Xiao Lin's gaze shifted slightly, and his Soul Force spread like a tide, bringing every detail of the swamp into his perception.
A fourth-order Rot-Bone Mud Snake, an earth-attribute magical beast skilled at concealment and ambush. Though its venom was less potent than that of other snakes, it carried a chilling power that corroded bones. Even ordinary Dou Ling experts would find it a headache.
"Qing Lin, a fourth-order one has arrived."
He withdrew his Soul Force and looked at the girl beside him, who was playing with the Purple Lightning Viper. A smile curved his lips.
"But it seems someone greeted it before we could."
Qing Lin tilted her head, her emerald eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Someone? A mercenary group hunting for magic cores?"
Years of living among mercenaries had taught her just how hard a life spent licking blood from the edge of a blade could be.
"Yes, an unlucky mercenary group."
Xiao Lin caught her by the arm, and wings formed from Dou Qi slowly unfurled behind him.
"Come on. Let's join the fun."
A foul stench filled the swamp.
The Rot-Bone Mud Snake's enormous body rolled through the mire, its brownish-gray scales coated in black mud.
An ominous chill gleamed in its eyes. Its head rose more than ten feet high, and as its forked tongue flickered, foul-smelling poisonous mist poured out, corroding the surrounding vegetation with sizzling hisses.
"Run... run!"
The mercenaries were terrified. Some turned to flee, only to find their legs so weak that they could barely move.
"Don't panic! We... can't escape! Form up and defend!"
The mercenary leader shouted sharply. A Dou Qi Gauze Robe covered his entire body, but it hissed under the poisonous mist's corrosion. Clearly, it would not hold out even for a moment.
Xiao Yi Xian's pretty face was pale. She scattered Beast-Repelling Powder from her hand, but it had no effect whatsoever on this terrifying fourth-order magical beast.
She could only watch as the giant snake slowly approached, its foul breath washing over her. Death was already within arm's reach...
It's over...
She closed her eyes as despair welled up inside her.
"Hiss-!!"
At that hair's-breadth moment, a ghostly emerald light descended from the sky, striking the Rot-Bone Mud Snake squarely between its eyes!
The giant snake suddenly stiffened, then let out a piercing, anguished hiss. As though some power had seized control of it, its enormous body thrashed wildly in the mire, sending a rain of mud flying!
"This is..."
Xiao Yi Xian's eyes flew open, and she stared blankly at the sky.
A figure in blue robes slowly descended, the wings formed from Dou Qi folding behind him. He held a girl dressed in green.
Within the girl's emerald eyes, Three Green Flower Marks slowly revolved, emitting a faint, eerie glow that resonated with the emerald mark between the Rot-Bone Mud Snake's eyes.
The Rot-Bone Mud Snake's enormous body abruptly went still. The struggle in its reddish-brown eyes gradually faded, replaced by the same emerald shade as Qing Lin's eyes.
"Did... did it work?"
Qing Lin looked at Xiao Lin in delighted surprise, her little face flushed with excitement.
"Young Master Xiao Lin, I actually controlled a fourth-order magical beast!"
"Not bad. Faster than I expected."
Smiling, Xiao Lin gently pinched her cheek. His gaze swept over the mercenaries, who were still shaken, before finally settling on Xiao Yi Xian.
His eyes traveled over her before stopping at her willow-slender waist, cinched by a green sash.
Looking at that waist, so slender that a single hand could scarcely close around it, even Xiao Lin could not help silently admiring its delicate fragility.
"Thank you for saving our lives, senior!"
The mercenaries were overcome with gratitude, tears and snot streaming down their faces.
"We belong to the Mad Lion Mercenary Group from Qingshan Town. We ventured too deep by accident. If you hadn't intervened, senior, our entire group would have been wiped out here today!"
The middle-aged man who appeared to be their leader cupped his fists and bowed, lingering fear still etched on his face.
"Why did you come so deep? High-tier magical beasts often appear in this area. This is no place for ordinary mercenaries."
Xiao Lin folded away his wings and set Qing Lin down. She ran toward the magical beast as he asked his seemingly casual question.
Looking at this impossibly young Dou Wang expert, the mercenary leader could not match him to any of the empire's ten strongest experts. He smiled wryly.
"Senior, we were pursuing a Tier 2 Magical Beast, but the cunning brute fled all the way here."
"Miss Xiao Yi Xian came along to gather a medicinal herb. We never expected..."
Xiao Lin nodded calmly. "This place is dangerous. I'll escort you part of the way."
"Thank you, senior!"
Upon reaching the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, Xiao Lin stopped. "We part ways here. Take care, everyone."
"Thank you, senior!"
The mercenaries bowed respectfully. Xiao Yi Xian also offered a graceful bow, her gaze lingering on Xiao Lin for a moment before she finally turned to leave.
Once their figures vanished into the forest, Xiao Lin did not leave. Instead, he sat cross-legged atop an ancient tree, his Soul Force silently spreading like a tide and closely following that figure in pale white.
"Young Master Xiao Lin, aren't we leaving?"
Qing Lin tilted her head, confusion in her emerald eyes.
"No hurry."
Xiao Lin closed his eyes, a meaningful smile curving his lips.
"There's another opportunity up ahead, waiting for that young lady to discover it."
Night fell, and the mercenary group made camp in a mountain hollow to rest.
Xiao Yi Xian left camp alone to fetch water from a nearby stream. Watery moonlight spilled over her pale white dress, stretching her slender shadow long behind her.
When she reached the cliff's edge, she habitually glanced around, only for her gaze to suddenly pause.
She stopped before a plant growing at the cliff's edge, its pale white flowers in bloom.
"Is this... White Orchid Fruit?"
Joy lit Xiao Yi Xian's eyes. "Little Blue will definitely love this."
She edged along the cliff, finally stopping beside a sheer rock face. As she reached for the faintly fragrant fruit, something unusual caught the corner of her eye.
Looking down, she saw vines concealing the cliff face below. Through them, she could just make out an ancient, dark, mysterious cave entrance!
"A cave abode?"
Xiao Yi Xian's heart began to race. Could such a secluded place have been the retreat of some great senior expert?
She tried to climb down, only to find the cliff as sheer as though it had been cut by a blade. The moss was wet and slippery, leaving her no purchase at all.
She had never expected to encounter anything like this on her outing, so she had made no arrangements beforehand with Little Blue, the flying magical beast.
What should I do...
It looks like I'll have to go back and make a few preparations, then explore it the next time I come.
She bit her red lip, a trace of hesitation flickering in her eyes.
Just then, a clear, resonant voice suddenly rang out, making Xiao Yi Xian's whole body jolt.
"Need a hand?"
Before you continue