Just as dawn was breaking, a figure quietly slipped out of the Xiao Family's main gate.
It wasn't until he was outside Wu Tan City that the sky fully brightened.
Chen Xiao took out some food from his satchel to satisfy his hunger, while also checking the map to orient himself.
"Green Mountain Town, this way..."
Putting away the map, Chen Xiao quickly swallowed his food and abruptly increased his pace, heading northeast.
Although one could enter the Magical Beast Mountain Range near Wu Tan City, Chen Xiao's main goal for this trip was to find the cave from his memories, with training being secondary.
Therefore, entering the Magical Beast Mountain Range from Green Mountain Town was undoubtedly the choice with the highest chance of success.
The scorching sun beat down, the intense heat baking the dirt ground until it cracked open. Stepping on the hard earth, a wave of heat immediately surged up from his feet, causing travelers to sweat profusely and constantly curse the terrible weather.
However, on this wide, yellow dirt road, there was a figure, not particularly tall, hurrying along with his head down, forming a stark contrast to the leisurely pace of the surrounding passersby.
After walking another few hundred meters, he saw the three large characters 'Green Mountain Town' on the stone tablet by the roadside.
Chen Xiao raised his head, his clear face showing a hint of fatigue, yet strangely, there was not a single bead of sweat.
"Ice attribute, it's quite practical! A journey estimated to take three days only took two!"
Muttering with a smile, Chen Xiao adjusted the black robe on his body and strode into the small town.
Green Mountain Town, due to its proximity to the Magical Beast Mountain Range, was also known as Magical Beast Town.
The most numerous group of people in the town were the mercenaries who lived by the sword every day. They gathered in groups, arms linked, spitting and gesticulating on the streets, brazenly discussing which woman in town was the most flavorful, which wine was the strongest, and which magical beast was the fiercest...
Walking on the street paved with bluestone, Chen Xiao, wrapped in a black robe that couldn't hide his slender figure, attracted some attention.
In Green Mountain Town, it wasn't uncommon for people to wear black robes or even bamboo hats to conceal their appearance and build. Chen Xiao attracted attention simply because the mercenaries could tell at a glance that someone with such a build was likely not yet an adult.
It was rare to see someone of this age walking around Green Mountain Town.
Fortunately, they didn't know Chen Xiao's true age, otherwise, they would probably be even more surprised.
Ignoring the stares of others, Chen Xiao surveyed the shops on both sides of the street, looking for a place to stay.
After two consecutive days of travel, plus frequently circulating his Dou Qi to cool down along the way, Chen Xiao was clearly not in the right state to enter the Magical Beast Mountain Range at this moment.
Green Mountain Town was small, but due to its advantageous location, it was quite popular.
Chen Xiao looked around with interest, and soon, a rather spacious medicinal herbs shop caught his attention.
"Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion!"
A mountain is not famous for its height, but for the presence of an immortal. This Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion seemed to have nothing special about it except for its large size. Chen Xiao paid extra attention to it because of one person inside.
"Xiao Yan is eight and a half this year, and she is older than Xiao Yan. At this point in time, she should already be at the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion..."
Chen Xiao slightly tilted his head and glanced inside. Sure enough, at one of the counters, he saw a girl in a white dress talking to a mercenary with his right arm in a sling, her expression extremely serious.
Behind the mercenary, there were three other people waiting in line.
Due to the angle, Chen Xiao could see through the gap under the counter that the girl seemed to be standing on a wooden box, which made her appear to be about the same height as the mercenaries.
"This demeanor is even more mature than Xun'er's, it's easy to overlook her age."
After a brief look, Chen Xiao withdrew his gaze.
At most, she was just over ten years old. Discussing her appearance and figure was meaningless; she hadn't fully grown yet.
The first impression this girl, who was likely the Little Fairy Doctor, gave Chen Xiao was that she was gentle and serious. She listened attentively when the mercenary spoke, and when it was her turn to speak, she always had a faint smile on her face.
However, thinking about her past, Chen Xiao immediately understood.
This was a person burdened with the destiny of 'born in calamity, die in calamity'.
Even if she eventually broke free from her destiny, the hardships she experienced were not lessened in the slightest.
With a sigh, Chen Xiao did not enter the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion and walked towards the inn ahead.
Just as Chen Xiao passed by the entrance of the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion, the girl at the counter took out a packet of medicinal powder and handed it to the mercenary in front of her. As she watched him leave, she finally glanced at the street outside.
Just now, her peripheral vision had noticed someone outside looking at her.
Unfortunately, she didn't catch them.
However, on second thought, she had accumulated some fame in the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion over the past few years, and mercenaries from the town would occasionally come to look out of curiosity. Perhaps it was the same just now.
Thinking this, the girl didn't pay it any mind and shifted her gaze back to the mercenary who had stepped forward.
...
The silent night quietly slipped away.
When the east gradually lightened on the second day, Chen Xiao, who was in deep sleep, opened his eyes on time.
His years of diligent cultivation had regulated his biological clock extremely well.
After a night's rest, the fatigue from traveling was gone, replaced by vibrant energy.
Looking at the sky outside through the wooden window, Chen Xiao sat up cross-legged, formed the cultivation hand seals, and slowly closed his eyes again.
The morning is the best time of day, and this was not an empty saying. Over the past few years, he had noticed that the speed of cultivation in the morning was several times faster than at other times.
He couldn't rush into the Magical Beast Mountain Range. To be safe, Chen Xiao planned to team up with the town's mercenaries a few times first, accumulating experience while also familiarizing himself with the terrain on the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
Then, he would act alone to search for the cave.
The cultivation of Dou Qi continued for an hour.
The morning sun's rays filtered through the gaps in the window sill, casting dappled light on the ground.
Chen Xiao slowly opened his eyes and finished his cultivation. The hand seals in his grasp dissipated, and a faint blue cold mist was exhaled from his mouth.
"At this rate, it will take another half a month to break through to Nine Star Dou Zhe. Future breakthroughs will also take longer and longer."
He murmured, gazing in the direction of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
What can dispel worries? Only sudden wealth!
The wealth in that cave was his reliance to change his current situation!
Leaping down from the bed, Chen Xiao practiced the Yan Return Strike once more to loosen his muscles and bones. Only then did he wash up and tidy himself, getting up to leave the inn.
On the street.
Some mercenaries intending to enter the mountains today were already shouting to form teams. There were also some employers standing on high ground recruiting mercenaries.
"Hunting four second-tier Magical Beasts, Fire Foxes. Those above Six Star Dou Zhe look this way. The reward is generous, and if the job is done well, there will be extra rewards."
"Hunting Azure Wood Wolves, need two Dou Zhe above Four Star."
"Searching for Serpent Spirit Purple Fruit, experienced individuals prioritized."
"..."
-----------
This high quality machine translation is powered by: https:// randomtranslator.com/
To read the full translation, as well as more than 444+ fanfic and original translations or request new translations, check out: https:// randomtranslator.com/
You can also join the RandomTranslator community on Discord to connect with other readers: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua
-----------