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¹ "略懂" (slightly understand) is a classic Chinese expression of false modesty, where experts downplay their skills to appear humble.
[Option One: Head left and challenge Black Iron rank beasts.]
Completion Reward: Golden Slime Strength +5%
[Option Two: Head right and collect Level 2 Iron Core Fruits.]
Completion Reward: Golden Slime Defense +10%
[Option Three: Head straight and explore Qingyuan Forest.]
Completion Reward: Medium Beast Taming Power
How thoughtful of you, System. Why don't you just call yourself "GPS" and get it over with?
"Team Leader, which way should we go?" A beast tamer looked at the different paths, clearly torn between options.
Just as Zhou Shi was about to make a decision, Chen Shu immediately cut him off.
"Uncle Zhou, wait a moment! Let me divine our path!" Chen Shu declared with utmost seriousness.
With that, he pulled out... a deck of playing cards.
Zhou Shi's eyebrows shot up so high they nearly left his forehead. "You know divination??"
"Slight understanding, just slightly."¹
Chen Shu maintained his grave expression as he drew a playing card and flicked it forward. It landed directly to the right.
"The divination results tell me: go right!"
"..."
"..."
This guy is seriously messed up!
Everyone stood speechless. They'd thought he actually knew divination, but it turned out to be complete nonsense.
"Let's just go right then. We don't know which way to go anyway."
As team leader, Zhou Shi made the straightforward decision.
The group headed right, and several more hours passed.
"Boss, I'm starting to think we took a wrong turn. Even the beasts have become scarce in this direction," someone grumbled.
Indeed, they hadn't encountered any beasts along the way.
But when things seem too quiet, trouble's usually brewing.
In that instant, a black shadow appeared out of nowhere as a flash of red light streaked past, too fast for anyone to react—even the Claw Wolf was a beat behind.
"Watch out! Old Deng!"
Panic flared in Zhou Shi's eyes as a wild boar with two terrifying blood-red tusks charged straight at Old Deng.
A direct hit from that beast would be catastrophic.
Just as those crimson tusks were about to pierce through Old Deng's body, a yellow figure plummeted from above.
"Ever heard of the sitting technique that falls from heaven?"
Chen Shu's reflexes were practically maxed out—definitely more than a beat faster than Zhou Shi and the others.
The Golden Slime, still deep in dreamland, dropped its massive bottom directly onto the Blood Fang Boar's back.
"OINK..."
The boar shuddered, using its tremendous strength to launch the slime skyward before its thick legs sprang up, driving its blood fangs straight through the slime's body.
"Guji! Guji!"
The Golden Slime's eyes welled with tears, brimming with grievance.
I just wanted to sleep! Why must I endure so much suffering?
"Return." Chen Shu recalled his traumatized slime.
Though injured, the slime's tenacious vitality meant it could recover in the beast space.
Just as the Blood Fang Boar was about to continue its rampage, the black Claw Wolf instantly stepped forward.
The two Black Iron rank creatures faced off, their eyes filled with murderous intent.
"Well done, Little Chen!"
Zhou Shi called out, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
"That beast was too cunning. Old Deng almost met with disaster."
There was a saying often circulated in the Alternate Dimensions, You never know which comes first—opportunity or death?
"OINK..."
The Blood Fang Boar's hind hooves trembled slightly before its body instantly charged forward.
The Claw Wolf refused to be outdone, its claws flickering with deep black light.
BOOM!
The two Black Iron rank beasts clashed and immediately retreated—they appeared evenly matched.
"A mutant Blood Fang Boar?"
Blood Fang Boars were typically only Level 8 or 9 beasts, so this Black Iron rank specimen clearly possessed a different, mutant-grade bloodline.
With a thought, Zhou Shi summoned another contract spirit.
A Wind Wing Eagle soared into the air, its eyes sharp as blades, radiating a Black Iron rank aura.
"Oink... Oink..."
Rather than fleeing from two Black Iron rank opponents, the Blood Fang Boar became increasingly frenzied.
In an instant, its eyes were covered with a layer of blood-red, its ferocious aura surging dramatically.
Its talent skill 'Berserk'!
Not to be outdone, the Claw Wolf's body erupted with waves of shadowy light, its speed dramatically increasing.
The two beasts collided with devastating force.
The Blood Fang Boar's tusks punched two massive holes through the wolf's head, blood flowing freely.
But it paid dearly—the wolf's claws had carved deep wounds of their own.
Both Black Iron rank creatures were glass cannons—high attack, low defense. Their battles were always brutal affairs.
This was about determining both victor and survivor!
Weakness gradually appeared in the Claw Wolf's eyes, while the Blood Fang Boar grew more violent—the intense pain making it even stronger.
If the battle continued, the Claw Wolf would surely lose.
But there was still that Wind Wing Eagle above!
Seizing the moment, the eagle let out a sharp cry and swept its talons down, unleashing its 'Wind Blade' talent. An invisible blade of wind sliced through the air, dealing critical damage to the Blood Fang Boar.
With the two contract spirits working together, the Blood Fang Boar's life hung by a thread—the situation instantly reversed.
"OINK!"
The Blood Fang Boar's eyes filled with ferocity as its two blood fangs began glowing with a deep crimson light.
"Little Yuan, use Mental Impact!" Zhou Shi shouted.
The black crow in the sky let out an irritating caw.
Confusion flickered through the boar's eyes. That single moment sealed its fate.
The Claw Wolf and Wind Wing Eagle attacked together, slaying it on the spot.
If the Blood Fang Boar had successfully activated its skill, there could have been casualties.
"Didn't expect to encounter a mutant Blood Fang Boar."
Zhou Shi breathed a sigh of relief while taking out a green pill and tossing it to the Claw Wolf to accelerate its wound healing.
The Claw Wolf was recalled to the beast space while the Wind Wing Eagle circled low, protecting everyone.
As an experienced team leader, Zhou Shi's judgment was sound; he knew a mutant beast wouldn't appear without reason and that medicinal herbs or minerals must be nearby.
His theory was proven correct when the Wind Wing Eagle quickly discovered the treasure: a green plant, bearing several fruits, growing behind a large tree.
"Level 2 Iron Core Fruits!"
Zhou Shi's expression showed surprise—they were actually this lucky.
Chen Shu, you really are the team's lucky star. You actually guessed right by pure chance!
Besides the topmost Iron Core Fruit which had reached Level 2, the other three were all Level 1 Iron Core Fruits.
"Let's explore for one more day, then return!"
Zhou Shi made the decision. The team had already completed both missions and collected herbs worth hundreds of thousands, plus the Blood Fang Boar's corpse—quite the profitable haul.
"Little Li, dissect the Blood Fang Boar's corpse."
A crew-cut youth in the team pulled out a sharp boning knife, efficiently cutting away the boar's important parts.
The most expensive was the boar's heart meat. Contract spirits consuming it had an extremely small chance of comprehending the talent skill 'Berserk'—an extremely valuable combat skill.
Next was a red orb inside the Blood Fang Boar's body, which humans called a Beast Pearl. Once consumed, it could rapidly increase beast taming power.
Most mutant-grade and above beasts contained Beast Pearls in their bodies.
The Beast Orbs researched by humans were developed by analyzing Beast Pearl components. However, compared to Beast Pearls, Beast Orbs required beast tamers to refine them before converting it to their own beast taming power.
After cleaning up the battlefield, the group headed deeper into Qingyuan Forest.