Manni and Tieshan were assigning people while looking around.
It was rare to come to the Central Region. The two remembered clearly that Xiao Feng had instructed them to scavenge as much as possible from everywhere except for those few specific areas.
"Hurry up! Faster, everyone get moving!"
Amidst their urging, more than seventy people split into over a dozen groups and spread out in all directions.
An hour later, everyone gathered back here.
Looking at the herb baskets filled to the brim on everyone's backs, Manni and Tieshan exchanged a glance, suppressing the joy in their hearts. "Withdraw!"
One hour was the time Xiao Feng had left for them. He could only hold out for an hour and a half at most, so one hour was the maximum time allotted to them.
When everyone had disappeared into the forest, Xiao Feng threw a punch at the Mountain Ape and laughed heartily. "We'll meet again in a few days!"
The Mountain Ape didn't realize that this group of people had passed right under its nose carrying large bags of items; otherwise, it wouldn't have let them return so easily.
That night, everyone was very excited and held a celebration. Many people ran over wanting to have a drink with the General Captain. Xiao Feng directly pulled Xiao Linger over to block the drinks for him. "You guys enjoy your drinks!"
Xiao Feng dodged and hid. Finally, when everyone was almost drunk, he found Manni. "Did you find anything?"
Manni shook her head slightly. Secret Realms weren't that easy to find. She had already dispatched six small teams to the corresponding areas—nearly half of their manpower—but they still came up empty-handed.
Xiao Feng nodded, not feeling disappointed. Regardless of whether the Secret Realm was found, he intended to enter the Central Region.
In the evening, he took a jar of wine and found the Mountain Ape.
"What do you want?" the Mountain Ape asked in a muffled voice.
"Come, have a drink." Xiao Feng handed the wine over.
The Mountain Ape set the wine aside and didn't drink it. It didn't dare gamble on whether Xiao Feng had poisoned it.
"Those medicinal herbs were dug up by the people you brought, weren't they?" the Mountain Ape asked in a low but still very loud voice.
Xiao Feng smiled. This big guy wasn't bad; having guessed this much, he could still remain so calm. He neither denied nor admitted it, directly changing the subject. "I've always had a question I can't figure out. Basically, Rank Two Demonic Beasts will awaken Innate Skills, and by Rank Three at the latest, they'll definitely have them. You seem to be a bit different."
The Mountain Ape held its head high. "Have you heard of the Battle Ape Clan?"
Xiao Feng shook his head.
The Mountain Ape looked proud, as if that was its glory.
Even though it was something it wouldn't want to mention in front of other Demonic Beasts, it spoke vividly in front of Xiao Feng.
"I don't know how long ago it was, but back then, this continent didn't just have Dou Qi. It was an era where a hundred flowers bloomed together. Dou Qi was just one of the Legacies, and not even particularly stunning. Later, because of the appearance of the Spirit Devouring Clan, the flowers withered one by one, until finally only the Dou Qi Legacy remained."
"No wonder..." Xiao Feng murmured to himself.
"Back then, there was the Body Cultivator Lineage. With palms supporting the heavens and feet treading the earth, they were among the most brilliant flowers. The Battle Ape lineage was their guardian Divine Beast. They campaigned across heaven and earth, and no one dared to stop them!"
The Mountain Ape looked up at the sky, its gaze full of yearning.
"And then?" Xiao Feng pressed.
The Mountain Ape shook its head. "Who knows what happened later?"
Xiao Feng gave the Mountain Ape a strange look, thinking: I just asked you a question, and you spun me this whole yarn. I thought you were the protagonist of the story, but then you say you don't know? Are you kidding me?
At this moment, the Mountain Ape spoke again. "Legend has it that the Battle Ape Clan does not Cultivate Innate Skills, but only has a powerful physique! No one in heaven or earth could stop them!"
"Then you Cultivate Dou Qi. Did they also Cultivate Dou Qi?" Xiao Feng asked with a squint.
The Mountain Ape's large head immediately dropped. It admitted it had gotten carried away.
"Alright, I'll look for you again in a few days. We'll have a good fight then." Xiao Feng stood up, preparing to leave.
"Wait." The Mountain Ape called out to him.
"What is it?" Xiao Feng asked.
"Although I've heard that your human cultivation speed is very fast, I still want to ask: is everyone as fast as you?"
"Haha, how is that possible? I've been popping pills this whole time." Xiao Feng shook his head.
"I take medicine too, but there's no obvious effect at all." The Mountain Ape was puzzled.
Xiao Feng looked the giant ape up and down. "That's different. We humans have Cultivation Techniques for Dou Qi, while you Demonic Beasts don't. That's the difference."
The Mountain Ape opened its mouth but said nothing more, watching Xiao Feng disappear into the forest.
On the way back, Xiao Feng was also pondering the Mountain Ape's words. Clearly, it was very interested in Cultivation Techniques. As for why it didn't bring it up in the end, that was unknown.
In the following time, besides cultivating and bathing, Xiao Feng began to borrow Cultivation Techniques and Dou Techniques from Manni and Tieshan. With nearly eighty people in the entire mercenary group, they brought out over two hundred types of Cultivation Techniques and Dou Techniques in total. After extensive research, the light in Xiao Feng's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
Cultivation Techniques and Dou Techniques—weren't they just this sort of thing?
"Xiao Linger, come to my room tonight," Xiao Feng instructed.
"No!" Xiao Linger held her head high, looking like she was asking for a beating.
"Oh, then Manni, you come," Xiao Feng said nonchalantly.
As soon as he spoke, Xiao Linger, Tieshan, and Manni's breathing hitched. The same thought rose in their hearts: Has this day finally come?
Tieshan turned pale as he saw Manni about to nod.
"I'll go!" Xiao Linger suddenly spoke up.
There was conflict and disgust on her face, but in her heart, she even less wanted anyone else to enter Xiao Feng's room.
Xiao Feng didn't care much about Xiao Linger's thoughts; instead, the expressions of Manni and Tieshan made him laugh.
"If you like her, go after her. It'll be too late to regret it if someone else sleeps with her one day," Xiao Feng teased.
Tieshan and Manni both blushed. Tieshan gulped down a mouthful of wine and said indistinctly, "Man... Manni, I... I..."
Manni lowered her head, her usual valiant posture completely gone. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and she was as motionless as a startled quail.
Xiao Linger craned her neck, watching with great interest from the side.
Xiao Feng pulled Xiao Linger away. "Someone's confessing, why are you butting in?"
That night, Xiao Linger arrived as scheduled.
She was dressed neatly, her hands clutching the hem of her clothes, looking at Xiao Feng fiercely. "If you dare to try anything, I'll chop off your claws!"
Xiao Feng, completely failing to understand Xiao Linger's logic, threw her onto the bed. "Sit still, focus your mind, and feel carefully!"
Before she could react, Xiao Linger received another slap.
Seeing Xiao Linger close her eyes, Xiao Feng placed his hand on her back. "Remember this path."
Xiao Feng used his Soul Power to trace a diagram within Xiao Linger's body, following the meridians to connect with the Dantian and form a closed circle.
This was a circulation path Xiao Feng had adjusted based on Xiao Linger's attributes, using a simplified version of his own Cultivation Technique as a blueprint.
"Try running it with a small amount of Dou Qi," Xiao Feng said.
Xiao Linger did as told, then looked at Xiao Feng after a moment. "There doesn't seem to be any change."
"Does it feel uncomfortable?"
Xiao Linger shook her head.
Xiao Feng took out a pre-prepared Gold-attribute Monster Core and placed it in Xiao Linger's palm. "Now try again?"
Xiao Linger closed her eyes again. Ten minutes later, when she opened them, her pupils were filled with shock.
She looked down at the Monster Core in her hand. The core, which was originally as magnificent as a diamond and as hard as steel, actually turned into dust and dissipated with a gentle squeeze.
Xiao Feng stood up, pacing back and forth, then came over and pinched Xiao Linger's mouth, saying, "This is a Rank One Demonic Beast's Monster Core. Its chaotic consciousness isn't too much, but you must be extremely careful with high-rank Monster Cores, or you'll lose yourself."
Xiao Linger struggled constantly, trying to break free from Xiao Feng's grip, making muffled noises, but it was in vain.
"If you remember, then nod," Xiao Feng said.
Xiao Linger struggled for a while longer before finally nodding dejectedly.
Xiao Feng let go. "Repeat what I just said."
"This Lady will fight you to the death!" Xiao Linger lunged at Xiao Feng.
Then she was pinned to the ground by a foot.
"Say it again, or I'll step on you until dawn."
Xiao Linger was unwilling, but she eventually repeated what Xiao Feng had just said.
Xiao Feng nodded and pulled her up from the ground. "Don't do anything else tonight; just remember what I taught you this time."
Xiao Linger glanced at him and left.
"Remember to come over tomorrow night," Xiao Feng shouted after her.
The next night, Xiao Linger came over.
Xiao Feng taught her another Dou Technique he had deduced, which channeled the surrounding Gold-attribute Dou Qi into a single point. It could explode or be transformed into a sharp weapon for attack, equivalent to a Profound Rank Elementary level.
In addition, there was an escape Dou Technique, a defensive Dou Technique, and a small booklet for preparing medicinal liquids.
"Are you leaving?"
Xiao Linger didn't leave. Her face was calm, and her voice was equally calm. She had specifically covered the left side of her face and was dressed in white, standing there prettily, as quiet as a maiden and strikingly beautiful.
Xiao Feng nodded. "I'm going into the Central Region. You stay here and Cultivate properly."
Xiao Linger suddenly became indignant. "No! Didn't we agree! We agreed to let me scout the way! Didn't we agree! We agreed! How can you... not keep your word..."
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, finally sinking into silence.
She pursed her lips tightly, clenched her fists, and stared fiercely at Xiao Feng, with even a hint of killing intent surging in her eyes.
"When I'm not around, if anyone bullies you, go to the Xiao Family in Wutan City."
Xiao Feng gave Xiao Linger a gentle smile and reached out to pat her head, but she slapped his hand away.
"Don't touch me!" Xiao Linger screamed. She looked at Xiao Feng for a long time and then said viciously, "The next time we meet, I will kill you!"
With that, she turned and left.
She didn't return to her small hut but disappeared directly into the darkness.
Xiao Feng sighed. The two were bound to part, and he didn't want to say anything more.
The pitch-black night was like the girl's dark heart. On the path with no light, she didn't need to be strong for anyone anymore, and the tears she had been holding back finally rolled down at this moment.
The only glimmer of light in her gloomy life had finally abandoned her. She cried with a smile, talking to herself like she was crazy, "You're just a person who's rotten to the core. How could you possibly be worthy of him?"
At this moment, her heart completely merged into the darkness.
She stumbled all the way to that valley, hugged that tablet, and whispered tearfully, "Xiao Zi, he's leaving. Don't worry, the next time I see him, I'll definitely avenge you."
Drinking with the boss tonight, headache, still on the road.