Before the last trace of orange-red sunset on the horizon was swallowed by the ink-blue night, Xiao Qing’s footsteps finally stepped onto the land of Qingshan Town.
This small town was like a resting point crouching at the feet of the giant beast that was the Magical Beast Mountain Range, and the air was filled with a rugged atmosphere completely different from Wutan City.
Before he had fully entered the town, a complex smell mixed with sweat, dust, the fishy scent of medicinal herbs, and a faint smell of blood rushed toward him.
The streets were simply tamped down with gravel and dirt, far from as smooth as those in the Xiao Family.
On both sides stood all kinds of buildings crowded together, mostly made of thick logs and heavy stone, with a rugged and practical style.
Outside many houses hung severely worn signs, painted with patterns of swords, medicinal herbs, or the heads of Demonic Beasts.
Although it was still evening, Qingshan Town had not quieted down; instead, it seemed even livelier than during the day.
Everywhere one could see burly figures wearing weapons, mercenaries gathered in groups of three or five, laughing and talking loudly, with the sounds of rough finger-guessing games and boisterous drinking coming from the taverns.
Most of these mercenaries had dark skin and sharp eyes, and their bodies all carried more or less some scars, revealing an aura of ferocity from years of licking blood from the blade.
Their gazes, like those searching for prey, were scanning everyone on the street, especially when they saw a fresh face like Xiao Qing, who was so young, whose face still looked quite tender, and who was all alone; they would linger for a while, and also carry scrutiny and inquiry.
Xiao Qing’s expression was calm, turning a blind eye to the various gazes cast upon him.
Xiao Qing slowed his pace, walking seemingly casually on the street, but in reality, his powerful Soul perception had already begun to spread like an invisible spider web, keenly capturing all the information around him.
Xiao Qing could clearly perceive that among these mercenaries, most were only at the Dou Practitioner level, and occasionally there were a few whose aura was slightly more robust, but they were no more than high-star Dou Practitioners.
With his current strength, in this Qingshan Town, he was enough to suppress everything in an instant!
‘It seems I still have to enter the Magical Beast Mountain Range to train and engage in combat with high-level Demonic Beasts.’
Xiao Qing began to ponder, although he knew there were no very strong experts in Qingshan Town, he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.
At this time, Xiao Qing’s gaze swept over the bases of those mercenary groups, listening to the information about the acquisition of Materials and medicinal herbs related to Demonic Beasts, as well as some scattered intelligence, coming from the air.
Xiao Qing couldn’t help but feel a faint sense of anticipation for the upcoming training in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
Here would be the first real combat stage for Xiao Qing to embark on the path of cultivation.
In the original work, in this Magical Beast Mountain Range, there was not only the sixth-order Demonic Beast Amethyst Winged Lion King, but it seemed there also existed a seventh-order human-form Demonic Beast!
Currently, Xiao Qing needed to find a place to rest and then inquire about specific intelligence regarding the Magical Beast Mountain Range over the past few months.
Scanning a few dwellings that looked relatively orderly, Xiao Qing walked forward, his figure beginning to blend into the street scene of this town, interwoven with night and lights, full of wild vitality.
Xiao Qing walked into an inn named “Tian Yuan Ju.” The moment he entered, a scent mixed with the smell of alcohol, the aroma of roasted meat, and a faint musty smell rushed toward him.
The lobby was quite lively; several rough wooden tables were filled with burly mercenaries, who were talking loudly about their thrilling experiences hunting Demonic Beasts or some rumors from the streets.
Fiery red lights shone on faces that had weathered many hardships.
Behind the counter stood a slightly chubby middle-aged innkeeper with shrewd eyes, who was looking down and fiddling with an abacus.
“A superior room, one that is quieter.” Xiao Qing’s voice was not loud, but it clearly penetrated the surrounding noise.
The innkeeper looked up upon hearing this and sized up Xiao Qing.
The youth before him was not dressed in luxurious clothing but looked very clean and neat; his face was tender but his eyes were calm, completely different from the common down-and-out adventurers or greenhorns who were out for the first time, and he had an indescribable, steady temperament.
The innkeeper had read countless people and judged in his heart that this youth probably had some background, so a professional smile immediately piled up on his face.
“Alright!
You are lucky, guest; there is just one last superior room of the ‘Heaven’ grade left, quiet and elegant, guaranteed to have no disturbances!” the innkeeper introduced enthusiastically.
“The daily room rate is five gold coins, including hot water for two meals in the morning and evening.”
Five gold coins were a not-insignificant expense for an ordinary family, but Xiao Qing did not bargain; he just nodded, casually took the corresponding amount of gold coins from his storage ring, and placed them on the counter.
Xiao Qing had accumulated quite a bit of wealth through Alchemy over the past year, so this little expense was nothing.
Seeing Xiao Qing so straightforward, and that the seemingly ordinary storage ring made the innkeeper’s eyes narrow slightly, his attitude became increasingly respectful.
“Waiter!
Take this Young Master to the ‘Heaven’ number two room!” he called out loudly.
A clever waiter quickly ran over, made a “please” gesture, and led Xiao Qing through the lively lobby, up the wooden stairs to the second floor.
Inside the second floor, it was indeed much quieter, and a wooden sign saying “Heaven Number Two” hung in front of the door at the end of the corridor.
The waiter pushed open the door; the room was more spacious and tidy than Xiao Qing had expected, with bright windows and clean tables, and beds, tables, and chairs were all available.
Although the furnishings were simple, it was rare for a border town.
“Young Master, please rest first.
If you have any needs, just give your orders!” The waiter finished speaking respectfully, then retreated and gently closed the door.
The moment the door closed, the bustle of the outside world seemed to be cut off.
Xiao Qing walked to the window and pushed it open.
A cool breeze carrying the scent of the mountains surged in.
From here, one could see the silhouette of the distant Magical Beast Mountain Range crouching like a giant beast in the night.
At this time, Yao Lao’s voice sounded in Xiao Qing’s heart: “Hmm, this place is acceptable.
Rest for one night, and tomorrow we will inquire about the specific situation within the mountain range. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
The forces in this Qingshan Town are quite intricate.”
“However, with your strength approaching Dou Ling, you are enough to sweep through everything in this Qingshan Town!”
Hearing this, Xiao Qing nodded, his gaze becoming calm.
This inn would be the first temporary stronghold for Xiao Qing’s training in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
And the real challenge had just begun.
The night gradually deepened, and Qingshan Town was shrouded in a haze, with only faint lights flickering in the distance.
Xiao Qing was currently sitting cross-legged on the bed in the inn room, but his mind had not completely sunk into Cultivation.
When he first arrived here, some memories from his past life emerged involuntarily.
Xiao Qing recalled the description of that ill-fated girl from the original work, especially the impressive depiction of her “slender and delicate waist”!
‘Xiao Yi Xian!’
This name flashed through Xiao Qing’s mind.
According to the timeline, at this moment, she was probably just a seven or eight-year-old young girl.
She should not have drifted to this Qingshan Town due to the twists of fate, nor had she joined the Wan Yao Pharmacy, so the title “Xiao Yi Xian” was naturally out of the question.
The Awakening of the Calamity Poison Body was probably something that would happen years later.
After pondering for a moment, Xiao Qing quickly shook his head.
He completely cast these slightly sentimental and prophetic distracting thoughts to the back of his mind.
Right now, the most important thing was not these plots that had not yet happened, but the improvement of his own strength.
There was still a lot of time before the real upheaval, so Xiao Qing had to seize every moment to become stronger.
Xiao Qing took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes.
The Burning Technique Cultivation Technique quietly operated within his body, and the surrounding heaven and earth energy began to be drawn in, flowing into Xiao Qing’s Meridians in wisps and being refined into pure Dou Qi.
Xiao Qing’s efficiency in absorbing and refining energy was far superior to that of ordinary people.
Outside the inn, the bustle of the small town began to gradually subside, only in the direction of the distant Magical Beast Mountain Range, the occasional faint beast roars indicated the danger and opportunities of that area.
In the room, the young man was focused, his breath long and steady, completely immersed in the world of Cultivation, accumulating strength for the upcoming trip to the Magical Beast Mountain Range.