After the appraisal by the Myriad Medicine Pavilion appraisers, the authenticity of the two-century-old Blood Jade Ginsengs was quickly determined. The shopkeeper of the Myriad Medicine Pavilion bought the two-century-old Blood Jade Ginsengs at the price of 2,400 gold coins each.
After leaving the Myriad Medicine Pavilion, Xiao Feng swaggered to the largest tavern in Qingshan Town and rented a luxurious guest room to stay in.
Meanwhile, the mercenaries who wanted to kill him for his treasures started to investigate Xiao Feng's background.
Since Qingshan Town was less than a hundred miles away from Wutan City, it wasn't long before someone connected Xiao Feng's surname with the Xiao family of Wutan City. Coupled with the recent uproar over Nalan Yanran's visit to annul the engagement, many travelers passing through Wutan City had heard of Xiao Feng's name.
Upon learning that Xiao Feng was the third young master of the Xiao family, some mercenaries, fearing the power behind him, abandoned their plans to kill him for his treasures. However, others became even more determined.
Given that Xiao Feng was out on a training journey, he was sure to enter the Magic Beast Mountain Range. The range was fraught with dangers, and many people perished there daily. Who would know if he was killed by someone or devoured by a magical beast?
Although these mercenaries did not dare provoke the Xiao family, as long as there were no witnesses left, they wouldn't worry about being discovered.
...
Early the next morning, as dawn broke, Xiao Feng awoke from his sleep and began to meditate. Morning is the best time for cultivation, and Xiao Feng made it a habit to train for an hour every morning unless there were unforeseen circumstances.
As Xiao Feng's breathing steadied, the surrounding air rippled like water. Threads of barely visible energy seeped out and rushed into his body. Compared to the mid-level Black class "Lion Fury," the low-level Earth class "Nine Transformations of the Swirling Dragon" was more efficient in absorbing and refining energy, significantly speeding up Xiao Feng's cultivation.
At his current cultivation speed, Xiao Feng estimated he would break through to a three-star Dou Practitioner within five days.
When the sunlight filled the room, Xiao Feng finished his cultivation, freshened up, and left his room. Upon entering the tavern's main hall, he noticed several mercenaries observing him secretly. Ignoring their malicious gazes, he ordered a few common dishes and leisurely enjoyed his breakfast.
After a hearty breakfast, Xiao Feng bought some supplies and headed to another exit of Qingshan Town, which also served as an entrance to the Magic Beast Mountain Range.
When Xiao Feng arrived at the town's gate, many mercenaries were already gathered, calling out to other lone mercenaries wanting to enter the mountains. The Magic Beast Mountain Range was teeming with magical beasts, and those entering alone were easy prey. Aside from powerful mercenaries or inexperienced novices, most mercenaries would move in large groups when entering the range.
Mercenaries in Qingshan Town could be categorized into three types. The first type was the well-organized mercenary groups. There were three such groups in Qingshan Town, each with about a hundred members, most of whom were at the Dou Practitioner level. The leaders of these three groups were said to be at the Dou Master level, making them one of the most powerful forces in Qingshan Town.
The second type was temporary mercenary squads, whose coordination and trust levels were far inferior to those of the regular squads. The mercenaries calling out at the town gate belonged to this second type.
The third type was the lone mercenaries, usually powerful individuals or those with life-saving trump cards.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, Xiao Feng chose not to join any groups and ventured into the Magic Beast Mountain Range alone. Walking through the quiet forest, he scanned the dark areas between the trees with a wary eye, clutching a small blade hidden in his fingers, ready to transform into the Armor Titan at any moment.
"Whoosh!"
A sharp sound pierced the air as a green-wood snake shot down from a branch above Xiao Feng's head, aiming for his neck.
Seeing this, the hidden mercenaries' eyes gleamed with anticipation. The green-wood snake, a common first-rank magical beast, was venomous and liked to ambush its targets from tree branches. Many experienced mercenaries had fallen victim to it.
If the snake's poison killed Xiao Feng, it would save the mercenaries a lot of trouble.
To their delight and venomous gazes, the snake bit down hard on Xiao Feng's neck.
"Boom!"
Just as the mercenaries smiled, ready to snatch Xiao Feng's treasures, his body suddenly exploded like a balloon.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Countless thumb-thick wind blades shot out, shredding the attacking green-wood snake into pieces.
Only then did the mercenaries realize that Xiao Feng had reappeared several meters away. The Xiao Feng bitten by the snake was clearly a decoy.
Xiao Feng shouted, "You've enjoyed the show. After following me for so long, it's time to show yourselves!"
"..."
The hidden mercenaries exchanged glances, a strange silence filling the air.
"Rustle, rustle, rustle..."
Soon, unable to hold back, several masked mercenaries emerged from the shadows, surrounding Xiao Feng from all directions.
The burly mercenary leader brandished his tiger-head broadsword and threatened Xiao Feng, "Kid, hand over your Spatial Ring, and I might spare your life!"
"Since you won't come out, I'll drag you out myself."
Ignoring the threats, Xiao Feng clenched his right fist and, in a dramatic tone, declared, "Power of the Giant sealed within me, by my name, Xiao Feng, I command you, release the seal!"
[TN: Ugh….]
The hidden mercenaries looked puzzled. Was this guy out of his mind?
Before their confusion dissipated, a blinding golden light burst from Xiao Feng's body.
"Boom!"
With a terrifying roar, a colossal figure over fifteen meters tall appeared out of nowhere.