Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Who Ever You Want to Kill Just Kill Them.
"Roar!"
"Boom!"
On the slopes of Mount Shunan, a magical beast with the head of a crocodile and the body of a dragon let out an unwilling roar.
Before it could finish, a young boy punched it square on the head, slamming its entire skull into the ground.
[You have defeated the Crocodragon. Strength +5, Vitality +7, Beast Intimidation +2.]
Xu Ming stood atop the beast's head, straightened his back, and let out a long breath.
On the other sides, Li Han and Xiong Haizhi had each taken down a beast as well.
In comparison, Guang Yin was trembling uncontrollably behind a tree.
"Hey, Xiao Guang, can you tell me how you even made it through the selection process? Don't tell me you really sold your ass to the examiners," Li Han said, exasperated.
Earlier, the group had been ambushed by three magical beasts.
When one of the Crocodragons lunged at Guang Yin, he had collapsed to the ground, frozen in fear, completely useless.
It was only thanks to Xu Ming, who had thrown Guang Yin out of harm's way, that he managed to engage the Crocodragon himself.
"I… I…" Guang Yin stammered, his face flushed red with shame.
Truthfully, Guang Yin wanted to help. But every time he faced these terrifying beasts, his body would refuse to obey him.
"Forget it. Let's keep moving. It's not like Guang Yin's cowardice is anything new," Xu Ming said, pulling out the map. After a glance, he added, "We're not far from the Thunderstorm Bear's lair."
"Guang Yin, when the fighting starts, just find a safe spot to hide. Don't expect us to look after you," Xiong Haizhi said with a hint of frustration.
He couldn't help but feel resentful.
Normally, Guang Yin's fearfulness was annoying but tolerable. But in situations like this, every missing combatant meant increased danger for the rest of them.
To make matters worse, Guang Yin could easily become a liability. They couldn't leave him behind either; with the mountain crawling with magical beasts, he'd probably become monster chow before they returned.
"Alright, let's move. Let's try to get back to Xinpíng County before nightfall," Xu Ming said, cutting Xiong Haizhi off mid-rant.
"Complaining now isn't going to help. Let's focus on finishing the mission."
"Let's go," Wu Yanhan said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and striding toward the mountain. The rest of the group followed.
As they climbed, they cautiously observed their surroundings.
"Wait!"
Suddenly, Li Han whispered and stretched out his arm to stop Xiong Haizhi.
"What's wrong?" Xiong Haizhi asked, instantly alert.
"Step back," Li Han said seriously.
Xiong Haizhi took a step back.
Then, with a gleeful expression that could rival a pervert's, Li Han crouched down and picked up a single coin from beneath Xiong Haizhi's foot. He wiped it on his clothes and slipped it into his pouch.
"You…" Xiong Haizhi was speechless and slapped Li Han on the back of his head. "You scared the crap out of me over a single coin!"
Li Han didn't get angry. He just chuckled cheerfully. "It's a coin, man!"
"May greed be the death of you," Xiong Haizhi muttered with a sigh.
What kind of teammates were these?
One was cowardly beyond belief.
The other was obsessed with money.
Xiong Haizhi just couldn't understand it.
The Blood Asura Battalion earned five times the salary of any other military unit in the Wu Kingdom. Their living expenses, training, and resources were all covered by the army. Did Li Han really need the money that badly?
Li Han was notoriously stingy—so much so that he'd split a single copper coin into five pieces if he could. Back when they arrived at Xinping County, this guy even refused to order beef with his beef noodles, opting for just the noodles instead.
Xiong Haizhi could never understand why he saved so much money.
"Everyone, focus. We're almost there," Xu Ming reminded them.
Hearing his words, Xiong Haizhi and Li Han quickly set aside their idle thoughts.
By noon, the five of them had arrived at the peach grove marked on the map.
If all went as expected, there would be a cave about 500 meters ahead. That's where the Thunderstorm Bear lived.
As they drew closer, the smell of bear dung wafting in on the breeze grew stronger.
Magical beasts would often defecate around their territory as a warning to potential intruders.
When they reached the clearing in front of the cave, they could hear the heavy snores of the Thunderstorm Bear coming from within.
Xu Ming smeared some of the bear dung on himself.
The others understood his intentions and followed suit, rubbing the dung onto themselves.
Once done, they all turned to Wu Yanhan, who stood still, clearly reluctant.
Wu Yanhan's brows twitched; his disgust was plain to see.
"Brother Wu, don't be squeamish. Come on, we're all men here. We'll just wash up somewhere afterward. Even Xiao Yin, who's the most delicate among us, has already smeared it on," Li Han said.
"You're implying I'm worse than even a delicate guy like him?" Wu Yanhan's brows furrowed.
"No, no, I didn't mean that!" Li Han quickly took two steps back, fearing a punch might come his way.
"Hmph." Wu Yanhan snorted coldly. Though clearly unwilling, he still smeared the dung on himself.
"Let's go," Xu Ming said. "Guang Yin, stay by the cave entrance. Don't come inside. If the bear wakes up, we can't protect you."
"Ah? Oh, alright…"
Though Guangyin wanted to help, he knew he'd only be a liability inside.
The four of them entered the cave. As they went deeper, the sound of the Thunderstorm Bear's snores grew louder.
The cave was littered with the remains of animals and magical beasts, as well as numerous human skulls.
Finally, they reached the inner chamber, where a massive bear lay sleeping. Roughly five meters tall, it sprawled across the ground.
The group exchanged glances, nodded, and took a deep breath. Then, with a leap, they each used all their strength to strike at the bear's head.
Even though it was a Tier-4 magical beast, they were confident they could kill it with one blow!
"Cough, cough... Young friends, this is quite improper."
Just as they were about to land their attack, a voice rang out from beneath the bear.
To their shock, a man was hidden in the Thunderstorm Bear's fur!
---
At the Thousand Caves Peak of the Wanjian Sect.
The sect master, Jiang Luoyu, walked through a curtain of water into a secluded cave.
At the very bottom of the cave sat a young girl, motionless on a cold stone.
In front of her hovered her life-bound flying sword, Qingming, its edge already sharpened.
"Xuenuo," Jiang Luoyu called softly.
The girl on the stone slowly opened her eyes. "Master."
"Go to Xinping County," Jiang Luoyu said.
"Xinping County?"
"Mm." Jiang Luoyu nodded. "It's time for you to test your sword."
Xu Xuenuo tilted her head slightly. "Who should I test it on?"
Jiang Luoyu walked forward and gently ruffled Xu Xuenuo's hair. "Once you're there, kill whomever you wish."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone