In the dimensional space, Xu Que led Chai Xiaohao forward, while the remaining thirty or so people stayed behind, meditating and cultivating at the entrance.
Initially, Xu Que hadn't intended to bring Chai Xiaohao along, but the boy insisted on following, and Xu Que, with no choice, reluctantly agreed.
After swiftly dispatching more than ten Beast Abyss Tigers, Xu Que was about to enter the heart of the wilderness when Chai Xiaohao, for reasons unknown, decided he wanted to test the strength of an A-class extraterrestrial creature.
"Are you sure you want to try?" Xu Que asked, puzzled.
"Mm." Chai Xiaohao nodded firmly. "Although I know I can't win, at least I'll be mentally prepared if I try."
Xu Que said nothing more. He nodded and expanded his senses in an instant.
Xu Que knew little about this space, but in the current A-class dimension, he was confident in his ability to traverse it without concern, so he wasn't worried about Chai Xiaohao encountering trouble.
"Here, there's a Beast Abyss Tiger cub up ahead on the left. You can give it a try." Xu Que said, striding forward toward the left.
Hearing it was a cub, Chai Xiaohao's expression showed a hint of displeasure, but he still followed Xu Que closely.
When they reached the entrance of the Beast Abyss Tiger's lair, a cub, roughly the size of a leopard, glared fiercely at them.
"Wait, brother-in-law, are you sure this is a cub?"
Chai Xiaohao's previous displeasure vanished in an instant, replaced by shock.
"Absolutely. This little one's power is at the A- level, and judging by its size, it's clearly not comparable to the Beast Abyss Tiger we just defeated."
Upon hearing this, Chai Xiaohao gripped his spear tightly.
Truthfully, he felt no fear at this moment. Instead, he was filled with eager excitement.
"Meow!"
The Beast Abyss Tiger cub let out an enraged roar, its claws digging into the ground as it lunged toward Xu Que and Chai Xiaohao.
"Kill!!"
Chai Xiaohao shouted, brandishing his spear and charging at the cub.
"Screech!"
In just one exchange, the cub managed to tear a ten-centimeter gash across Chai Xiaohao's shoulder.
Chai Xiaohao was taken aback. He hadn't expected this little creature to be so fast and strong.
Why was Xu Que handling it so easily, yet he was struggling against such a small foe?
Furious, Chai Xiaohao tightened his grip on his spear and launched another strike at the cub.
Meanwhile, Xu Que shook his head.
Though Chai Xiaohao was brave, this cub was not something he could handle.
It seemed as though the Beast Abyss Tiger cub was playing with Chai Xiaohao. After five rounds of combat, the cub was unscathed, while Chai Xiaohao was covered in bloodied wounds.
"Meow!"
The cub seemed to have triggered its beastly instincts. A faint green glow flashed in its eyes, and it lunged at Chai Xiaohao again.
Chai Xiaohao, unaware of the cub's transformation, was about to thrust his spear when an overwhelming sense of death descended upon him.
Xu Que's figure suddenly appeared beside the cub.
"Boom!"
With a powerful punch, the cub was sent crashing into a pile of rocks at the entrance of the cave, like a kite with its string cut.
Chai Xiaohao was drenched in cold sweat. Fortunately, Xu Que had intervened; otherwise, he would have been done for.
"Are you okay?" Xu Que asked, patting Chai Xiaohao's shoulder.
"What's with that thing? Why did it suddenly get so powerful?" Chai Xiaohao asked, still shaken.
"Normal. The Beast Abyss Tigers are creatures that grow stronger with each battle. Their sudden burst of power can temporarily elevate their strength by one level."
Xu Que walked toward the severely injured cub, and before it could recover, a sword light flashed in front of it.
With the cub's death, Xu Que collected the glowing orb that had fallen to the ground and approached Chai Xiaohao.
"Head back the way you came and gather the others. I'll wait for you at the BOSS area."
Chai Xiaohao nodded. He understood that the next battle would be far more dangerous than he could handle, so he quickly turned around and made his way back.
As Xu Que watched Chai Xiaohao leave, a faint smile crept across his face.
Though he couldn't know exactly what Chai Xiaohao was thinking, at least he had made him realize that attempting to fight beyond one's class was only possible at C-level or below. Anything above B-level was beyond reach unless one had the strength to transcend.
Xu Que himself could challenge opponents beyond his level, but that was only thanks to the Original Sword, whose attributes were nothing short of heavenly.
Xu Que then moved toward the BOSS zone.
When he saw that the ultimate BOSS of this space was a half-beastman, Xu Que's interest was piqued.
If the final BOSS was a humanoid, it likely indicated that the upper echelons of this dimension belonged to a massive military faction.
Intriguing. It seems that the northeastern region from his past life had indeed become a haven for extraterrestrial creatures for a reason.
The half-beastman, seeing Xu Que, let out an angry roar and charged toward him, wielding a massive club.
"Slash!"
Xu Que had no intention of sparring with the half-beastman. After all, such creatures had no intelligence—he preferred to end the fight quickly.
With the sound of a sword's cry, a hundred-meter-long sword aura shot toward the half-beastman.
"Boom!"
The immense sword aura created a violent vortex, and within moments, the half-beastman let out a howl of agony.
"Congratulations, Human Xu Que, you have successfully cleared the A-class [Wasteland Forest D] and earned the [Wasteland Forest D] territory rights. You have also acquired twenty-nine Spirit Iron Ore, fifty-five Spirit Crystals, and eight Spirit Stones. Please check your daily territory income in the trade hall interface."
"Congratulations, Human Xu Que, according to big data analysis, you now possess the corresponding advanced territory. The [Wasteland Forest D] will now be folded into [Hell's Gate]..."
Xu Que smiled with satisfaction upon hearing the familiar notification. He moved toward the explosion vortex.
Just as Xu Que picked up the glowing orb dropped by the half-beastman, his attention was drawn to a backpack near the half-beastman's tent.
"Well, what do we have here? A Relic Bearer's backpack!"
Xu Que quickly grabbed the last two items and rushed over.
Upon examining the two journals inside the backpack, a pleased smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
[Name: Wandering Chen's Diary 1-2 (Unlocked)]
[Quality: Rough (Gray)]
[Reading Material: The observations recorded by Wandering Chen during his life.]
[Name: Wandering Chen's Notebook (Unlocked)]
[Quality: Rough (Gray)]
[Reading Material: The final relic of Wandering Chen.]
Xu Que was quite fond of reading leather-bound notebooks. No matter what they recorded, they held immense value for him.
As for the diaries, though they might not provide substantial assistance, they were filled with clues and intelligence—very useful indeed.
Just as Xu Que was about to take a look at the notebook to see what it contained, Chai Xiaohao, accompanied by over thirty employees, returned.
Seeing the aftermath of the battle, the employees were deeply shaken.
"Brother-in-law, shall we leave now?" Chai Xiaohao asked excitedly.
"Not yet. Let them meditate for an hour here, then we'll head out." Xu Que replied.
"Alright!" Chai Xiaohao rubbed his hands together and quickly instructed the thirty-odd employees to sit and meditate.
Xu Que, choosing not to meditate, instead sat aside, examining his spoils.
[Name: Ten Absolute Array A-Class (Skill)]
[Quality: Epic (Gold)]
[Active: Consumes ten Spirit Crystals each time used. Increases elemental attack power (Earth, Wind, Spirit Ice, Light, Fire) within the array, and enhances bloodline effects. (Lasts for 300 seconds)]
[Passive: Reduces enemy's elemental resistance (Lasts for 300 seconds)]
Upon seeing this array, Xu Que was inwardly stunned!
While this array wasn't as convenient as the Eight Gates Golden Lock, once he acquired the bloodline, this array could become absolutely terrifying!