Tang San endured the pain and pulled two gold coins wrapped in layers of cloth from the lining of his clothes, then placed them in Chen Yang's hand.
"As agreed, I won't bother you two again."
"Don't say that! You're welcome to challenge us, but we'll have to change the wager. Two gold coins per spar."
Chen Yang rubbed his fingers together, giving him a look that said, You know what I mean.
"Fine. I'll be back... cough, cough, cough..."
Tang San nodded solemnly, then clutched his chest and staggered away.
Watching him leave, Chen Yang couldn't help feeling moved.
What a good guy~
Beside him, Xiao Wu pouted, looking thoroughly puzzled.
"Brother, weren't you always annoyed with him? Why are you still letting him spar with us?"
"That's where you're wrong."
Chen Yang glanced around, then pulled Xiao Wu toward a deserted corner.
Only after making sure no one was around did he take out the Rare Candy.
"Look at this."
"Isn't it just a piece of candy?"
"Try it."
Xiao Wu peeled off the wrapper and tossed the candy into her mouth. The instant it touched her tongue, it turned into a warm current that flooded her entire body.
Her soul power surged, and Xiao Wu stared at her hands in shock.
"I've reached level 20?!"
With Xiao Wu's breakthrough, Chen Yang also reached level 20. He tipped his chin up smugly.
"See? This is called Rare Candy. Eat one, and you gain a level. There's a chance of getting one when we beat up Tang San."
Xiao Wu's jaw dropped, disbelief covering her face. Her normally rather slow brain began working at lightning speed.
Leveling up = Rare Candy = beating up Tang San.
Having sorted out her thoughts, Xiao Wu clenched her little fists.
"Then I'll go beat him up again right now!"
The words had barely left her mouth when she lifted her leg to rush off.
Chen Yang hurriedly reached out and grabbed her arm.
"Don't rush. We can beat him up once his injuries have completely healed. For now, let's go find Er Ming."
At those words, Xiao Wu's eyes instantly lit up.
"Let's go, let's go! Straight to the Star Dou Forest!"
"There you go rushing again. We need to ask our teacher for leave first, or Grandpa Jerry will worry."
Three days later.
On the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
The two sat on a tree branch, staring blankly at each other.
"Brother, what do we do now?"
Chen Yang rubbed the corners of his eyes, his head aching. He had truly outdone himself in stupidity.
I planned everything so carefully. How did I forget that Xiao Wu's soul beast aura had been erased...?
Without her soul beast aura, how were they supposed to attract the Titan Giant Ape?
Surely they couldn't expect two level-20 would-be Soul Grandmasters to cross the outer zone and the mixed zone, then reach the core zone?
"At this point, there's only one way, but you might have to make a little sacrifice."
"Huh? Me?"
Xiao Wu pointed at herself in confusion. She was penniless, with nothing to her name. What could she possibly sacrifice?
But when she saw Chen Yang raise his hand to throw something, Xiao Wu's eyes widened, and she grew so frantic she nearly cried.
"No! Brother! Can't you think of something else? Pokéblocks are my lifeblood! How am I supposed to live without them?!"
Xiao Wu clung tightly to Chen Yang's wrist, her eyes reddening as she pleaded over and over.
"There's no other way. We'll have to gamble."
According to the game mechanics, feeding Pokéblocks to wild Pokémon would make them temporarily lower their guard and gather around without attacking, greatly reducing the difficulty of catching them.
They could use that opportunity to have Xiao Wu communicate with them.
His mind made up, Chen Yang shook off her little hands and flung his arm upward.
Under Xiao Wu's despairing gaze, the Pokéblock dropped straight onto the flat ground below.
"No!!!"
The instant the Pokéblock landed, a peculiar fragrance spread in every direction.
Rustle-
The faint rustling of bushes gradually reached them, drawing closer from afar.
Chen Yang hurriedly covered Xiao Wu's mouth, his eyes fixed on the direction of the sound.
Before long, a small fox emerged from the grass. Sniffing constantly at the fragrance, it darted up to the Pokéblock, snatched it in its mouth, and turned to run.
But it had only taken a few steps when a huge snake burst from the grass, opened its jaws, and swallowed the little fox whole.
The huge snake flicked its long forked tongue, following the sweet scent as it looked up at Chen Yang and Xiao Wu in the tree. Entranced by the Pokéblock's fragrance, it did not attack.
"Brother, it's a six-hundred-year-old Boa Viper."
"Xiao Wu, ask it if it can bring Er Ming here."
"Okay, okay. *******"
"Hiss-hiss-hiss-"
Xiao Wu's ears twitched, and she turned to him.
"No. It says it would die."
"All right... let's try somewhere else. Hopefully, we can find a flying soul beast."
Chen Yang sighed. He hadn't expected to succeed on the first try anyway. They would just have to try a few more times.
But when the Boa Viper saw that they were leaving, it instantly grew displeased and swiftly twisted its body around the tree they were sitting in.
"Brother, I think it wants to eat us."
Well, well! It wants a battle with us!
"Go, Xiao Wu! Use Kick!"
Xiao Wu sprang from the branch into the air and lashed out with both legs, kicking the Boa Viper hard in the head.
Thud!
The Boa Viper shuddered in pain, its enormous body jolting violently.
"Cut!"
A sharp flash of white light streaked past, the slash striking precisely at the Boa Viper's vulnerable spot seven inches below its head.
Crack!!
A deep, long gash split its hard scales on the spot, and blood gushed from the wound.
In unbearable agony, the Boa Viper thrashed its massive body wildly. Its thick tail slammed against the trunk, making all the branches shake violently.
"Kun Character: Earth River Cart!"
A huge hand made of rock burst out of the ground and clamped tightly around the Boa Viper's tail.
"Hiss!!!"
Chen Yang swept his sword fingers, and the giant stone hand began spinning the enormous snake through the air.
One turn, two turns, then several more. Fierce winds howled as the Boa Viper spun until its head reeled, its body completely out of its control. It no longer even had the strength to struggle.
The instant the spinning force reached its peak, Chen Yang abruptly opened the giant hand!
Released, the heavy, enormous snake shot away like a meteor slicing through the sky. With the wind howling around it, it hurtled toward the distant horizon and vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.
"Hiss!!-"
[Soft-Boned Enchanting Rabbit experience +2952] [Dun-dun-dun~ Soft-Boned Enchanting Rabbit reached level 22!]
"Brother! I gained two levels in a row!!"
Xiao Wu hugged Chen Yang's arm, bouncing up and down in excitement.
In the past, she would never have dared even dream of something like this.
If I keep going at this rate, in just a few years I'll be able to kick the Pope down and avenge Mom!
Then Brother and I can live our shameless little life together~ and have a whole bunch of bunny babies~ hehehe~
Seeing Xiao Wu's dreamy eyes, Chen Yang rolled his eyes, having no idea what she was thinking.
Although the shared experience had also brought his soul power to level 21, he understood that this rapid progress was only temporary.
He immediately poured a bucket of cold water over Xiao Wu's enthusiasm.
"Don't celebrate too soon. You're leveling up quickly now only because you need so little experience. Once your level gets higher, it'll slow down. You still need to keep practicing the Everlasting Primordial Essence Art."
"Okay, okay~"
Even so, his words did nothing to dampen Xiao Wu's excitement.
Before you continue