Chapter 10

Although the Great Suction Technique might be useless for Xiao Yan who has Yao Lao, for Xiao Li it is a great thing that saves time and yields a large amount of resources.

The only thing to note is that one must not seek quick gains; one must minimize the effects of the Blood Pill, discard its dross, otherwise if too many impurities are absorbed, not to mention fighting above one's level, even breaking through becomes a problem.

"Using my body to nourish the Blood Furnace… Forget it, first go fetch the Little Medicine Immortal back."

Xiao Li decided to temporarily reside in this valley and focus on his cultivation.

Feeling the gathering of heaven and earth's energy, Xiao Li calmed his mind, transforming the drawn-in energy into a trickle that flowed slowly along his meridians, nourishing the Battle Qi vortex within his body.

Time flowed, his cultivation gradually rose, condensing the Blood Furnace, slaying magic beasts, taking Bloodsucking Pills…

……One year later

Xiao Zhan gazed at the distant Azure Mountain Town, hesitating for a moment, pondering how to pretend to bump into Xiao Li without seeming too deliberate.

"This brat, not coming home for a year to have a look; next year is your coming-of-age ceremony, and the enrollment at Canaan Academy is also coming up. If Yan'er were to see you now, he probably wouldn't feel too sad either."

Xiao Zhan thought of his talentless youngest son at home, a pang of heartache; how did the once fine Wutan City, in just a year, drop from Battle Practitioner to Battle Qi Rank Eight, and can no longer cultivate?

Thinking of his second son, Xiao Zhan temporarily suppressed those thoughts, and his mood improved a bit.

Walking on a small road in Azure Mountain Town, Xiao Zhan stopped a passerby.

"Excuse me, have you heard of a person named Xiao Li?"

Xiao Zhan was confident that, given his son's talent, staying in Azure Mountain Town for a year would undoubtedly make him a known monstrous genius.

The stopped passerby gave Xiao Zhan a strange look, "Xiao Li? Let me think… that youngster, a year ago he seemed to have been driven by the Wolfhead Mercenary Group deep into the Magic Beast Mountain Range; I was there at the time, those Wolfhead folks really… uh uh uh!"

Before the passerby could finish, Xiao Zhan's hands had already grabbed the passerby's shoulders, his voice trembling.

"What… what did you say?!"

Feeling the force of Xiao Zhan's hands, the passerby's face turned pale with pain, "Senior… senior, it was the Wolfhead Mercenary Group that drove Xiao Li into the Magic Beast Mountain Range; spare me, spare me!"

Xiao Zhan released his grip without a word; the passerby lost support, his legs went weak and he knelt on the ground.

"Where is the Wolfhead Mercenary Group?"

"Just go in that direction, senior."

The passerby knelt on the ground, gasping heavily, pointed a direction with trembling fear, and hurriedly shouted for mercy.

Xiao Zhan ignored him, only with a grim face he walked toward the Wolfhead Mercenary Group's territory.

Xiao Zhan has only three sons; his youngest son's Battle Qi cultivation regressed within a year, reducing him to an ordinary person, even… a good-for-nothing.

His second son possesses extraordinary talent, yet he is trapped deep in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, and moreover, he was forced there by others.

"Wolfhead Mercenary Group, you deserve to die!"

Xiao Zhan rushed all the way to the gate of the Wolfhead Mercenary Group's stronghold; the aura bursting forth along the way drew sideways glances, and the pressure of a Four-star Battle Master almost left weaker Battle Practitioners unable to breathe.

"Who is that? His aura is astonishingly formidable!"

"He seems to be heading for the Wolfhead Mercenary Group; with such a cold face, he must be seeking revenge, right?"

"Come on, let's go take a look."

Xiao Zhan walked on, a large crowd following behind him; he had no time to attend to them, for he now only wanted the so-called Wolfhead Mercenary Group to pay the price.

"Who… who are you?!"

The two mercenaries guarding the gate looked frightened; Xiao Zhan's aura washed over them, making it hard for them even to stand.

Xiao Zhan pressed his lips tightly, both hands lashing out, directly crushing their throats.

Seeing Xiao Zhan strike so ruthlessly, the wandering mercenaries behind him were startled, quickly stepping back to avoid collateral damage.

Xiao Zhan strode into the Wolfhead Mercenary Group's stronghold, killing anyone he saw, his eyes blood-red, appearing like a demon.

The Wolfhead Mercenary Group's stronghold is not large; a single road runs straight through it, with the mercenaries' training ground along the way, currently gathering all of the Wolfhead members.

Mu She slumped in the grand tutor's chair, watching the dozens of mercenaries below as they daydreamed about the glorious future of dominating Azure Mountain Town.

"Chief, chief, it's bad, someone's killed their way in!" a lackey hurried over to Mu She's side, his startled look making Mu She lift his head.

"What's there to panic about? In Qing Shan Town, who dares to oppose our Wolf Head? Is it someone from the Blood War Mercenary Group?"

Mu She stood up, his eyes icy cold.

"It's me, speak quickly, what did you do to my son Xiao Li!"

Xiao Zhan strode into the training ground, the wind-attributed battle qi swirling around him nearly kicking up all the dust in the arena.

Mu She's originally icy face turned to shock, "A Grand Battle Master expert!"

Gan Mu, standing beside Mu She, suddenly lifted his head, "Xiao Li!"

Gan Mu recalled that monstrous youth from a year ago, then looked at the middle-aged man standing at the training ground entrance; cold sweat poured out uncontrollably, the thing he had worried about most this past year finally came to pass.

That monstrous youth has powerful backing, and is far stronger than their Wolf Head!

Gan Mu's voice was noticed by Xiao Zhan, who looked at this sinister-eyed middle-aged man; Xiao Zhan's gaze was icy, "You know?"

"Speak, where is Xiao Li now!"

Xiao Zhan's hair stood on end with rage, a faint azure lion's head appearing on his face.

Profound Rank Intermediate Skill, Furious Lion Raging Gale!

"I, I don't know."

Gan Mu stammered, finding it difficult to utter a complete sentence.

Mu She recalled the youth that Gan Mu had told him about, wishing to slap him to death; his sloppy work had let the boy's family come looking for him.

Bracing himself, Mu She forced out, "Senior, senior, we don't know who Xiao Li is."

Xiao Zhan saw their appearance and knew it was nothing but guilt.

"Since you don't know, then all of you can die!"

Xiao Zhan clenched his fists, the strong wind pressure lifting the hair on Mu She's forehead, revealing a pair of frightened black eyes.

"Lion Mountain Splits!"

The Profound Rank Low-Level Battle Technique erupted at full power, the Furious Lion Leaves the Mountain, carrying an overwhelming might that even prevented Mu She from raising the thought of resistance.

Boom!

The sky-wide smoke and dust dispersed, the blood mist drifted away, Gan Mu looked with a pounding heart at the huge pit beside him; at this moment, the Solemn Snake had already vanished, leaving only flesh fragments scattered across the ground.

Trembling, he wiped the blood from his face, and Gan Mu fell to his knees with a thud.

"Spare me, senior! Spare me, senior! It was Xiao Li who entered the Magic Beast Mountain Range himself; we didn't force him!"

Xiao Zhan gazed at Gan Mu, who confessed without being tortured, his expression dim, his voice devoid of any emotion.

"You all, go die."

He waved both hands, an azure Battle Qi Armor appeared, wind blades filled the air, slicing the mercenaries of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group all around him until they were covered in wounds.

……

In the valley of the Magic Beast Mountain Range, Xiao Li let out a helpless smile.

"Xiao Yixian, this time the fish I made seems…"

"Huh?"

Xiao Luoli's eyes flashed with a dangerous light, giving the feeling that if Xiao Li misspoke a single word, he would unleash a slaughter.

"It's fine, it's fine, today's grilled fish is especially delicious, waa waa waa QAQ." Xiao Li wanted to cry but had no tears.

If I had known earlier not to give all the heavenly materials and earthly treasures to Xiao Yixian, and had not proposed the idea that if one couldn't be an alchemist, they could use food and medicinal ingredients to make medicinal cuisine, then the grilled fish now wouldn't have a bitter taste.

He glanced at Xiao Yixian's somewhat tattered dress, and Xiao Li pressed his lips together.

"After we finish eating, let's leave the mountain."

Xiao Yixian froze, then immediately broke into a smile: "Great! Finally we can leave the mountain!"

Looking at the girl's bright smile, Xiao Li chuckled; truly adorable.

Now Xiao Li and Xiao Yixian are in the period of growing taller; in a year they've grown five or six centimeters. Not to mention whether their clothes would still fit after a year of scrambling around the mountains, just the tight feeling from growing makes Xiao Li somewhat unable to bear it.

"Mm, I'll go buy you new clothes, and take revenge while I'm at it."

(End of chapter)