Desperate Straits

Xiao Tie and the others had originally been about to swarm forward, but upon hearing Xiao Zhan's order, they immediately stopped, their eyes still fixed on the enemy, not daring to let down their guard.

Mu She was overjoyed. He cultivated wind-attribute Battle Qi techniques that excelled in speed, and he had even mastered a movement technique. These people from a great Lineage were actually so arrogant and careless. It seemed he was destined to survive this catastrophe and escape into the heavens today.

Some members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group were also secretly delighted, deeply convinced of their captain's wisdom. He had known these great Lineage people were proud and conceited. Once he captured that young master, they could use him to protect all of them as they left.

In the blink of an eye, vast amounts of pale green Battle Qi surged from Mu She's legs. When his feet stomped down again, his body shot forward explosively, nearly twice as fast as before.

Xiao Yan's powerful soul perception caught Mu She's movements. With Battle Qi already gathered and waiting, he raised his hand and unleashed First Sun Scorching Sky. A golden sphere under his palm's control shot straight for Mu She's chest.

A sense of danger abruptly rose from the depths of his heart. Mu She was shocked. What Battle Qi technique was this young master using? It actually made him, who had just broken through to Nine-Star Dou Practitioner, feel threatened!

Mu She had no time to think. He decisively trusted the instinct that had repeatedly carried him out of death's grasp. He twisted aside, evaded the golden sphere, then drew the long saber at his waist and slashed toward Xiao Yan.

Using a saber? Xiao Yan sneered. After withdrawing his Battle Qi technique, he immediately took the Crimson Flame Berserk Blade from his Storage Ring.

The two blades collided. Mu She felt a tremendous force travel through his weapon, numbing the web between his thumb and forefinger. Almost at the same instant, there was a crack, and the saber in his hand broke into two pieces. Startled, he hurriedly retreated.

A Magic Core weapon was actually this sharp?! Mu She stared at the blood-red blade in horror.

Xiao Yan gave Mu She no chance to catch his breath. Battle Qi poured in madly as he chopped down with his blade, sending a mass of golden flames shooting toward Mu She.

Having sensed the danger from that golden sphere earlier, Mu She did not dare underestimate this attack in the slightest. Wind-attribute Battle Qi raced into his legs, and he narrowly managed to evade it.

The golden fireball streaked past at high speed and crashed into a boulder behind him. With a boom, it blasted the rock into countless fragments.

The mercenaries had originally felt that their captain dodging a youth's attack was far too humiliating. Only after seeing the attack's power did they realize it was no trifling matter. Dodging had been the right choice.

At the same time, they realized just how extraordinary this youth was.

My turn to attack! Mu She was still shaken, but he knew such powerful Battle Qi techniques could not be used continuously. At once, he coated the broken saber in his hand with Battle Qi, as though a thin green film of energy had been pasted over the blade.

"Basic Profound Rank Battle Qi Technique, Wind Blade Frenzy Dance!"

Mu She charged wildly, his broken saber dancing out afterimages that formed a dense net of blades, shrouding Xiao Yan.

Seeing their captain use his trump card, the Wolf Head Mercenary Group members knew victory and defeat would soon be decided. Their captain had risen to prominence in Qingshan Town by relying on this Profound Tier Battle Qi technique.

Xiao Zhan was somewhat surprised. He actually had a Profound Tier Battle Qi technique. Given a few more years, he would surely accomplish something great in Qingshan Town.

Watching the blade net rapidly close in, Xiao Yan was utterly fearless. What he had activated earlier was the attack skill possessed by the Crimson Flame Berserk Blade in his hand, Flame Burst Impact. It had merely been a feint.

Mu She was now a Nine-Star Dou Practitioner and a wind-attribute cultivator who had mastered a movement technique. He could dart left and right with great agility. Although the attack Xiao Yan wielded was immensely powerful, it was not easy to land a hit.

But now that Mu She was charging straight at him, things became much easier.

Xiao Yan rapidly circulated his Battle Qi. The advantage of an Advanced Profound Rank cultivation method revealed itself completely at this moment. His Battle Qi could be mobilized with extreme speed, and the speed at which he unleashed Battle Qi techniques was far beyond anything a Yellow Tier method could compare with.

In an instant, the Crimson Flame Berserk Blade was covered in a thick layer of gold, and the vague outline of an energy lion emerged.

"Advanced Profound Rank Battle Qi Technique, Mad Lion Roar!" Xiao Yan roared as he raised his blade and cleaved at the blade net.

An Advanced Profound Rank Battle Qi technique?! Mu She was greatly shocked. A flash of golden light filled his vision, and he saw a gigantic golden lion leap from the blade, pouncing at him viciously.

It was already far too late to withdraw his technique and dodge. Mu She could only grit his teeth and increase the flow of Battle Qi. He encouraged himself inwardly: I am a Nine-Star Dou Practitioner, only one step away from becoming a Dou Practitioner. Even a Basic Profound Rank Battle Qi technique can display immense power in my hands. It won't lose to an Advanced Profound Rank technique!

When the green blade net met the golden lion's claws, it was effortlessly ripped apart like thin paper.

Looking at the energy lion right before him, Mu She froze. Then he suddenly felt an enormous force strike him, crushing him to the ground.

With a boom, a pillar of fire soared into the sky, leaving behind a scorched black patch on the grassland.

The explosion was like a bolt of thunder that shattered the Wolf Head Mercenary Group members' dreams. They had never imagined that their captain, after using his trump-card Profound Tier Battle Qi technique, would not only die, but die without even a corpse remaining.

Xiao Zhan praised loudly, "What a clean and decisive three-hit combo!"

Xiao Tie and the others nodded repeatedly. That mercenary captain had the strength of a Nine-Star Dou Practitioner. Not only was his movement technique incredibly fast, he possessed a Profound Tier Battle Qi technique and had abundant combat experience. Even ordinary Dou Practitioners would need to spend some effort to take him down. Yet Young Master Xiao Yan had killed him in three moves. It was clear that his strength was no weaker than that of some Dou Practitioners.

Xiao Yan pointed the Crimson Flame Berserk Blade at the mercenaries. "Your captain is dead. Now, you have two paths. One is to become mercenaries of the Xiao Family. The other is to follow your captain on his way."

Xiao Yan had originally thought such an obvious answer would quickly earn the submission of every mercenary. Who would have expected them all to look left and right instead?

Was the Wolf Head Mercenary Group actually the Iron Head Mercenary Group? Xiao Yan was deeply puzzled, but his expression did not change in the slightest.

At last, one mercenary could no longer endure the torment in his heart and responded.

He set down the medicinal herbs on his back and dropped to his knees with a thud. "I-I am willing to become a mercenary of the Xiao Family, but destroying the herb-gathering area was the captain's order. I hope Young Master will forgive us."

Once he exposed the reason, the surrounding mercenaries fell to their knees in scattered groups and begged for mercy. From their words, Xiao Yan understood what had happened.

It turned out that Mu She had not only led people to harvest large quantities of herbs, but had also scattered poison powder made from Purple Luo Flower juice. The herb-gathering area would become a barren deadland where not even a blade of grass could grow. No wonder Xiao Yan had smelled it from so far away—they had scattered it across an entire valley.

Xiao Tie flew into a rage upon hearing this. Looking at the place where Mu She had died, he cursed loudly, "That bastard! Letting him die so easily was really letting him off cheap!"

When Little Fairy Doctor and the others arrived afterward and learned that the herb-gathering area had been destroyed, those old physicians nearly wanted to swallow the mercenaries alive.

This herb-gathering area discovered by Thousand Medicine Hall had excellent herb growth and a rich variety of species. It was a treasure land that could be harvested continuously.

Now that it had been destroyed, gathering the same amount of medicinal herbs as before would become extremely difficult. It would also drive up herb prices. Some particularly rare herbs might even become scarce, causing people who could have been saved to die because of soaring prices and shortages.

Though Xiao Yan was also furious, he had a way to reverse the situation using the Seven-Colored Poison Classic. He said urgently, "The poison was spread not long ago. There may still be a way to save it."

"That's right! Third Young Master is an alchemist. How could this little poison possibly stump you?" Xiao Tie clapped his hands in delight.

Once the Xiao Family members thought of this, they immediately felt that this herb-gathering area would not be ruined.

"An alchemist?!" The Thousand Medicine Hall physicians looked at Xiao Yan in astonishment.

Physicians could also be considered a type of alchemist, but their status was worlds apart from true alchemists. After all, they merely used ordinary flames to combine medicinal herbs, and the effects were far inferior to medicines refined by alchemists with special flames.

Every physician dreamed of becoming an alchemist. Yet many were either blocked by the restrictions of their Battle Qi attributes or lacked sufficiently outstanding soul power, leaving them without even the hope of crossing that threshold.

This young master of the Xiao Family was actually already an alchemist. It was truly difficult for them to believe.

Heavens! While cultivating Battle Qi, he actually still had time to study alchemy! Little Fairy Doctor's dark eyes were full of shock, but also deep envy.

As a physician herself, she too dreamed of becoming an alchemist.