The mountain forest under the dark night was too quiet. The cicadas, the roars of beasts... all seemed to have vanished without a trace. Only the birds occasionally startled in the forest suggested that this vast mountain range was not so peaceful.
Through the interwoven trees, the faint moonlight sprinkled down through the gaps.
By the bonfire, Zhao Li held a wooden stick idly, poking at the fire from time to time. The rustling sound never stopped.
It had been half a month since they entered the Myriad Beast Mountain Range. Zhao Li had completely changed from his initial anticipation and curiosity to being indifferent, focused, and vigilant...
In the past half month, Zhao Li had experienced countless battles, both big and small. Although they were only first and second-tier Magical Beasts, they still kept Zhao Li's nerves tense and left him very tired.
"Teacher, these past few days, we've been going deeper into the Myriad Beast Mountain Range. We take Medicinal Ingredients when we find them, and we fight Magical Beasts when we encounter them. While I've made some progress, it's not as obvious as I imagined. How about you just casually give me a few Heaven-tier Dou Techniques to boost my combat power? Of course, I wouldn't mind Earth-tier Dou Techniques either."
Zhao Li looked at Lin Lan, who was resting with his eyes closed, and said with a playful smile.
Perhaps because he was holding back, his progress was indeed not as rapid as he had imagined. However, his fighting instincts had improved significantly.
"You brat, do you think Heaven-tier and Earth-tier Dou Techniques are like cabbages on the roadside, just casually giving you a few? You must not be careless in this mountain range full of Magical Beasts. We are currently only on the periphery of the Myriad Beast Mountain Range, where even second-tier Magical Beasts are rare. Let you adapt here for a while, then we will go deeper into the Myriad Beast Mountain Range."
Lin Lan scolded him with a smile, then became serious, reminding Zhao Li. However, his heart was not so calm.
Through observation during this time, Lin Lan found that his disciple's combat power seemed extremely unusual. If it weren't for his extremely shallow experience, these past few days would have been almost like playing.
Lin Lan pondered for a long time in his heart and finally asked Zhao Li about his true strength.
"Little Li, you have your own opportunities, and I won't pry. But your current Cultivation Level seems far beyond that of an ordinary Dou Master. I saw that you even had energy left over during combat. Your Breath Concealment Ability is so good that even I can't be sure of your true strength. Tell me honestly, what Realm are you at now? That way, I can arrange a better training plan. Otherwise, this training trip of ours might be a complete waste of time."
Seeing his teacher's serious expression, Zhao Li was a little unsure how to respond. Naturally, Zhao Li didn't disbelieve this old man who had treated him like a grandson since he was a child, but his situation was indeed a bit special.
Zhao Li pondered for a long time before saying, "Teacher, I had some opportunities, coupled with a solid foundation. After condensing my Qi Cyclone, I quickly broke through to Dou Master, and now I am at the Great Dou Master level. As for combat power, I don't know myself. I haven't fought with all my strength. It's just that for the Magical Beasts on the periphery of this mountain range, if I understand their habits and characteristics, I can deal with them with no difficulty."
Zhao Li wanted to become stronger as quickly as possible, so he naturally didn't want this training session to be ineffective. Moreover, he knew that this continent was vast, and true geniuses could even be Dou Kings or Dou Emperors in their teens. Some exceptionally gifted Magical Beasts were even above fourth-tier at birth. His teacher had seen at least the tip of the iceberg of this continent.
As expected, when Lin Lan heard Zhao Li's words, he was greatly surprised and secretly speculated, "Looking at this kid's vigorous vitality, it doesn't seem like he has practiced any evil art that overdraws his potential. Could it be that he awakened some Bloodline? It's only been about half a year since he became a Dou Disciple, and he's already a Great Dou Master?"
But Lin Lan quickly calmed down and said to Zhao Li seriously.
"Little Li, it's right for you to appropriately conceal your talent. Before you have truly powerful strength, don't be so sharp and reveal your despair-inducing talent, otherwise, it's very easy to invite disaster. The future training plan does need to be changed. This is a mask I obtained while traveling in the Central Plains when I was young. To be safe, wear it."
Lin Lan thought for a moment, took out a Human Skin Mask, and told Zhao Li to put it on.
Since he couldn't hide his Cultivation Level this time, he might as well disguise his age. Although Zhao Li had developed quickly due to his Cultivation Level, the youthful look on his face was quite noticeable.
Zhao Li didn't refuse, reaching out to take the mask. He didn't know what material it was made of; it was as thin as a cicada's wing and felt a little cold to the touch.
Zhao Li put the mask on his face, and it fit perfectly, instantly turning him into a young man of about twenty.
Lin Lan saw Zhao Li's drastic change and nodded with satisfaction. If Zhao Li was like a crane among chickens before, now he was at most one of the most conspicuous ones in a flock of cranes.
"You've been mature since you were young, making it easy for people to overlook your age. This current appearance can more or less serve as some cover. You've probably adapted to the survival methods in the Myriad Beast Mountain Range over the past half month. Tomorrow, we will continue to go deeper. Unless it's a life-or-death situation, I still won't intervene. Only under constant life-or-death pressure is it easier to tap into potential."
Zhao Li naturally understood these principles. In his previous life, there were many reports of people doing things beyond normal human comprehension under the pressure of survival.
"Teacher, don't worry. I won't court death by provoking high-level Magical Beasts."
"Okay, let's rest first." Lin Lan waved his hand indifferently.
The Beast Kings in this mountain range all had their own territories. As long as Zhao Li didn't court death, he didn't need to worry too much.
The next morning, the sun rose, and the mountain forest seemed to come alive as well.
Zhao Li found an open area, looked up at the sun, slightly distinguished the direction, and headed towards the place his teacher had indicated.
In the dense forest, several Magical Beasts galloped, kicking up a cloud of yellow dust and startling countless birds.
They were chasing a black-robed youth. The youth was not flustered, his movements were agile, and with a few leaps, he dodged the attacks of the Magical Beasts behind him.
While on the move, Zhao Li didn't forget the task his teacher had assigned him along the way – finding enough Medicinal Ingredients.
The reason this group of Magical Beasts was chasing him was naturally because Zhao Li had snatched the treasures they were guarding.
Surprisingly, because of the aura of these Magical Beasts behind him, there were far fewer Magical Beasts along the way, and it seemed even his speed of advancement had increased significantly. Zhao Li didn't kill them; he just led the Magical Beasts crashing through the forest, occasionally provoking a few more, increasing the size of the group behind him.
It's a good thing these Low Grade Magical Beasts have almost no intelligence and act purely on instinct. If a Beast King appeared to command them and a Beast Tide formed, then I would only be able to flee.
Zhao Li felt a slight sense of relief in his heart.
Suddenly, Zhao Li saw a flash of fire shoot up into the sky. His heart stirred. "This is a signal, there are people!"
Zhao Li stopped playing around, increased his speed, and quickly left the Magical Beasts behind. Only then did he head towards the signal.
Roars and growls of beasts echoed through the forest again.
Seeing a mountain in the distance, Zhao Li ran towards the firelight for a while before he could vaguely hear the sounds of fighting.
Zhao Li slowed down, concealed his aura, and slowly approached.
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