Hidden Strength

After a muffled thud, Mu Chen's eye twitched. Even with Dou Qi wrapped around his fist, his physical strength was ultimately no match for a magical beast's, especially when his opponent was a Snake-Tail Leopard renowned for its power.

However, because Mu Chen had stepped in to block the Snake-Tail Leopard, Xiao Yi Xian behind him had escaped unharmed.

At that moment, Xiao Yi Xian stared unblinkingly at Mu Chen's back with her beautiful eyes, and a faint, unprecedented flutter arose deep within her heart.

She recognized Mu Chen. He was the one who had exchanged glances with her at the town entrance and smiled at her. When he had joined the group, Uncle Tate had even questioned him.

Having failed to pounce on its prey, the Snake-Tail Leopard drew back its paw. The sharp claws on the paw that had clashed with Mu Chen's fist had all snapped off. A torn wound had appeared on its paw, blood gushing from it, while the flesh near the wound's edges looked as though it had been scorched by flames, blackened and charred.

"Trying to run!"

Mu Chen strode forward. The flesh on the back of his hand had split open, crimson blood flowing from it as well, but he believed the Snake-Tail Leopard was suffering far more than he was.

Seizing the moment when the Snake-Tail Leopard recoiled and turned to flee, Mu Chen rushed forward, grabbed its tail, spun it around twice, and flung it into the crowd of mercenaries. He shouted, "Everyone, attack together! Chop it up!"

In a normal one-on-one fight, Mu Chen believed he could have utterly defeated this Snake-Tail Leopard. He had only been injured because he had needed to protect Xiao Yi Xian and had no choice but to clash with it head-on, using his weakest aspect—his physical body—to confront the Snake-Tail Leopard directly.

Now that the danger had passed, Mu Chen had no intention of revealing too much of his strength. After all, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group was still watching.

Seeing Mu Chen fling the Snake-Tail Leopard toward them, the mercenaries instinctively swung their weapons. With strength in numbers, more than a dozen weapons came down at once. The Snake-Tail Leopard was, at the end of the day, merely a first-tier magical beast. Under the brutal assault of over a dozen burly mercenaries, it let out only one mournful cry before dying cleanly.

Looking at the bleeding wound on the back of his hand, which burned fiercely, Mu Chen frowned slightly. Fortunately, it was only a flesh wound and had not damaged his bones or meridians. Still, time had been tight, and he had not yet prepared the necessary healing supplies.

Just as Mu Chen was about to tear off a strip of his clothing to roughly bind the wound, a slender, boneless jade hand appeared before him.

Mu Chen looked up and saw Xiao Yi Xian taking out several bottles and jars thick with the scent of medicine as she walked toward him.

"You're injured. Let me bandage it for you."

Cool medicine splashed over the wound, immediately bringing a burning sensation. Standing on the soft earth, Mu Chen held out his hand and allowed Xiao Yi Xian, her pretty face utterly serious, to tend to his injury.

Before long, Mu Chen looked at the handkerchief soaked in medicine and tied into a bow around his palm with mixed amusement and exasperation. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed rather out of place. He moved his wrist a little, but it still felt terribly awkward.

"Thanks! Your handiwork... is quite good," Mu Chen said with a smile, waving the hand wrapped in the handkerchief.

Xiao Yi Xian said somewhat bashfully, "I should be the one thanking you for saving me. If it hadn't been for you just now, I definitely would have died under that Snake-Tail Leopard's claws."

At the mention of the Snake-Tail Leopard, Xiao Yi Xian subconsciously glanced at its nearly unrecognizable carcass, which the mercenaries had already skinned and dismembered. Her pretty face was filled with lingering fear.

Only she, the person involved, understood the terror of being enveloped by death.

Mu Chen did not go to claim a share of the Snake-Tail Leopard's corpse. There was no magical core in its head, and its flesh alone was not worth many gold coins.

The mercenaries looked at the calm-faced Mu Chen and praised him one after another. "Little brother, you're truly incredible. This Snake-Tail Leopard was at least comparable to a five-star Dou Zhe, yet you exchanged a direct blow with it and suffered barely any injury. You really hid your strength well."

"You're already this formidable at such a young age. Your future will surely be limitless."

"Looks like Qing Mountain Town will have another Dou Master expert in just a few years."

The mercenaries cheered repeatedly, astonished by Mu Chen's strength. Their gazes toward him also gained a hint of gravity and respect.

Though that youth was younger than they were, his strength was undoubtedly formidable. Among this nearly hundred-man party, he was likely one of the very best.

Mu Li quietly watched it all. Mu Chen's displayed strength greatly surprised him, but that was all. He was confident that he was still a level stronger than Mu Chen.

After all, not everyone possessed a Profound Tier Dou Technique!

Mu Li cast a jealous glance at the handkerchief belonging to Xiao Yi Xian on Mu Chen's hand, then stared coldly at Mu Chen. A trace of viciousness flashed through Mu Li's eyes.

He had long regarded Xiao Yi Xian as his personal possession, yet this man dared to approach her. That had crossed his line.

Still, Mu Li concealed his expression well. Keeping a broad smile on his face, he walked up to them without the slightest awkwardness, praised Mu Chen with, "Brother, impressive skills," then immediately turned to Xiao Yi Xian and began fussing over her wellbeing.

The nearby mercenaries all wore disdainful expressions. This man had run faster than anyone when danger came, and he still wanted to win the beauty's heart? What a dream.

Some mercenaries even muttered in very low voices, "Disgusting. He only relies on his good background. What a cowardly rat."

A trace of disgust flashed through Xiao Yi Xian's beautiful eyes. However, Mu Li and his men were still the main force of this expedition, so she could not afford to offend him. She could only say, "Everyone, it's getting late. The place where we're gathering herbs is rather far away, so let's get moving quickly."

The mercenaries all agreed, though there was an extra trace of shame in their gazes toward Xiao Yi Xian. Many of them had received her kindness before, yet they had hesitated and retreated just now.

Without a word, Mu Chen walked past the smiling Mu Li and kept a safe distance from Xiao Yi Xian.

Although this was the outer region, many magical beasts still roamed about. Fortunately, the group was large enough to deter many magical beasts from charging at them.

Watching Mu Chen's back, Mu Li's smile immediately vanished, replaced by a terrifyingly gloomy expression. His gaze resembled that of a venomous snake ready to devour its prey.

At that moment, a member of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group walked up to Mu Li and whispered something to him. Mu Li snorted coldly and said, "Don't stir up trouble for now. That matter is more important. We'll quietly get rid of that kid on the way back."

Mu Li raised a hand and made a throat-slitting gesture. Having grown up in a bloodthirsty mercenary group, he was naturally no kind soul.

Bud looked as though he understood. He was the elder brother of Bali and the other man whose Dou Qi Mu Chen had dispersed, and he was considered one of the higher-ups in the Wolf Head Mercenary Group.

Walking at the front, Mu Chen naturally had no idea about the plot behind him. He gazed at the swaying shadows of the trees ahead, but in his heart, he was recalling what was inside the cliffside cave.

First, the greatest treasure is naturally the incomplete map of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, ranked third on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. It is hidden inside the hand bone of the cave's former owner. I must obtain it.

Next is the extremely rare flying Dou Technique, the Purple Cloud Wings. It can allow those below the Dou Wang level to grow wings and fly through the skies. The Seven-Colored Poison Scripture is about as valuable, but I probably won't need it.

Then there are the herbs covering the ground and a considerable number of gold coins. Oh, right. There is also a Profound Tier Dou Technique scroll. That has some value too.

Mu Chen looked at Xiao Yi Xian's back ahead and thought, Xiao Yi Xian's goal is the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture. She definitely will not give it up.

If I cannot completely draw away her Woeful Poison Body, then this Seven-Colored Poison Scripture can serve as a temporary life-saving method for her.

The poison of the Woeful Poison Body was far too terrifying. It could poison others to death, but it could just as easily poison its host to death.

According to the story, Xiao Yi Xian's Woeful Poison Body would first flare up soon. She had clearly realized the seriousness of it, which was why she was urgently searching for the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture to make poison.

Mu Chen sighed deeply. He liked the current Xiao Yi Xian, pure as crystal, and did not want her to become the Sky Poison Woman everyone feared in the future.

"It will depend on whether my Origin Qi Manipulation Art can remove that terrifying constitution of hers."