and he collapsed to the ground.

The man who was walking toward Ye Yunsheng heard his big brother's voice suddenly stop. Not understanding why, he turned his head and saw the final scene of his life: his big brother falling to the ground, and an ice spike arriving at his brow in the blink of an eye. He too followed in his big brother's footsteps.

Zhao Li walked over and looked at Ye Yuntian. He sighed, only to discover that his Life Force had already been exhausted long ago. He had been holding on by one breath, and Zhao Li was powerless to save him.

Seeing Zhao Li kill the two men, a trace of gratitude appeared in Ye Yuntian's despairing eyes. Then, gradually, they lost their light.

Zhao Li only felt awful. It was not because this was his first time killing, but because of deep self-reproach. He sank into a logic of self-blame and remorse. If not for me, perhaps they wouldn't have ended up like this. You really are a bastard.

"Thank you." Ye Yunsheng put down her father and walked toward her brother, saying this to Zhao Li at the same time.

When Zhao Li heard her thanks, he froze, then said, "Do you know why they ended up like this? Because of this. I took it out. If not for me, they wouldn't have died."

Zhao Li pointed at the bloodstained bottle of pills.

"Thank you. You're wrong. Actually, it isn't just because of that bottle of medicine. As long as Dou Qi can still be cultivated and no one changes the continent, even without this bottle of medicine, there would have been something else." Ye Yunsheng thanked him again. Not caring how Zhao Li reacted, she simply did her utmost to try to pull Ye Yuntian up.

When Zhao Li heard this, many thoughts flashed through his mind. He looked seriously at the little girl before him, who had lost her family in a single day and would be alone from now on. That small face, still carrying a bit of baby fat, was covered in tear tracks. Her complexion was somewhat pale, and there was obvious grief in her expression, but she still forced herself to stay calm. Even after experiencing all of this, the hope in her eyes was like a seedling in the soil, only striving to draw in nourishment and grow upward without stop.

Zhao Li watched as Ye Yunsheng tried hard to shoulder Ye Yuntian, but her weak body not only failed to pull him up, she herself was dragged into a stumble and nearly fell.

Zhao Li seemed to be infected by those eyes filled with hope and the will to keep growing upward. He steadied his mind and stepped forward to help.

"Little sister, my condolences." Zhao Li helped Ye Yunsheng bury the bodies of her father and brother, and they simply erected gravestones.

"I don't have a father or brother anymore..." Ye Yunsheng looked at the gravestones before her. Tears poured from her eyes. She sobbed, cried softly, then wailed aloud...

Looking at the little girl before him wailing her heart out, Zhao Li was at a loss for what to do. "Cry. It's better to let it out."

There was no moon tonight. A few stars shone alone, and when a night wind blew past, even the stars were covered by clouds. The night deepened.

In the valley, Zhao Li watched Ye Yunsheng fall asleep, though her twitching shoulders and tightly furrowed brows more or less showed that she was not sleeping peacefully.

Zhao Li picked Ye Yunsheng up and walked toward the crude little house.

Zhao Li walked very slowly, afraid of waking the girl who had only fallen into a light sleep. Along the way, Zhao Li's mind was still filled with countless tangled thoughts. Finally, through those thoughts, Zhao Li voiced the truest desire in his heart.

"Change, huh? Then let it start with me. Let's see just how far I can go. Fighting people is endless joy!"