Magic Beast Mountain Range
A relentless hunt, lasting over half a month, continued without end.
"Xiao Yan, you can't run forever. Surrender now, and I might grant you a quick death."
Mu She, leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, glared at the fleeing youth and roared in fury.
For the past fortnight, ever since discovering Xiao Yan's trail, Mu She had led his mercenaries in an unyielding pursuit.
Yet, the kid's bizarre dou techniques and ruthless tactics had not only allowed him to repeatedly slip through their encirclement but had also inflicted heavy losses on Mu She's forces.
The mere thought of it made Mu She's teeth grind with hatred—he longed to carve Xiao Yan into ten thousand pieces.
'This brat has extraordinary skills—he must come from a powerful background.'
'But no matter who he is, he killed my son. He must die.'
'If I don't eliminate him now, he'll become an even greater threat in the future.'
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Mu She's killing intent toward Xiao Yan grew even fiercer.
'The debt of a son's death cannot go unpaid.'
Between him and Xiao Yan, only one would survive.
Watching Xiao Yan vanish into the dense forest ahead, Mu She's eyes burned with murderous intent. He surged forward, charging straight into the shadowy thicket.
"Whoosh!"
The moment Mu She entered the forest, a blood-soaked black shadow lunged at him. Reacting instantly, he unsheathed his blade and slashed downward.
"Schlick!"
The blade sank into flesh with a sickening sound.
"Squeak!"
A shrill screech followed—the black shadow was a first-tier beast Bloodthirsty Rat.
Expressionlessly flicking the carcass off his blade, Mu She glared at the distant figure darting through the trees. Just as he prepared to give chase, a dozen more Bloodthirsty Rats swarmed him.
Though these beasts—each half the size of a man—posed no real threat, they slowed him down. His face darkened with frustration.
At that moment, the rest of his mercenaries finally caught up. Seeing their leader besieged by the rats, they drew their weapons and cut the creatures down.
"After him!" Mu She barked, kicking aside a rat and charging forward.
And so, the relentless chase resumed.
…
The once-peaceful mountains had been thrown into chaos by the pursuit.
Xiao Yan, the instigator of this turmoil, had shamelessly provoked the local beasts during his escape.
As a result, the mercenaries had suffered heavy casualties from beast attacks while failing to so much as scratch him.
After running until his legs burned with exhaustion, Xiao Yan glanced up at the silver moon hanging in the sky and let out a bitter laugh.
'I didn't expect things to turn out like this.'
"It looks like we're nearing the Magic Beast Mountain Range. Are these bastards not afraid of running into high-tier beasts?"
"Damn it, they're all insane!"
Cursing under his breath, Xiao Yan plunged deeper into the forest without looking back.
Watching the fleeing figure disappear into the darkness, Mu She's eyes flickered with unease.
'If we go any further, we'll enter the Magic Beast Mountain Range.'
High-tier beasts lurked there—beasts even he couldn't handle. A single misstep could mean death.
Xiao Yan, alone and nimble, could easily hide. But with so many men, their large numbers would only make them targets.
Just as Mu She hesitated—considering whether to retreat and set up an ambush instead—he suddenly noticed Xiao Yan had stopped running.
A grin split Mu She's face as realization struck.
Ahead lay a bottomless cliff, over ten meters wide, separating them from the heart of the Magic Beast Mountain Range.
'Dead end.'
"Xiao Yan!" Mu She laughed wildly. "This hunt ends here!"
"The heavens themselves demand your death!"
With Xiao Yan trapped at the cliff's edge, Mu She signaled his men. The Wolf Head Mercenaries swiftly surrounded him, cutting off all escape.
Xiao Yan's expression darkened.
There were only two safe paths into the Magic Beast Mountain Range—everywhere else was guarded by these abyssal cliffs. And yet, in his frantic escape, he'd stumbled straight into one.
'Damn it. My luck really is the worst.'
"Xiao Yan," Mu She sneered, stepping closer, blade in hand. "Surrender now, and I'll make your death quick."
Xiao Yan sighed, then flipped his palm. The massive black Heavy Xuan Ruler appeared in his grip. He hoisted it onto his shoulder, tilting his head with a faint smirk.
"Come and try."
Mu She's grip tightened on his blade. "Do you really think you can fly?"
With a sudden burst of speed, he lunged, slashing downward with brutal force.
Xiao Yan's expression turned grave. The gap between a Dou Practitioner and a Dou Master was vast—surviving ten rounds against Mu She would be a miracle.
Dodging with practiced agility, Xiao Yan twisted aside, then retaliated with a fierce slash of his own.
"Clang!"
Sparks flew as blade and ruler collided. The metallic screech echoed across the cliff.
The impact sent Xiao Yan skidding back, his arms numb. Mu She, however, barely budged.
"Captain, kill him! Avenge the young master!"
"Chop him to pieces!"
The mercenaries roared in excitement.
Mu She's eyes narrowed at the black ruler. "Heavy weapon… impressive." Then his voice turned icy. "But if this is all you've got, prepare to die."
Xiao Yan exhaled, steadying himself. Then, to everyone's shock, he closed his eyes.
Mu She hesitated. 'What is he planning?'
The surrounding mercenaries scoffed, folding their arms. To them, Xiao Yan was already a dead man—no way could a mere eight-star Dou Practitioner escape a two-star DouMaster.
But then, the dou qi in the air began to churn.
Mu She's unease spiked. The surrounding dou qi was growing turbulent, converging toward Xiao Yan.
'No—this brat's up to something!'
Gripping his blade, Mu She abandoned all pretense of superiority and charged.
"Die, you trickster!"
But it was too late.
Xiao Yan's eyes snapped open.
"Flame Splitting Wave Ruler!"
The very air trembled as visible streams of energy poured into the Heavy Xuan Ruler. The weapon glowed crimson, its engravings blazing like fire.
Xiao Yan's dou qi drained in an instant—but the Qi Recovery Pill hidden in his mouth dissolved, replenishing him just enough to unleash the strike.
The ruler, now scorching hot, tore through the air toward Mu She.
A crescent of red light shot forth, distorting the space in its wake.
Mu She's pupils shrank to pinpricks.
'Dou qi materialization? Only a Dou Grandmaster can do that!'
No time to think. Mu She poured all his dou qi into his blade, activating his strongest technique—
"Wind Blade!"
A flurry of afterimages formed a defensive net before him.
"BOOM!"
The explosion rocked the cliff. Dirt and debris erupted into the air as Mu She was blasted backward, crashing into a tree with enough force to shatter it.
Silence.
The mercenaries stared, slack-jawed, at the crater where Mu She had stood—a meter-deep pit carved into the earth.
Their captain, a two-star Dou Master, had been sent flying by an eight-star Dou Practitioner.
Xiao Yan panted, his face pale but triumphant. The Earth-tier skill had drained him, but its power was undeniable.
Mu She staggered up, sleeves drenched in blood. Fear flickered in his eyes—then hardened into madness.
"KILL HIM! NOW!"
The mercenaries hesitated, but under Mu She's glare, they tightened their grips on their weapons.
Xiao Yan smirked, raising his ruler.
Then—
"SCREECH!"
A deafening cry split the sky.
Every head snapped upward as an overwhelming pressure descended.
A monstrous shadow blotted out the sun—a colossal bird, its wingspan stretching dozens of feet.
"A fourth-tier beast?!"
Mu She's face drained of color.
"EVERYONE, HIDE!"
The mercenaries scattered in terror, abandoning their weapons.
Xiao Yan dove beneath a boulder, concealing his presence.
The monstrous bird soared past without stopping, vanishing into the Magic Beast Mountain Range.
Only then did Yao Lao's voice ring in Xiao Yan's mind, laced with shock: "That was Nalan Yanran!"
…
Deep in the Magic Beast Mountain Range
The giant bird landed, and two white-robed figures dismounted.
"Senior Sister, I'll leave you here."
Nalan Yanran nodded, surveying the forest.
The Little Fairy Doctor fretted. "Be careful. The Magic Beast Mountain Range are treacherous—trust no one."
Nalan Yanran's expression darkened, recalling her near-death experience outside the capital. "I'll remember."
Then, hesitating, she added, "And you—the Poison Masters of the Chu Yun Empire are even more dangerous."
The Little Fairy Doctor smiled faintly. To her, the land of poison was home.
But seeing Nalan Yanran's worry, she simply nodded. "I'll be careful."
Before parting, the Little Fairy Doctor pressed a dozen jade vials into Nalan Yanran's hands.
"These are…?"
"Poisons I've prepared. They'll help you survive."
She listed them one by one by pointing her finger at them:
"This is Five Poison Powder. It can kill third-tier beasts. Corpse-Melting Water, it can dissolve a second-tier beast's body instantly."
"This is soul-Killing Powder, it's odorless, lethal to fourth-tier beasts. White Fragrance Miasma, it can create a three-day barrier; fatal to fourth-tier beasts on contact."
Nalan Yanran's lips parted in shock.
"This is what you call insect repellent?"
Watching the Little Fairy Doctor's innocent smile, a chilling thought struck her:
'The Poison Masters of the Chu Yun Empire… they're the ones who should be afraid.'
…
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