When the beast charged forward, Xiao Rou nearly despaired.Her small body trembled, and she closed her eyes, resigned to her fate.Is this how I die? Will it be painful when those claws grab me?...Hmm?So light... Is this what death feels like? No, wait...
Confused, Xiao Rou slowly opened her tightly closed eyes.Through the slits of her eyelids, she saw a thin figure appear in front of her, wrapped in that familiar tattered quilt, and miraculously managed to block the beast's gigantic claw.
Xiao Rou froze in shock.This... This is impossible!He actually blocked such a massive beast, yet he was clearly injured...
In that moment, the image of Xu Que, drenched in blood when she first saw him on the mountain yesterday, flashed through her mind. And now, despite the danger, he had rushed out to save her.Xiao Rou's nose suddenly became stuffy, and tears welled up in her eyes.
The villagers, who had been watching in stunned silence, were now deeply shaken. The moment Xu Que rushed out, most didn't react in time.But when they saw his frail figure manage to block the beast, they were deeply impressed.How could someone with injuries like his possibly stop such a fierce beast? How did he do it?
"Roar!"At that moment, the beast let out an enraged roar, snapping everyone back to reality.Its massive claw was raised high, and with a gust of wind, it came crashing down.
The villagers' faces turned pale, and they screamed,"Not good! Retreat!""Little one, get back!""Be careful..."
Xiao Rou was also terrified, her face losing color. She reached out her small hand to pull Xu Que back, only to find that she couldn't move him.Xu Que's fragile body, standing before such a massive beast, made the difference between strength and weakness painfully clear.Even though he had blocked one strike, no one believed he could fight the beast on his own.
But just then, Xu Que, who had remained motionless until now, suddenly lifted his right leg and kicked the beast with all his might."Boom!"A loud sound rang out, and everyone stood dumbfounded as the giant beast was actually sent flying, crashing to the ground and sliding several meters away.
The villagers were in shock.A single kick... He kicked the beast away? What kind of leg technique was that? What kind of strength did he have?
"Ding! Congratulations, host 'Xu Que,' for performing an invisible show-off, earning 3 Show-off Points.""Ding! Congratulations, host 'Xu Que,' for performing an invisible show-off, earning 5 Show-off Points."
The system's notifications kept ringing, but Xu Que barely noticed. He had one purpose in mind: to save Xiao Rou.The kick he had just delivered was fueled by the five attributes of spiritual energy in his body, which combined and erupted all at once.However, in the next moment, Xu Que felt his leg become slightly numb.Clearly, the beast wasn't weak, and its thick hide hadn't been pierced by a single kick.
"Don't worry, folks! Leave this beast to me!"Xu Que shouted and leapt toward the beast, slamming its head into the ground before immediately starting to punch and kick.Each punch and kick contained spiritual energy, causing the beast to howl in pain.
The villagers were still in a daze, staring at the scene.Such a massive, fierce beast was being beaten senseless with no ability to fight back.It felt like watching a strong, burly man being pinned down and beaten by a toddler. Everyone was stunned.
"Ding! Congratulations, host 'Xu Que,' for killing the Tiger Ox Beast and performing an incredible show-off, earning 6 Show-off Points.""Ding! Congratulations, host 'Xu Que,' for killing the Tiger Ox Beast, earning 1,200 experience."
"Whoosh!"With the system's notifications, Xu Que finally let out a breath of relief.He collapsed on the now motionless beast, feeling a surge of power rush through his body. His pores opened, and spiritual energy from all directions rushed into him, filling his body.He could feel himself growing stronger.
"Ding! Congratulations, host 'Xu Que,' for leveling up. Current realm: Foundation Establishment Stage 1.""Ding! Congratulations, host 'Xu Que,' for entering the Foundation Establishment Stage. You have received the 'Growth Pack.' Each time you level up, you can open it. Would you like to view it?""Ding! Reminder: Your cultivation method, 'Ancient Five Elements Art,' has reached its peak. It cannot be further cultivated. The remaining 200 experience points have been stored in the experience pool. Please obtain the Intermediate Volume soon."
Xu Que was astonished. A single beast gave him over a thousand experience points?Damn, this is way more profitable than using experience pills! Looks like I need to go hunting in the mountains more often.
As he pondered, Xu Que prepared to open the Growth Pack, but suddenly felt a strange sensation—like his body was being emptied... No, wait. It felt like someone had suddenly picked him up.When he looked around, he realized that the villagers were lifting him up.Their faces were filled with not only surprise but also joy.They started cheering and tossing Xu Que into the air, catching him and throwing him up again, celebrating the defeat of the beast.
An elderly man trembled as he shouted, "Good, good, good! A hero is born young!""Little brother, you have the strength of a god! You'll have great accomplishments in the future!""That's right! The village chief is right. Little brother is a hero, a blessing sent by the heavens!"
The villagers cheered, and their address for Xu Que shifted from "little guy" to "little brother."Xu Que, unashamed, proudly bragged, "You flatter me. I'll deal with as many beasts as come. Bring them on!"
"Smack!"Xu Que was tossed into the air again, but this time, he felt a chill as the quilt he had been wrapped in vanished. Looking around, he realized a few mischievous children were responsible.He quickly covered his chest and shouted, "Everyone, close your eyes!"
The villagers froze, staring at the now-naked Xu Que. Some of the women blushed and turned their heads away.Xiao Rou, too, was startled. She was about to cover her eyes, but when she glanced at Xu Que's red cloth around his waist, she froze.That red cloth... it looks so familiar.The embroidery on it... it looks just like...Ah...
Xiao Rou quickly put her hands over her mouth, blushing deeply, and ran off, red-faced and flustered.
Xu Que, feeling a bit embarrassed, was finally lowered back to the ground.A strong man grabbed the quilt from the children and wrapped it around Xu Que, advising him to be careful not to catch a cold.The village chief, leaning on his cane, instructed someone to fetch some clothes.
And just then, Xiao Rou returned, holding a set of light blue coarse cloth clothes. Her head was lowered, and her face was flushed as she silently handed them to Xu Que before quickly running off again.
Xu Que accepted the clothes, but was puzzled by Xiao Rou's shy behavior.Could it be that my performance was so impressive that the little girl's heart has been moved? Oh dear! This... this is a bit embarrassing!Looks like I'll have to keep showing off more in the future.
Just as Xu Que was inwardly pleased, a woman suddenly pointed at the red cloth around his waist and exclaimed, "That... That's the bellyband I embroidered for Xiao Rou! Little brother, why are you wearing it?"