Chapter 90

The forces opposing Qingfeng in Qingzhen Town were purged by Xiao Ding, Xiao Zhan personally stepped forward, establishing a link between Wutan City and Qingzhen Town, and the Xiao family's influence expanded further.

At night, Xiao Ding sat somewhat wearily in a chair, the cold light of the sword at his waist flickering; today he had killed many, though they were only minor figures, it still drained some of his energy.

"Captain, Qingzhen Town is basically under control; the town mayor has stepped down and recommended you to the superiors as the next town mayor."

Hearing the subordinate's report, Xiao Ding nodded; the town mayor's position was as good as his, after all the Xiao family was pulling strings behind the scenes, Xiao Zhan, now an Eight-star Great Fighter Master, had successfully become the lord of Wutan City, and with his help, becoming the mayor of a small town like Qingzhen was a sure thing.

"Captain... Qingzhen Town, a small town on the edge of the Magic Beast Mountain Range, still bears the responsibility of scouting and resisting beast tides; we..."

The team member hesitated a little; this job wasn't easy, the Magic Beast Mountain Range was huge, containing fifth- and sixth-rank magic beasts, and if they charged toward Qingzhen Town, they would be the first to be wiped out.

And the town mayor's duty was to prevent beast tides, which also meant their mercenary corps was trapped in Qingzhen Town, no longer as free as before; if they were found to have retreated before the beast tide, losing their position would be trivial, and they might even lose their lives.

Xiao Ding shook his head slightly, "You don't need to worry about this; even if something goes wrong, it's my Xiao Ding's affair, and in a situation where we can't match the enemy, you should just leave first."

"Captain, I didn't mean it that way..." the team member exclaimed anxiously; everyone had willingly moved from Shimo Cheng to Qingzhen Town, how could they abandon the captain when danger arose?

Xiao Ding smiled, "It's fine, I know what you mean; as long as the green mountains remain, there's no need to worry about firewood, and even if Qingzhen Town is breached, I'll be unharmed."

Xiao Ding understood that he had Xiao Li, a monstrous younger brother; as long as his power and cultivation were revealed, even the Jia Ma Empire's royal family would give him some face, and at that point, preserving his life would be most important.

The team member withdrew, and Xiao Ding fell into a deep sleep.

At dawn, Xiao Ding went into the mountains alone early in the morning, leaving the second-in-command of the group to manage the mercenary corps' affairs.

The reason Xiao Ding entered the mountains was naturally to hunt magic beasts and refine Blood Pills.

……

With a casual flick, Xiao Ding killed a first-rank magic beast and tossed its corpse into the Blood Furnace.

In just a dozen seconds, a Blood Pill formed in the Blood Furnace; Xiao Ding skillfully took it out and swallowed it in one gulp, the pure blood energy entering his dantian, causing the green battle qi vortex to grow even stronger.

Xiao Ding's perception was keen; upon sensing a trace of impurity accumulating in his body, he couldn't help but frown slightly—this absorption technique was good, but the refined Blood Pill was almost a substitute for medicinal pills.

But all medicinal pills have side effects, let alone Blood Pills; if he kept consuming them like this, his limit would likely be the Fighting King level.

However, Xiao Ding then gave a self-deprecating smile; if he relied solely on his own cultivation, he'd probably only reach around Fighter Spirit, so achieving Fighting King was nothing to complain about.

Thinking thus, Xiao Ding charged again into a cave emitting a weak aura, and in a few moves he eliminated a family of second-rank Rock Bear magic beasts.

He placed the three corpses into the Blood Furnace, flicked the blood from his long sword, and prepared to venture deeper into the Magic Beast Mountain Range; relying on this fighting-to-sustain-fighting approach, he should soon be able to break through again.

Within the mountain range, gazing at the trees growing ever darker, Xiao Ding's eyes swept over them.

"The trees here are somewhat strange, just like..."

His palm pressed firmly against the tree, Xiao Ding couldn't help but feel strange.

"It's as if invaded by deathly energy, yet without dying, as if vitality and deathly energy had merged together."

Xiao Ding possessed wood-attribute battle qi, making him naturally sensitive to the forest's aura and quite familiar with it, yet precisely because of that he found it strange.

Trees symbolize vitality, and should clash with deathly energy, so how could they merge?

But one thing is certain: many people must have died here, and the emanating deathly energy is what affects such a vast forest.

Gazing at the pitch-black forest stretching out of sight around him, Xiao Ding reached a conclusion in his heart.

And the fact that many died also meant that this place likely left behind many good things.

Xiao Ding originally had no intention of entering, after all he currently lacked nothing.

But at the very moment he turned to leave, Xiao Ding suddenly thought of Xiao Li and Xiao Yan.

He took out a slip of paper from his storage ring.

"In one and a half years, we'll meet at the Cloud Mist Sect..."

Silently reciting those words, Xiao Ding pressed his lips tightly together.

"I am the eldest brother; what's the deal with the younger brothers?"

Xiao Ding understood that he had already been left far behind by his two younger brothers; Xiao Yan, five years his junior, had caught up to his cultivation progress, and perhaps... taking a risky path was the only way to keep up with his two brothers' strides.

Xiao Ding made up his mind; he didn't want to keep being taken care of by his two younger brothers forever, and as the eldest brother, he had his own pride.

He stepped forward, and Xiao Ding resolutely chose to enter the area of the pitch-black forest.

As he went deeper, the trees' color turned almost completely black, yet strangely they remained alive, and the internal deathly energy grew even more vigorous, as if they were growing by absorbing deathly energy.

Xiao Ding placed his long sword horizontally across his chest, preparing to face any danger that might arise at any moment.

His sword swept aside the dark bushes blocking his view, and the scene before him nearly made him suck in a breath of cold air.

A swamp, white bones scattered everywhere, and the reason they hadn't sunk in the swamp was simple.

The bones here were too many, having completely filled the swamp.

This shows how many people died, and moreover, at a glance one could tell these white bones had been dead for a very long time.

Tattered clothing hung from the trees, other colors standing out starkly in this pitch-black place; Xiao Ding, having seen much over the years, recognized the insignia at a glance.

Depicting two centipedes, it was clearly the insignia of the Poison Masters of the Chuyun Empire; it appeared this place was where the two nations fought, and the Jia Ma Empire discarded corpses here.

Thinking of this, a hint of helplessness flashed in Xiao Ding's eyes; it seemed there was nothing good left here, and the belongings on those enemies' bodies had likely been thoroughly looted by those who dumped the corpses.

Just as he was about to leave, Xiao Ding suddenly slashed his sword toward the lake surface; sword qi tore open the swamp, and a vine split into two ends, writhing painfully in the swamp.

"Carrion Ghost Wood!"

Xiao Ding silently thought, "Not good"; these things are gregarious, specifically growing in places heavy with deathly energy.

Looking back, a profusion of Carrion Ghost Wood had already blocked the path back.

Xiao Ding's face darkened; these things actually knew how to lure one into a trap—today was likely to be a fierce battle.

Fortunately, these things were at most equivalent to first-rank magic beasts, not difficult to deal with.

"Hundred Poison Wood Spikes!"

The sharp sword qi wave swept away the Carrion Ghost Wood nearby; Xiao Ding dared not linger, and with a thought he placed the Carrion Ghost Wood corpses into the Blood Furnace, then instantly used Wood Shadow Escape to flash toward the distance.

A gleaming green light suddenly appeared, and Xiao Ding hastily glanced back...

Thanks to the tip from reader 20220924234917235, thanks to the tip from those who spent points to read the book.

Thanks for the support, everyone; I've been really busy lately and haven't had time to check comments. If you have any suggestions, you can look at the group mentioned in the introduction—free to join.

(End of chapter)