"Mu Li? So it was that guy!" Goku rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then gave Niu a pat on the shoulder before returning to Xiao Yixian's side. Niu blinked in confusion, shook his head, and rejoined his team, scanning the surroundings warily.
Seeing Mu Li fawning all over Xiao Yixian, Goku instantly felt annoyed. He strolled over casually and plopped down right next to her, bumping Mu Li aside without hesitation.
"This is my spot. Don't cross the line," he said calmly.
"You—!" Mu Li's face turned a deep shade of purple in anger. He was about to lash out when Xiao Yixian suddenly let out a chuckle, unable to hold back her laughter at the scene. Mu Li froze, then glared viciously at Goku before snorting coldly and walking away. On the way, he muttered something to a nearby mercenary under his breath.
"He's the vice-captain of the Wolfhead Mercenary Group. If you treat him like that, you might cause trouble for yourself," Xiao Yixian said, glancing at Goku with a hint of concern.
Goku just waved her off with a relaxed smile. "It's fine. He's just a blowhard—probably the kind who gets himself killed first. Not worth taking seriously."
Suddenly, a miserable, blood-curdling scream rang out from the crowd of mercenaries. Everyone immediately tensed up, drawing their blades and forming a protective circle around Goku and Xiao Yixian, their eyes sharp as they scanned the dense forest.
"What happened?" Niu and Mu Li rushed toward the scene.
"It's... it's a Fire Python! Everyone, be careful—it's a rank-2 magic beast!" someone in the crowd shouted in alarm.
A massive, fire-red python, as thick as a water barrel, had ambushed them. It had been lurking beneath a pile of dead leaves near a fallen tree, waiting for the mercenaries to pass by. Like lightning, it struck a straggler, swallowing half his body in a single bite before slithering rapidly into the forest.
Caught off guard, the mercenaries struck back with fury, launching Dou Qi slashes at the retreating python. But their attacks merely sparked off its scales, unable to inflict real damage. They could only watch helplessly as the beast vanished into the dense woods.
They were all just 2- or 3-star Dou zhe—far from strong enough to harm a rank-2 magic beast.
"Where do you think you're going?!" a furious roar echoed through the forest as Niu's massive figure leapt down from above, disappearing into the trees in a blur. Moments later, the sounds of battle and angry shouts rang out.
"Captain Niu's engaged the beast! Everyone, charge!" someone shouted.
The mercenaries surged into the forest. Before long, they caught sight of Niu—locked in fierce combat with the Fire Python, wielding his left arm alone. Despite that, he held his own. As a 9-star Dou zhe, he was still a formidable force, evenly matched against the low-rank-2 beast.
Seeing the mercenaries approaching, the python panicked. It spat out the half-digested mercenary and opened its mouth wide. A tongue of flame burst forth, igniting the forest instantly. Screams echoed as the flames scorched the area. Using the chaos, the python tried to escape deeper into the woods.
"Hmph. Hurt my people and think you can just walk away?" a cold voice rang out as two figures blocked the python's escape. Their blades glowed with Dou Qi as they slashed down together.
"It's a rank-2 beast! It must have a magic core—don't let it get away!" Mu Li shouted as he stepped out of the crowd, addressing the two fighters intercepting the python.
"HISSS!"
The python shrieked, realizing escape was impossible. With a whip of its tail, it smashed into the incoming attacks. Sparks exploded as blade met scale, and the python let out a tortured cry. Blood sprayed from its tail, sizzling as it hit the dry leaves and instantly burst into flame—evidence of the potent fire poison in its blood.
The two Dou zhe who blocked it weren't spared either. They were sent flying by the sheer force, crashing into trees and coughing up blood. They were only 1-star Dou zhe—no match for a rank 2 beast.
But the tide was about to turn.
Niu seized the opportunity and bellowed, "Bull Rush!"
With a roar, he formed a fist with his left hand and punched forward. A massive, bull-shaped phantom condensed from Dou Qi charged toward the python and slammed into it with tremendous force. Even though Niu had used his non-dominant arm, the power was still terrifying.
The python screeched in agony, its massive body flung through the air. It smashed into a giant tree, opening itself up to a barrage of attacks. The mercenaries seized the chance, unleashing their strongest techniques at its wounded tail. A rain of Dou Qi attacks followed—and within moments, the Fire Python was overwhelmed and slain, dying with a hateful hiss.
Mu Li stared at the battered corpse of the python and muttered irritably, "Seriously? You guys went way overboard! That was a perfectly good python skin—it's worthless now!"
Several mercenaries also looked regretful. That skin was worth a fortune, and they had just destroyed it. Still, the rank-2 magic core made up for the loss.
Niu reached into the beast's body and pulled out a glowing red magic core, smiling. "Heh, not bad at all. First step into the Magic Beast Mountain Range and we already got a magic core. Don't worry—I won't keep this for myself. We'll split the rewards and go buy some drinks later!"
Cheers erupted from the mercenaries. Only Mu Li's face remained gloomy. He had been planning to claim the core for himself, but with Niu declaring it a shared prize, that was now impossible. Even though the Wolfhead Mercenaries were strong, he knew better than to stir up resentment from a hundred other mercenary.
"Captain Niu, this guy's not gonna make it!" Two mercenaries carried over the man who had been half-swallowed. His body was scorched red, lips cracked, and skin blistering—clear signs of fire poison.
"Captain... Niu... please... kill me... it hurts... so much…" The mercenary's voice was hoarse and filled with anguish. His body convulsed, yet he stubbornly clung to life. The scene was too painful for many to bear.
Niu shouted, "What are you standing around for? Go get Goku and doctor Xiao Yixian!"
"R-right! I'm going now!" A mercenary squeezed through the crowd, rushing to find them.
"No need—we're already here," Goku said as he and Xiao Yixian walked over. The crowd quickly made way for them.
"Miss Xiao Yixian, please—see if this man can be saved," Mu Li said with exaggerated sincerity, stepping aside for her while blatantly ignoring Goku.
Xiao Yixian examined the wounded man and shook her head helplessly. "The fire poison has already reached his internal organs and spread through his body. I… I can't save him." She looked at Goku, eyes full of hope. "Goku, can you do anything?"
"If the lady requests it, how can I say no?" Goku grinned and stepped forward, once again bumping Mu Li out of the way. "Move it. Don't block the healer."
"You...!" Mu Li's face turned beet red with rage, but before he could explode, Niu shot him a warning look. Gritting his teeth, Mu Li forced himself to swallow his anger. He couldn't win against Niu—hell, even his old man wasn't Niu's match.
The other mercenaries, meanwhile, silently gave Goku a thumbs-up. No one liked Mu Li. That guy strutted around with his nose in the air, always pestering Xiao Yixian. If not for his father's influence, he would've been taught a lesson long ago.
Ignoring Mu Li completely, Goku squatted down and extended a finger. A translucent orb of energy formed at his fingertip. He gently pressed it against the injured mercenary's chest. Instantly, streams of fiery toxins were drawn into the orb, visibly sucked out as the man's body cooled and his scorched skin gradually returned to normal.
Everyone stood frozen in disbelief at the miraculous sight.
Goku casually flicked the energy orb—now glowing bright red and saturated with fire poison—onto the ground. The moment it landed, the earth sizzled and hissed, forming a charred crater where it hit.
"Well, that's that," he said, clapping his hands and standing up. He gave Xiao Yixian a smile. "I'll leave the rest to you."
Xiao Yixian quickly knelt beside the wounded mercenary to check on him. Her eyes widened in astonishment as she examined his condition.
"You… you actually removed all the fire poison. There's not even a trace left! This is unbelievable—absolutely unheard of! Goku, how did you do that? You're amazing!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with genuine admiration.
The surrounding mercenaries, after recovering from their shock, began to look at Goku with newfound respect. They had all realized the same thing—if you could get on Goku's good side, you might just walk away alive from even the deadliest situations.
Xiao Yixian glanced up at the sky, then handed a small stack of illustrated pages to Niu. "Brother Niu, these are the herbs we're looking for. Pass them out and have everyone start searching."
Niu nodded and turned to the mercenaries. "Alright, everyone! These pictures show the herbs we need. Split up into groups and start searching the area!"
The mercenaries immediately gathered around, studying the diagrams and forming search parties. With the forest stretching endlessly in all directions, they quickly fanned out, each group heading in a different direction to begin the hunt.
Meanwhile, Goku walked up beside Niu and chuckled. "You really went all out just to find a few herbs. Hired a whole hundred mercenaries?"
Niu gave a wry smile. "Didn't have much of a choice. Even the Ten Thousand Medicine hall is out of these herbs. I had to make a move. I only have one brother left—I'm not about to let anything happen to him."
"Hah, fair enough," Goku said, clapping Niu on the shoulder. "With this many people, I'm sure we'll find them."
He then turned to Xiao Yixian and said, "Come on, let's check over that way."
"Mm." She nodded, and the two headed off into the forest together.
Niu watched them go. At first, he was tempted to follow and provide backup, but judging by Goku's demeanor, it was obvious the guy just wanted to spend time alone with Xiao Yixian. Niu sighed, then called out behind them, "Don't stray too far from the group! The Magic Beast Mountain Range isn't exactly a safe place!"
Goku simply waved a hand without turning around, clearly not concerned. With his strength, even the deeper parts of the range posed no threat.
---
Under the shade of an ancient tree in the distance, Mu Li watched the two figures walk off, his face clouded with jealousy and malice.
"Hmph. If you'd just stayed with the group, I might not have been able to do anything to you… but now… You want to go wandering off into the woods? Perfect," he muttered coldly. "And that bitch Xiao Yixian too. Playing so high and mighty. Just wait—I'll make sure both of you regret it."
He motioned to several members of the Wolfhead Mercenaries behind him. They made a show of searching for herbs while gradually slipping away into a darker, denser part of the forest.
---
"Wow! Look over there—a Violet Profusion Flower!" Xiao Yixian cried out in delight. Her eyes sparkled as she pointed to a small violet blossom blooming from the edge of a hollow in a towering tree.
Violet Profusion Flowers were classified as Grade-2 medicinal herbs. They only bloomed on ancient trees over a hundred years old and had no fixed flowering season. What made them rare was that their blossoms only lasted for an hour before wilting. Spotting one in full bloom was extremely lucky.
Overcome with excitement, Xiao Yixian immediately stepped forward, eager to climb the tree and pick the flower.
"Wait!" Goku reached out and stopped her. He had sensed something unusual—there was a magical presence inside the hollow. From its energy, it seemed to be a rank-2 beast.
Xiao Yixian paused and looked at him. Seeing the seriousness in his expression, she instantly understood. It was common knowledge that rare herbs were often guarded by spirit beasts.
She stuck out her tongue playfully. "I got too excited. Want to test it first?"
"No need. It's definitely a rank-2 beast, but nothing worth worrying about," Goku replied casually. "I'll go."
"A rank-2 beast? Are you sure you'll be alright?" Xiao Yixian asked, startled.
"It's just a rank-2. Nothing to be afraid of," Goku said with a grin.
He leapt upward, grabbing the edge of the hollow with one hand. With a swift motion, his other hand plucked the Violet Profusion Flower. He gave Xiao Yixian a thumbs-up—just as a sudden whoosh of wind cut through the air.
"Goku, look out!" Xiao Yixian cried in alarm.
From inside the tree hollow, a gray blur shot out like lightning—a beast the size of a squirrel, its claws flashing with deadly cold light, aiming directly for Goku's neck.
"Oh? A sneak attack? You've got guts," Goku said calmly.
Without even turning his body, he flicked his fingers lightly. With a loud pop, the beast flew backward as if it had run headlong into a wall. It screamed, a shrill "screech" echoing through the forest, and its small frame smashed through a tree before crashing to the ground with a dull thud, creating a ten-meter-wide crater.
Its skull was grotesquely swollen, blood pouring from its mouth and nose. It was dead.
"That's... a Breathless Squirrel! It's said to be able to completely mask its presence—a rank-2 mid-grade beast! How did you even sense it? And you killed it… just like that?" Xiao Yixian was stunned, staring at Goku as if seeing him for the first time.
A rank-2 mid-grade beast was no joke, and yet Goku had ended it with a single flick of his finger.
To achieve that level of power… he had to be at least a Dou Ling—and he looked no older than seventeen or eighteen!
Goku casually dug out the beast's magic core and handed it, along with the Violet Profusion Flower, to Xiao Yixian. "Here. For you."
___
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