《Magic Land: I Make It Big as a Gourmet Food Supplier!》 Chapter 1 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Mill continent. It was a place where magic existed. The world¡¯s most powerful forces were controlled by great mages. However, even the most remarkable of mages had places that they dare not set foot in. East of the continent was an endless sea. A myriad of vicious sea creatures discouraged the faint of heart from entering its waters. To the west was the Devil¡¯s Desert. It was endlessly dry and crawling with bewitching devils that tempt travelers into hell. Far north lied the Frost Forest that was frozen all year round. That was a place that no human dared to enter. The icy cold was enough to deter anyone from it. Last but not least, to the south of the continent was the most terrifying place in the legends. It was inhabited by giant dragons that liked to collect treasures and it was also where the ogre¡¯s nest, the Stormy Bay, was located. It was rumored that there was an entire continent within the Stormy Bay in the past. Many adventurers yearned to explore those regions but those who set off never returned! Found in the Mill continent, is the Radiant Light Empire. In the Radiant Light Empire, New Moon City was founded by the Supreme Mage, the New Moon Duke, a hundred years ago. Afterward, it became one of the ten major cities in the empire. It occupied the most fertile land and its people led peaceful lives. The most magnificent river in the whole empire, the Seward River, also passed through New Moon City, which further displayed the uniqueness of the city. It was a place where countless people yearned to visit but more importantly, it was also a place of worship for numerous mages. New Moon City had inherited the magic tome passed down by the New Moon Duke a hundred years ago, allowing the city to occupy an important position in the empire. It was the most glorious existence of the Radiant Light Empire. Any mage or ordinary person would show the highest of courtesy to anyone who has stepped foot in the New Moon City. That was the extent of the unshakable status of the New Moon City and the Lin family happened to be the most powerful entity in New Moon City! ¡­ ¡°What is this place? Wasn¡¯t I in the middle of cooking? Why¡­ Have I appeared here?¡± Lin Qi opened his eyes in shock. The scene of him cooking and the Western medieval scene interweaved, giving him a splitting headache. Eventually, he managed to sort out his memories. He was certain of one thing¡ªhe had transmigrated! Coincidentally, his name in that life was also Lin Qi. ¡®This is a continent that practices magic. As long as you master strong magic, you can do whatever you want!¡¯ ¡®And¡­ I happen to be the son of the most prestigious family in the Radiant Light Empire, the Lin family. I¡¯m now a person of high stature!¡¯ The memories in his mind allowed Lin Qi to grasp the situation of that world. His father, the head of the Lin family, resided in New Moon City. He was an incomparably strong mage, and he even possessed terrifying martial art skills. It was a position of absolute authority! Instantly, Lin Qi¡¯s face was filled with glee, and he could not help but lick the corners of his lips. ¡®In my previous life, I was born into an ordinary family. I was a person who did not excel in academics nor extracurricular activities. I did not have any outstanding achievements. Although, in this new life I¡¯m also untalented and my aptitude is mediocre at best. ¡®Even so, being born into the powerful Lin family, I can still do well in life!¡¯ Immediately, Lin Qi became excited. If he did not have talent, then so be it. Not having talent meant that he did not need to face any sort of danger. Besides, the icing on the cake was that his father was the current head of the Lin family. That was enough for him to enjoy a lifetime of prosperity and wealth. ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s time to eat.¡± ¡°Mary and Dinah are at your service.¡± In the next moment, two beautiful maids donning black dresses embellished with white lace appeared before Lin Qi. The two girls looked about 16 years old. One of them had beautiful red hair, and she exuded a seductive charm. Her curvy figure made Lin Qi¡¯s mouth dry. The other maid had blonde hair and blue eyes. Her exotic look coupled with her shyness made one feel pity for her. Lin Qi¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡®Was this the extravagance of the medieval nobles?¡¯ ¡®I like it!¡¯ Soon, an abundance of delicacies filled the huge dining table. There were many dishes that Lin Qi had never seen before. ¡®This degree of extravagance is simply amazing. There are so many kinds of food in just one meal? Even just a taste of each is enough to fill one¡¯s stomach!¡¯ Lin Qi¡¯s fingers moved as he stuffed himself with food. Soon after he was full, he tasted the red wine in satisfaction. Looking at the endless fiefdom outside the window, he sighed. ¡®This world sure is fascinating. Sadly, the food is a little bland and tasteless.¡¯ ¡®But that is to be expected. The magic in this world is powerful but the industrial standard is still similar to that of the medieval period. Therefore, the seasoning is basically just salt. All the flavor has to be attributed to the taste of the ingredients itself.¡¯ Lin Qi shook his head, but that was far from enough to satisfy the stomach of an oriental foodie. When chili and all kinds of seasonings have been discovered, then real enjoyment would begin. ¡°Sob, sob, sob¡­ Young Master, we will miss you.¡± ¡°Sob, sob, sob¡­ Young Master, we hope you can go in peace!¡± Lin Qi was stunned. He looked at the lovely Mary and Dinah with tears in their eyes and asked, ¡°Why are you crying? I¡¯m fine.¡± He could not help but shiver. Go in peace? Why had those words made him uneasy? Creak! At that moment, the door was pushed open, and more than ten knights entered. Lin Qi recognized the leader of the knights. It was the impressive head knight, Andrew. Although his strength was not as strong as a mage of the same rank, he was still a very powerful knight. Andrew knelt down and bowed respectfully before saying, ¡°Young Master Lin Qi, please go to the family hall. The head of the family is waiting for you!¡± The current head of the Lin family was Lin Qi¡¯s father in that life. It was worth mentioning that because of his earlier health condition, his father only had one son. Naturally, there was no such thing as fighting for favor or power. As they followed Andrew to the family hall, multiple gazes fell on Lin Qi. ¡°Lin Qi, you are now an adult. It¡¯s time for you to go to the Black Wind Castle to complete the trial!¡± Lin Shixiong¡¯s dignified gaze fell on Lin Qi. Even though Lin Shixiong restrained his aura, Lin Qi still felt a terrifying pressure. It was the aura of a superior! However, in reality, his father still indulged him to the point of spoiling him. ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t have any talent for magic, so I won¡¯t be able to become a mage in the future. There¡¯s no need for me to participate in the Black Wind Castle¡¯s trial.¡± Lin Qi waved his hand indifferently. ¡°You will go!¡± For the first time, Lin Shixiong rejected Lin Qi¡¯s lazy behavior without hesitation. He stood up and said seriously, ¡°This is not only for the glory of the Lin family but also the tradition of the empire. It even concerns the inheritance of the Holy Knights. As the heir of the Lin family, you have to bear this honor!¡± ¡°The matter has been decided. We will set off tomorrow!¡± Lin Qi was stunned. He finally understood why Mary and Dinah were crying. It was all because the Black Wind Castle¡¯s trial could not be refused! He wanted to cry, but he shed no tears. It seemed that he was the last person to know about it. He did not possess any magical talent. The Black Wind Castle¡¯s trial was practically a suicide mission! Lin Qi felt depressed. Then, a cold, electronic voice sounded in his mind. [ Ding! A suitable environment has been detected. The system is activating! ] [ Ding! The Super Gourmet System has been activated.. Binding to Host: Lin Qi! ] Chapter 2 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Super Gourmet System?¡± Lin Qi blurted. He was completely appalled. Those who transmigrated typically awakened incredible systems such as the Overlord System, the Immortal Sword System, or the Automatic Hack System. Out of all the systems, Lin Qi ended up awakening a culinary system? He had to use gourmet food to defeat his adversaries? That was ridiculous! [ The system produces a wide array of scrumptious delicacies. Host, please work hard and let the system¡¯s delicious food spread to every corner of the continent! During the process, you will gain many unexpected rewards! ] [ Ding! You have been rewarded with a Newbie Gift Bag! ] [ Newbie Gift Bag: Sweet Dream Pig Food, Growth Potion, Seed Gift Bag, Delicious Steak (x100), Wagyu Beef (100 pounds), Delicious Seasoning¡­ ] The items from the Newbie Gift Bag were stored in the system¡¯s storage space. Lin Qi could not be bothered to inspect it. He did not even want to think about it! ¡®Delicious my *ss!¡¯ He was going to face the Black Wind Castle¡¯s trial soon. He needed strength to guarantee his survival, not a pile of useless ingredients! Mary and Dinah watched as Lin Qi¡¯s expression switched from shock to anger. Their faces turned pale. Surely the Young Master did not think that the Master intentionally provoked him out of malice, did he? The maid¡¯s pretty face was flustered, and she hurriedly explained, ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t be upset. It¡¯s not that the Master doesn¡¯t like you, but this is something unavoidable that even the Master himself underwent.¡± Lin Qi was stunned. In New Moon City, was there anything that his father, the head of the prestigious Lin family could not refuse? In fact, from what he remembered, his father had never forced him to do anything before today. Mary then added, ¡°The Young Master isn¡¯t the only one¡ªthe heirs of the other prominent families in New Moon City who had just come of age were also sent to the Black Wind Castle.¡± ¡°It is said that¡­ The winner will be elected as the Lord of New Moon City!¡± Lin Qi immediately understood the situation. It was a known fact that in New Moon City, mages had a noble status. They had the richest land and an abundance of supplies, but they were not involved in politics. Therefore, participation in the Black Wind Castle¡¯s trial gave mages the chance to fight for the position of New Moon City¡¯s Lord. ¡°But¡­ Young Master, your magic and martial art skills are probably the worst out of all the contestants. The chance of your survival is very slim.¡± Dinah said sadly, tears glistening down her face. ¡°¡­¡± Lin Qi gaped at her statement. That immediately ruined his mood. He glared at her fiercely. ¡°How dare you look down on me? I¡¯ll devour both of you!¡± Instantly, the two maids became as white as a sheet. They were so scared that they quickly ran off like rabbits. Watching the two beautiful figures scurry in panic, Lin Qi could not help but laugh. His thoughts then drifted back to the Black Wind Castle and he could not help but mutter, ¡°It seems to be a tradition that even father had to follow.¡± In that case, he had no choice but to go. Fortunately, with the system aiding him¡­ Everything should be fine! ¡­ ¡­ The next day, in Hope Valley. Various families came to send their heirs off. Red flags fluttered in the wind, and there was a sea of people. The atmosphere was comparable to that of a bustling market. Here, those noble families did not seem like high and mighty mages. Instead, they were more like peddlers, chattering non-stop. Among them were the three most dazzling individuals, who were the heirs of the three most prominent families. Firstly, Lewis, who became a grand swordmaster as soon as he came of age. Being a swordsman was advantageous for low-level mages because they did not possess adequate magic. In addition, the strength of a swordsman increases with the growth of the mage¡¯s magical prowess. Therefore, the swordsmanship of powerful mages could constantly be amplified as their magic progresses. However, Lewis had already advanced from a regular swordsman to a grand swordmaster at such a young age. That was more than enough to prove his talent. His esteemed status was certainly undisputed! Lewis also had blond hair and blue eyes. He was handsome and charming, causing all the girls to flock to him. Next, another prominent young heir was the water mage, Yu Meng. His face was obscured by a black veil, and his entire person was shrouded in a dark, mysterious aura. On top of that, people avoided looking directly at him due to his icy cold gaze. It was as if he had some kind of terrifying power! The third heir was Lin Qi, the son of the strongest person in New Moon City. Unlike his father, Lin Qi had no talent in magic, and he did not practice swordsmanship. In fact, no one ever really noticed him. Lin Qi was embarrassed at first, but he soon became indifferent towards his incompetence. In any case, participating in the Black Wind Castle¡¯s trial was just a formality to Lin Qi. Surviving and inheriting his father¡¯s title was his real goal! ¡°Good luck!¡± Lin Shixiong patted Lin Qi¡¯s shoulder heavily, making him grimace. ¡°Daddy can¡¯t help you here either. You don¡¯t need to obtain any achievements. Just come back alive!¡± That was all Lin Shixiong expected from him. Lin Qi nodded and followed the group of young heirs into Hope Valley. ¡°Haha, how ridiculous! Isn¡¯t there anyone else that could have represented the Lin family? They actually sent trash like you here!¡± Just as the heirs were moving forward, the sound of mockery filled the air. ¡°If I were the head of the Lin family, I would have sent anyone other than trash like you!¡± Lewis was openly sneering at him with a look of undisguised contempt in his eyes. Lin Qi was stunned before he quickly snapped out of it. ¡®I neither offended nor provoked you. Why are you mocking me?¡¯ ¡®He isn¡¯t even that handsome! So what if he has blond hair and blue eyes?¡¯ Lin Qi then noticed something akin to jealousy in Lewis¡¯s eyes and instantly understood the reason behind his words. Lewis was jealous of his family¡¯s power! Information about Lewis flashed in his mind, and the corners of his mouth curled up. Lewis¡¯s family was small in number which meant that he was his family¡¯s only hope. How could Lewis, whose family was less than one-tenth of the Lin family, have the audacity to act arrogantly toward him? ¡°Lewis, right? How can an heir from a family consisting of only a handful of members be worthy of talking to me? For your information, our family has three times more maids than all your family¡¯s maids combined!¡± A direct blow to his pride! Lewis¡¯s grin vanished. His once handsome face was warped with hatred, and his blood was boiling. He hissed in a harsh tone, ¡°You have a sharp tongue. You won¡¯t be as arrogant when we reach the Black Wind Castle! When that time comes¡­¡± ¡°Stop arguing and look ahead!¡± Before he could finish his sentence, a silvery voice interrupted him. Yu Meng inspected his surroundings cautiously. The magic staff in his hand flickered with magnificent blue light. He was ready to release his water-type magic at any moment. Everyone held their breaths. Lin Qi was on high alert. Although they had not arrived at the Black Wind Castle, there were still demonic beasts on the prowl. The trial had already started, and no one dared to joke around while their lives were at stake. There was movement in the grass. It was rustling as if some creature was within it. ¡°There are definitely demonic beasts in there. Everyone, stay alert!¡± Whoosh! All the guards drew their longswords. They could not risk letting their guard down in Hope Valley either. If the demonic beasts they came across were strong, there would be no hope for any of them.. Chapter 3 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Out of the rustling grass, a small pig dashed out. A pair of small sparkling eyes observed everyone curiously. Instead of being the least bit terrifying, it was utterly adorable. Even though it was young, its huge tusks that were vastly more intimidating than its small body were enough to prove that it was indeed a demonic beast. Lin Qi¡¯s eyes flashed in recognition. That was a young tusked pig! Tusked pigs mainly used their tusks for attacks and their power was a force to be reckoned with. Demonic beasts were essentially divided into levels¡ªfrom one to ten-star. That young tusked pig barely reached the first level. On the contrary, a fully grown tusked pig was a three-star demonic beast! Levels one to three-star consisted of primary demonic beasts. Although they were powerful, it was not difficult for ordinary swordsmen to group up and kill them. Four to six-star demonic beasts were known as Devil Beasts. These beings were no longer demonic beasts that regular people could face. Their bodies had undergone earth-shattering changes. Normal weapons could not harm them at all. When angered, even mages would have a hard time dealing with them. As for demonic beasts above the seven-star level, they were very difficult to come across but were extremely terrifying. They had the destructive power of a natural disaster. It was said that in the south of the continent, there were hordes of giant dragons. Even the weakest giant dragon was a frightening demonic beast above the seven-star rank¡ªpossessing the power to destroy the world. The only way to survive an encounter with a demonic beast above the seven-star level was to escape! Countless mages lost their lives to these incredible creatures. That should be enough to prove that one should not provoke even a seven-star demonic beast. ¡°That is a young tusked pig. It is not aggressive at the moment and is usually gentle toward humans, so there is no need for us to attack it.¡± Yu Meng¡¯s voice was gentle, and it carried a hint of excitement. It was obvious that seeing the cute tusked pig made her very happy. ¡®Hold on a second¡­Yu Meng was a woman?¡¯ Lin Qi was stunned. He quickly remembered a saying that stated that certain magical attributes had a special relationship with specific genders. Male fire mages tended to progress faster than other mages, while numerous female mages excelled with the water element. ¡°Don¡¯t try to provoke it!¡± After deliberating over it, Lin Qi said decisively, ¡°It¡¯s not just because it isn¡¯t aggressive¡ªthe tusked pig is a herd animal. Therefore if there is a young tusked pig, then adult tusked pigs are surely around.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t anger the adult tusked pig just because you provoked the younger one!¡± He did not want to mention it at first, but he was worried that someone would use that opportunity to show off their fighting skills as the young tusked pig was an easy target. Not far, under the black veil, Yu Meng¡¯s sapphire-like eyes gleamed. She had not expected that Lin Qi, who was infamous for being a playboy, would know that information. ¡®It seemed as though that guy was not as ignorant as the rumors said he was.¡¯ She thought to herself. Due to the cover of the black veil, no one noticed her observing Lin Qi. ¡°Hmph! What can a mere baby tusked pig do? Even if it was a full-grown tusked pig, I would not be afraid. As a swordsman, I have to charge forward bravely, and not be frightened like you cowards!¡± Lewis¡¯s face was full of pride, and his eyes lit up. Whoosh! The longsword in his hand sent the young tusked pig flying. The little body of the tusked pig twirled in the air, which made Lewis burst into laughter as if he had found an interesting toy. Squeal! The ear-piercing, sharp wail of the young tusked pig spread throughout the valley and the surrounding forest. It was particularly loud in the empty valley. In the next moment, the longsword in Lewis¡¯s hand ruthlessly pierced through it. Scarlet blood trickled down his sword. Everyone was shocked. Killing that young tusked pig was completely unnecessary. Under the black veil, her beautiful face soured. That Lewis did not have the slightest bit of sympathy. He only knew how to satisfy his selfish desires. It seemed that the rumors of Lewis¡¯s benevolence and magnanimity were entirely unfounded. Selfishness and cruelty were his true colors. Suddenly, Yu Meng noticed something. ¡°Wait a moment!¡± Her beautiful eyes focused as she stared at the tail of the young tusked pig¡¯s corpse. ¡°This isn¡¯t an ordinary tusked pig. Its tail¡­ Seems to be bifurcating!¡± Everyone¡¯s hearts stopped, and they could not help but worry. ¡°Could it be a twin-tailed tusked pig?¡± ¡°An ordinary adult tusked pig is a three-star demonic beast, but if it¡¯s a twin-tailed tusked pig then it¡¯s a four-star Devil Beast. Its strength far surpasses that of a low-level demonic beast. It¡¯s not something we can win against!¡± Although there was only one level between a three-star and a four-star demonic beast, the difference was like heaven and earth! A four-star Devil Beast had a demon¡¯s core in its body. All the energy in its body coalesces and it was ten times stronger than a three-star demonic beast! The chief guard had a serious look on his face. ¡°That young tusked pig was not aggressive. Killing it was a waste of time. Let¡¯s go!¡± Immediately, Lewis stood his ground. He snorted and said, ¡°Why are you so afraid of a mere tusked pig? What a bunch of cowards!¡± ¡°As a swordsman, you shouldn¡¯t be afraid of anything! If another comes, kill it. If many more come, kill them all. We¡¯ll be feasting on pork tonight!¡± He cackled wildly. That arrogant laughter resounded in the emptiness of the valley. Suddenly, an incomparably mournful wail sounded. That sound was the same one the young tusked pig made. Heavy footsteps like a beating drum caused the entire valley to shake like the beginning of an earthquake. It was deafening! ¡°Go! Quickly! That sound is not something a three-star demonic beast can make!¡± The chief guard¡¯s expression changed drastically. He had seen many three-star demonic beasts, so he knew that that terrifying might could only be possessed by a four-star Devil Beast. ¡®Once it finds us, we would be dead meat.¡¯ He worried. ¡°That, how can that really be a four-star Devil Beast?¡± Lewis¡¯s voice wavered and his whole body stiffened. The hand that was gripping the sword trembled. Lin Qi took in all of this. If Lewis really was a grand swordmaster, then he would definitely be able to fight a four-star Devil Beast. Although now, based on his reaction¡­ He seemed more like an ordinary swordsman. ¡®Was it because of fear, or was it because¡­ His strength was exaggerated?¡¯ Lin Qi wondered. Suddenly, Lin Qi gazed up. He could not move due to the tremor, and that terrifying stomping sound was ringing in his ears. Yu Meng inadvertently saw Lin Qi raise his head. Had he found the direction the Devil Beast was coming from? She looked in the same direction as Lin Qi and said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s too late to leave now.¡± Boom! A humongous tusked pig broke through the layers of trees in the distance. Its huge tusks were five meters long, and its eyes were filled with bloodlust. It also had two tails. That was a twin-tailed, fully-grown tusked pigÒ»a four-star Devil Beast! Instantly, everyone stood frozen in fear.. Chapter 4 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Humph, Humph!¡± The tusked pig¡¯s body was burly, and the air it was huffing out was sweltering causing the entire area to heat up. Everyone looked up at the huge creature before them. It was five meters tall and its terrifying tusks were a full five meters long. It had solid muscles and its exterior was as hard as rocks. It also¡­ Had two tails! That was enough to prove that it was indeed a four-star Devil Beast. ¡°Don¡¯t provoke it. Hurry before it finds the carcass of the young tusked pig. Retreat immediately!¡± Lin Qi forced himself to remain calm. His voice was low as he ordered the others to get moving. Instantly, everyone frantically came back to their senses and quickly began retreating. Fear gripped their hearts due to the beast¡¯s terrifying power and their legs were trembling as they fled. Unfortunately, it was impossible for the tusked pig to not recognize the scent of its own child. It immediately discovered the corpse of the young tusked pig that had died miserably. It wailed in sorrow and used its huge tusk to gently lift the young tusked pig. It was as if it wanted to support the child to help it get back on its feet. However, it soon realized that its child would never respond. It let out a grievous howl that was deafening! The Devil Beast stomped on the ground in rage and suddenly charged towards the crowd. ¡°Get into formation and protect all the heirs!¡± The chief guard shouted loudly. All the knights scrambled to get in place. Their mission was to protect the heirs of these great families. If all the heirs died, there would be an excruciating punishment awaiting them. However, with a great big charge from the tusked pig, the formation fell apart. The group of knights wailed in pain on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s just a mere four-star Devil Beast. How dare it act so barbarically in front of me? I¡¯ll teach it a lesson!¡± Lewis roared while he wielded a longsword and spurred his horse to charge. The tusked pig¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. It caught a whiff of the scent of its child¡¯s blood on that longsword. Immediately, it shot furiously toward Lewis. Boom! Lewis and his horse were sent flying. He lied limp on the ground like a ragdoll and no one knew if he was alive or dead. ¡°Even the grand swordmaster, Lewis, did not stand a chance against that four-star Devil Beast. There was no way we could beat it!¡± ¡°Are we all going to die?¡± Everyone was in despair. That four-star Devil Beast, the tusked pig, was too powerful. It was not something they could fight against. Lin Qi¡¯s legs were trembling, and his eyes were brimming with fear. At that point, it was clear that his calmness was just a facade. In the face of that dire situation, he felt like an ordinary person facing a life-or-death scenarioÒ»he was engulfed in fear and he felt as if he lost control of his entire body. The giant tusked pig head was huffing and puffing right in front of him. It was scorching hot and humid, like a deadly swamp. Lin Qi suddenly realized that that was not the peaceful country in his previous life, but¡­ A mythical world ruled by magic and ordinary human lives were as worthless as grass. He¡­ Might actually die. ¡°Ice Magic: Ice Burst!¡± A delicate voice shouted. Frost spread across the air. The magic staff in Yu Meng¡¯s hand flashed with a magnificent light, and the four limbs of the tusked pig were instantly frozen to the ground by the ice. It was stuck in place! ¡°Lin Qi, what are you standing there for? Pick up Lewis¡¯s sword and kill that tusked pig. My ice magic won¡¯t last long. If you don¡¯t do something soon, all of us will die!¡± Yu Meng¡¯s anxious shout startled Lin Qi into action. Still trembling, he picked up the sword on the ground. He had never even killed a chicken in his previous life. Now, he had to kill that terrifying demonic beast? He could not help but falter in his steps. When an ordinary person is faced with such a scene, their first reaction would not be to run away but to be so horrified that they could not even think. That was what happened to Lin Qi. Crack! Crack! The tusked pig roared fiercely, and the freezing spell on its limbs cracked inch by inch. ¡°Why are you still standing there?¡± Yu Meng was so angry that her eyebrows furrowed deeply. She was anxious because the intensity of casting the spell caused her face to turn red in exertion and she was reaching her limit. ¡°Do you want to die? I can¡¯t hold on any longer!¡± Crack! The tusked pig broke one of its hind legs free! ¡°Go to hell!¡± Lin Qi gritted his teeth. ¡®I just transmigrated. The beautiful and luxurious life of a medieval aristocrat had not even begun yet. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d die here!¡¯ He wielded the longsword in his hand and slashed the huge, ferocious head! Bang! Lin Qi panicked as the longsword shattered before his eyes, and the tusked pig¡¯s thick skin was only left with a faint white mark. ¡°The tusked pig¡¯s strongest attribute is its defense. There¡¯s no way normal attacks can harm it at all!¡± The chief guard¡¯s warning made everyone¡¯s heart sink to their stomachs. Lin Qi was devastated. If normal attacks were useless, what other methods could they use? ¡®Are we just waiting to die?¡¯ Boom! Squeal! The tusked pig completely broke out of the ice entrapping it. Its blood-red eyes stared at Yu Meng. It clearly remembered that she was the one who had cast the ice spell that immobilized it. It wanted revenge! ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Yu Meng¡¯s pretty face was pale. Overusing her magic had exhausted her. She did not have the strength to escape at all. ¡°It¡¯s not over yet!¡± All of a sudden, Lin Qi thought of the item that he had obtained from the Newbie Gift Bag in his system. The Sweet Dream Pig Food! [ Sweet Dream Pig Food: Every swine¡¯s favorite feed! Are you bothered by how noisy your pigs are? Are you dissatisfied with how slowly your pigs are growing? Sweet Dream Pig Food can make your pigs eat more to fatten up and sleep more to quiet down. It¡¯s a wonderful feed for tending to your little pork chops! ] ¡®Could using that really work?¡¯ Lin Qi was not sure. Cold sweat was dripping down his forehead, but he had no other choice now. ¡°I already have my heart set on becoming the strongest mage. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d let myself die here!¡± Yu Meng was not willing to back down. She had already learned ice magic, which was the advancement of water magic. She had the talent and qualifications to become an exceptional mage, but now she was going to die at the hands of a demonic beast. Her fair hands clenched tightly. She¡­ Was not going to give up! The tusked pig¡¯s terrifying figure barreled toward her, its looming build blotting out the sun. Just in time, a thin and weak frame blocked her from the beast¡¯s path. Although the figure was initially shaking, in the next moment, it stood as firm as the city walls. Her eyes widened. The wind was strong and blew through the youth¡¯s hair. Lin Qi¡¯s handsome and resolute face was revealed. His black eyes told a different storyÒ»he was terrified, but he remained steadfast in protecting Yu Meng. He threw the Sweet Dream Pig Food with all his might into the tusked pig¡¯s mouth. Squeal! The tusked pig roared in anger and charged madly. Suddenly, its footsteps became softer and softer, as if it was injected with a strong anesthetic. Its huge body fell to the ground with a hard thud. The tusked pig had fainted. Everyone stared at it in astonishment. They had just survived a disaster. Their rapidly pounding hearts gave them a strong sense of being alive. The petite figure that was standing in front of the tusked pig trying to catch his breath appeared extremely tall.. Chapter 5 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to our savior Lin Qi!¡± ¡°Lin Qi, how did you do that? You¡¯re amazing!¡± Everyone cheered and heaved Lin Qi high into the air before catching him steadily. It took more than ten minutes for everyone to finally calm down. Nearby, Yu Meng¡¯s lips curled into a bright smile. She felt relieved. She had not expected that she would be saved by the weakest heir, Lin Qi. Everyone in New Moon City was under the impression that Lin Qi was a good-for-nothing philanderer, but he was actually a brave and resourceful guy. That was really surprising. Her sapphire-like eyes sparkled as she looked curiously at Lin Qi¡¯s handsome side profile. She could not help but mutter softly, ¡°It seems that the rumors can¡¯t be trusted.¡± ¡°You managed to stand firm in the face of danger. How were you able to do that?¡± Lin Qi had not noticed Yu Meng¡¯s gaze upon him. He looked at his hands and tried to soothe his trembling body. He felt afraid during the battle earlier but his emotions had already calmed down. Despite that, he was still trembling¡­ His blood was surging! It was as if¡­ He was excited! ¡°Although I was afraid, I still had the desire to fight!¡± Lin Qi was keenly aware that he had the talent to fight, but he still required a lot more training and battle experience. Nevertheless¡­ He looked at Lewis, who had fainted close by. A grand swordmaster was just as strong as a four-star Devil Beast, but under the charge of such a creature, Lewis did not even have the strength to hold his own. It was obvious that he was just a fake. That so-called grand swordmaster was probably just a title he bought. What was the point of doing that? In the face of real danger, all titles were useless. Only true strength could have helped ensured his safety earlier. ¡°What a piece of trash! I thought that Lewis could be relied on, but now it seems that his title of being a grand swordmaster was obviously bought!¡± ¡°To think that I admired Lewis so much before, I didn¡¯t expect him to be a fake!¡± ¡°Humph! When we return to New Moon City, I¡¯ll expose that guy¡¯s hypocrisy to everyone. In reality, Lin Qi is the real hero!¡± Many of the young heirs looked at the unconscious Lewis in anger. Several even kicked him a few times. The chief guard proceeded to turn a blind eye to their actions. Lin Qi laughed as he watched. ¡®Those guys really hold grudges.¡¯ He snickered. Thinking about it now, it made sense. They all assumed Lewis would be their savior. Who would have thought that their savior was a liar that almost killed them? Now, many people were looking at Lin Qi with respect instead! Lin Qi did not mind. He knew the extent of his capabilities. He knew that he just happened to win with the aid of the system¡¯s delicious food. His eyes fell on Yu Meng who was standing to the side. That girl¡¯s strength was nothing to sneeze at. The only problem was that she lacked combat experience. If she had not frozen the tusked pig¡¯s limbs but conjured ice to pierce through its head instead, that battle would have been much easier. Of course, all of this did not matter to him. ¡®After all, my goal is not to become the city lord, but to survive the trial and enjoy the extravagant life of a medieval noble!¡¯ After ten minutes had passed, Lewis regained consciousness and sat up. He bared his teeth and said, ¡°What¡¯s going on? I was hit by the tusked pig only once but why do I feel sore all over?¡± Lin Qi laughed. ¡®Of course, you feel sore all over. Dozens of heirs had kicked you several times just now.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m still alive? The tusked pig was defeated¡­ But how?¡± His eyes widened, and he looked around in panic and shock. If he was not the one who defeated the tusked pig, then why did everyone else look so unscathed? That was a Devil Beast that even he could not handle. Who could have defeated it? ¡®Could it have been Yu Meng?¡¯ She was a water mage, so she was the only possibility. ¡°It was Lin Qi. He was the one who took down the tusked pig.¡± No one was willing to spare a glance at Lewis. The chief guard looked at him disdainfully and said calmly, ¡°Because of Lin Qi, we were able to survive.¡± It was not an exaggeration to say that if it was not for Lin Qi, everyone would have died at the hands of the tusked pig. That so-called grand swordmaster, Lewis, had been causing nothing but trouble for them from the beginning to the end. The chief guard looked down on people like that the most. They clearly did not have any special abilities, but they always liked to think that they were outstanding. All they ever did was make a fool of themselves because when the real problem appeared, they became cowards. In his eyes, even ten Lewis¡¯ were inferior to one Lin Qi. It seemed that the rumor of Lin Qi being worthless was not credible. ¡°Impossible! Trash like him can¡¯t even hold a sword steadily. How could he have defeated the tusked pig?¡± Lewis snorted. He then looked at the broken sword beside him and screamed, ¡°My sword! Why is it broken in two?¡± His heart was wounded. He had spent a lot of money to buy that longsword. Now, it was broken in two. He was devastated. Now, no one was giving him their time of day, and Lin Qi was too lazy to explain. He had always believed in one truth: the secret to living long was to avoid arguing with stupid people. They continued walking until nightfall. The weather was cool, and the sky was full of beautiful stars. They chose a riverside to set up camp. Lin Qi looked into his backpack only to discover that he had lost his supply of water while he was fighting the tusked pig. Lewis came over and laughed, ¡°Hahaha, you don¡¯t have any water? Tough luck!¡± ¡°As for me, I¡¯ve already prepared two servings of dry food. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t share any of it with a loser like you!¡± His face was smug as he taunted Lin Qi. However, that sneer made him look like a mule in Lin Qi¡¯s mind. Lin Qi could not help but roll his eyes. He could not be bothered with such a fool. He had a whole gourmet system, and Lewis was under the impression that Lin Qi would be begging him for food. What a joke! ¡°Yu Meng, I¡¯ll share it with you. Have some dry food and water!¡± Lewis¡¯s eyes were shining as he looked at Yu Meng. His guard had told him that Yu Meng was not only a water mage but also an ice mage. It was only a matter of time before he, himself became a powerful mage. If he could marry Yu Meng, they would definitely be able to give birth to powerful heirs. He brushed back his golden hair and revealed his handsome face. His smile was bright and gentle, but Yu Meng took two steps back and said coldly, ¡°There¡¯s no need. We¡¯re not even acquainted.¡± Immediately, Lewis¡¯s face stiffened. Whoosh! An icicle shot out. Under Yu Meng¡¯s control, it pierced through a fat fish in the river. She then looked at the raw fish that was still jumping about and was stumped. She did not have the equipment to make a fire. She did not even know how to start a fire. Even when she had managed to catch a big fish, there was no way for her to cook it. Her stomach rumbled. Powerful mage aside, she was still human and she needed sustenance. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Lewis laughed haughtily. He tilted his head and thought, ¡®That talented ice mage will fall into my hands sooner or later!¡¯ No woman could ignore his handsome face. Even if they could, no one would be able to resist the temptation of food. All of a sudden, a delicious aroma wafted through the air. It was the scent of meat, but there was also another indescribable fragrance. Everyone¡¯s eyes widened! ¡°That smells so good!¡± Chapter 6 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Everyone turned toward the source of the smell only to see Lin Qi and his guards eating steaming roast beef. That scene left them all stunned. Lewis looked down at the unappetizing dry food in his hands and felt unsatisfied. On the other hand, Lin Qi used the gourmet system to retrieve the Wagyu Beef from the Newbie Gift Bag. He was well aware that he would have to spend the night in the wilderness at some point during the trial, so he always carried fire-making tools with him. ¡°Young Master, I wasn¡¯t aware you had hidden such provisions with you this entire time!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Now it¡¯s your turn to take care of us guards!¡± Lin Qi rolled his eyes. He was now very different from before. Even so, he still was not sure whether he could safely pass the trial. After all, only a day had passed and there was still a long way to go. There is no telling what kind of dangers he would encounter in the future. Just like that, the Lin family had their fill and slept soundly in the tent. On Lewis¡¯s side, he was the only one who had eaten the dry rations. His guards were left sleeping with empty stomachs and watched longingly as the Lin family guards received good treatment. The next day. They followed the path and arrived at the New Moon Forest. The chief guard halted at the entrance. ¡°Pay attention everyone. This is the New Moon Forest. There are many ferocious demonic beasts here, so don¡¯t let your guard down.¡± The guards of the three prominent families were standing at attention. ¡°How fierce could they possibly be? They won¡¯t be so fearsome under the blade of a grand swordmaster like me!¡± Lewis walked out with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He looked extremely confident. However, after yesterday¡¯s incident, no one believed Lewis at all. Lin Qi could not help but quip, ¡°Alright grand swordmaster. You should fix your sword first.¡± With that, everyone burst into laughter. Lewis¡¯s face instantly turned red. He gritted his teeth and glared at Lin Qi. ¡®Lin Qi, are you mocking me just because you did a meritorious deed yesterday? Just you wait, when I find an opportunity, you¡¯ll be dead for sure!¡¯ The young heirs knew that they could not count on Lewis. Therefore, they followed Lin Qi¡¯s lead. They walked into the New Moon Forest. As expected, there was an eerie aura saturating the air. Just as they walked in, they could feel a sense of despair. However, what puzzled them was that they had been walking in that forest for more than an hour, but they had not found anything out of the ordinary. They could not even hear the chirping of birds. ¡°This is strange.¡± The chief guard stopped walking and exhaled deeply. ¡°Something is wrong. The New Moon Forest was a place infested with demonic beasts. Although not many demonic beasts above three-star are found here, a multitude of one-star and two-star demonic beasts should be roaming around.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. So why can¡¯t we see any of them now?¡± Lin Qi did not understand what was going on but he felt that fewer demonic beasts to face was a good thing. ¡°There aren¡¯t any demonic beasts here, so why don¡¯t we walk faster?¡± Since Lin Qi was the one who suggested it, everyone agreed. They all quickened their pace. By the time it was evening, they still had not seen a single demonic beast. The sun was beginning to set, so Yu Meng proposed to start setting up the camp. There was a small river nearby which was convenient for them to access water from. Thus, they decided to camp in that area. When Lewis left to get some water, he suddenly noticed something on the ground. ¡°Ahh!¡± His scream alerted everyone, and they all ran over. Lewis¡¯s face was pale, and his legs were trembling. He pointed toward a huge footprint beside him. ¡°This¡­ There must be a Devil Beast here!¡± Yu Meng walked over calmly and observed carefully. She said, ¡°This footprint is three meters long. He¡¯s right, this belongs to a four-star Devil Beast!¡± As soon as she said that, everyone became nervous and looked around anxiously. However, Lin Qi exhaled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry?¡± Lewis sneered and said coldly, ¡°Look at this footprint. There is a four-star Devil Beast around!¡± Lin Qi looked indifferent and stood before the large footprint. ¡°Don¡¯t you see? There¡¯s a puddle in this footprint, and there¡¯s no water source around it. These puddles must have been formed by the rain.¡± Lewis was not convinced. ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Think about it, did it rain yesterday or the day before?¡± Everyone gave it some thought and shook their heads. ¡°No, the last time it rained was last week!¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Lin Qi then pointed at a pile of bones that had been gnawed on, as well as some scattered bird feathers. ¡°Look.¡± Yu Meng frowned. ¡°It is definitely an extremely strong opponent if it is capable of killing so many demonic beasts.¡± Lin Qi nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. This Devil Beast is most probably the only real threat in this area. However, due to how long ago it passed by here, we won¡¯t be so unlucky to encounter it.¡± Everyone¡¯s faces were ashen. After all, a hundred one or two-star demonic beasts were many times better than even a single four-star Devil Beast. Moreover, the sky was already dark. If they wanted to continue moving forward, it would be too dangerous. They had no choice but to continue to camp cautiously. There was still a large pile of Wagyu Beef and Delicious Steak in Lin Qi¡¯s system. After taking them out, they were cooked over the fire with some other ingredients. The fragrance assailed their nostrils. On the contrary, Lewis had eaten up both portions of dry food last night because he needed to replenish his energy. Now, he could only press a hand against his stomach and starve. There was still no movement from Yu Meng¡¯s side. The same could not be said about her guards, who were staring at Lin Qi¡¯s guards as they ate and drank. While Lin Qi was eating happily, he suddenly felt an inexplicable gaze on him. He suddenly turned his head and looked around, but because the fire could not illuminate the darkness in the distance, he could not see who or what it was. ¡°Could it just have been¡­ My imagination?¡± All of a sudden, a guard from the Yu family walked over and humbly asked Lin Qi, ¡°Young Master Lin, could you share some of your food with us?¡± To prevent Lin Qi from misunderstanding, the guard added, ¡°It is not for us guards to eat, but it¡¯s what our Young Mistress needs. She hasn¡¯t eaten anything for a day and a night¡­¡± Lin Qi blinked. He was not stingy at all and had plenty of food anyway, so he said casually, ¡°That¡¯s alright, you can come and take some if you want.¡± The guard had not expected him to be so generous with something as important as his food supply, especially in such a difficult environment. It seemed that he had misunderstood him in the past. ¡°Thank you, Young Master Lin. From now on, you have our respect.¡± ¡°But not too much of it!¡± Lin Qi waved his hand in good nature and distributed the food to the guards of the Yu family. The guards were not greedy. They only took a small portion and handed most of it to Yu Meng. ¡°Young Mistress, this is Young Master Lin¡¯s goodwill.¡± ¡°Take it away!¡± Her cold voice left the guards stunned. ¡°Young Mistress, you haven¡¯t eaten anything for a day. You can¡¯t go on like this!¡± ¡°If you beg others for food like this, it would be a disgrace to our family.. Go ahead and return this because I won¡¯t eat it even if I starve to death!¡± Chapter 7 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation That night in the New Moon Forest was very lonely. Many guards felt that it was a very peculiar feeling. After all, they often heard that the demonic beasts in that area were particularly ferocious and that the nighttime was their hunting hours. However, at that moment, it was as if they were in New Moon City. It was almost too quiet in the middle of the night. Out of the blue, there was a series of snoring sounds that made everyone¡¯s sleepiness vanish. ¡°Who¡¯s snoring so loudly?¡± Lin Qi walked out of his tent angrily. Yu Meng looked at him helplessly and shook her head in exasperation. ¡°Who else could it be?¡± Following the sound of the snoring, Lin Qi realized that it was coming from Lewis¡¯s tent. He was sleeping like a pig in the middle of a forest. How was he anything like a grand swordmaster? Once again, everyone thought that Lewis was too carefree to be a grand swordmaster. Lin Qi also looked particularly annoyed. He turned around and said to Yu Meng, ¡°You can¡¯t sleep either?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep listening to this!¡± Yu Meng rolled her eyes. Suddenly, the snoring seemed to have become louder. It was unbearable for everyone there. ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t stand it anymore!¡± Lin Qi could not stand listening to that awful sound a second longer and headed toward Lewis¡¯s tent. Just as he was about to wake him up, he was suddenly startled by Lewis himself. Lewis had suddenly emerged from his tent and shouted disdainfully, ¡°Who snores this loudly?¡± As soon as those words left his mouth, everyone instantly froze. They looked at each other in surprise and confusion. ¡°Huh? Why are you all looking at me like that?¡± Lewis was stunned for a few seconds, and then a strange sound was heard. Everyone nearly jumped out of their own skins. ¡°That¡­ If that sound isn¡¯t Lewis¡¯s snoring, then what is making that sound?¡± Lin Qi looked around. To be honest, he was also feeling anxious. ¡°Everyone, be on alert.¡± Everyone¡¯s expressions became serious. The drowsiness that they had felt just disappeared. Lewis finally reacted. He looked around and his voice began to tremble. ¡°No¡­ It can¡¯t be? Is that the sound of a demonic beast?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Anyway, this sound is certainly not something a human can make. Another thing¡­ Could you let go of my leg?¡± Lewis was too nervous now and kept flailing around. He ended up hugging Lin Qi¡¯s thigh tightly in fear. ¡°Uh¡­ This isn¡¯t what it looks like.¡± That action made everyone laugh. It seemed to ease the heavy atmosphere. Lin Qi noticed that the sound was not getting any closer. It was probably some kind of demonic beast snoring, so he chose not to worry too much about it for the time being. After all, it was useless to think about it now. The surroundings were pitch black, and it was almost impossible to escape. In any case, they had strength in numbers. It was best for everyone to stay together rather than to get lost in the forest looking for some beast alone in the dark. ¡°The sound isn¡¯t getting closer. Stay calm everyone.¡± Lin Qi held back the panic bubbling in his heart and comforted everyone. The guards surrounded the entire premise. ¡°Young Master Lin, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll keep a watch out from the outside the tent.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you lie down and sleep instead? We still have a lot of traveling to do tomorrow.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Lin Qi waved his hand in dismissal. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. This thing has yet to show itself.¡± With Lin Qi¡¯s permission, the guards dared to rest. On the other side, Lewis said to his guards, ¡°You must stay awake and be on the lookout. Don¡¯t sleep!¡± To protect himself, Lewis asked them to guard his tent. If there were any warnings from his guards, he could quickly find a way to escape before the creature got too close. However, his actions only succeeded in making him look like a timid mouse to outsiders. On the contrary, Yu Meng raised her magic staff and chanted, ¡°Water Magic: Water Barrier!¡± At her command, the water of the stream nearby was drawn out. It surrounded her and her guards in a circular barrier. Although it was not a very strong defense, it could at least alert her if something breaches the barrier while she and her guards were asleep. ¡°As expected of the daughter of the Yu family, to be able to conjure a barrier using magic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, we really want to go in too.¡± Lewis saw that Yu Meng¡¯s side of the camp was encapsulated by a water barrier, so he swallowed his pride and went over. ¡°Yu Meng, won¡¯t you let me in? If anything were to happen, I could protect you.¡± Yu Meng acted as if she had not heard him. She shook her head and slowly walked into her tent. Lewis, who was completely ignored, was extremely embarrassed. He let out a disdainful breath and said, ¡°Fine! Be that way!¡± That night, that strange noise haunted everyone in their sleep. Although everyone had their eyes closed shut, almost no one dared to fall asleep. It was very difficult for them to pass the night. By the second day, the sky was gradually getting brighter. The strange noise from last night had also disappeared. After packing their luggage, they continued on their way through the forest. Eventually, they walked out of the New Moon Forest. What was truly unbelievable was the fact that no one was injured within the forest. The New Moon Forest was a relatively dangerous area. The guards thought that at least a few people would be injured. No one expected that they would be able to walk out safely. ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m finally out!¡± Lewis took the first step out of the forest, and he was awfully excited. ¡°Was that the oh-so scary New Moon Forest? It didn¡¯t seem like anything much.¡± Hearing his voice, everyone rolled their eyes. The person they were most afraid of last night was him. They had no clue how thickheaded he was. During Lewis¡¯s excitement, a pair of blood-red eyes suddenly appeared in the forest behind them, staring at them. Lin Qi felt a chill run down his spine and immediately turned to look behind him, but he did not find anything unusual. ¡®Could it be¡­ That I¡¯m hallucinating again?¡¯ After walking out of the forest, they came across a wide river. The river¡¯s current was very fast and its waters looked deep. Even an adept swimmer would not be able to cross it safely. On the map, there was a figure indicating that there should be a wooden bridge that could provide them with safe passage. However, just as they reached the designated area, they noticed something amiss. The wooden bridge was broken! It looked like it had been torn apart by something. Could it have been a demonic beast? ¡°What should we do? The bridge is broken. If we swim across, we would be swept away by the raging current,¡± said the chief guard. Many of the heirs were scratching their heads in thought trying to figure out a way to get to the forest on the opposite side of the river. ¡°Since this one is broken, we could just build another one!¡± Lewis took the lead and walked out. He elected himself as the leader and ordered, ¡°Come, let¡¯s work together to build a new wooden bridge. We should be able to finish it before dark.¡± Everyone shook their heads and the chief guard said, ¡°No, it would take at least two days to build a wooden bridge..¡± Chapter 8 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°No way! It would take that long?¡± Lewis was appalled. His arms fell to his sides and he felt completely embarrassed. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough materials and we had just left the forest. Do we have to go back to get wood now? If we go back and forth like this, not only will it be dangerous, but it will also waste a lot of time.¡± ¡°Oh no, what should we do now?¡± ¡°Yeah, do we have to go back into the New Moon Forest and change routes?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t dare go back. I¡¯d rather stay in a safe place.¡± Everyone started chattering and it was starting to get hectic. Lin Qi sighed helplessly. Looking at the rushing river, he knew his system would be of no help here. Just when he lost all hope of finding an alternative solution, a fizzling sound could be heard. ¡°Huh?¡± Everyone turned their gazes toward the noise and saw Yu Meng holding her magic staff as it was shooting out pale blue light. ¡°Ice Magic: Frost Burst!¡± In an instant, everyone was reminded that Yu Meng was an exceptional water and ice mage. Due to the presence of water, she could make use of her ice magic. Yu Meng used her magic to freeze the water surface so that it was solid enough for everyone to walk over. ¡°That was amazing, Yu Meng! I knew you could save us!¡± Lewis eagerly rushed over to her side. However, Lin Qi found that every time Yu Meng used a spell, her expression twisted slightly to reveal her discomfort. From the beginning until now, she had only cast three spells in a short period of time, but she was already panting. That was because using magic also consumed one¡¯s physical strength depending on the level of the spell cast. The higher the level of the spell, the more physical strength would be depleted. Young mages were not capable of storing magic energy in the early stages of their training. Therefore, the price for using magic was the deterioration of physical strength. When mages developed into archmages, they would have their very own magic energy storage. Obviously, the current Yu Meng did not have any magic energy storage, so she had been using up her own physical strength that whole time. Everyone was relying on her now. Therefore, if the magic spell is broken, everyone would fall into the river, so she had to persevere no matter what. She thought that her current mana consumption would allow her body to withstand it until she had crossed the river. ¡°Everyone, hurry up, don¡¯t blame us when the ice starts to melt!¡± Lewis stood behind Yu Meng and commanded the people behind her like a leader. ¡°Hehe, Yu Meng, thanks to you, we can cross the river!¡± Lewis smiled cheekily and wanted to please Yu Meng, but at that moment, Yu Meng did not have the luxury to waste energy on him. She had already begun to feel weaker. Lin Qi walked behind her. He soon discovered that step-by-step the ice was getting thinner and thinner. It seemed that Yu Meng¡¯s magic was about to be used up. Looking ahead, she still had more than 50 meters to go. Judging from the situation, she would not be able to keep going. ¡°Ahh!¡± Sure enough, Yu Meng gripped her magic staff and knelt on the ice. Seeing her pale-faced and panting, everyone was beginning to worry. ¡°No¡­ No way! Did she use up all her magic energy?¡± Yu Meng had not expected to run out of magic energy so quickly. It seems that she had overestimated her own strength. Everyone could only stand on the ice as the river started to flow beneath their feet. Suddenly, the ice on the other side had started to melt. Everyone panicked. If they really fell into the rapids, they would surely die. ¡°Yu Meng, you¡­ You¡¯re okay, right?¡± Lewis saw that Yu Meng could no longer use magic, and his eyes showed a trace of despair. ¡°My magic energy¡­ Has been used up.¡± ¡°F*ck!¡± Lewis shouted loudly, ¡°You¡­ What good are you without your magic? I thought you were strong! What do you think we should do now? You¡¯re going to get us all killed!¡± Yu Meng lowered her head. She had always thought that she was a very outstanding mage, but at that moment, she finally realized how weak her magic truly was. She could not even overcome a river. ¡°Yu Meng! I¡¯m telling you, you can ignore the others, but you have to get me ashore!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I can¡¯t¡± Lewis was starting to freak out after hearing Yu Meng¡¯s apology. To save himself a few more seconds, he even said to the guards, ¡°Jump down!¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°With so many of you gathered together, the temperature will increase, and the ice will melt faster. So you have to jump down to give Yu Meng time to recover, and also for me to get to the other side safely!¡± The guards did not dare to disobey their master. Just as they thought all hope was lost, Lin Qi interrupted them from behind. ¡°You don¡¯t need to jump! I can help everyone!¡± That one sentence instantly had everyone¡¯s eyes on him. ¡°You can help us?¡± Upon hearing this, Lewis sneered, ¡°Kid, if I recall correctly, you don¡¯t even know how to use magic. You¡¯re nothing more than a piece of trash in New Moon City. What right do you have to say that you can save anyone here?¡± ¡°Oh? Do you have a better idea? Or do you only know how to sacrifice your own guards?¡± Lin Qi¡¯s retort instantly made Lewis flush red in embarrassment and he gritted his teeth. ¡°Alright! Lin Qi, what do you have planned?¡± Lin Qi had just found a purple sweet potato from within his gourmet system storage. It was not a normal sweet potato, but a Magic Sweet Potato that was shimmering with purple light. After consuming a Magic Sweet Potato, one could recover a part of their mana, which could be considered a kind of magic medicine. ¡°Take this!¡± Lin Qi retrieved the sweet potato from the system storage and handed it to Yu Meng, who was panting in exhaustion. He smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Eat this sweet potato to fill your stomach!¡± As they watched Lin Qi hold out the sweet potato, everyone¡¯s expression changed from full of hope to near despair. They slowly lowered their heads. ¡°Lin Qi, do you think this is funny?¡± Yu Meng looked at Lin Qi with anger in her eyes. Lewis, who was watching from the side, wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. ¡°Lin Qi, can you stop playing a fool? Hurry up and tell your guards to jump down! That way, we still have a chance to survive.¡± Lin Qi¡¯s face was calm. He continued to hold out the sweet potato to Yu Meng. ¡°You have to believe me. This sweet potato can really save everyone!¡± ¡®A piece of sweet potato could really save so many people?¡¯ ¡®Was this a joke?¡¯ Yu Meng refused to believe it. However, when she raised her head, she found that Lin Qi¡¯s eyes were unwavering and serious. He did not seem to be joking. ¡°Really¡­ Are you sure?¡± Yu Meng slowly took the sweet potato, half-believing, and half-doubting. ¡°Believe me, I wouldn¡¯t lie to you!¡± The ice in front of them began to meltÒ»getting closer and closer toward them. ¡°Hurry!¡± Yu Meng decided to trust Lin Qi and gently took a few bites of the sweet potato. All of a sudden, she could feel that the sweet potato she ate was vastly different from ordinary sweet potatoes. In all honesty, she never liked sweet potatoes, but that sweet potato gave her an unusually good feeling. She found that there seemed to be a surge of energy in her body. ¡°This feeling¡­¡± Chapter 9 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Yu Meng was astonished, but before she could finish her sentence, her wand emitted a dazzling light. It was a light that only emitted when her magic staff received the maximum amount of magic energy. Then, Yu Meng stood up with a determined expression on her face. She raised her magic staff and shouted, ¡°Freezing Light!¡± With the sound of her voice, her magic staff shot out a pale blue light that instantly froze the water in front of her! Yu Meng was surprised and looked down at her hands. She felt that the magic energy in her body was still surging. ¡°Such strong magic energy, I¡­ Have I recovered all of it?¡± Everyone was speechless, and the panicking Lewis was also left dumbfounded. Lin Qi had never used that Magic Sweet Potato before. He had not expected that Yu Meng would recover most of her magic energy after just a few bites. Sure enough, the gourmet system was certainly useful. Although on the surface, it was completely different from the other great systems, it was still quite reliable during critical moments. ¡°Lin Qi, what¡­ Is this thing?¡± Yu Meng quickly turned around and asked. Naturally, Lin Qi would not tell her that the Magic Sweet Potato was taken from his system. Instead, he calmly replied, ¡°It¡¯s a sweet potato!¡± ¡°Impossible, how can sweet potatoes have this kind of magic energy recovery effect?¡± After listening, Lewis immediately asked, ¡°What? You have mana-restoring artifacts?¡± Mana-restoring artifacts were very important to mages no matter where they were, especially for some high-level mages. That was because they often used high-level magic, which meant that they had to pay special attention to their supply of magic energy. They had to constantly replenish their mana, which was another term for magic energy causing them to carry a lot of mana-restoring artifacts with them. Those artifacts could not be bought casually. Instead, they had to be obtained in the Mystic Forest¡¯s spring. However, only a few could be taken at a time. Moreover, the Mystic Forest was an incredibly dangerous place, so only certain high-level mages could enter. If that is true, then how did a person like Lin Qi, who was not even a mage, obtain these sweet potatoes that are capable of restoring mana? Everyone was puzzled. As for Lin Qi, he simply shrugged his shoulders indifferently. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t look at me like that. Hurry up and get moving, or else the ice will melt again!¡± With that, everyone safely crossed the river. Yu Meng was indebted to Lin Qi again, which made her very unhappy. However, ever since she ate the sweet potato, her heart had been yearning to eat another. Even so, she was too embarrassed to tell Lin Qi. Lewis was even more conflicted. He wanted to make fun of Lin Qi a few more times, but he was also rescued by him twice, which ruined his image. After walking for more than an hour, everyone seemed to be a little tired, so they sat down and rested for a while. Lin Qi also began resting until he suddenly a voice inside his head. [ Ding! You have gained the maximum amount of experience in the Super Gourmet System. The host can choose to level up! ] [ Ding! After leveling up, the Super Gourmet System¡¯s special recipes will be unlocked: Magic Stir-fried Bullfrog, Flaming Swirl Roasted Chicken, Refreshing Drink. ] Hearing that the system could level up excited Lin Qi. He was reminded that the system was a gastronomic system which meant leveling up gives him access to valuable dishes that could benefit him. Lin Qi selected the upgrade option, but it suddenly displayed a text box informing him that the upgrade was unsuccessful. He did not understand what went wrong. He then noticed that he required a large number of gold coins to upgrade his system. With that, he understood. Lin Qi looked at the gold coins in his pocket, and his heart dropped. He had nowhere near enough. If he wanted to upgrade, he had to find a way to get some money fast. When everyone was well-rested, the young heirs continued on their journey. After passing through the forest on the opposite side of the river, they arrived at a small city. Chi Zhong City. It was a small city, and it was also the place where the young heirs of the three families could replenish their supplies. The guards went to get some provisions, while Lin Qi was thinking of how he would get that much money in such a short amount of time. He walked to the supplies booth and realized that the number of gold coins that the Lin family had provided for him was insufficient. It was not even enough to pay half the cost to upgrade the system. That made him feel troubled, and his brows furrowed as he thought about how he could earn money. Just then, a delicious scent wafted through the air, and he took a deep breath. ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s the smell of pork!¡± He looked in the direction of the smell and saw that there was a food street. There were not many decent restaurants in the city, but there were quite a few food stalls. Many guards were spending their money to buy food there, especially Lewis¡¯s guards. They were going to buy some grilled meat. Lin Qi walked over and looked around. These small businesses were offering simple food, such as roasted chicken, roasted suckling pig, fresh vegetables¡­ Those were the easiest dishes to cook. All they did was roast the meat and cook the vegetables for people to eat. ¡°Is¡­ Is this all you people eat?¡± Lin Qi could not help but criticize. Lewis came over and said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s already enough that we even have food to eat, but you¡¯re still out here complaining.¡± Lin Qi bought a roasted drumstick. After taking a bite, he found that the drumstick did not have any seasoning at all, and it was hard to swallow. Moreover, the price of the drumstick was even more outrageous. It was sold for ten silver coins! In the midst of his grumbling, he suddenly had an idea. Looking at the drumstick that he took a bite of, his eyebrows furrowed. ¡®Wait¡­ If such an unappetizing drumstick is sold for ten silver coins then if I sell the delicacies in the gourmet system, won¡¯t I make a fortune?¡¯ Lin Qi was not all that interested in making profits from his system, but he wanted to level up the system as soon as possible. After all, he could unlock better ingredients and recipes in the future. ¡®Okay! Let¡¯s do it!¡¯ Lin Qi checked his Super Gourmet System and found that he was only level one, so he could only choose to make relatively simple dishes. For example, Grilled Steak, Magic Beef Brisket with Radish, Baked Magic Sweet Potatoes, Dark Night Beef Tendons¡­ Those were all dishes that could be completed in one process. Although it was very simple, he had his own seasoning, which was much better than those tasteless drumsticks. Soon, Lin Qi found a place to set up a stall and began to prepare it. The dishes could be directly taken out of the system, but he had to be put on a show so that no one would grow suspicious of his actions. He currently had ten gold coins, and he wanted to use these gold coins to buy a stall. ¡°Sir, will you sell this stall to me?¡± Lin Qi asked the owner of the roasted drumstick stall. ¡°Oh? Are you interested in taking over this stall?¡± ¡°Yes. Name your price!¡± The owner of that stall had not made any money since he started his business there because of his illness. He felt relieved by just hearing that someone was willing to take over his stall. After all, there were too many competitors in the food street. His culinary skills alone were not enough to attract customers.. Chapter 10 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Are you really willing to take over this stall?¡± Lin Qi¡¯s expression was very determined as he kept nodding his head. ¡°That¡¯s right, I have ten gold coins here. Do you think you can sell this stall to me?¡± ¡°Ten gold coins?¡± When the owner heard this, his face immediately broke into a smile as he hurriedly nodded his head. ¡°Alright, I can give you everything here!¡± After the two of them established a contract, Lin Qi immediately became one of the vendors in the food street. ¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t that Young Master Lin?¡± Before Lin Qi could open his business, Lewis had already brought a few other young heirs over. All of them were stunned that Lin Qi now owns a stall. ¡°It can¡¯t be? Lin Qi, why are you setting up a stall here?¡± Lewis observed his stall in an exaggerated manner. Lin Qi had really bought the stall! There were even leftover roasted drumsticks. ¡°Hey, everybody! Come and take a look!¡± Lewis wanted to let everyone know. Yu Meng also heard the commotion and followed the crowd to surround the stall. Facing the crowd, Lin Qi leaned against the wall of the stall as if nothing out-of-the-ordinary had happened and sighed. ¡®These people had no sense of propriety.¡¯ Lin Qi thought to himself exasperatedly. ¡°Lin Qi, did your family go bankrupt, or did someone steal from you? Why are you suddenly setting up a stall to sell roasted drumsticks?¡± ¡°Is it really that strange?¡± Lin Qi replied indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m not like you who only knows how to spend the money given by his family. I¡¯m truly self-sufficient.¡± Those words struck a nerve with all the heirs as they were all pampered by their families. Everything they had was handed to them on a silver platter. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to buy anything then leave. Just don¡¯t block my business!¡± chided Lin Qi. ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s obvious why the Young Master of the Lin family is setting up a stall. You¡¯re broke! How embarrassing!¡± After Lewis spat out those words, he turned around and left abruptly. The other heirs followed behind him and left as well. The crowd slowly dispersed. Only Yu Meng was still looking at Lin Qi with a puzzled expression. As a fairly knowledgeable person, she knew that as the Young Master of the Lin family, Lin Qi would not lack money unless he was urgently in need of a lot of it. However, they were in the middle of the trial. Why would he still need money? ¡°Hey! What would you like to eat?¡± Suddenly, Lin Qi¡¯s voice pulled her back into reality. ¡°Huh?¡± She subconsciously responded. She thought for a moment before asking, ¡°That¡­ Do you still have that sweet potato?¡± ¡°Oh! That Magic Sweet Potato, Yes, I do!¡± Lin Qi deliberately turned around and retrieved the Magic Sweet Potato from the system. He then put it into the oven and heated it for a while. ¡°Here, take it!¡± Yu Meng took the Magic Sweet Potato. She was not sure if it could really restore magic energy, so she planned to test it again this time. She took a small bite. It was smooth and melted in her mouth. Then, she felt the magic energy in her body surging again. It was certain that it was a mana-restoring artifact. As for why it was a sweet potato, she had no clue. ¡°How much is this sweet potato?¡± Lin Qi tapped his chin and realized that he had not set a price for his food yet. His stall was bought for ten gold coins, and 100 silver coins equated to one gold coin, so the price of that sweet potato should be just a few silver coins. ¡°Let¡¯s say it¡¯s three silver coins for you!¡± ¡°What?¡± Yu Meng was dumbfounded. Normally, that kind of mana-restoring artifact was very rare, and the rarer the item, the more expensive it would be. Even in the hands of some orthodox merchants, those artifacts were sold for almost ten to twenty gold coinsÒ»some profiteers would even sell those artifacts for more than fifty gold coins. On the contrary, Lin Qi only wanted three silver coins? Was there something wrong with his brain? Was he trying to be a philanthropist? ¡°Lin Qi, are you sure this sweet potato is three silver coins?¡± Yu Meng asked again. ¡°Hold on, Yu Meng, do you think it¡¯s too expensive?¡± Lin Qi¡¯s words made Yu Meng dizzy. ¡°Forget it. I can¡¯t communicate with people like you. Give me ten sweet potatoes!¡± Lin Qi was stunned and smiled bitterly. ¡°This girl¡­¡± Ten sweet potatoes were 30 silver coins. That was Lin Qi¡¯s first profit. However, sweet potatoes alone were not enough to set up a stall. He needed other dishes. Lin Qi acquired a wooden board and wrote down the menu with some chalk. ¡°Magic Sweet Potato, Grilled Steak, Sweet Chicken Drumstick.¡± Those were the dishes that his system could cook at the moment. The rest needed to be unlocked by upgrading the system. Just like that, he started to set up a stall to sell food. There were many nobles living in that small city. The Chi Zhong City was close to the central city, and because nobles liked to live among their fellow upper-class members, there were quite a few nobles appearing in the city from time to time. However, the nobles generally did not like the food sold in these stalls. For them, enjoying the food in high-class restaurants was the best choice. Most of the people who came to these stalls to eat were commoners. The commoners naturally would not care about the specialties of the food in Lin Qi¡¯s stall. To them, as long as it was delicious, that was enough. However, it had to be said that because Lin Qi¡¯s system had its own seasoning, it gave the food an aroma that drifted near and farÒ»attracting many customers. Among the dishes sold, the most popular one was his Grilled Steak. It could be said that he received a multitude of praises due to his mouth-watering steak. People¡¯s eyes widened after eating it as if they were savoring a rare delicacy. Even so, the speed at which he was earning money was still too slow. At that rate, it was likely that he would have to operate the stall for eight to ten more days while feeling unsure whether he could collect enough money to level up his system by then. At noon, the sun was high in the sky. Lin Qi¡¯s stall was under the shade of a big tree. Although there were a few passing breezes, it was still very hot. His gaze swept across the empty street and he leaned against the big tree. He helplessly said in a soft voice, ¡°Sigh, running a business is hard work!¡± Even though his food was delicious, it was quite annoying that not many customers took the initiative to try his food. Just as he sighed once more, a slender figure suddenly entered his line of sight. Not far in front of him, a woman in a red dress was talking to a few heirs with a seductive smile. Her voluptuous body, wrapped in a red dress, was faintly discernible from the distance. Lin Qi could not help but swallow his saliva. That was the first time Lin Qi had seen such a beautiful woman. Immediately, his heart started to beat faster. At that moment, he secretly muttered to himself. ¡°What a fine woman.¡± Just as Lin Qi¡¯s gaze was hooked on the woman, a voice hollered at him, ¡°Hey young man, are you still selling those sweet potatoes?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Lin Qi immediately reacted. He blinked and reluctantly looked away. He turned to look at the man who was about to buy sweet potatoes from him.. Chapter 11 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Yes! How much would you like?¡± ¡°Give me two.¡± Lin Qi¡¯s glanced at the woman in the red dress while he was preparing the sweet potatoes. The man noticed Lin Qi¡¯s gaze and smiled. During the process of giving money, he said slowly, ¡°Young man, you¡¯re just wasting your time. That woman is far out of your reach!¡± That instantly piqued Lin Qi¡¯s interest and he asked, ¡°Sir, do you know her?¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know her in this city?¡± ¡°Can you tell me about her?¡± Lin Qi asked curiously. ¡°Her name is Faye, the eldest daughter of the Meister family and also the vice president of the Meister Chamber of Commerce. That woman¡¯s social skills can be said to be one of the best in the Mill continent. Many young bachelors of noble families spend a lot of money on her because of her beauty, but in the end, they can¡¯t even lay a finger on her.¡± The man sighed and shook his head. ¡°Young man, if young masters of the aristocrats have failed then we commoners don¡¯t even need to think about it.¡± Hearing that, Lin Qi smiled awkwardly and said helplessly, ¡°I don¡¯t have those kinds of intentions. I was just asking.¡± After the old man had left, Lin Qi tapped his chin and thought, ¡®If I can get that woman to help me with publicity, those aristocratic young masters would definitely come to my stall.¡¯ ¡®But, how can I get her to help me?¡¯ Just as Lin Qi was thinking, his gaze started to wander and he noticed a girl walking over to Faye¡¯s side. That girl seemed to be around the same age as him. She was wearing a uniform from another academy. There was a longsword at her waist. She was very tall, and the most eye-catching part of her was her long and slender legs. Among all the people there, Lewis wanted to stand out the most, especially in front of those two beautiful ladies. He even loudly proclaimed himself as a grand swordmaster. However, those surrounding him covered their mouths as they tried to hold back their laughter. ¡°Young Master Lewis!¡± Faye interrupted Lewis¡¯s words and asked simply, ¡°I heard that the three prominent families of New Moon City are here. I¡¯ve already met you, the Leonard family heir and I¡¯ve seen the Yu family heir but¡­ If I recall correctly, there¡¯s also the heir of the Lin family, right? I¡¯ve yet to meet him¡± ¡°Oh¡­ You mean that loser!¡± Lewis did not hide the disdain in his eyes. He turned his head to look at the food street in the distance. He pointed at Lin Qi, and said, ¡°Look, that¡¯s the young master of the Lin family.¡± Faye was the representative of the nobles in that small city. She was tasked to greet the latest batch of young heirs taking part in the trial on behalf of the nobles. Among all these people, the one that piqued her interest was the Lin family¡¯s heir. She had long since heard of the young master of the Lin family who was a loafer that neither had a foundation in magic nor practiced martial artsÒ»what a waste of a noble title. Initially, she had believed it, but what she saw today had broadened her horizons. The young master of the largest family in New Moon City was actually setting up a stall here? Faye said to her sister, Eula beside her, ¡°Eula, let¡¯s go and greet him!¡± ¡°Huh? Where are we going? That place is filthy. Plus I had not known that the young master of the Lin family was actually like this¡­¡± Faye tried to convince her sister. ¡°But¡­ We have to go and greet him. This is the basic etiquette of nobles!¡± Lewis suddenly had an idea to embarrass Lin Qi and immediately said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I take the both of you there?¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Lewis was secretly delighted. In addition, he called over a group of people to witness Lin Qi make a fool of himself. As for Lin Qi, he had just put the sweet potatoes into the oven to bake when he suddenly saw a group of people walking toward him. ¡®From the looks of it¡­ Are they going to tear down my stall?¡¯ Before he could react, the first person to come over was Faye, the woman in the red dress. She walked over gracefully and bowed politely. ¡°Excuse me, you are the young master of the Lin family, right?¡± Lin Qi was stunned, ¡°That¡¯s right, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Nothing important!¡± Lewis walked over again, and a smile appeared on his face, ¡°Come on Lin Qi, let me introduce you. These two are the eldest daughters of the Meister family, Faye, and Eula.¡± Lin Qi nodded, ¡°Faye and Eula, you both have beautiful names!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Faye responded politely but Eula snorted coldly. ¡°They are here to greet us, young heirs, on behalf of the local nobles, but I do not think it is necessary for you to greet them.¡± Lin Qi rolled his eyes and sighed helplessly. ¡°It would be rude of me not to greet them when they had already come all the way over here just to greet me.¡± Lewis walked over slowly and whispered into his ear, ¡°Kid, be careful with your words. Have you seen Eula¡¯s sword? She¡¯s like me, a grand swordmaster. She¡¯s not as easy-going as I am!¡± Lin Qi glanced at Eula who was emitting a strong aura. He indeed felt that she had the aura of a grand swordmaster, and it was obvious that she was much stronger than Lewis. It seemed that she was truly a grand swordmaster. Nevertheless, what did that have to do with him? Lin Qi looked back at Faye and nodded slightly. ¡°I understand. You may proceed with the greetings.¡± ¡°Good, since everyone is here, why don¡¯t we, the Meister family, do our best to treat everyone to a simple meal!¡± Everyone became excited when they heard that. It was an honor to be able to accept the invitation of the Meister family. However, Lin Qi waved his hand dismissively. ¡°I won¡¯t be attending. I still have to set up my stall to earn money!¡± As soon as he said this, the surrounding became silent. Everyone¡¯s eyes fell on him, and their heads were full of question marks. Is that guy¡¯s brain fried? ¡°For goodness sake¡­ Lin Qi, are you addicted to setting up stalls?¡± Lewis sneered. Faye was also quite embarrassed. Out of courtesy, she asked, ¡°May I ask, is there something wrong with the Lin family¡¯s economy?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no problem at all. I just want to earn some money to buy some things. You won¡¯t understand even if I tell you.¡± In an instant, Lin Qi¡¯s words caused a burst of laughter. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t bother with a guy like him. Hurry up and go eat. I just came back from the Dark Forest so if I don¡¯t eat something soon, my energy will be completely depleted,¡± Eula said nonchalantly. When Lin Qi noticed that business opportunity, he immediately took out a Grilled Steak and asked, ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Miss Eula, right? My Grilled Steak can replenish energy. Do you want to try one to fill your stomach?¡± Similar to that of a mage, a grand swordmaster like Eula often ran out of energy quickly. Moreover, a swordsman¡¯s recovery time was much longer than a mage¡¯s, so naturally, the stamina-recovering artifacts in the market were even more expensive than the mana-recovering ones. Lin Qi¡¯s Grilled Steak could recover all the stamina of a swordsman below the rank of a high-leveled one. Simply put, as long as one ate the steak, one¡¯s stamina would instantly recover. ¡°Try your steak?¡± Eula asked incredulously. ¡°Yeah, I guarantee you won¡¯t regret eating it!¡± Chapter 12 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Eula had been pampered ever since she was born. She was treated like a precious pearl in the family. Her parents doted on her and her sister cared for her tremendously. All that while, she had never eaten food that was sold by the roadside. ¡°I feel disgusted when I see junk food like that especially from a person like you.¡± After Faye heard this, she took into account the relationship between the Meister family and the Lin family then immediately berated, ¡°Eula, how can you talk like that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? I thought all that talk about the young master of the Lin family being a disgrace was nothing but a rumor. After seeing him today, I can discern for myself that he truly is trash. He was clearly born in a prominent family, yet he doesn¡¯t even look like a noble.¡± Those few words instantly caused Lin Qi¡¯s expression to change. He took a deep breath and said indifferently, ¡°Then as a noble, shouldn¡¯t you know how to hold your tongue. The way you speak is quite vulgar don¡¯t you think? May I also add that you look nothing like a noble yourself?¡± Clang! After Eula heard that, she immediately pulled out the longsword at her waist and pointed it at Lin Qi. ¡°If you dare say another word, I¡¯ll cut your tongue out!¡± Looking at the gleaming steel sword in front of him, Lin Qi did not even flinch. He sighed softly and said. ¡°Your hands are still trembling¡­¡± Eula had used up all her strength so her arms trembled when she raised the sword. ¡°Ah, you guys¡­¡± Faye was also in a difficult position. Lewis hoped that things would escalate so that he could witness Lin Qi being beaten to the ground. However, in the next second, Lin Qi heated up the steak. He took it out and raised it up. He said to Eula, ¡°Why don¡¯t you see for yourself the extent of the stamina-recovering properties of my Grilled Steak!¡± ¡°Nonsense, do you think that I have never used an artifact to restore my strength before?¡± ¡°No, but this is different. This is a real dish that is capable of restoring your strength!¡± No one believed what he had said. Lin Qi continued, ¡°How about this? I see that you¡¯re itching to give me a beating so I¡¯ll give you a chance!¡± ¡°What chance?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet. Try my steak. If it really works, you owe me a favor. If it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll kneel down and you can hit me all you want!¡± His voice was not loud, but it could be heard by everyone in the crowd. Everyone refused to believe that Lin Qi would actually place such a big bet. That bet would cost the image of the Lin family. If he really knelt down and was beaten up by a girl from the Meister family, the Lin family would lose face if the word got out! Of course, without the absolute confidence in winning, Lin Qi would never have placed such a bet. ¡°What? You¡¯re not doubting yourself, are you?¡± Lin Qi deliberately provoked. As expected, the hot-tempered Eula bit her red lips. ¡°Not one bit!¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s a deal!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡± Then, Eula immediately took Lin Qi¡¯s steak. However, the moment she took it, the steamy steak emitted a mouth-watering smell, which was much more appetizing than the steak in the fancy restaurant her family frequented. Without hesitation, she took a bite and tasted it carefully. The meat was tender and juicy in her mouth, and she noticed that honey was added to the steak. It tasted divine, and she could feel a surge of energy in her stomach once she swallowed it. After she took the first bite, she immediately wanted to take another one. Everyone watched as she took one bite after another until she finished the whole steak, and her mouth was full of honey. Lin Qi could not help but laugh. How could a noble act so carefree like that? He took a deep breath and then asked her, ¡°What do you think? Now, try pulling out your sword!¡± Eula admitted that the steak tasted very good, but was it really effective in restoring her physical strength? She narrowed her eyes and pulled out her sword in an instant. At that moment, the steel sword was pointed straight at Lin Qi. Her arm did not tremble, her whole body was filled with power instead. ¡°This¡­ This is amazing!¡± Eula could not believe it. It was just a piece of meat, but she had really recovered all her strength. ¡°What kind of steak is this?¡± Lin Qi raised his hand and shook his head. ¡°This is my secret recipe. I won¡¯t disclose it to anyone. Anyway, you believe me now, right?¡± Eula quickly nodded. From her eyes, anyone could tell that she wanted to eat more. ¡°Since you believe it, then it proves that you¡¯ve lost!¡± Everyone was in disbelief. What kind of food did Lin Qi sell that could even restore one¡¯s physical strength? ¡°I¡­¡± Only now did it dawn upon Eula that she had actually lost. That simple steak actually contained such powerful properties. Faye, who watched from the side, was also in disbelief. Her gaze fell on Lin Qi, and the corners of her mouth curled up into a wide smile. The young master of the Lin family seemed to be quite interesting. ¡°You agreed that if you lose, you would have to help me!¡± Eula immediately took a step back and said, ¡°First off¡­ Let me make it clear. I won¡¯t kill anyone or start any fires, and also¡­ I won¡¯t betray¡­¡± ¡°Okay, enough! There¡¯s no need for that!¡± Lin Qi sighed helplessly. ¡°I just want you to help me promote my stall. All you have to do is attract customers. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Attract customers?¡± Faye asked skeptically. ¡°Yes, Miss Faye. If you have nothing else to do, can you help me advertise as well? I know there are many nobles in this city that are very generous!¡± No one knew why Lin Qi was so determined to make money. In any case, the two sisters of the Meister family were now in Lin Qi¡¯s hands. Although Eula had a bad temper and was arrogant, since she had lost, she could not go back on her word. ¡°Okay¡­ But I¡¯ll only help you promote it for one day!¡± Lin Qi was secretly delighted. ¡®With your beautiful legs standing here, wouldn¡¯t I be able to seduce those noble young masters?¡¯ Just like that, Eula became the spokesperson of Lin Qi¡¯s stall. Just by standing there, many noble young masters came to visit. In just one afternoon, almost everyone in the city had eaten Lin Qi¡¯s steak and sweet potatoes. Lin Qi saw the fruits of his labor today. In just one day, he had already reached one-third of the requirements for upgrading the system. In two or three days, he would be able to raise enough money to level up. In the evening, Eula panted. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve already garnered enough people for you. Can I go back now?¡± Lin Qi waved his hand and said, ¡°Alright, you may leave¡­ Wait!¡± Eula did not know what Lin Qi was doing. She saw Lin Qi give her a delicately prepared steak along with a knife and fork. ¡°Thank you for your hard work this afternoon. I¡¯ll give you this plate of food with a knife and fork. Is it elegant enough for a noble?¡± Although Eula did not acknowledge it, she had recognized Lin Qi as a good person in her heart. As for Lin Qi, he still thinks she is a little annoying but she had improved a little compared to earlier. ¡°Your name is Lin Qi, right?¡± Eula asked. Lin Qi nodded. He could see that her eyes seemed to be filled with a bright light. Although he did not know what it meant, it probably was not hostility. ¡°I¡¯ll remember you!¡± Eula did not eat the steak. Instead, she turned around coldly and left.. Chapter 13 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation In order to earn enough gold coins, Lin Qi was quite hardworking. He set up his stall early in the morning to sell breakfast. As expected, his stall was very popular. There was almost no need to beckon others to come as a large number of people would visit his stall. That was because the price of his Magic Sweet Potato was unbelievably cheap. Those magic artifact shops demanded at least ten gold coins to purchase a mana-recovering artifact, which could be bought in his stall for only three silver coins. For as long as Lin Qi¡¯s stall was up and running, the nearby magic shops were akin to ghost towns. Some of the magic shop owners had come out to see what was going on. According to their inquiries, they found out that Lin Qi had opened a stall in the nearby area. That stall was said to specialize in selling some Magic Sweet Potatoes that could replenish mana. At first, those merchants refused to believe it. They thought that mana-recovering artifacts could only be obtained by archmages and that the Magic Sweet Potatoes were just a hoax. Mort was the president of the Magic Trading Firm. After he learned of that matter, he decided to settle it personally in the interest of the trading firm. Then, he hired a few mages to go over and expose Lin Qi¡¯s deception to the public. As for Lin Qi, he was living a good life. Seeing as the money continued to fill his pockets, he felt very happy. Just as he was excitedly selling his food, he suddenly heard a voice. ¡°Hey, you need to stop!¡± Lin Qi was stunned. He realized that there were a few people who dressed differently compared to commoners in front of him, and the one directly before him was dressed in a dignified manner, while the two behind him were dressed in mage attires. From the looks of it, they were here to attack him. Lin Qi was on alert as he asked, ¡°You people are here to buy food from me, right?¡± ¡°In your dreams! Don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s illegal to cheat people of their money?¡± ¡°What? When have I ever deceived people? I¡¯m a legitimate merchant!¡± Lin Qi retorted. However, Mort sneered and said, ¡°Kid, you have to know that there¡¯s a specialized trading company here. If you want to register as a merchant, you have to get my approval!¡± ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Lin Qi felt lost and scratched his head. Even so, he replied very conspicuously. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re punishing me for being a peddler but how many peddlers do you see around you? Instead of targeting them, you¡¯re targeting me?¡± ¡°They are only selling trivial items, but your case is different. You¡¯re selling those so-called Magic Sweet Potatoes, aren¡¯t you? It¡¯s complete and utter nonsense!¡± Mort said sarcastically with his teeth bared, ¡°Who do you think you are? Even a high-quality mana-recovering artifact made by an archmage takes an hour to refine, but you can bake it within a few minutes?¡± Lin Qi sighed in relief. He thought that he had seriously done something wrong, but it turned out to be just another skeptic. ¡°Okay, I get it now. You¡¯re worried that I¡¯m fake, right?¡± Lin Qi immediately grabbed a sweet potato and handed it to Mort. ¡°Then try it. See If I¡¯m lying.¡± Mort looked at the sweet potato suspiciously and sneered, ¡°This is just an ordinary sweet potato. Who are you trying to fool?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll understand after you try it!¡± Mort shook his head in annoyance and ordered the mage behind him to come over and have a taste. Although the mage was reluctant to eat that kind of junk food, he was hired by Mort so he had no choice but to try it. ¡°Huh?¡± After taking a small bite, the mage¡¯s expression suddenly changed, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. ¡°What¡­ What is this? It¡¯s so delicious, and it¡¯s full of magic energy!¡± ¡°What?¡± Mort was stunned. He looked at the sweet potato in Lin Qi¡¯s hand with eyes full of doubt. ¡°Look!¡± Lin Qi immediately said, ¡°I told you I wasn¡¯t lying, right? Look at himÒ»his mana is almost overflowing.¡± The mage¡¯s eyes flashed, and he immediately asked Lin Qi, ¡°How much is a sweet potato?¡± ¡°Three silver coins!¡± The three of them froze on the spot. The mage knew very well that a mana-recovering artifact cost at least ten gold coins. Now, he could buy it for three silver coins. If he bought all of it¡­ He would make a fortune. Mort had already thought of that idea. He immediately smiled at Lin Qi and stole the chance before the mage could. ¡°Haha, I¡¯m really sorry to have misunderstood you earlier!¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand now!¡± Lin Qi said good-naturedly. Mort gently put his hand on Lin Qi¡¯s shoulder and said in a soft voice, ¡°Young man, your sweet potatoes seem to be very delicious. I would like to try some too.¡± Seeing as that man was the president of the trading firm, Lin Qi picked up a sweet potato for him. ¡°Since this is our first time meeting, I¡¯ll treat it as a gift for you!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Mort took the sweet potato and tasted it. As the mage mentioned, the sweet potato indeed had a mana-recovering property. In an instant, he had a plan that could make him a fortune. ¡°Young man, you won¡¯t be able to fill my stomach with just one sweet potato.¡± ¡°Ah, really? Then I¡¯ll give you another one¡­¡± ¡°No, no, I can¡¯t eat it for free. How about this, I notice that you have quite a lot of sweet potatoes. How about¡­ I buy all of them from you.¡± After hearing Mort¡¯s words, Lin Qi immediately understood his intention and smirked. ¡°President Mort, I have a rule in my stall.¡± ¡°What rule?¡± ¡°I can only sell five sweet potatoes per person per day. You can¡¯t buy more than five of them.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Mort was petrified on the spot. He asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you being foolish? Don¡¯t you want to earn money?¡± Lin Qi was actually quite desperate to gain money, but he knew that if he sold all the sweet potatoes to a man like him, he would definitely raise the price for his own profit. If that occurred, then the common people would not be able to even taste the sweet potatoes. Although that deal would have been beneficial to him, he still rejected Mort. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to earn a lot of money but it¡¯s because this is the rule I¡¯ve set. I can¡¯t break my own rule, right?¡± Then, Lin Qi continued to sell sweet potatoes as if nothing had happened. Mort was so furious that he almost flew into a rage. Since his plan failed, he could not let Lin Qi hinder the trading firm¡¯s business here. With him around, the trading firm¡¯s mana-recovering artifacts would not be sold. Mort¡¯s eyes became dark. He slammed one hand on the table, his face arrogant and domineering. He said coldly, ¡°Kid, if you don¡¯t want to sell me the goods, then shut up and get out of the city!¡± His words were laced with malicious intent, which was detected by Lin Qi. However, Lin Qi had been scared before and that situation was way worse. Moreover, he knew he was in the right so he naturally refused to give in. He said, ¡°President Mort, right? You¡¯re worried that my sweet potatoes will steal your trading firm¡¯s business, correct?¡± ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s about time you figured it out!¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped! The weak are prey to the strong, and the strongest survive. My product is better than yours. This is the harsh truth. You have to learn to accept it, or¡­ You can always lower the price a little!¡± Hearing that, Mort became even more enraged.. Chapter 14 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Kid, don¡¯t you know? Although the Magic Trading Firm doesn¡¯t have control of everything in this city, it¡¯s easy for us to kill a commoner!¡± His words were full of threats, which made Lin Qi¡¯s haughty expression drop. He frowned and said, ¡°That¡¯s incredible. I¡¯ve never been threatened before.¡± Mort sneered, ¡°You¡¯re just a nobody who set up a stall. Do you think anyone would come to help you?¡± ¡°Get him!¡± The two mages instantly teleported in front of Lin Qi and were about to use force. ¡°Kid, I¡¯ll give you another chance. Either sell those sweet potatoes to me or get out of the city!¡± Mort gave his final warning, but Lin Qi still ignored it. Even though the two mages were already too close, he remained calm and composed. ¡°Destroy his stall!¡± At Mort¡¯s command, those two mages began to make their move. However, before the two of them could use their magic, a large number of guards suddenly surrounded them. ¡°Eh? What¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± Mort saw a large number of armored guards appear, and he was instantly confused. He saw the chief guard slowly walk over. ¡°Ah, you are¡­¡± ¡°The guards of the Lin family!¡± ¡°The Lin family¡­ You mean the Lin family of New Moon City?¡± A flattering smile appeared on Mort¡¯s face. The chief guard raised his head. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The majority of the shares of most the trading firms in New Moon City belonged to the Lin family, so the president of the Magic Trading Firm, Mort, was extremely respectful towards the Lin family. Even if the person in front of him was only the chief guard of the Lin family, he still spoke humbly. ¡°Oh right, I heard that Young Master Lin is involved in the trial this time, right? Why¡­ Don¡¯t I see him?¡± The chief guard was somewhat puzzled. Tilting his head, he asked, ¡°You don¡¯t know our Young Master?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve long heard of your family¡¯s great name, but I¡¯ve never seen the heir with my own eyes.¡± The chief guard frowned and snapped. ¡°You have definitely seen him before!¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I don¡¯t recall ever meeting him.¡± Mort was stunned. The expression on his face became more and more confused. He scratched his head and smiled bitterly. ¡°Listen, with all due respect, I believe I should know best whether or not I¡¯ve seen him before, right?¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t even know it yourself!¡± At that point, Lin Qi slowly walked over while chewing on a piece of sweet potato and stood in front of Mort. ¡°You brat, what are you doing here? Get lost!¡± Mort¡¯s attitude towards Lin Qi was extremely vile. After all, to him, all commoners were lowly people. ¡°You dare treat him that way!¡± When the guard saw his young master being yelled at, he was instantly enraged and was about to draw his greatsword. ¡°Hold your horses, don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯ll teach this brat a lesson!¡± Mort still tried to get on the chief guard¡¯s good side like a fool. However, in the next second, the chief guard grabbed his neck and said fiercely, ¡°Look closely and make good use of that brain of yours. This is the young master of the Lin Family!¡± ¡°What?¡± His words were like a bolt from the blue and Mort felt as if he was slapped by them. ¡°He¡­ He is the young master of the Lin Family?¡± Lin Qi shook his head in amusement. ¡°I¡­ I really had no idea!¡± Mort¡¯s terrified expression was mixed with disbelief. A young master of the Lin family actually set up a stall here to sell sweet potatoes? No one would ever believe that! However, the truth was right in front of him. The guards were all very respectful towards Lin Qi, and that caused his body to stiffen. ¡°Please forgive me. It¡¯s was completely my fault!¡± What Mort was most afraid of now was that the Lin family would cut ties with the trading company. That would have a great impact on them in the future. However, Lin Qi did not care about his family¡¯s business. Right now, he only wanted to earn money to upgrade his system. However, that guy overstepped his boundaries, so Lin Qi had to teach him a lesson! ¡°How about this, from now on, you help me sell these sweet potatoes, and I¡¯ll forgive you!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Well then? Come here quickly!¡± Lin Qi was leisurely lying on the base of the tree, and Mort, who was the president of the Magic Trading Firm, was actually selling sweet potatoes at his stall. Passerbys could not help but laugh at him. ¡°Well¡­ Young Master Lin, at the end of the day, I¡¯m still the president of the trading firm, so doing this¡­¡± ¡°Oh? Then do you want me to go back and discuss what had happened with my father?¡± Mort immediately changed his tune. His service attitude changed 180 degrees, and he bowed politely to everyone who came to buy sweet potatoes. As the afternoon passed by, Mort had gained experience living like a peddler. After he nearly died of exhaustion, Lin Qi reluctantly relieved him of his duties and let him go back. However, he still had not earned enough money today. He had to set up a stall for another two days to reach his goal. The next morning, the Yu family and the Leonard family were about to set off. They decided to hurriedly leave as soon as they recovered. However, Lin Qi had not planned to depart. While everyone was getting ready to leave, he was quietly tidying up his stall. He planned to set up his stall again today. Lewis and Yu Meng were dumbfounded. What was going on with Lin Qi? Was he addicted to his business? He knew that he was in the middle of the trial, and yet he was still in the mood to set up his stall today. Although Yu Meng saw Lin Qi as an opponent, she still advised him kindly, ¡°Lin Qi, if you don¡¯t want to follow us, you¡¯ll have to face the trial yourself. We won¡¯t stay and wait for you!¡± Lin Qi knew what she was trying to say. She was offering her help should he choose to leave with them now. However, Lin Qi only had one thing on his mind, and that was to upgrade his system. Everything else was secondary. ¡°Then you guys can go on first. I¡¯ll catch up with you soon!¡± Lewis walked over and said to Yu Meng, ¡°Yu Meng, Don¡¯t waste your time on him. It¡¯s useless even if you try. It¡¯s better for the two of us to work together to pass the trial!¡± Yu Meng sighed helplessly as if she was a little disappointed in Lin Qi. She clearly saw him as her opponent, but he was only perfunctory in dealing with the trial. That only made her even more disappointed. Yu Meng turned around decisively and did not say a word to Lin Qi. Lewis also showed a contemptuous smile to him. However, that meant nothing to Lin Qi. Compared to the trial, the system was his number one priority. After seeing the Yu family and the Leonard family leave, the Lin family¡¯s chief guard asked, ¡°Young Master¡­ Why don¡¯t you go with them? Do you really need money? After the trial, there will be plenty back at the Lin family¡¯s residence!¡± ¡°By then, it will be too late!¡± Lin Qi replied curtly, but it only left the chief guard even more confused. ¡°Just be patient.. Anyway, according to this speed, all will be settled in two days!¡± Chapter 15 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Lin Qi¡¯s stall was becoming more and more popular. Back then, he had the two daughters of the Meister family to help him advertise. In addition to that, after the nobles who were lured in by the sisters ate once, they wanted to come back again. After that, Lin Qi¡¯s money was slowly increasing and he was getting closer to his goal. On the third day, Lin Qi¡¯s Grilled Steak was already famous throughout the entire city. Everyone had tasted it at least once. It was indeed a renowned delicacy. By then, Lin Qi had earned enough money to upgrade the system, so he decisively entered the system and chose to upgrade. [ Ding! The system is upgrading¡­ ] [ Ding! The system has successfully been upgraded. Level 2 has been unlocked: Magic Stir-fried Bullfrog, Flaming Swirl Roasted Chicken, Refreshing Drink. ] [ Ding! You have been rewarded the Upgrade Gift Bag! ] [ Upgrade Gift Bag: Enhancement Candy, Explosive Beef Meatballs, Chicken Fillet (x100), Bullfrog (x100)] The system had finally been upgraded, and Lin Qi felt relieved. Then, he officially left the city to continue on his journey to pass the trial. At that moment, without the Leonard family, the Yu family, and the other small families, it was much quieter. Lin Qi was not used to the silence. While following the route on the map, Lin Qi was in a good mood. He hummed a little tune and walked carefreely. However, he soon found the site of an accident! He walked into the area at the foot of a mountain and found that the muddy road was littered with footprints as if many people had fought fiercely there. Then, Lin Qi found a pile of armor left behind. The chief guard carefully observed the armor, and his face immediately fell. ¡°This¡­ This is the armor of the Yu family¡¯s guards!¡± As soon as he said that, the other guards turned pale with fright and became vigilant. Lin Qi tapped his chin and looked around. The Yu family¡¯s armor was here but where were the people? Lin Qi grew worried. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°It seems that something must have happened here. But since we weren¡¯t there when it occurred we can¡¯t jump to conclusions¡­¡± At that moment, a guard who was scouting ahead ran back and yelled, ¡°There are bandits up this mountain!¡± ¡°What? Bandits?¡± The chief guard was conflicted. He said to Lin Qi, ¡°Young Master if there are bandits on this mountain, what should we do?¡± ¡°I suggest we find another way. Look around, these are the armors of the Yu family¡¯s guards. This proves that they have been killed!¡± Lin Qi nodded. ¡°Indeed. I have long since heard that the guards of the Yu family are carefully selected, elite warriors. If even they fell to the hands of those bandits, I¡¯m afraid those bandits are a group of very strong warriors.¡± ¡°Therefore based on what you have said, it is clear that we should change routes, right?¡± Lin Qi was a little hesitant and slowly said, ¡°If we change routes, does that mean that no one will come to their aid?¡± The chief guard was stunned. He held back a laugh and said, ¡°Young Master, one less participant means one less opponent!¡± Lin Qi was still a little indecisive, but after careful consideration, he asked, ¡°Are there other people taking part in the trial?¡± ¡°There are representatives sent from other cities, and there are even experts sent by the Empire¡¯s King.¡± Lin Qi rolled his eyes. He did not think much about it and said, ¡°Then there should be more people on our side to contend against those people. Let¡¯s go save them!¡± ¡°Young Master, have you really thought it through?¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense and let¡¯s go up the mountain!¡± The guards followed Lin Qi¡¯s order. They were just a group of guards. If they were really in danger, they were not sure if they could protect the Young Master. However, Lin Qi trusted them very much, even though he was only really relying on himself. After going up the mountain, they found many traces of people being dragged. Lin Qi observed. ¡°These should be the traces of the guards being dragged up the mountain!¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t tell me the bandits captured them to make them slaves?¡± Lin Qi nodded. ¡°That¡¯s possible, so everyone must be on high alert!¡± The group continued to search the mountain, but they still could not find any clues. Lin Qi asked the guard who had just explored the path ahead of them, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that there were bandits? Why is it that we are almost at the top of the mountain now, and not a single shadow is seen?¡± The guard shook his head helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure either, because these mountain roads branch into all directions. I forgot which peak the bandits were located!¡± There were a total of eight mountain peaks connected to that road. How was Lin Qi going to find them? Moreover, he was still in the middle of the trial. ¡°Sigh, how troublesome!¡± Lin Qi stopped to rest for a moment and gave the guards a piece of Grilled Steak to help recover their strength. Then, they went up the mountain to search again, but that time, they had found something! ¡°Young Master, look! There are footprints here!¡± Lin Qi went over to take a look, and his eyes immediately widened. ¡°You¡¯re telling me¡­ Someone wears a shoe this big?¡± According to the bootprints, that person was probably a humongous guy! ¡°I¡¯m sure the members from the two prominent families can handle this, Young Master¡­ Why don¡¯t we just stop interfering and continue the trial?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not the style of the Lin family to abandon those in trouble!¡± Lin Qi continued to follow the trail left by the big bootprints and found that there were gradually spots of blood on the ground. ¡°This blood hasn¡¯t dried yet, it means that we are not far away!¡± Lin Qi continued to move forward. All of a sudden, on the peak of Sunset Mountain, stood a stronghold built by bandits and there were sounds of cheering that can be heard coming from within. ¡°Brother Luther is really powerful! He single-handedly captured all these reckless trespassers!¡± ¡°Yeah, I told you that brother Luther is invincible!¡± Hearing those people praise their chief, made Lin Qi assume that he was the man who captured Yu Meng and Lewis! Luther! He was the chief of the bandits and a real grand swordmaster. When he fought against Lewis, he defeated him with a single move! When he fought with Yu Meng, he had not held back either. In the blink of an eye, he had captured those two heirs. At that moment, Yu Meng and Lewis were locked in a cage in the mountain stronghold. Lewis was on the verge of despair and he started to beg for mercy, ¡°Good men, please don¡¯t kill me. I¡¯ll join you¡­ No, I¡¯ll be your subordinate. If I can¡¯t do that, then you can treat me like a dog, as long as you don¡¯t kill me!¡± Yu Meng rolled her eyes at him. She was completely disappointed in Lewis. The bandits did not care about them at all. Only their big brother, Luther, could dictate their fates! Luther was in a great mood, especially since he captured such a beautiful woman. ¡°Haha, brothers, kill that man tonight as entertainment. Then as for the lady¡­. She will be my wife from now on!¡± Chapter 16 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation At that moment, the mountain stronghold was filled with all kinds of lively noises. The guards of the Yu family and the Leonard family had all been kept captive. On the tiger-skin throne in front of them, Luther was drinking hard liquor one mouthful at a time. He seemed to be in a good mood. That was because he had captured the young heirs of the Leonard family and the Yu family. He would become famous. After all, those two were the heirs of the most prominent families of New Moon City. ¡°Sir mountain bandit!¡± Then, a humble voice came from the cage. That voice belonged to Lewis. His face was full of tears and he begged, ¡°Sir mountain bandit, I admit my mistake. I shouldn¡¯t have provoked you. You are magnanimous so please let me go. My family is rich. I will give you as much as you want!¡± In reality, that entire situation snowballed from the actions of the troublemaker, Lewis. Earlier, while they were on their way to Black Wind Castle, a group of mountain bandits came across Lewis and the others by chance. However, it seemed that the mountain bandits had not intended to capture them. Instead, they asked them to drop their food, armor, and weapons with the intention of letting them go if they complied. However, Lewis assumed that they were just ordinary mountain bandits. He immediately wanted to show off his grandeur in front of Yu Meng and mocked Luther. Luther was a prideful person, so naturally, he was unhappy when he heard Lewis¡¯s taunt. With his skill as a grand swordmaster, he easily defeated Lewis. Yu Meng wanted to use magic to counterattack, but her opponent was a fully formed grand swordmaster. She was only a beginner in magic so she was defeated in a few moves. The entire team was instantly defeated by a group of mountain bandits, and they were dragged up to the mountain stronghold one by one. ¡°Please, sir, don¡¯t kill me. I haven¡¯t even gotten married yet!¡± Lewis cried out loudly. He saw a few big guys approaching him with axes in their hands. He was so scared that a wet stain appeared on his pants. Although the other young heirs who were caught were also very nervous and desperate, they were not as overdramatic as Lewis. When they saw Lewis¡¯s pathetic state, all of them had looks of disdain. However, Luther did not care at all. To him, Lewis deserved to die. If it was not for the Leonard family¡¯s petty tricks to frame him back then, he would not have fallen into such a state. Now that the tables have turned, the young master of the Leonard family had finally fallen into his hands. Naturally, he would not let him return alive. As for that lady from the Yu family. Luther carefully observed Yu Meng. He noticed her slender figure, fair skin, and pretty face. He immediately said, ¡°Bring that girl here!¡± A few mountain bandits pulled Yu Meng out of the handcuffs. At that moment, Yu Meng¡¯s face was full of unwillingness, but she was still forced to kneel down. Luther slowly walked over, lifted her chin with his hand, and inspected her face. She was indeed beautiful, and she was the daughter of the Yu Meng family. ¡°Your name is Yu Meng, right?¡± Yu Meng did not respond. She turned her head away and remained stubborn. ¡°Hehe, I can spare your life, and I can let the guards of the Yu family go, but you have to promise to stay here and be my wife!¡± ¡°In your dreams!¡± Yu Meng replied decisively, which made Luther even more interested. He laughed and said, ¡°Good! You have a strong personality. I like it.¡± ¡°But, you have to think carefully. If you don¡¯t agree, I will kill them all. By then, they won¡¯t be blaming me, but you instead!¡± ¡°You!¡± Yu Meng raised her head and glared at Luther. However, Luther did not care at all. Ever since he became the chief of the bandits, he had become stronger. He was not afraid of anyone, especially not the captured girl before him. ¡°So what will it be? As long as you agree, I will let them go!¡± Hearing that, a glimmer of hope lit up in Lewis, who had just been trying to survive. He shouted at Luther, ¡°Sir bandit, please let me help you persuade her!¡± After hearing that, Luther waved his arms and signaled the two men to put down their axes. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance.¡± Lewis was finally freed from the chains. He quickly pulled Yu Meng aside and tried to persuade her. ¡°Yu Meng, this is a good opportunity to save everyone!¡± ¡°What good opportunity? Are you crazy?¡± Yu Meng turned her head away. She did not want to see Lewis act so pathetically. ¡°For goodness sake, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking you to die. As long as you agree, then we can all live.¡± After Yu Meng heard that, her heart wavered. She turned to look at the group of guards and young heirs. She sighed helplessly. Lewis continued to persuade her, ¡°Also, look at the chief bandit. He¡¯s a talented person with incredible strength. After you become the wife of the chief bandit, you would have money, power, and freedom. Isn¡¯t this better than being in charge of the Yu family?¡± Hearing Lewis¡¯s words, Yu Meng¡¯s stubbornness slowly wanned. However, she did not really believe his words. She just wanted to stall for time and then slowly think of a way to escape. ¡°Ah, Yu Meng, listen to me¡­¡± Before Lewis could finish, Yu Meng turned around with a determined look in her eyes and said to Luther, ¡°I will accept!¡± Lewis was overjoyed, while Luther smiled and shouted to the bandits, ¡°Hurry up and prepare for the wedding. I¡¯m going to have it tonight!¡± ¡°Hold on!¡± Suddenly, Yu Meng added, ¡°The rule of the Yu family is that you can only marry under the new moon. It¡¯s only sunset, and the new moon hasn¡¯t come out yet.¡± Luther frowned and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care about your rules.¡± However, since she had agreed, he would not mind waiting a little longer. As for Lewis, he said in a low and humble voice, ¡°Well¡­ Sir bandit, since she has agreed, can we¡­¡± Luther pointed at the bandits behind him and said loudly, ¡°Disarm those people of thier weapons and armor then let them go!¡± Hearing that, Lewis was overjoyed and said, ¡°Okay!¡± However, when Lewis turned around, a sharp sword suddenly stopped him. He was so scared that his face turned pale. He slowly turned and said, ¡°That¡­ Sir bandit, didn¡¯t you agree to¡­ Let us go?¡± Luther smiled and said, ¡°They can leave, but you can¡¯t. Today is my wedding day. I have to kill someone to cheer me up!¡± That sentence made Lewis fall into despair again. He knelt on the ground and begged, ¡°Sir bandit, please don¡¯t kill me. There are so many guards in my family.. Just pick one and kill him!¡± Chapter 17 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation At that moment, when the guards of the Leonard family heard Lewis say such words, they instantly lost confidence in their master. Other young heirs like Yu Meng, were even willing to be the wife of the chief bandit for the sake of her guards. However, that Lewis actually sold out his guards for his own life. He was truly scum! However, Luther wanted to kill Lewis, so he did not agree. He ordered his subordinates to lock Lewis in the cage again and kill him on the night of the wedding. Lewis kept begging for mercy, but it was in vain. Yu Meng could not be bothered to care about him. She was thinking about how to use tonight¡¯s opportunity to leave the mountain. Her mana had been used up. It would be great if Lin Qi was here¡­ She then realized that it was the first time Yu Meng had such a thought. She was suddenly hoping that Lin Qi would come to her aid. On the other side, the young heirs and guards were running down the mountain naked. Having their lives spared, they did not care about anything else and descending the mountain. Just as they reached a safe distance, a flame suddenly lit up in front of them. ¡°Who is it?¡± The guards subconsciously looked over. It was Lin Qi who was holding a torch. ¡°Young Master Lin?¡± Lin Qi could not help but laugh when he saw that group of shirtless guards and young heirs. ¡°You¡­ What happened to you guys?¡± Then, they told Lin Qi about their experience. After Lin Qi heard about what had happened, he knew that both Yu Meng and Lewis were in danger. Lewis probably deserved it, but he did not deserve to die. Yu Meng was still so young, so she could not be that guy¡¯s wife. Lin Qi tapped his chin. He heard that Luther was a grand swordmaster. He knew that they could not defeat him with pure strength. The only way was to sneak in and free them. Although Lin Qi knew that it was a dangerous mission, he did not shirk from it. After all, he had full confidence in himself now. ¡°You guys set up camp at the foot of the mountain first. Be ready at any time. I¡¯ll go up the mountain and sneak into their stronghold to save them!¡± When everyone heard that, they could not believe their ears. Was that person really Lin Qi? They had never seen such a courageous person. They knew that the other party was stronger than them, but Lin Qi was not afraid at all. He even wanted to save them alone. That kind of courage made many people admire Lin Qi. ¡°Young Master, you mustn¡¯t. You have a chance at passing the trial. You are the hope of the Lin Family!¡± The chief guard suddenly pulled Lin Qi back. However, Lin Qi smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If I can¡¯t even settle this small matter, how will I manage the Lin family in the future?¡± His voice was not loud, but everyone heard it loud and clear. At that moment, the chief guard had tears brimming in his eyes and he sighed deeply. ¡°Young Master has finally grown up and can take on such a big responsibility. If you can return safely from the trial, you must tell Master about this!¡± ¡°Alright, you guys stay here and be ready at any time. I will go up the mountain now!¡± At Lin Qi¡¯s command, the guards stationed themselves one after another. They even set up some traps. If they were chased down later, they would be able to defend themselves. Lin Qi used the bright moonlight to illuminate the mountain road. He slowly approached the mountain stronghold on the peak. He looked around and found that the mountain stronghold was brightly lit. The bandits were all eating and drinking happily. Lin Qi did not enter directly. Instead, he found a watchtower with only a few people guarding it and climbed up. While he was sneaking in, he suddenly smelled the scent of urine. It caught his attention and he immediately looked in the direction of the source. ¡°Huh?¡± Lin Qi found that there was a cage in front of him, and in it was Lewis, whose face was full of despair. As for the smell of urine¡­ That guy¡­ Could it be that he had peed his pants out of fear? How pathetic! Lin Qi sighed. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, he quietly called out to Lewis in the dark. ¡°Lewis!¡± Lewis heard a sound and lifted his head. ¡°Eh? Lin Qi? How did you¡­¡± ¡°Shh!¡± Lin Qi gestured for him to stay silent and whispered to him, ¡°Where¡¯s Yu Meng?¡± Although Lewis knew that Lin Qi had not come just to save him, he was still desperate enough to try begging. ¡°Lin Qi, quickly save me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you, where¡¯s Yu Meng?¡± Lewis took a deep breath and pointed toward the direction of the stronghold. ¡°Inside!¡± Lin Qi nodded. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go save Yu Meng first then I¡¯ll come back to save you later!¡± Then, Lin Qi sneaked toward the stronghold. The bandits had drunk a few glasses of wine so their vigilance was relaxed. None of them realized that Lin Qi was an intruder. Lin Qi took that opportunity to sneak into the stronghold quietly. However, when he tried to enter a room, he found Luther coming out. He immediately reacted and hid against the wall, holding his breath. Luther did not expect that someone would sneak in. Therefore, he had not taken any precautions and he did not find Lin Qi. Lin Qi took advantage of the moment he turned his back and immediately sneaked into the room. Then, he found that Yu Meng, who was sitting on the bed, was dressed up like a bride. However, her sad face caused Lin Qi to bite his tongue and keep his comments to himself. Before Yu Meng realized it, Lin Qi walked in. She was too distracted thinking about how she could escape later. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re already dressed like this. It seems to me that you really want to stay here and be the wife of a bandit.¡± As soon as Lin Qi¡¯s voice reached her, Yu Meng looked up and saw that Lin Qi was looking at her strangely. She instantly blushed. ¡°What¡­ What did you say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just kidding!¡± Lin Qi chuckled. ¡°Why are you here? Were you captured too?¡± Lin Qi laughed again. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯ve been captured? I¡¯m here to save you!¡± Hearing that Lin Qi was here to save her, Yu Meng¡¯s hope was immediately ignited, but she did not feel good about it. She had always regarded Lin Qi as her opponent, but why was she always saved by him? ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t need you to save me!¡± Yu Meng snorted coldly. After hearing that, Lin Qi turned around and said deliberately, ¡°Oh, alright then! I¡¯m leaving!¡± ¡°Hey! Wait¡­¡± Yu Meng¡¯s face became even redder. Of course, Lin Qi knew what she was thinking. ¡°Come on, I¡¯m already here. Let¡¯s think of a way to get out first!¡± Hearing Lin Qi¡¯s words, Yu Meng¡¯s opinion of him changed slightly. Then, Yu Meng quietly followed Lin Qi out. There were bandits guarding the door so naturally, they could not get out through there. They climbed out of the room through the window, but if they wanted to leave the stronghold, they had to go out through the main door. ¡°What do we do now? If we pass through the main door, we will definitely attract the attention of the bandits!¡± Chapter 18 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Lin Qi and Yu Meng quietly escaped from the back, and the two of them stuck to the walls until they reached the cage that Lewis was in. However, the cage still needed to be unlocked with a key, and that very key was hanging on the waist of the chief bandit. ¡°What should we do?¡± Lin Qi took a deep breath and suddenly remembered that he still had the system¡¯s delicacies. All of a sudden, he thought of an idea. He boldly walked toward the fireplace the bandits were resting by and then pretended to be the bandits¡¯ chef by cooking in the big pot before him. In actuality, he was in the system, taking out the chicken fillets and preparing the Flaming Swirl Roasted Chicken. That dish was actually really spicy and after eating it, all the power in one¡¯s body would burst out. Of course, it was useless for someone to use it now. After all, there was no opponent attacking, so it would only end up depleting the power of those who ate it. Immediately, a delectable aroma entered the noses of the bandits. They came over and asked Lin Qi, ¡°Hey, chef, what is this dish?¡± ¡°Chili Roasted Chicken!¡± Lin Qi handed out plates of the roasted chicken. It was piping hot and the aroma assailed their nostrils. Immediately, the bandits began to drool. ¡°Give it to me!¡± ¡°Hey, that was mine. I was the one who got it first!¡± The bandits had not realized that there was something fishy going on, so they all scrambled to eat the roasted chicken. However, when they took a bite, their eyes instantly widened. ¡°So spicy!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so spicy but so satisfying!¡± Almost all the bandits were sweating profusely from the spicy food, but they still could not stop. They were wolfing down the roasted chicken. Seeing that, a smile appeared on Lin Qi¡¯s face. It seemed that his plan had succeeded. After eating the roasted chicken, the energy in each of the bandits¡¯ bodies increased. After a while, they felt tired, and with the help of the alcohol, they were all lying on the groundÒ»too drunk to speak. When Luther came out and saw that the bandits were all exhausted, he immediately knew that something was wrong. He turned his head to look at Lin Qi who was beside the cooking pot. ¡°Hey, who are you? Why haven¡¯t I seen you before?¡± Lin Qi turned to him and took out the Flaming Swirl Roasted Chicken. He placed it in front of him and said, ¡°Do you want to try it?¡± ¡°No!¡± Luther slapped away the roasted chicken because he knew that there was something wrong with it. However, Lin Qi did not mind because all the bandits were exhausted and would not pose a threat to him. Lin Qi calmly turned around. He had secretly taken the key from the chief bandit while he was distracted, and threw it to Yu Meng. ¡°What? You let my wife escape?¡± Luther¡¯s eyebrows were tightly knitted, and he was full of rage. Yu Meng opened the door of the cage for Lewis, and Lewis was finally freed. He said, ¡°Oh, thank you, Yu Meng!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me, thank Lin Qi!¡± Then, Yu Meng slowly walked forward and stood beside Lin Qi to fight alongside him. ¡°Hmph, it seems that you think you can escape after defeating all my men?¡± After saying that, he took out his greatsword. The greatsword glinted under the bright moonlight. Yu Meng narrowed her eyes. In all honesty, she had only recovered half of her magic energy by then. On the other hand, Lewis was only a swordsman, and he did not even have a sword. He would be of no help to them. Needless to say, Lin Qi was neither a swordsman nor a mage. He also had no fighting abilities. In other words, in his current state, he was at a clear disadvantage against a grand swordmaster! At that moment, Luther knew that Lewis and Lin Qi had no fighting strength, while Yu Meng was only a beginner-level mage, so he was not afraid. ¡°Lin Qi, do you still have the Magic Sweet Potato?¡± Yu Meng asked Lin Qi. Lin Qi was confident as he smiled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have the Magic Sweet Potato, but I can give you candy!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know what situation you¡¯re in? You are still in the mood to joke around?¡± Yu Meng scolded Lin Qi. However, Lin Qi¡¯s expression was calm, and there was a hint of a smile on his lips. ¡°I¡¯m not joking around. In short, if you eat this candy, we¡¯ll all be saved!¡± As Lin Qi¡¯s calm voice resounded, Yu Meng and Lewis felt very curious. ¡°Lin Qi, are you joking?¡± Lewis said in disbelief. ¡°You are truly unreliable!¡± Yu Meng was also disappointed, and her eyes were full of shame for being so reliant on Lin Qi. She started to think of ways she could defeat Luther ¡°Trust me!¡± Lin Qi shoved the candy toward Yu Meng¡¯s mouth. At that, Yu Meng wanted to push it away subconsciously, but she saw that the candy was emitting a purple luster, and it tempted her with its sweet fragrance. Without her realizing it, she had already stuffed the candy into her mouth. Suddenly, a distinct sweetness flowed down her throat. ¡°So¡­ So sweet!¡± Yu Meng blurted out. Then, she felt that the magic energy in her body was gradually increasing. She had not realized that she had eaten the Enhancement Candy. That was a candy that could greatly increase the magic energy of a beginner mage like Yu Meng. When eaten, the mana of a beginner-level mage could be greatly increased to the amount of mana possessed by an intermediate-level mage for a certain period of time. ¡°I¡­ I can feel the mana in my body surging!¡± Yu Meng said in disbelief. Luther, on the other hand, did not want to wait any longer. He picked up his greatsword and lunged toward them. ¡°Be careful!¡± As she heard Lin Qi¡¯s voice, Yu Meng¡¯s eyes instantly lit up, and her magic staff flew back into her hand. ¡°Ice Magic: Ice Seal!¡± In actuality, Yu Meng had never used that spell before, but at that moment, she unconsciously cast it. Boom! A gust of wind blew from her magic staff and instantly engulfed the surrounding aura. ¡°What?¡± The wind was mixed with ice and snow, making it difficult for Luther¡¯s greatsword to slash through. ¡°Ah!¡± Yu Meng had never thought that she could have such powerful magic energy to fully use that spell. Luther was only a grand swordmaster. He was not strong enough to deal with an intermediate-level spell. Soon, he could not withstand it. His whole body was blown away, and then his hands and feet were frozen by the ice and snow. ¡°Ahh!¡± Yu Meng had used up all her mana and her body went limp. Fortunately, she was supported by Lin Qi. ¡°Are you okay?¡± At that moment, Lin Qi held her and he could not help but blush. That was the first time he had ever hugged a girl. On the other side, Luther¡¯s eyes were fierce. He gritted his teeth and broke the ice and snowÒ»walking toward them step by step. However, Lin Qi knew that he had no strength left. He was not afraid even if he stood face-to-face with Luther. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Chapter 19 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation After being defeated, Luther stared at Lin Qi. However, Lin Qi did not panic at all. After all, he knew his opponent did not have any strength to fight back. ¡°Lin Qi!¡± ¡°Lin?¡± Luther was stunned and took a few steps back. Lin Qi¡¯s guards also surrounded them and immobilized all the bandits. ¡°Young Master!¡± The chief guard rushed over nervously. He looked up and down to inspect Lin Qi and asked, ¡°Young Master, are you hurt?¡± ¡°Not at all!¡± Lin Qi smiled bitterly. ¡°Young master? You¡­ You are the young master of the Lin Family?¡± Luther asked again. Lin Qi felt that something was wrong from the tone of his voice. Was he related to the Lin family? The chief guard seemed to recognize Luther and immediately asked, ¡°You¡­ Are you Luther?¡± Luther nodded. ¡°Yes, I am. Do you still recognize me?¡± ¡°It really is you!¡± The chief guard instantly became excited and patted Luther¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Luther! You really are Luther! Young Master, he was a former subordinate of the Lin family!¡± If he was an acquaintance, then it should be easy to talk to him. Lin Qi followed up and asked, ¡°Since you were a subordinate of the Lin family, why have you become a mountain bandit?¡± ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s a long story!¡± Luther sighed bitterly and sat on the ground to explain. ¡°We didn¡¯t want to be mountain bandits either. Originally, we were all subordinates of the Lin family, but because the previous young master failed the trial all those years ago, we were too ashamed to go home.¡± ¡°Failed the trial? Does that mean I am destined to fail too?¡± Lin Qi said jokingly. Luther raised his head and immediately teared up. He asked, ¡°Young Master¡­ Are you also taking part in the trial now?¡± ¡°Yes, we were heading to Black Wind Castle to complete the trial, but you captured all those trial participants up in the mountain, so I came to save them!¡± Hearing that, Luther lowered his head and took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Young Master. As a former subordinate of the Lin family, I feel regretful for treating you that way¡­¡± Seeing that he had realized his mistake, Lin Qi forgave him. Nevertheless, he was still a little wary of him. ¡°Forget it. We have nothing to lose anyway. However, a former subordinate of the Lin family became a bandit in the mountains. You have really ruined the image of the Lin Family!¡± ¡°I know!¡± Luther gritted his teeth and placed his greatsword on his neck. He narrowed his eyes and said desperately, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Young Master. I¡¯ve embarrassed the Lin family. It is time to pay the consequences of my actions¡­¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Lin Qi hurried over and stopped him. He did not know whether to laugh or cry at that ridiculous situation. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go that far. I just want you to report back to the Lin family!¡± ¡°But¡­ but we have already brought disgrace¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m not someone who holds grudges. Furthermore, you are so strong. If you die, it will be a loss to the Lin family. How about this, join me in the trial!¡± ¡°Young Master¡­¡± Luther¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. He looked at Lin Qi as if he was a golden star. He hugged him tightly in gratitude and burst into tears. The young heirs who were rescued, as well as Yu Meng and Lewis, witnessed that scene, and their impression of Lin Qi changed. It was unbelievable that a true grand swordmaster would instantly submit to Lin Qi. ¡°Enough, enough. It¡¯s too embarrassing for a man like you to cry. Tell your men to stop being bandits and put on their armor to become the guards of the Lin Family!¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± Luther ordered his men to return all the items they had stolen. After organizing them for a while, they put on the armor of the Lin family and joined the rest of Lin Qi¡¯s guards. Luther also became Lin Qi¡¯s personal guard. He was responsible for protecting Lin Qi with his life and helping him complete the trial. The group set off from the mountain stronghold. Their destination was the Black Wind Castle. Based on a rough calculation, they would need another three days to reach there. After the battle at the mountain stronghold, almost all the young heirs had developed an admiration for Lin Qi. The one who had changed their opinion of him the most was Yu Meng. Although she was the one who defeated Luther, she knew very well that it was due to the candy that Lin Qi had given her. Without it, she would have stood no chance against Luther. Why did he have so many strange artifacts on him? Could it be a special technique of the Lin family? That could not be the case. That was because before they set off from Hope Valley, the participants were not allowed to bring any spare items, unless they were created by him on the way. With that on her mind, Yu Meng could not hold back her curiosity. She slowly walked over to ask Lin Qi. ¡°Lin Qi¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± That was the first time Yu Meng took the initiative to talk to him, which surprised Lin Qi. ¡°What kind of candy did you give me last time?¡± Sure enough, it was related to the system. Lin Qi had expected her to ask that, but he could not tell her about the system, so he could only pretend to be mysterious. ¡°That is a secret!¡± Yu Meng pursed her lips and said coldly, ¡°What secret?¡± ¡°Haha, take your time to guess. In any case, that was the only one I had.¡± Their conversation was overheard by Lewis. ¡®Hmph! Only one he had? Who would believe that? This guy should still have a lot more on him.¡¯ After seeing the enhancement property of the candy, Lewis wanted to try and see if he could become a real grand swordmaster after consuming it. That kind of enhancement artifact was not common in the world of magic, and it was even rarer for it to directly increase mana or strength by one whole rank. At that moment, Lewis wanted to get the candy from Lin Qi. However, he did not know that Lin Qi was not lying to Yu Meng. He really did not have that candy on him, because it was a gift from the system after successfully upgrading it. He could not make it himself, so there was really only one of it. On the way, they encountered many obstacles but they were all one-star demonic beasts. With Luther¡¯s help, those demonic beasts were nothing to be afraid of. After walking for a day, it was finally night. They had all set up tents, lit the fire, and ate dry food to replenish their energy while resting. Lin Qi prepared steaks and sweet potatoes for the guards. Afterward, he left to try making a new recipe. After entering the system, he had completed the Stir-fried Bullfrog recipe. It was said that the dish could make a person¡¯s mana increase to the maximum amount in a second, but it would quickly weaken later on. However, he was not a mage, so it did not matter if he ate it. Just as he wanted to enjoy it, the guards exclaimed in surprise. Lin Qi walked over and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The chief guard scratched his head, and asked, ¡°Well¡­ Young Master, didn¡¯t you prepare steak and sweet potatoes for us? Why¡­ Is it gone?¡± ¡°Gone?¡± Lin Qi was confused. He had just taken a lot of steak and sweet potatoes from the system Why was it suddenly gone? Chapter 20 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°That¡¯s not possible!¡± Lin Qi was thinking of what could have possibly happened. Could it be that the food had grown legs and run away? Moreover, there was an entire group of people here, but not one person saw what had happened, which made everything even more suspicious. ¡°Look!¡± As a voice alerted them, everyone ran over and saw a piece of leftover sweet potato on the ground. Lin Qi squatted down and picked it up to take a look. It was indeed his Magic Sweet Potato, but who had eaten it? Following the direction where the sweet potato was found, they found a series of strange footprints. ¡°There are footprints!¡± Yu Meng and Lewis followed them and guessed that the footprints were left by a demonic beast. Even so, what kind of demonic beast was it? It seemed to be a large bird-type demonic beast or perhaps a dog-type demon beast. What was going on? Back at the camp, everyone wore serious expressions. Lin Qi felt that there was something following him, but it did not dare to come out and remained hidden in the dark. Luther advised everyone to be vigilant. The footprints were definitely not coincidental. That night, no one dared to wander around. They only dared to move around in the safe area. The next morning, no one noticed anything unusual. They were just worried for nothing. Then, they finished packing and set off in the direction of the Black Wind Castle. According to their calculations, they would arrive at the Black Wind Castle in another hour. It was no paradise but there was only one rule there that no one could break that stated that no one was allowed to hurt anyone in the city, regardless of gender and age. It sounded like a good place, but the truth was that the rule was only effective for the people in the city. The rule was not enforced outside the city borders and no one cared whether someone was beaten or killed on the other side of the walls. Therefore, as long as they were outside of the Black Wind Castle, they could fight and kill as they pleased. They did not need to fear any repercussions. As they were approaching the Black Wind Castle, they suddenly came across a few mages. It seemed that their outfits had a unique design. Although they saw all the guards, they did not care and acted as they pleased. ¡°Hey look, there¡¯s a beautiful girl here!¡± ¡°A magic staff? Looks like she¡¯s a mage like us!¡± ¡°She¡¯s just a beginner-level mage!¡± These mages were like little hooligans, walking toward Yu Meng without a care in the world. ¡°Little girl, do you want to learn magic? Do you want me to teach you?¡± Yu Meng turned her head away and said coldly, ¡°Go away.¡± ¡°Oh look, she has a temper!¡± Just as the mages were getting closer and closer, the guards of the Yu family suddenly stopped them and said, ¡°Our Mistress is participating in the trial. Please do not disturb us!¡± ¡°Wind Magic: Drifting Hurricane!¡± As the leader of the mages chanted, a hurricane suddenly appeared under the feet of the guard in front of him and blew him into the sky. ¡°You!¡± Yu Meng felt the hostility from the mages. She immediately took out her magic staff and was about to fight them. However, a figure suddenly appeared in front of her. A situation that no one expected had occurred. They thought that it would be Lin Qi, but the person before them was Lewis. ¡°Gentlemen, you just came out from the Black Wind Castle, right?¡± Lewis smiled and asked. ¡°What does it have to do with you? Get lost, or I¡¯ll blow you away too!¡± Lewis did not panic at all. It was as if he was an entirely different person. He raised his head confidently and said, ¡°If you live in the Black Wind Castle, you should know Charles Leonard, right?¡± The mages were stunned. They looked at each other and sized up Lewis. ¡°He¡¯s the guard of the lord of the Black Wind Castle, who doesn¡¯t know him?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you know him! Then, do you know who I am?¡± Lewis revealed his identity. ¡°I am the young master of the Leonard family of New Moon City. Charles Leonard is my uncle! If you dare to provoke me, I will make sure he hears of it!¡± Everyone finally understood. No wonder Lewis was so brave. It turned out that there was someone protecting him in the Black Wind Castle. At first, those mages did not believe it. However, when they saw such a huge formation created by the guards of the Leonard family and the Yu family, they hesitated. ¡°Forget it, don¡¯t provoke them just for a little bit of fun!¡± ¡°If what he said is true, I heard that the city lord¡¯s guards are a bunch of hot-tempered guys, it¡¯s better not to mess with them!¡± The mages did not dare to act rashly, so they could only lower their heads and apologize obediently. ¡°I¡­ We apologize!¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Lewis let out a long sigh and released all the anger that he had suppressed in his heart. The mages lowered their heads and left in disappointment. Lewis turned his head to look at Yu Meng and smiled, ¡°Yu Meng, did you hear that? Coming to Black Wind Castle means coming to my territory. As long as you mention my name, no one will dare to bother you!¡± All of a sudden, many people surrounded Lewis. However, everyone was still aware that Lewis himself was nothing to boast about. He was only acting smug because he could count on his uncle, the city lord¡¯s guard. Just like that, they entered the city within the castle. Black Wind Castle was peaceful, and the lively streets were filled with noise. Lin Qi also noticed that there were participants from other cities, and they had all arrived at the Black Wind Castle. It seemed that the other participants of the trial were all very strong! ¡°Let¡¯s find a hotel to rest in for a while!¡± Luther said. There were more people on the guard¡¯s side so they simply found some group suites to stay in while Lin Qi and the other participants went to the Central Hotel in the Central City. They walked into the hotel and found that the hall was full of people. Looking over, they were all participants from other cities. As his uncle was the guard of the city lord, Lewis did not pay much attention to those participants and swaggered in to get a room. Yu Meng did not think too much either and followed him to get a room. As for Lin Qi, he was about to walk over when he was suddenly stopped by someone with a magic staff. ¡°Wait!¡± Lin Qi¡¯s expression was indifferent. He turned his head and saw a young man wearing a robe. His face was covered in a big smile. ¡°You¡­ You are the young master of the Lin family from New Moon City, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, what do you want? Are you giving this magic staff to me?¡± Lin Qi remained calm and laughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that you would be here!¡± The young man¡¯s words caused the other participants in the hall to burst into laughter. ¡°In fact, I didn¡¯t expect that the crippled young master of the Lin family could even reach the Black Wind Castle in the first place. That¡¯s amazing!¡± A few people beside him laughed and said, ¡°He might have followed the other trial participants to get here!¡± Lin Qi¡¯s reputation had already spread throughout the entire Mill continent. Almost everyone knew that the famous Lin family had produced a useless young master. Moreover, they even asked him to participate in the trial. There was no way that a guy like him would survive the trial. Chapter 21 ¡°Hahaha!¡± As the mocking laughter echoed in the halls, Lin Qi¡¯s expression did not change at all. To him, he did not care. He had no control over others so they could laugh if they wanted to. ¡°Are you done laughing? If you are, then get lost. I¡¯m still waiting to get a room!¡± Lin Qi¡¯s calm and casual words caused the laughter of the group to gradually quieten down. The young man who provoked him was called Chen Lin, a fire mage from Storm City. With his talent and the guidance of a renowned teacher, he was an intermediate-level mage. He was way ahead of his peers. With such a gap, he looked down on everyone, especially those who had no foundation in magic. Along the way, he had defeated many opponents and constantly mocked people Lin Qi. However, that was the first time he was refuted. ¡°What did you say?¡± Lin Qi was well aware of the rules in the Black Wind Castle. Chen Lin could not do anything to him, so he continued, ¡°I said, your magic staff is blocking my way!¡± ¡°You!¡± Chen Lin¡¯s temper flared up. He raised his magic staff and was about to teach Lin Qi a lesson when he suddenly stopped. Luther, who was standing next to Lin Qi, gave off a strong aura. That aura was only possessed by grand swordmasters. However, intermediate-level mages were not afraid of grand swordmasters at all. What made Chen Lin stop before attacking was actually the rules of Black Wind Castle. If there was a fight within the Black Wind Castle, those involved would be expelled from the city. He managed to restrain himself and said to Lin Qi, ¡°Kid, don¡¯t be so arrogant. Let me tell you, I don¡¯t dare to do anything to you in the Black Wind Castle, but you will have to leave sooner or later!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see what happens when the time comes then!¡± Lin Qi said indifferently and then walked past him. He said to the clerk, ¡°Give me a single room.¡± Everyone in the hall was stunned. They all knew of Chen Lin¡¯s strength, especially as he was a fire mage. Whether it was his magic or his lethality, he was extremely powerful. Therefore, the participants did not dare to offend him, some even took the initiative to suck up to him and let him lead them through the trial safely. However, Lin Qi¡¯s arrogance toward Chen Lin was something they never imagined. They all knew that Lin Qi was the weakest among the participants, while Chen Lin was the strongest. There was clearly a huge gap between their levels but if that is so, why would Lin Qi speak to him like that? The situation was puzzling, and only Lin Qi himself understood it. Chen Lin stood rooted to the ground, staring at Lin Qi. At that moment, he was extremely furious. He just wanted to ridicule that loser, but he had not expected that piece of trash would turn around and ignore him. If it was not for the rules of the Black Wind Castle, he would have long burned his clothes and made a fool out of him in public. Lin Qi walked away slowly, not even bothering to look at Chen Lin. ¡°Lin Qi looks like you¡¯re in trouble!¡± The next moment, Yu Meng said that to him. ¡°What trouble?¡± ¡°Do you know who that guy was?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t, but what I do know is that he¡¯s an uneducated pest!¡± Yu Meng sighed helplessly, lamenting Lin Qi¡¯s ignorance. ¡°Sigh, he¡¯s the young master of the Chen family of Storm City. He¡¯s the future Supreme Mage that millions of people have high hopes for!¡± ¡°Oh? That sounds awesome!¡± Lin Qi said casually as if he did not take it seriously at all. Lewis also walked over and said, ¡°The Chen family of Storm City has some grudges against the Lin family. That¡¯s why Chen Lin took the initiative to make things difficult for you.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t dare to touch you in the Black Wind Castle, but we¡¯ll have to leave sooner or later. When that time comes, he¡¯ll definitely bother you once more. Let me make it clear. Although you saved us last time, we really can¡¯t handle someone like him so don¡¯t provoke him!¡± Although Lin Qi had no talent in magic, he had the system, so he was not very concerned about that matter. After all, Chen Lin was only an intermediate-level mage. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine!¡± Lin Qi¡¯s words made Yu Meng and Lewis suspicious again. After the previous incidents, they understood that Lin Qi was not bluffing. If he said that it was not a big problem, then he was confident in his words. Nevertheless, he was not even a mage, how could he deal with it? Even if he had Luther, the grand swordmaster, to help him, he could not be a match for an intermediate-level mage. ¡®Could it be¡­¡¯ Lewis narrowed his eyes and quickly thought that it was very likely that Lin Qi still had a lot of Enhancement Candies in his collection. Yu Meng thought the same. She regarded Lin Qi as her opponent, but he had saved her time and time again. She was feeling extremely conflicted. Yu Meng had actually hoped that something would happen to Lin Qi so she could repay the favor she owed him last time. After that, they went back to their rooms to rest. The first thing that Lin Qi did when he returned to his room was to open the system and look at the experience points that he had accumulated over the past few days. The method to upgrade the gourmet system was actually very simple. It was to continuously use the ingredients to cook dishes, and after it was done, he would gain experience points. Based on the cooking he did for the past few days, the gourmet system was about to level up to level three. After level three, the food that would be unlocked would have the capabilities to aid him in battle. That was the greatest improvement for him, who was unarmed. Lin Qi laid on the bed and fell asleep while checking the system. When he opened his eyes, it was already the next morning. After he got up and washed, he took out the Magic Sweet Potato from the system and ate it as he headed downstairs. When he came to the hall, he saw that Yu Meng, Lewis, and Luther had already gathered there a long time ago. That was because today was the day that all the trial participants would be arriving at the Black Wind Castle. Among them, the first ones to arrive were naturally the participants from Storm City. They relied on Chen Lin, a destructive mage, to breeze through the trial. On the other hand, New Moon City, which was represented by Lin Qi, arrived on the second to last day. They arrived three days later and it could be seen that the difference in strength was huge. Meanwhile, the rest of the participants from other areas also gathered at the Central Hotel. They looked at each other as if they were enemies. Lin Qi was puzzled and asked with a bitter smile, ¡°Why do they look at us as if we¡¯re enemies? Shouldn¡¯t they just focus on the trial?¡± ¡°Hehe, you don¡¯t understand. No one wants others to be better than them, and it¡¯s the same for the trial. Everyone wants to lower the score of the other party so that they can appear to be better than others!¡± ¡°Moreover, these candidates are all arrogant nobles who value rankings more than anyone else.¡± Listening to the analysis of Lewis and Yu Meng, Lin Qi felt that it was very strange. ¡®Everyone had come to participate in the trial, so why should they make things difficult for each other? Wasn¡¯t this the same as being cheap?¡¯ Just as he shook his head, a huge figure suddenly entered his line of sight. ¡°Whoa! So big!¡± Chapter 22 The giant person in front of them was wearing steel armor. His body was large and he was at least two meters tall. Everyone was shocked. Even Lin Qi was surprised. His eyes widened and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this guy too huge?¡± At that moment, Yu Meng began to explain, ¡°He is the young master of the Seven Day City¡¯s Ming family, Ming Shen. Don¡¯t look at him like that. He is a grand swordmaster.¡± Lin Qi observed carefully and found that there was a huge iron sword hanging on the back of that giant. Moreover, it was the kind with chains. He felt that it surely was not light. As a famous family of Seven Day City, the Ming family naturally had a certain level of strength. It made sense that the giant was the participant representing the Seven Day City. Seven Day City was a fallen city with very few noble families. As a result, there were only two participants sent to the trial. They were the young master of the Ming family and the young master of the Xiao family. The appearance of those two people made everyone¡¯s gazes turn somewhat hostile. After all, everyone knew the strength of those two, especially the young master of the Ming family, who was the giant that weighed a few hundred pounds. ¡®Don¡¯t look at him. If they were to really start a fight, there aren¡¯t many people here who could block his slashes.¡¯ ¡°Is this guy really that powerful?¡± At that moment, Luther was getting a little excited. He was thinking about the existence of another grand swordmaster. If they really fought, what would be the result? With that in mind, his greatsword craved something to fight. However, due to the rules of Black Wind Castle, he did not dare to act recklessly. Therefore, he could only remind himself to fight him once they got out of the city. As for Lewis, he laughed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. Although this fatty is at the level of a grand swordmaster, his strength far surpasses that of anyone in his rank. Last time, I heard that there was a grand swordmaster who wanted to challenge him. In the end, in just one move, this fatty crippled that person!¡± Hearing that, everyone could not help but feel a sense of fear towards the large guy. His heavy footsteps produced a thumping sound as he walked towards the direction of the front desk. At that moment, no one dared to stop him. That kind of pressure really made people shiver. ¡°Two single rooms!¡± As his voice resounded, the clerk¡¯s expression became especially fearful. He hurriedly handed the keys over to him. On the contrary, Yu Meng was very relieved. That was because the Ming and Xiao families had very strict rules, as long as others did not provoke them, they would not provoke others. Those two belonged to the neutral faction. After the two of them walked up to their room, Luther asked curiously, ¡°Why are the participants of the trial so strange?¡± ¡°Is it very strange? You say it¡¯s strange, but it¡¯s more so that the participants are carefully selected elites!¡± Lewis agreed and giggled, ¡°Exactly. We were selected by the city as elites as well. Of course, there are some exceptions!¡± That sentence was obviously directed at Lin Qi. However, at that moment, Lin Qi did not say anything. His gaze was fixed on a girl standing at a window in the distance. That girl was filled with a mysterious aura. She was wearing a veil just like Yu Meng. However, from her figure and eyes, she seemed to be a beauty. ¡°Hey! Lin Qi, what are you looking at?¡± Lewis came over and asked. He looked toward the direction Lin Qi was staring and smiled. ¡°Oh¡­ You¡¯re looking at that beauty? Do you know who that is?¡± Lin Qi was interested and shook his head at Lewis. ¡°No, who is she?¡± ¡°Hehe, she is also a participant like us. She is from the Exquisite City!¡± ¡°Right.¡± Lin Qi nodded. ¡°She is a noble from the old city in the midlands of the Mill continent. It is said that the old nobles there had once ruled this continent for a period of time. But because they ruled with tyranny, countless people were oppressed.¡± ¡°Later on, her family was overthrown by others and their reign came to an end. Now, it¡¯s just an old noble family, and their descendants continue to carry the title of ¡®Sinner¡¯ from their ancestors!¡± Her name was Dong Ling, and she was a beginner-level mage like Yu Meng. However, the old nobles of Exquisite City were confiscated of their magic tome. Even though their descendants had retrieved some pages, later on, they were still missing a part. It is said that the old nobles had hidden them to prevent them from being confiscated long ago. Those pages contained many powerful forbidden spells, so very few people would seek them out, but at the same time, Dong Ling also had to be wary of people who would approach her with the wrong intentions. Seeing that the entire Central Hotel was almost full of participants, Lin Qi felt a little overwhelmed for a moment. He even had to wait forever for breakfast because of the crowd. Then, he had an idea. He knew that the system would need to be upgraded in the future, so naturally, he would need gold coins to upgrade it. Now that he did not have many gold coins left, and his experience points were almost full, he should start earning money to prepare for the next upgrade. Since the service was so slow here, he could help the participants who were waiting endlessly by providing them with food! Lin Qi took out all kinds of food from the system. In order to avoid suspicion, he deliberately went to the room on the second floor and prepared the food. Then, he shouted to the people in the hall on the first floor, ¡°Everyone, breakfast is also available up here. Those who want to eat can come!¡± Right after Lin Qi said that, the people on the first floor who were almost starving all rushed up to the second floor. Lin Qi was ready to sell the Grilled Steak and Magic Sweet Potatoes on the table that he had prepared. Although it was obvious that he was stealing someone else¡¯s business, the hotel did not dare to do anything to him. After all, they were all big shots. If the hotel management had offended any one of them, they would be in trouble. When everyone went up to the second floor, they were all stunned to see Lin Qi standing in front of them with so many delicacies in front of him. ¡°Isn¡¯t¡­ Isn¡¯t that the young master of the Lin family from New Moon City?¡± ¡°What? Is his family bankrupt or something? Why is he suddenly selling breakfast?¡± ¡°No¡­ Could it be a trap?¡± No one dared to go over to buy it. Lin Qi was also very embarrassed. He stood there helplessly while being stared at by the group of people who had gathered. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± At that moment, the giant person walked out from the crowd. He looked calm and did not seem hostile. He walked toward Lin Qi step by step. The huge pressure made Lin Qi sweat nervously. He could only smile crookedly. ¡°What do you want?¡± The giant thought for a moment before he pointed at the Magic Sweet Potato and said, ¡°Give me 50 sweet potatoes.¡± That number shocked everyone including Lin Qi. ¡®Did he buy 50 sweet potatoes just like that?¡¯ He had always heard that the young master of the Ming family was a very heavy eater. He had not expected that he would witness it right before his eyes.. Chapter 23 Lin Qi immediately prepared 50 sweet potatoes, and then the large man gave Lin Qi a gold coin without saying a word. ¡°Great!¡± After Lin Qi received the money, his face lit up with joy. He had not expected that the first sale he made was worth a gold coin. Ming Shen carried the box of sweet potatoes and stuffed one into his mouth. He was very familiar with regular sweet potatoes. However, when that sweet potato melted in his mouth, it was sweet and fragrant. His eyes immediately widened, and he could not wait to put the second one into his mouth. He, who had been silent all that time, finally spat out a single word, ¡°Delicious!¡± Seeing that the giant was fine after eating, everyone walked over to Lin Qi to buy breakfast. At once, the second floor was full of people. Everyone could enjoy a delicious breakfast, but at the same time, everyone recognized Lin Qi. As the young master of the Lin family in New Moon City, he actually set up a stall here to sell breakfast. How embarrassing was that? Both Yu Meng and Lewis from the prominent families of New Moon City were also embarrassed by this. ¡°Hey, Lin Qi, are you obsessed with money? Why do you have to set up a stall everywhere?¡± ¡°You would never understand!¡± Lin Qi refuted Lewis with one sentence. However, Lewis said indifferently, ¡°You¡¯re embarrassing the people of New Moon City, don¡¯t you know that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just embarrassing the Lin family. This has nothing to do with the Leonard family, right?¡± ¡°You!¡± Lewis found it hard to refute. After all, that matter had nothing to do with him. He turned around angrily and said to Yu Meng, ¡°See? This kid clearly has a problem.¡± Yu Meng was actually displeased by Lin Qi¡¯s behavior. After all, they were both nobles, so why had he just acted as he pleased? Lin Qi did not care about the eyes of the world. He could do whatever he wanted. Of course, there was only one thing on Lin Qi¡¯s mindÒ»the system upgrades. He thought that as long as he upgraded the system, he would be able to survive on that continent filled with wonder. For the sake of his goal, what did it matter if he was ridiculed a few times? ¡°Hey, you!¡± Just when Lin Qi was selling his delicacies like hotcakes, a sneering voice suddenly came from the side. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the young master of the Lin Family? Why is he selling breakfast here?¡± Looking at the direction of the voice, he saw Chen Lin from Storm City, who was also the most popular participant in the trial. As a rare fire mage, he naturally put himself on a pedestal. He raised his head and a smile appeared on his face. ¡°Hahaha, Young Master Lin, you must be having a hard time like this, right?¡± Chen Lin held back his anger yesterday after being ignored by Lin Qi so he wanted to vent it out. However, he could not vent it out physically in that city. Therefore, he wanted to use that opportunity to mock Lin Qi. ¡°Is your family bankrupt? Or are you too useless? Even your family can¡¯t bear to waste money on you.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the Lin family the number one family in New Moon City? Isn¡¯t it shameful to set up a stall here to sell things?¡± Hearing his sarcasm, Lin Qi did not even bat an eyelash. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He said with an indifferent expression, ¡°Are you going to buy it or not? If you¡¯re not going to buy it, don¡¯t hinder my business, okay?¡± After hearing Lin Qi¡¯s deadpanned words, Chen Lin wanted to bother him even more. He put on a serious face and said casually, ¡°Well, seeing that you¡¯re so pitiful, I¡¯ll come and buy from you. Give me a sweet potato!¡± ¡°Okay, ten gold coins!¡± As Lin Qi¡¯s words were spoken, Chen Lin¡¯s expression suddenly froze. He looked up and could not help but ask, ¡°You¡­ What did you say?¡± Lin Qi took a deep breath and continued, ¡°A sweet potato costs ten gold coins!¡± ¡°You¡¯re robbing me, aren¡¯t you? A single sweet potato costs ten gold coins? You just sold 50 sweet potatoes to that fatty for one gold coin. How come you¡¯re selling a sweet potato for ten gold coins to me?¡± ¡°The price has gone up!¡± ¡°Lies! You raised the price just to push my buttons, right?¡± Lin Qi did not say anything, but his eyes already told Chen Lin that he was right. Chen Lin snorted coldly, ¡°Humph, do you think you¡¯re the only one who has breakfast to sell?¡± Just as he finished speaking, a voice shouted from the kitchen on the first floor below. ¡°Breakfast has been sold out. You can no longer order!¡± As he heard that, Chen Lin was immediately petrified. His eyes showed that he was embarrassed, and a wave of humiliation prevented him from saying anything. Lin Qi could not help but laugh, and then he asked, ¡°Now what? Do you still want to buy it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so expensive¡­ Only a fool would buy it!¡± ¡°Oh? Don¡¯t tell me the Chen family of Storm City can¡¯t even pay up ten gold coins? Are you going to starve just to keep ten gold coins? I suppose you won¡¯t since you¡¯re a participant who¡¯s a hundred times better than me!¡± Meeting the gazes of so many people, Chen Lin gritted his teeth. However, before he could speak, a rumbling sound came from his stomach. Instantly, the surrounding became quiet. Everyone¡¯s gaze fell on Chen Lin. The air was suffocating due to the heavy awkwardness. Chen Lin¡¯s face flushed red as he stared fiercely at Lin Qi. However, he still obediently took out ten gold coins. From the looks of it, he was so aggrieved that he was about to cry. ¡°Give¡­ Give me a sweet potato!¡± Chen Lin suppressed his anger and handed ten gold coins to Lin Qi. Lin Qi took the ten gold coins and was overjoyed. He immediately shouted, ¡°Alright! Here is a sweet potato for you!¡± The moment Chen Lin took the sweet potato, he had a monstrous hatred for Lin Qi. He swore that once Lin Qi dared to walk out of the Black Wind Castle, he would definitely teach him a lesson. At that moment, the mysterious girl that Lin Qi was staring at the day before slowly walked over. ¡°How much is the sweet potato?¡± Lin Qi was stunned for a moment and subconsciously replied, ¡°Ten¡­ Ten silver coins!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Give me one.¡± The girl handed Lin Qi ten silver coins, and Lin Qi naturally picked up a large sweet potato for her. ¡°What?¡± Suddenly, Chen Lin could not hold back his anger anymore. He immediately rushed over, pointed at Lin Qi, and shouted, ¡°You b*stard, how can you sell it to her for ten silver coins and charge me for ten gold coins?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very simple!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Because the price has been lowered!¡± ¡°You!¡± Chen Lin was so enraged that he almost exploded. He clenched his fist tightly, and his other hand was pointed at Lin Qi¡¯s face. His eyes were fierce. ¡°Lin Qi, when you leave the Black Wind Castle, I¡¯ll make you kneel down and apologize to me!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Lin Qi did not care at all. To him, Chen Lin was just a little kid in his eyes. He was the so-called king of the small mountain due to him being a fire mage. However, Lin Qi¡¯s goal was not that mountain, it was the entire continent. After a morning of hard work, Lin Qi had earned some money. However, it was still far from enough to upgrade the system. He had to think of other ways to get some money. ¡°Young Master Lin!¡± At that moment, Luther came from behind and said to Lin Qi, ¡°Master, do you want money?¡± Chapter 24 ¡°What kind of question is that? Who doesn¡¯t want money?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Young Master, there are some people who don¡¯t like money but prefer magic artifacts instead!¡± ¡°What? There are?¡± Luther explained, ¡°Of course, in the Mill continent, artifacts are the best way to constantly improve your strength. There are two associations in Black Wind Castle. The first is the Magic Association for Mages, and the second is the Swordsman Association for Swordsmen. Those associations are run by rich entrepreneurs who collect magic essence from mages and swordsmen in exchange for money.¡± The so-called magic essence was an artifact that mages and swordsmen obtained by killing rare demonic beasts. The demonic beasts would drop different types of magic essence according to their level. Rare demonic beasts were part of a different set of levels. They could not be measured by one or two stars so they were ranked using specific names. From low to high, the ranks were rare, chief, domain master, legend, and myth. Each rank drops valuable artifacts. Even the weakest rare demonic beast would require a few mages and swordsmen to fight it. As for the domain master level and above, archmages and above are required to defeat it. In regards to the legend level, no one in the entirety of the Mill continent would dare to fight such creatures. The leader of the fiery dragons in the Flying Dragon Valley was a legendary demonic beast that remains undefeatedÒ»no one dared to go against it. Lastly, the demonic beasts that were categorized in the myth level had never been seen before. However, it was rumored that there was a mythical demonic beast in the Nine Elven Springs called the Heaven-swallowing Giant Python. However, it was rarely sighted so there were very few rumors about it. On the Mill Continent, the ultimate goal of the mages was to go to the Flying Dragon Valley to fight against the legendary dragon leader. It must be known that legendary artifacts can only be obtained by defeating legend-level demonic beasts that were almost impossible. Therefore, every mage yearns to be the first to obtain that legendary artifact. Of course, that was simply a dream for the current Lin Qi. With his current strength, he could not even defeat a star-grade demonic beast, let alone those rare demonic beasts. Now, he had to think of a way to get some more money. With that in mind, Lin Qi asked Luther, ¡°Do you have any magic essence?¡± Luther spread out his hands and simply said, ¡°When I occupied that mountain stronghold, I only came across low-star demonic beasts. I never dealt with demonic beasts above the rare level.¡± Lin Qi rolled his eyes and looked particularly helpless. ¡°Then you¡¯re talking nonsense! How can I exchange magic essence for money?¡± Luther nodded solemnly. ¡°I was sure you had some, Young Master!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± After saying that, Lin Qi looked at the group of mages and swordsmen. Then, he took a deep breath and said, ¡°If it were those people, they would at least have one or two magic essences!¡± However, he could not just steal them. He only had a gourmet system. No one would exchange something so precious for food, right? Unless¡­ If they were in a dire situation, he could take advantage of that and they would have no choice but to exchange magic essence for his special dishes. ¡°Lin Qi!¡± At that moment, Yu Meng walked over and asked Lin Qi, ¡°Do you still have sweet potatoes?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Lin Qi subconsciously handed the sweet potatoes to Yu Meng. He did not ask her for money, but Yu Meng immediately handed him ten silver coins. ¡°We are companions. Do I really need to charge you?¡± Lin Qi smiled and pushed the ten silver coins back. However, Yu Meng did not want to accept Lin Qi¡¯s kindness, so she insisted that Lin Qi accepted the money. Seeing Yu Meng¡¯s stubborn expression, Lin Qi reluctantly took her silver coins. He then asked, ¡°Yu Meng, has the Yu family ever formed a team to fight against some rare demonic beasts?¡± ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± Yu Meng asked curiously as she ate the sweet potato. ¡®When has Lin Qi ever been interested in those kinds of things?¡¯ ¡°No reason!¡± Yu Meng sighed.¡± The Yu family has always been an aristocratic family of mages. Since my grandfather¡¯s generation, we have been going to various places to fight demonic beasts. There were also rare demonic beasts found, but we stop at the chief-level demonic beasts. As for those above that, the Yu family has never challenged them.¡± ¡°What about the rare level?¡± ¡°The rare-level ones are easier to find. Last year, I followed my two elder brothers to fight against a demonic beast of that rank.¡± Hearing that, Lin Qi suddenly became excited and asked, ¡°Well¡­ After the fight, were there any rare-level artifacts¡­ Such as magic essence or something like that?¡± ¡°Of course there was. The Yu family has many rare magic essences. With the essence, we can create some magic tools!¡± Then, Yu Meng took out a pouch from her pocket and said, ¡°This is the magic pouch that I created with magic essence. Although it doesn¡¯t have any fancy effects, it¡¯s very convenient.¡± ¡°How is it convenient?¡± ¡°This pouch is a dimensional pouch. It can hold many spare items. It¡¯s just good for keeping things. It doesn¡¯t help in actual combat!¡± Lin Qi wanted to inspect the dimensional pouch, but Yu Meng suddenly retracted it and said, ¡°This is my personal bag!¡± Luther whispered to Lin Qi, ¡°If the dimensional pouch is sold at the Magic Association, it should be worth about 200 gold coins!¡± ¡°What? That is so expensive!¡± Lin Qi¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He had sold the sweet potatoes for only dozens of gold coins that morning. He had not expected that the small pouch was worth 200 gold coins. If he could get that pouch, he would not have to worry about upgrading the system in the future. With that in mind, Lin Qi wanted to persuade Yu Meng. Of course, he would not steal it. Instead, he wanted to use his delicious food to make Yu Meng give up the pouch. However, the Magic Sweet Potatoes were no longer unattainable to Yu Meng. Moreover, she had just bought them for ten silver coins. She would not exchange the dimensional pouch for them. Then, Lin Qi immediately went back to his room and opened the system to see if he could find some dishes that would attract Yu Meng. While looking through his options, he accidentally found a dish that could be cooked in level two. It could even increase the level of one¡¯s magic. However, there was a limit. A person could only eat it once, and it would lose its effect after that. Nevertheless, that dish could actually increase one¡¯s magic level by one rank. If he were to use it to exchange with Yu Meng, she would definitely consider it. However, the ingredients at the bottom of the recipe made Lin Qi stop in his tracks. ¡°This thing requires night light grass?¡± That kind of grass could only be seen at night in the New Moon Forest, and it was often surrounded by many demonic beasts. It was not an easy thing to get. However, wealth and honor came from danger. As long as he could obtain the night light grass, Yu Meng¡¯s dimensional pouch would be as good as his.. Chapter 25 In order to search for night light grass outside the city, Lin Qi brought Luther along. After all, with a grand swordmaster by his side, he was not worried about being attacked by demonic beasts. The two of them left the city in the middle of the night. The area around the Black Wind Castle was surrounded by forests, and Lin Qi came from the New Moon Forest along with the others. That forest was the lowest-level forest among all four directions, and the other areas were all relatively more dangerous. Luther had the strength of a grand swordmaster, so naturally, he was not afraid of any demonic beasts in that forest. However, there were still exceptions. When they arrived outside the city, Lin Qi led Luther into the forest. He did not know if it was just his imagination, but he felt that the forest was exceptionally quietÒ»not even the hoot of an owl could be heard. ¡°Young Master, the night light grass that you are searching for is in the area ahead!¡± With Luther¡¯s familiarity with the mountain, the two of them soon arrived at the area with the night light grass. They saw a patch of grass that was emitting a weak light. Those were the ingredients that Lin Qi needed. Lin Qi did not care about anything else and went forward to pluck some. He had not wanted to stay in that place for a second longer than needed. ¡°These should be enough!¡± Lin Qi put all the night light grass into his backpack and turned to leave. However, at that moment, Lin Qi heard a shout. It seemed as though someone was calling for help in the distance. The voice was very faint, which proved that the victim was very far away from his location. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Luther turned around and asked when he saw that Lin Qi had stopped moving. Lin Qi froze and said to Luther, ¡°Listen, do you hear someone shouting?¡± Luther was not paying attention to it and sighed. ¡°Young Master, this is the New Moon Forest. At night, many demonic beasts will come out to hunt. If that unlucky guy encounters some, then he is just considered unlucky!¡± Luther did not care about those things. After all, it was common to find a few corpses in the New Moon Forest. However, Lin Qi did not agree with him. He turned around and said, ¡°Since we heard it, we can¡¯t just leave them to die.¡± Seeing that Lin Qi was walking in that direction, Luther could only sigh helplessly and follow him. However, at that moment, Luther found that the aura around Lin Qi had suddenly become strange. ¡°Wait!¡± Lin Qi had not heard him since he was focused on heading toward the source of the voice. He completely ignored the fact that Luther had disappeared. ¡°Luther, if you encounter a demonic beast later, you don¡¯t have to hold back¡­¡± When Lin Qi turned, he suddenly found that Luther was nowhere to be seen. That scared him. ¡°Luther!¡± In that forest, any demonic beast could come out and attack him. Without Luther¡¯s protection, he would be in an extremely dangerous situation. ¡°No¡­ It can¡¯t be that bad, right?¡± Lin Qi was terrified. He shouted a few times, but Luther still did not return. He started to panic. He was calm under Luther¡¯s protection earlier, but now, he was so scared that his body was trembling. ¡°Help¡­ Help!¡± All of a sudden, he heard another cry for help. That time, the sound was even louder, as if someone was running toward him. Lin Qi began to get nervous. He looked in the direction of the voice and saw a black figure running in his direction. He gritted his teeth and walked over. He then realized that a lone wolf was chasing after a girl. Lin Qi wanted to save the girl, but he had no chance of beating it at the moment since Luther was not by his side. The first thought that entered his mind was to escape. He did not know who the lady was anyway, so it was reasonable for him not to save her. However, just as he turned around, he heard the fierce bark of the lone wolf, and the girl was clearly exhausted from being chased. If that went on, the girl would be eaten. Was he really going to walk away? While Lin Qi juggled his conflicted feelings, the girl ran toward him. It seemed that he would not be able to escape that disaster, so he could only brace himself and move. Lin Qi pulled out the longsword that Luther had given him for self-defense. To prevent fear from enveloping his brain, he subconsciously roared and decided to raise his morale. ¡°Ah!¡± His voice was very loud, and the girl seemed to have noticed her savior as she ran over and hid behind him. ¡°Save me!¡± Lin Qi took a deep breath. He had never dealt with a demonic beast before but that was not the first time he could not even hold his sword steadily. The wolf followed the girl. When it saw that Lin Qi was holding a longsword, it did not rush over immediately. Instead, it stared at Lin Qi, bracing itself to attack. At that moment, Lin Qi felt a chill all over his body. Although that was only a two-star lone wolf in front of him, to him, whether he could escape or not was the real problem. The lone wolf seemed to have noticed Lin Qi¡¯s trembling hands and immediately pounced at Lin Qi. Lin Qi became nervous and frantically swung his longsword. Fortunately, it was a two-star demonic beast. It stopped when it saw Lin Qi waving his longsword. That gave Lin Qi a chance to think. He knew that those low-star demonic beasts were afraid of fire. Taking advantage of that opportunity, Lin Qi took out his lighter. Seeing that there was some dry wood under his feet, he simply threw the lighter onto the ground. The fire gradually grew and spread in all directions. The wolf saw the fire and immediately cried out, turning around and leaving. The two of them who watched the lone wolf leave were slightly relieved. Then, Lin Qi turned around and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± The girl was wearing a mage¡¯s uniform. She should be a mage, but there was no reason for a mage to be chased by a two-star lone wolf. The girl put on her cloak and said to Lin Qi, ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. By the way, are you a mage?¡± The girl was stunned. She blinked and shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not a mage. I¡¯m a chef from the Central Hotel of the Black Wind Castle.¡± ¡°A chef from the Central Hotel? Then why are you here in the middle of the night?¡± It turned out that the girl was here to pick ingredients in the forest, just like Lin Qi, except that the ingredients she wanted were wind mushrooms. Lin Qi felt a little uneasy. The girl did not seem to be very bold. Why had she come here in the middle of the night to look for ingredients? Before he could think more about it, a voice suddenly came from behind, ¡°Young Master!¡± It was Luther¡¯s voice, which made Lin Qi turn his head and sigh.. ¡°Oh, where did you run off to?¡± Chapter 26 The three of them returned to the Black Wind Castle. They had not expected that the girl would return with them. On the way, they introduced themselves to each other. The girl was named Jin Lingling. She looked about the same age as Lin Qi. She had a petite figure and a cute face. She looked like a girl in her teens. However, despite how young she appeared to be, she was the head chef of the Central Hotel. She was also the best cook in Black Wind Castle. ¡°Thank you for saving me tonight. To show my gratitude, I¡¯ll treat you to some delicious food when I get back!¡± ¡°Delicious food?¡± For a person like Lin Qi who had a gourmet system, delicious food was only found in the system. ¡°Huh? Do you doubt my culinary skills?¡± Lin Qi shook his head, saying that he was looking forward to it out of politeness. Thus, Lin Qi and Luther went back to their rooms to rest for the night. Jin Lingling cooked delicious food for them the next day. Lin Qi was not interested in such things at all. He only wanted to cook a NIght Light¡¯s Billow in the system That was a special dish. Not only was it delicious, but it also had the ability to help a person advance by one level. However, that advancement could only be used once. The second time, it would lose its effect. If he offered that dish in exchange for the dimensional pouch from Yu Meng, perhaps she would agree. However, if he cooked it now, it would probably be cold by tomorrow. It was better to wait until tomorrow to give it to Yu Meng personally. After that tiring night, Lin Qi fell asleep on the bed. The next morning, Lin Qi was woken up by a series of knocks on the door. ¡°Who is it? It¡¯s so early in the morning!¡± Lin Qi scratched his head sleepily and slowly walked toward the door. Bang! Opening the door, a fragrant smell assailed his nostrils. Lin Qi, who was in a daze, was instantly energized. ¡°It smells so good!¡± The words escaped his mouth, and Lin Qi immediately widened his eyes, realizing that it was Jin Lingling. She was holding a tray, and on top of it was a bowl of steaming pale yellow soup. That was the source of the aroma. ¡°Hehe, I¡¯ve come to bring you something delicious!¡± Jin Lingling was a relatively cheerful and open person. She raised her head with confidence and walked into the room. After placing the bowl of soup on the table, she smiled and said, ¡°I only make one bowl of this soup every month. Many noble people in the Black Wind Castle would die for a chance to taste this soup.¡± Hearing that, Lin Qi was very curious but smiled politely and asked, ¡°This¡­ What is the effect of this soup? Can it increase mana? Or can it increase magical and physical strength?¡± Jin Lingling rolled her eyes and sighed. ¡°Young Master Lin, I¡¯m just a chef, not a magic alchemist. Moreover, even a magic alchemist might not be able to do what you spoke of.¡± Lin Qi smiled to himself. A magic alchemist might not be able to do it, but he could. It seemed that the functions of the dishes from the gourmet system were still unheard of. ¡°This bowl of soup is called Taste of the Sea. The Black Wind Castle only receives one shipment of the rare ¡®Bairong¡¯ every month so we can only cook one bowl of this soup each time.¡± Bairong was a Devil Beast that lived in the sea. It was a four-star demonic beast and was rarely ever seen. Therefore, there was only one or two of them spotted every month. After Jin Lingling studied cooking herself, she found that Bairong was even sweeter and more delicious when added to her secret seafood soup. It also had the effect of beautifying the face, and many noble princesses liked it very much. ¡°Wow, how much does this bowl of soup cost?¡± Lin Qi asked curiously. ¡°If I tell you¡­ I¡¯m afraid I¡¯d scare you!¡± Jin Lingling smiled. ¡°Tell me. I¡¯ve been scared a lot worse before.¡± ¡°1,000 gold coins for a bowl!¡± Lin Qi was stunned, and the hand that was holding the bowl of soup instantly began to tremble. ¡°What¡­ What did you say?¡± ¡°1,000 gold coins? For a single bowl?¡± Jin Lingling nodded. Seeing that Lin Qi¡¯s hand was shaking, she warned, ¡°Be careful!¡± Lin Qi hurriedly put the bowl of soup back on the table and asked with widened eyes, ¡°You¡­ Are you sure this is worth 1000 gold coins?¡± Jin Lingling blinked her eyes and frowned. ¡°Yes, it has always been this price, because the rarer something is, the more precious it is!¡± That made Lin Qi even more excited. ¡®Then¡­ Then wouldn¡¯t I be rich?¡¯ 1,000 gold coins! Upgrading would not be a problem with that kind of money. ¡°Quick, if you don¡¯t drink this soup now, it will lose its value!¡± ¡°What?¡± That sentence felt like a bucket of cold water just extinguished the fire in Lin Qi¡¯s heart. He forgot that the moment the food was made, it would have value. If it was cold, it would lose its flavor. ¡°Sigh, you might as well give me 1,000 gold coins directly!¡± Lin Qi was exasperated. That made Jin Lingling feel a little suspicious. ¡°You¡­ Aren¡¯t you the young master of the Lin family in New Moon City? Do you lack money?¡± ¡°My family has all the riches of the world, but I¡¯m participating in the trial right now, and I¡¯m in need of some money¡­ You wouldn¡¯t understand even if I told you.¡± As he spoke, Lin Qi picked up the bowl of soup and took a small sip. ¡°Huh?¡± The soup was indeed very delicious. Just as its name suggested, it tasted a little fishy when he drank it, but when he swallowed it, it was so fresh and sweet. It was as if he was in the middle of the ocean, and it was a very refreshing and comfortable feeling. ¡°How is it?¡± Jin Lingling was very confident in her cooking skills, and she smiled when she saw Lin Qi enjoying it so much. ¡°Mmm, good soup!¡± After Lin Qi finished the soup, he nodded to show his approval. However, it was still slightly inferior to the delicacies of his system. It was Lin Qi¡¯s final comment that surprised Jin Lingling. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Huh? What else is there?¡± Jin Lingling took two steps back in horror and said, ¡°Everyone who drank this soup for the first time had been so excited and praised it endlessly. How can you be so calm?¡± Lin Qi scratched his head and did not want to lie to the little girl. ¡°Actually, the soup tasted a little fishy in the beginning so it¡¯s not exactly perfect.¡± As the head chef of the Central Hotel, Jin Lingling had always been very self-assured with her culinary skills. Many famous mages and swordsmen were impressed by her food. However, the man in front of her was so indifferent toward her most outstanding dish and that made her feel a little angry. ¡°Impossible!¡± Jin Lingling¡¯s expression suddenly changed, and her eyes showed that she was unhappy with Lin Qi. Lin Qi could only say helplessly, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m also a person who cooks¡­¡± In reality, Lin Qi was just a supplier of delicious food, not a chef. However, his system came with its own cooking feature, so naturally, he had no choice but to be called a chef. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re a chef too?¡± Jin Lingling was extremely confused.. She put her hands on her waist and continued, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the young master of the Lin family?¡± Chapter 27 ¡°I am the young master of the Lin family, but that doesn¡¯t mean that I can¡¯t cook!¡± As Lin Qi finished speaking, Jin Lingling stared at him in confusion. ¡°How can you, the dignified young master of the Lin family, cook?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Lin Qi tried to justify himself by saying, ¡°The Taste of the Sea that you just made is only so precious because of the rare ingredients. If that special ingredient wasn¡¯t added, then this bowl of soup will be greatly discounted. A real chef needs to use the simplest ingredients to cook the most delicious dishes.¡± In actuality, that was what the chef in Lin Qi¡¯s family had told him, and now he was using it as well. Then, Lin Qi took out a sweet potato from the system and handed it to Jin Lingling. ¡°Have a taste of this.¡± After seeing the sweet potato, Jin Lingling did not know whether to laugh or cry. After all, sweet potatoes were the lowest grade ingredient and were not liked by chefs, so she naturally held some contempt for that vegetable. ¡°Baked sweet potatoes? That is street food. They are not a good dish at all!¡± ¡°You should try them first!¡± Seeing Lin Qi¡¯s determined expression, Jin Lingling took a small bite. She originally thought that that kind of street food would not be delicious. However, when she swallowed it, she instantly found that the taste was simply excellent. Even so, Jin Lingling had tasted many dishes that were much better than that, so her evaluation of the sweet potatoes was not stellar. However, she had temporarily confirmed Lin Qi¡¯s culinary skills. ¡°Alright, I didn¡¯t expect to meet a colleague. It seems that the person who sold sweet potatoes in our hotel a few days ago was you, right?¡± Lin Qi smiled. ¡°Oh right, since you participants have to wait for the city lord to return before you can be issued a mission, why don¡¯t you take this opportunity to compare your culinary skills with mine?¡± Lin Qi was not in the mood to compete in a culinary contest. Right now, he still wanted to obtain Yu Meng¡¯s dimensional pouch. ¡°Wait!¡± Lin Qi suddenly thought of an idea and asked Jin Lingling, ¡°If I compete with you, would everyone in the hotel hear about it?¡± ¡°Of course, our cooking competition will be witnessed by the public!¡± Lin Qi had an idea and immediately revealed a smile. ¡°That¡¯s great! I accept your challenge!¡± Soon, the news spread throughout the hotel. At that moment, all the guests in the hotel were trial participants. They had nothing to do those next few days. They were thinking about how to pass the time, but they had not expected a show so they were all looking forward to it. As for Lin Qi, he actually wanted to use that competition to spread the word about the dish, Night Light¡¯s Billow. In that case, if Yu Meng would not like it, there would be others who would pay a high price for it. After all, that was a dish that could increase one¡¯s level of magic. If word got out, then there would be no need to worry about it not being bought. Following that, even though they held the cooking competition at the last minute, they still attracted the attention of the nobles in Black Wind Castle. That night, the entrance of the hotel was almost filled with people. When they heard that the competition involved Chef Jin Lingling, everyone was looking forward to it. Another group of people was looking forward to witnessing Lin Qi, the young master of the Lin family participate in the cooking competition. ¡°That young master of the Lin family even came to compete in a cooking competition. If Master Lin finds out, he will definitely be furious!¡± ¡°Exactly. The Lin family in New Moon City actually produced an inconspicuous chef. It¡¯s really hilarious.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that bad being a chef. Many great mages are respectful toward a genius chef like Jin Lingling!¡± ¡°You mentioned that she¡¯s a genius. A good-for-nothing like the young master of the Lin family can only bake sweet potatoes at most and he still wants to challenge her. He¡¯s delusional!¡± More and more people gathered around, and the noise filled the entire hotel lobby. ¡°Young Master, is it really a good idea for you to do this?¡± Luther tried to persuade him out of it. ¡°You¡¯re the young master of the Lin family. How can you compete with a chef?¡± Lin Qi did not care about winning or losing. What he wanted to do was to spread the word of the Night Light¡¯s Billow and let more people know that there was a dish here that could raise one¡¯s level of magic. Once it spreads, there would be a steady stream of people coming to buy from him. With his calculation, earning more than 20 gold coins for each dish was enough for the system to level up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not too bothered about her anyway!¡± Soon, the competition would start. Many trial participants were gathered there to have fun. They wanted to see how the young master of the Lin family would make a fool of himself. Among them, there were many participants from New Moon City. They thought that Lin Qi was tarnishing the name of New Moon City so they wanted to scold him. Lewis even called Lin Qi a weirdo. Yu Meng questioned Lin Qi¡¯s behavior again. Of course, as Lin Qi¡¯s opponent, she did not think too much about some cooking competition. At that moment, a tall hotel manager slowly walked out. Everyone was shocked, especially the men. They had not expected the manager of the Central Hotel to be such a beauty. Not only was she beautiful, but her figure and personality were charming. ¡°Whoa! A beauty!¡± Lin Qi was also surprised by her appearance. He thought that the manager of the Central Hotel, a high-class hotel in the city, would be an old man. He had not expected that it would be a young and beautiful lady. Jin Lingling had contempt for Lin Qi. Of course, that was just her hostility as his opponent. ¡°Alright, the two of you, we will allow you two to use this big stage for your competition. Remember not to overdo it! Or there will be hell to pay¡­¡± After hearing that, Lin Qi felt a chill go down his spine as if something was staring at him from the darkness. What a strong aura. The audience below the stage was completely captivated by that lady. No one really cared about the competition at that point. On the other hand, Jin Lingling was very determined. She said to Lin Qi, ¡°Young Master Lin, I have never lost in a competition of the culinary arts since I was young. If you can beat me, then I will call you master!¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve joined competitions like this since you were young?¡± After hearing that, Lin Qi admired that little girl. However, that was it. His goal was not centered around winning or losing, but how much benefit the competition could bring him instead. Lin Qi was aware that his system was only at level two. The dishes he made might not be as delicious as hers, but when it came to functionality, his dishes were undisputed. Regardless of whether he won or lost, his plan was already set in motion. ¡°Alright! Now, let¡¯s begin!¡± As the manager finished her sentence, everyone cheered. The entire hotel was bustling with people. Lin Qi also took a deep breath and began to make the delicious dish, but then he realized¡­ ¡°Wait¡­. This is bad!¡± Chapter 28 Lin Qi was stunned for a moment. Meeting the crowd¡¯s eyes, he could not help but lower his head and look at the kitchen utensils on the table. ¡®Oh no.¡¯ He had to use the system to cook. There was no way he could do so without revealing himself in front of everyone. Before he could think about it, the audience below the stage began to clap enthusiastically. Following their gazes, he found that his opponent, Jin Lingling, had already begun cooking. However, at that moment, Lin Qi had not moved at all. There was a time limit for the competition. If he did not complete the dish within that timeframe, it would be considered his loss. Although Lin Qi did not care about the outcome of the competition, he had to deceive the audience. Lin Qi took a deep breath. He decided not to stress out over it. He randomly picked up some ingredients on the table. The ingredients were haphazardly cut into pieces with his messy knife skills and that made people lose their appetite just by witnessing it. On the contrary, the cooking on Jin Lingling¡¯s side was all smooth-sailing. What was more shocking was that Jin Lingling was actually a mage, but her magic was only at the lowest level. She used magic to increase the intensity of the fire on the stove to speed up the cooking of the ingredients. That surprised many people. ¡°She¡­ Is she actually a fire mage?¡± ¡°Well, no wonder she controlled the fire so accurately. She¡¯s using magic!¡± ¡°What a pity. Such good fire magic, but she¡¯s only a chef!¡± The audience below the stage started to discuss. On the other hand, Lin Qi¡¯s side was messy and littered with random ingredients. It did not look like he was cooking at all. All of a sudden, the dish was complete and had already been plated in front of Lin Qi. In actuality, Lin Qi did it on purpose. He used that mess to confuse the audience so that he could take out the cooked dishes from the system. In the meantime, the system consumed the ingredients and completed the dish. [ Dish Name: Night Light¡¯s Billow, Level 2 Dish, Rare Level, Magic Effect: Can directly increase the user¡¯s magic level by one (no effect during repeated use) ] [ Material Consumption: Night Light Grass (x5) Fish Meat (x2) Mushroom (x5) Clear Spring Water (x1) Sweetgrass (x2) ] [ Cooking¡­ Cooking completed! ] [ Ding! You have obtained: Night Light¡¯s Billow ] While everyone was distracted by his flamboyant actions, Lin Qi took the opportunity to immediately take out a bowl of magic soup from the system. On the other side, Jin Lingling slowly put out the fire and then skillfully poured a bowl of clear cabbage soup into a porcelain bowl. She then used a sieve to separate the unwanted ingredients and poured the soup into the porcelain bowl once again. ¡°Success!¡± As Jin Lingling smiled confidently, everyone in the audience was impressed by her magic and cooking skills. They all applauded enthusiastically. Of course, part of the reason the audience was so responsive was that Jin Lingling was very popular. Wherever she went, there would be countless applause. As for Lin Qi, although his Night Light¡¯s Billow dish was ready, in the eyes of the audience, it was just ordinary soup. ¡°Okay, the time has run out!¡± As soon as the manager finished her words, the match was over. Jin Lingling put a bowl of clear cabbage soup on the table, while Lin Qi placed Night Light¡¯s Billow next to it. From the looks of it, the two bowls of soup were basically the same. One bowl was just clear cabbage soup, while the other was a clear soup without anything added to it. It was such a simple dish, yet it gave off an alluring smell. The judge was naturally the hotel manager. That was because she was famous for being the most meticulous person. Any delicacies could not be considered such without her approval. The people who supported Jin Lingling cheered below, but Lin Qi was not shown any support. It seemed that no one had any expectations of him. The participants of New Moon City were all stunned. They looked at Lin Qi as if they knew what would happen next. ¡°Yu Meng, does Lin Qi want to be a chef?¡± Lewis suddenly asked. However, Yu Meng snorted coldly and shook her head. ¡°How would I know?¡± Truthfully, Yu Meng could not understand Lin Qi. Even though his current actions were ridiculous, she was aware of his potential. ¡°Lin Qi¡¯s actions have completely disgraced New Moon City!¡± ¡°Right? I thought that as long as he doesn¡¯t cause trouble, we can forget about it after the trial. Who would have thought that he would still be embarrassing himself, causing New Moon City¡¯s people to get dragged along with him!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Moreover, being a chef is so embarrassing. It¡¯s simply an insult to nobles!¡± Even the participants of New Moon City were mocking Lin Qi. No one had ever rooted for him. However, Lin Qi had no need for any of that. What he needed now was for the manager to evaluate the efficacy of his Night Light¡¯s Billow. ¡°Huh?¡± The manager looked at Jin Lingling and asked, ¡°Lingling, why is it so light? Are you going to make cabbage soup today?¡± Jin Lingling smiled and looked straight at Lin Qi as she said, ¡°Some people say that the best chef is the one who makes the best dishes using the simplest ingredients!¡± That was what Lin Qi said, but he had just said it on a whim. He had not expected that she would be so diligent to have only used cabbage against him. The manager looked at the bowl of clear cabbage soup and seemed to have noticed Jin Lingling¡¯s method. She picked up her chopsticks and tried to stand the cabbage on the soup. Then, she gently pulled out a piece in the middle, and the cabbage bloomed like a lotus in the soup. ¡°Whoa, this is a test of knife skills!¡± Everyone was shocked by the scene in front of them. They had not expected that a piece of cabbage could bloom due to Jin Lingling¡¯s culinary skills. It was simply amazing. Clap, Clap, Clap! Applause sounded again. Jin Lingling scratched her head in embarrassment. Meanwhile, the manager started to taste the soup from her bowl. The manager¡¯s meticulousness toward vegetables was extremely high. She delicately raised the spoonful of soup to her red lips and gently took a sip. ¡°Huh?¡± In an instant, the manager tasted a clear and sweet flavor. Cabbage dishes were usually light, but it was mixed with minced meat and chicken gravy, which made the soup even sweeter. ¡°Mmm, amazing. She can make clear soup to such a standard. She is indeed worthy of being our hotel¡¯s head chef!¡± After getting the manager¡¯s approval, Jin Lingling also gave Lin Qi a confident look. Lin Qi could not care less, but he shook his head helplessly. ¡°This girl is really competitive..¡± Chapter 29 There was praise, but there was also some criticism. ¡°Although the soup was made to be refreshing and sweet, in terms of taste, the impact of the flavor was slightly underwhelming. In other words, the first sip is very good, but after the second sip and the third sip, the taste will be diluted. Therefore, it is not a perfect product, but it is still considered a top-notch delicacy!¡± Jin Lingling was indeed a little shocked by that comment, but nobody was perfect. She believed that her soup was definitely better than Lin Qi¡¯s. After the manager finished commenting on Jin Lingling, she turned around and went to Lin Qi¡¯s side. At that moment, the applause stopped, and the entire hotel lobby was silent. Everyone hushed their cheering, which also meant that they were looking down on Lin Qi. However, the manager still greeted Lin Qi politely. ¡°Young Master Lin, before I taste your soup, I want to ask you, why do you want to be a chef?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°The Lin family of New Moon City is the most distinguished family in that city. Both the nobles and the commoners hold your family in high regard. Even if you don¡¯t learn magic or swordsmanship, you are still respected. However, why do you choose to be a chef?¡± Many people knew that being a chef was a lowly profession. In the Mill continent, only those who were born without magic would choose such a profession. Of course, a normal chef and a top-tier chef were two different concepts. Just like Jin Lingling, although she was a chef, she was more popular than an archmage. However, how many Jin Linglings could there be in the world? With that in mind, Lin Qi hesitated for a moment. He slowly raised his head and said, ¡°Rather than giving a logical reason, it¡¯s better to say what I want!¡± ¡°People have different ambitions. Some yearn for magic and strength, while others yearn for money and power. As for me, I don¡¯t aspire to be anything but myself.¡± Hearing that, everyone was stunned. Although there were many retorts, no one had anything to say. After the manager heard that, she raised her brow slightly and revealed an interesting smile. ¡°Are you being ridiculous or are you just that pathetic?¡± Lin Qi was calm. He knew that he did not know magic or swordsmanship, and he could not do anything grand. Of course, he had not wanted to do anything grand. ¡°You chose to cook because you don¡¯t know any magic and you don¡¯t want to practice swordsmanship. Am I right?¡± The manager¡¯s words were laced with venom and she spoke as if she was provoking Lin Qi. However, no one knew that Lin Qi was calmer than anyone else at that moment. He pushed the bowl of Night Light¡¯s Billow over to her. ¡°To talk about the good and the bad of others, you have to first understand who they really are!¡± His words completely refuted the manager, and everyone present was amazed. The manager was also shocked by his words. She had not expected that the kid¡¯s mental endurance was so great. If those words were uttered to any noble young master or young mistress, they would instantly blow a fuse. However, Lin Qi acted extremely neutral and even laughed at himself. ¡®This child¡­¡¯ The manager obviously could not understand him. She looked at the bowl of clear soup and took a deep breath. ¡°This soup¡­ You call it Night Light¡¯s Billow?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that just ordinary night light soup?¡± ¡°Yeah, but he calls it Night Light¡¯s Billow. Does he think that the soup will taste better if the name is fancier?¡± Many people began to make fun of him, and the manager laughed as well. ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t tell me that you only use one bowl of soup to do the talking for you.¡± ¡°Oh? Your chef can use cabbage soup as her winning dish, but my bowl of clear soup can¡¯t?¡± ¡°Very well.¡± The manager was satisfied with Lin Qi¡¯s response, but that did not mean that she approved of Lin Qi. She just approved of his temperament. The only thing that could change her opinion was that bowl of soup. The manager picked up the spoon and scooped up some soup, then gently pursed her lips. She had very little expectations when she took the bowl, but the moment she swallowed the soup, her eyes suddenly widened. ¡°What?¡± In an instant, there was complete silence. The manager stared at the bowl of clear soup in disbelief. ¡°This¡­ This is completely different from the usual night light soup. What is this flavor? No, no, no! What texture is this?¡± ¡°What? This¡­¡± Everyone was stunned. The manager¡¯s brows furrowed and her expression was getting increasingly unsettled. She scooped another spoonful and stuffed it into her mouth. She was particularly rough that time and forgoed the elegance she had before. ¡°So good. What a unique taste. Is this really the clear soup of the night light grass?¡± Seeing the manager so surprised, Jin Lingling was also in disbelief. She hurried over and took a sip. The taste was amazing! Jin Lingling had never tasted such a delicious clear soup before. It was as if her whole body had fallen into the clear water, and she felt comfortable all over. Seeing their enjoyment, Lin Qi smiled and said, ¡°Actually, there is something special about the Night Light¡¯s Billow!¡± ¡°What¡¯s special about it?¡± Lin Qi shouted to the hotel staff, ¡°Turn off the lights!¡± The fire was extinguished in an instant. In the pitch-black hall, the bowl of clear soup was emitting blue light in the darkness. ¡°This¡­¡± Everyone was surprised. After all, if the night light grass was plucked, it would not have the night light effect. However, that bowl of soup seemed to have given the night light grass new life, allowing the bowl of soup to emit a faint light in the darkness. ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful!¡± Jin Lingling said in amazement but she could not hide the disappointment she felt toward herself. Then, the fire lit up again, and the soup completely lost its light, leaving only a confident smile on Lin Qi¡¯s face. ¡°What do you think? Madam manager, what do you think of my Night Light¡¯s Billow?¡± The manager was a particularly picky person. Although she wanted to find fault in it, her mind was filled with the memory of what had happened just now, and she could not think of anything to be dissatisfied about. After hesitating for a while, she looked troubled. ¡°This? I can¡¯t comment on it!¡± ¡°Oh? What do you mean by you can¡¯t comment on it?¡± In the end, the manager shook her head helplessly and announced to the crowd, ¡°I declare Lin Qi the winner of this competition!¡± After the result of the competition was announced, no one could accept that resultÒ»it was beyond their imaginations. The applause that should have sounded was replaced by countless gasps of surprise. ¡°How is this possible? Lingling would never lose!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That soup must have been filled with magic potions to have tasted so good, right?¡± Even though no one believed that result, Jin Lingling stood up and said to everyone, ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t argue. I lost this competition fair and square. I always thought that Young Master Lin was just a newbie who had just learned to cook, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­.¡± Chapter 30 ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Lin Qi waved his hand dismissively and slowly walked to the front of the crowd, raising his head and puffing out his chest. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that everyone thinks that this bowl of Night Light¡¯s Billow is just an ordinary clear soup?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not clear soup, could there be treasure inside?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Lin Qi took the opportunity to say, ¡°There really is treasure inside!¡± Then, he turned to Jin Lingling and said, ¡°If I¡¯m correct, you should be a fire mage, right?¡± Jin Lingling nodded. ¡°Yes, I am a fire mage, but I have a limited understanding of magic, so I have been stuck at the lowest level.¡± ¡°Now, try using your magic again!¡± As Lin Qi¡¯s voice echoed throughout the stage, Jin Lingling was a little curious. She immediately drew her magic from within her body, and in an instant, she found something unbelievable. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°What do you feel?¡± His voice was not loud, but it could be heard loud and clear by everyone on the stage and in the audience. ¡°My Night Light¡¯s Billow is not only delicious, but it¡¯s also a soup that can increase one¡¯s magic level!¡± Hearing that, everyone¡¯s expression changed and they felt bewildered. One by one, they scrambled to ask, ¡°Is¡­ Is this true?¡± ¡°Of course, my¡­¡± Just as Lin Qi was about to create a second bowl of soup from the system, he suddenly realized that there was only¡­ Only one bowl of soup left. ¡°Huh?¡± Lin Qi¡¯s face twisted. He scratched his head and thought to himself, ¡®Oh no, I forgot that I only had a little bit of night light grass. Now, I don¡¯t even have the ingredients to make a second bowl.¡¯ However, before Lin Qi could finish his sentence, the mages immediately asked Lin Qi to make them a bowl. Lin Qi was starting to feel awkward. He had forgotten that there were not enough ingredients. At that moment, he was left with a difficult choice. There was only one bowl of soup left. Who should he give it to? While he was hesitating, he noticed Yu Meng¡¯s expectant but silent expression. He immediately had an idea. ¡°Alright, alright. Everyone, this bowl of soup is very troublesome to make, and it requires a lot of ingredients. So, I can only make one bowl for today. If you want some, contact me in the future!¡± Just based on his words, the participants instantly looked at him in a different light. Jin Lingling and the manager could not help but admire Young Master Lin. After the competition had ended, Lin Qi naturally became the focus of everyone¡¯s attention. There were people who wanted to get close to him at all costs. After all, that dish that could increase one¡¯s magic level was extremely rare in their world. At that moment, even Chen Lin, who had been provoked by Lin Qi, was thinking of how to get his hands on a bowl of Night Light¡¯s Billow. After a while, Lin Qi finally returned to his room with a tired body. He had exhausted himself half to death today, but he had achieved his goal. Once he returned to the New Moon Forest to collect more night light grass, he would be able to mass-produce the Night Light¡¯s Billow. That way, the mages, and swordsmen would keep coming to him to buy it. Even if the price was lower than its actual worth, he was still making money. It was better than selling sweet potatoes every day. Just as Lin Qi was about to fall asleep, there was a knock on his door. ¡°Who is it? It¡¯s so late!¡± Lin Qi slowly walked over and opened the door. The person who was behind the door was Lewis, who was smiling cheekily. Looking at him like that, there must be something fishy going on. ¡°You¡­ What are you doing here? It¡¯s so late.¡± ¡°Hehe, Lin Qi, no, Young Master Lin.¡± Lewis walked in with a smile on his face. He said to Lin Qi, ¡°I made a lot of mistakes before. Please forgive me. After all, we are both participants from New Moon City!¡± ¡°So what?¡± Lin Qi said coldly as he was in a bad mood. ¡°Hahaha, you know, we are all people who want to pass the trial together. Why don¡¯t you make me a Night Light¡¯s Billow and make my level rise to that of a grand swordmaster!¡± ¡°Oh? Didn¡¯t you mention that you were already a grand swordmaster?¡± Lewis instantly lowered his head and smiled bashfully. ¡°About that¡­ Actually, I¡¯m not a grand swordmaster. Those were all lies spread by my family. I¡¯m only at the level of a swordsman. After training at home for more than half a year, I still can¡¯t break through to the level of a grand swordmaster. So, I want your help!¡± ¡°My help¡­¡± Lin Qi tapped his chin, and a cunning look appeared on his face. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible to help you. The Night Light¡¯s Billow can indeed increase your rank. However, my Night Light¡¯s Billow is not an ordinary dish, so I can¡¯t give it to you for free, right?¡± Hearing that, Lewis¡¯s expression changed, and he slowly took out his money bag. ¡°Young Master Lin, can you give me a good price?¡± Lin Qi lowered his head and looked at Lewis¡¯s money bag. He had some money, but it did not add up to 100 gold coins. However, he only had one bowl of soup left. It would be a waste to give it to Lewis. ¡°Nope. Not interested!¡± Lin Qi immediately rejected Lewis and found an excuse. ¡°You don¡¯t have enough money. How about this¡­¡± ¡°I heard that the Leonard family is a hunting family. Your ancestors must have gathered a lot of rare magic essence, right?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Lewis started to feel a little awkward. Lin Qi continued, ¡°If you can give me magic essence in exchange, I will consider it!¡± ¡°What? Magic essence? You¡¯d need to kill rare-level demonic beasts for that!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about that. The price is obvious!¡± ¡°You!¡± Lewis was a little angry. He had a smile on his face earlier, but at that moment, he looked down and his eyes were full of frustration. ¡°Lin Qi, you are only a chef now. If it weren¡¯t for Yu Meng and me, you would have been killed by those demonic beasts!¡± Lewis became angrier and angrier. ¡°Let me tell you, without Yu Meng and I, you are nothing. But without you, Yu Meng and I can still pass the trial!¡± Since Lewis acted that way, it was obvious that he was going to part ways with Lin Qi. However, Lin Qi would not give in to his words. Naturally, he had confidence now. Confidence came from strength. As long as one had strength, they would have confidence. Even if he was looked down upon by others, he would not feel aggrieved. ¡°Both of you are going to leave me?¡± ¡°Hmph, of course!¡± ¡°Have you considered Yu Meng¡¯s opinion?¡± Lewis smiled lightly. ¡°Do I even have to ask?¡± After saying that, Lewis slowly turned around. Suddenly, Lin Qi noticed a person standing behind him. It was Yu Meng. Yu Meng had obviously heard the conversation. Originally, she wanted to discuss the Night Light¡¯s Billow with Lin Qi. She had not expected that Lin Qi was so greedy that he even wanted the magic essence of rare demonic beasts. That annoyed her. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Lin Qi, since you have so much money now, you don¡¯t have to follow us anymore!¡± Lewis rolled his eyes at Lin Qi and said, ¡°See? I didn¡¯t even need to ask!¡± ¡°Lewis, let¡¯s go.. The city lord will announce the mission when he comes back tomorrow!¡± Chapter 31 After seeing Yu Meng and Lewis leave, Lin Qi sighed helplessly. He shrugged and said to himself, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be so badly misunderstood.¡± However, just when he thought that he could do nothing else but go back to bed, he heard another knock on the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± Lin Qi opened the door impatiently. He was about to vent his dissatisfaction to the person knocking until he found that Yu Meng was back again, and she was fidgeting slightly. ¡°That¡­¡± Yu Meng rarely asked others for help, so she sounded a little awkward when she spoke. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lin Qi was not nervous. Seeing Yu Meng like that made the corners of his mouth twitch into a bitter smile. ¡°Is the Night Light¡¯s Billow really effective? It can really help someone advance to a higher level of magic¡­¡± After hearing that, Lin Qi immediately understood her intention. He smiled and said, ¡°Of course. Why? Do you want it too?¡± Yu Meng did not say anything. Her face was red. She was embarrassed to say it, but she really wanted to advance past her current magic level. After all, she had practiced hard for a long time, but she had not improved at all. The Yu family¡¯s teacher had said that she had encountered an impasse. If she wanted to advance, she had to rely on her comprehension of magic. However, after practicing repeatedly for more than a year, she still could not advance, so Yu Meng was feeling quite anxious. ¡°This Night Light¡¯s Billow of yours, can you¡­¡± ¡°Of course I can, but I can¡¯t eat and drink for free either. You have to pay a price!¡± Yu Meng subconsciously took two steps back, her beautiful brows furrowed. ¡°What do you want? Money? Or¡­¡± ¡°No, I want the dimensional pouch that you showed me before.¡± ¡°This?¡± Yu Meng took it out from her pocket. That small pouch could hold many things, which was why it was called the dimensional pouch. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it¡­ Can you give it to me?¡± Yu Meng was a little hesitant, but she was not sure if the dimensional pouch was worth giving up. It was her personal item, so she was reluctant to give it to others. However, the usage of the dimensional pouch was limited, so it was not impossible for her to exchange with Lin Qi. ¡°You¡­ What do you want my dimensional pouch for?¡± Yu Meng asked. Lin Qi could not say that he wanted to sell the dimensional pouch, so he lied, ¡°Actually, I have a lot of things to bring and it¡¯s too troublesome to carry a backpack. You don¡¯t have much use for it so why don¡¯t you kill two birds with one stone?¡± Yu Meng took a deep breath and finally agreed. She nodded and said, ¡°Okay, in exchange, you have to give me the Night Light¡¯s Billow.¡± ¡°Okay, no problem!¡± Lin Qi pretended to go to the kitchen downstairs and cooked the Night Light¡¯s Billow in the system while no one was looking. ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± Yu Meng asked in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s done?¡± ¡°Of course, hurry up and try it!¡± Yu Meng still could not believe it. Could a bowl of soup really help her advance a level? She had practiced for more than a year and had not made any progress. If she could really alter it with a bowl of soup, she would be stunned. The fragrance of the Night Light¡¯s Billow wafted through the surroundings and made Yu Meng¡¯s appetite rise. She took a small sip, and she felt as if she was in a cool stream. It was really refreshing and sweet. ¡°So¡­ So delicious!¡± Hearing Yu Meng¡¯s casual praise, Lin Qi smiled. ¡°How is it? Delicious, right?¡± It was not just delicious. At that moment, Yu Meng could feel a surge of magic power in her body, making her feel as if her magic had advanced a level. ¡°Amazing!¡± Yu Meng immediately used her magic staff to cast an intermediate-level spell. She had not expected it to actually succeed. ¡°I really advanced a level. This soup is too miraculous! Doesn¡¯t that mean that one can advance more levels after drinking a bowl of it?¡± ¡°No, no! How can there be such a thing in this world?¡± Lin Qi shook his head. ¡°This soup can only be used once. It won¡¯t take effect again in the future. So, if you want to advance to the next level, you¡¯d better train hard!¡± At that moment, Yu Meng was very curious. How did Lin Qi have so many strange things? After advancing to the intermediate level, Yu Meng could not wait to go back to her room and check the magic tomes. Now, she was going to practice the magic of an intermediate-level mage. She also had a goal for the future. When Lin Qi received the dimensional pouch, a smile appeared on his face. ¡°Hehe, the money is here!¡± The next morning, Lin Qi got up very early. He walked out of the hotel and asked around for the location of the Magic Association. He had decided not to bring Luther along. After all, the fewer people who knew, the better. Not long after, Lin Qi found the small building of the Magic Association, which also sold all kinds of magic artifacts and magic scrolls. However, those items were not cheap. Just a recovery potion cost ten gold coins, which was dozens of times more expensive than Lin Qi¡¯s Magic Sweet Potato. ¡°Holy sh*t! This is a daylight robbery!¡± Lin Qi could not help but complain. However, an old man in front of him had heard his words. He immediately looked in Lin Qi¡¯s direction. ¡°What did you just say? Robbery? The price I offer is reasonable!¡± Lin Qi smiled. ¡°Reasonable? Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know that in the Magic Chamber of Commerce in New Moon City, these recovery potions are only sold for three gold coins a bottle. This is more than three times the price. Isn¡¯t it obvious that you¡¯re robbing me?¡± The old man sneered, crossed his arms in front of his chest, and said to Lin Qi confidently, ¡°I¡¯m the only one in the entire Black Wind Castle who has magic artifacts and magic scrolls to sell. I¡¯m the one who decides how much to sell them for!¡± No wonder he was so arrogant. It turned out that he had monopolized the business of the entire Black Wind Castle. However, Lin Qi felt that it was very strange. That kind of ordinary recovery medicine could be made by an alchemist, but why did no one make it? ¡°Brat, are you going to buy it or not? If not, then get out of here!¡± Lin Qi ignored the old man and turned around to walk towards the Magic Association¡¯s main hall. There was only one deacon in the Magic Association. His name was Terry. He was about forty to fifty years old and was an archmage. He was also the one who made the decisions in the Black Wind Castle¡¯s Magic Association. He was considered a famous person in that area. At that moment, he was discussing something with a subordinate. When Lin Qi walked toward the door, he suddenly heard a voice coming from inside. ¡°Lord Terry, there¡¯s an alchemist from the western city. He¡¯s selling all kinds of cheap recovery potions everywhere!¡± ¡°Oh? There¡¯s such a person?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Do you want me to handle it for you?¡± Terry stroked his white beard and waved his hand. He smiled and said, ¡°Go and do it cleanly. Chase him out of the city.. If he dares to disobey, you are allowed to do whatever you want to him!¡± Chapter 32 Hearing that, Lin Qi roughly understood why there were so few merchants in Black Wind Castle. It turned out that all the business was monopolized by that man. No wonder even the recovery potions were sold at such an expensive price. ¡°Oh, right!¡± Suddenly, Terry stopped the subordinate in front of him and specifically asked, ¡°Have you found the kid who sold the mana-recovering artifacts a few days ago?¡± ¡°Yes, this kid is a participant from New Moon City who came to Black Wind Castle for the trial. His name is Lin Qi, the young master of the Lin family.¡± Lin Qi instantly felt a chill run down his spine and continued to eavesdrop. ¡°Go, chase this kid away too. If this kid stays here for any longer, we will all suffer heavy losses!¡± At that time, his subordinate seemed to be a little hesitant and said meekly, ¡°That¡­ I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t do that, right? He¡¯s the young master of the Lin family in New Moon City!¡± ¡°Who cares? Since they¡¯ve come to Black Wind Castle, they¡¯re in my territory. I¡¯m the boss here!¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Bam! Before the two of them could react, Lin Qi kicked the door open and entered. At that moment, his face was full of anger. He had not expected that the people in Black Wind Castle would be so insidious. ¡°There¡¯s no need to look. I¡¯m here now!¡± ¡°You, who are you?¡± Terry looked at Lin Qi angrily and continued to curse, ¡°This is the Magic Association of Black Wind Castle. How can a commoner like you enter here?¡± Lin Qi did not pay attention to his words. Instead, he strolled to a chair in front of him and sat down swaggeringly. He raised his head and said, ¡°I just heard your conversation. What you said was really interesting. Is it alright for me to say something about it?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Terry¡¯s eyebrows were tightly knitted. Then, he signaled to his subordinate to go and close the door. ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve heard something that you shouldn¡¯t have, but you can¡¯t do anything about it since nobody would take your word for it¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Lin Qi shook his head. ¡°Oh wise archmage, my purpose of coming here is not to eavesdrop, but to sell something to you!¡± Lin Qi did not care about the Black Wind Castle at all. He only wanted to sell his dimensional pouch for some money. ¡°What do you want to sell?¡± Lin Qi took out the dimensional pouch and said, ¡°This is a dimensional pouch made from the magic essence of a rare demonic beast. Help me see how much it costs!¡± Terry narrowed his eyes and slowly walked over. He carefully observed the dimensional pouch and immediately looked puzzled. ¡°Huh? This thing is really made from the magic essence of a rare demonic beast?¡± ¡°Is this fake?¡± Lin Qi crossed his legs and said, ¡°I won¡¯t say a word about your conversation earlier, but I¡¯m here today to sell this dimensional pouch. I hope you can give me a good price!¡± Terry was an archmage, but he was also a businessman. What he was best at was not magic, but business negotiations instead. ¡°The magic essence of this rare demonic beast is found everywhere, but I think the workmanship is quite commendable. How about this, I¡¯ll pay 50 gold coins.¡± ¡°50 gold coins?¡± Lin Qi¡¯s expression immediately became puzzled, and his eyes widened. He smiled and said, ¡°Old man, don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know the worth of the goods I¡¯m offering. You¡¯ve searched the entire New Moon Forest for rare demonic beasts, but there are noneÒ»not to mention the lack of magic essence anywhere. This dimensional pouch is also made with excellent craftmanship!¡± ¡°I think your 50 gold coins should be multiplied ten times over!¡± Hearing that number, Terry¡¯s eyebrows immediately rose up his forehead. He then replied indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s up to you whether you want to sell it or not. Anyway, I¡¯m only offering 50 gold coins. You can¡¯t sell it anywhere else!¡± Lin Qi was stunned. He knew that the old man was trying to provoke him, so he pretended to be indifferent as well. Lin Qi took a deep breath and said, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll just try my luck at the western city!¡± Lin Qi took back the dimensional pouch and was ready to leave. ¡°Hey¡­ Wait!¡± Terry was naturally a little nervous when he saw Lin Qi leaving. ¡°How is it? Have you thought it through?¡± Terry gritted his teeth and chuckled, ¡°Young man, I remember that you sold a lot of mana-recovering artifacts to people in the Central Hotel, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Hehe, it seems that you don¡¯t understand the rules of the Black Wind Castle!¡± Terry knew that Lin Qi was a participant who came from another city to take part in the trial, so, he deliberately emphasized the rules here. ¡°Let me tell you, there have always been rules in Black Wind Castle. If you want to start a business, you have to register with our Magic Association before you can be approved to sell merchandise. You can¡¯t just set up a stall casually!¡± However, Lin Qi sneered. He knew that the man wanted to use something to pressure him, but unfortunately, he also knew the rules. ¡°You said that I set up a stall? Did you catch me at the scene?¡± ¡°Moreover, that was a few days ago. Do you have any evidence?¡± Lin Qi¡¯s few retorts instantly made Terry¡¯s expression droop. He glared at him angrily. ¡°Kid, you don¡¯t seem to understand the rules of Black Wind Castle. How about this, I¡¯ll make a final bid of 100 gold coins. If you accept it, then take the money. If you don¡¯t accept it, then just wait and see!¡± Lin Qi was not convinced at all. He snorted coldly, ¡°Then we¡¯ll just wait and see!¡± ¡°You!¡± Terry did not expect that he, a deacon of the Magic Association, would actually be ridiculed by an outsider. One had to know that the nobles of Black Wind Castle had always shown him respect. ¡°Good! Young Master Lin! Do you really think that the Black Wind Castle is like your New Moon City?¡± ¡°Men!¡± As he said this, a few of his subordinates slowly walked in and asked, ¡°Guild Leader, what are your orders?¡± ¡°Go and ask the people of the Swordsman¡¯s Association to follow this kid and teach him a lesson. Remember to snatch his dimensional pouch!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± The subordinates did not ask any more questions. It was obvious that it was not the first time they had done such a thing. Lin Qi walked out of the Magic Association in a bad mood. His eyes looked a little disappointed as he sighed helplessly. ¡°Sigh, I didn¡¯t expect this old man to offer such a low price. It seems that this thing can only go to other mages to see if there are any higher bids!¡± Clap! Before he could think clearly, someone patted him on the shoulder. He turned his head abruptly and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Luther, why are you here?¡± Luther smiled. ¡°Oh, I came out to get some fresh air. By the way, Young Master, what are you doing here?¡± Lin Qi shook his head slightly. ¡°Stop talking. I¡¯m burning with anger. Let¡¯s go eat something!¡± The two of them walked to a stall on the street and sat down. They asked the stall owner for two bowls of noodles. Just as they sat down, someone suddenly shouted from the side, ¡°You¡¯re Lin Qi, right?¡± Lin Qi turned his head impatiently and looked at the other party. He saw a group of guards with swords. They had serious expressions on their faces. They were all staring at him. It seemed that they had come with ill intentions. ¡°Yes, I am Lin Qi.. Who are you?¡± Chapter 33 ¡°Hehe, who are we?¡± A man at the back walked out and said, ¡°We are the city lord¡¯s guards!¡± ¡°Oh? Are the city lord¡¯s guards looking for me for something?¡± Lin Qi asked indifferently. ¡°We heard that you set up a stall illegally a few days ago, so we came to arrest and interrogate you!¡± ¡°What?¡± Lin Qi thought it was funny and shook his head. ¡°No way. I¡¯m sitting here eating noodles now, and you¡¯re telling me about something that happened a few days ago?¡± ¡°This is the truth, please cooperate with us!¡± Lin Qi shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t cooperate. Besides, I¡¯m not a local, and I¡¯m also a participant in the trial, so you have no right to arrest me!¡± One had to know that when Lin Qi came to the Black Wind Castle, he had already understood the rules there. Although it was obvious that there could not be any fighting, it was also to consolidate the authority of those nobles and guards. In other words, they could only beat up ordinary people. They were simply bullying the commoners. ¡°Please don¡¯t put up unnecessary resistance and come with us!¡± ¡°Where to? The Magic Association? Or should I just give you the dimensional pouch?¡± Lin Qi¡¯s words shocked that group of men. ¡®Why was this guy not afraid at all, and he even saw through their scheme.¡¯ Lin Qi stood up, took a deep breath, and said with an indifferent look, ¡°Please, you have to at least try to act. Why are you talking about the guards of the city lord? You are obviously the swordsmen of the Swordsman Association!¡± ¡°That¡­¡± The few people who were seen through by Lin Qi were also very surprised. That was the first time they had encountered such a situation, so they were at a loss for how to react. ¡°If the guards of the city lord came to arrest me, would they send so few people?¡± ¡°F*ck, this kid can¡¯t be fooled. It¡¯s time to get serious!¡± Those swordsmen were seen through, and some of them were desperate. They drew their swords and pointed them at Lin Qi. ¡°Oh? Do you really dare to fight here?¡± The leader of the swordsmen sneered, ¡°This area is the territory of the Swordsman¡¯s Association. With the help of the Magic Association, we can kill the two of you and be safe!¡± As the words fell out of his mouth, Lin Qi called to Luther behind him, ¡°Luther!¡± ¡°Okay, I haven¡¯t exercised my muscles in a long time!¡± Luther stood in front of Lin Qi and took out a huge sword from his back. The smile on his face gradually became ferocious. ¡°This¡­ This guy is a grand swordmaster!¡± ¡°Sh*t, was there a grand swordmaster here?¡± The group of swordsmen started to look at each other, not daring to rush forward. Luther was waiting for them and sneered, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t tell me the Swordsman¡¯s Association is afraid of me? Even the bandits in my village were braver than you!¡± One of the swordsmen gritted his teeth and was about to rush over. However, in the next second¡­ Whoosh! After receiving Luther¡¯s hit, he flew a few meters away, and the air suddenly became quiet. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Luther roared, and the rest of the swordsmen turned around and fled in panic. ¡°Tch, none of them can fight. They¡¯re really useless!¡± Lin Qi had not even batted an eyelash and he proceeded to eat his noodles. He shook his head and said, ¡°Sigh, sit down and eat something¡­¡± However, before Luther could sit down, the swordsmen came back. That time, they brought a big guy with them. ¡°Oh, it seems that they brought some people here!¡± Lin Qi did not pay attention to them, but when he took a good look at the large man, he felt a little uneasy. Not only was there a big guy, but even that old man was here. When Terry heard that his men were beaten, he was instantly angry so he called his best disciple over. Seeing the old man walk over with a scowl on his face, Lin Qi sneered, ¡°Old man, you couldn¡¯t get my dimensional pouch so you want to snatch it? Is there no law in Black Wind Castle?¡± In fact, the old man wanted to deal with Lin Qi himself, but he was no match for a grand swordmaster. Now, it seemed that he had to bring his disciple here. The big guy in front of them was gigantic, and he was also a grand swordmaster like Luther, but his physique was slightly larger than Luther¡¯s. ¡°Young man, in the Black Wind Castle, what I say is the law!¡± As Terry¡¯s voice resounded throughout the area, the large man angrily rushed toward the two of them. All of a sudden, Luther immediately used his greatsword to block the big guy¡¯s attack. However, he had not expected the big guy to be so powerful that he even sent Luther flying a few meters away. Bang! Luther hit the wall hard. He looked embarrassed and took a deep breath. ¡°D*mn it!¡± ¡°Hehe, my best disciple is about to advance past the level of a grand swordmaster. If you know what¡¯s good for you, bring me your dimensional pouch!¡± Lin Qi asked Luther, ¡°Are you¡­ Okay?¡± Luther clenched his teeth and picked up the greatsword. His eyes became ferocious as he pounced at the big guy like a wild beast. However, the other party¡¯s strength was too overpowering. Not only was his swordsmanship superb, but Luther was also no match for him in hand-to-hand combat. In two or three moves, he was thrown back again. Seeing that the grand swordmaster was useless, Terry smiled and said, ¡°Hehe, what do you think? If you don¡¯t hand over the dimensional pouch, don¡¯t blame me for getting serious!¡± ¡°Hey, old man!¡± Lin Qi looked up indifferently and smiled. ¡°To save 500 gold coins, you have to go through so much trouble. You really are stingy!¡± After saying that, Lin Qi took out sweet potatoes and steak from the system and threw them to Luther, saying, ¡°Eat it!¡± Luther understood the effects of those two foods, so he finished them in two or three bites. In an instant, the energy that he had just used up was restored. ¡°What?¡± At that moment, Luther was almost regenerated to full health, and the big guy seemed to be unable to do keep up because he had just used up most of his energy. Luther did not give the big guy a chance to recover. He knocked him to the ground, pressed the greatsword against his neck, and shouted at Terry, ¡°Stinky old man, tell your men to get lost, or I¡¯ll kill him!¡± That was the first time Terry had been threatened by an outsider. Although his power was far more than meets the eye, he was helpless in today¡¯s situation. At that moment, a golden ray of light shot onto Luther¡¯s greatsword, and the greatsword was instantly sent flying more than ten meters away. ¡°Who is it?¡± Everyone looked in the direction where the golden ray of light came from. Then, everyone was so scared that their legs were trembling. ¡°The¡­ The city lord?¡± Among them, the most panicked one was old man Terry. The city lord had gone out to do some business those past few days so he dared to act lawlessly in Black Wind Castle. However, he had not known that the city lord had come back early today to issue a mission to the trial participants.. Chapter 34 Lin Qi raised his head and looked at the man in the blue cloak in front of him. He only used one finger to send Luther¡¯s huge sword flying. He could only imagine how powerful he really was. ¡°Terry!¡± The city lord began to question, ¡°So this is how you carry out my rules when I¡¯m not here?¡± ¡°No, no, no! City Lord, you¡¯ve misunderstood. It¡¯s all because of this kid named Lin Qi!¡± ¡°He provoked us first!¡± Lin Qi sneered, ¡°It was clearly you who wanted my dimensional pouch, so you came to snatch it!¡± Hearing the two lines, the city lord¡¯s expression became more and more upset. However, he could recognize that the young man in front of him was Lin Qi, the young master of the Lin family in New Moon City. ¡°City Lord, you have to believe me. It was this kid who waltzed into the Magic Association to stir up trouble, so we¡­¡± ¡°Quiet!¡± The city lord began to understand the situation. Then, his gaze fell on the dimensional pouch in Lin Qi¡¯s hand, and his expression changed slightly. ¡°Young man, were you planning to go to the Magic Association to exchange money for this dimensional pouch?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but the Magic Association was very shady. They offered a price that was too low so I didn¡¯t want to sell it. They even sent people to rob it from me. They completely ignored the rules you set!¡± It was unexpected for Lin Qi to speak to the city lord in such a tone. In Lin Qi¡¯s eyes, it was reasonable that the city lord should be held accountable for the actions of his subordinates. He did not care about whether the city lord was a lord or not. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I apologize on behalf of the Magic Association!¡± It seemed that the city lord was a reasonable person, so Lin Qi did not care too much. After all, he had nothing to lose. ¡°Well¡­ How about this? Since you want to exchange the dimensional pouch for money, then sell it for twice as much as you want. Take it as an apology!¡± Hearing that, Lin Qi smiled. ¡°Oh, that sounds good.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Terry wanted to argue, but the city lord said, ¡°Stop dallying, give him the money!¡± In fact, the city lord was being wary. If that matter had spread, the order of the entire Black Wind Castle would be in ruins. Therefore, the fewer people who knew about that matter, the better. Terry ordered his men to bring a bag of gold coins over and handed it to Lin Qi with heart-wrenching pain. ¡°Young Master Lin, are you satisfied with this?¡± The city lord raised his head confidently. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m satisfied!¡± Lin Qi nodded with a smile. ¡°Then today¡¯s matter¡­¡± Only then did Lin Qi realize that the city lord was quite adept at solving matters. He then looked at Terry, who looked like he had been wronged. ¡°Forget it, but you really need to change the deacon of the Magic Association. People like him will only embarrass you!¡± Lin Qi did not forget to mock him back. Then, he slowly left with Luther, holding the gold coins in his arms. Terry¡¯s heart was extremely troubled by those turn of events. When the city lord saw that Lin Qi and the others had left, his expression immediately turned cold and angry. ¡°Terry!¡± Boom! He pointed his finger and a bolt of lightning struck right below Terry¡¯s crotch. Terry was so terrified that his face turned pale. ¡°City Lord¡­ City Lord, please spare me. I won¡¯t do it again!¡± Terry was so scared that he knelt on the ground. His face was full of panic. However, the city lord only snorted coldly. ¡°If you do such things again in the future, then do it discretely. Do you think that no one will notice in broad daylight?¡± Hearing the city lord¡¯s words, Terry gradually understood. He smiled slightly. ¡°I, I understand City Lord. In the future, these things will definitely be done more discretely!¡± The city lord let out a breath. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Next time, even if you lose money hire a professional to deal with the trial participants. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that these guys are all nobles with a lot of face. Of course, they are not afraid of this small Magic Association!¡± ¡°Then that means¡­¡± ¡°In the future, just do as I say. Go back now!¡± Terry quickly turned around and left. Lin Qi had just received the 1,000 gold coins, so he quickly used it to upgrade the system. Even so, the system still lacked a little experience, so it was better to wait for the experience to accumulate with time. Anyway, he did not have to worry about money anymore. Lin Qi returned to the hotel and saw that all the trial participants were present. They all had serious expressions on their faces. Looking in the direction they were facing, he saw that the city lord was already standing in front of them. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t expect him to be faster than us!¡± The city lord¡¯s expression fell slightly. He stared at the crowd and said to them, ¡°All of you who are participating in the trial are now present. Now, I will announce the next mission!¡± At the same time, the participants all had extremely nervous expressions. Lin Qi was the only one listening calmly as if the trial were just child¡¯s play to him. His only goal was to upgrade the system first. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll announce the mission! From tomorrow until a week later, I need each of you to get five-star magic essence!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was stunned¡­ ¡°What?¡± Suddenly, Lewis shouted, ¡°five-star magic essence? Isn¡¯t this like sending us to our deaths?¡± At that moment, the voices of all the participants began to ring out. However, the city lord¡¯s expression was serious as he took a deep breath. ¡°Everyone, calm down. Let me make it clear. This mission is to obtain five-star magic essence. Remember, you cannot aid others!¡± ¡°This is the trial you need to accomplish before you can graduate. If anyone is not satisfied, you can choose not to participate. I can unconditionally have someone escort you back!¡± At that moment, many people had the thought of retreating. After all, the five-star magic essence was not an ordinary artifact. That was something that can only be obtained by defeating five-star demonic beasts and above. Moreover, it was extremely rareÒ»they would not find it even if they searched the entire New Moon Forest. ¡°This mission is too harsh!¡± Yu Meng said helplessly. However, Lin Qi did not care. In reality, he had not heard a word the city lord had said because he had been looking at the new dishes in the gourmet system. At that moment, many people were thinking of retreating. Some who were obviously not strong enough had already begun to ask the city lord to send them back. As for Lewis and the participants of New Moon City, they all planned to return. It did not matter if they graduated or not, as long as they could return alive. However, Yu Meng said very firmly, ¡°I¡¯m not going back!¡± ¡°What? Yu Meng, are you crazy? This mission can¡¯t even be completed by a grand swordmaster. What ability does a low-level mage like you have?¡± Yu Meng took a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t care. If I choose to go back¡­ My family will look down on me again!¡± Seeing that Lewis and the others had chosen to return, Yu Meng turned her gaze to Lin Qi¡­. Chapter 35 Seeing how unconcerned Lin Qi was, Yu Meng steeled herself. She slowly walked in Lin Qi¡¯s direction and asked tentatively, ¡°Lin Qi, are you giving up too?¡± Lin Qi shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was giving up!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Let¡¯s form a team together!¡± It was rare for Yu Meng to take the initiative to invite him to participate, so Lin Qi naturally agreed readily. Moreover, it just so happened that he needed a mage to accompany him. Only then would he be able to bring out the effects of his delicacies. Seeing that Lin Qi agreed so quickly, Yu Meng lowered her head and said, ¡°Lin Qi, how many of those strange foods do you have?¡± Lin Qi chuckled. ¡°Not much, but it can still save your life at a critical moment!¡± With Lin Qi¡¯s words, Yu Meng slowly relaxed. That way, she would not have to worry about running out of mana. Most of the participants had chosen to withdraw. After all, only high-level mages could defeat a rare five-star demonic beast. Ordinary people were simply no match for it. After registration, Lin Qi and Yu Meng formed a team, and Luther also joined in. Unexpectedly, Lewis also volunteered to join. Yu Meng frowned. ¡°Lewis, didn¡¯t you choose to withdraw?¡± When Lewis saw Yu Meng and Lin Qi discussing, he felt that Lin Qi must have had something good hidden so he could certainly pass the trial by following them. With the mentality of ¡®what could possibly go wrong?¡¯ in his mind, he came over to register. He nudged Lin Qi with his elbow. ¡°I say, do you still have a lot of food?¡± ¡°What food?¡± ¡°Like sweet potatoes, steak, soup¡­¡± It turned out that Lewis had his eyes on the food. No wonder he was so brave to register. Although it was said that the more the merrier, that sentence was false when it came to Lewis. That was why both Lin Qi and Yu Meng disliked him. If something really happened, he would not be able to help at all. He would even talk non-stop along the way, making people feel annoyed. Nevertheless, they were all from the same city. Lin Qi and Yu Meng had no reason to reject him. After signing up, Yu Meng, Lewis, and the rest went back to their rooms to pack their luggage. On the other hand, Lin Qi was quite relaxed. He did not need to care about the bags and luggage. He had his own system, and all the ingredients were stored in the system storage. Just as he was about to turn around and leave, Jin Lingling called out to him from behind. ¡°Master!¡± Lin Qi had not noticed at first. When the voice called out to him three times, Lin Qi turned around curiously. He saw Jin Lingling staring at him with her sharp eyes. Her eyes were bright as if flames were burning inside of her body. ¡°Master! Why are you in such a hurry?¡± Lin Qi blinked and looked around in disbelief. Then, he pointed at his face and asked subconsciously, ¡°You¡­ Are you calling me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. From today onward, you are my master!¡± That sentence stunned Lin Qi. He scratched the back of his head and said, ¡°Jin Lingling, how can I be your master? I don¡¯t even know magic!¡± Jin Lingling pouted her cherry lips, and her puffed-up face was a little cute. She put her hands on her hips and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care. I lost the last competition, so I decided to learn to cook from you!¡± ¡°Learn to cook?¡± Lin Qi knew nothing about cooking. The reason why he could make all kinds of delicious food was because of his system. He did not know anything about real cooking. Lin Qi said tactfully, ¡°Well¡­ You see, I¡¯m not exactly a chef either. I¡¯m just the young master of the Lin family. You¡¯ve found the wrong person to take as your master. Moreover, I¡¯m going to complete the trial now. I don¡¯t have the time to mess with you!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go to the trial with you!¡± As she said that, Lin Qi was extremely surprised. Looking at that little girl, why did she not seem to be afraid of death? It was similar to when they were in the New Moon Forest. She actually dared to charge in the forest alone. Her courage was truly admirable. Naturally, that little girl still did not understand the evils of the world. Bringing her along to experience it was actually a good thing. ¡°Even if you follow me, I have nothing to teach you!¡± If he taught her the system¡¯s recipes, then she would be able to personally cook the same delicious food as him. That would not do. ¡°Master, do you hate your disciple?¡± Seeing how adamant Lin Qi was, Jin Lingling knew that if she could not use force, she would have to use a softer approach. ¡°Master¡­¡± She called out to Lin Qi in a pitiful and sweet voice, which made him shiver. ¡®Oh no, she¡¯s trying to act cute to convince me. I didn¡¯t expect to meet such an adorable little girl!¡¯ Without a doubt, if she was brought along, she would definitely be a burden. ¡°Oh, are you really sure you want to follow me?¡± ¡°Really, really. As long as you¡¯re there, I would go anywhere!¡± Lin Qi was a little helpless because of her. Since she wanted to go so much, he would let her follow him. Thus, he silently turned around and said, ¡°Then you should pack up your luggage. We will set off soon!¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°The southern grassland!¡± In the southern grassland of Black Wind Castle, there was a barren field. There were many low-star demonic beasts there, and if they were lucky, they could even encounter a four-star Devil Beast. As for Lin Qi and the others, they do not want to defeat a four-star Devil Beast, but to pass through the grassland and head to the mountain peak instead. That was the most dangerous place in the area of the Black Wind Castle. ¡°The southern plateau¡¯s peak!¡± There were actually five-star and above demonic beasts there. Many mages chose that place to challenge them, but many have lost their lives there as well. Therefore, the Black Wind Castle¡¯s city lord had restricted that region. Only swordmasters and archmages could enter that area. No one else was allowed to step foot there. Of course, the situation was special due to the trial. Hence, the city lord had given his permission to let them enter. Lin Qi¡¯s gaze returned to the hotel. He had been waiting at the entrance for a long time. He could not help but feel a little worried when he saw the participants returning with their luggage. At that moment, a discordant voice suddenly sounded from behind him. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t expect that a piece of trash like you would dare to stay and participate!¡± Lin Qi did not turn his head.. He waited for the person to rush up and shout at Lin Qi in anger, ¡°I¡¯m talking to you, can¡¯t you hear me?¡± Chapter 36 ¡°Hello, my name is Lin Qi. May I ask what you want?¡± The fellow who was coming towards him was Chen Lin. At that moment, he revealed a trace of a smile. His hands were crossed in front of his chest as he said, ¡°Lin Qi, I didn¡¯t think that you would be so foolish as to deliver yourself to my doorstep!¡± Lin Qi was immediately puzzled. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± Chen Lin was a little surprised, but he quickly calmed down. ¡°Let me tell you, I¡¯m still angry about last time. If you dare to walk out of Black Wind Castle, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson, unless you stay in here forever like a coward.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you will.¡± Lin Qi¡¯s expression was cold, not taking his words seriously at all. His reaction made Chen Lin¡¯s entire body burn with anger. He gritted his teeth and nodded his head. ¡°Alright! Then you better be careful!¡± After saying that, he led his companions toward the south city gate. Lin Qi¡¯s team also packed their things and rushed over. At the south city gate, a large number of guards were lined up. The city lord was also in front of the gate, facing the few remaining participants. ¡°Okay, I will confirm the name list now.¡± ¡°Storm City¡¯s participants, Chen Lin, Huang Tian, Lin Mengyao and Mona.¡± ¡°Exquisite City¡¯s participants, Dong Ling, Duan Aotian, Zi Yan and Bai Feng.¡± ¡°Seven Day City¡¯s participants, Ming Long, Mo Xue, and Tian Gao.¡± ¡°New Moon City¡¯s participants, Lin Qi, Lewis, and Yu Meng.¡± Luther and Jin Lingling had followed them here so they were not included in the list of participants. All the participants were gathered there. There were fourteen of them, and they were divided into four groups. Each group had a different route, so the participants could not join forces. The city lord also announced another rule, ¡°Remember! You only have seven days. If you can¡¯t get the five-star magic essence within seven days, then you will have failed the trial!¡± After saying that, he took out two scrolls from his pocket, he said to everyone, ¡°Everyone, I have an additional reward here. Written on one scroll is an advanced magic spell. All mages can use it. There is also an advanced sword art technique written on the other.¡± ¡°If you want to get these scrolls, you must be the first to hand over the five-star magic essence to the designated Mission Point!¡± After hearing that news, everyone seemed to have ignited the fighting spirit in their hearts. After all, that was a high-level magic spell and sword art technique. Anyone would want to get a hold of it. ¡°Yu Meng, did you hear that? If we can complete it, we get that high-level magic scrolls which are extremely valuable!¡± Lewis shouted excitedly. However, Yu Meng rolled her eyes and sighed helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. We shouldn¡¯t be able to get those scrolls!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a look at what kind of people we¡¯re up against!¡± Lin Qi added with a smile. The lowest level participant in the other groups were all grand swordmasters. There was even an overlord like Chen Lin. To be the first to get those scrolls was even harder than ascending to the heavens. Therefore, they basically did not dare to think about the scrolls. They only hoped to pass the final trial. ¡°Alright! Now that everything is clear, everyone, let¡¯s set off!¡± Following the city lord¡¯s shout, the fourteen people walked out of the city in different directions. After leaving the city, Chen Lin glared at Lin Qi fiercely. The corners of his mouth curled up, and he even revealed a sinister smile. Needless to say, he was going to cause trouble for Lin Qi later. Lin Qi exhaled, and without thinking much, he hurriedly walked forward. There were a total of four paths to enter the southern grasslands. Lin Qi and the others chose the fourth path, which was a slightly safer path. However, that path took the longest time. Meanwhile, Chen Lin from Storm City took the most difficult path, but it was also a shortcut. One had to know that they might encounter a four-star Devil Beast on that path. Although they could deal with it according to their abilities, it would take some time to defeat it, so there was no quick and easy route. The rest of the participants walked into the roads with varying degrees of danger. Along the way, Lewis was in an extremely nervous state. He looked around in fear and trepidation. However, for a swordsman, it was natural for him to be suppressed by an extreme sense of danger. ¡°Lin Qi, why did you bring Jin Lingling here?¡± Yu Meng asked. Lin Qi was helpless. If Jin Lingling insisted on following him, there was nothing he could do. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do. She insisted on taking me as her master and following me!¡± ¡°Master?¡± Yu Meng¡¯s face became more serious. She immediately used her magic staff to hit Lin Qi¡¯s neck. ¡°You, don¡¯t tell me that you forced her¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about? She¡¯s the one who keeps pestering me!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Yu Meng snorted coldly. They walked into a forest. They had to pass through that forest area to reach the grassland. Moreover, to pass through that area, they had to defeat some demonic beasts. However, Lin Qi and the others chose the safest path. Along the way, there were only some low-star demonic beasts. With just the four of them working together, they could defeat them one by one. ¡°It¡¯s just some small demonic beasts so far but we¡¯d be n trouble if a four-star Devil Beast came!¡± Before Lin Qi could finish his words, there was an unusual movement in the distance. Then, a scream echoed throughout the entire forest. Everyone instantly turned pale. Lewis said with a trembling voice, ¡°You, did you hear that? It was a scream!¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, the participants of the Exquisite City are walking on the third road.¡± ¡°That was a female voice just now. Did they encounter some difficulties?¡± Lin Qi sighed and shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We are here to pass the trial, not to be heroes!¡± Of course, Lewis and Yu Meng did not even think about going over to take a look. Then, the three of them continued to walk on the small path in the forest. That area was relatively quiet, and there were not many demonic beasts around. Which was indeed a good thing for them. However, what puzzled them was that although they had not encountered any demonic beasts along the way, the energy in their bodies had been decreasing. Lin Qi knew that place was relatively safe for the time being, so he suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s rest here for a while and recover our strength!¡± All of them sat on the ground, but they still remained a little vigilant. Among them, Jin Lingling was the most relaxed. That girl did not seem to know what fear was. She went anywhere she wanted to find the ingredients she needed. Even so, she rarely went out. She usually stayed in the kitchen of the Black Wind Castle Hotel. As long as she asked for the ingredients, someone would fetch them for her the next day. Today, was the second time she went out on her own. Of course, she was very excited.. Chapter 37 Boom! While everyone was resting, a strong explosion came from close-by. ¡°What¡¯s that sound?¡± Lewis was scared and quickly got up. He looked in the direction of the explosion in horror and found that black smoke was rising. ¡®Oh no, there was a battle over there!¡¯ Yu Meng stood up and carefully observed the black smoke. She said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s an explosion spell, and it¡¯s an intermediate-level one. It seems that the participants of Exquisite City have engaged in a fierce battle!¡± Luther suddenly had a strange sense of justice. Of course, he had some thoughts about the oriental lady of the Exquisite City. He said to the others, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go and help them?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten what the city lord had said? It¡¯s against the rules to help them!¡± ¡°Help them with what? We haven¡¯t even passed the trial yet!¡± Lewis naturally did not want to do anything troublesome. However, Lin Qi saw through Luther¡¯s thoughts and smiled lightly. ¡°How about this? Yu Meng, Lewis, you guys rest here. Luther and I will go and see what¡¯s going on!¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Yu Meng suddenly grabbed Lin Qi¡¯s arm, and her eyes revealed that she was worried. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll just take a look and come back!¡± Lin Qi comforted her, then followed Luther and hurried in that direction. Jin Lingling wanted to follow them, but she was ordered by Lin Qi to stay where she was. Then, Lin Qi and Luther went through the dense forest and gradually heard the sound of metal blades colliding with something. When they came close, they stuck their heads out and their eyes instantly widened. ¡°This¡­¡± Both of them seemed to be stunned. What they saw had shocked them. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s huge!¡± They saw a huge stone giant in front of Dong Ling. It seemed that the stone giant was covered in rocks, and its body was extremely hard! ¡°I¡¯ve seen this kind of stone giant before!¡± Luther said. ¡°This is a special kind of demonic beast. Its core is in the middle of its body. We have to destroy all the rocks before we can cut its core!¡± ¡°However, the most difficult part is that this stone giant has extremely high defense. Normally, spells below the intermediate level would not be able to cause any damage to it. Even a grand swordmaster would find it difficult to cut it open.¡± There was only one grand swordmaster in the Exquisite City, and the rest were all mages so it was very difficult to deal with that four-star demonic beast. Dong Ling was the strongest among them. Even if she used her family¡¯s explosive magic, it would not have any effect on the stone giant. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Dong Ling was panting. It seemed that she had almost used up all her magic energy. Her teammates were all injured and had no strength left. However, the stone giant in front of them was unharmed. ¡®Are we going to die at the hands of this guy before we even set foot on the grassland?¡¯ Dong Ling took a deep breath, raised her magic staff with both hands, and chanted, ¡°Burst Magic: Break!¡± The sound of an explosion was heard, and the whole area was swallowed by the explosion. ¡°Wow! What a powerful spell!¡± Luther shook his head slightly. ¡°No, this level of spell can¡¯t do any damage to the stone giant!¡± Sure enough, in the next second, the stone giant broke through the magic and charged toward Dong Ling. ¡°This¡­¡± Before Lin Qi could react, Luther rushed over and blocked the stone giant¡¯s charge with his greatsword. As he was a grand swordmaster, he was able to block the stone giant¡¯s attack with his strength, but it was very strenuous. ¡°D*mn it¡­ D*mn it!¡± ¡°What?¡± Dong Ling had not expected that someone would come to help her. Lin Qi was in the bushes and had not rushed out. He knew that there were spies everywhere. If he helped that woman, he might be disqualified. However, Luther was different. He was not a trial participant, so he wasn¡¯t restricted by any rules. ¡°Who¡­ Who are you?¡± Dong Ling asked curiously. Luther gritted his teeth and looked extremely embarrassed. After all, he was currently blocking the stone giant! ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this for now. Hurry up and take your companions away!¡± Dong Ling was quick-witted. She used the power of her magic staff to sweep her team away. Luther used all the strength in his body and swung his sword, almost throwing the stone giant a few meters away. Luther had fought with a stone giant before, but last time, he had run away. Now, he fought against it as a grand swordmaster. What would the result be? Seeing that Luther had just used up almost all his strength, Lin Qi immediately cooked a Grilled Steak from the system and threw it in Luther¡¯s direction. ¡°Luther! Steak!¡± Luther grabbed it with one hand and took a few bites to recover his strength. Whoosh! The stone giant continued to rush at him. Luther jumped up and slashed at the stone giant¡¯s shoulder with his greatsword. Clang! The greatsword only slightly chipped stones on the stone giant¡¯s shoulder. He did not pierce into it at all. Meanwhile, the stone giant suddenly turned around and threw a punch at Luther. Boom! Although Luther used the greatsword to block the punch, he found that the sword could not withstand it. He rushed backward and was about to hit the tree. Suddenly, a blue ray of light shot out from the bushes. Swoosh! Although the light did not directly penetrate the stone giant¡¯s body, it condensed into a blue ice block on the spot where it hit. The ice block slowly expanded and completely encapsulated the stone giant. ¡°What?¡± He could not believe that the stone giant was completely frozen. Lin Qi looked behind him and found that Yu Meng was casting a spell in the dark. It turned out that she had secretly followed them, but because she could not help openly, she chose to help from the darkness. Luther saw that the stone giant had been frozen into ice. He turned around and cut the ice into pieces. Clang! The ice pieces fell to the ground embedded with rocks. Soon, they found the core of the stone giant. Luther turned around and cut the core into pieces. The stone giant lost consciousness and turned back into a giant rock. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Luther breathed a sigh of relief. He had just been injured and fainted on the ground due to exhaustion. Lin Qi was about to go over, but Yu Meng stopped him and said, ¡°We can¡¯t go out. If we go out, it will be regarded as helping the other participants!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just ignore Luther like that!¡± ¡°Look over there!¡± Chapter 38 Yu Meng pointed ahead and saw Dong Ling as well as the others slowly walk over to save Luther. ¡°This¡­¡± Lin Qi was a little conflicted. ¡°Luther is on our side. Do they want to save him and keep him for themselves?¡± Yu Meng did not care. After all, in front of a five-star demonic beast, a grand swordmaster was useless, so she could not care less if Luther was with them or not. However, she had to rely on Lin Qi¡¯s strength to have that confidence. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Yu Meng pulled Lin Qi away, and he could only watch as his guard was snatched away. On the other side, Dong Ling saved the tall and strong Luther then brought him to a slightly safer place. The others said, ¡°This guy is not a participant. Why don¡¯t we let him join us?¡± ¡°I remember that he is the guard of the young master of the Lin family in New Moon City. Why don¡¯t we return him to them?¡± Seeing that Luther was still unconscious, Dong Ling said gently, ¡°Let him recover first.¡± The sun had started to set in the west. The participants knew very well that demonic beasts would come out to hunt at night. Therefore, it was not suitable for them to travel during that period of time. They had to find a safe area to rest. Lin Qi also sat down with Yu Meng and the rest. With Jin Lingling joining them, they did not have to worry about food. Even in the wild, Jin Lingling¡¯s love for cooking did not lessen. She put the ingredients she had collected into the cooking pot. Cooking in the wild also had a different flavor. Soon, a pot of delicious porridge was ready. Lin Qi also gave them some sweet potatoes and steak. The dishes that night were very scrumptious. Just as Lin Qi finished cooking the Grilled Steak, a notification appeared from the system. [ Ding! The experience points of the Super Gourmet System are full. Host, do you choose to level up? ] Lin Qi was stunned. He had not expected to level up so soon. He immediately clicked ¡®Confirm¡¯ and spent all the gold coins he had earned in the Black Wind Castle. [ Ding! Congratulations, the Super Gourmet System has successfully leveled up to Level 3. Delicacies Unlocked: Fresh Magic Mushrooms, Rush Candy, Fatty Beef with Mushrooms, Enchanted Cilantro ] [ Ding! You have received an Upgrade Package: Enhancement Candy (x1) Fresh Mushrooms (x100) Beef (x100) Berserk Grass (x100) Song God¡¯s Flower (x100) ] After leveling up, Lin Qi unlocked a lot of delicacies, but before he could look over all of them, he was attracted by one of them. [ Dish Name: Rush Candy ] [ Ingredients: Sweet Flower, Mint, Vanilla, Caramel, Milk. ] [ Effects: Can increase the user¡¯s speed by up to five times. ] Lin Qi had not expected to get that kind of escape artifact so quickly. He had to prepare that kind of candy in the future in case he needed it. ¡°Master!¡± At that moment, Jin Lingling slowly handed a bowl of porridge to Lin Qi and said, ¡°Master, how about you try my bowl of porridge?¡± Lin Qi knew that little girl wanted others to give her some advice, so he had not refused. After tasting it, he casually said, ¡°There are too many flavors, which affect the overall taste of the food.¡± ¡°Ah! Alright!¡± If that sentence was spoken by anyone else, Jin Lingling would definitely be furious. However, everything Lin Qi said, she took it to heart and even wrote it down with a pen. When Yu Meng saw that Jin Lingling kept pestering Lin Qi, she was too embarrassed to ask Lin Qi for some of his special food. So, she stared at the two of them, unable to express her thoughts. Then, Lewis came to strike up a conversation. ¡°Yu Meng, I still have a lot of dry food here. Do you want more?¡± ¡°No! Get lost!¡± Being yelled at by Yu Meng, Lewis was so scared that he stepped back and had not dared to speak. Seeing Jin Lingling¡¯s expectant expression, Lin Qi also understood and said, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that!¡± ¡°Master, what are you going to do tonight?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Lin Qi looked at the system. Currently, he only had ingredients to cook Fatty Beef with Mushrooms, but he could not take it out openly. He could only add some fatty beef and mushrooms to the cooking pot. Taking advantage of the steam, he immediately retrieved the ingredients from the cooking system and poured them into the cooking pot. Jin Lingling did not even get a clear look at the seasoning before she smelled a fragrance. ¡°It smells so good!¡± Yu Meng and Lewis were also attracted by the aroma. Lin Qi said happily, ¡°Fatty Beef with Mushrooms, try it!¡± Jin Lingling could not wait to fill her bowl and taste it carefully. ¡°It¡¯s so delicious!¡± She blurted out the few words that Lin Qi was used to hearing. He sighed slightly, ¡°It¡¯s delicious, right?¡± Jin Lingling was very curious, ¡°Master, how can you cook such delicious food without using any techniques? How did you do it?¡± Lin Qi looked at the curious Jin Lingling and said without thinking, ¡°The ingredients themselves are delicious. Although techniques are very important, some ingredients can be cooked without any techniques!¡± In fact, Lin Qi¡¯s system had not unlocked the techniques yet. If he could unlock that function, Lin Qi would be able to learn all kinds of cooking techniques. Now, he was just fooling around. On the other side, Luther woke up from his coma. In his daze, he found that medicine had been applied to his injuries. ¡°Where¡­ Where am I?¡± ¡°You¡¯re safe. You just suffered some critical injuries!¡± Dong Ling answered from his side. That made Luther worried, and he hurriedly sat up. ¡°Don¡¯t be worried. Just lie down quickly, or the wounds will reopen.¡± ¡°Consider this as a thank you. If it weren¡¯t for you, we might not have been able to get past the stone giant.¡± Luther suddenly recalled what had happened and immediately blinked, ¡°Oh right, I have to go back and look for Young Master Lin.¡± ¡°You are a guard of the Lin family, right? Don¡¯t worry. Stay here for one night. We will send you back tomorrow!¡± Hearing Dong Ling¡¯s gentle words, Luther¡¯s face flushed red. He scratched his head and said, ¡°This¡­ This is too embarrassing!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You saved us. Thank you so much!¡± Luther had not expected the people of Exquisite City to be so grateful. He even had a beautiful girl to accompany him for one night. ¡®If I do not return¡­¡¯ ¡®The young master would be fine without me, right?¡¯ Speaking of Lin Qi, he had already fallen asleep early. For safety reasons, they took turns to be on night watch every three hours. After all, that area was still very dangerous. Now, it was Jin Lingling who was keeping watch. Yu Meng and Lewis were resting by the tree, while Lin Qi was leaning on Jin Lingling¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Master¡­ Master, you¡¯re pulling on my hair!¡± Lin Qi was woken up by the soft voice. He slowly raised his head and said, ¡°Sorry! I¡¯m used to finding something to lean on when I¡¯m asleep.¡± Jin Lingling said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s much warmer when the two of us are together¡­¡± At that moment, Lin Qi seemed to have heard a rustling sound. He immediately raised his eyebrows and looked around warily¡­ ¡°Shh! Be silent.. Something is approaching us!¡± Chapter 39 Lin Qi started to be vigilant. After all, four-star Devil Beasts could appear in the forest at any time. ¡°Master, be careful!¡± Jin Lingling held Lin Qi¡¯s hand tightly and was feeling a little nervous. The grass rustled slightly. Lin Qi could feel an unprecedented silence. There was no wind around him, and the movement of the grass was particularly suspicious. Was it a human or a demonic beast? Lin Qi plucked up his courage and slowly pushed the grass aside. What entered his sight was only a low-star pig beast, and it was not the least bit aggressive. ¡°Phew¡­¡± He let out a long sigh, turned his head, and said to Jin Lingling, ¡°It¡¯s okay, let¡¯s go back!¡± At that point, the two of them were wide awake, and they had nothing to do. Jin Lingling teased, ¡°Master, why does Yu Meng wear a cloak all day? She even wears a veil to cover her face. She¡¯s wearing it right now as she sleeps.¡± Lin Qi actually had no clue why. Since he first met Yu Meng, he had never seen her face. Even when she ate, she only lifted up the veil just high enough for food to enter her mouth. He had never seen her real face. Jin Lingling and Lin Qi looked at each other and nodded as if they were thinking the same thing. Then, the two of them slowly moved closer to remove the hood of Yu Meng¡¯s cloak. They tiptoed and did not dare to make a sound. Both of them knew of Yu Meng¡¯s temper. If she knew about it, she would definitely freeze them into ice cubes. After taking off the hood of her cloak, Lin Qi noticed that Yu Meng¡¯s beautiful black hair was actually emitting a faint fragrance. Lin Qi then took off her mysterious veil to see what she looked like. ¡°Wow!¡± Even Jin Lingling could not help but mutter in a low voice. The scene in front of him made Lin Qi¡¯s eyes widen. Yu Meng¡¯s delicate cheeks were snow white and slightly flushed. One could tell that her dignified and beautiful face was the type to belong to a wealthy family. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Yu Meng to be so beautiful!¡± She praised. Jin Lingling¡¯s eyes were full of envy. Lin Qi also swallowed his saliva. He had not come back to his senses for a while. After Jin Lingling lightly nudged him, he slowly put the veil back on. Unexpectedly, when he touched Yu Meng¡¯s ear, he woke her up. It seemed that her ear was sensitive. ¡°Ah!¡± Yu Meng woke up and stared at Lin Qi and Jin Lingling. Jin Lingling suddenly raised her head and pretended to look around, as if the situation had nothing to do with her. Surprisingly, she was alluding that Lin Qi had done everything by himself. Lin Qi looked at Yu Meng in a daze, and the muscles at the corner of his mouth began to twitch. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Yu Meng asked coldly. Lin Qi blinked. ¡°Well, I actually wanted to wake you up. It¡¯s almost dawn!¡± Yu Meng looked up. The moon was bright and the stars were sparse. How was it dawn? Immediately, Yu Meng reacted and found that her veil was only hanging on one side, and her cloak hood had been taken off. ¡°Lin Qi! You¡­¡± Lin Qi quickly explained, ¡°I, I just wanted to see what you really look like. I didn¡¯t mean any harm, and I didn¡¯t do anything bad to you.¡± ¡°B*stard!¡± As soon as her voice sounded, she immediately picked up the magic staff beside her and roared, ¡°Go away!¡± The magic staff generated a freezing spell and froze Lin Qi¡¯s hands and feet, locking them to the trunk of the big tree. ¡°Ahhh! I was wrong. I¡¯m sorry, Yu Meng!¡± Lin Qi began to beg for mercy, but for some reason, when Yu Meng was seen by others, her temper suddenly became worse. On the other side, Jin Lingling did not dare to make a sound at all. She only whispered to Lin Qi, ¡°Master, just bear with it!¡± Seeing Yu Meng walking toward him menacingly, Lin Qi was regretful of his actions but he was not afraid. Yu Meng had already picked up her magic staff to punish him when Lin Qi had an idea. He shouted at Yu Meng, ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make you something delicious, okay?¡± After hearing that, Yu Meng quieted down a little as if she was recalling the delicacies that Lin Qi had made. ¡°What are you going to make this time?¡± Lin Qi smiled awkwardly. ¡°Put me down first.¡± Yu Meng frowned. With a gentle wave of her hand, the ice on Lin Qi¡¯s body was instantly removed. Lin Qi took a deep breath and entered the system to see what was suitable for Yu Meng. ¡®I got it!¡¯ ¡°Enchanted Cilantro!¡± Enchanted Cilantro could increase the efficiency of mana regeneration. Lin Qi immediately walked to the front of the cooking pot and pretended to be making delicious food. In actuality, he had already finished making it from the system. Yu Meng and Jin Lingling both wanted to go over and take a look, but Lin Qi finished cooking the delicious food at lightning speed. All of a sudden, a fragrance assailed their nostrils, and both Yu Meng and Jin Lingling were stunned. Lin Qi held the plate of Enchanted Cilantro and said with a smile, ¡°This is a method of making cilantro that I invented at the last minute.¡± Looking over, it was just ordinary cilantro, but the fragrance was so tempting that both Yu Meng and Jin Lingling went over to have a taste. ¡°This, this taste is¡­¡± Jin Lingling became skeptical after eating the cilantro. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me there are¡­ Drunken Flowers?¡± Lin Qi blinked and entered the system to check the recipe. There really were ingredients like Drunken Flowers in the dish. The sweet taste of the Drunken Flowers had been completely absorbed by the cilantro, but its effects could still be brought out. It could definitely stimulate the taste buds. Only on Manula¡¯s tree could there be Drunken Flowers. Those Drunken Flowers could make one feel light and dizzy just by smelling them, let alone eating them. If one ate them, it was equivalent to drinking a large glass of alcohol. Fortunately, Jin Lingling had a good tolerance for alcohol. After eating the Enchanted Cilantro, she began to feel dizzy, and her face was slightly red. ¡°Master¡­¡± Before Lin Qi could react, Jin Lingling laid down, and so did Yu Meng on the other side. However, Yu Meng was different from Jin Lingling. She could not handle alcohol and started to act funny. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Lin Qi was shocked. He had not expected Yu Meng to laugh like that. He quickly went over to help Yu Meng up. ¡°Yu Meng, are you okay?¡± Yu Meng¡¯s eyes were blurry and her cheeks were red. She looked at Lin Qi with a faint smile. ¡°Lin Qi, hehe. Lin Qi, you b*stard!¡± Lin Qi thought that she would tear him apart in anger, but he had not expected that Yu Meng was actually relaxed when she was drunk. Her hands were only hammering Lin Qi¡¯s chest weakly. It did not hurt at all. ¡°B*stard¡­¡± Lin Qi helped her up, but she grabbed Lin Qi¡¯s clothes tightly. ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Lin Qi realized that Yu Meng had already wrapped herself around him. The touch of her skin made Lin Qi¡¯s heart palpitate.. Chapter 40 The crowing of a rooster sounded as the sun rose. A ray of light from the horizon shone on the earth, and the warmth spread across Lin Qi¡¯s body. Not only was there the warmth of the sun, but there was also a warmness on his body that felt like a hug. Lin Qi did not sleep well last night so even the bright sunlight had not woken him up. On the contrary, the lightest feeling of sunshine gradually woke Yu Meng up. When she opened her eyes, she found that Lin Qi was next to her. Her face instantly flushed red, and she scooted backward. ¡°I, I didn¡¯t fall asleep on him last night, did I?¡± With that in mind, Yu Meng became nervous. She immediately put on her veil and cloak while she pretended that nothing had happened. At that moment, the sunlight was getting more and more dazzling. Lin Qi, Jin Lingling, and Lewis had also woken up. After they ate some breakfast, they packed their luggage and continued their journey. During that time, Lin Qi found that Yu Meng had not said a word to him as if last night¡¯s incident had made her feel very awkward. Lin Qi also pretended that he did not know anything. Well, he learned not to provoke her anymore. Lewis slept like a pig last night. He had no idea what had happened. Jin Lingling did not even need to be mentioned. She was knocked out by the intoxicating cilantro and did not know of anything that took place after she slept. Therefore, she only knew about what they had done to Yu Meng last night. Of course, Yu Meng was not aware of what had happened after she had eaten the Enchanted Cilantro, so she did not dare to bring it up again. After the four of them finished organizing, they successfully passed through the forest and arrived at the vast grassland in the south. There were many passive low-level demonic beasts in that grassland, so their journey was very smooth. If they wanted to meet five-star demonic beasts, they had to pass through that grassland and enter the southern plateau¡¯s peak, which was the Terrifying Mountain near the Stormy Bay. There were more five-star demonic beasts there, but the mission still had a certain degree of luck. That was because, among the five-star demonic beasts, there were also many levels. If they were lucky and only encounter an ore giant, then according to their strength, they should be able to get the magic essence from them. On the other hand, if they were unlucky and encounter a fledgling dragon, then it would be difficult to deal with. Those were the prime five-star demonic beast, almost equivalent to a six-star demonic beast. Moreover, they also roamed in the Terrifying Mountain. After encountering one, it would lock onto its prey with its red eyes, so the possibility of escaping was almost zero. They walked for more than half a day and finally arrived at the Terrifying Mountain near Stormy Bay. As they looked up, they noticed the mountain peak was shrouded with dark clouds and rolling with thunder. Next to it was the coastline, which was also the edge of the Cloud Beast Sea. That was the habitat of the giant beasts of the sea. Journeying through those waters was equivalent to sending one to their death! They did not think too much of it. They had to go up the mountain first. After finding the ore giant, they had to kill it quickly to prevent it from being snatched by other participants. Boom! Before Lin Qi and the others could react, they heard the sounds of fighting coming from the top of the Terrifying Mountain. ¡°It seems that the other participants have also gone up the mountain to fight. We can¡¯t lose to them!¡± said Yu Meng. However, Lin Qi heard something strange from the sound of the fight. ¡°Wait¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s sn ore giant, it can¡¯t possibly be making those low-pitched noises. Think about it. The huge body of the ore giant is capable of producing powerful attacks, but this sound doesn¡¯t seem like it belongs to the heavy strikes of an ore giant at all¡­¡± ¡°Are you saying that the other participants didn¡¯t encounter an ore giant?¡± Lin Qi nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. If my guess is right, they must be in a tough battle.¡± Lewis took a deep breath and said, ¡°This mountain is full of demonic beasts above the five-star rank. Can we really go up?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. If others can do it, so can we!¡± Yu Meng encouraged the group. However, she was a little scared. She looked at Lin Qi and asked, ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± ¡°Follow the sound of fighting!¡± ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you obviously trying to get involved?¡± Lewis ridiculed. Lin Qi shook his head. ¡°No, five-star demonic beasts are very vigilant. Now that there is fighting, they will definitely attract more. We just have to follow their path. This way, we can guarantee that we won¡¯t encounter any demonic beasts!¡± ¡°We are here to kill demonic beasts, but you want to avoid them?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand, do you?¡± Lin Qi smiled and pointed to the top of the mountain. ¡°The higher up the Terrifying Mountain, the lower the level of five-star demonic beasts. I think it¡¯s easy to meet fledgling dragons as we go up the mountain, but when we get closer to the top, there will be many ore giants waiting for us!¡± Jin Lingling praised, ¡°Master, you¡¯re so smart!¡± In fact, Lin Qi had done his homework. Although he did not have any combat ability, he was very knowledgeable about the habits of demonic beasts. Then, everyone walked in the direction of the fighting noises. They did not dare to get too close, nor did they dare to get too far. The key was to maintain a distance. Halfway up the mountain, Lin Qi looked into the distance and realized that it was the participants of Seven Day City who were fighting. As expected, Lin Qi guessed correctly. At that moment, those participants were dealing with the most troublesome demonic beast, the fledgling dragon. The fledgling dragon was a low-level dragon. It had the skills of a regular dragon. Although it had not fully become a dragon and could not control itself in the air, it had the reverse scales of a dragon which is a high-level defense. One could even be poisoned if one came into contact with it. It was a demonic beast that had both offense and defense. Even though the young master of the Ming family in Seven Day City had the strength that even a grand swordmaster could not surpass, he had no chance of winning against the fledgling dragon. ¡°It seems that the battle over there is very intense!¡± Jin Lingling looked at the fledgling dragon. A few of the reverse scales on its body had already fallen off. It seemed that it had been injured. ¡°Among all the participants in the trial, Seven Day City¡¯s team composition was relatively well-coordinated. However, they had also fallen into a bitter battle. It can be imagined just how terrifying that fledgling dragon truly is!¡± Lin Qi did not meddle in other people¡¯s business. He continued to ascend the mountain. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t worry about it. The fledgling dragon¡¯s attack range is very large. It won¡¯t be good if we get stuck in the crossfire!¡± The group continued to climb the mountain. Halfway up, they heard the sounds of fighting from one side. It seemed that there was another battle on that side as well. The noise was very loud, but it did not seem like it was from an ore giant. Boom! A fireball was shot toward them. Fortunately, Lin Qi reacted quickly and dodged to the side. ¡°Who is it?¡± The moment they turned their heads, they saw Chen Lin¡¯s group. They had already obtained the five-star magic essence. They slowly walked over and smiled at Lin Qi, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong? Haven¡¯t you obtained the essence yet?¡± Lin Qi did not say anything. However, Chen Lin would never forget how arrogant Lin Qi was toward him back then. Therefore, he had been waiting there for him for a long time. ¡°Young Master Lin, when I went up the mountain just now, my shoes became a little dirty. Could you please kneel down and help lick them clean? I can let you off on account of how obedient you are.¡± ¡°Have you forgotten that there are rules in the trial? We can¡¯t interfere with each other.¡± ¡°Hmph! Who cares? We¡¯re at the Terrifying Mountain.. Only those with true strength are the rulers here!¡± Chapter 41 - Nocturnal Demonic Beasts Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Lin Qi ignored Chen Lin¡¯s smug expression. The most important thing now was to hurry up the mountain and search for the ore giant. The sky had already turned dark so many demonic beasts would come out soon to hunt in the Terrifying Mountains. The nocturnal demonic beasts were usually more ferocious than the ones that hunt in the day! Therefore, he did not want to waste time on Chen Lin. He turned around and merely said, ¡°I don¡¯t have time for you. If you don¡¯t want to die, you¡¯d better do as I do. This place is very dangerous at night!¡± After Chen Lin heard that, the corners of his mouth curved into a smile. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°Hmph, I think you¡¯re just afraid. But, whether you fight or not, I will definitely teach you a lesson today!¡± Chen Lin raised the magic staff in his hand. His eyes were burning with flames like red lotuses as he shouted, ¡°Elementary Flame!¡± A wave of flames instantly flowed from the magic staff. Although the power was not overwhelming, if it was cast on a person, it would leave a fatal injury. It seemed that Chen Lin had the intention to kill. When Lin Qi saw the flames shooting towards him, he did not panic. Instead, he calmly looked for a way to avoid it. Then, a burst of water blocked the flames. Following that, steam rose up, causing Lin Qi¡¯s brows to furrow. ¡°Huh?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes fell on Yu Meng. At that moment, Yu Meng¡¯s face was filled with anger. She said to Chen Lin, ¡°Lin Qi is from our city. If you want to hurt him, you have to get past me first!¡± Lin Qi was a little surprised and said in a low voice, ¡°Oh, thank you!¡± Yu Meng glared at him and said coldly, ¡°If something happens to you, who will cook for us?¡± Lin Qi sighed. It turned out that in her heart, he was just a chef who cooked good food. How was he any different from Jin Lingling in that case? That being said, Yu Meng actually had no intention of saving Lin Qi earlier but her body began to move subconsciously. Even when she had moved, she had felt something inexplicable in her heart. ¡°Hmph, is that so? New Moon City¡¯s Yu Meng of the Yu family. I heard that your family has been a family of first-class mages for generations. I want to see if you really are that strong!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Lin continued to use his magic staff to generate flames and proceeded to shoot them at Lin Qi. Yu Meng used water spells one after another to help Lin Qi block the attacks. As water magic consumed a lot of energy, she began to feel a little tired. At that moment, Lin Qi seemed to hear some strange sounds that were slowly approaching. That startled him, and he immediately grabbed Yu Meng¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him, follow me!¡± Before Yu Meng could react, she was pulled to the top of the mountain, followed closely by Jin Lingling and Lewis. When Chen Lin saw them run away, he laughed even more arrogantly. ¡°Hahaha, running away when you can¡¯t win? You really are a loser!¡± His teammates next to him asked Chen Lin, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to chase them?¡± Chen Lin was very calm, and he shouted at Lin Qi who was running away, ¡°Run faster, that way it¡¯ll be more fun for me. Anyway, the Terrifying Mountains are only so-so. Mages of our level aren¡¯t afraid of any four-star or five-star demonic beasts at all.¡± Chen Lin¡¯s ridicule made Yu Meng even angrier. She pushed Lin Qi aside and frowned at him. ¡°Why are you running? It¡¯s fine if you are looked down upon by others, but I don¡¯t want that!¡± Yu Meng¡¯s expression was very firm. She bit her lips as if she was unwilling to accept that situation. Lewis, who was beside her, sneered, ¡°If you run away, then you¡¯re just a loser like what Chen Lin said!¡± Lin Qi was unhappy when he heard that. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°Then if you¡¯re so awesome. Why don¡¯t I see you do anything?¡± Lewis kept silent, but it seemed that he was full of disdain for Lin Qi. Jin Lingling pulled on Lin Qi¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Master, you ran away the second trouble arose. You do seem a little timid.¡± Lin Qi felt exasperated and said to them, ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys take a look at the sky first!¡± The three of them looked up at the sky. The sun had already set, and a crescent moon hung amongst the clouds. The bright moonlight shone on the Terrifying Mountains, making it look eerie. ¡°The Terrifying Mountains were formed by the waves from the Stormy Bay. You should know that the monstrous waves of the bay make it an extremely dangerous area. If you are not an archmage or above, you are simply going to die there.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± Lewis retorted. He thought that Lin Qi was just looking for an excuse for his cowardice. However, what Lin Qi said next made them speechless. ¡°The gigantic waves from the Stormy Bay allowed the demonic beasts that originally lived in the ocean to come ashore. After several years of sedimentation, the demonic beasts that originally lived in the water gradually evolved into amphibious demonic beasts that can live on land and water. ¡°The Stormy Bay is pitch-black within the depths of its water, so most of those amphibious demonic beasts only appear at night. When Chen Lin and Yu Meng were fighting just now, the collision of fire and water produced a large amount of steam. Wasn¡¯t that clearly exposing our position? You have to know that most of the demonic beasts that will appear now are not the average kind!¡± After listening to Lin Qi¡¯s explanation, the three of them fell silent. Yu Meng was very curious. ¡°Lin Qi, where did you learn about these things? I don¡¯t even remember any books that were written in such detail!¡± Lin Qi chuckled and poked his own head with his finger. He said, ¡°Use your brain to think and you¡¯ll know.¡± ¡°According to what you said, a large number of nocturnal demonic beasts will appear here at night. Then, we have no chance of hiding from them, right?¡± Lewis asked. Lin Qi turned around and strolled toward the mountain peak. ¡°Let¡¯s continue walking. According to Chen Lin¡¯s personality, his group will probably continue attacking other participants or demonic beasts!¡± As long as Chen Lin and the others were fighting, those nocturnal demonic beasts would be attracted to them instead. That way, as long as we keep walking up the mountain, we would be able to get rid of those unnecessary troubles. Boom! Suddenly, the sound of explosions came from behind. One could tell that it was Chen Lin¡¯s Flaming Hurricane spell. That spell has a very wide range. If Chen Lin was using it, then it would mean that he had encountered a difficult opponent. ¡°Did you hear that? If we were still fighting with Chen Lin just now, I reckon that we would have been stuck in a worse battle by now!¡± Yu Meng and Lewis took a deep breath. They could not help but admire Lin Qi¡¯s calm judgment. ¡°Let¡¯s go, don¡¯t stop. Maybe, when Chen Lin and the others come up, we might end up involved in that battle too.¡± After Lin Qi said that, they continued to go to the top of the Terrifying Mountains. The higher they went, the safer it was. It is said that as long as they reached a certain height, there would not be a single demonic beast in sight.. Chapter 42 - The Situation on All Sides Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Just like that, Lin Qi and the others walked for nearly an hour, and the sounds of fighting behind them had already died down. Lin Qi looked around and listened carefully for a while. Then, he stopped and finally relaxed. ¡°Let¡¯s rest here tonight!¡± The other three sat down in exhaustion. Then, they asked, ¡°Is it safe here?¡± Lin Qi nodded. ¡°We should be at the top now. If we go any higher, I¡¯m afraid it will be extremely cold. ¡°The temperature here is reasonable. There shouldn¡¯t be any demonic beasts around. It¡¯s best for us to rest and replenish our strength. Tomorrow morning, we¡¯ll trek a little down the mountain to look for the ore giant!¡± They set up a bonfire and surrounded it to keep warm. Lin Qi took out all kinds of delicious food to replenish their energy. ¡°I wonder how the other teams are doing?¡± Lewis asked curiously. Yu Meng narrowed her eyes and gently rubbed her arms. ¡°From what we saw today, the participants from Seven Day City had encountered a fledgling dragon. Although it¡¯s quite difficult to deal with, based on their team¡¯s strength, I don¡¯t think they will be in too much trouble. ¡°Storm City already showed us that they have already obtained their magic essence. But now that they are in danger, even if they managed to escape, they will probably be injured. ¡°As for Exquisite City, if they didn¡¯t encounter any accidents, they should have gotten their magic essence by now.¡± Jin Lingling said with disappointment, ¡°Then¡­ In other words, we are the only ones who haven¡¯t gotten our magic essence?¡± At that point, the expressions on the three of them slightly darkened. Lin Qi, on the other hand, calmly ate his sweet potato and said, ¡°Calm down. Getting our magic essence is only the first step. Whether or not we can successfully leave this mountain range is the most important thing! ¡°I have already said it. The deeper we go down the Terrifying Mountains, the greater the danger. The reason why we can go up the mountain so easily is that the other teams helped attract the demonic beasts toward them instead with their firepower. That is why we were able to successfully reach here. However, now that we have to go down the mountain, I¡¯m afraid the other teams are already aware of this tactic!¡± Yu Meng suddenly understood and said, ¡°In other words, they are all watching and waiting!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Lin Qi smiled and said, ¡°Although they have their magic essence now, their members should be injured to different degrees, so their combat power will be greatly reduced. It will also be quite dangerous for them once they head down the mountain.¡± Yu Meng seemed to understand. ¡°No wonder the city lord gave us seven days. We only needed three days to complete the challenge but it turns out that the city lord even took this into account as well!¡± ¡°Getting that magic essence is only the first step. The real test is who can withstand what happens next!¡± ¡°Indeed, whoever goes down the mountain first will become the focus of the demonic beasts. Then, the other three teams will take the opportunity to go down the mountain while the demonic beasts are occupied!¡± The trial was not only about strength, but also the ability to analyze and adapt. Although Lin Qi¡¯s strength was indeed not as good as many of the other participants, his analysis was very meticulous. Therefore, he had become the core of the entire team. ¡°It¡¯s only the second day. The other teams are all injured to varying degrees. We need to recuperate on the third and fourth days. The real test is on the fifth and sixth days!¡± Lin Qi was not afraid because he had a lot of stored food in his system, so he did not need to worry about that. As long as he could get the magic essence in the next few days, the other teams would not be able to wait any longer and will head down the mountain, that was the best time to descend. ¡°Tomorrow morning, we will go down the mountain to look for the ore giant. After we defeat it, we will get our magic essence. Then, our goal will be achieved!¡± With Lin Qi¡¯s words, Yu Meng and Lewis gradually became more confident. The team from Storm City had just experienced a huge blow to their team. Even Chen Lin was injured, and his teammates were also wounded. As for the Exquisite City team, although they had successfully obtained the magic essence, they were attacked by the nocturnal demonic beasts. Luther¡¯s injuries were the most serious, and their overall situation was the same as the Storm City team. As for Seven Day City, that was a team that even the city lord acknowledged. After defeating the fledgling dragon with great difficulty, they encountered the nocturnal demonic beasts, and their lives were hanging by a thread. Right now, they were recuperating in a cave. The one with the heaviest injuries was Ming Long. His entire body was covered in scars, and he seemed to show signs of being poisoned. If they did not go back for treatment immediately, they might not make it! It was not hard to see now that even though those three teams had obtained their magic essence, they were all seriously injured. On the contrary, Lin Qi and the others have yet to get their magic essence but the three of them were in excellent condition. The night passed quietly. As the dawn gradually arrived, the nocturnal demonic beasts slowly returned to the darkness they came from. Lin Qi got up and prepared breakfast for everyone. He wanted to use the system¡¯s cooking function to try and make some dishes that he invented himself. However, although it tasted good, it did not have any special effect. It was only used to fill their stomachs. It seemed that only food cooked according to the system¡¯s recipe would have special buffs. After breakfast, Lin Qi and the others prepared to look for the ore giant. They took advantage of the time when fledgling dragons have not woken up yet to get their magic essence. On the way, they found another path down the mountain. That path was full of trees and was not a rocky area, so the possibility of encountering the ore giant was very slim. However, after passing through the forest, there was rocky terrain. There would definitely be ore giants there. Lewis was the vanguard, Yu Meng was responsible for the rear, while Jin Lingling and Lin Qi were responsible for the supplies. They began to charge through the forest. After walking for about 15 minutes, they had not seen even a single low-star demonic beast, and they even discovered quite a number of relics! In an area in the middle of the forest, they stumbled upon a large amount of broken armor and broken longswords. It was obvious that a great battle had occurred there. As they continued walking, they discovered that there were many strange seals engraved on the rocks and trees. ¡°These should be the seals left behind by the Varin tribe!¡± Yu Meng suddenly said, ¡°I once heard from my father that the Terrifying Mountains was once the Varin tribe¡¯s territory. Those people were bloodthirsty folk. At that time, because the nocturnal demonic beasts had yet to appear, they had already occupied the entire mountain range. Any trial participants who came here would be captured by them and killed in an extremely cruel manner. ¡°The Varins are a combination of humans and demonic beasts. They are extremely terrifying and extremely powerful. At that time, the king sent three groups of Holy Knights to conquer this mountain range. ¡°However, almost all three groups of Holy Knights were wiped out. And the Varin tribe suffered countless casualties. Later on, the king sent a final group of Holy Knights to wipe out the Varins. Up until now, the Terrifying Mountains have become a part of our country¡¯s territories. It¡¯s also specially provided for us trial participants to use!¡± Everyone was left stunned.. Chapter 43 - The Little Varin Girl Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Ever since that time, the Varins were targetted by the empire. Later on, it was also rumored that many Varins still existed, but they could only live in secrecy and did not dare to appear before others. That was because the king had given an order that anyone who colluded with them would be killed without mercy. Yu Meng squatted down and carefully observed for a moment. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. These are all left over from the battle between the Holy Knights and the Varins in the past. There shouldn¡¯t be any danger!¡± With her words, the three of them felt relieved and continued to walk forward. However, after walking for a few steps, Lin Qi suddenly stopped. His sharp ears seemed to have heard something strange. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Master?¡± Jin Lingling walked over and asked. Lin Qi narrowed his eyes and looked behind him. He seemed to have noticed that there was movement in the grass. ¡°Shh! Don¡¯t make a sound!¡± Lin Qi made a gesture of silence and then slowly approached the grass. The other three seemed to have sensed something was wrong and began to be on guard. Lin Qi slowly pushed the grass aside. Everyone held their breath, afraid that some evil entity would jump out from the grass. However, when he pushed the grass aside, he found that there was a little girl in rags, which surprised Lin Qi and the others. How could such a little girl appear in the Terrifying Mountains? ¡°This¡­¡± Lin Qi was confused and scratched his head. Jin Lingling, who was beside him, took a good look at the little girl. She slowly reached out and asked, ¡°Little girl, why are you here?¡± Although the little girl¡¯s face and body were very dirty, she had big clear eyes. She barely reacted. She kept blinking as if she could not understand Jin Lingling¡¯s words. ¡°Is she a mute?¡± Lewis asked. Jin Lingling smiled again and said to her, ¡°Little cutie, can you answer me? I promise I won¡¯t hurt you!¡± However, the little girl had not said a word. She just stared at Lin Qi and the others. Then, Yu Meng¡¯s expression suddenly changed. Her eyes widened as she pointed her magic staff at the little girl. That alarmed Jin Lingling. She immediately stopped her and said, ¡°Yu Meng, what are you doing?¡± Yu Meng narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°She¡¯s a Varin!¡± ¡°What?¡± Everyone was very surprised. Jin Lingling¡¯s eyes widened and she looked at the little girl. ¡°You¡­ How do you know she¡¯s Varin?¡± ¡°Look at the wound on her leg!¡± Jin Lingling lowered her gaze and found that there was a cut on the little girl¡¯s leg, and the blood that flowed out of the wound was blue. ¡°Blue blood?¡± Lin Qi was confused. It seemed that the little girl was not like them. ¡°Varin?¡± Jin Lingling was also scared and took two steps back. Varins were considered to be a foreign race, they were brutal by nature and attacked instinctively. However, the little girl had not done anything dangerous. She just stood there obediently, not crying or making a scene. There was no sign of hostility within her big, clear eyes. ¡°She¡¯s not hostile.¡± Lin Qi slowly squatted down and pinched the little girl¡¯s cheek. ¡°She¡¯s warm, not cold-blooded.¡± The little girl¡¯s expression did not change and she did not say a word, which was strange. Yu Meng remained alert because there might be others from the Varin tribe nearby. ¡°No, she¡¯s dangerous!¡± Yu Meng said to everyone, very determined. However, Lin Qi smiled. ¡°What could a child do? But you are right to assume that with her presence here, it means that there must be others from the Varin tribe nearby.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Although this child is not doing anything now, it doesn¡¯t mean that we are safe. It¡¯s better to kill her to avoid future trouble!¡± Lewis took out his sword. ¡°Wait!¡± Lin Qi immediately used his hand to block Lewis and said, ¡°Even if she is from the Varin tribe, you can¡¯t kill her. She is just a child. You can¡¯t do that!¡± Then, Yu Meng narrowed her eyes and raised up her magic staff. ¡°Being merciful to the enemy is being foolish. Lin Qi, get out of the way!¡± It seemed that those two were so blinded by their fear that they would not even spare a child! Lin Qi picked up the little girl. Yu Meng and Lewis, who were standing at the side, were stunned for a moment and asked, ¡°Lin Qi, what on earth are you doing?¡± ¡°A swordsman¡¯s sword should never be used against an unarmed person. If you do that, you will be breaking the code of honor!¡± Lin Qi continued, ¡°It seems that this little girl is lost. Let¡¯s send her back. There¡¯s no need to kill her!¡± Hearing that, Lewis became angry. He had been holding back his anger for a long time. He pointed at Lin Qi and said, ¡°If you take her with you, Yu Meng and I will not follow you. We will split up from now on!¡± Lin Qi sighed deeply. ¡°It¡¯s just a little girl¡­¡± ¡°Lin Qi!¡± Yu Meng also said seriously, ¡°She is a Varin. The empire has given the order. Once they are found, kill them all!¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t let you do it. You shouldn¡¯t do such a thing. Don¡¯t kill the Innocent!¡± Lin Qi said to the two of them loudly. ¡°So be it!¡± Yu Meng nodded and walked away. Lewis sneered at Lin Qi, ¡°Without us, what do you have left, Lin Qi?¡± Then, he left with Yu Meng. Lin Qi and Jin Lingling looked at the kid helplessly. ¡°Master, what should we do?¡± Lin Qi took a deep breath. Without Yu Meng and Lewis, it was impossible to get magic essence. After all, his food could only enhance the skills of others. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Suddenly, Lin Qi raised his head and looked at Jin Lingling, asking, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you are a fire mage!¡± Jin Lingling blinked in a daze and smiled bitterly, ¡°Master, my fire magic can only be used for cooking!¡± ¡°But that is still magic, right?¡± ¡°It is only beginner-level magic. Master, please don¡¯t tell me that you are counting on me alone.¡± Jin Lingling was a little afraid. However, Lin Qi smiled and said, ¡°Look, we have time. We should be able to help the little girl find her family. So, during this period, you¡¯ll be the protector!¡± Jin Lingling quickly waved her hand and said, ¡°No, no, I¡¯m just a chef!¡± Lin Qi did not care. He took out a piece of spicy fried chicken from the system and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know a way!¡± That was a new delicacy that the level three system had unlocked. Its function was to allow fire mages to increase the range and damage of their spells. Even for a beginner mage like her, the fire spells that she cast would be even stronger than the intermediate-level spells! ¡°Master, are you serious?¡± ¡°Of course! Stop talking and let¡¯s go!¡± Chapter 44 - The Varin Tribe Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Before Jin Lingling could react, Lin Qi pushed her forward. On that path, there were many traces left from the last battle. There was the armor of the Holy Knights littered in one area. It seemed that the battle was very fierce. Then, the little Varin girl ran to one side. Lin Qi and Jin Lingling were curious. After looking at each other, they followed her. The little girl ran into a hidden area in the forest. There were many tents there and they looked very old. It seemed that they had found the Varin tribe encampment. When the war ended, there were still many Varin tribe members who survived. The empire had issued an order to exterminate their tribe so they could only settle by hiding in the Terrifying Mountains. They were stunned. The little girl ran into one of the tents. Then, two Varin tribe elders walked out. When they saw Lin Qi, they were shocked. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re in trouble!¡± Lin Qi spoke quickly. Jin Lingling could tell that the Varin tribe members were not happy with their arrival. ¡°Master, what should we do? Should we run?¡± ¡°Wait a moment, I don¡¯t think they have any ill intentions¡­¡± The two Varin tribe elders shouted. Then, the Varin tribe members came from all directions. In the blink of an eye, they had surrounded Lin Qi and Jin Lingling. ¡°It seems that we have lost the chance to escape now.¡± Lin Qi recalled what Yu Meng had said. Varin tribe members were all bloodthirsty and would kill instinctively. ¡°Who are you? Why have you trespassed into our territory?¡± The Varin tribe leader questioned. Lin Qi exhaled and was slightly relieved. ¡®It seems that we can still communicate.¡¯ Then, Lin Qi began explaining to the Varin tribe leader. The little girl also helped Lin Qi by saying something which made the leader lower his weapon. ¡°I see. You are here looking to obtain five-star magic essence, correct?¡± Lin Qi nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. We don¡¯t mean any harm. Moreover, I¡¯m not really from the empire, so I don¡¯t know much about your situation. I¡¯m very sorry!¡± After hearing Lin Qi¡¯s words, the tribe leader waved his hand and said, ¡°The people of the empire are the enemies of our tribe!¡± Seeing the tribe leader¡¯s expression becoming more serious, Lin Qi could not help but feel worried. He was currently participating in the trial, but the trial was a mission from the empire. He could not afford to make any mistakes. However, if they were aware of that, his life would be in danger. One had to know that the Varin tribe¡¯s combat strength was a force to be reckoned with. Otherwise, they would not be able to protect their territory and defend themselves against enemies. Following that, Lin Qi¡¯s expression changed slightly. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°Actually, we are also from a nearby village. It¡¯s just that we are looking for a five-star magic essence to help a patient.¡± ¡°A patient? But as far as I know, a five-star demonic beast¡¯s magic essence could not be eaten. How can it be used to treat illnesses?¡± Jin Lingling leaned close to Lin Qi¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Master, you need to make up a better excuse!¡± Lin Qi did not back down. He raised his head and said confidently, ¡°You¡¯re mistaken, five-star magic essence can be edible using a certain cooking method, but only I know it.¡± The tribe leader¡¯s expression grew to be more and more confused. Looking at Lin Qi and Jin Lingling¡¯s clothes, he could tell that they came from the city. ¡°Why should we believe you?¡± That sentence caused Lin Qi to tense up. He took a deep breath and realized that it was difficult for him to continue making things up. At that moment, he looked through the system for recipes from the Varin tribe. Indeed, the system displayed a few dishes favored by the Varins. Lin Qi instantly beamed and patiently said to the tribe leader, ¡°I¡¯m from a village near the foot of the mountain. My father used to come up to communicate with your people.¡± ¡°Is this true?¡± ¡°Of course. My father could also cook the delicacies of your tribe. Coincidentally, I can do it too. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can cook it for you right here. That way, you will know whether I¡¯m telling the truth or not!¡± The tribe leader nodded and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you a chance!¡± Then, the tribe leader ordered a few strong young tribesmen to search for ingredients while Lin Qi and Jin Lingling waited at the cooking area. During that process, Jin Lingling became nervous. She rubbed Lin Qi¡¯s shoulder and asked, ¡°Master, do you really know how to cook the Varin tribe¡¯s dishes? If your plan fails, these people won¡¯t let us go!¡± ¡°What are you panicking for? I¡¯m here, I guarantee you¡¯ll be fine!¡± About 15 minutes later, the Varin tribe had prepared all the ingredients they needed. The tribe leader ordered all the tribe members to be on guard. Obviously, he did not want them to use that opportunity to slip away. Lin Qi stood up and looked at the ingredients. At that moment, he did not dare to use the system because it could easily give him away so he had to cook manually. Fortunately, the system provided the recipes. As long as he cooked according to the recipe, there would be no issues! Lin Qi asked for a big pot and proceeded to put the corresponding ingredients into it according to the recipe. Then, he went to find some dry wood. Just as he was about to build a fire, Jin Lingling lifted her finger to light it using fire magic. Seeing that, Lin Qi immediately stopped her and said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t use magic. They are watching us intently. If you do, you might be regarded as a member of the empire.¡± Jin Lingling held her breath. Her eyes flickered, and she looked extremely uneasy. Fortunately, Lin Qi stopped her, or else she would have been exposed. While he was worried about the fire, Lin Qi found that the tribe leader and the others had already prepared tools for it. They had put two stones next to the ingredients, which should be flintstones. Lin Qi picked up the two flintstones and placed them in the dry firewood that he had prepared. He rubbed them with force. Bang! Instantly, the spark of fire started to expand and spread. In just a short while, they had lit the fire. That way, the tribe members would not doubt whether they knew magic, and would not assume them to be from the empire. After half an hour of cooking with Lin Qi as the head chef and Jin Lingling as his assistant, the two of them finally created a pot of soup. The dishes of the Varin tribe were actually no different from ordinary dishes. However, because the Varin tribe lived in the mountains, the ingredients used were all gathered from there, therefore, they liked to put all the ingredients into the cooking pot and cook them in one go. ¡°Done!¡± Chapter 45 - White Lies Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation As soon as Lin Qi announced that, the group of Varin tribe members stepped forward one after another. The tribe leader also slowly walked over and carefully observed the soup in the cooking pot. He would not taste it until Lin Qi took the first sip. Obviously, he was afraid that Lin Qi would poison them, so they had to see that Lin Qi was fine after eating it before they dared to try it. In order to prove their innocence, Lin Qi used a wooden spoon to fill a bowl and drank it all in front of everyone. The tribe leader smiled and nodded slowly. Then, he went forward and signaled for the other tribe members to taste it. It was not cooked by the system so the taste was still lacking. Many Varin tribe members drank a mouthful then placed their bowls aside. ¡°Master, it seems that your culinary skills have deteriorated over time!¡± Jin Lingling said softly. Lin Qi calmly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is my first time cooking this kind of cuisine. What I¡¯m worried about now is not the taste but about saving our lives!¡± Thud! Suddenly, a clear sound was heard. Everyone¡¯s gaze was focused on the tribe leader behind them. The tribe leader¡¯s expression was dull. The bowl of soup had fallen to the ground. ¡°Sir¡­¡± Everyone surrounded him. They saw that the tribe leader¡¯s eyes were open, but he seemed to be deep in thought. His lips were slightly trembling. ¡°D*mn it! It must be the two of you who poisoned him!¡± ¡°Yeah, if something happens to the leader, you two won¡¯t be let off so easily!¡± The tribe members immediately surrounded Lin Qi and Jin Lingling once again. Jin Lingling hid behind Lin Qi in fear and said in a trembling voice, ¡°I already warned you¡­ Now we are even more doomed!¡± Lin Qi also felt quite confused. He narrowed his eyes and thought to himself, ¡®That¡¯s impossible, I followed the system¡¯s formula to the letter. Although it tastes a little disgusting, it shouldn¡¯t be poisonous, right?¡¯ Everyone was forcing them back step-by-stepÒ»their eyes were filled with hostility and they were all gritting their teeth. ¡°Stop!¡± The tribe leader shouted. The tribe members all halted and asked, ¡°Sir, are you okay?¡± The tribe leader sighed and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that this bowl of soup reminded me of the past. It¡¯s still fresh in my memory.¡± Both Lin Qi and Jin Lingling instantly breathed a sigh of relief. They thought that they were going to die here. It turned out that the soup just reminded the tribe leader of his past, and that could not help but ease the tension in the air. ¡°Ahem.¡± They saw the tribe leader clench his fist and cough lightly into it. Then, his left hand slowly stroked his long beard as he recalled what he had experienced in the past to everyone. When the Varin tribe was defeated by the empire, the remaining Varins fled all over the mountain range. The tribe leader was one of them. In order to avoid the Holy Knights of the empire, he could only choose to run to the foot of the mountain. However, because there were many demonic beasts obstructing him from the area, he had no choice but to fight. He fought with the demonic beasts for two days and two nights. His body was covered in wounds and he fell to the ground unconscious. Later, when he woke up, he found that he had been saved by a hunter at the foot of the mountain. The hunter saw that his body was very weak, so he quickly went up the mountain and risked being attacked by the demonic beasts to gather some ingredients. Just like Lin Qi, he boiled them in a big pot and turned them into soup. He still could not forget the taste. Once he started to heal, he said goodbye to the hunter and went up the mountain. There, he found the rest of his tribe members and they rebuilt the Varin tribe. After the incident, when he went down the mountain to thank the hunter, he found that the hunter had left a long time ago, so he never tasted that soup again. What Lin Qi had cooked tasted exactly like that soup from his past. Although the other tribe members saw it as regular soup, the tribe leader recognized the taste immediately. He asked Lin Qi, ¡°Who taught you this dish?¡± Lin Qi made up a random reason. ¡°My uncle in the village at the foot of the mountain taught me.¡± The tribe leader suddenly became excited and grabbed Lin Qi¡¯s shoulders with both hands, ¡°Your uncle was my savior in the past!¡± ¡°What?¡± Lin Qi immediately became confused, and the expression on his face was also stunned. ¡°Master¡­¡± Lin Qi only reacted after Jin Lingling nudged his arm. He scratched his head and smiled. ¡°Is¡­ Is that so? I¡¯m sorry, my uncle has been gone for a while.¡± ¡°What?¡± The tribe leader paused and asked, ¡°He¡­ He really left?¡± Lin Qi pretended to be sad and nodded. ¡°Yes, my uncle left.¡± ¡°Ah, what a pity. I thought I could see him again, but it¡¯s fine now. You¡¯re his nephew, so you¡¯re related to him by blood.¡± Lin Qi nodded and pretended to wipe his tears. ¡°Then¡­ Then do you believe our identities now?¡± ¡°The fact that you can cook this soup proves that you have nothing to do with the empire.¡± With the tribe leader¡¯s words, the members of the Varin tribe let down their guard around Lin Qi and Jin Lingling, and then warmly welcomed them. ¡°By the way, what are your names?¡± The tribe leader slowly stroked his beard. ¡°My name is Lin Qi, and this is my student, Jin Lingling.¡± ¡°Lin Qi?¡± The tribe leader began to get a little puzzled. He said, ¡°I remember that the hunter¡¯s surname was Fang!¡± ¡°Err¡­ He isn¡¯t my biological uncle, but he treats me like family.¡± Only then did the tribe leader reluctantly accept his answer and did not ask any other questions. Jin Lingling leaned close to Lin Qi¡¯s ear and said, ¡°Master, you really know how to lie. I have to be more careful with you in the future!¡± Lin Qi flicked her forehead with his finger. ¡°If I didn¡¯t tell those lies, we would be dead by now.¡± Jin Lingling covered her forehead, stuck out her tongue, and smiled. ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s right. Anyway, thanks to you, Master, we are fine.¡± The Varin tribe loved to sing and perform together. They looked nothing like what Yu Meng described. They were just an ordinary mountain tribe. It seemed that such rumors stemmed from the empire itself, but that had nothing to do with them. ¡°Oh right, I remember you mentioned that you are here to find five-star magic essence, correct?¡± The tribe leader asked. Lin Qi nodded. ¡°Yes, we are here to find five-star magic essence, but we haven¡¯t found it even after searching for quite some time.¡± ¡°Haha, of course you can¡¯t find it. This essence can only be found in the body of a five-star demonic beast. However, I think the two of you can¡¯t even handle a three-star demonic beast, let alone a five-star one!¡± Then, the tribe leader stood up and said, ¡°Please wait a moment!¡± Then, he turned around and walked into the tent. After a while, he came out with a box. ¡°This is?¡± The tribe leader opened the box, and there was a sparkling white magic essence inside. That was the five-star magic essence he needed. ¡°This is what you¡¯re looking for, correct? I will gift this to you!¡± The tribe leader handed the five-star magic essence to Lin Qi, which caused Lin Qi to be at a loss for what to do.. Chapter 46 - The Stubborn Yu Meng Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°This¡­ How could I just take this?¡± Lin Qi said as he scratched his head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. This five-star magic essence is useless to us. Just take it down the mountain and help the patient in your village.¡± Lin Qi looked at the five-star magic essence and nodded. ¡°Thank you, sir. I¡¯ll humbly accept it.¡± The tribe leader pointed to a tent not far away. ¡°By the way, you can stay here for the night. If you go down the mountain now, you¡¯ll definitely encounter some troublesome demonic beasts. Our people are familiar with the mountain¡¯s paths and know the best time to avoid them. I will send someone to show you the best path to get down the mountain tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± Lin Qi¡¯s tightly knitted brows relaxed. He had not expected things would go so smoothly! The sky was already dark. Lin Qi and Jin Lingling settled down and enjoyed the Varin tribe¡¯s performance around the campfire. They did not have to worry about demonic beasts attacking in the middle of the night because there were also special guards keeping watch. On the other side, after Yu Meng and Lewis separated from Lin Qi, they met the ore giant on the mountainside. However, they underestimated the power of the ore giant. Without Lin Qi¡¯s food, they were no match for it. They could only flee and hide in one of the caves to avoid danger. ¡°D*mn it! We almost defeated that ore giant today!¡± Lewis complained. Yu Meng was also disappointed. She had not expected that they were not even capable of defeating a single ore giant without Lin Qi. ¡°I¡¯m so hungry. Yu Meng, do you have any more rations?¡± Lewis asked. Yu Meng rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten all my rations. How could I have more now?¡± ¡°Ah, that brat Lin Qi must have taken all the rations with him.¡± ¡°But, he will look for us sooner or later. He and Jin Lingling have no fighting strength at all. How could they get the magic essence without us?¡± Yu Meng smiled confidently. Little did they know that Lin Qi had already obtained the magic essence. He was even planning on going down the mountain tomorrow. Early the next morning. Lin Qi and Jin Lingling were trekking down the mountain. As the tribe leader said, they did not encounter any demonic beasts on the way. The two sides of the mountain path were surrounded by swamps. The demonic beasts did not dare to enter the swamps, so they naturally would not be anywhere near that path. In about one morning, Lin Qi and Jin Lingling had already reached the foot of the mountain. However, Lin Qi did not choose to continue forward. Instead, he handed the magic essence to Jin Lingling and said, ¡°There are no more demonic beasts along the way. Take the magic essence and go back to the city!¡± ¡°Master, what about you?¡± Jin Lingling asked. Lin Qi turned around and said, ¡°There are still two people on that mountain that I have to bring down.¡± Hearing that, Jin Lingling smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Master, they treated you horribly. Why are you still thinking about them?¡± ¡°So we¡¯re just planning on leaving them? Let¡¯s not talk about that anymore. Hurry up and go back. It won¡¯t be good if the sky turns dark!¡± ¡°Okay! Then, Master, you have to be careful!¡± Then, Jin Lingling ran into the city reluctantly. Lin Qi spent nearly three hours walking back up the mountain. The trip down had exhausted a lot of his energy so he was a little tired. After walking out of the mountain path, he came to the mountainside. Demonic beasts could appear there at any time. Lin Qi looked around carefully. At that moment, Lin Qi heard fighting noises coming from the south. He quickly ran in that direction. It was Yu Meng and Lewis. They were fighting with an ore giant. Perhaps because they were fighting on an empty stomach, the two of them were at a disadvantage, so their fighting strength had obviously decreased by a lot. The ore giant was a five-star demonic beast. Although it was quite slow, its attack power and range were terrifying. Moreover, its body was wrapped in rocks that were impenetrable. One could only use magic to attack. At that point, Yu Meng¡¯s magic energy had been depleted, so she could not pose a threat to the ore giant. Lewis was even more so. He was not even a grand swordmaster, so he could not do anything to it. Seeing that the two of them were defeated, Lin Qi suddenly rushed out and threw two Magic Sweet Potatoes at them. ¡°Lin Qi?¡± Yu Meng and Lewis were shocked. They had not expected Lin Qi to be the one to save them in that critical moment! The situation was dire so they had to hurry. The two of them quickly ate two mouthfuls of sweet potatoes and recovered some of their magic energy in an instant. Then, everything in front of them was dark. The ore giant had fiercely punched into the ground and the resulting force caused the debris to rise toward them. Yu Meng immediately raised her magic staff and chanted, ¡°Water Magic: Water Barrier!¡± Instantly, water flowed from her magic staff and gradually wrapped around their bodies. The power of the ore giant¡¯s punch was instantly absorbed by the barrier. ¡°Now, run!¡± The three of them took advantage of the fact that the barrier could still hold on for a while longer and ran back quickly. Although the ore giant¡¯s attack and defense were very strong, it was very slow. It did not choose to chase after them. The three of them returned to the cave. At that moment, Yu Meng and Lewis were both panting in exhaustion. After that battle, they were covered in wounds and could not hold on any longer. Looking at their miserable appearance, Lin Qi put his hands on his waist and said slowly, ¡°Okay, we don¡¯t need to fight this ore giant anymore. Let¡¯s go down the mountain!¡± ¡°Go down the mountain?¡± Lewis raised his head and looked at Lin Qi curiously. He said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the way down the mountain would be more dangerous? If we go down the mountain now, wouldn¡¯t we be throwing our lives away?¡± Lin Qi explained to the two of them that he knew a mountain path where they could completely avoid demonic beasts. Hearing that, Lewis was a little relieved. He said without hesitation, ¡°If that¡¯s true, then I¡¯ll go down the mountain with you!¡± ¡°Okay! Then, Yu Meng, let¡¯s go¡­¡± Before Lin Qi finished his words, Yu Meng stopped him and said stubbornly, ¡°I will not go down the mountain without the magic essence!¡± ¡°Yu Meng, don¡¯t be stubborn. How can we get the magic essence in our current state?¡± Lin Qi did not reveal that he had already gotten the magic essence. If they knew, they would definitely expose the Varin tribe. If they informed the empire, it would definitely bring disaster to the Varins. Yu Meng did not listen to Lin Qi¡¯s advice and insisted, ¡°It¡¯s okay. After resting for a few days, my mana will recover.¡± She did not expect Lin Qi to help her at all. After all, she had already parted ways with him. ¡°With your current strength, even if you recover your mana, you are still not a match for the ore giant!¡± Lin Qi said without thinking. That sentence made Yu Meng furious. She stood up and said to Lin Qi, ¡°No match? I, Yu Meng, will definitely get that magic essence! You¡¯ll see!¡± Seeing her stubborn face, Lewis pulled Lin Qi to the side and said, ¡°Lin Qi, why don¡¯t you tell me first, where is that path?¡± Lin Qi shook his head. ¡°No, I can¡¯t leave Yu Meng alone!¡± ¡°What? Do you want to die with her? Cause I don¡¯t want to!¡± Chapter 47 - Killing the Magic Horn Rhinoceros Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Before Lewis could finish his sentence, Yu Meng stormed out of the cave. Lin Qi was afraid that she would get herself into trouble, so he quickly chased after her. Although it was daytime now and there were no nocturnal demonic beasts, Yu Meng had not completely recovered after the battle just now. ¡°Hey, I said if you two are going to get yourselves killed, count me out!¡± Lewis shouted from behind. ¡°These two! Do they have to go and get the five-star magic essence? Is it more important than their own lives?¡± Although he was muttering, Lewis still chased after them. Just in case Yu Meng succeeded and the two of them leave the mountain without him. If that happens, he would not survive. ¡°Wait for me.¡± Lewis quickly caught up to the two of them. As Yu Meng had not fully recovered, she did not walk far before she stopped. Lewis leaned on the tree next to him as he panted. Lin Qi turned around and warned Lewis in a low voice, ¡°Be quiet, there¡¯s movement.¡± Lewis stood straight and kept his ears peeled, his face full of confusion. He turned his head several times but did not hear any movement. ¡°Listen to what? I don¡¯t hear anything. I swear, the two of you¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Yu Meng angrily yelled at Lewis, interrupting his words. He was always a little afraid of Yu Meng, and now that she was in a rage, it was better not to provoke her so he obediently shut his mouth. At that moment, the ground had already begun to shake, and tiny stones on the floor began to jump. The three of them looked at each other. Rumble¡­ A deafening sound came from the valley in front of them, getting closer and closer. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be caused by an ore giant. Let¡¯s go and take a look.¡± Lin Qi felt that the noise was more like the sound of multiple demonic beasts running. In front of them was a small hill, and the three of them quickly crossed it. They came to the edge of a valley at the bottom of the hill. The three of them were shocked by the scene in front of them. A group of huge rhinoceroses was running wildly in the valley below. Dust was flying behind the rhinoceroses. The huge horns on the rhinoceroses¡¯ heads were glittering and eye-catching. However, they did not seem to be running normally. They seemed to be running for their lives. Was there something chasing them from behind? The front of the valley was impassable. There was only one exit behind them, and there was a dead-end in front of them. Lin Qi decided to look around. He followed the edge of the valley, walking opposite the rhinoceroses, and sure enough, there was a group of people chasing after them. Looking at their equipment, it seemed like the participants from Storm City and Exquisite City! They were the ones chasing after the giant rhinoceroses. ¡°These are all four-star devil beasts. Why would they want to attack them?¡± Lin Qi was puzzled. A few other teams came one after another. Other than Lin Qi¡¯s team, almost everyone who participated in the trial had arrived. ¡°They¡¯re magic horn rhinoceroses! Quick, let¡¯s go down too.¡± Lewis recognized the demonic beasts below and was very excited. His eyes lit up and he ran down the valley. Yu Meng saw Lin Qi¡¯s puzzled face and guessed that Lin Qi might not understand the value of the demonic beasts below. ¡°Those are magic horn rhinoceroses, they are four-star devil beasts. The magic horn on their heads is used to make magic scrolls. ¡°It¡¯s an excellent material.¡± Yu Meng saw that a few magic horn rhinoceroses were taken down. She frowned and continued, ¡°The magic horn rhinoceros is a timid demonic beast. Unlike ordinary rhinoceroses, they aren¡¯t aggressive. When they encounter danger, they only rely on defense, and then¡­ ¡°They escape. ¡°They should be the easiest four-star devil beasts to kill. ¡°They usually live in groups. There are at least a hundred of them and at most a thousand of them. I wonder why there are only a dozen here?¡± As Lin Qi listened to Yu Meng¡¯s explanation, two more were taken down by the others. At the end of the valley was a steep cliff, and both sides were rocky slopes. When those rhinoceroses saw the cliff, they began to run up both sides. The rocks kept rolling down, and there was no sturdy rock for them to step onto. The rhinoceroses could not get up the side of the valley, and they slipped one after another. The participants took advantage of that and continued to stab the fallen rhinoceroses while ignoring their own injuries. After searching for a while, Lewis still could not find a way down. He turned to the two of them and said, ¡°Stop chatting, let¡¯s go down and snatch one!¡± Lin Qi and Yu Meng did not move an inch. They looked at each other and realized that both of them could not bear to be involved in such a thing. Lewis did not care about whether there was a way down or not. He sat on the edge and slid down. The gravel would only cut his clothes and would not actually hurt him. ¡®Gold coins, gold coins, I¡¯m coming!¡¯ Lewis went down in a flash. The gravel behind him rolled down and dust billowed. Lin Qi took out a Magic Sweet Potato and handed it to Yu Meng. Yu Meng looked at Lin Qi coldly. After hesitating for a moment, she took the sweet potato and waved her magic staffÒ»the two of them started to float. They went down into the valley. The three of them had not hidden their tracks so Chen Lin had noticed them. ¡°Hahaha, the cowards are coming down.¡± ¡°Work harder, we¡¯re not leaving anything for them.¡± The remaining two rhinoceroses tried their best to dodge everyone¡¯s attacks, but they were already at the end of their rope. Among the teams, the only one who ridiculed Lin Qi so brazenly was Chen Lin. Chen Lin did not care about the injuries on his body. He only wanted to humiliate Lin Qi more by killing all the rhinoceroses so that there was none left for Lin Qi. One by one, magic spells were thrown at the rhinoceroses as if they had nothing better to use their magic energy for. Finally, they managed to defeat the last two magic horn rhinoceroses before the three of them arrived. Chen Lin looked at Lin Qi with his head held high and smiled contemptuously. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there¡¯s nothing left. You can take some from me if you have the guts. But there¡¯s no way you do! ¡°Young Master Lin Qi, just go back to where you came from! ¡°Hahaha!¡± That also caused the other people to laugh. The three of them were thought to be cowards. Lin Qi was not in the mood to pay attention to Chen Lin and the other¡¯s mockery. Instead, he could not bear to look at the rhinoceroses that were still panting on the ground. He still felt a little upset. Those magic horn rhinoceroses had their horns taken out alive. They could only wait for their deaths slowly. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. If we had come down earlier, we would have been able to take down at least one of them. ¡°That¡¯s tens of thousands of gold coins we missed!¡± Lewis looked at the magic horn rhinoceros that had its horn taken. That was worth so many gold coins. ¡°Young Master Lin, weren¡¯t you so desperate for money before? Why aren¡¯t you being proactive this time?¡± Lewis could not help but complain. Lin Qi despised Lewis in his heart. He did not answer him. Lin Qi felt that talking to Lewis was a waste of breath. At that moment, the others dug out the remaining magic horns. They were still discussing how much they could sell them for and which Magic Association would buy them for high prices. Some of them even wanted to use the magic horns to learn how to make magic scrolls. No one looked at the magic horn rhinoceroses struggling to breathe. Although Lin Qi was short on money, he did not want to harm those rhinoceroses. Looking at the magic horn rhinoceroses that were still crying in pain, he could no longer bear it. Lin Qi hardened his heart as he took out a longsword and stabbed the surviving rhinoceroses, killing them one by one.. Chapter 48 - Hunting Plan Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation If it was a man-eating demonic beast, he would not be so nice, but he would at least give them a quick death. His action was seen by the others. They thought Lin Qi just vented his anger on those dead demonic beasts in fury at his own incompetence. However, no one laughed at Lin Qi that time. Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the magic horns worth 10,000 gold coins. That harvest was almost as good as the reward given after the trial. The unexpected wealth made everyone ecstatic. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Lin Qi said to Yu Meng. He did not look too good. No matter what, she was someone who had fought against rare-grade demonic beasts. How could she not be used to such a scene? Yu Meng did not say anything. She turned around and left. However, her impression of Lin Qi had changed. She did not think that Lin Qi killed those magic horn rhinoceroses to vent his anger. Yu Meng saw the pity in Lin Qi¡¯s eyes and the gratitude in the magic horn rhinoceroses¡¯ eyes when they were freed from suffering. What kind of person was he? ¡®When did those two hook up? ¡®Yu Meng and I clearly stayed together the longest.¡¯ Looking at the two who left together, Lewis felt annoyed and followed them angrily. The three of them circled around and returned to the cave. They did not speak to each other, and the atmosphere was rather gloomy. The three of them were very tired. They sat or leaned on the ground to rest, each thinking about something. Lin Qi was thinking about how to persuade Yu Meng to go down the mountain. Since Yu Meng did not want to go down without the magic essence, he could not just leave her alone without trying to convince her. After all, they had always cooperated with each other. Yu Meng¡¯s stubbornness really gave him a headache. In Lewis¡¯s heart, he was still thinking about the magic horns worth tens of thousands of gold coins. If he could get one, then he could go back and enjoy himself. With that in mind, he could not help but smile It was so wide that it reached his ears. As for Yu Meng, her thoughts were even more complicated. She wanted to prove her ability. As long as she had her heart set on it, she had to go through with it. Lin Qi kept staring at Yu Meng, hoping that she would change her mind and follow him down the mountain. Yu Meng felt that someone was staring at her, making her feel uncomfortable. She glared at him and turned her back toward him. Lin Qi felt helpless. He knew that he could not persuade her. He had to think of another way! The sky gradually turned dark. A cold wind blew in from the cave opening. Lin Qi shivered. ¡®How can I get another demonic beast¡¯s magic essence? I¡¯m getting a headache just thinking about it. ¡®I can¡¯t tell anyone what I got from the Varin clan.¡¯ Lin Qi scratched his ears and cheeks, trying to think of a way. ¡°Lin Qi, if you have lice. Stay away from me. I don¡¯t want it to spread.¡± Lewis, that narrow-minded person, blamed Lin Qi for not being able to get the magic horn earlier. It was Lin Qi who made him lose his gold coins, so he had to get back at him. ¡°You¡¯re the one with lice. I¡¯m thinking of how to kill an ore giant and getting out of there quickly.¡± Hearing that, Yu Meng, who had her back to the two of them, lit up slightly. A faint smile appeared on her stubborn face. However, her face immediately darkened. If it were not for the fact that she was weak, she would not need anyone¡¯s help. The more Lin Qi helped her, the angrier she became. Her feelings became very conflicting. Lewis could not sit still when he heard that. He could not help but shout, ¡°Can we quit? It¡¯s just embarrassing at this point. Anyway, Lin Qi, you don¡¯t actually care about the trial, right? ¡°It¡¯s about to get dark. Let¡¯s just go down the mountain already.¡± Seeing that the two of them ignored him, Lewis mumbled to himself about wanting to leave. At that moment, Lin Qi had figured it out! If they wanted to deal with an ore giant, they had to increase Yu Meng¡¯s strength as soon as possible. She was the main force among the three of them. The only things that could be found in the gourmet system were Fresh Magic Mushrooms, Magic Sweet Potatoes, and Rush Candies. They had to use the first two to recover Yu Meng¡¯s magic energy. Rush Candies were useful for the hunt tomorrow. It was impossible to attack an ore giant while eating. At that time, the Rush Candy would be of great use. As for the raw materials for the Rush Candy, he had already obtained some from the Varin tribe. There was only a small amount of caramel and milk since there was not much found in the Varin tribe either. There was only enough to produce ten Rush Candies which was not a lot, but it was enough. ¡°Come here, I have a plan to deal with the ore giant tomorrow.¡± Yu Meng tidied up her veil, stood up, and patted the dust off her skirt while walking over to Lin Qi. Although Louis was unwilling to listen, he knew that he would definitely be involved tomorrow so he had no choice but to listen. ¡°The plan goes like this, tomorrow Lewis will go and attract the attention of the ore giant, it¡¯s best¡­¡± Hearing that, Lewis immediately interrupted. ¡°What! You want me to die? Why don¡¯t you go? ¡°I¡¯m just a swordsman, I can¡¯t even take a direct attack from it.¡± Lin Qi was not angry after being interrupted by Lewis because that was within his expectations. A person like Lewis who cherished his life would definitely not agree to the idea of him being bait. ¡°I definitely won¡¯t let you be in danger. I still have a lot of food that can enhance your strength. It will be enough for you to protect yourself.¡± There was another thing that Lin Qi did not mention. ¡®Although his life was not in danger, the physical pain was unavoidable.¡¯ Lewis did not have too many tricks up his sleeve. He would not have thought of that if Lin Qi had not said it out loud. After that, was a round of bargaining. Of course, Lewis wanted to fight for more benefits for himself. ¡°Give me 100 of those candies that can increase my strength.¡± ¡°There¡¯s not a single one left. Just forget it even existed.¡± Of course, when the gourmet system was upgraded to level three, it rewarded him with another candy that could increase strength. However, it would definitely not be used on a newbie like Lewis. Even if it was all given to him, with his current strength, he would not be able to defeat a five-star ore giant. That Enhancement Candy should be reserved for Yu Meng. Lewis could not know about it, or else he would throw a fit. ¡°The Night Light¡¯s Billow is definitely a must. Also, that so-called Rush Candy that you mentioned, give me 100 of them.¡± Of course, that was an exorbitant demand. Who asked Lin Qi, to make him bait? He would not stop until he was satisfied. ¡°I only have two. Tomorrow, each of you will have one.¡± ¡°No, at least 80. That is my bottom line.¡± ¡°I can only give you one more.¡± .. The two of them were still haggling until their faces turned red. Suddenly, they felt a bone-piercing chill. They both looked at Yu Meng. That cold chill came from her. Seeing Yu Meng¡¯s murderous expression, the two of them sat down obediently. Lin Qi then explained the plan, and there was no argument throughout the whole process. Next, Lin Qi had to quickly restore the two of them to their full health to execute the plan for the next day. Lin Qi had already begun to put on an act of cooking to conceal the existence of the system. ¡°Don¡¯t just sit there. Let¡¯s eat. Try to recover tonight. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll get the five-star magic essence and leave the mountain as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s eat first.¡± Lewis had only heard the word ¡®eat¡¯. No matter how important the matter was, it was not as important as eating.. Chapter 49 - The Rhinoceros Swarm Attack Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Wow, it smells so good and it¡¯s so delicious.¡± As Lewis ate, he praised Lin Qi¡¯s cooking skills. After all, his cooking skills were¡­ He had defeated Jin Lingling. Moreover, Jin Lingling had even taken Lin Qi as her master. Yu Meng also walked toward Lin Qi. She knew that Lin Qi still had food to help recover her magic energy. Lin Qi busied himself for a while and handed Yu Meng three portions of Fresh Magic Mushrooms and only gave Lewis a steak. Lewis would not be able to do much tomorrow. At most, he would be able to divert some firepower toward himself. However, there was no limit to the supply of Magic Sweet Potatoes for the two of them. After the three of them had a scrumptious meal, they were ready to rest. They still had to prepare for the battle tomorrow. The entrance to the cave was very small, and it could not accommodate the size of demonic beasts so they could rest in peace. Lin Qi laid on his side and started to secretly make the Rush Candy. [ Name of Dish: Rush Candy, Level 3 Dish, Rare Level, Magic Effect: Can increase the user¡¯s speed by up to five times the normal speed. (Can be stacked for a short time, but will be severely weakened after use) ] [ Material Consumption: Sweet Flower (x2), Mint (x3), Vanilla (x4), Caramel (x5) , Milk (x1) ] [ Cooking¡­ Cooking completed ] [ Ding! You have obtained: Rush Candy (x10) ] Lin Qi looked at the candy in his hand. They were no different from ordinary candy. However, they were considered rare magic artifacts and had magical effects. There were only ten of them so Lin Qi could not test the effects. One less candy meant one less guarantee of success. Lin Qi kept the Rush Candies, closed his eyes, and fell asleep. The next morning, the three of them were ready to set off in search of the ore giant. The plan had been set yesterday, so there was nothing to be arranged today. Two Rush Candies for each of them, and two Magic Sweet Potatoes. They could only hold two so that it would not affect their activities. Lin Qi secretly gave Yu Meng the Enhancement Candy. The two types of candy Lin Qi had did not look the same. Plus, Yu Meng had eaten one before, so she knew what kind of candy it was. She just accepted it without saying anything else. The ore giant was the same one that the two of them had dealt with before. They had to kill it and get five-star magic essence. The three of them arrived at the same place as before and saw the ore giant eating a rock. Lewis took out a Rush Candy and turned to look at Lin Qi. Lin Qi nodded at him, and Lewis quickly swallowed the candy. Seeing how skittish Lewis was, Lin Qi knew that if he did give him the Night Light¡¯s Billow, he still would not be able to become a grand swordmaster in his lifetime. The candy disappeared as soon as it entered his mouth. Lewis moved his arms slightly and found that his speed had increased by more than twice. He was pleasantly surprised and praised the magical artifact called the Rush Candy. However, he did not know that if one¡¯s physique and talent were good enough, Rush Candy could increase the user¡¯s speed by five times. Of course, if one was still not fast enough, one could take more and increase the speed by five times. However, the side effects were relatively worrisome. ¡°Hahaha¡­ Dumb big rock! Lewis Leonard is here again!¡± Lewis shouted and rushed toward the ore giant. The ore giant spotted him. With Lewis¡¯s taunting, the ore giant was instantly enraged. Demonic beasts like the ore giant were not particularly fast. Now that Lewis¡¯s speed had increased, it could not land a single hit on him anymore. The five-star devil beast had already gained intelligence and roughly understood what the ant in front of him was saying. Lin Qi heard Lewis¡¯s wild laughter and realized that guy was quite talented at taunting opponents. If he encounters any demonic beasts or enemies in the future, just give him two delicacies from the system and he would be able to unleash his full taunting prowess. Even if it was a wooden puppet, there was still a 30 percent chance of success, let alone a demonic beast that was easily irritable. Lin Qi was very satisfied with Lewis¡¯s performance, and the entire valley was filled with his raucous laughter. The ore giant¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. The ant in front of him had already made him lose his patience. It was time! Yu Meng widened her eyes and looked at the ore giant who was distracted. Then, she put the two different candies into her mouth and began to chant a spell with her eyes closed. Lin Qi felt a suffocating chill and could not help but take two steps back. After Yu Meng was ready, she quickly approached the ore giant. Her current speed was almost five times faster than before. That allowed her, a weak mage, to enter the battlefield in close-range. ¡°Ice Magic: Cold Through the Heaven and Earth!¡± There was no ice, no frost, but the surrounding bushes, which were rustling because of the ore giant¡¯s pounding, stopped shaking in an instant. It became stiff like a rock. The ore giant also realized that something was wrongÒ»its movements were getting slower and slower. It tried its best to turn its head around, but it stopped moving the moment it saw the person who cast the spell. ¡°Wait! I¡­ Haven¡¯t escaped yet.¡± Although Lewis retreated ahead of time, he still had not managed to escape the range of the ice spell. After passing by Yu Meng, he fell headfirst into the gravel. Yu Meng did not intend to stop. She could feel that the core of the ore giant was still alive. She took out a Magic Sweet Potato, replenished her magic energy, and continued to maintain the cold. Seeing that Lewis was in trouble, Lin Qi quickly ran forward to pull him back. As soon as he got close, Lin Qi realized how intense the cold was. Gritting his teeth, he walked in front of Lewis and pulled him by his stiff clothes. ¡°Be gentle, my face¡­¡± Lin Qi did not listen to him and dragged him out. At that point, Yu Meng had already consumed the second Magic Sweet Potato. That magic spell consumed too much mana. The ore giant in front of her was already dead. The last few minutes were just for insurance. Boom! The ore giant collapsed, and Yu Meng fell to the ground. The only one who could move now was Lin Qi. He went up and took out the five-star demonic beast¡¯s magic essence. Fortunately, Yu Meng could still stand, but Lewis could only lie down and look at the essence in Lin Qi¡¯s hand with a silly smile. The three of them sat together and recovered a little. Lin Qi was ready to lead the two down the mountain. Rumble¡­ A familiar sound¡­ The magic horn rhinoceroses! Hearing that, Lewis almost laughed out loud. He was really lucky today. ¡°Lin Qi! Give me something to recover quickly. We¡¯re going to be rich! Ahahaha!¡± Lin Qi frowned. He did not want to attack those harmless magic horn rhinoceroses. He wanted to find a reason to stop Lewis, but the ground shook and he shut his mouth. Lin Qi saw the scene in front of him and swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He gave the two of them two Rush Candies and two Magic Sweet Potatoes. He had also eaten one. The scene in front of him was too shocking. Countless rhinoceroses were rushing in their direction. The trees and hills along the way were razed to the ground. ¡°Run!¡± Lin Qi hurriedly yelled. The three of them quickly ran forward, hoping that the rhinoceros swarm would not be too big. Hopefully, they could avoid it. Seeing that, Lin Qi searched through the system. He took out everything he had that could increase their strength, and the three of them ate as they ran. However, the rhinoceros swarm behind them still slowly surrounded them.. Chapter 50 - Mystic Swamp Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Seeing that the magic horn rhinoceroses were getting closer and closer to them, Lin Qi felt that he could not handle a crisis of that magnitude. ¡°Young Master¡­¡± Hearing a familiar voice behind him, Lin Qi turned his head toward the sound. It was Luther! ¡°Hurry up and throw the rest of the Rush Candy to Luther. He¡¯s a grand swordmaster,¡± Lin Qi shouted to the two of them and threw the last candy in his hand. ¡°Eat this!¡± Luther had not hesitated to take the candy from them and ate it. There was nothing special about the Rush Candy when it entered his mouth. ¡°What will happen this time? Wait¡­I¡¯m so fast! My speed has increased four times as much!¡± The sudden change surprised Luther. Seeing Luther approaching him, Lin Qi reached out his hand and grabbed him. The other two did the same as Lin Qi. Luther was indeed a grand swordmaster. After consuming the Rush Candy, he was much faster. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are there so many magic horn rhinoceroses?¡± Lin Qi turned around and looked behind him. There was smoke billowing, covering the sun in the sky. The eyes of the rhinoceroses were red, and they had completely lost their rationality. After running for a distance, they temporarily avoided the rhinoceroses, and that gave them time to catch their breath. ¡°Here are two Rush Candies. Take them first.¡± Lin Qi handed the candies to Luther and Yu Meng, and then he said, ¡°Where are the others? Why are you here alone?¡± ¡°We parted ways when they found a few magic horn rhinoceroses. I was seriously injured and did not wish to participate in it, so¡­¡± Lin Qi and the others knew what Luther was referring to. They turned around and saw that the group of magic horn rhinoceroses was following closely behind. ¡°I understand what happened then but what happened this time?¡± Lin Qi interrupted him. That stampede of rhinoceroses suddenly appeared that morning. At first, there were only a few of them, but later, a multitude of them appeared. Luther heard from Dong Ling that they met Lin Qi in a valley. He was worried about Lin Qi¡¯s safety, so he came to find him. ¡°Young Master, we are now in the Terrifying Mountains. It is difficult for the people of Black Wind Castle to monitor us here. We can only rely on ourselves from now on.¡± Lin Qi did not answer him. Instead, he looked up at the sky in the distance and saw the dust rising slowly. ¡°Let¡¯s go. The rhinoceroses are about to catch up.¡± After eating steak and sweet potatoes, they had almost recovered. Without further delay, they immediately got up and ran southwest. Fortunately, the gourmet system had been upgraded to level three, and they had the Rush Candy. Otherwise, they would have been trampled by the group of rhinoceroses. With Luther leading him, Lin Qi also had time to look through the menu in the system. Although the Berserk Grass can greatly increase one¡¯s strength, the side effects are too dangerous, so it should not be used in that situation. The Song God¡¯s Flower is useful for spiritual situations pertaining to things like hexes so it¡¯s not suitable for now. .. Although Lin Qi had unlocked a few level three gourmet dishes, he did not have sufficient ingredients at hand. ¡®Next time, I should prepare all the things needed in the recipe and place them in the dimensional pouch in case we encounter such a situation again.¡¯ With no ingredients, he could only temporarily give up on the idea of getting help from the system. ¡°Look, there¡¯s a big swamp ahead. There¡¯s no way the rhinos would enter there. We¡¯re going to be saved.¡± Lewis looked ahead excitedly. Lin Qi looked forward and nodded at Lewis. That notion was not bad. Then, he turned to the direction Lewis was pointing at. Sure enough, there was a reflection ahead indicating the presence of water. He could clearly tell that the trees were thick, the air was moist, and there was very little soil. The few of them gradually stopped. Lin Qi squatted down and grabbed a handful of black, watery mud. ¡°Do any of you know what kind of swamp this is? It¡¯ll be bad if we enter recklessly.¡± Lin Qi had seen several swamps, and they were full of dangers. ¡°There are many swamps in the Terrifying Mountains, and they¡¯re all similar, but the dangers of each swamp vary. This swamp also feels quite different.¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s not the Mystic Swamp, the Blood Cloud Swamp, and the Thorny Tentacle Swamp, we should be able to cross safely.¡± Yu Meng did not know much about the swamp, so she could only continue explaining. Rumble¡­ The noise behind them sounded again. ¡°Young Master, let¡¯s go in first. No matter how dangerous the swamp is, it¡¯s still better than becoming meat paste.¡± Luther was slightly anxious. Lin Qi reasoned that their stay in the swamp was only temporary. He still had the gourmet system, so he did not have to worry about food even if they were trapped inside. They slowly walked in and left marks along the way. They planned to wait for the rhinoceroses to pass before leaving using the marks to navigate the way out. Luther was the bravest among the group so he entered the swamp first. He firmly held his greatsword and led the way. ¡°Stay close just in case any ungodly demonic beasts come out,¡± Lewis muttered as he walked. Soon, an hour passed¡­ They had not encountered any demonic beasts in the swamp. Occasionally there were two poisonous snakes hiding in the dark to ambush them, but they were all killed by Luther¡¯s sword. Fortunately, that swamp was not too dangerous. Moreover, they all had sufficient strength, so their journey was quite smooth. ¡°It¡¯s foggy. Something¡¯s wrong!¡± White fog suddenly appeared in front of them, and the visibility was reduced to only seven to ten feet. The first to react was Yu Meng. She was a mage, and her mental strength was higher than the others, so her senses were stronger. ¡°This fog is making me dizzy, you guys¡­¡± Before Lin Qi and the others could react, they could no longer move. They lost control of their bodies, and the mud under their feet slowly reached up to their legsÒ»dragging them further down. They felt that the situation was getting stranger and stranger. ¡°Master, what are you doing? It¡¯s your turn to play your cards.¡± Jin Lingling¡¯s timid voice sounded, but Lin Qi ignored her. Yu Meng¡¯s face was completely red. She was not wearing her veil nor her cloak. She was only in her usual top and skirt. The blushing Yu Meng glared at Lin Qi and said, ¡°Have you stared enough? Play your cards quickly. If you lose this time, you have to stand outside naked as punishment.¡± When someone loses they have to remove a piece of clothing. Lin Qi and Jin Lingling were doing well so they were not worried. Yu Meng¡¯s luck was not so good. She had lost twice already resulting in the removal of her veil and cloak. ¡°Look at the cards. Three against one. That¡¯s it. I won again.¡± Lin Qi threw all the cards in his hand and looked at Yu Meng with anticipation. Of course, Lin Qi wanted to feast his eyes. Yu Meng did not hesitate. She kept her promise and started to lift up her top. [ Ding¡­ Ding¡­ ] ¡°What is that noise? It¡¯s ruining my mood.¡± Lin Qi was about to witness something he was looking forward to the most, but there was a distracting sound coming from outside. The faint dinging noise made him very annoyed. Then, he got up and opened the door. He wanted to see who had ruined his mood. In a trance, a strong light shone on him, making it hard for him to open his eyes. He subconsciously used his arm to block it. When he came back to his senses, the scene in front of him shocked him. He actually found himself in a swamp, and the mud was up to his chest. [ Ding! The system has detected that the host has lost consciousness. Trying to wake him up. ] [ Ding! The host has been awakened. He is in danger. ] Lin Qi struggled to grab the withered tree beside him and slowly pulled himself out of the mud. ¡°The others must have hallucinated too. The system saved me again this time. Otherwise, I would have become a skeleton under the swamp.¡± He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.. Chapter 51 - The Solution Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Lin Qi trudged through the mud, trying hard to find the others. The surrounding was covered in thick white fog, and he could only see about seven feet away. The first person he found was Luther. He was in a more dangerous situation than Lin Qi since the mud was already at his neck. Luther¡¯s breathing became more and more labored. He was gasping for breath and struggling nonstop. He was shouting things like ¡®Young Master¡¯ and laughing from time to time. ¡°Luther, wake up!¡± Lin Qi did not go any closer. He saw that the mud around Luther seemed to be alive, and it was slowly pulling him down. ¡®This swamp is actually alive. I can¡¯t wake him up from this distance. Wait¡­ I almost forgot that I still have the Song God¡¯s Flower.¡¯ [ Song God¡¯s Flower: It can stimulate the mind of the user, wake up a person who is in a deep coma, and see into their dream. ] ¡°So beautiful.¡± Looking at the thumb-sized pale blue flower in front of him, Lin Qi almost lost himself in the Song God¡¯s Flower¡¯s beauty and wasted time. ¡°Even I¡¯m not immune to it and I¡¯m the owner of the system.¡± Lin Qi came back to his senses and threw the Song God¡¯s Flower to Luther, who was still lost in the land of dreams. Snap! The Song God¡¯s Flower shattered into specks of fluorescent light, and the specks of light hung in the air like a light screen. The scene in the light screen was set in a dark forest. Luther led his army and swore to protect Lin Qi. ¡°Luther¡¯s dream is to become a great hero. The person he is protecting is me?¡± Lin Qi questioned. Lin Qi observed Luther¡¯s dream. Suddenly, the light screen shattered. Luther opened his eyes and came back to his senses. He found himself in a deep swamp. ¡°I¡¯m getting out!¡± Luther shouted and jumped out of the mud. However, he could not stand firmly and sat on the ground. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Lin Qi saw Luther¡¯s pale face and asked hurriedly. ¡°Young Master, you saved me. The mud here seems capable of absorbing physical strength. I¡¯ll be fine, I¡¯m just going to try steadying myself for now.¡± Hearing that, Lin Qi looked at the mud under his feet. It was not his imagination. The mud here really was strange. ¡°Don¡¯t move and take a rest. I¡¯ll go save the others.¡± Lin Qi got up in a hurry to find the others. If he delayed for even a minute, the lives of the others might be in danger. At that time, Lewis was in a much better situation than Luther. He did not move an inch, and the mud only reached his chest. Lin Qi gradually approached him. Seeing him smiling, he squatted down and poked him, but there was no reaction. ¡®It seems that everyone is dreaming, but I can¡¯t tell anyone about my dream, or my life would be in danger.¡¯ Bam! Another Song God¡¯s Flower was placed on Lewis¡¯s head, and Lin Qi saw clearly what kind of dream he was having. Shown on the light screen, Lewis was standing on the balcony of a castle, waving his hand and greeting the people below. Lin Qi had seen that castle before. It was the residence of the Lord of New Moon City. It seemed that Lewis dreamed that he was New Moon City¡¯s lord. ¡°He is so self-righteous!¡± Lin Qi muttered to himself. Lewis did not wake up by himself as Luther did. He did not open his eyes until the power of the Song God¡¯s Flower was used up. The first person he saw was Lin Qi, who squatted in front of him. Lewis greeted him warmly, ¡°Young Master Lin, long time no see. Welcome to the castle and have a seat. I just got¡­¡± Then, Lewis realized that something was amiss. He was the city lord but¡­ How did he end up in the mud? However, he instantly put two-and-two together. He looked at Lin Qi with an awkward expression. ¡°Can you get out by yourself? I haven¡¯t found Yu Meng yet. I¡¯m going to save her.¡± Lin Qi pretended not to know what he was dreaming about and asked casually. After all, Lewis was a swordsman, so he jumped out easily. Then, Lin Qi was relieved to find the last person, Yu Meng. Yu Meng was a bit further away than Luther and Lewis, but she was in a safer position compared to the three of them as she did not get stuck in the mud. For some reason, she ran to a crooked tree and half-lay on a dry part of the ground, falling into a coma. Yu Meng frowned as if she was in a painful dream. ¡°Aren¡¯t they all beautiful dreams? Is Yu Meng¡¯s situation different from ours?¡± Lin Qi took out a Song God¡¯s Flower. Just as he was about to use it on Yu Meng, something happened. Yu Meng¡¯s face was filled with anger. She raised the magic staff in her hand and waved it forward, shouting, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± It happened so suddenly that there was no time to dodge. Lin Qi could only watch as the magic staff bumped into his chest. Bang! Lin Qi was sent flying backward. That was not the power of the magic staff itself, but Yu Meng¡¯s ice magic. ¡°Ugh!¡± Lin Qi fell heavily into the mud and spat out a mouthful of blood. ¡®Uh, what happened to her? She¡¯s unconscious but she can still hit people?¡¯ Lin Qi propped himself up and saw Yu Meng raise the magic staff that was already full of magic energy. ¡°Again? I¡¯m here to save you so repay my kindness with enmity.¡± Lin Qi was so scared that he rolled and dodged the ice ball that flew toward him. The ice ball instantly hit the ground beside him, and everything within 10 feet became a smooth ice sculpture. However, Yu Meng¡¯s eyes were tightly shut, and she had no intention of stopping. She was ready to cast the next spell. ¡®I can¡¯t take any more hits. I have to wake her up quickly.¡¯ Lin Qi felt unbearable pain in his chest. The ice ball just now almost froze the left side of his body. He could not care less about the pain. Once the magic staff was preparing the next spell, he took out a bunch of Song God¡¯s Flowers and threw them at her. That time, it hit the top of Yu Meng¡¯s head. She immediately froze, and the magic energy in the magic staff slowly retreated. ¡®I almost died in the hands of my own companion this time. I¡¯m so unlucky. This seems to be my first injury in this world.¡¯ The pain made Lin Qi take a deep breath. Seeing that Yu Meng stopped moving, Lin Qi was relieved. He looked down at his chest, where a piece of blue ice had formed. At that moment, the light screen above Yu Meng¡¯s head attracted Lin Qi¡¯s attention. The light screen in front of him was completely dark as if it was tinted black. He could barely see a woman wearing a mage hat talking about something. It made him forget about his own pain for the time being. However, the dream that was revealed by the Song God¡¯s Flower could only show the scene within the dream and no sound could be heard. In addition, it was very dark inside, and Lin Qi could not understand anything from the shape of the words from the mage¡¯s mouth, but he could be sure that the mage was not Yu Meng. ¡°Is this Yu Meng¡¯s nightmare?¡± Lin Qi wanted to prop himself up and carefully look at the mage within the light screen, but the light screen suddenly distorted. The mage inside looked in Lin Qi¡¯s direction, and then the light screen disappeared. The mage¡¯s action startled Lin Qi. That was just part of her dream, right? Could the people inside sense that they were being watched? ¡°How are you? Are you okay?¡± Yu Meng woke up and saw Lin Qi lying on the ground in the distance, but he seemed to be injured. Yu Meng was about to ask about Lin Qi¡¯s injury, but when she saw the magic staff in her hand and the unmelted ice beside Lin Qi, she understood that she was the one who hurt him.. Chapter 52 - Miraculous White Jade Soup Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Yu Meng looked apologetic and did not know what to do. She gripped her magic staff tightly, her fingers turning white from the force. She had never apologized to anyone since she was young, and she did not know how to do it. Seeing that she had her head down, Lin Qi said, ¡°Hey, come and help me up, I was almost killed by you.¡± Hearing his words, Yu Meng proceeded to react. She hurried to Lin Qi¡¯s side and helped him up. She reminded him in a low voice, ¡°Be careful.¡± Then, she gently tapped Lin Qi¡¯s chest with her magic staff. Seeing the blue ice slowly disappear, Lin Qi immediately stopped feeling cold, but the wound on his chest was still very painful. ¡°Lin Qi, um, I¡¯m¡­ Sorry.¡± On the way to help Lin Qi find Luther and Lewis, Yu Meng apologized softly. Lin Qi did not blame Yu Meng because it was partially his fault for being too careless. ¡°Young Master, how did you get hurt? Was it a demonic beast?¡± Luther saw Yu Meng helping Lin Qi walk and stood up from the ground, asking with concern. Lewis stood up vigilantly and pulled out his longsword, showing his serious demeanor. Lin Qi glanced at him from the corner of his eyes, and a smile appeared on his lips, thinking that he looked like a proper swordsman. Then, the pain in Lin Qi¡¯s chest was getting worse and worse, and he could not help but clench his fists. ¡°Cough¡­ Cough¡­¡± ¡°Young Master, we might not be able to get out. This should be the legendary Mystic Swamp, and our experience has verified this assumption,¡± Luther said to Lin Qi in a low voice, and then pointed at the thick fog around them. ¡°If we want to survive we must find a tree and tie ourselves up to prevent ourselves from sinking.¡± ¡°Young Master Lin, you¡¯re injured. I¡¯ll help tie you up. Then, Luther will tie me up.¡± Lewis looked around, trying to find some vines. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to waste. Tell me more about the Mystic Swamp. There might be another way.¡± Lin Qi looked at Lewis helplessly. Lewis used to laugh at others who appeared weak but now he did not feel the need to mock Lin Qi. ¡°The most dangerous thing in the Mystic Swamp is the thick fog. It could make all creatures that come in contact with it fall into a deep sleep and then be swallowed by the mud.¡± ¡°You should have said so earlier. I have a way to get us out safely.¡± Lin Qi turned around. [ Ding¡­ Peppermint Leaf, Vanilla, Dewy Ice Grass synthesized. ] [ Congratulations, Host! You have successfully synthesized a Refreshing Drink! ] Lin Qi took out a Refreshing Drink from the gourmet system and knew that it would come in handy in that situation. [ Refreshing Drink: It has the effect of preventing people from being bewitched by external forces. After drinking it, it allows one to stay conscious and prevents the delusions from being effective for 12 hours without any side effects. ] Lin Qi took out four bottles of drinks and gave one to each of them. Yu Meng took the drink curiously. They all took a sip. It was sour, sweet, and tasted pretty good. In less than 15 minutes, the thick fog in front of their eyes disappeared. It turned out that the thick fog did not really exist. They were all relieved. After tidying up, they continued to walk forward. The marks they left behind had all disappeared so they could only find a new path to leave the swamp. Exposure to light in the swamp was minimal resulting in a lower temperature and the moist ground made it exceptionally difficult to walk through. The group went through many twists and turns, and their strength was about to be exhausted. As Lin Qi was injured, the three of them took turns to support him. He had the time to look at his surroundings to detect anything unusual in the Mystic Swamp. Suddenly, he saw a milky-white mushroom in front of him on the left. It looked somewhat familiar. He started to look through the unlocked recipes in the system. [ Miraculous White Jade Soup: Ingredients: White Jade Mushroom, Snake Meat, Flat Mushroom, Fresh Mushroom, Water. ] [ Effects: The user will become very handsome or beautiful, and popular. The opposite sex can not help but feel attracted to the user. Alternatively, instead of the first option, it can increase the physical strength of the user. ] Not bad, there was actually a delicacy that could make use of white jade mushrooms. [ Marsh Mushroom Soup: Ingredients: Gray Mushroom, Tree Mushroom, Red Umbrella Mushroom, White Jade Mushroom, Water. ] [ Effect: It can improve the strength of the drinker in all aspects, without causing any side effects. ] Lin Qi asked Luther to pick the white jade mushrooms. The white jade mushroom looked like it was carved from white jade, and it looked very warm. ¡°Are you preparing to make Marsh Mushroom Soup?¡± Yu Meng could not help but ask curiously. After running for their lives and getting lost deep in the swamp, everyone was probably hungry. Lin Qi took out the small pot that he always carried with him. He glanced at Yu Meng and replied, ¡°How can that be? The white jade mushroom is so precious. Of course, we have to use it to make Miraculous White Jade Soup.¡± Of course, the Miraculous White Jade Soup was made by the system. The small pot was used as a decoy. Everything else was stored in the dimensional pouch that he bought before he left. [ Dish Name: Miraculous White Jade Soup, Level-3 Dish, Rare Level, Magic Effect: The user will become either strong or handsome, beautiful, and popular (Can only be consumed once, no effect after multiple consumptions) ] [ Material Consumption: White Jade Mushroom (x1) Snake Meat (x2) Flat Mushroom (x5) Fresh Mushroom (x6) Water (x2) ] [ Cooking¡­ Cooking completed ] [ Ding! You have obtained: Miraculous White Jade Soup ] While cooking, Lin Qi explained the effects of the soup to everyoneÒ»it could increase one¡¯s strength, or make one more handsome or beautiful but the prerequisite was that one could only choose one. Lewis and Luther were exceptionally excited. Only Yu Meng was still as cold as ever. In a short while, the soup was ready. Lin Qi excitedly scooped up the white soup in the small pot and drank it in one gulp. Then, he ran to the edge of the puddle to check the changes in his appearance. Lin Qi¡¯s choice made Yu Meng turn her head in anger. How could there still be such a person who did not want to improve their strength? Luther did not hesitate to choose to enhance his strength. After all, he wanted to become a hero. Lewis was still hesitating whether he should choose to be handsome or to be strong. Lin Qi¡¯s reflection in the water was very handsome. Lin Qi touched his face and exclaimed, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that I would be so lucky to encounter something like this with the luck we¡¯ve had so far. Woah¡­ I really became handsome.¡± Lin Qi raised his head and looked at the others. Luther and Lewis were stunned. The Lin Qi in front of them had not become a different person. Only his facial features were slightly adjusted. Those small changes had greatly impacted his overall look. He was indescribably handsome! Yu Meng, who was originally frustrated, could not help but turn her head to look at Lin Qi when she heard the other¡¯s exclamations. She was instantly mesmerized in just a glance. She had never seen such a handsome face before. Everyone was so amazed by Lin Qi¡¯s appearance. Realizing that she had lost her composure, Yu Meng quickly came back to her senses. She was annoyed that she had been mesmerized by Lin Qi. Her face, which had turned red due to self-reproach and shame, was covered by the veil, so no one could see how embarrassed she was. ¡°Look at you dawdling! Let¡¯s hurry up and leave. Our lives are more important.¡± She did not dare to look at Lin Qi anymore. After saying that, she swung her skirt and left. The three of them looked at each other. Yu Meng was right. The crisis had not averted yet, so they could not stay any longer. They continued to follow Yu Meng. ¡°Why are you angry again? I really don¡¯t understand women.¡± Lewis shook his head and sighed. Yu Meng ignored them and walked in front alone. Lin Qi was being supported by Luther and Lewis. However, Lin Qi was still happy that he had become so handsome. He did not have much ambition. He only wanted to peacefully enjoy his life as a noble, so he did not have much desire to become stronger. Along the way, the smile on Lin Qi¡¯s lips did not disappear. He was immersed in his handsome appearance.. Chapter 53 - Man-eating Flowers Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°We¡¯re out!¡± Luther, who was walking at the front, exclaimed in surprise. Lin Qi took two quick steps when he heard. He pulled aside the weeds in front of him and saw the empty space before them. ¡°We¡¯re finally out. That swamp was full of mosquitoes and mud. We don¡¯t have to suffer anymore,¡± Lin Qi said excitedly to Yu Meng and stretched his body. Unexpectedly, that action tore the wound on his chest. It hurt so much that the corner of his mouth twitched. Fortunately, after eating a few steaks, his injury had almost recovered. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Luther, let¡¯s go look around and confirm our current location. We should go down the mountain as soon as possible.¡± Lin Qi remembered that they had just arrived here a few days ago. Now that they had everything they needed, they could not stay in the Terrifying Mountains any longer. If something more dangerous happened, they might end up here forever so they had to find a safe path as soon as possible. They spread out in three directions, but they did not venture far from each other. If one encountered any danger, the others nearby could quickly help. ¡°What is thisÒ»a sunflower? It is way too big.¡± Lin Qi saw a strange flower in front of him, and he was completely shocked. That flower was upside down, and its shape was not ordinary. However, the sky was already dark so he could not clearly see what was in front of him. Swoosh! Just as Lin Qi turned around, a thorny vine grew toward him at an alarming speed. Lin Qi sensed that something was wrong and immediately bent down to dodge it. Snap! Another thorny vine appeared and hit the ground in front of himÒ»stirring up a patch of soil and causing the branches beside him to fall. If he had not ducked down early, his head would have split open out like the soil in front of him. Before Lin Qi could get up, he heard several more noises behind him. Fortunately, he had been prepared. He had the Explosive Beef Meatballs he had gotten from the last upgrade. That was one of the rare multi-functional and magical delicacies in the gourmet system. [ Explosive Beef Meatballs: A special delicacy. It can be eaten or thrown. After eating it, the user¡¯s strength will be doubled. After throwing it, there will be a violent explosion. Please use it carefully to avoid accidental injury. ] Lin Qi quickly got up and ran forward. He threw an egg-sized beef meatball behind him. Boom! A deafening sound came from behind. Lin Qi was also impacted by the airwave behind him and almost fell. ¡®That was close. I was almost hit by those things.¡¯ Lin Qi was still scared. He panted for a while, anxiously waiting for Luther¡¯s arrival. ¡°Not good, the Young Master is in danger!¡± Luther heard the violent explosion and quickly ran to Lin Qi. Yu Meng and Lewis also rushed over when they heard the sound. A demonic beast that could create such a commotion would definitely require all the members of their team to deal with it. ¡°Young Master, are you okay? What was that noise just now?¡± Seeing that Lin Qi was fine, Luther was relieved. He quickly asked about what had happened, so that he could be sure. Lin Qi told him everything that he had encountered. Luther gripped the greatsword in his hand tightly and became more vigilant. ¡°Young Master, the thing that you encountered just now should be a man-eating flower.¡± ¡°What¡­ Man-eating flower?¡± Before Lin Qi came, he had heard from the others that among the creatures in the Terrifying Mountains, one of the more famous ones was the man-eating flower. They were famous because they were relatively rare in that world, and they were a type of plant that could move on its own. Every time they settled in a place that was not suitable for them to live, they would die naturally, leaving behind their big, flower head that would roll in the wind to find a new habitat. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look ahead. We can find a place to rest after a thorough investigation.¡± Luther said to the other three. He was the person with the most experience living in the wild among them. After all, he had been a mountain bandit for many years. Lin Qi replaced the Exploding Beef Meatball with a magic scroll when recounting what had happened to the others. If they knew that the noise was caused by a dish from his system, Lin Qi would be in danger in the future. At that point, Yu Meng and Lewis scouted the area where Lin Qi was attacked. They were on guard and observed the remnants of the man-eating flower. It was a shocking sight. A huge pit was in front of them. Although it was not too deep, it was quite large. What kind of fire magic scroll was that? However, they did not ask Lin Qi because everyone had a secret. It was their trump card. It was taboo to ask about others¡¯ trump cards. The scene in front of them also surprised Lin Qi even though he was the culprit. There was nothing in the big pit in front of them. Everything that existed within that range had disappeared. There were some man-eating flowers at the edge of the pit. They were either destroyed until only their roots were left, or there were still some flames on their bodies that were about to die off. ¡°It really is a man-eating flower. I saw one or two last time. However, there are too many of them here.¡± Luther picked up a charred man-eating flower root and looked at it carefully. After confirming that it was a man-eating flower, Yu Meng¡¯s expression changed and she frowned. It seemed that the man-eating flower was quite dangerous and could cause danger at any time. ¡°Young Master and you guys wait here first. I¡¯ll go up and scout the area,¡± Luther said while pointing at the big tree in front of him. That big tree was the tallest structure in the vicinity and was surrounded by man-eating flowers. However, if one climbed it, one could see further in the distance. It was almost 1000 feet away from here, so the man-eating flowers there were not affected by the explosion. ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll use ice magic to freeze the man-eating flowers under the tree first. It¡¯s safer that way.¡± Yu Meng waved her magic staff and cast a freezing spell. The effect of the spell was immediate. The man-eating flowers, which had become irritable because of Luther¡¯s approach, were frozen and turned into ice sculptures. Lin Qi also handed Luther a Delicious Steak and told him to be careful. He could only do so much. He only had one Explosive Beef Meatball, and he had already used it. Luther was very fast. He stepped on the man-eating flowers that had been frozen into an ice sculpture and jumped up to the tree in front of him in three steps. However, the information he relayed was not good. That place was surrounded by man-eating flowers, and there was no way forward. The only clear path led them back to the Mystic Swamp where they had to find another way out. They had the Refreshing Drink provided by Lin Qi so they were not confused by the thick fog, but they could not navigate within the swamp. Both options were bad, so they decided to make the decision tomorrow to see if the situation gets better. ¡°Let¡¯s stop chatting for now. Come and eat.¡± Lin Qi had already taken the food out of the system and put it into a small pot to cook for a while. It was now steaming hot and full of fragrance. They had already walked for a day and were exhausted. They sat down and started eating.. Chapter 54 - Burning Man-eating Flowers Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation As he ate, Lin Qi tried thinking of a solution. He did not want to go back inside the Mystic Swamp, where he was the only one without the strength to defend himself. He was covered in mosquito bites, and after searching through the system, he could not find a way to repel the mosquitoes. Whether it was in the other world or here, mosquitoes were the things he hated the most. So he was the first person to oppose going back to the swamp. However, he was also racking his brain to think of a way to traverse the man-eating flower field. ¡®Food like the Flaming Swirl Roasted Chicken is useful, but using up the gold I have in my hand won¡¯t get me out alive. It would be great if I could get some more recipes like the Explosive Beef Meatballs when I level up in the future. That way, I¡¯ll have the ability to protect myself.¡¯ As Lin Qi checked the system for delicacies, he thought to himself. There were several delicacies in the system that could solve the problem in front of him, but there were too many of them and he did not have that many gold coins. A fire was built in front of the four of them to keep out the cold. They also sorted out the order of the night shifts. Lin Qi was injured so he was arranged to have the first watch. That way he can have a good rest the remainder of the night and heal up. Unlike Yu Meng, Lin Qi did not need to meditate. He had nothing to do at the moment, so he started to fiddle with the fire in front of him, adding wood to it so that it would not go out. Suddenly, inspiration struck! ¡°Fire! Yes, fire! I¡¯ve found a way!¡± Lin Qi shouted excitedly. The others were awakened by it. ¡°Lin Qi, why are you shouting? Can¡¯t you let people rest?¡± Lewis happened to dream that he had become the Lord of New Moon City again. After experiencing it for a while, his beautiful dream was interrupted and he kept mumbling. ¡°I¡¯ve thought of a way to pass through the man-eating flower field,¡± Lin Qi shouted happily as if he wanted everyone in the mountains to know about his solution. ¡°What is it?¡± Yu Meng picked up the magic staff on her lap and asked unhappily. She was meditating just now and was abruptly interrupted by Lin Qi. The magic energy in her body was still a little unstable. If Lin Qi did not give her a reasonable explanation, she did not mind scaring him as payback. Lin Qi had not noticed their movements. He took out a broken stem of a burning man-eating flower from the fire and held it in front of the three of them. He said, ¡°Use fire. We can use fire to burn a path out of that man-eating flower field. That way, we can pass through.¡± After hearing Lin Qi¡¯s words, Yu Meng and Lewis¡¯s eyes lit up. They thought that it was a good idea. No matter how strange the man-eating flower was, it was still a plant. It would definitely be afraid of fire. ¡°Let¡¯s get up and prepare to burn that man-eating flower field. We need to find a way out as soon as possible.¡± Lin Qi first found a withered branch, sharpened the end, and used fire to ignite it. Then, he stepped back and quickly took a few steps forward. He threw the torch in his hand out like a javelin. The torch drew an arc in the night sky, causing a streak of light to form in the air. Then, the sparks fell onto a man-eating flower, stuck steadily on the ground, and it began to burn slowly. In the next moment, the fire gradually spread to the nearby man-eating flower. The flower began to use its thorny vines to whip and beat at the flames. It extinguished the torch with a few strokes. ¡°One is not enough. Yu Meng and Lewis, go find branches that can be used as torches. I¡¯ll sharpen them. Luther, you throw them.¡± Lin Qi had allocated their tasks and everyone began to carry them out. Yu Meng did not know why she would listen to Lin Qi¡¯s instructions without question. If it were in the past, if Lin Qi dared to speak to her in such an authoritative tone, she would have turned him into an ice block long ago. She turned to look at Lin Qi, who was standing beside the fire. Yu Meng¡¯s face could not help but turn red again. In an instant, her face darkened. No one knew what she was thinking. Lin Qi cut the branches that they handed over, lit them, and handed them to Luther. He said, ¡°Luther, try to throw them all in one place so that these man-eating flowers won¡¯t have time to put them out.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Luther¡¯s power as a grand swordmaster was obvious. His throw was accurate, steady, and very fast. Lin Qi could not keep up with it, and it was very effective. The man-eating flowers only extinguished the few torches in front of them. Not only were they unable to extinguish the torches in the back, but they also ignited their own thorny vines. The pain caused them to swing around haphazardly, and the fire grew bigger and bigger. That scene was beyond Lin Qi¡¯s expectations. He did not expect the man-eating flowers to expand the fire and accelerate their own destruction. ¡°You two, come and take a look. This is a rare sight.¡± Lin Qi quickly called the two back to watch the man-eating flowers burn. The raging fire lit up half of the sky. Below them were man-eating flowers crazily swinging their long vines. However, their strength was getting weaker and weaker, and they looked like they were about to die. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be so fast. I thought we would have to work all night to open up a road. Now, we have cleared a path for ourselves.¡± Lin Qi looked at the sea of flames in front of him. He was a little far away, but his face still felt the heatÒ»it was enough to acknowledge the power of the fire. The three of them waited until the second half of the night came before the sea of flames in front of them was extinguished. However, the ground was still a little hot, so they did not want to linger. ¡°Let¡¯s go now. This fire should have scared away the monsters nearby. We can take this opportunity to move forward.¡± Everyone agreed with Lin Qi¡¯s suggestion. Luther took the lead, while the rest followed behind. Soon, in the man-eating flower field that had turned into ashes, they had to speed up. The ground under their feet was too hot and they could not stay there. The territory of the man-eating flower was not that big. In less than half an hour, they were about to leave. ¡°Hey, Young Master, there are people ahead of us. I don¡¯t know if they are other trial participants.¡± Luther saw a person standing in front of them. He was tall, so he could not recognize which city he was from. ¡°The one in the front, which city are you from?¡± Luther had just finished shouting when he saw more movement. Suddenly, a huge net was thrown onto them. They thought that they could meet other teams and the road ahead would be easier. Unfortunately, before they could go forward, they were covered by a huge net. It was not that Lin Qi and the others had not thought of resisting. However, due to the suddenness of the incident, they had thought that the other party was participants. However, that huge net was abnormal. It would cause people to lose their strength and be captured instantly. Seeing the person on the other side approaching step by step. ¡°They¡¯re orcs. There are orcs here? Don¡¯t they live in the south of the continent?¡± Lin Qi found it hard to believe that they had actually encountered orcs. They were indeed a little different from regular tribesmen. The orcs in front of them were tall and muscular. After taking a closer look, they bared their teeth and stretched out their long ears. Their features were somewhat similar to those of beasts. Lin Qi saw that those orcs were no different from other humans except that they were uglier with slightly different features such as long ears and sharp teeth. However, they were very tall and looked like giant bears.. Chapter 55 - The Bru Tribe Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation A few orcs came one after another and dragged Lin Qi and the other three out of the net. Then, they used a kind of vine to tie everyone up and stuff their mouths. At that moment, an even taller orc walked to the front and glared at them with his round eyes. The orc¡¯s expression became more and more unsightly, showing his viciousness. ¡°Good, you humans actually dared to burn the Bru tribe¡¯s man-eating flower fields. You must pay the price for this! ¡°Bring them to the tribe and await the Holy Maiden¡¯s orders.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Lin Qi and the others were led forward by the Bru tribe¡¯s people. Along the way, they could only make eye contact and could not communicate. The sky was now bright. Lin Qi and the others were led by the orc commander to the Bru tribe which was in a small valley. The Bru tribe was surrounded by mountains on both sides. One side was facing the river, while the other side was open. However, a high stone wall was built before them, and there were other orcs guarding it. On the way, Lin Qi and the others occasionally met a few orcs who came to ask about the situation. The orc commander called Nadak emphasized their offenses to his subordinates, and the orcs became even more rigid. ¡®So the man-eating flower field is an actual field which was the source of the orc¡¯s food. This is not good. I have to think of a way to fix this, or else things won¡¯t look so good for us.¡¯ Lin Qi listened to the orcs¡¯ conversation along the way and knew the whole story. He knew that they had caused trouble that time. They burned the orcs¡¯ fields, so those orcs would definitely not let them go so easily. ¡®Food? Oh right, I have a gourmet system, I¡¯ll compensate them. They were even forced to eat man-eating flowers so they must not have eaten anything like the delicacies in the system. ¡®I have to be able to speak first, and I have to think of a way to convince them.¡¯ Lin Qi thought about it and had a rough plan in his mind. He was going to pretend to be an envoy sent from the outside to bring magical food to the Bru tribe. The escort team was getting bigger and bigger. Lin Qi discreetly glanced around and found that there were almost 500 people. They were tied tightly to a pillar in the square. The situation was not looking good. The people of the tribe took turns to be on duty. It was obviously difficult to find an opportunity. Lin Qi looked at Yu Meng and Lewis next to him. Yu Meng¡¯s veil had not been removed. Perhaps the orcs did not know what the veil was. Lewis¡¯s face was pale, and he looked weak as if he had been scared. ¡°Kill them!¡± ¡°Killing them is too easy. We have to burn them like they did the man-eating flowers.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Burn them! Kill them!¡± All the orcs in the tribe shouted. Lin Qi saw that the orcs had been divided into several factions. Some said they wanted to burn them, some said they wanted to chop them up with axes, and some even wanted to hang them outside to feed the demonic beasts. It was really intimidating. As the orcs of the tribe shouted, a pretty young orc girl walked out of a building with light footsteps. Upon closer inspection, she wore a short skirt made of animal skin, with several demonic beast teeth and scales hanging on her body. The square fell silent for a moment, and every orc bowed their heads respectfully. ¡®This girl looks like the Holy Maiden they were talking about. I have to talk to her for a chance to escape.¡¯ Lin Qi began to struggle violently and then shouted, but his mouth was still gagged and he could not speak. ¡°Uhh¡­ Uhh¡­¡± The Holy Maiden of the Bru tribe had originally come out to declare that the four humans were guilty of burning the man-eating flower fields and grant them the right to return to heaven. However, she saw Lin Qi struggling non-stop as he seemed to have something to say. She did not bother herself with Lin Qi¡¯s appearance. There was a big difference between the aesthetics of the orcs and the humans. They preferred the strong and mighty ones. In their eyes, the humans were too thin and weak, and they looked like they could not stand even the wind. ¡°Nadak, free the youth¡¯s mouth, and let¡¯s see what he has to say.¡± ¡°Yes, Holy Maiden!¡± The orc commander lowered his head to the Holy Maiden, walked to Lin Qi, and removed the vine in his mouth. ¡°Holy Maiden, we are the emissaries sent by the outside world. We are here to bring magical food to the Bru tribe. I can prove it to you.¡± Lin Qi said the words that he had thought over many times in his heart in one breath, for fear of being gagged again. ¡°Magical food? How magical can it be? Can it make up for the land that was burned by you people?¡± The Holy Maiden did not believe in the magical food that Lin Qi spoke of, but for the sake of the sincerity in his eyes, she was prepared to let him prove it. The man-eating flower field was gone. If he really had a way to make up for the loss of the tribe, it would be their best option to prevent the tribe¡¯s starvation. She hoped that what he said was true. Otherwise, she would not let that youth go. ¡°Untie him and let him prove it.¡± ¡°Kid, behave yourself. Don¡¯t play any tricks,¡± Nadak warned Lin Qi, but he still listened to the Holy Maiden¡¯s order and freed Lin Qi from his binds. Lin Qi moved his wrist and nodded at Yu Meng and the others. Then, he was brought to the Holy Maiden. A few orcs separated him and the Holy Maiden, standing in a row with weapons in their hands, afraid that Lin Qi would plot against them. At that moment, Lin Qi asked the orcs for a pot and started to make steak, letting the aroma spread throughout the square. In the gourmet system, even the simplest steak was a delicacy in that world, let alone to those orcs who had never eaten delicious food. [ Ding! Congratulations, host for completing the task of cooking the steak. Black pepper and chili powder have been prepared for you. ] In a short while, a fragrant smell of spices filled the air. The orcs of the tribe all nodded slightly, their pupils instantly dilated, and they kept smelling the aroma. ¡°Alright, this dish is called Delicious Steak, it can restore the strength of the consumer. Who wants to try it first?¡± Lin Qi used an iron stick to display a steak in front of the orcs. The orcs looked at each other, but no one came forward. In the end, one of them was assigned to try the so-called Delicious Steak. The orc who was assigned was excited and nervous at the same time. He smelled the aroma of the steak and was very eager to have a bite, but he was afraid that there was poison in it. However, he still mustered up the courage to eat it in one bite. The taste of the steak was salty and sweet, and the juices filled his entire mouth. It was very chewy. That was a Delicious Steak that Lin Qi made specifically for the orcs¡¯ tastebuds. In the gourmet system, there were options for flavors that were the preferences of several races. They were all different, and each had its own characteristics suited to the races¡¯ palate. ¡°Stone, how do you feel?¡± The people next to him asked curiously. The orc named Stone smacked his lips twice, and after tasting it for a while, he said, ¡°Delicious.¡± ¡°My sense of smell is extremely good so I can smell that it¡¯s delicious. I¡¯m asking you how you feel.¡± ¡°How do I feel? I feel like I¡¯m full of energy now.¡± Lin Qi cooked a few more and handed them to the others to try out the effect.. Chapter 56 - Approval Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Lin Qi was very fast. He finished grilling the Delicious Steak in record time. It was oily and juicy. With the special seasonings in the system such as black pepper and chili powder, the orcs¡¯ eyes lit up. The orcs who did not eat it were drooling. Some orcs were not afraid of the hot steak. When Lin Qi passed the steak, an orc caught it with his bare hands causing him to toss it back and forth between his hands due to the heat. He could not wait to put it into his mouth. If it were not for the Holy Maiden who was in the distance, they would have fought over such a delicacy long ago. Perhaps such a dish could only be enjoyed after going to heaven and returning to the embrace of the Orc God. Seeing that the food was warm enough, Nadak went up and asked for a steak. He glanced at the busy Lin Qi and ate it without hesitation. When the steak entered his mouth, Nadak eyes widened as much as possible. The effect was obvious. It was even faster than the power-recovering spell given by the Orc God. He felt that he had an endless amount of power and could now kill five forest wolves in one go. Nadak closed his eyes and sincerely apologized to the Orc God. Then, he asked for another one. He carefully wrapped it in a red leaf, walked to the Holy Maiden, and respectfully presented it to her. The Holy Maiden saw everything that Lin Qi had done, and she could see the effect of his cooking from the expressions of the orcs who had eaten the steak. The orcs became very excited after eating it and began to fight with each other in the open space next to them. The Holy Maiden looked down at the Delicious Steak that Nadak was holding in both hands. The tempting aroma made her throat bob slightly. She picked it up and put it into her mouth to taste it. She would not cover her mouth and take small bites when eating like Yu Meng. In their orc tribe, they did not follow human etiquette. ¡°Oh, this¡­ This¡­¡± The Holy Maiden took a bite and was shocked speechless. However, it was not the taste of the steak that could be seen to shock the Holy Maiden, for it entered her mouth and she only chewed it for a moment as if she was mute. ¡°Divine power, it¡¯s actually divine power, not a magic farce.¡± The Holy Maiden looked up at Lin Qi with a serious face. She slowly walked forward. The orcs who were waiting for the steak noticed the Holy Maiden, so they immediately restrained themselves and retreated to both sides. Lin Qi was busy grilling the steak, so he had not noticed the situation in front of him. He handed the steak to the other orcs but no one took it. Lin Qi raised his head and saw the Holy Maiden standing in front of him. She was looking at Lin Qi curiously. ¡°Holy Maiden, would you like another one?¡± Lin Qi handed over the steak in his hand. The Holy Maiden accepted it generously, but her eyes remained on Lin Qi. The arrival of the Holy Maiden to the center of the square made the entire tribe quiet down. The orcs who were noisy a moment ago began to line up. The Holy Maiden¡¯s gaze also moved back and forth between the orcs who had eaten the steak and Lin Qi. The smile on her face grew wider and wider. Lin Qi was also looking at the Holy Maiden out of the corner of his eyes. He did not know her strength and was afraid that she would see something amiss. However, the ingredients could be explained with the dimensional pouch, so they should be able to pull through. ¡°Young man, how old are you?¡± The Holy Maiden¡¯s slightly magnetic voice sounded in front of Lin Qi. Her voice was not as soft as the other girls¡¯ voices that Lin Qi had heard before, but it was more charming. ¡°I¡¯m 17 years old, Holy Maiden,¡± Lin Qi answered. The Holy Maiden nodded and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m one year older than you. You should call me sister. Why don¡¯t I be your Godsister?¡± Hearing her words, Lin Qi knew that the crisis had passed and their lives were no longer in danger, so he agreed immediately. Since things had already developed to that point, the Holy Maiden asked someone to let Yu Meng and the others down. Yu Meng looked at Lin Qi, who was talking and laughing with the Holy Maiden, with disdain in her eyes. Her view of him had reverted. She despised men who relied on women. Luther and Lewis, who were standing next to her, had different thoughts. They were very envious of Lin Qi. ¡°Young Master is indeed a young master. People like him are charming no matter where he goes.¡± Lewis nodded unconsciously. He was thinking about whether to change the Night Light¡¯s Billow that Lin Qi had promised him to the Miraculous White Jade Soup. He was aware that the value of the Miraculous White Jade Soup was higher, so he wanted to try it. After Lin Qi distributed the steak to all the orcs, he was so tired that he did not want to move anymore. [ Ding! Congratulations! Your steak has received good reviews from all the orcs. Reward: Rose Salt, Super Sticky Starch Paste ] ¡®Eh? There¡¯s a reward? Let me see.¡¯ [ Rose Salt: Rose is a symbol of love. The food cooked with rose salt can improve the customer¡¯s good impression of you ] [ Super Sticky Starch Paste: A versatile ingredient. It can be used to process all kinds of pasta dishes and trap enemies ] Reading the introduction of the Super Sticky Starch Paste cleared Lin Qi¡¯s exertion away, It was a treat that could be used for attacks just like the Explosive Beef Meatballs. The Holy Maiden was very happy and proceeded to return to the temple of the tribe. It seemed that the people of the tribe were very satisfied with that event. Only two orcs were left standing next to Lin Qi. They listened to the Holy Maiden¡¯s instructions and took Lin Qi to visit the rest of the orc tribe. The first thing Lin Qi did was to find Luther and the others to visit the orc tribe together with them. He also wanted to ask them about the next plan since he did not have any good ideas at the moment. They were not far away, but they had guards at their sides. ¡°Luther, let¡¯s walk around. These two orcs want to take us to visit their tribe,¡± Lin Qi said excitedly to the three of them. He had solved the crisis and obtained special ingredients. Now that the crisis had been averted, Lin Qi became the guest of honor at the Bru tribe. He was officially named the Holy Maiden¡¯s godbrother by the leader of the tribe. The whole Bru tribe had some respect for that chef. ¡°Okay, I haven¡¯t seen the orc tribe yet. When I go back, I can tell others about it.¡± Lewis could not wait to visit that place, thinking that he would have the right to brag when he returned to New Moon City. They gathered together, but Yu Meng seemed to be annoyed instead of excited. She turned around and left them. She wanted to go back and rest, but the tribe had already arranged a place for them to stay. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Lewis did not understand. ¡°She was fine just now so why did she leave?¡± ¡°Maybe she¡¯s tired. Let¡¯s go take a look around first.¡± Lin Qi did not think too much about it and allowed her to go for now. The others did not care much either. The two orcs led them to take a look around the tribe.. Chapter 57 - Gourmet Performance Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The assets of the Bru tribe were very primitive. The tools were all simple processed iron weapons, but the weapons they used were of a higher quality than farm tools. Each of them was sharp, shiny, and seemed to be used frequently. The orcs in the tribe used a lot of tools, and they had a variety of them, especially the tools used to capture prey. They were sharp and sturdy. The two orcs spoke very quickly. They could vaguely hear the words kitchen, warehouse, and water well. However, Lin Qi and the others were watching very seriously. They took out a strange-shaped stick and asked the two orcs what it was. ¡°This is a blow dart, used for sneak attacks.¡± The orc¡¯s explanation was quite simple, but Lin Qi also knew the use of that stick. The Bru tribe was not very big, and they finished their tour in a short while. Lin Qi also let the two orcs leave while Luther, Lewis, and himself returned to the room. ¡°Do you have any ideas on how to leave this place? We need to find a way back as soon as possible.¡± Lin Qi looked at Lewis and Luther, who were sitting across the table, expectantly. Luther scratched his head for a while but did not say a word. Lewis frowned and thought for a while. He only said that he wanted to escape in the dead of night. It was impossible to get an idea from the two of them. He needed to discuss with Yu Meng about leaving the Bru tribe. Lin Qi felt that Yu Meng was the smartest among the four of them. If he did not have the system, the three men would have to rely on Yu Meng. Bang! Bang! Bang! Lin Qi came to Yu Meng¡¯s door and knocked three times. After a while, the door was opened, and Yu Meng came out with her face covered. However, she changed her veil again, probably because the previous one was a little dirty. Once Yu Meng opened the door, she turned around and returned to the room. leaving Lin Qi standing at the door awkwardly, thinking about how he had offended her. ¡°The veil looks very nice.¡± Lin Qi walked into her room and praised Yu Meng, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere, but he did not get a response. Yu Meng sat at the table, flipping through the magic book she carried with her, ignoring him. The atmosphere became even more awkward. Lin Qi did not continue. He felt that it was probably Lewis who had offended Yu Meng. He simply told Yu Meng his plan and asked her for her thoughts on it. Hearing that, Yu Meng¡¯s eyes left the book. She looked up at Lin Qi and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just become the Holy Maiden¡¯s godbrother? Why are you in such a hurry to leave?¡± ¡°I only did it because I had to save everyone,¡± Lin Qi explained and did not elaborate. Yu Meng did not say anything more. She brought up the most important point, which was to get a map of the orc tribe and confirm their location, as well as the exit so that they could walk out. ¡°I was thinking the same thing, but we can¡¯t ask for it directly to avoid arousing the suspicion of the orcs.¡± Lin Qi was surprised that Yu Meng¡¯s idea was the same as his. Luther and Lewis could not even come up with a single idea after a long time. In the evening, under the setting sun, the entire tribe was dyed a dark golden color. The tribe started to get busy. There was a high bonfire in the small square in the middle of the tribe. There were all kinds of demonic beasts that had been slaughtered and were waiting to be roasted. The Holy Maiden also came to look for Lin Qi personally. She was holding a necklace made of various animal teeth. It looked very new and must have been made by the Holy Maiden when she returned to the temple. ¡°This is the necklace of the Orc God. It can protect the wearer,¡± the Holy Maiden said as she placed it in Lin Qi¡¯s hands. Lin Qi did not know what to do with the gift. It was just a delaying tactic. He had just discussed with Yu Meng how to get the map, but he did not expect the orcs to treat him so sincerely. The orcs led the four of them to the square and started the bonfire event. The burning flames scattered the darkness around them. The orcs were all sitting around, waiting for Lin Qi¡¯s performance. He had just promised them that he would cook these demonic beasts. Those were not the delicacies in the system, so he had to rely on himself. However, Lin Qi was already confident in himself. He had cooked many foods outside of the system. Rose salt, chili powder, black pepper¡­ All kinds of spices were taken out by Lin Qi. Those magical spices were the source of his confidence. He could rely on those spices to turn ordinary food into a delicacy, but it would only be a little worse than what the system could make. Lin Qi held a bone knife and was cutting up the entire demonic beast. Lin Qi was also curious about the bone knife in his hand. It really was made of bones, and there were no other materials. After trying it out, it was actually sharper than the longsword he had used before. That was really a magical thing. That world was quite a magical one. After splitting the meat into pieces that were suitable for barbecuing, Lin Qi began his performance. In his previous life, he had seen videos of delicacies being made, such as sprinkling salt with one hand to make the meat catch fire. The orcs had never seen a barbecue performance before. They all stared at it closely. When the performance reached its climax, there were orcs who were cheering and clapping. Boom! Lin Qi set one of the fatty ribs on fire and sliced it in front of the crowd, the tantalizing aroma and the light of the fire passing in front of them sparked cheers from everyone once again. Not only the orcs but even Yu Meng and the others were affected by the atmosphere and became excited. ¡°I take back what I said before. Lin Qi is really good at cooking. When I become the Lord of New Moon City, I will contract all the restaurants in the city to him,¡± Lewis said to Luther and Yu Meng as he also cheered like the other orcs. If it was his past self, he would have blamed Lin Qi for stealing his limelight. Now, he was infected by the cheers of the orcs around him and started to applaud Lin Qi. The barbecued meat was made one after another, and a few female orcs brought it to the others. The male orcs drank and ate the meat, as they cheered for Lin Qi¡¯s performance from time to time. In the arms of the female orcs, there were one or two little orcs. Those little guys were the first to get roasted meat. They heard the man who was shouting at Lin Qi, calling him a chef or something. Many little orcs had buried in their hearts that they wanted to be like Lin Qi when they grew up. [ Congratulations on activating the Hidden Mission: Gourmet Performance. ] [ Gourmet Performance: A person who truly loves gourmet food will not only bring delicious food to the customers but also let the customers enjoy the wonderful aspects of the gourmet production process. ] [ Reward: Devil Pepper Powder. ] [ Devil Pepper Powder: It makes dishes spicy to the extreme. It whets one¡¯s appetite and increases their speed of advancement. It can also be used as a hidden weapon (severe consequences, use it cautiously) ] ¡®Phew, I¡¯m finally done. The gourmet system actually had a hidden mission. It didn¡¯t even mention how to activate it. Looks like I still have to rely on luck.¡¯ Lin Qi looked at the sated orcs and felt satisfied. ¡®Was this the charm of gourmet food?¡¯ In the past, Lin Qi only used the gourmet system as a tool to help him. Today, the barbecue prepared for the orcs made him feel the charm of gourmet food as well as the joy and satisfaction of cooking for others. It was almost midnight now, and the bonfire event was about to end. Suddenly, a noise came from outside, startling the people here.. Chapter 58 - Going Out in the Rain Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Lin Qi and the others knew what was happening outside because of the familiarity of a group of orcs escorting several people over. They were all participants and their underlings in the Black Wind Castle trial, but they seemed to have suffered heavy losses. First of all, each and every one of them was injured, and their numbers were much less than the last time they met. Only Chen Lin and Lin Mengyao were left from Storm City. Dong Ling, Zi Yan, and Bai Feng were left from Exquisite City. There were two participants from Seven Day City, Ming Long and Tian Gao. Only the team from New Moon City was completely intact. ¡°Let us go, you detestable orcs!¡± Even though Chen Lin was caught, he did not forego his potty mouth. The orcs next to him heard that and wanted to punish him, but they were stopped by Lin Qi. After some explanation, both sides were relieved. Chen Lin and the others were also released, but it seemed that he looked down on the orcs. The corners of his mouth curled down to his chin, and no one knew where his sense of superiority came from. Chen Lin and the others did not communicate much with Lin Qi and the others. They simply explained the situation and then dispersed. That group of people had been tired from a whole day of traveling and were arranged to rest. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect them to be so miserable. I thought they would be able to escape safely.¡¯ Lin Qi looked at the participants who were supporting each other and lamented their bad luck in his heart. They did not encounter the Mystic Swamp like the four of them. However, if they really encountered it, none of them would be able to make it out. The next day. After a night of rest and recovery, all the strongest participants in the various city-states were present. ¡°Lin Qi, Yu Meng, Lewis, you guys have to come to the room in front for a meeting,¡± Tian Gao walked in front of Lin Qi and the others as he spoke in a commanding tone. Initially, when Lin Qi heard that and saw his arrogant attitude, he did not want to go, but he was afraid that they would cause trouble to the Bru tribe. Lin Qi arrived at Chen Lin¡¯s room and saw that they were discussing a plan to trick the orcs to create the path out. Everyone agreed, but Lin Qi and Yu Meng did not. The Bru tribe was now Lin Qi¡¯s friends. They objected to Chen Lin¡¯s plan, and the group started to quarrel. ¡°Lin Qi, you actually teamed up with these orcs. You have no shame.¡± ¡°Are they your only friends?¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Chen Lin had just surrounded Lin Qi and the others, but before they could make a move, they were then surrounded by the orcs. At that moment, they realized that what Lin Qi said was true. He was really friends with those orcs. Dong Ling, who was silent, stepped in to mediate the matter. Only then did everyone disperse. ¡°We have to leave as soon as possible. We can¡¯t let these people get ahead of us.¡± On the way, Lin Qi told Yu Meng and the others about his perfect plan. They did not have any objections and started to prepare before they left. However, before they were able to do so, they encountered an unexpected situation. Which was that Chen Lin and the other teams had already left without saying goodbye. More importantly, before they left, they had stolen more than half of the grain in the warehouse. The entire Bru tribe was in a state of anxiety. That was the only grain they had left. Lin Qi felt a little guilty and helpless. The orc tribe thought that the humans outside were good people like Lin Qi and the rest, but they had not expected them to be a bunch of ingrates. Just as Lin Qi and the rest were about to chase after Chen Lin and the others, the sky suddenly changed drastically. From a cloudless sky, it only took a few minutes before a strong wind blew and dark clouds loomed over them. ¡°Not good, it¡¯s going to rain acid.¡± ¡°The acid rain is coming.¡± The group of orcs who were filled with indignation just a moment ago was scared into hiding as if they had seen a ghost. Only Lin Qi and the others were left at a loss. They hid in their rooms and looked at the drizzling rain outside. When the raindrops fell on the ground, they would emit white smoke. It was obvious that the acid rain was dangerous. At that time, Nadak came to Lin Qi with a shield. His shield was smoking due to the rain. The Holy Maiden wanted to speak with Lin Qi to discuss the situation. When Lin Qi arrived at the temple, the Holy Maiden explained to him what acid rain was and her worries. Acid rain was a natural disaster that occurred there every year, but it came earlier that time. Acid rain was very corrosive. After the yearly acid rain, there would be a lack of food, and they could not go out to hunt. The food that could survive the acid rain could not be eaten after being soaked by the acid rain. The food in the warehouse of the Bru tribe was used to deal with the aftereffects of the acid rain every year, but that year¡¯s rations were stolen. After the Holy Maiden heard the news, she frowned. Without food, the tribe could not survive. ¡°I will find food for the Bru tribe. Don¡¯t worry, Sister.¡± When Lin Qi heard that, the first thing he thought of was to use the gourmet system to provide food for the tribe members. However, after carefully looking at the prices, he instantly discarded that idea. If he wanted to supply the entire tribe of orcs, his gold coins were far from enough. It was more convenient to look for food. He could look for the recipes in the gourmet system. Earlier, Lin Qi heard from the Holy Maiden that the tribe still had raincoats that were resistant to acid rain. Moreover, when it rained, the demonic beasts would hide. At that time, the outside world was the safest place for Lin Qi. The Holy Maiden knew that Lin Qi was very special, or else she would not have asked him to come and discuss the solution. However, she was still worried about Lin Qi¡¯s safety. After reminding him several times, she took out a black raincoat and handed it to Lin Qi. Lin Qi put on the raincoat and slowly walked into the rain. After waiting for a while, he found that it really could protect him from acid rain. Seeing that, Lin Qi was relieved. He did not say goodbye to Luther and the others. If Luther knew, he would definitely go on behalf of Lin Qi, but he did not have a gourmet system, so he could not determine or process the food he collected. Lin Qi walked into the woods outside alone. The special boots on his feet were made of the same material as the raincoat on his body. Lin Qi also had a map in his hand, which displayed a few places recorded by the Bru tribe where there was food. The tribe had also encountered similar situations a few times. Otherwise, there would not have had a raincoat and a map. The food marks on that map indicated that the food there would not be contaminated by the acid rain, so Lin Qi did not need to worry. Patter, Patter. Only the sound of Lin Qi¡¯s footsteps and the rustling sound of rain could be heard throughout the entire mountain forest. There was a person who died in the acid rain. Lin Qi walked forward and saw that it was Chen Lin¡¯s guard from yesterday. They had fallen here so there were still a few people who were in danger. More than a dozen people had fallen along the way. They did not understand what the rain was so they were caught off guard and were directly hit.. Chapter 59 - Mysterious Disappearance Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Lin Qi walked slowly for a while and picked a few mushrooms. He put them into the system storage and then went to find other ingredients. The delicacy he was going to make was called Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup. It was an ordinary dish in the system that had no special effectÒ»it just prevents hunger. A small bite could fill an adult for a whole day, which was exactly what the Bru tribe needed. Acid rain was really hard to walk in, so he could only hide under the raincoat and move carefully. If any part of his body was exposed, he would be burned by the acid rain. Lin Qi looked at the burn marks on his hands and felt a headache. He wanted to collect the fungus on the tree in front of him. It was also one of the ingredients for Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup, but the fungus was slightly higher than him and Lin Qi could not climb up with the raincoat on him. ¡®Got it. I¡¯ll use something to smash it down. Since I can¡¯t go up, I¡¯ll make it come down.¡¯ Lin Qi circled the tree twice and came up with an idea. He found two rocks nearby that have not been tainted by the rain. He aimed at the fungus on the branch, threw the rocks up, and quickly lowered his head. Dong! Crash! The fungus, mixed with the rain that had fallen due to the tremors and smashed onto the ground. Lin Qi walked up, carefully pierced the fungus covered in acid rain with a metal stick, and put it into his storage. ¡®I¡¯ve got it all. Now, let¡¯s try it out,¡¯ he said to himself. He walked in the rain for a while and arrived at a protruding boulder that provided shelter for him. Then, he started to fiddle with the system. [ Name of Dish: Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup, Level 3 Dish, Normal, Magic Effect: After eating the mushroom soup, the user can maintain their physical strength for three days. ] [ Material Consumption: Mixed Mushrooms (x3) Eucalyptus Leaves (x2) Fungus (x1) Water (x2) Rose Salt (x2) ] [ Cooking¡­ Cooking completed ] [ Ding! You have obtained: Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup ] ¡°Let¡¯s test out the effect first, but the mushroom soup looks pretty good.¡± The mushroom soup in front of Lin Qi was very clear and had a very rich fragrance, which made him, who ate the system¡¯s delicious food every day, unable to resist it. He scooped a spoonful of it and blew on it before he drank it. ¡®It¡¯s really delicious!¡¯ The taste of the Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup made Lin Qi¡¯s eyes light up. He had been walking for half a day and was a little hungry. However, in order to verify the new delicacies in the system, he did not eat anything on the way. ¡°Not bad, these ingredients can be made in a big pot. It¡¯s enough for 50 orcs to drink for five to six days.¡± Lin Qi now had a new opinion about that level three delicacy. The other delicacies in the system had magical effects. As a level three delicacy, it only had a starvation prevention effect. However, after that experiment, the Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup was worthy of its level. ¡®There¡¯s another level three delicacy I want to try out. Let¡¯s find the ingredients now.¡¯ Lin Qi looked at the stone behind him, which had the ingredients he needed. What Lin Qi was going to make next was the Stone Pie. The main ingredient was the moss on the stone. The Stone Pie had a better anti-hunger effect than the Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup. One bite could prevent hungry for seven days, which was twice as long as three days for the mushroom soup. However, according to the system¡¯s introduction, the Stone Pie really tasted like stone which was not good. However, the orcs were desperate at that point so the most important thing was to eat enough to survive. Cha¡­ Cha¡­ Lin Qi found a thin stone and started to scrape the moss on the top of the boulder. After working for two hours, he finally had enough for half of the Bru tribe. Lin Qi held his neck with his left hand and massaged his waist with his right hand. He jumped to the flat ground below, ready to pack up the pot and leave. ¡®Hey, where¡¯s my Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup?¡¯ Lin Qi hurried forward and saw that his pot was clean as if it had been licked by a dog. ¡®There was more than half of the soup when I left.¡¯ Lin Qi picked up the pot and looked at it. The small pot did not leak, and there were no traces on the ground. He checked again but did not find anything. ¡®It¡¯s weird but it¡¯s getting late, and I wanted to rest here but now it seems that I¡¯d better leave.¡¯ Lin Qi was scared by the disappearance of the food, and he did not want to stay under the giant boulder any longer He had a raincoat that could protect him from acid rain. There were no demonic beasts outside. If he stayed under the boulder and there were demonic beasts inside, his life would be in danger. It was safer to stay under the acid rain. Lin Qi walked and then stopped. He found the ingredients needed for the Stone Pie. He just needed to find some more moss. The acid rain would only last for a period of time. They would not be affected by the acid rain for more than a month. The ingredients that Lin Qi collected were almost sufficient. The sky was completely dark, and the acid rain was getting heavier. He needed to find a place to rest. He would return to the tribe tomorrow morning, and it would be good for him to collect more on the way. ¡®There are flames in the distance! It must be those other participants.¡¯ Lin Qi had just walked for a while when he was attracted by the flames in the dark night. Lin Qi climbed up the muddy hillside and came to the place where he found the flames. ¡°Who are you?¡± The people in the cave noticed Lin Qi as soon as he got close, and they asked. ¡°It¡¯s me, Lin Qi.¡± Lin Qi slowly approached the cave. Those people saw Lin Qi clearly with the help of the fire and put down the weapons in their hands. Lin Qi saw that there were only a few participants in the cave, and the people he saw outside who had died were not all those who were missing. ¡°What about Chen Lin and the others? Did you steal the food from the tribe?¡± Lin Qi asked, making the participants in front of him lower their heads in silence. Lin Qi¡¯s question made the people beside the bonfire feel very ashamed. After all, whether they were swordsmen or mages, stealing was shameful. ¡°The idea of stealing the food was put forward by Chen Lin, and the items were also taken by him. When he encountered this strange rain, he also ran away first and abandoned us,¡± one of them said, lowering his head. Lin Qi did not care too much about the details. Even if he ran into Chen Lin, he would not be able to get back the food that he stole. However, he also felt sorry for those people. Everyone looked weak. It seemed that they had been starving for a whole day. Lin Qi felt that the matter of stealing the food had little to do with them, so he made a pot of Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup to treat them. However, there was still a price to pay. He asked them to scrape off the moss in the cave in exchange for the mushroom soup. Of course, those people agreed when they heard it. In the past, when Chen Lin mocked Lin Qi, they had also laughed a lot which made them very ashamed. Lin Qi made the Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup. Everyone took the moss they scraped off and let Lin Qi examine it. The aroma of the mushroom soup filled the entire cave. They had been starving for a whole day and could not wait. ¡°Okay, pass. Next.¡± Lin Qi checked the amount of moss everyone collected in the cave. ¡°Ah! Did you guys eat ahead of the rest of us? There¡¯s nothing left!¡± ¡°The two of us had just arrived here. There was nothing in there, to begin with!¡± There was a fierce argument at the entrance of the cave. When Lin Qi heard that the food was gone, he quickly walked toward the entrance of the cave.. Chapter 60 - The Strange Black Dog Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation He walked to the front of the cave. The Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup he had just made was surrounded by a circle of people. However, they were all accusing each other of stealing the food. Some people had already pulled out their longswords, and a conflict was about to break out. ¡°Quiet! All of you, quiet down!¡± Lin Qi shouted at the people who were about to fight. He already had an inkling about what had occurred. His words worked. The others stared at each other, but they also put down their weapons. Lin Qi had already established his authority in their minds. After all, he still had the food that those people needed. Lin Qi walked forward, picked up the excessively clean small pot, and frowned. ¡°This situation is exactly the same as what I encountered under the giant boulder not long ago. Did you guys encounter anything strange around here?¡± Lin Qi turned to look at the others. He had too little information those two times, and he hoped that he could get some useful clues from the others. However, those people all shook their heads, indicating that they had not encountered anything unusual. That made Lin Qi fall into deep thought. ¡®This thing shouldn¡¯t be human. It¡¯s eaten out of the pot of Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup twice now, even the orcs don¡¯t have such a big appetite, and it can¡¯t be a powerful demonic beast. Otherwise, it would have attacked me while I was on the boulder. ¡®It¡¯s very fast, and it ate very cleanly. It didn¡¯t leave any traces. There¡¯s no hair, marks, or anything of the like.¡¯ Lin Qi thought for a while but did not have any leads. The most important thing now was to make a new pot of soup and let others eat their fill. That way, when they encountered demonic beasts, they would have the strength to resist. At the same time, Lin Qi could not relax. He was going to use the mushroom soup to lure out that mysterious creature. After all, there was an unknown entity nearby that made them uneasy. He gathered those people together and whispered the plan he had just thought of. If those people cooperated, they would be able to catch the demonic beast. His plan was to use the beast-catching net that the orc tribe had used to deal with them last time to catch it. Of course, he would use the mushroom soup as bait. Lin Qi also had a blow dart, which could be used to launch a sneak attack. Everyone agreed after hearing that. There was not much risk anyway. If they caught a live demonic beast and sold it to a mage, they would make a huge profit. Lin Qi cooked another pot of Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup, and everyone got a small spoonful. They had heard that the young master of the Lin family sold magical food, so they all tried it carefully. Sure enough, the Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup was a magic artifact. First of all, it was extremely delicious, and they wished they could swallow the whole pot full of it but they only drank a mouthful before they felt full. At that point, everyone present had a change in their opinion of Lin Qi. A person who could make magic artifacts would always be sought after. As for him turning food into magic artifacts, that meant that he was just an ordinary artifact craftsman. There were even weirder artifact craftsmen that made all sorts of strange things. ¡°Let¡¯s start. However, the thing hiding in the dark may have some intelligence. We have to set up a trap quietly and not alert it.¡± Seeing that the others had already eaten, Lin Qi also began to arrange the traps. They all followed his instructions and installed the traps step-by-step. In the end, Lin Qi was the one who finalized it. After working for half a day, an untraceable trap had been prepared. There was still half a pot of Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup left in the place where the food was prepared. It looked as if they had not finished eating it and left it unattended. The others also returned to the depths of the cave to pretend to rest. The bonfire in the cave was burning quietly. The others hid and waited for the demonic beast in the dark to take the bait. Half a night passed just like that. Lin Qi leaned against the stone wall and fell asleep. Clang! A loud noise immediately woke them up. Then, they looked at the closed beast-catching net in the distance. A black demonic beast was struggling inside. The demonic beast struggled for a while and then stopped moving. The beast-catching net must have worked. Lin Qi had experienced its effect. Once it was caught in the net, it would gradually lose its power. ¡°So it¡¯s a big black dog. I was worried for nothing.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯ve only seen wolf-type demonic beasts. Dog-type demonic beasts are rare.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know much. There are dog-headed men among the orcs.¡± The group of people chatted and laughed. They came to the front of the net and looked at the black dog inside. The black dog was also pretending to be dead. It seemed to be quite intelligent and knew how to disguise itself. One of them boldly walked forward and poked the black dog a few times with the long stick. Seeing that it did not respond, he turned around and said, ¡°Since he ate our food, why don¡¯t we eat it?¡± The others also followed suit and began to discuss how to eat it. They did not sense the black dog¡¯s strength, but Lin Qi felt that things were not that simple. The black dog had eaten more than two pots of the Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup in a single day. Even a three-star demonic beast would be stuffed to death with that amount. ¡°All of you, step back. This black dog might still be dangerous. Don¡¯t go forward until you¡¯re sure,¡± Lin Qi said to the group of people who were discussing how to eat the black dog. They did not care about the so-called danger, but they still listened to Lin Qi¡¯s words anyway. They did not know how long the acid rain would last, and with Lin Qi around, they did not need to starve. Lin Qi stepped forward to take a look, but he grasped the blow dart in his hand in front of him to prevent the demonic beast from suddenly attacking him. The half pot of mushroom soup in front of him was already gone, but there were no splatters or spillage on the ground either. It must have been completely eaten by the black dog. Lin Qi suddenly had some admiration for a dog. It was about to die, but it still had to finish the food in the pot. It was really a foodie. What he did not see was that when the black dog, which was pretending to be dead, saw Lin Qi come to observe, it gently sniffed him. Its eyes opened a little bit and discreetly looked at Lin Qi. ¡°Let me kill this black dog. Tonight, we will have an extra meal since we have worked hard for so long.¡± One of them came forward, pulled out his longsword, and was about to attack. The black dog saw that the others were actually going to go through with killing it, and it immediately could not pretend anymore. Hu! A ball of flame spat out from his mouth and immediately burned a big hole in the beast-catching net. Then, it turned around and ran out. Everyone present, including Lin Qi, was so scared that they fell to the ground. A demonic beast that could spit fire! An existence that surpassed devil beasts! A creature that was above the six-star grade and was at least a seven-star demonic beast! They were all stunned for a moment. Suddenly, someone shouted loudly. ¡°This creature surpasses the grade of a devil beast! This time, we¡¯re going to be rich!¡± The others also came back to their senses. When they heard that they were going to be rich, they immediately surrounded the participant who spoke. Lin Qi also followed them. He, too, wanted to hear about that demonic beast. The black dog gave him a very special feeling.. Chapter 61 - Everyone’s Pursuit Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation According to Lin Qi¡¯s understanding, demonic beasts that could spit fire were generally above the seven-star grade. Demonic beasts that could reach that level had high intelligence. They were as smart as humans. On the contrary, some of them had lived for a long time so they gradually grew smarter than humans. The participant with the longsword was very excited. It seemed that the black dog had brought him a great surprise. He stood on a rock and cleared his throat. ¡°Explain it quickly.¡± ¡°Yes, explain it quickly.¡± The others could not wait any longer. They were all interested in getting rich. The person did not hesitate and immediately said, ¡°Have any of you heard of Clean Slate demonic beasts?¡± After he finished speaking, he glanced at the crowd. The others shook their heads to indicate that they were not familiar with that term. Lin Qi was the same as them. He had not even properly understood that world when he arrived at the Black Wind Castle¡¯s trial. He knew less than all those people. ¡®If I have the chance to know more information about demonic beasts, I will take it since I might have to deal with them in the future,¡¯ Lin Qi thought to himself. Seeing that the others did not know, that person immediately became proud, but he still continued. ¡°Clean Slate demonic beasts refer to powerless demonic beasts that only possess a realm. Some of them are born that way, such as the holy light fish, and some of them lost their power due to various reasons.¡± The others looked at each other. That was the first time they had heard of such a thing. However, judging from the tone and manner of the speaker, what he said was not false. Actually, it was quite true after thinking about it. If it really was a genuine seven-star demonic beast, then they would have died long ago. ¡°There¡¯s such a thing? Then wouldn¡¯t it be equivalent to us killing a seven-star demonic beast if we captured that black dog?¡± Someone added. In the end, even he did not believe that. Hiss! Everyone sucked in a breath of cold air, and then their breathing became rapid. Their eyes were slightly red. They all thought of the trial. Even the lowest seven-star demonic beast was an existence that high-level mages were unwilling to face. If they killed the black dog, not only would they be able to complete the trial, but they would also be able to make a name for themselves in their respective cities. That was something that many people could not achieve in their lifetime. However, such an opportunity had fallen into their hands. If they did not seize that opportunity, they would regret it for the rest of their lives. ¡°What are we waiting for? The rain has stopped. Let¡¯s go kill that black dog!¡± ¡°I see it! It¡¯s still in the forest ahead!¡± .. They could not wait any longer. The faster they caught the black dog, the faster they could complete the trial. Their chance had come. A group of people ran out of the cave while shouting. Lin Qi shouted a few words behind them, but no one listened to him. He felt that the black dog was very peculiar, and he wanted to follow it to discover more. However, he still had to deliver food to the Bru tribe, which made him feel conflicted. Nevertheless, he still thought of a way. He had an agreement with the Holy Maiden that if Lin Qi did not return in three days, they would send people to find him. Now that the acid rain had stopped, it was more convenient for the people in the tribe to come out. He could keep the food in that cave and let the people of the tribe collect it. He quickly made the stone pies and put them on a slab. Then, Lin Qi wrote down the method to eat them and left a mark. When the orcs came to find him, they would find the things here. He also briefly told them where he was going. He was not worried about the stone pies being eaten by other people or demonic beasts because they would not know the correct way to consume them. It was really like eating a rock. He had never seen any demonic beast nearby eat a rock before, so it was very safe in there. After making the stone pies, Lin Qi quickly ran out. He was afraid that if he could not find the black dog in time, someone would be in trouble. ¡°Wait for me!¡± Lin Qi could only see the figure of the last person after he left the cave. They all went deeper into the forest. Lin Qi also increased his speed and chased after them. He thought that it would take a long time to catch up with the people in front of him. He had not expected to stumble upon them shouting and running helter-skelter. It was as if they were trying to catch chickens. They were all running around trying to chase the black dog. They were very busy. The black dog moved deftlyÒ»dodging back and forth between the trees. That caused others to struggle to keep their eyes on it let alone capture it. As mentioned earlier, the black dog seemed to not have any actual strength. Otherwise, it would not have to circle around the trees with the rest of them in order to defend itself. However, the group was wandering deeper and deeper into the forest. Now that the acid rain had stopped, it was very likely that demonic beasts would appear. However, the benefits that they were about to obtain made everyone unwilling to give up. On the other hand, Lin Qi felt that the black dog was toying with them. Every time they nearly caught it, it was just a little bit out of reach. That made everyone even more excited. It was as if they had lost their rationality. Lin Qi thought about it and felt that their actions were quite reasonable. He was born in the Lin family. He did not need to pursue anything. When the time came, someone would arrange everything for him. The demonic beast in front of those people was their only chance to make a profitÒ»it was impossible for them to give up now. However, after chasing it for some distance, the forest became dense with trees, and the light was getting dimmer and dimmer. The black dog used its black coat as camouflage and escaped from the pursuit of the group. They could not find any traces of the black dog, so they gradually gathered together. ¡°Such a big black dog but in the blink of an eye, it disappeared. It¡¯s really strange.¡± ¡°Have you seen it?¡± Several asked, trying to get an answer from each other. However, the disappearance of the black dog was too strange. Even Lin Qi, who was standing at the side, did not see where it went. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go back? Since the acid rain stopped, the other demonic beasts might come out. When that happens, this forest will be very dangerous,¡± Lin Qi advised the others. He did not want to involve himself with them but he had forgotten the way back. He did not have the strength, so it would be more dangerous if he went back alone. The safety of the group would be guaranteed if they all went back at the same time. However, the others had not agreed with Lin Qi¡¯s suggestion. That was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If they got the demonic beast, even if they split it equally, it would allow them to swim in the riches. ¡°But what Lin Qi said does make sense. We have to plan carefully and try to avoid encountering other demonic beasts.¡± That suggestion was approved by everyone. They still had to go after the demonic beast, but they also had to consider their own safety. They found an empty space and began to discuss a plan. Lin Qi was listening by the side. He did not think that those people could capture the black dog alone, because the combined IQ of that group was not as high as that black dog¡¯s. Of course, Lin Qi would not say those words that would offend others. Even if he could not find his way back, he would not chase after the black dog with them.. Chapter 62 - Stone Rain Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation They were all discussing it seriously. ¡°As long as we can catch it, not only can we complete the trial but we will also be handsomely rewarded when we return home.¡± ¡°Haha, of course! This is a Clean Slate demonic beast, a rare sight that is found once in a hundred years.¡± ¡°Right, we should catch it alive. Let¡¯s see if those gossipy women would still dare to call me a good-for-nothing then.¡± .. Lin Qi did not think much of it. Even if that black dog was really a Clean Slate demonic beast, it was still a creature that could spit fire. Moreover, they could not find that black dog at all. He really did not know where they got their confidence from. Lin Qi discreetly rolled his eyes at them. If it were not for the fact that his physical strength was subpar and he did not know the way, he would have gone back long ago. Now, he could only grumble to himself. He had not expected the other would involve him in their plan as they talked. ¡°But, we have already lost it. How are we going to catch it now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s use the same method as before. Lure it with food, wait for it to fall into the net and capture it.¡± ¡°But¡­ It can spit fire! The net just now burned in an instant.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It pretended to be dead before spitting fire. What does that mean? It means it can¡¯t spit fire continuously.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. So this time we won¡¯t give it a chance to spit fire. We¡¯ll wait for it to fall into the net and attack it instantly!¡± After saying that, one of them looked at Lin Qi. ¡°Lin Qi, please make another pot of mushroom soup!¡± Lin Qi had no choice but to agree. However, he had just used up all the raw materials for the Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup. There was still a lot of water. Rose salt could be exchanged directly with the system, but mixed mushrooms, eucalyptus leaves, and fungus still needed to be collected. Lin Qi allocated the task of picking the ingredients over to them. After a while, they returned to the empty space with a load of ingredients. Lin Qi could not help but sigh. After all, more people meant more power. Otherwise, he would not have been able to find such ingredients in such a short time span. He took the ingredients and went to the pre-arranged trap location. He set up the pot and soon, a pot of fragrant Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup was ready. The aroma assailed his nostrils. The participants looked at the delicious food in front of them and could not help but swallow their saliva. Some of them even muttered, ¡°Do we really need to use it as bait? It¡¯s such a waste! Why not let me eat it? It can still be used after we have a taste.¡± ¡°Calm down! Even if the soup is gone, Lin Qi can still make more. A Clean Slate demonic beast that is comparable to a seven-star demonic beast is not something that can be seen anytime and anywhere!¡± Lin Qi rolled his eyes when he heard that. They relied on him way too much. If it was not for the fact that he did not know the way, he would not have helped them. It took them a lot of effort to suppress the hunger in their hearts, and they planned to set up a trap around them according to the plan. Suddenly, a black shadow rushed over. It was the black dog. It rushed to the front of the mushroom soup, opened its big mouth, and grabbed the small pot between its jaws. Then, it ran into the depths of the forest. The shock of the scene before them made them freeze on the spot. A few of them who reacted quickly immediately chased after it. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, hurry up and chase after it!¡± A loud shout woke everyone up and they quickly chased after the black dog. Lin Qi quickly packed up the remaining ingredients and said, ¡°Hey! Wait for me!¡± He followed behind the group and exclaimed as he ran. ¡°This black dog is really amazingÒ»it¡¯s too smart!¡± It turned out that the black dog had not run far from the beginning. Instead, it hid at the side and had heard the group¡¯s entire plan. Then, it waited for the right time. When Lin Qi finished making the Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup and everyone¡¯s attention was focused on making traps, it rushed out, grabbed the pot with its mouth, and ran away. If someone had told Lin Qi that the black dog had been planning to exploit the traps in the first place, Lin Qi would believe it. That was because to make traps, there had to be bait! It seemed that the big black dog was truly a foodie. If that was the case, it would be much easier to deal with. After all, he had a gourmet system. The black dog led everyone deeper into the forest. Although the acid rain had stopped, the surrounding trees and the ground had been corroded, leaving several potholes. Lin Qi could occasionally see acid rain pits, sizzling and constantly emitting white smoke. ¡°Everyone, watch your steps. Don¡¯t step into the acid rain pits.¡± Someone with sharp eyes reminded them. .. Gradually, their field of vision widened again. The black dog led the group to an empty space. Strangely, the ground was covered with black stones. In order to catch the black dog, they did not think too much and rushed forward anyway. However, something strange had happened. Some of those black stones were extremely hot. It was as if they had been burning in a furnace for seven days and seven nights. They actually burned through the soles of their shoes. Some of the stones were as cold as ice. From a distance, it seemed as if they were still emitting cold air. The moment someone stepped on them, they lost all feeling in their entire leg. For a moment, screams rose and fell one after another. Lin Qi stood at the edge and watched the screaming crowd. He felt a lingering fear in his heart. Fortunately, he was a little late because he was busy packing his things! He raised his head to look at the black dog in the distance. He saw that it was standing leisurely on the stones, not affected in the slightest. The black dog looked at the rocks on the ground, its eyes filled with disdain as well as a hint of fear, as if it knew the origin of those rocks, and had suffered some losses because of them. The black dog noticed Lin Qi¡¯s gaze, shook its head, and threw the small pot in its mouth to the side. The pot was already licked clean. Lin Qi admired the dog even more. A group of people was chasing after it, and it still had time to finish a pot of soup. It must have starved to death in his previous life. .. To be honest, Lin Qi did not have much interest in capturing the dog. He only wanted to rush back to the orc tribe from the beginning. He had hoped that those people would show him the way, but now it seemed that he could not count on them. Lin Qi only wanted to get away from there. He did not care whether he could find the way back or not. He just up and left. It was not that he was cruel, but he was powerless. After all, he did not have much strength and could only rely on the system. Moreover, Lin Qi had advised them not to chase after the black dog. They had brought that upon themselves. Lin Qi had not gone far when the sky suddenly changed, accompanied by a fierce wind. Not good, the acid rain was beginning to return! Lin Qi hurriedly took out a raincoat to avoid the acid rain and put it on hastily. Before he could heave a sigh of relief, it started to rain rocks! The others were just as unprepared and were hit by the stones. They quickly ran from that area. At that moment, they finally realized where those strange rocks in the clearing originated from. In the panic, Lin Qi and the rest could only scurry away. Lin Qi cursed as he ran. What a lousy place! There was acid rain and stone rain. Why had no one in the orc tribe told him? They would definitely hear from him when he returned! Lin Qi was in fact wrong about accusing the orcs. In fact, the stone rain had a range. It was mainly concentrated in that open area, unlike the acid rain which covered the entire region.. Chapter 63 - Sudden Change Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Lin Qi covered his head with both hands and bent down to avoid the falling rocks. However, the rocks were still too dense, and Lin Qi could not even count how many times he was hit. What was worse was that some of the rocks were hot or cold. Lin Qi¡¯s back was hit by a cold rock, and now his entire back was stiff. He gritted his teeth and ran into the forest with all his might, hoping that the trees could help shield him. ¡°Everyone, run into the forest!¡± Lin Qi did not forget to instruct everyone then. After all, Lin Qi did not want any of them to be muddled and killed by the rocks. That would be a sin. In the original world, saving a life was better than all the wealth in the world. He would help as many people as he could. At first, he could still hear the footsteps of others beside him. Later, he could only hear the sound of rocks hitting the ground and tree trunks. Just like that, after running for an unknown amount of time, Lin Qi finally found a cave. He quickly ran in. When he ran into the cave, he stumbled and fell to the ground. Despite the circumstances, Lin was quite lucky. Although he had been hit by rocks many times, only one of them had a special temperature. Even so, he could no longer feel his back. Lin Qi kept struggling and tried to sit up. After a few attempts, he finally got up and leaned against the rock wall behind him. He held his breath and looked for recipes in the system, hoping to get rid of the chill in his body. After flipping through it for a while, Lin Qi¡¯s eyes lit up. [ Chili Soup: Removes all chills and cold effects on your body after consumption. ] [ Ingredients: Chili, Water. ] He did not expect such an ordinary dish would be capable of saving his life at such a critical moment. Fortunately, when he was preparing the ingredients, Lin Qi had brought a lot of common ingredients with him just in case. Otherwise, where would he find chili in such a place. Lin Qi quickly activated the system and made the cold-dispelling soup. [ Dish Name: Spicy Chili Soup, Level-1 Dish, Ordinary Level, Magic Effect: It can dispel all the coldness in the body. ] [ Material Consumption: Chili (x3), Water (x1)] [ Cooking¡­ Cooking completed ] [ Ding! You have obtained: Spicy Chili Soup ] Lin Qi quickly took out the soup and drank it in one gulp. After a while, he felt the chill in his body disappear. He stood up and stretched his body. His back was no longer stiff. Lin Qi went to the cave entrance and observed the stone rain outside. He estimated that the rain would not stop for a while. He had been tormenting himself the whole day. He decided to sleep for now. He took out the Super Sticky Starch Paste and spread it on the cave entrance. He found a relatively dry empty space in the cave and decided to sleep. After lying down, Lin Qi thought for a moment, stood up, and picked out the stones scattered around him. He took a few of the most convenient ones and put them beside him. If anything unusual happened at night, at least he had a weapon. However, no matter how good the stones were, they were not as useful as Explosive Beef Meatballs. He hoped that the next system upgrade would give him the recipe for those meatballs. ¡®I wonder how Yu Meng and Luther are doing. After I left, did they eat well? I wonder if the orc tribe bullied them. ¡®Oh right, I wonder if the orcs who were supposed to come for me found the stone pies I prepared. Sigh, I have to go back as soon as the rain stops.¡¯ .. Although the sound of rocks falling on the ground could not be considered white noise, Lin Qi was really too tired. He fell into a deep sleep while his imagination ran wild. Moreover, he slept very soundly and did not dream. He slept until noon the next day. When Lin Qi woke up, the stone rain had stopped, leaving only black rocks on the ground. He walked out of the cave, looked around, and glanced up at the sky. The sky was still gloomy. There was no sunlight, not even wind. It was very calm. Nevertheless, Lin Qi knew that in that area, the calmer it was, the more dangerous it was. He packed his things and prepared to leave. The problem was, he had no idea where he was. He only knew the approximate location of the orc tribe, but there was no sight of the sun that could help him navigate. He had no choice but to trust in fate. He looked around, picked up a branch that had been broken by a rock, and threw it high into the air. The branch spun a few times in the air and fell to the ground. Looking at where the tip of the branch pointed, Lin Qi fixed his clothes, took a deep breath, and strode forward. .. Without the sun as a reference, Lin Qi did not know how long he had walked for. He just felt that the atmosphere was getting hotter and hotter He had even adjusted his direction twice¡­ In other words, he had thrown the branch twice. If there were members of the orc tribe there, they would be able to tell Lin Qi to hurry in the opposite direction! However, Lin Qi first chased the dog, hid from the rain, and then threw tree branches. He did not know if something was guiding him to get closer and closer to the depths of the forest. However, that journey was not without any gains. Lin Qi found a lot of ingredients and picked up everything he could. At least he would not go hungry. Slowly, Lin Qi realized that he was going in circles, because he saw his own traces from picking ingredients several times. There was nothing he could do about it. Other than trees, there were also all sorts of flora in that place, and they all looked the same. Moreover, whether it was in his previous life or the current one, Lin Qi had no experience of surviving in the wild. Lin Qi refused to be discouraged and continued to walk in another direction. Soon, he turned back. Even if Lin Qi did not believe it, he knew that he had encountered a ¡®ghost fighting a wall¡¯. Of course, he did not mean that he had really encountered a ghost. It was just that when a person could not tell directions clearly and their self-consciousness was blurred, that kind of situation would occur. There was nothing he could do, so he decided to rest on the spot. Lin Qi flipped through the system and looked at the various ingredients. In the end, he decided to cook a meal. He was not hungry. After all, he had just drunk the Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup yesterday. He could maintain his strength for three days. It was just that he really did not know what else to do. Having a satisfying meal at that moment would stimulate the dopamine secretion in his body and could help him relax. After thinking for a while, Lin Qi decided to have western cuisine from his previous life. He would first make a Delicious Steak and then a chowder. Although those two dishes were very ordinary, with the addition of the system, they were definitely unrivaled delicacies. In a short while, the aroma of the steak and the chowder spread out, making Lin Qi¡¯s appetite soar. Unfortunately, there was no red wine. Just as Lin Qi was about to taste it, the ground started to shake, and the gravel on the ground bounced along with the shaking. Some big rocks rolled down the slope, and the noise was extremely ear-piercing. That change scared Lin Qi so much that he jumped up. He quickly packed his things, because he did not know what caused the shaking. He did not dare to walk around. He could only find a thick tree. If anything happened, he could climb it.. Chapter 64 - Cooperation Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The tremors became more and more intense. It was difficult for Lin Qi to even stand firmly. He could only support himself against the tree beside him with both hands. Moreover, there was a rumbling sound not far away. Lin Qi felt that the sound was somewhat familiar, but he could not remember where he had heard it before. Lin Qi looked in the direction of the sound and vaguely saw a very tall mountain. However, that mountain seemed very strange. The top of it was relatively flat. Then, there was a large amount of black smoke coming from the top of the mountain. That mountain, that sound¡­ Lin Qi¡¯s expression suddenly changed. He knew what it was¡­ F*ck! He turned around and ran without saying anything. However, before he could run a few steps, he heard a roar! Hot magma spewed out under the heavy black smoke, and the rumbling sound spread in all directions. The red-hot rocks were spewed out by the pressure and arched downwards across the sky by gravity, a beautiful sight if you ignore the serious consequences of a volcanic eruption. After the lava flew out in the air for a short while, it flowed down the mountain, and everything was submerged by it. Lin Qi did not even dare to look back, and could only run forward desperately. Fortunately, Lin Qi had seen a documentary about a volcanic eruption in his previous life, so he had some impression of the sound and the signs before the eruption. Otherwise, he would have melted by now. However, how could a normal person with two legs run faster than the erupting magma? Lin Qi felt the temperature behind him getting higher and higher, and the hot air almost suffocated him! However, Lin Qi could not do anything about it. When he realized that it was a volcanic eruption, he searched through the system, hoping to find something that could make him immune to the magma, but the result disappointed him. Lin Qi only found a normal recipe in the system. That type of level one dish could stave off the heat, but how could it hold against the lava? Moreover, rocks could fall on him at any time. Sensing that the lava was getting closer and closer to him, he had no choice. He took out all the food he could make and stuffed it into his mouth, but it was useless. Now, unless he grew a pair of wings, he would definitely die. Lin Qi was in despair. At that moment, a black shadow rushed out from the side. It was the big black dog! Lin Qi¡¯s hope was ignited again. He grabbed the black dog and kicked hard with his feet, riding on the black dog¡¯s body. The black dog sensed that a human was riding on its body and turned around to bite Lin Qi. However, when it turned around and saw that the lava was already very close, it had no choice but to suppress the urge to bite Lin Qi to death. The big black dog growled, and its speed increased by a few notches. The moment it sped up, it almost threw Lin Qi off its back. He hurriedly lowered his body and wrapped his arms around the black dog¡¯s neck. The black dog turned its head to look at Lin Qi again and growled, as if saying, ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck!¡± Lin Qi did not care whether the black dog was willing or not. If he were to fall, he would definitely die. Only a fool would let go! The black dog saw that the human was so thick-skinned and knew that now was not the time to argue with him. Escaping was more important! So it did not pay any mind to him anymore. Just like that, with the help of the black dog, Lin Qi finally escaped the lava. Lin Qi and the dog hid in a cave. Just as they were out of danger, the black dog threw Lin Qi off his back with all its strength and then howled madly at Lin Qi. Lin Qi was also furious. He was just hitching a ride. What was the big fuss for? ¡®You even drank three pots of my Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup. I haven¡¯t settled the score with you yet.¡¯ ¡°Where did this wild dog come from? Believe it or not, I¡¯ll smack you to death!¡± Woof! ¡°You drank three pots of my mushroom soup. So what if I ride on you? Do you think I had a choice?¡± Woof! ¡°You only know how to bark. You can¡¯t even speak any human languages! Dumb dog!¡± ¡°Idiot!¡± Lin Qi staggered. He was shocked. ¡®Did the dog actually speak?¡¯ Although Lin Qi was aware that a Clean Slate demonic beast was very special, he was still shocked when a dog spoke a human language. ¡°You¡¯re a dog! You¡¯re supposed to be a regular dog!¡± ¡°Can a regular dog spit fire? Do you have no idea what I am? I¡¯m a super divine beast!¡± When Lin Qi heard that, he laughed out loud. ¡°If you¡¯re a divine beast, then I¡¯m a god!¡± That time, it was the black dog¡¯s turn to be stunned. ¡°What¡¯s a god?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more powerful than a divine beast, undead dog!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a divine beast!¡± After saying that, he opened his mouth and growled at Lin Qi. Only then did Lin Qi remember that the big dog in front of him was an existence comparable to a seven-star demonic beast. Not to mention anything else, just its ability to spit fire was something that he, Lin Qi, could not easily handle. Lin Qi was prepared to negotiate with the big black dog based on the principle that humans would not argue with dogs. He knew that the black dog was a glutton, so he could use delicious food to entice it. ¡°Hmph, seeing that you saved me just now, I won¡¯t argue with you anymore.¡± Lin Qi looked like a mature adult who lets bygones be bygones. When the black dog heard that, it became even angrier. It planned to charge forward and bite that shameless human to death. Lin Qi sat on the ground unhurriedly, then took out a bowl of Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup. Sure enough, the moment Lin Qi took out the scrumptious soup, the black dog¡¯s eyes went wide. He waved the delectable soup in his hand at the black dog. ¡°Do you want some?¡± The black dog first nodded subconsciously, then it felt that such an action was not befitting of the dignity of a divine beast, so it shook its head after. Lin Qi smiled and was about to say something when he saw the black dog suddenly turn its head to look at the entrance of the cave. His face darkened and he subconsciously looked at the entrance of the cave as well, but there was nothing there. Lin Qi was stunned for a moment before he realized that he had been tricked! When he turned his head, the bowl in his hand was clean and there was no soup left at all. Meanwhile, the black dog was lying on the side as if it had not done anything. Lin Qi was truly amazed on the inside. That speedÒ»did it only take three seconds? Actually, when the two of them were running for their lives, Lin Qi felt that something was strange. The black dog¡¯s speed was unbelievable! As expected, the black dog was playing with them that time they chased it! .. Without saying anything, Lin Qi took out another bowl of soup. However, that time it was the Marsh Mushroom Soup. Not only did it have an appetizing color, aroma, and taste, but it could also increase the strength of the user without any side effects. The black dog¡¯s head instantly turned around. Its nose twitched, and saliva dripped out of its mouth. At that time, the black dog did not even bother to hide it. It wanted to charge at the Marsh Mushroom Soup. However, Lin Qi did not give it a chance. With a flick of his wrist, he put away the soup. ¡°I can make a lot of delicacies of this level. Moreover, the soup just now was not only delicious, but it can also increase the strength of the user in all aspects without any side effects.¡± The black dog was stunned. ¡°Increase strength? Really?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t lie to a dog!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, I¡¯m a divine beast!¡± ¡°Okay, okay, okay, divine beast, got it¡­¡± Lin Qi did not care at all as he pinched his ears. ¡°You drank three pots of my soup before and saved my life just now. Now, we¡¯re even. I see that you¡¯re very familiar with this forest. How about we work together? ¡°You get me out of this forest, and I¡¯ll make you something delicious.. How about that?¡± Chapter 65 - The Soup Tastes Even Better With Added Ingredients Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Only then did Lin Qi have the time to size up the black dog. It had big ears and its entire body was filled with muscles making it as strong as a bull. Its white canine teeth were like a sharp dagger, and from time to time, its jaws would part to reveal a bright red tongue. Lin Qi did not know much about the Clean Slate demonic beast, but he felt that the matter was not that simple. That dog had too many strange attributes. It had a big appetite, it spat flames, it was not afraid of the magical black rocks, it was extremely fast, it spoke, and it was very smart. Even then, when Lin Qi suggested cooperating, the black dog rolled its eyes. After a while, the black dog seemed to remember something. Lin Qi actually saw a hint of vulgarity on its face. Woof! ¡°¡­ Speak the human language!¡± Lin Qi cursed in his heart. It even said that it was not a dog yet it kept barking like one. ¡°We can cooperate, but I have a request. In addition to providing me with items to increase my strength, you also have to help me teach my enemy a lesson. Then, I¡¯ll help you out.¡± Enemy? Lin Qi¡¯s heartbeat stuttered. ¡°Who? Are they powerful? You can¡¯t beat it?¡± Lin Qi asked three questions in a row. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about who it is. It¡¯s definitely not as powerful as me. I¡¯m a divine beast, the most invincible in the world!¡± Lin Qi really did not know what to say. Would it kill him to be humble for once? ¡°Then I also have a condition. You will lead me to food in quantities large enough to feed a tribe of several hundred people.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± The big black dog raised its front paw and waved it casually. Lin Qi looked at the front paw that was still in the air and stretched out his right hand, his palm facing upwards. ¡°Put your paw on it.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Qi cursed in his heart. That was because he had raised a border shepherd in his previous life and made that gesture a habit. The black dog was stunned at first, but it instantly flew into a rage when it came back to its senses. ¡°D*mn it, I¡¯m a divine beast! If you treat me like a dog again, I¡¯ll bite you to death!¡± The black dog used its front paws to hit the ground with all its might. ¡°Okay, okay, okay, Mr. Dog¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m called the Dark King!¡± ¡­ Dark Dog King? However, Lin Qi only dared to think about it secretly. If he continued to tease it, he was afraid that the conversation would really go south. A wise man would not take the loss before his eyes. When the system upgraded and gave him some amazing delicacies, he would see if he could hammer it or not. That was also what Dark King was thinking. ¡®Although that b*stard was weak, his cooking skills were really not bad.¡¯ When it recovered its strength, it would take Lin Qi as a pet and make him cook delicious food for it every day. The man and dog both had their own dirty intentions. Thus, the most bizarre combination in history was born. ¡°Kid, how can you have such amazing food? I¡¯ve lived for 100,000 years, but I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± ¡®¡­ 100,000 years and f*cking bragging about it, so you¡¯re a b*stard who¡¯s basically a undead dog?¡¯ ¡°Of course, who do you think I am?¡± ¡®Of course, you would not have heard of it, no one else has the system.¡¯ Even if Lin Qi taught others how to cook delicacies, it would not have the same effect. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m hungry. Cook for the king!¡± ¡®You¡¯re still hungry? You just ate a pot of Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup, but now that you mention it¡­¡¯ Lin Qi realized that he was hungry too. After all, he had run for so long, and he did not even finish the steak and chowder that he just made. He did not argue with that stupid dog. Without saying anything, he took out the pot and started to make the Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup. The black dog sniffed the fragrance coming out of the pot, and its saliva dripped all over the floor. ¡°Not bad, not bad. You really can¡¯t judge a book by its cover¡­¡± Lin Qi was unhappy. ¡°Wait a minute, do you think you can be arrogant just because you know how to speak human language? Is this how you judge a book by its cover? What¡¯s wrong with my looks? Tell me clearly.¡± That time, it was Dark King¡¯s turn to be speechless. It was just a saying he said carelessly. ¡°You think you¡¯re better looking than me when you look like a big black rat?¡± Dark King was stunned. ¡®You can¡¯t judge a book by its cover¡¯ was just a saying. Was there a need for him to get so defensive? However, Dark King could do nothing but just listen. No matter how good it was at speaking human language, it was impossible for its fluency to be better than humans. Seeing that Lin Qi was getting more and more agitated as he spoke, saliva almost sprayed onto Dark King¡¯s face. Dark King wanted to bite him to death but it could not bear to part with the pot of soup that was almost ready. It was so angry! There was nothing it could do. It was really hungry. Seeing that the black dog was not making a sound and Lin Qi had also scolded enough, he continued to make the mushroom soup. After that mess, the man and the dog did not want to talk to each other. Only the sound of boiling water could be heard in the empty cave. Before long, the Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup was ready. Lin Qi lifted the lid of the pot and was about to taste it. Dark King next to him smelled it and instantly stood up to Lin Qi¡¯s side. He raised his paw and sent Lin Qi flying. ¡®This is payback for letting you scold me just now!¡¯ It stuck its head into the pot. It was not afraid of the heat and finished the entire pot of soup in two mouthfuls. After finishing the soup, it raised its head and smacked its lips, looking satisfied. Lin Qi, who was sent flying to the side, was furious. Hands on his hips, he pointed at Dark King as he cursed. ¡°How can there be such a gluttonous, small-minded and rude dog?¡± The black dog ignored him and walked into the depths of the cave. It stretched its body and was about to sleep. Before sleeping, it even glanced at Lin Qi. That b*stard was rambling and it was not listening. Lin Qi¡¯s voice was hoarse from cursing. He was still angry. If he could not beat it, he would skin it alive and eat the dog meat. Lin Qi had no choice but to make another bowl. After drinking it, he went to sleep in a huff. The night was silent. When Lin Qi opened his eyes the next morning, he found the Dark King staring at him from not far away. His eyes were glowing green. Lin Qi was shocked. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Hungry!¡± Lin Qi let out a long sigh. He thought the Dark King was going to eat him. Dark King saw that Lin Qi had woken up, so he walked to the side and lay down. Lin Qi recalled the scene yesterday, and he could not help but feel angry. He flipped through the system to see if there was anything that could be used against that black dog. As he flipped through it, he suddenly found a dish. Lin Qi looked at the introduction of that dish and chuckled coldly. He was a little too pleased with himself and even laughed out loud. When Dark King heard the laughter, it looked at Lin Qi. ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Lin Qi quickly stopped smiling. ¡°Nothing, nothing.¡± After saying that, he ignored Dark King and started to cook by himself. The black dog was a little puzzled, but it did not take it to heart. Lin Qi took out a pot and continued to cook the Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup. After all, that dish prevented hunger. If it were other delicacies, he might have been forced to do nothing but cook for the Dark King all day. Lin Qi controlled the heat. Seeing that the mushroom soup was almost done, he stole a glance at the Dark King. Seeing that Dark King had his eyes closed, he quickly took out a bunch of ingredients from the system and quickly threw them into the thick soup. Lin Qi took the wooden stick and stirred hard. When the ingredients were completely mixed with the thick soup, he woke Dark King up to eat. However, at that time, Lin Qi did not eat first. Instead, he gave everything to the Dark King. Dark King was a little puzzled. ¡°You don¡¯t want to eat?¡± Lin Qi showed a standard smile with teeth. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. I can feel full for three days with just a sip of this soup..¡± Chapter 66 - Farting Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Dark King felt that something was not right. Lin Qi was cursing up a storm yesterdayÒ»why was he so enthusiastic today? However, Dark King thought about it and realized that maybe Lin Qi was convinced that he was not strong enough to fight it. At that moment, it did not forget to be narcissistic. Dark King was so powerful and charming that Lin Qi could not help but submit to it. He was just one step closer to accepting himself as a pet. The Dark King raised its head and walked in front of the mushroom soup with its head held high. It glanced at Lin Qi disdainfully and finished the soup in no time. Lin Qi was smiling on the surface, but in his heart, he cursed, ¡®Keep pretending. Keep pretending. I¡¯ll make you cry later.¡¯ According to the system¡¯s introduction, the effective time of the ingredients was about 15 minutes. .. Lin Qi walked out of the cave. The aftermath of the volcanic eruption had subsided, so he went back to call Dark King and prepared to go out to look for the ingredients. ¡°Say, how does it go? ¡°How does that strength-boosting delicacy of yours work?¡± ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll drink it and you can watch what happens.¡± As he said that, he took out the Marsh Mushroom Soup and drank it in one gulp. Dark King was stunned, there was more of it? Then, it sent Lin Qi flying with a paw. After the paw slap, Dark King clearly felt that something was different, and its paw felt that Lin Qi was a little heavier. ¡°It seems really useful.¡± Dark King was amazed. ¡°Give me a pot!¡± Lin Qi rubbed his butt and stared at the Dark King. ¡°It¡¯s all gone!¡± ¡°This dish needs a very important ingredient, called white jade mushroom. Since you live here, you should know how rare this ingredient is.¡± ¡°And you drank it all yourself!¡± After saying that, it hit Lin Qi again. .. Lin Qi followed behind the Dark King with a bruised nose, staring at it with hatred. In his heart, however, there was some discrepancy. ¡°Why isn¡¯t it working yet, hasn¡¯t it been fifteen minutes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your good fortune to meet this king.¡± The Dark King at the front was completely unaware that Lin Qi had tampered with his food. ¡°I happen to know a place that has a lot of white jade mushrooms.¡± In no time, the Dark King led Lin Qi to a broken cliff and raised his head towards the opposite rock face. ¡°There¡¯s a five-star devil beast living in that cave, the rock wolf. It has a keen sense of smell and likes to collect white jade mushrooms.¡± Keen sense of smell? Lin Qi¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°That¡¯s right. So, we just need to lure it out with delicious food, and then we can take that opportunity to steal the white jade mushrooms.¡± The man and the dog sat by the cliff and began to discuss how to steal the rock wolf¡¯s white jade mushrooms. Lin Qi told him his plan. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll make the Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup first. You take the soup and lure the rock wolf away. I¡¯ll take the opportunity to steal the white jade mushrooms from the cave. You take it and run further away. Then, you¡¯ll circle back to pick me up.¡± Dark King was unhappy. ¡°Why don¡¯t you it instead?¡± ¡°You run fast! If it were me, it would have caught up with me in just a few steps.¡± Dark King was still a little unwilling. ¡°What? You¡¯re the Dark King, a super divine beast. Why are you afraid of a mere five-star devil beast?¡± Lin Qi provoked. ¡°What a joke. I¡¯m afraid of it? No chance! It¡¯s settled then!¡± It did as it was told. In order to ensure the effect, Lin Qi took out all his inventory and made a big pot of Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup. In order to prevent the fragrance from drawing out the rock wolf in advance, he even walked some distance away. After the delicacy was made, he fastened the lid of the pot. Lin Qi handed the mushroom soup to Dark King and reminded it again, ¡°This is all of my stock. If it doesn¡¯t work this time, I¡¯ll have to collect the ingredients again. Don¡¯t waste them.¡± Dark King raised its front paw and patted its chest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t drink it!¡± Slurp! Lin Qi looked at it speechlessly. ¡°Why don¡¯t we change the plan? I don¡¯t believe you¡­¡± Slurp! Slurp! ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡­¡± Well, at that point, he could not give up just like that. ¡°You must remember to come back and pick me up, Dark King!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Slurp! ¡°I¡¯m not an untrustworthy divine beast.¡± ¡®After this is done, I must think of a way to get some milk and caramel. This d*mn dog is too unreliable.¡¯ Lin Qi made up his mind. After handing the mushroom soup to Dark King, Lin Qi found a few tough vines from the forest and connected their heads and tails. Then, he tied one end of them to the tree and the other end to himself. When he was ready, he laid on the edge of the cliff. The distance between the two rock walls was not wide. He tied the vines to facilitate evacuation. After a while, Lin Qi saw the rock wolf walk out of the cave. Lin Qi thought that since it was called the rock wolf, it might have a hard, rock-like armor on its body. In fact, the rock wolf was named that way because it lived in the cave on the cliff. Its claws were very sharp and could be bent freely. It was especially suitable for rock climbing. At the same time, its sharp claws were its most powerful weapon. Its curved claws could hook its prey tightly. The rock wolf twitched its nose to determine the source of the aroma. After confirming its position, its four claws hooked onto the rock wall and quickly climbed down the mountain. Lin Qi did not rush over immediately. He waited for a moment until he could not see the rock wolf in his field of vision. Then, he stood up. He retreated to gain momentum, ran up, and jumped in one go. He stood steadily at the entrance of the cave. He untied the vines around his waist and hung them on the protruding part of the rock wall. He lit the torch that he had prepared beforehand and slowly explored the cave. The rock wolf was not big, so the cave was only about seven feet tall. Lin Qi walked all the way to the depths of the cave. Deeper in the cave was wider with a large stone platform at the innermost area which appears to be where the rock wolves slept. Right next to the platform, there are white jade mushrooms all over the place, and at a glance, there was roughly 20 or 30 of them. ¡®We¡¯re rich! We¡¯re rich!¡¯ Five white jade mushrooms can make a bowl of Marsh Mushroom Soup. Dark King gets a bowl while Yu Meng and the rest can get one as well. Lin Qi quickly put all the white jade mushrooms into the system. He then looked around to see if there was anything else he could collect. Outside the cave came the anxious cry of the Dark King. Lin Qi¡¯s face turned pale, that stupid dog was really unreliable. It had only been a few minutes since he had distracted the wolf. He picked up the torch, rushed to the cave entrance, and saw the Dark King standing on the cliff before. ¡°Come quick, the rock wolf¡¯s coming back!¡± Lin Qi threw away the torch, wrapped the vines around his waist, and jumped forward with all his might. When he was about to hit the wall, he lifted his feet and stepped onto the cliffside. On the cliff, Dark King bit on the vine and pulled Lin Qi up forcefully. ¡°Let¡¯s go, the rock wolf will be back soon!¡± Dark King signaled for him to ride on it. Although Lin Qi felt odd, he could only jump on the Dark King¡¯s back when he saw that it was in such a hurry. Then, Dark King ran. He was about to ask Dark King what happened when he heard the rock wolf¡¯s angry roar from behind. It was accompanied by the sound of trees collapsing. Lin Qi was shocked. ¡°What did you do to the rock wolf?¡± Dark King did not want to tell him at first, but seeing that Lin Qi kept asking, it stammered, ¡°I just farted..¡± Chapter 67 - The Mysterious Dark King Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation According to the plan, the Dark King lured the rock wolf out. It ran to a place far enough away, put down the big pot filled with Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup, and prepared to leave. However, it was greedy. First, it could not help but lick two mouthfuls of the mushroom soup. Then it simply sat there and started eating. After it finished eating, it raised its head and saw the rock wolf in front of it. The situation was extremely awkward. The rock wolf was a five-star devil beast after all. Its intelligence was not mediocre. It looked at the big black dog in front of it and then looked at the pot on the ground. It immediately guessed that it had been deliberately lured away. However, it was already very far from the cave, so it decided to capture the black dog in front of it first. Thus, the wolf and the dog started a crazy chase. Logically speaking, the rock wolf was not as fast, so the black dog should have easily shaken it off. However, after the Dark King finished the pot of soup, its stomach began to hurt, and it even made gurgling sounds from time to time. Dark King¡¯s stomach was getting more and more painful, but the rock wolf behind him was chasing it relentlessly, not giving it a chance to lose it. As it ran, the Dark King suddenly had the urge to fart. What was more coincidental was that the rock wolf was right behind the Dark King at that exact moemnt. Then¡­ The rock wolf said that it had never been humiliated in such a way before, and went ballistic. After the Dark King was satisfied, the pain in his stomach stopped, and he sped upÒ»running back to the cliff to pick up Lin Qi. .. Then, the battle between the wolf and the dog turned into a wolf chasing a man and a dog. When Lin Qi saw the appearance of the rock wolf behind him, he was so shocked that he almost fell off the Dark King¡¯s body. ¡°You f*cking farted?¡± At that moment, Lin Qi finally understood what had happened. He also remembered what he had done that morning. In the morning, to punish the Dark King, Lin Qi added a bunch of detoxifying crotons into the soup. According to the system¡¯s introduction, after consuming the crotons, toxins would instantly be expelled from the body. It was also used as the antidote for poisoning. Of course, the side effect was diarrhea, and it would instantly empty the stomach and intestines. The Dark King had been eating without stopping for the past few days, and his stomach had accumulated a lot of things. Lin Qi thought that the crotons were ineffective against the Dark King, but he did not expect the time of effect to be prolonged. Dark King was also puzzled. Why did it suddenly have diarrhea? ¡°Kid, did you put something in the soup?¡± How could Lin Qi admit it? ¡°Of course not, it¡¯s just a normal Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup.¡± ¡°Then why did I¡­¡± ¡°You must have eaten too much. A normal person can eat a spoonful for three days. Count how many pots of soup you¡¯ve eaten in three days, and how long has it been since you¡¯ve had a sh*t?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s been a few months, but¡­¡± ¡°Stop f*cking around, hurry up and run! I don¡¯t want to fight a devil beast with feces on it. Besides, don¡¯t you smell the stench?¡± Lin Qi was getting nervous. If the Dark King found out that it was Lin Qi¡¯s doing, it would definitely burn him to death. What a huge loss! The Dark King did not have time to think and quickly sped up. In less than five minutes, it shook off the rock wolf. In the end, all he could hear was the wolf¡¯s angry roar. The Dark King led Lin Qi to the previous cave. As soon as they walked in, it was already hungry. Lin Qi knew that he was in the wrong, so he quickly took out the white jade mushrooms and other ingredients to make Marsh Mushroom Soup. [ Name of Dish: Marsh Mushroom Soup, Level-3 Dish, Rare Level, Magic Effect: Can increase the strength of the drinker in all aspects, without leaving any side effects (can only be taken once, no effect after multiple consumptions) ] [ Material Consumption: Gray Mushroom (x3) Tree Mushroom (x2) Red Mushroom (x4) White Jade Mushroom (x5) Clear Water (x2) ] [ Cooking¡­ Cooking completed ] [ Ding! You have obtained: Marsh Mushroom Soup ] Lin Qi held the pot of soup and said to the Dark King, ¡°This is Marsh Mushroom Soup. It can increase the consumer¡¯s strength in all aspects without any side effects, but can only be consumed once which means there will be no effect from the second bowl onwards.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯re not trying to trick me, are you?¡± Dark King did not believe it. ¡°You don¡¯t believe it? It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll drink another pot for you to see¡­¡± Bang! Lin Qi flew off again. Dark King quickly drank the soup in the pot and closed its eyes to savor it silently. A moment later, it opened its eyes and looked at Lin Qi. ¡°It is indeed useful, but the effect is mediocre. If only I could have 30 to 40 bowls. Unfortunately¡­¡± Lin Qi could not be bothered with it anymore. ¡°Do you know any other delicacies that have special functions?¡± ¡°Yes, but most of them require ingredients I lack.¡± ¡°Tell me about them.¡± Lin Qi told the Dark King all the ingredients needed for the Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup, Haste Fruit, and other delicacies. Dark King thought for a moment and said, ¡°Kid, you¡¯re lucky. I¡¯ve seen all these ingredients before.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± Lin Qi could not wait any longer. ¡°There¡¯s no rush. I can¡¯t do it today. We¡¯ll set off tomorrow.¡± Before Lin Qi could ask for an explanation, he heard a strong wind blowing outside. Soon, acid rain began to fall. Lin Qi turned to look at the Dark King in surprise. According to the orc tribe, acid rain did not have any pattern, but it started to fall as soon as the Dark King mentioned it. One second, the sky was clear, and the next second, it started to rain heavily. The Dark King became even more mysterious in Lin Qi¡¯s heart. Just as Lin Qi wanted to ask more questions, Dark King walked to the side and fell asleep on the ground, snoring. ¡°Tsk, you don¡¯t want to tell me, but I wasn¡¯t even going to ask,¡± Lin Qi muttered. Even if Lin Qi had a raincoat that could protect him from acid rain, he did not want to go out and hang around. It was still very painful to be splashed by acid rain. Hence, he laid down with his back to the Dark King. He fell into a deep sleep in a short while. However, Dark King suddenly opened its eyes and stared at Lin Qi silently. There was a complicated look in its eyes. The Marsh Mushroom Soup did have some effect on Dark King, but it was very weak. It only slightly alleviated his injuries. The Dark King had also been observing Lin Qi for the past two days. There were many times when it did not know where Lin Qi took out the ingredients, and the ingredients were very fresh. Storage? However, Dark King did not feel any spatial fluctuations. It was more like he had taken them out directly from his body. Interesting. It had not felt something that exciting for a long time. Dark King originally thought that its life would be boring forever. The appearance of Lin Qi and the delicacies he had made gave Dark King a glimmer of hope. ¡®He¡¯s not a bad person. He has ambition and ability, but he¡¯s a little cheap,¡¯ Dark King thought secretly. If Lin Qi had heard that, he would have confronted it and replied, ¡°You¡¯re the cheap one. I learned it from you.¡± .. The next day, the man and the dog began their new adventure at dawn. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it the thieving journey. The ingredients that Lin Qi wanted were not that rare, they were just not produced in large quantities, and some required additional processing. Most of the monsters had the habit of storing such food. Those monsters would be their targets.. Chapter 68 - Level Up Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Undead dog, you¡¯re so f*cking unreliable!¡± Lin Qi said loudly as he rode on the Dark King¡¯s back. ¡°Don¡¯t push it, they¡¯re almost catching up!¡± Dark King ran without looking back. Lin Qi and Dark King were followed by a group of rats, densely packed together. They were mining rats that specialise in finding and feeding on metallic minerals. Their two front teeth could easily bite through hard rocks. Mining rats had individual strength of only three stars, but they were numerous. Moreover, their reproduction rate was high. On the fifth day after mating, the mother rat would release the immature mouse eggs into the metal minerals through the outer navel on her stomach. That not only saved the time to conceive, but it could also increase the number of mouse pups. Generally, a single birth could give 20 pups. With such numbers, even a five-star devil beast would have to temporarily avoid them. When Lin Qi first heard about the existence of such a species, he was a little puzzled. According to the rate of reproduction, the entire forest should have been occupied by them a long time ago. After the Dark King¡¯s explanation, he understood that because the mining rats¡¯ teeth were extremely sharp, it was difficult for ordinary stones or wood to wear their incisors. That resulted in the mining rats dying if they did not use metal to grind their teeth because their mouths would be penetrated by their incisors. Moreover, the mining rats had their natural enemiesÒ»rock rats, which fed on the mining rats¡¯ young. Lin Qi could not help but click his tongue in surprise. Then, Lin Qi set his eyes on the gold ore stored in the mining rats¡¯ storage. After a period of gourmet cooking, Lin Qi¡¯s experience was enough to upgrade the system to level four, but he did not have enough gold coins. Then he would use the gold ores to pay for it! At that point, it had been half a month since the rock wolf incident. Lin Qi and the Dark King had stolen from a lot of demonic beasts¡¯ collections, and they had formed a tacit understanding. Although they had encountered many dangers along the way, Dark King would always use his trump card at the critical moment to turn the situation around. Until that time¡­ The stupid dog¡¯s gluttonous habit was acting up again. Lin Qi had just finished stealing the gold ores when he was blocked by the mining rats. It was not easy for the Explosive Beef Meatballs to open a path before he could rush out. ¡°Throw some Explosive Beef Meatballs to the right side of the rats. There¡¯s a river there. These rats can¡¯t swim!¡± Lin Qi hurriedly took out three Explosive Beef Meatballs and threw them to the right. The explosion created an empty space there. The Dark King hurriedly rushed to the right side. Soon, a wide river appeared in front of them. Dark King accelerated and jumped up. Using the momentum from the run, it landed on the other side of the river. The angry rats rushed to the river bank and stopped. The Dark King turned around and looked at the rats on the other side of the river. ¡°Chase your own tails, you bunch of trash!¡± Lin Qi had regretted some things at that point because he had often scolded the Dark King with colorful language, causing its level of swearing to skyrocket. It had basically received 70 to 80 percent of Lin Qi¡¯s true swearing skills. Now the Dark King had taken to calling itself Lin Qi¡¯s father and talking to him rudely. Lin Qi suspected that in another half month, he might not even be able to scold the Dark King without getting sassed. The Dark King felt unhappy and scolded the rats some more. Lin Qi jumped off the Dark King¡¯s body. ¡°That¡¯s enough. It¡¯s not as if they can understand you. ¡°Learn from daddy.¡± After saying that, Lin Qi took out the gold ore that he had stolen from the mining rat¡¯s house and waved it at the mining rat across the river as if he was showing off. The mining rats on the other side of the river were even angrier! They were hopping about in rage. Then, Lin Qi turned back to look at Dark King with a smug look on his face, as if he was saying, ¡°Leave it up to your father to do the real provoking.¡± The Dark King curled his lips in disdain, but it thought to itself, ¡®I learned another trick from this b*stard.¡¯ .. The man and the dog returned to their cave. That cave was now their base of operations. According to their tradition, every time they successfully raided a cave, they would celebrate with a big meal. Of course, that tradition was set by the Dark King. Lin Qi made a pot of Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup and two steaks. When the Dark King saw that the food was ready, it did not immediately rush up to eat it like before. Instead, it quietly watched Lin Qi taste each dish. Seeing that Lin Qi did not give any reaction, it rushed up and gobbled up all the food. Ever since it farted that time, Dark King had always suspected that Lin Qi had tampered with its food, even though Lin Qi had never admitted it. Dark King did not have much evidence, it was just pure intuition. According to its understanding of Lin Qi, laxatives were really something he was capable of making. Lin Qi was also very helpless about that. What could he do? It was indeed him who drugged it. ¡°We¡¯ve had a great harvest this past half month, which house are we going to raid tomorrow?¡± Lin Qi was already addicted to looting. ¡°Tomorrow? Tomorrow, Daddy will bring you to a big one.¡± The Dark King smacked its lips, savoring the flavor of the steak. ¡°Do you remember what I told you about my enemies?¡± Dark King looked at Lin Qi, ¡°Tomorrow is a very important day for them. According to tradition, only a small portion of their clan will be left to guard their home, so tomorrow is our best chance!¡± Lin Qi was stunned at first. ¡°Wait a moment? Enemies? Clan? Your enemies are¡­ A group?¡± Dark King licked its claws and did not even look at Lin Qi. ¡°Yes, a group. Why?¡± ¡°What else? Why didn¡¯t you say anything at the beginning?¡± ¡°Did you ask?¡± ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t ask. I thought there was only one creature.¡± ¡°Look, it¡¯s not your father¡¯s problem, alright!¡± Dark King stopped talking and ignored Lin Qi. It walked to the side of the cave to sleep. During that period of time, as long as the Dark King did not want to talk to him, it would mock him and lie down on the side. According to Lin Qi, an undead dog was not afraid of boiling water. Lin Qi did not bother with that stupid dog and walked to the other side of the cave. He took out a gold ore from the system and played with it carefully. ¡°I wonder if the gold ore can be used to upgrade the system.¡± Lin Qi tried to communicate with the system. [ Ding! The experience of the gourmet system is full. Host can choose to level up! ] [ Ding! Detected that host has a gold ore. Testing for impurities, please wait a moment¡­ ] After a while, Lin Qi found that the gold ore in his hand had been absorbed by the system. [ Ding! The purity of this gold ore is not sufficient. The current leveling progress is 2/10 ] Useful! Although it was only 20 percent completed, it was normal for the gold ore to have impurities. Lin Qi quickly took out another gold ore. It did not matter how many were used. He had quite the quantity! [ Ding! There are no gold elements in this ore. ] Lin Qi was stunned. That was not right. Those two pieces looked the same, why was there no gold? He took out another piece and compared the two pieces carefully. No. The previous piece was too light. Lin Qi thought for a moment and suddenly understood something. There were mining rat pups in that gold mine! Mining rats were good at finding ores, so Lin Qi decided to keep them. He took out all the gold ores and identified them one by one. Three of them were very light, and there should be mining rat pups in them. Lin Qi gave the gold ores without pups to the system one by one. Soon, the system rang with a notification. [ Ding! Upgrade condition met. Upgrade initiated. ] [ Ding! This upgrade will take 30 hours. ] [ Ding! During the upgrade period, the system will block all functions.. ] Chapter 69 - Wet Dream Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Lin Qi was stunned when he saw the system notification. That was the first time the upgrade took so long, and all the functions were blocked. It seemed that there would be a lot of changes in the current system upgrade. Lin Qi was a little worried at first, but after thinking about it, he felt relieved. Anyway, it was only 30 hours, and soon it would be over. Fortunately, in order to hide the existence of the system, Lin Qi had packed some ingredients and meatballs in his bag, which was enough for a short period of time. Now that he had collected enough ingredients, the system could be upgraded soon. Now, as long as he helped Dark King defeat his opponent, he could return to the orc tribe. Thinking of the Orc tribe, he had been out for 20 days, and he still missed them a little. Soon, he would be able to go back. Lin Qi closed his eyes, and slowly, his breathing became steady. He had a dream. In the dream, Lin Qi returned to the orc tribe. He had brought a large amount of food to the tribe, so he was greatly supported by the entire tribe. The old priest had even betrothed the Holy Maiden to him, and the officiation was held on the same day. The next day, the wedding ceremony was held. Lin Qi and the Holy Maiden were face-to-face with the old priest between them. ¡°Lin Qi, do you take the Holy Maiden as your wife and become one with her in front of God? Love her, comfort her, respect her, and protect her as you love yourself. Regardless of whether she is sick or healthy, rich or poor, you will always be loyal to her until you leave this world?¡± Lin Qi looked at the Holy Maiden in front of him. ¡°I do!¡± ¡°Holy Maiden, do you take Lin Qi as your husband and become one with him in front of God? Love him, comfort him, respect him, and accompany him as you love yourself. No matter if he is sick, healthy, rich, or poor, you will always be loyal to him until you leave this world?¡± The Holy Maiden looked at Lin Qi shyly. ¡°I do!¡± They exchanged rings and became husband and wife under the witness of the old priest. The cheers of the tribesmen echoed in the room. Of course, there were also some other voices, such as. ¡°Lin Qi, you bastard!¡± That was Yu Meng. ¡°Lin Qi, you beast!¡± That was Luther. As night fell, the two returned to the room under the heckling of the tribesmen, ready to do something inappropriate for children. ¡°Turn around first!¡± The Holy Maiden blushed. Lin Qi was also a little shy, so he obediently turned around. Hearing the rustling sounds behind him, his heart rippled. Before long, he heard the Holy Maiden call him, ¡°Lin Qi, it¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s okay.¡± When Lin Qi turned around, the Holy Maiden was already lying on the bed. She covered her head with the blanket, and her clothes were scattered on the ground. Lin Qi¡¯s heart was burning. He quickly took off his clothes and walked to the bed. ¡°Baby, I¡¯m coming!¡± Lin Qi grabbed the corner of the quilt and pulled it up. Then, the scene in front of him made Lin Qi instantly shrivel up. Instead of the delicate Holy Maiden under the quilt, it was replaced by Dark King. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get up and cook for Daddy?¡± Then, he began to spit at Lin Qi. Whoosh! Lin Qi woke up instantly, and his body was soaked through. In front of him stood Dark King, with a big pot in his mouth, with water dripping from the edge. Lin Qi looked at himself and then at Dark King. ¡°Are you crazy? D*mn dog!¡± Dark King threw the pot in his mouth to the side and nodded at Lin Qi¡¯s lower body. ¡°Silly son, did you have a wet dream? A b*tch like you is destined to be alone forever. Hurry up and cook for daddy!¡± At that moment, Lin Qi also noticed the changes in his lower body. His frustrated face turned red and he hurriedly curled up his knees. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Get lost! You big oaf!¡± Dark King raised his front paw in disdain. ¡°In your face!¡± Pa! ¡°Stupid dog, I¡¯ll fight you!¡± Pa! ¡°You f*cking¡­¡± Pa! Just like that, five minutes later, Lin Qi stood in front of the pot with a bruised and swollen face. As he cooked, he glared at Dark King and cursed him in his heart, ¡®I¡¯ll skin you alive sooner or later!¡¯ Dark King looked at Lin Qi¡¯s constipated expression and could not help but sigh. It seemed that there was still a long way to go before it could get an obedient pet. .. After the two of them finished eating, they began their final journey. Lin Qi had lost his pride in the morning, so he did not want to bother with Dark King at all. The Dark King to be somewhat uninterested. The man and the dog walked, one in front and one behind Then, the Dark King suddenly said, ¡°Hey, my son has grown up, really¡­¡± Before it finished speaking, Lin Qi suddenly turned his head and took out all the Explosive Beef Meatballs from his bag. ¡°Hey, undead dog, watch me end you!¡± After saying that, he was ready to throw the meatballs in his hand at the Dark King. F*ck! All the black fur on the Dark King¡¯s body stood up. ¡°No, no, no! I was wrong!¡± Dark King ran away and hid behind a tree. It carefully poked its head out to look at Lin Qi. Lin Qi looked at the Dark King with a ferocious look. ¡°D*mn dog, if you say one more word, you¡¯ll die together with me!¡± He put away the Explosive Beef Meatballs, turned around, and left without looking back. Behind the tree, the Dark King patted its chest with its front paw. Seeing that Lin Qi had no intention of blowing it up, it also ran out from behind the tree. It followed Lin Qi from afar, afraid that Lin Qi would trick it. After a while, they arrived at a canyon. The Dark King said with a serious face, ¡°Past this canyon, we will reach their home. ¡°Remember! After entering, if you don¡¯t want to die, you must listen to me!¡± It was the first time Lin Qi saw the Dark King act so seriously. He put away his other thoughts and nodded solemnly. They walked into the canyon. It was very quiet inside. There was not even a hint of wind. Lin Qi could only hear the sound of their footsteps. He looked around curiously. Suddenly, the Dark King who was walking in front of him had stopped. Caught off guard, Lin Qi almost bumped into it. Just as Lin Qi was about to speak, the Dark King suddenly turned his head to signal Lin Qi to keep quiet. Then, it extended its front paw and pointed forward. Only then did Lin Qi raise his head to look forward. He was instantly stunned. There was a huge beast lying in front of him. Its body was similar to a lion¡¯s and there were a pair of huge bat wings on both sides of its body. It had four legs, its head was like a horse, and there was a pair of huge horns on the top of its head. The surface of its body was covered by hard black scales, reflecting a soul-stirring luster. A giant dragon! That was a giant dragon! The weakest was a terrifying seven-star demonic beast. With a single move, it could destroy the world. Lin Qi thought that he was dreaming. Compared to the giant dragon in front of him, he was just an ant. He felt that he was not even as big as one of the giant dragon¡¯s claws. Lin Qi slowly turned his head and looked at the Dark King. He did not dare to breathe loudly. He mouthed a question to it, ¡°This is your enemy? A giant dragon?¡± The Dark King also carefully nodded its head. ¡®I¡¯m going to hell! Do you think a stupid dog like you is worthy of being the enemy of a dragon? It can drown you with his spit!¡¯ Chapter 70 - Minor Grievances Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation In Lin Qi¡¯s previous life, dragons only existed in myths. Then, many people wanted to see a dragon with their own eyes. At that time, Lin Qi felt that if he could prove that a dragon really existed, if he could see it with his own eyes, it would be a very touching thing. People were like that. They would yearn for things that they could not get. However, after they got it, they would feel empty again. For example, if someone asked Lin Qi, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve seen a living dragon, are you touched?¡± Lin Qi would reply, ¡°I don¡¯t dare to move.¡± .. To describe Lin Qi¡¯s mood in one sentenceÒ»he was f*cking pissed. He could not wait to kill that undead dog right now. ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re an ancient divine beast? Other than running fast and spitting fire, you¡¯re nothing!¡± Lin Qi asked the Dark King furiously without saying a word. Dark King pretended not to see it. It could just fight back when they were out. Dark King introduced the dragon to Lin Qi silently. ¡°Look at this giant dragon in front of you. Its scales are black. It¡¯s the weakest among the giant dragons.¡± ¡°Weakest? Got it. It¡¯s a seven-star demonic beast, you piece of Clean Slate trash.¡± ¡°¡­ The giant dragon with black scales is also called the stone dragon. It has low attack and high defense. Its scales are so hard that even some weaker eight-star demonic beasts can¡¯t beat it. However, it can be said that it has almost no attack skills. ¡°The most important thing is that it is extremely lethargic. Under normal circumstances, they would never let the stone dragon guard the door. Therefore, it means¡­¡± ¡°Therefore, it means that the other dragons have gone out. Only this stone dragon is left to guard the house.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Therefore, this is our chance. Dragons are greedy for money and like to collect all kinds of strange things. We can make a big profit and run away. By the way, do you have enough storage space for the bounty?¡± Lin Qi looked at the Dark King in surprise but did not say anything. He nodded calmly. In fact, every time Lin Qi took food from the system, he pretended to take it out of his bag. Yu Meng, Luther, and the others had not noticed it, but he did not expect the black dog to know. Where did that black dog come from? How did it know so much about dragons? Dark King naturally did not know what Lin Qi was thinking, so he just nodded to show that he understood. ¡°Follow me. Be careful. This big guy is very stupid but let¡¯s not ruin our chances.¡± After saying that, it took the lead and walked toward the stone dragon. Lin Qi tightened his clothes. He nervously swallowed his saliva and followed it. They walked extremely slowly and carefully. In just a short distance of 100 feet, they felt like they had walked 10,000 feet. They slowly came to the front of the stone dragon. Lin Qi finally saw the huge dragon in front of him clearly. Looking at its large nostrils, he felt like he could be blown away with a sneeze. The stone dragon¡¯s huge body blocked the entire passage. The Dark King looked around and raised its front claws to point at the rock wall beside it, indicating that it could climb over. Lin Qi also looked around and nodded in affirmation. Lin Qi fixed his backpack and rubbed his hands on his pants. It was his first time seeing a dragon, so he was very nervous and broke out a sweat. To be on the safe side, Lin Qi first climbed up vertically. When he climbed higher than the dragon, he would then move forward. The Dark King was faster. It used all four limbs. Lin Qi had not even reached half of the dragon¡¯s height, but Dark King had already landed on the other side. Dark King waved its claws, signaling Lin Qi to hurry up. If he was any later, the other dragons would come back. Lin Qi could only speed up. Just as he reached the top, Lin Qi¡¯s left foot missed and he was almost suspended in mid-air. The crushed stones fell on the stone dragon¡¯s body, making clanging sounds. Lin Qi quickly steadied his body, mustered up his courage, and turned to look at the stone dragon. The stone dragon did not move and was still sleeping. Lin Qi let out a long sigh of relief. He used both his hands and feet to quickly pass through that area. As soon as he landed, he realized that Dark King was staring at him unhappily. Lin Qi spread his hands. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Besides¡­ I¡¯m not completely focused yet!¡± Dark King grimaced. ¡°Kid, be careful!¡± ¡°Got it, got it, stop nagging!¡± They quickly passed through the canyon. To Lin Qi¡¯s surprise, there were even bigger mountains in the canyon and there were many caves in the middle of those mountains. Dark King saw Lin Qi¡¯s confusion. ¡°These dragons are a group of big lizards. They don¡¯t like to be exposed to the light. They either sleep or mate all day. Sometimes, they go out to scavenge for good things, but they don¡¯t use them. They¡¯re just happy to hoard things. ¡°So yeah, dragons are just a bunch of creatures with pits in their heads.¡± Lin Qi was even more shocked. ¡°So these caves¡­ Each cave has a pair of dragons living in it?¡± ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s very difficult for dragons to reproduce. Don¡¯t bother with the fact that they mate every day. They may only get pregnant after mating for seven or eight years. Besides, dragons are horny by nature. They don¡¯t have the concept of a husband and wife. They¡¯ll mate with whoever they find. ¡°Actually, most demonic beasts don¡¯t have the concept of a husband and wife. Only you humans would be so boring.¡± Lin Qi suddenly felt a little envious of the giant dragon. ¡°That sounds great!¡± Dark King looked at Lin Qi with disdain. ¡°What a cheap b*stard!¡± ¡°What do you know!¡± .. Lin Qi and the Dark King began to explore the caves one by one. Some of the caves were densely packed with gold, silver, and jewelry. Lin Qi looked at the gold coins, and his eyes were filled with satisfaction. ¡®I¡¯m rich! I¡¯m rich! I don¡¯t have to worry about upgrading the system anymore!¡¯ Lin Qi wiped the saliva from his mouth. Dark King looked at him disdainfully. ¡°Look at how useless you are!¡± Lin Qi looked at the Dark King speechlessly. He saw that it was wearing a big gold chain around its neck, and its legs were covered with all kinds of bracelets. It walked with a jingling sound. Shameless! Lin Qi grabbed a handful of gold coins and was about to put them into the system, but they would not fit. He only received a system notification. [ Ding! System upgrade, storage space temporarily closed. ] ¡®F*ck! Right, I forgot. The system upgrade. All the functions were unavailable!¡¯ What a loss! Lin Qi gritted his teeth, grabbed the gold coins, and put them into his bag. ¡®Whatever, I¡¯ll take as many as I can! It¡¯s better than nothing!¡¯ Lin Qi and Dark King searched three or four caves, and all of them were filled with gold coins. Lin Qi¡¯s ribs were badly bruised. If he had known earlier, he would have leveled up a day later, and he would not have lost hundreds of millions¡­ The Dark King was still puzzled. ¡°Why are you acting that way? Didn¡¯t you say that you had enough storage space?¡± Lin Qi stammered, ¡°If I say that it¡¯s not enough¡­¡± The Dark King did not wait for Lin Qi to finish his sentence and sent him flying with a slap. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you acted all calm and collected earlier!¡± Dark King was so angry that it turned around and left. ¡°If it¡¯s not enough, you should have said so earlier. What¡¯s the point of pretending?¡± Lin Qi knew that he was in the wrong and could only follow behind the Dark King silently. However, his eyes were also paying attention to his surroundings. He felt wronged.. ¡®I didn¡¯t know that the system upgrade would turn off that function!¡¯ Chapter 71 - Look at This Egg. It’s Big and Round. Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation There was a big difference between dreams and reality. Lin Qi and the Dark King looked at the mountains of gold, silver, and jewelry in front of them, but they could not do anything. Lin Qi could not help but sigh. Fate really played tricks on people. He looked at the system and saw that there were only six hours left before the upgrade was completed. However, who knew when the giant dragons would come back. Lin Qi had no choice but to throw away the gold coins in his bag and store some rare ingredients or medicinal herbs instead. In his previous life, there was medicinal cuisine in his country. Not only could it fill one¡¯s stomach, but it could also strengthen one¡¯s body. There were even some special formulas that could be used to treat illnesses. Although he did not know if there would be medicinal cuisine in the system, it was better to be prepared. Even if he could not use it, he could sell it for a lot of money. The most important thing was that the medicinal herbs were light and small in size. Just like that, Lin Qi and the Dark King spent more than four hours searching seven or eight caves. Just when they wanted to give up, they came to a particularly empty cave. There were only diamonds in that cave, nothing else. Lin Qi was stunned at first. What was going on? They had already traveled all the way there, and they had no idea when the giant dragons would be back but in the end, all the fuss was just about diamonds? Those things had no practical use at all! However, when Dark King saw those diamonds, its eyes were wide open. It ran forward frantically and pulled at the pile of diamonds with all its might. When Lin Qi saw the Dark King act like that, he thought that he had seen it wrongly. Could it be that there was some kind of treasure? Like a magic stone or something. He hurried forward, picked up a random diamond, looked at it carefully, and then bit it. Yes, it was a diamond, the only difference was that it was so pure that Lin Qi held it up to the sunlight without and there was not a trace of impurities. Lin Qi pulled at the Dark King. ¡°This thing is really worthless. It¡¯s just an ordinary stone, but it¡¯s harder.¡± ¡°What do you know!¡± The Dark King shook off Lin Qi and dived into the pile of diamonds again while telling Lin Qi the story of the diamond. That stone was originally mined by humans. Humans had conducted various tests on the stone and found that only some high-level offensive spells could break such a stone. The humans were very happy. With that kind of stone, they could forge stronger weapons, and it would be easier to hunt low-level demonic beasts. However, there was a problem. Ordinary people had no way of polishing the stone. Although high-level mages had the ability to do so, the stone did not have any magical effects, so they had no incentive to polish it. Later, the humans gave up. Only when someone in the family was sick would they purchase some small pieces and give them to the patient, with the belief that the patient¡¯s life would be as hard as the stone. Until one day, the giant dragons learned about the stone. They found it interesting and wanted to collect it, so they did. Then, they used the alchemy of the giant dragon clan to polish the stone. Unexpectedly, the impurities in the stone gradually faded into the flame and turned into the shiny diamond that Lin Qi saw before him. Most importantly, the hardness did not change at all. The stone could only be processed by the giant dragon clan so they called it the dragon stone, and the dragon stone slowly became the symbol of nobility in the clan. Lin Qi still did not understand. ¡°Even if the stone is the symbol of the giant dragon clan, it¡¯s useless outside of the clan.¡± ¡°Even in the giant dragon clan, the dragon stone is also a symbol of status. After all, not all dragons master alchemy, so the more dragon stones they have, the higher the status of the dragon. Do you understand?¡± Lin Qi suddenly understood. Yes, with so many diamonds, how strong must that dragon be? It must have some precious possessions. Then, he joined the Dark King and worked hard to dig¡­ Oh, the pile of dragon stones. They dug deeper and deeper until Lin Qi suddenly felt something big and round within the pile. ¡°Dark King, come here quickly, I found something good!¡± Lin Qi grabbed it with both hands and yanked it out. Holy sh*t! What a big egg! The egg was about half the size of a human. It was snow-white in color, and a special luster could be vaguely seen on its surface. The Dark King was ecstatic when it saw the egg. The black dog approached the eggÒ»sniffing and licking it. Lin Qi had some guesses when he saw the Dark King¡¯s reaction, but he felt that it was a little unbelievable. He patted the Dark King. ¡°Stop licking it, it stinks from your licking. This egg¡­ Could it be the¡­¡± ¡°Yes, this is a dragon egg! Hahahaha!¡± Lin Qi looked at the egg, then looked at the pile of dragon stones under his feet. ¡°That¡­ How many eggs can a dragon give birth to at a time?¡± ¡°Nonsense, of course, it¡¯s just one. I¡¯ve told you, the giant dragon race¡¯s reproductive ability is very poor¡­¡± Dark King subconsciously answered Lin Qi, then it stopped and suddenly looked at Lin Qi. Lin Qi threw the dragon stone under his feet to the side, revealing a pile of dragon eggs. Looking at it, there were about eight or nine of them, which were half the size of a human. Dark King was also shocked by the scene in front of it. With so many dragon eggs, it must mean all the dragon eggs of the entire clan were probably here. Then, the Dark King gritted its teeth and said, ¡°D*mn it, I let you bully me before. But today, I will make sure you have no descendants!¡± After saying that, it opened its mouth and bit at the dragon egg. Crack! Crack! The dragon egg was unharmed, leaving the Dark King rolling on the ground with its paws nursing its jaw. After a while, Dark King got up and said, ¡°I¡¯m not done yet. Kid, move out of the way!¡± It opened its bloody mouth and spat out a ball of flame from its mouth. That ball of flame burned on the surface of the dragon egg. ¡°I¡¯m going to eat roasted dragon egg today!¡± Dark King sneered. In the next second, the smile on its face disappeared. The surface of the dragon egg flashed with a fiery red pattern, which actually absorbed all of the Dark King¡¯s flames. ¡°F*ck, a fire dragon egg!¡± Dark King still did not give up. It picked up the dragon stone from the ground and smashed it at the egg. With a loud sound, the dragon stone cracked in the middle. Looking at the dragon egg again, a crack actually appeared. It worked! The Dark King began to smash the dragon stone against the dragon egg repeatedly. It did not know how many dragon stones it had smashed in the process. Finally, a hole was smashed on the surface of the dragon egg. Lin Qi saw the Dark King stuffing half of its body into the egg, leaving just its butt sticking out. Then, the sound of slurping came from inside the dragon egg. Not long after, Dark King came out again. It laid on the ground then, let out a burp. Lin Qi noticed that the Dark King¡¯s stomach was bulging, and he could not help but sigh. Earlier, Dark King had eaten four pots of Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup and that still was not enough to sate it. However, one dragon egg was enough to make it so full. It was enough to show how amazing the energy contained in the dragon egg was. Dark King patted the dragon eggshell beside it and said to Lin Qi, ¡°Hey brother, do you want one?¡± Lin Qi hurriedly waved his hand as if he was saying, ¡°No, no, your little brother does not have the fortune to enjoy such a thing..¡± Chapter 72 - The Return of the Dragons to Their Nest Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Putting aside whether or not Lin Qi could crack an egg, he would not be able to finish it even if he cracked it open. The first bite would be enough to fill him to death. However, if Lin Qi could not eat it, he could take it with him. Lin Qi used his previous life¡¯s experience of raising a dog. The bigger the body, the more it could eat, which meant that the body was better. So, Lin Qi picked the biggest dragon egg from the pile, and even secretly weighed it. The dragon egg was only half a head shorter than Lin Qi. Fortunately, the egg was not very heavy, or else he would not have been able to carry it. Lin Qi calculated the time. It had been more than six hours since they entered the canyon. If they did not leave now, the group of giant dragons might come back. Lin Qi had also tested the Dark King by questioning it about what the giant dragons were doing since it knew they would be gone that day. At first, Dark King did not want to say anything, but later, it could not wear down Lin Qi. It turned out that every year, the giant dragons would choose a day to go out together and find a pleasant place to have a group mating session. It was said that such an activity could increase the success rate of conceiving. When Lin Qi heard that, he was speechless for a long time. ¡®Forget increasing the success rate of conceiving, wasn¡¯t that just an orgy?¡¯ City dwellers were no strangers to such a thing! Looking at the time, the giant dragons should be back soon. Their birth rate was not high in the first place, and now that the Dark King had eaten one, the dragons would probably kill them in a heartbeat. Lin Qi hurriedly pulled the Dark King up and was about to head for the exit. However, Dark King was too full from eating. It walked very slowly, like an old dog. Looking at its pace, it looked like a grandmother wolf with a walking stick. The man and the dog slowly walked out of the canyon. On the way, Lin Qi did not forget to pull two vines and simply made a strap to carry the dragon egg behind him. In the blink of an eye, they were in front of the stone dragon again. Lin Qi no longer had the fear and awe that he had at the beginning, It could not be helped. Who knew that after finding out that dragons had orgies every year, it was difficult for one to have any sense of awe anymore. However, there was one thing that could be said. That stone dragon was really lazy. They had been in there for more than six hours, but it had only slept the whole time. Its posture had not changed. The stone that Lin Qi had crushed earlier was still on its body. He did not know why it had been chosen to guard the house. Perhaps other dragons did not like to mate with it? He patted the dragon egg behind him, praying that it was not the stone dragon¡¯s egg. Otherwise, the dragon would die of anger in the future. Lin Qi gathered his thoughts and came to the front of the rock wall. He quickly climbed up and soon arrived at the top of the stone dragon. However, when he turned around, he saw that the Dark King was still standing there. It turned out that the Dark King had eaten too much and could not climb up at all. It tried a few times but to no avail. That made the Dark King so anxious that it kept circling around in place. Lin Qi could not allow the Dark King to stay there by itself. He could only signal to Dark King to wait for a moment. He climbed to the opposite side first and gently placed the dragon egg on the ground. Then, he turned around and climbed back. Dark King realized Lin Qi¡¯s intention and stood there with a grateful expression. Then, Lin Qi walked in front of the Dark King and the first thing he said was, ¡°Call me daddy!¡± Dark King was stunned at first, then its expression turned fierce. It was about to bite him. Lin Qi had already carried the Dark King behind him and fixed it with vines. Dark King heaved a sigh of relief. It thought that Lin Qi was just pulling its leg, then it thanked him in a low voice, ¡°Brother, I can¡¯t thank you enough. In the future, you¡­¡± Lin Qi pinched the dog¡¯s mouth close. ¡°Shut up, your breath stinks!¡± At that moment, the Dark King felt that its emotions had been fed to the dog¡­ well, to the man. It was unknown whether it was because the Dark King was heavy on its own or because it had eaten a dragon egg, but Lin Qi had a hard time climbing. He rested twice before he finally crossed the stone dragon and came to the other side. As soon as he finished, he threw the Dark King down and mouthed, ¡°D*mn dog, remember to lose weight when you go back.¡± .. At that point, Dark King had already digested a part of the dragon egg¡¯s essence. At least it could walk normally. They immediately took the dragon egg and quickly walked out of the canyon. Only when they walked out of the canyon did they finally heave a sigh of relief. At last, it could be considered a safe trip. Not only did he take a bag of ingredients, but he also stole a dragon egg. However, Lin Qi had not decided whether to sell it or raise it himself. If he sold it, he would be able to reach the peak of his life. He would no longer have to worry about upgrading the system. If he raised it himself, he would have a seven-star demonic beast as his pet in the future. Who would dare bother him with a dragon by his side? ¡®Forget it, let¡¯s go back and think about it. The dragon egg had not hatched yet anyway. There was plenty of time for planning.¡¯ The most important thing was to leave that troublesome place quickly. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and leave! We won¡¯t be able to escape once the giant dragons come back,¡± Lin Qi said to the Dark King. However, just as he finished speaking, they heard a dragon¡¯s roar coming from the sky behind them. Lin Qi and the Dark King¡¯s expressions instantly changed drastically. ¡°F*ck! You jinx!¡± Dark King hurriedly let Lin Qi climb onto its back and ran in the opposite direction. .. After the giant dragons were sated, they flew back to the Dragon Valley at a leisurely pace. Most of them had returned to their own caves, and one of the emerald-green dragons returned to the cave where the dragon eggs were. As soon as it entered the cave, it felt that something was wrong. The dragon stones used to be neatly stacked there, but today, there were many scattered on the ground. At first, it did not pay much attention to it, until it saw the dragon eggshell that had been shattered by the Dark King and eaten clean. Then, the giant dragon became angry. An angry dragon¡¯s roar echoed in the valley. The other giant dragons were a little confused. What was wrong? One by one, they flew out of their cave, and when they saw the green giant dragon standing at the entrance of the cave, with a broken dragon eggshell in its claws, all the giant dragons were furious. After so many years, they had only given birth to nine dragon eggs, and one of them was eaten? ¡°Who was it?!¡± ¡°Egg thief! I want to slaughter their entire family!¡± ¡°Damn it! Kill them all and eat them all!¡± Roar! A huge dark gold dragon stopped its companion¡¯s raging and looked at the huge green dragon. ¡°Kai! How many of the eggs were eaten?¡± ¡°One was eaten and one is missing. It must have been stolen!¡± The dark gold dragon looked at the stone dragon guarding the house. ¡°Shi, are you asleep again?¡± The stone dragon¡¯s body trembled. After a long time, he slowly nodded. Roar! The dark gold dragon spat out a fireball and blew the stone dragon away. The place where the fireball hit was badly charred. The stone dragon, which could withstand the attack of an eight-star demonic beast, was seriously injured. The strength of the dark gold dragon was truly terrifying. After the dark gold dragon punished it, it flapped its wings and flew into the sky. ¡°Kai! You protect the remaining dragon eggs here. The others, follow me out to catch the egg thief. Don¡¯t let any suspicious creatures go! Find the egg thief and bring them back alive. I want to turn them into ashes myself! ¡°Those who offend our clan, no matter how far away, must be killed!¡± The giant dragon clan were undisputed sovereigns of that world. Even those mixed-blood dragon beasts could become a lord of a region. The strength of a pure-blooded dragon was undeniable.. Chapter 73 - Hanging by a Thread Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Giant dragons lived long, were powerful, and avoided wars. Their only hobbies were collecting valuables and mating. However, they also had a strong desire for revenge, so very few creatures dared to mess with the giant dragon clan. Therefore, it had been a long time since the giant dragon clan had been so angry. ¡°It seems that the world has forgotten the fearsome methods of the giant dragon clan after a long absence, and there are some cats and dogs who were foolish enough to take their chances. Today, let us help them remember what fear is!¡± The dark gold dragon roared angrily in the air. .. Lin Qi was now extremely afraid. Even if the giant dragon clan was not known for their speed, flying was still faster than running on four legs. ¡°Dark King, do your best. If we are caught, we will die without a burial.¡± The Dark King ran wildly into the mountains. They did not even dare to take the main road. ¡°I know, I know. Don¡¯t pressure me, you¡­ F*ck!¡± Not far from them, a red dragon flew past quickly. They were so frightened that they stopped in their tracks and held their breaths. They only heaved a sigh of relief when the dragon disappeared into the horizon. They did not dare to stay and quickly changed directions to escape. However, they did not notice that there was a flash of light on the dragon egg on Lin Qi¡¯s back. At the same time, the red giant dragon that had just flown by suddenly stopped. ¡°Found it!¡± Then, it let out a roar to inform its companions nearby while rushing toward the position where Lin Qi had just been. Lin Qi was stunned when he heard the dragon¡¯s roar. He was still confused, but the Dark King suddenly sped up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°F*ck, they¡¯ve found us, they¡¯re telling the others!¡± Lin Qi broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°How did they find us? Wait a minute, do you understand dragon speech?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve lived for 100,000 years, what can¡¯t I do?¡± Dark King did not forget to brag. ¡°I don¡¯t know how they found us either. Was it you¡­ F*ck!¡± A huge ball of fire flew straight at them. The Dark King subconsciously jumped to the side, avoiding the attack of the fireball. The fireball exploded instantly, and the aftershock sent them flying. The vines on Lin Qi¡¯s body broke under the high temperature, and the dragon egg rolled to the side. The red dragon first glanced at Lin Qi, then looked at the Dark King and said angrily, ¡°It¡¯s you again! You were lucky I didn¡¯t get to kill you last time. This time, you actually colluded with the humans to steal my dragon egg. You¡¯re courting death!¡± As soon as it finished speaking, another fireball was fired. The Dark King gritted its teeth when it saw the fireball approaching. ¡°I¡¯m going all out!¡± It was unknown to Lin Qi what it was saying, but the Dark King¡¯s entire body was flashing with black light. Its eyes gradually turned red, and its body instantly grew larger. Its entire body was rippling with muscles. Then, the Dark King took a deep breath and suddenly opened its mouth wide. A fireball shot out aimed toward the one hurtling at them. After the two huge fireballs collided in the air, they instantly exploded. The power of the collision of the two fireballs actually blew up the empty space nearby. The trees at the center of the explosion were also blown into pieces. The giant dragon in the air was pushed back by the impact of the explosion. It finally stopped moving. The giant red dragon flapped its wings and cleared the dust nearby. Only then did it realize that the Dark King and Lin Qi had disappeared. Even the dragon egg had been taken away. ¡°B*stard!¡± At that moment, the other dragons had finally rushed over when they heard the sound. Among them was the dark gold dragon. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s that undead dog and a human.¡± The dark gold dragon was a little solemn when it heard that. ¡°Dealing with that dog is not a simple matter. Moreover, I feel that the dog is somewhat familiar.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not bother about it for now. Chase after it! We definitely can¡¯t let them escape too easily!¡± .. After the Dark King unleashed its power, it hurriedly ran away with Lin Qi. At that time, it had returned to its original appearance. Lin Qi, on the other hand, had an excited look on his face. ¡°Dark King, you¡¯re so powerful!¡± Earlier, the Dark King¡¯s transformation and the explosion had really shocked Lin Qi. ¡°Hmph, I told you this king was very powerful.¡± ¡°Then hurry up and transform again. Run faster and we won¡¯t have to worry about them anymore.¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. I can¡¯t use this skill casually. If I hadn¡¯t eaten a dragon egg just now, I wouldn¡¯t have even been able to move by now.¡± ¡°Then what should we do?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no other way¡­ Why don¡¯t you give me your dragon egg to eat?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯d like to but can you open it? I don¡¯t have a dragon stone on me right now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Then we¡¯ll take it one step at a time. However, they shouldn¡¯t be able to find us, right? We¡¯ve already run so far.¡± As soon as it finished speaking, the sound of something whizzing through the air could be heard from behind him. ¡°B*stard, put down the dragon egg!¡± The dark gold dragon threatened. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll hand it over. Don¡¯t chase us anymore!¡± Dark King shouted without even turning its head. ¡°You¡¯re delusional. You ate the dragon egg and still want to escape unscathed!¡± ¡°Then why shouldn¡¯t I just run? Is it because you¡¯ve got a big head?¡± Dark King knew how important the dragon egg was to the giant dragon clan. If it was just stealing the egg, there might be some room for leeway. Unfortunately, it had already eaten one, and the giant dragons would not rest until it was dead. ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± The dark gold dragon spat a fireball at them. The fireball was incomparably huge, twice the size of the red dragon¡¯s earlier. Dark King hurriedly dodged the fireball¡¯s attack and did not forget to taunt. ¡°Haha, the dragon egg was really delicious. In the name of the Dark King, I dub the dragon egg the most delicious egg in the world. Hahahahaha!¡± That taunt was like pouring gasoline on a fire, instantly provoking the anger of all the giant dragons. One after another, fireballs flew toward them. The Dark King dodged left and right. Several times, it was almost hit by the explosions. However, the fireballs became more and more concentrated, and the Dark King¡¯s stamina was decreasing. Just when Lin Qi lost all hope, the system¡¯s notification rang in his mind. [ Ding! System upgrade completed. The current level is 4. Unlocked: Magic Recovery Gumbo, Rush Candy, Memory Wholemeal Bread. ] [ Ding! You have been rewarded the Upgrade Gift Bag! ] [ Upgrade Gift Bag: Imitation Fruit, Bread (x100), Ordinary Candy (x100) ] [ Imitation Fruit. Obtain the target¡¯s blood essence and drop it into the Imitation Fruit. After consuming it, you can imitate the target¡¯s skill and unleash the target¡¯s strongest attack. ] [ Side Effect: After using it, you will be weakened for 24 hours. ] [ Ding! You have been rewarded an Upgrade Skill! ] [ Gourmet Enhancement Skill: During the activation of the skill, the effect of the food made will be doubled. Can be used once every 72 hours. ] Lin Qi was pleasantly surprised. He was saved! At that time, Lin Qi just happened to find that there was a cliff in front of him, and there was a sea on the other side. He quickly put the dragon egg into the system storage and asked the Dark King to give him a drop of its blood essence. Although it was puzzled, it still bit the tip of its tongue and gave Lin Qi a drop of its blood essence. After the Dark King lost the blood essence, its speed increased. Lin Qi took out the Imitation Fruit. It was pure white. After the drop of blood essence, it gradually turned red and there was a faint flame burning in the center. He swallowed the fruit in one gulp. His muscles bulged, his skin turned darker, and his eyes were red. He looked like a walking Dark King. At that moment, they ran to the cliff.. Lin Qi shouted, ¡°Jump!¡± Chapter 74 - Escape to Paradise Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The moment the Dark King jumped, Lin Qi leaped up from its back and turned 180 degrees in the air using his physical strength. He took out a bag of Devil Pepper Powder from the system and threw it at the giant dragon. He gathered all the power of the Imitation Fruit in his chest, took a deep breath, and spat in the same direction. A ball of flame spurted out of his mouth, and the fireball carried the Devil Pepper Powder in the air toward the fireball aimed at them. Boom! The two fireballs collided and exploded as the Devil Pepper Powder filled the space in the explosion. The giant dragons, who were closer, even inhaled a lot of the pepper powder. They felt a burning pain in their mouth, and a lot of the pepper powder flew into the dragons¡¯ eyes. For a moment, the place was filled with the screams of the giant dragons. After Lin Qi spat out the fireball, his whole body weakened at the speed of light. He was plummeted into the sea by the heatwave created by the explosion. The dark gold dragon flapped its wings and cleared the air. However, there was no trace of the man and the dog. Moreover, the dragon egg was in the system storage, so the dragons could not sense its location. Lin Qi¡¯s subconscious action saved their lives. The giant dragons were full of anger, but they had nowhere to vent it. They came out in full force, but they could do nothing to the two little egg thieves. Fireballs flew into the sea one after another. The scorching flames evaporated a lot of seawater, and the giant dragons gradually calmed down under the steam. They looked at their leader, the dark gold dragon. The dark gold dragon was also annoyed. ¡°Why are you looking at me? Head back!¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving just like that? Aren¡¯t you going to continue chasing them?¡± ¡°You think you can catch them then? Hmph! Go back and mate. If we lose two dragon eggs, we¡¯ll make more! Otherwise, what else can you do!¡± The other dragons looked at each other and flew toward the Dragon Valley under the lead of the dark gold dragon. .. On Lin Qi¡¯s side, they escaped the pursuit of the giant dragons with the help of the Imitation Fruit. However, he crashed into the sea¡¯s surface under the impact of the explosion and lost consciousness. When he woke up, it was already the evening of the next day. He was lying on a beach, his calves soaking in the water. He struggled to sit up. First, he looked at himself. His clothes were basically torn, and there were burn marks on his body. Then, he looked around. Dark King was lying not far away. Lin Qi tried to stand up, but he could not muster any strength. Moreover, he gradually felt the pain from the burns on his body. He flipped through the system and took out the Refreshing Drink that he had been rewarded previously. [ Refreshing Drink: After taking it, it can clear away heat and detoxify poison. It can also calm the person who takes it. You can take it continuously. ] [ Side Effect: Impulsive urge to urinate. ] The drink was placed in a glass bottle, and the mouth of the bottle was stuffed with a cork. It looked more like a bottle of red wine. Lin Qi pulled out the cork with great effort. It weighed a ton, and he drank more than half of the bottle in one gulp. After a moment of silence, the drink showed its effects. Lin Qi felt his chest gradually cool down, and his wound was no longer as painful. He moved his body slightly, and finally, he could stand up. Lin Qi staggered to the Dark King¡¯s side and felt its heartbeat. He patted the big dog¡¯s head. There was no reaction at all. He lifted Dark King¡¯s head and placed it on his leg. He opened the dog¡¯s mouth and stuffed the rest of the Refreshing Drink into it. He did not know if it was the effect of the drink or if it just choked but the Dark King spat out the drink in its mouth. Lin Qi could not dodge in time and his face was sprayed. Cough, cough, cough! Dark King struggled to stand up and coughed hard. It looked at the drink in Lin Qi¡¯s hand and raised its front paw, wanting to hit him. Lin Qi dodged and fell to the ground. The Dark King also fell to the ground due to exhaustion. The man and dog looked at each other and then laughed loudly. They must have had a lot of good fortune for surviving such a great disaster! Lin Qi took out the Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup that he had prepared from the system. He drank two big mouthfuls and gave the rest to the Dark King. After they finished the thick soup, they recovered a little and helped each other to stand up. ¡°Do you know where we are?¡± Lin Qi had no clue. ¡°Not good, not good, not good¡­¡± ¡°Talk about people¡­ Talk about dogs¡­ Tell me something I can understand.¡± ¡°Oh, I just don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°¡­¡± No matter how badly they were injured, that undead dog would not change its nature. Behind them was an endless ocean, and the beach under their feet was endless as well. Lin Qi could see many seabirds and crabs on the beach. Along the beach, he could see fruit trees, and he could vaguely see many peach trees. ¡°By the way, why did I pass out? What happened after that?¡± Lin Qi was a little curious. ¡°You plummeted into the sea at quite the speed and got knocked out. I saw that you passed out, and then those stupid dragons choked and coughed because of what you threw. I took the opportunity to bite your leg and quickly swam into the deep sea. ¡°Then those stupid dragons started throwing fireballs into the sea like they were insane. I could feel the heatwaves from the bottom of the sea, and then I fainted. When I woke up, I saw you and that was it.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± Lin Qi sincerely thanked the Dark King for once. Lin Qi had always considered himself not much of a decent man, but he always believed that one should have a conscience. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can be polite with me.¡± The Dark King waved its big claw with unspeakable bravado. ¡°¡­¡± Lin Qi was about to say something, but he suddenly froze. Then, he hurriedly ran to the beach, untied his pants, and began to pee into the sea. That event was witnessed by the Dark King, and it was speechless. It was the side effect of the Refreshing Drink, which was the concoction that the Dark King had spat out. After a moment of relief, Lin Qi realized that his clothes were soaking wet. He glanced at the sky. The sun was about to set, so he decided to take things as they came. He and the Dark King picked up some dry wood at the edge of the forest and found an empty space. That was because neither man nor dog knew that place, and they were not in a good state. Lin Qi picked up the dry wood, dug into his pocket, and looked at the Dark king. ¡°¡­ What are you looking at?¡± ¡°¡­ Light the fire.¡± Lin Qi almost said, ¡°I¡¯m looking at you.¡±. Dark King reluctantly spat out a small mouthful of fire, and the dry wood instantly burned. He set up a simple wooden frame above the dry wood and took out a small pot of fresh water. After waiting for a while, the water boiled so he took out a towel and soaked it with water. After wiping himself clean, he washed his hair with the remaining water. Then, Lin Qi took out clean clothes from the system and put them on. He felt refreshed. All the fatigue from before was swept away. Dark King next to him said disdainfully, ¡°Pretentious!¡± It lay on the ground quietly, wanting to use the warmth of the bonfire to dry its fur. Under the warm rays of the setting sun, that scene was indescribably comfortable. It¡¯s like a person on holiday with their beloved pet, which is quite cozy if you ignore that the dog can breathe fire and likes to eat dragon eggs.. Chapter 75 - Peach Blossom Island Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The next day, the sun rose, and the warm rays of it shone on the warm human body. Even the cold seawater seemed to have warmed up. That calm moment lasted until two screams pierced the silence, well, a human scream and a dog bark. Last night, they lit a bonfire and fell asleep beside the warm flames. Before they went to sleep, they were separated. After they woke up, they hugged each other in the exact opposite position. When Lin Qi opened his eyes, he saw a big butt facing him. No wonder he had a dream last night about going to the toilet. Then, he let out a scream and subconsciously punched the Dark King¡¯s butt. Then, the Dark king woke up in shock. It was also puzzled that it had a dream last night about eating chicken feet. Then, it flew into a rage. Its two hind legs kicked fiercely, and Lin Qi flew. .. Lin Qi did not know when it started, but getting beaten up by a dog became a common occurrence. He even had to cook for the dog with bruises on his face. The man and the dog finished their breakfast in a strange atmosphere and decided to explore that place properly. They first walked around the beach. After almost half a day, they finally confirmed that they were on an island. They were surrounded by an endless sea. There was nothing but seagulls in the sky. Then, they explored the island. They saw nothing except fruit trees, especially peach trees. There were no demonic beasts, no humans, and only some ordinary animals. However, the peach blossoms were very beautiful. Even a man like Lin Qi, who had no interest in flowers at all, felt that the flowers were too beautiful. ¡°It seems that we are the first intelligent creatures to arrive on this island. Since the peach blossoms on this island are so beautiful, let¡¯s call it the Peach Blossom Island.¡± The Dark King was not interested in Lin Qi¡¯s sudden poetic mindset at all. It only cared about whether the fruits here were delicious or not. Lin Qi looked at the Peach Blossom Island and was very satisfied. He thought about it and realized that place was very suitable for the orc tribe to settle down. There was no acid rain or extreme weather here, and there was plenty of food. Of course, even if there was no food, it did not matter. After all, with his system, he could make whatever food he wanted. Just as Lin Qi began to look forward to a better life in the future, the Dark King threw a bucket of cold water on Lin Qi¡¯s head. ¡°Do you know where this is?¡± ¡°Peach Blossom Island!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for your idiotic name. I asked, how do we go back?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Yeah, how do we go back?¡± Lin Qi fell into deep thought. They did not have a ship or a map, and they knew nothing except the position of the sun. What was the use of knowing the position? They did not know where they were at all! Lin Qi¡¯s plan for a better life was aborted before it even started. Just like that, after thinking for a long time, Lin Qi finally made up his mind. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Lin Qi clenched his right fist and smashed it on his left hand. ¡°Let¡¯s make a boat!¡± ¡°A boat? Sure, but I don¡¯t know how to make one. Do you?¡± The Dark King questioned Lin Qi¡¯s plan. ¡°I don¡¯t know either! But if we can¡¯t make a boat, how about a raft?¡± Lin Qi pointed at the forest behind him. ¡°There are trees everywhere. I saw vines just now. Let¡¯s cut the trees and make a raft!¡± Dark King thought for a moment. ¡°There¡¯s no problem making a raft, but we still don¡¯t know where we are.¡± Lin Qi waved his hand, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve thought about it. I know that the east of the Mill continent is a vast ocean. Other than that, I¡¯ve never heard of such a large body of water. So we¡¯ll head west. We should be able to return to the Mill continent.¡± The Dark King thought about it and felt that it made sense. They started to search for sturdy trees on the island. After comparing and comparing, peach trees were the most suitable. Then, they found a small gorge in the forest. The rock walls were covered with vines. Lin Qi picked one randomly and tested it. The toughness was not bad. The raw materials were all prepared. Now, they just had to cut down enough trees. However, they found that they did not have any tools. The Dark King could knock down the peach trees, but it was very laborious and the broken trees were uneven. It was not suitable for a raft. Lin Qi had to pick up a lot of relatively sharp stones by the sea and found a big stone. He sat on it and patted some seawater on the rocks. He began to grind the rocks, but it was a little time-consuming. After sharpening the rocks, he picked up some slightly thicker wooden sticks and tied the rocks and wooden sticks together with vines to make a stone axe. Now that the tools were crafted, all he had to do was cut down the trees. Just like that, the man and the dog began to cut down the trees. Lin Qi used the stone axe. At first, the Dark King bit on it with its teeth, but later, it found it troublesome. .. Slowly, three days passed. They had cut enough wood. Now, they just had to pick the vines and tie the wood together. On the fourth day, when they arrived at the gorge, they suddenly saw a skeleton more than 30 feet long there. Lin Qi was shocked. He quickly held the stone axe on his back in his hand and looked around. He did not find anything unusual. He carefully walked toward the skeleton and carefully observed it. It was very clean. There was no meat on it at all, he did not know what kind of animal it was based on the bones. ¡°There was no such skeleton before, right?¡± Lin Qi was not sure. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Dark King was also unsure. ¡°Then¡­ Are there actually demonic beasts on this island?¡± Lin Qi was a little afraid. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Even if there was, I would just eat the dragon egg. If there is another demonic beast, I will eat it in one bite!¡± Although Dark King said that it was not afraid, it kept observing its surroundings as it spoke. Its eyes were filled with unease. ¡°This might be a tiger or a wolf. The skeleton was probably left over from its hunt.¡± Lin Qi looked at the skeleton again. ¡°A wild beast¡­ Could it eat so cleanly?¡± That skeleton was too clean. Logically speaking, it was impossible for a wild beast to eat so cleanly after tearing it apart. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t scare yourself. Maybe that wild beast is thrifty.¡± Lin Qi wanted to say something but was interrupted by the Dark King. ¡°Alright, stop scaring yourself. Hurry up and take the vines. We¡¯ll leave after that!¡± Lin Qi had no choice but to pick up the stone axe, cut off the vines, and put them into the system. They were still worried. They searched the island again, but still had not found anything. However, after that incident, they felt a chill in their hearts, so the next morning, they hurried to make a raft. After the raft was made, they picked a lot of fruit from the fruit trees and rushed to sit on the raft to head west. It was not until the island became a small dot in their sight that they were completely relieved.. Chapter 76 - Holy Light Fish Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation However, they had not seen a huge eye slowly opening in a cave on the island the moment they left on the raft. There was an endless sea, a simple raft, a man and a dog. It had been three days since they left the Peach Blossom Island. They ate and slept every day. At first, they felt very comfortable, but it was like that every day. Lin Qi was bored to death. There was nothing to do to pass the time, no pleasant scenery, only the endless sea and the scorching sun hanging high in the sky. Dark King was still okay. According to it, it had been that way for more than half of the past 100,000 years. It slept at night, slept in the day, and ate when it was hungry. Lin Qi had never believed it at the beginning, but now he gradually accepted it. It was mainly because he was numb. Moreover, because they could only determine their direction through the sun, they had to sleep at night. They often drifted away and had to readjust their direction the next day. Lin Qi already had doubts about his plan. If it were not for the fact that they did not have to worry about food and drink, they would have collapsed long ago. Just like that, another three days passed. That night, the two of them lay on the raft looking at the stars in boredom. They fell asleep as they watched. Suddenly, Lin Qi felt that there were flashes of light in front of his eyes. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. Suddenly, he found that the dark sea was emitting a brilliant phosphorescence. Lin Qi quickly woke the Dark King up and asked it if it knew what was going on. Dark King looked at it carefully and suddenly started laughing. ¡°We¡¯re rich! Hahaha!¡± Lin Qi was confused and asked the Dark King, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What do you mean we¡¯re rich?¡± The Dark King then explained to Lin Qi, ¡°This kind of light is emitted by a kind of demonic beast known as the holy light fish. It¡¯s a six-star devil beast, but it doesn¡¯t have any offensive power. The light you¡¯re seeing now is called Holy Light, and it can heal injuries. ¡°So no matter what kind of race they are, they are likely to keep some holy light fishes. Generally speaking, as long as it¡¯s not the kind of injury that will cause imminent death, it can be healed by Holy Light.¡± It was the first time that Lin Qi had heard of a demonic beast that could heal injuries, and he felt that it was very magical. The Dark King continued, ¡°The most important thing is that eating holy light fish can extend your life, so they are very popular, especially for you humans. Your life is especially short and your body is weak, so one can be sold for an astronomical price. ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to participate in some laborious trial? Catch a few holy light fish and you can pass any trial!¡± Hearing that, Lin Qi became even more excited. He quickly took off his clothes and plunged into the sea, followed by the Dark King. The man and dog duo enthusiastically caught holy light fish in the sea, then threw them onto the raft one after another. It was only when they caught 20 to 30, had the other holy light fishes finally realized that they were in trouble. They scattered and quickly swam away. Seeing that the fishes had swum away, Lin Qi and the Dark King did not chase after them. Instead, they swam back to the raft. Dark King then picked up a holy light fish and swallowed it. Seeing that, Lin Qi hurriedly put the other holy light fish into the system. The Dark King was unhappy. ¡°Keeping it all for yourself? Give me half!¡± Lin Qi expressed that he knew the Dark King very well. ¡°Give you half today, you¡¯ll eat it all right away, and tomorrow you¡¯ll still ask me for more. ¡°Such a valuable thing, I¡¯ll sell it to those high-ranking officials in the Mill continent. I can make whatever you want to eat. What¡¯s the point of eating dried fish?¡± The Dark King thought about Lin Qi¡¯s words and felt that there was some truth to them. Seeing that Dark King listened to him, Lin Qi took out a holy light fish from the system and observed it carefully. The fish was no different from any other ordinary fish in terms of size. However, the holy light fish was transparent. Lin Qi could even see the blood vessels under its skin, and the scales on the surface had some unique texture. It seemed that it was that texture that allowed the holy light fish to emit brilliant phosphorescence. Lin Qi bathed in the Holy Light and felt a warm current course through his body. His fatigue was swept away. Just as Lin Qi was immersed in the Holy Light, a huge black shadow flashed past under the raft. The Dark King suddenly raised its head and looked around. It felt that something was wrong. It suddenly felt a palpitating feeling. At first, it thought it was an illusion, but the palpitating feeling lingered in its heart. The Dark King came to the edge of the raft and carefully lowered its head. Suddenly, it saw a huge dragon head rushing out from the bottom of the sea. The surging water almost overturned the raft. Lin Qi and the Dark King firmly held onto the raft to stabilize themselves. It was a water dragon! The water dragon was not a giant dragon, but it had a part of the dragon¡¯s bloodline in its body. Although the reproduction ability of the dragon race was very poor, they were lustful by nature and could mate with other races to give birth to offspring. The water dragon was born from the mating of a giant dragon and a demon fish. At first glance, it was similar to a giant dragon, except that it did not have wings and limbs. However, ts tail was particularly thick and strong. With that tail, the water dragon moved extremely fast underwater. It did not have wings so after the water dragon reached the highest point, it dove through the sea¡¯s surface using gravity to pull its weight down. The splashes made Lin Qi and the Dark King wet. Then, the water dragon with half its body deep in the sea stared at Lin Qi and the Dark King. ¡°You sc*m, how dare you steal my holy light fish? How dare you!¡± Lin Qi waved his hand hurriedly. ¡°We don¡¯t know what a holy light fish is, we are¡­¡± Slap! Lin Qi was slapped hard by the holy light fish before him. Everything happened so suddenly that Lin Qi forgot to put away the holy light fish. You should not hit people in the face when you attack them, and you should not expose your shortcomings when you scold them. Lin Qi was furious. He grabbed the holy light fish, slapped its head twice, and threw it into the Dark King¡¯s mouth. The water dragon was even more furious when it saw that scene. It did not waste any more words. It dove into the sea and crashed into the bottom of the raft. That time, it actually knocked the raft into the air. Lin Qi and the Dark King held on tightly to the raft so that they were not thrown out. Fortunately, the wood was relatively strong. Otherwise, it would have been enough to disintegrate the raft. They were at sea, the home of the water dragon. Even the Dark King admitted that he could not defeat the water dragon in the sea. Dark King hurriedly extended its tail into the water and turned it quickly, like a propeller. The raft flew forward under Dark King¡¯s propulsion. However, no matter how fast the Dark King spun its tail, they could not outrun the overlord of the sea. It soon caught up. Lin Qi¡¯s face turned pale. He hurriedly took out the Explosive Beef Meatballs and the Devil Pepper Powder from the system. He sprinkled the pepper powder into the water. When the water dragon choked on the pepper powder and jumped out of the sea, he threw the meatballs at the water dragon. With a boom, the water dragon was stopped by the explosion. Dark King seized the opportunity and increased its speed. Soon, they left the water dragon behind. They had barely escaped.. Chapter 77 - Encountering A Fog Again Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Lin Qi remembered that in the cartoons of his previous life, dogs or cats often used their tails as propellers, but he assumed that was fictional until he saw the Dark King use its tail as a propeller. That speedÒ»Lin Qi felt that it could be used as the propeller of a helicopter. Indeed, the cartoons really had not deceived him! Fortunately, Dark King¡¯s special skills allowed them to successfully escape the pursuit of the water dragon. After all, that was a six-star devil beast. ¡°Is that stupid dragon still chasing us?¡± The Dark King was so busy that it did not even have time to turn its head back. ¡°It¡¯s not chasing us anymore. You can stop now,¡± Lin Qi hurriedly said. Only then did the Dark King stop. ¡°Have we poked the dragon¡¯s nest? Forget about the pure-bred giant dragon, we also met the mixed-blood dragon of the sea.¡± The Dark King was exhausted. ¡°D*mn it, if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that it was a water dragon, I would have burned it to death!¡± ¡®Strictly speaking, we did poke the dragon¡¯s nest¡­¡¯ Lin Qi complained in his heart. They first caught the holy light fish for half the night, then fought with the water dragon. Coupled with the long escape, the man and the dog were exhausted. Lin Qi and the Dark King looked at each other and decided to go back to sleep. .. However, when they woke up the next day, they were surrounded by a thick white fog. The visibility was less than 15 feet, and they could not even tell the exact position of the sun. They could only guess that it was daytime. Although Lin Qi had never drifted at sea, he knew that encountering a thick fog was definitely a very bad thing. Even if they were close to land, they would not be able to discover it with such visibility. More importantly, they had completely lost their sense of direction. Lin Qi even took out a holy light fish. Even the light from the holy light fish could not penetrate the fog. He looked at the Dark King. ¡°Try spitting fire in that direction.¡± Dark King turned its head and spat a fireball in the direction that Lin Qi was pointing at. The light from the flame dispersed some of the fog nearby, but the effect was very poor. Lin Qi and the Dark King felt that the fog was abnormal. ¡°Wait and see. Ordinary fog will dissipate soon.¡± Ordinary fog is formed because of the large temperature difference between day and night, which caused the water vapor in the air to saturate and form small water droplets. When there were a large number of such small water droplets, the fog would form. When sunlight passed through the fog, all the colors of light were reflected by it, so the fog looked like a vast expanse of whiteness. The thicker the fog, the lower the visibility. If it was an ordinary fog, there were two ways to make it disappear. One was to increase the wind speed, and the other was to evaporate the small water droplets that formed the fog. Therefore, under normal circumstances, the thicker the fog was, the more it would disappear at noon. Lin Qi decided to wait. The sudden appearance of the fog affected Lin Qi and the Dark King¡¯s appetite. Lin Qi did not eat a mouthful, and the Dark King only ate a small pot of mushroom soup. Lin Qi estimated that half a day had passed, but the fog around them did not show any signs of dissipating. Even if they woke up in the early morning, it should still be noon after such a long time. Lin Qi looked at Dark King with a serious expression. ¡°This isn¡¯t regular fog!¡± Dark King was a little speechless. ¡°Even a fool knows that! Why did you get serious all of a sudden¡­¡± Lin Qi immediately felt that the situation was hopeless. ¡°Then what do you think we should do?¡± ¡°Hmph, I¡¯ve already thought of a solution. Watch me.¡± The Dark King raised its thick and strong tail, inserted it into the water, then spun it quickly. Under the Dark King¡¯s acceleration, the wooden raft moved forward quickly. The Dark King sped up as it turned around to show off to Lin Qi. ¡°No matter where this fog originated from, it just means that we¡¯ve entered a strange area. As long as we leave this area quickly, we¡¯ll be fine.¡± Dark King¡¯s sudden seriousness stunned Lin Qi. At first glance, it sounded very reasonable. However, despite the Dark King¡¯s speed, they still did not leave the fog. Unknowingly, the light around them gradually dimmed. It seemed that the sun had set. In the fog, Lin Qi and the Dark King were surrounded by darkness. It was as if there was a black hole that absorbed all the light around them. Lin Qi took out a holy light fish from the system and a wooden stick. He tied the holy light fish to the wooden stick and used it as a torch. However, that was not a long-term solution. If they did not get out of the fog, they might have to spend the rest of their lives at sea. Although they did not have to worry about food and drink for a short period of time, the system¡¯s food was not obtained out of thin air. Lin Qi could actually rely on the system upgrade to obtain free ingredients, but he did not even have half the gold coins needed on him right now. In such an environment, the Dark King could not maintain his composure. On the raft, it kept spinning in circles. Lin Qi looked at it and was annoyed. ¡°Can you stop spinning!¡± ¡°It makes me feel better. What can you do about it?¡± Dark King also started to become irritable. ¡°You feel better? If you hadn¡¯t have taken me to steal dragon eggs, would we be here now?¡± Lin Qi stood up and pointed at Dark King¡¯s nose. ¡°F*ck! You¡¯re just a human! If I didn¡¯t save you, you would have been burned to ashes by the lava!¡± ¡°You have the nerve to say that? If you hadn¡¯t stolen my soup in the first place, this never would have happened!¡± ¡°You f*cking¡­¡± Seeing as the arguing escalated, they were about to fight. The holy light fish tied to the wooden stick trembled and emitted an even brighter phosphorescent light. The man and dog duo gradually simmered down under the bright light. Not long after, they calmed down and began to regret their actions. The atmosphere immediately became awkward. Lin Qi and the Dark King did not dare to look at each other. They simply lowered their heads in embarrassment. After a while, Lin Qi broke the silence. ¡°Sorry, I¡­ Actually, I was frustrated just now and said those words in anger. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± ¡°Me too, I said those words in anger. After knowing you for so long, I¡¯m quite happy. Your cooking is so delicious. Haha¡­¡± Dark King laughed awkwardly. They looked at each other and chuckled twice. Then, they looked at the holy light fish at the same time. The man and the dog sighed in their hearts at the same time. That fish really lived up to its reputation. Fortunately, Lin Qi thought of using the light it emitted as a lamp. Dark King looked at the fog and then looked at the holy light fish. It suddenly thought of something and muttered in a low voice, ¡°So the legend is true!¡± Lin Qi asked curiously, ¡°What did you say?¡± The Dark King then began to speak, ¡°Legend has it that in the endless sea, there is a unique demon fish. The demon fish can release a unique fog. All creatures that enter this fog will lose their sense of direction and keep circling in the same spot until they die of exhaustion. ¡°This way, the demon fish can eat its prey without bloodshed. However, this also shows that the attack power of this fish is not high.¡± ¡°Then we have to quickly find the demon fish and kill it!¡± Lin Qi said excitedly.. Chapter 78 - Finally Seeing the Land Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°I¡¯ve only heard of it, but I¡¯ve never seen it.¡± Dark King shook its head. ¡°But that fish can!¡± Lin Qi followed the Dark King¡¯s line of sight and looked at the holy light fish that was tied up. He suddenly remembered the scene earlier. Lin Qi had a vague feeling, but he had not caught up yet. Dark King continued to explain, ¡°Legend has it that the holy light fish and the demon fish are mortal enemies. When they meet, they will fight to the death. However, the holy light fish live in groups, and the demon fish mostly travel alone, so most of the time, the demon fish is the loser. I thought demon fish went extinct.¡± Dark King let go of the holy light fish and opened its mouth to bite the holy light fish, allowing the fish¡¯s blood to drip into the sea. ¡°The demon fish and the holy light fish are mortal enemies, so it will definitely not ignore an injured holy light fish. Although we can¡¯t find it, we can let the demon fish find us.¡± The Dark King laughed sinisterly. Its big black face looked particularly strange under the illumination of the Holy Light. Lin Qi also chuckled sinisterly. Then, he took out a handful of Explosive Beef Meatballs from the system. ¡°Hehe, since the guest will come, I¡¯ll prepare some gifts to repay its ¡®care¡¯ during our time here!¡± The blood of the holy light fish spread out in the seawater. Lin Qi and the Dark King noticed that the fog around them began to surge. It¡¯s coming! Very good! Lin Qi and the Dark King held their breath and concentrated, carefully observing their surroundings. They saw that the fog was getting thicker and thicker, to the point that they could not even see their own fingers. Lin Qi and the Dark King could not even see each other. Suddenly, there was a splash from the right side of the raft, as if something had jumped out of the water. Dark King¡¯s eyes were blood-red. It turned around, and its thick tail directly slapped the approaching entity away. ¡°Lin Qi! ¡± Dark King shouted. Lin Qi threw the Explosive Beef Meatball in his hand at the figure. He silently calculated the range of the explosion. When the meatball hurtled close enough to the figure, Lin Qi shouted in his heart, ¡®Explode!¡¯ With a boom, the figure was blown up and blood splattered everywhere. At the same time, the surrounding fog disappeared at a fast pace. Not long after, Lin Qi finally saw his surroundings. The demon fish, which had been blown up into a bloody mess, smashed heavily into the sea. The dark green blood slowly spread out. Lin Qi took a deep breath. They finally got rid of the fog and breathed in the fresh air. Dark King also threw the holy light fish before him to Lin Qi. ¡°If you put it with the other holy light fish, it might survive.¡± Lin Qi and the Dark King were lucky. If they had not caught some holy light fish, they would still be wandering in the fog, and they might have even killed each other. Lin Qi looked at the Dark King and asked, ¡°What about the demon fish?¡± The Dark King waved its big claws. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Even if it doesn¡¯t die, it will lose a layer of skin. Now it¡¯s no longer a threat to us. Besides, the demon fish is going to be extinct soon. Let it go.¡± The reason was not actually because the Dark King¡¯s heart was overflowing with kindness but it could be merciful whenever possible. After all, the demon fish did not cause them any actual harm. Now that it was at least seriously injured, it would not pose a threat. Lin Qi and the Dark King were a little tired after tormenting themselves for the whole day. However, they still decided to hurry on. What if there were other demon fish nearby? They might not be so lucky next time. They rowed and rowed until the next morning when the sun rose. They ate a simple meal and fell into a deep sleep. .. Just like that, they kept heading west. Two days later, they finally saw land from afar. The Dark King was so excited that it wanted to grow two tails so that it could speed up the raft. Another half a day passed and they reached the shore. After drifting on the sea for so long, Lin Qi finally appreciated how safe it was to step on the ground. Even though it was a long time from when they jumped off the cliff, the Dark King was very familiar with that place. Lin Qi breathed in with all his might and felt the soil under his feet. During the time he was drifting on the sea, he even caught a fishy smell on his body. ¡°Dark King, take me to the orc tribe. The tribe is called the Bru tribe. Do you know where it is?¡± Lin Qi was very excited. He could finally rush back. ¡°Let me think, Bru¡­ Bru.¡± Dark King scratched its dog head. After a while, he said, ¡°Ah, I remember. But it¡¯s a little far. It¡¯s in the other direction.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go quickly. I can¡¯t wait.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rush? It¡¯s already night. Let¡¯s leave tomorrow.¡± Dark King was a little unhappy. ¡°Leave early and arrive early. Why wait until tomorrow?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of encountering the giant dragons again? This place isn¡¯t far from the Dragon Valley.¡± Dark King threatened Lin Qi. At the mention of the giant dragons, Lin Qi was still a little afraid. If he were to do it again, he might not be so lucky. Moreover, the Imitation Fruit was gone. The Dark King did not want to leave, and he did not know the way himself, so he had to give up. Tomorrow would be fine, as long as he could go back. Dark King took Lin Qi to a cave. In order to celebrate their return to the land, he specially asked Lin Qi to make a big meal. Lin Qi had to open the system and make a meal of all the delicious food available. The man and dog duo ate heartily in the cave. The next morning, the sun had just risen when Lin Qi woke up Dark King. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go to the Bru tribe,¡± Lin Qi urged. ¡°¡­ Ah, I know, I know.¡± Dark King was helpless. In order to avoid being discovered by the giant dragon clan, they took a detour around the Dragon Valley. When Lin Qi discovered that they had arrived at the black stone area again, the Dark King was not afraid and immediately passed through it. However, Lin Qi was afraid. He shamelessly sat on Dark King¡¯s back. Otherwise, it would take a long time to go around it. Lin Qi also found many parcels near the black stone area. There were also burnt shoes. Most of them looked familiar. They were the items of the trial participants. He did not know how those people were doing. After the stone rain that day, there were a few acid rains. Moreover, the volcanic eruption had affected many places. Hopefully, they were still alive. If it were not for Lin Qi¡¯s experience those past few days, any ordinary person would have died eight times over. They walked all the way and recalled their memories. They came to the place where Lin Qi first met the Dark King. The half-burned beast-catching net was still there. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. At that time, I thought I saw a ghost. If you were hungry, you should have just said so. You just had to steal,¡± Lin Qi mocked. ¡°Who told you to cook such delicious food? Besides, you chased me for so long and even hit me a few times. At least I didn¡¯t kill you all in one blast. You should be content.¡± Dark King was still a little angry when it remembered that day. Lin Qi also saw the place where the stone pies were stored. He went up and looked around. All the stone pies and gourmet dishes left behind were gone. It seemed that the orc tribe had taken them. At least during his absence, the orc tribe would not go hungry.. Chapter 79 - Take Off Your Clothes Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation At that point, Lin Qi basically knew the way. Half an hour later, Lin Qi passed through the land and returned to the Bru tribe. Just as he reached the entrance of the tribe, two armed orcs rushed in front of them. ¡°Stop! This is the Bru tribe, who are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Lin Qi, I¡¯m back!¡± The two orcs stared at Lin Qi carefully and finally recognized him. In their eyes, humans all looked the sameÒ»they all looked skinny and weak. One of the orcs ran back to the tribe happily, while the other orc approached Lin Qi. ¡°Wow, we ate all the stone pies you made. They were really delicious, and we became very resistant to hunger. You¡¯re really amazing.¡± Lin Qi said humbly, ¡°Haha, they¡¯re alright I guess. It¡¯s fine as long as you guys got to eat to your fill. I was afraid that you guys wouldn¡¯t find the stone pies I left behind.¡± ¡°Then where have you been these past few days? Why did you take so long to come back?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡­¡± Before Lin Qi could finish, the Holy Maiden led a group of orcs and rushed toward him. The Holy Maiden came before Lin Qi, her eyes filled with worry and surprise. The Holy Maiden examined Lin Qi from top to bottom, and when she was sure that Lin Qi was unharmed, she hugged him. She whispered in Lin Qi¡¯s ear, ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re okay!¡± Happiness came too suddenly. Lin Qi felt softness in his chest. Just as he was about to hug the Holy Maiden back, he found Yu Meng staring at him from behind the orcs. He did not know why, but he suddenly felt a little guilty. He moved his arm back and patted the Holy Maiden on the shoulder. The Holy Maiden then came to her senses. She pushed Lin Qi away shyly and ran back to the tribe. Lin Qi walked toward the tribe with a crowd of people surrounding him. At that time, an orc pointed at the Dark King and said, ¡°Lin Qi, is this your catch? This black dog looks quite strong. To celebrate your return, let¡¯s kill it and eat its meat tonight.¡± Lin Qi turned his head abruptly. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Before he could finish his words, the Dark King slapped the orc away. ¡°Eat me? Go ahead and try!¡± The orcs next to him were stunned. They all raised their weapons and aimed them at the Dark King. Lin Qi could clearly sense Dark King¡¯s temper rising. A wisp of flame spewed out from the corner of its mouth. He rushed to the front of Dark King and blocked the orc¡¯s line of sight. ¡°It¡¯s called the Dark King. It¡¯s not my catch. It¡¯s my friend,¡± Lin Qi explained to the orc. At that time, he did not forget to turn around and explain to the Dark King. ¡°These are all my friends!¡± The Dark King did not plan to argue with the orcs for Lin Qi¡¯s sake and swaggered toward the tribe. The orc next to him subconsciously made way for the Dark King. Seeing the Dark King cooperate so well, Lin Qi was relieved. He whispered to the orcs nearby, ¡°Don¡¯t mind its attitude too much and don¡¯t call it a dog. Just call it Dark King. It has a big temper, is narrow-minded, and can spit fire. Fortunately, it had my back these past few days, otherwise, I would have died a few times.¡± After all, the orc tribe was good at fighting, and they had seen great storms, yet they were still a little surprised that a dog could talk. Lin Qi followed the orcs back to the tribe, and the first thing he did was visit the old priest. After all, he was the oldest and most popular person in the tribe. He first chatted with the old priest about his experiences in the past few days, and then delved into the main topic. ¡°Old priest, I found an island in the middle of the sea. It¡¯s very beautiful. There are many fruit trees, especially peach trees on the island. I¡¯ve given this island a name, Peach Blossom Island. What do you think? ¡°I¡¯ve explored the entire island. The resources are very rich, and there¡¯s no need to worry about food at all. Moreover, there¡¯s no acid rain. The orcs can live very comfortably on the island. Let¡¯s move there. What do you think?¡± The old priest was stunned when he heard Lin Qi describe the Peach Blossom Island. ¡°Is it the Sacred Realm?¡± ¡°What is the Sacred Realm?¡± Lin Qi had never heard of that name. The old priest explained, ¡°I heard it from the previous old priest when I was younger. ¡°I heard that there¡¯s an island in the middle of the sea. It¡¯s the Sacred Realm. Not only is the scenery pleasant, but it¡¯s also suitable for living. Legend has it that there¡¯s a God inhabiting that island!¡± Lin Qi was stunned. ¡°A God? I haven¡¯t seen one! There¡¯s not even a single demonic beast on the Peach Blossom Island. There are only ordinary beasts.¡± ¡°Really? Then what I spoke of must have just been a legend. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± The old priest smiled kindly. Nevertheless, that legend made Lin Qi think of the skeleton that appeared suddenly. However, they had lived on the island for so long and there was no sign of danger, so there should not be any problem. Lin Qi and the old priest discussed the matter of moving the entire tribe. Soon, night fell. A group of orcs lit a bonfire then they sang and danced. Lin Qi was surrounded by a group of orcs, who kept toasting in his name. Meanwhile, the Dark King lay in a corner with a hopeless expression. There were two children crawling on its body, and a child was grabbing its big ears. Although the Dark King was very fierce to humans, it was still very good to the young ones. At that moment, the old priest knocked on his wine glass, signaling for everyone to be quiet. He stood up and told the story of Peach Blossom Island under the gaze of his tribesmen. ¡°Lin Qi is our tribe¡¯s hero. Not only did he solve the food issue for us, but he also found a good place for our Bru tribe to settle down. There¡¯s no acid rain, no demonic beasts, and there¡¯s plenty of food there.¡± The orcs below were all excited when they heard that, and some of the females even cried. ¡°So, today, I announce that Lin Qi is the official hero of the Bru tribe from now on!¡± ¡°Hero! Hero! Hero!¡± The orcs clenched their right fists and raised them forward. With their left hands on their chests, they knelt down on one knee and performed the noblest etiquette to Lin Qi. Under the instructions of the Holy Maiden, Lin Qi walked to the stands and raised his wine glass. ¡°For the tribe!¡± ¡°For the tribe! For the tribe! For the tribe!¡± After three rounds of drinking, Lin Qi returned to his room with hazy vision. Just as he was about to lie down and sleep, there was a knock on the door. Lin Qi opened the door and saw the Holy Maiden standing outside with a quilt in her hands. Not only that, but the Holy Maiden had also changed into a red dress with light makeup on her face. She stood gracefully in front of Lin Qi. ¡°Holy Maiden¡­ Holy Maiden, why are you here so late¡­ What do you want?¡± Lin Qi was so nervous that he stuttered. The Holy Maiden smiled and walked into the room. She turned around and closed the door. Then, she grabbed Lin Qi¡¯s hands. Lin Qi was shocked and quickly pulled his hands back. ¡°A man and woman shouldn¡¯t be alone like this, Holy Maiden.¡± However, the Holy Maiden did not retreat. Instead, she moved forward. Lin Qi slowly retreated. Then, the back of his knees hit the bed and he fell on it. The Holy Maiden pushed Lin Qi down and bent over to face him. She looked at him with bright eyes, and Lin Qi felt the softness of her breasts.. ¡°You are the hero of our tribe, and according to the tradition of the Orcs, the Holy Maiden needs to treat her hero with her first night, so tonight, I am yours!¡± Chapter 80 - Please Behave Yourself Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The Holy Maiden¡¯s hand brushed Lin Qi¡¯s face and slowly moved down. She touched his lips with the tip of her finger. Following his chin, she touched his neck and continued to move downward. Lin Qi¡¯s face flushed red. He nervously closed his eyes and his breathing gradually became rapid. The Holy Maiden¡¯s hand finally stopped on Lin Qi¡¯s chest. She groped Lin Qi¡¯s chest muscles. ¡°You¡¯re so strong. I didn¡¯t realize it before.¡± The Holy Maiden teased Lin Qi. She drew circles on Lin Qi¡¯s chest. Lin Qi trembled and felt a warm current in his stomach. ¡°Young man, you¡¯re so shy.¡± The Holy Maiden smiled coquettishly. Just as she was about to continue downward, Lin Qi grabbed her hands. ¡°Why don¡¯t we forget about this? This isn¡¯t a good¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, it isn¡¯t good?¡± The Holy Maiden¡¯s face was red like a ripe red apple. ¡°Then why is your little buddy¡­ So energetic?¡± She felt something poking her lower belly. At that moment, Lin Qi wanted to find a hole to hide in, but he could do nothing. The Holy Maiden was so attractive, he could not stand it. He simply closed his eyes and let the Holy Maiden do as she pleased, but he did not feel any movement for a long time. When he opened his eyes again, he saw the Holy Maiden kneeling over his body. She raised her hands behind her head as if she was untying something. Her beautiful hair cascaded down. The moment her beautiful hair fell, Lin Qi was stunned. Her entire body was bathed in the moonlight as if a fairy had descended to the mortal world. Then, the Holy Maiden unbuttoned her top and took it off. Her red underwear was left on her torso. After taking off her blouse, the Holy Maiden did not continue removing anything else. Instead, she bent down and whispered into Lin Qi¡¯s ear, ¡°Lin Qi Jr. is more energetic now! Hehe!¡± Lin Qi felt a warm current concentrate on his lower abdomen. His whole body was boiling hot as if he had a fever. The Holy Maiden lifted her skirt slightly, revealing her long, smooth legs. She grabbed Lin Qi¡¯s hand and led it to her thigh. First, it was her calf, then slowly up. The Holy Maiden¡¯s thigh felt very strong as if she was very active and had lean muscles. Then higher up, Lin Qi¡¯s hand trembled slightly. He had never thought that a woman¡¯s thigh could be so smooth. Lin Qi¡¯s hands were about to reach higher. When the atmosphere in the room reached its peak, the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside. Lin Qi and the Holy Maiden, who were on the bed, seemed to have been caught in the act. They instantly bounced off the bed. The Holy Maiden grabbed the clothes next to her and put them on. It was Yu Meng. ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Seeing that Lin Qi had finally returned, Yu Meng wanted to get some delicious food. While Lin Qi was away, Yu Meng could only eat stone pies every day. She was really tired of eating it. Other orcs could go out to hunt, but Yu Meng and Luther could not leave the tribe because they were hostages. Luther wanted to come too, but Yu Meng did not allow Luther to follow. She did not expect to hear some strange sounds coming from inside the house. She leaned against the wall and listened carefully for a while. Then she realized that something was wrong. Although Yu Meng had never been in a relationship, she was quite mature so she knew something was going on. Before the situation became more serious, Yu Meng kicked the door open and stopped the ¡®cheating couple¡¯ from continuing. Yu Meng saw Lin Qi, who was half-naked, and the Holy Maiden, who was wearing a coat, and her hair was disheveled. ¡°Lin Qi! You sc*mbag! I misjudged you!¡± Yu Meng was very angry at that moment, so she turned around and walked out. Lin Qi hurriedly chased after her, but he did not expect to trip over his pants after just two steps. He looked down and saw that the Holy Maiden had unbuttoned his pants at some point. He raised his head and looked at her with a puzzled look. The Holy Maiden was a little embarrassed by Lin Qi¡¯s look. Lin Qi did not dwell on the matter anymore. He quickly stood up and pulled up his pants. He turned around and rushed to the door. He suddenly thought of something and turned to the Holy Maiden. ¡°Well¡­ Sorry, but I think this is wrong. In my society, a man and a woman would only do this if they were in love.¡± Lin Qi continued in a serious voice, ¡°A girl¡¯s first night is very precious. It should be reserved for her lover. I found food and a place for the tribe to settle down. I really want to become friends with your tribe. ¡°So¡­¡± The Holy Maiden interrupted Lin Qi. ¡°Although I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean, I can see that I¡¯ve brought you trouble today. ¡°After spending time with Yu Meng, I found that she is indeed a good woman. Maybe she is the one who is more suitable for you.¡± Lin Qi smiled at the Holy Maiden. ¡°Thank you!¡± Then, he turned around and rushed out of the room. The Holy Maiden was deep in thought in the room. She was thinking about what Lin Qi had just said. What was love? As she was thinking, she saw Lin Qi rushing back. Lin Qi scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°Um¡­ Do you know where Yu Meng stays?¡± The Holy Maiden burst into laughter. She felt that it was a little inappropriate, so she covered her mouth with her hand. ¡°She lives in the row of houses on the south side of the tribe, the first house on the right.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you!¡± Lin Qi was about to turn his head, but the Holy Maiden called him back. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lin Qi asked curiously. ¡°I think you might come back empty-handed if you go to her now. I¡¯m a woman, and I know women better than you. If she¡¯s angry, she won¡¯t listen to anything you say.¡± ¡°Then¡­ What should I do?¡± Lin Qi scratched his head. That was indeed within his blind spot. Whether it was in his previous life or the current one, he had never been in a relationship. ¡°If I were you, I would give her some time to calm down. When her anger subsides tomorrow morning, you can go and comfort her. She should be able to forgive you.¡± Lin Qi suddenly understood and quickly thanked her. ¡°Thank you! Thank you! Then I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Lin Qi thought of the words to apologize the next day as he walked out of the house. He had only taken two steps when he felt that something was not right. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not right. That was my room.¡± He stopped and walked back. He saw that the Holy Maiden was already fully dressed. She was sitting by the bed and looking at him with a smile on her face. She knew that he would come back. Seeing Lin Qi¡¯s embarrassed expression, the Holy Maiden suddenly felt that the man in front of her was really not that bad. She did not want the men in the tribe who only had muscles but no intelligence. Lin Qi was smart, kind, and good at cooking, but he was a little timid. If it were any other woman, he would have been eaten up long ago. She stood up from the bed and walked to Lin Qi. She tiptoed in front of him and whispered in his ear, ¡°Good night!¡± Then she kissed him on the cheek and walked out of the door. Lin Qi was left standing at the door, his face flushed.. Chapter 81 - Running Away From Home Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Good luck!¡± The Holy Maiden waved at Lin Qi. Lin Qi also made a goodbye gesture to the Holy Maiden, closed the door, and threw himself on the bed. ¡®Today was a good day for the tribe so why was Yu Meng angry? Does she like me? Should I go after her? ¡®Why did the Holy Maiden kiss me in the end? Does she like me too? If the Holy Maiden confessed to me, should I agree? Do I want to? ¡®Sigh, I didn¡¯t expect to be so popular.¡¯ In his wild thoughts, Lin Qi fell into a deep sleep. .. Early the next morning, Lin Qi got up, washed up, and even dressed up. He made a delicious breakfast according to Yu Meng¡¯s taste and went to the first house on the left in the south row that the Holy Maiden mentioned. Knock! Knock! Knock! Lin Qi knocked on the door. ¡°Yu Meng, are you awake?¡± He did not get a reply. ¡°I made your favorite food for you! It¡¯s still warm so get up and eat it!¡± There was still no reply. He knocked on the door again. ¡°Yu Meng? Are you still angry with me? Would you believe me if I said that we were just discussing the orc tribe moving to Peach Blossom Island?¡± Lin Qi stood at Yu Meng¡¯s door and babbled for a long time, but he did not get any reply. He knocked on the door with more strength and suddenly heard a rustling sound from inside. ¡°Yu Meng! You¡¯re finally willing to see me? I didn¡¯t disturb you, did I? Listen to my explanation about last night, it¡¯s not¡­ Believe me when I say that we were just¡­ Huh?¡± A strong orc slowly opened the door and looked at Lin Qi in confusion. ¡°Hero? You¡­ What are you doing here?¡± ¡°You¡­ I¡­ No, why are you in Yu Meng¡¯s house? You two¡­ I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Lin Qi was about to break down. ¡°Yu Meng? Oh, you mean Ms. Yu Meng, she¡¯s not here, she lives in the back, and your friend, Luther, lives next door.¡± The orc pointed toward the next house. Lin Qi blushed a little. It was a misunderstanding. ¡®That made sense, I mean, why would Yu Meng like him? He¡¯s not as handsome as me.¡¯ Lin Qi complained in his heart. ¡°Sorry for disturbing your sleep! I¡¯ll go first. Ah¡­ This is for you, sorry to disturb you.¡± Lin Qi stuffed a piece of bread into the orc¡¯s hand and ran away. No wonder the Holy Maiden smiled mischievously when she wished him good luck last night. It turned out that she had given Lin Qi the wrong address from the beginning to embarrass him. She was also a woman and a first-class beauty. She had thrown away her pride and taken the initiative to seduce Lin Qi, but she had not succeeded. The Holy Maiden certainly wanted to save face, so she gave Lin Qi a small punishment. ¡®Women are really narrow-minded.¡¯ Lin Qi cursed in his heart. .. Lin Qi finally arrived at the right house, but he found that the door was not tightly closed. He knocked on the door. ¡°Yu Meng? Yu Meng! Are you in there?¡± There was no response. ¡°Then I¡¯m coming in!¡± Lin Qi mustered his courage and slowly pushed the door open. Then, he carefully looked around. There was no one inside. Lin Qi entered the house and put the delicious food on the table. ¡®Strange, where did she go so early?¡¯ Lin Qi wandered around. It was so clean. ¡®Something¡¯s wrong.¡¯ Lin Qi felt something was off. The house was too clean, so clean that there was nothing extra. Yu Meng¡¯s luggage was gone too! He searched the whole house carefully again. Indeed, everything was gone. Lin Qi ran to the next door, which was Luther¡¯s house. Soon, Luther opened the door with a confused look. Luther looked at Lin Qi with his sleepy eyes. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Have you seen Yu Meng?¡± Lin Qi knew that it was not the time to explain. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t seen her since the party yesterday. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Luther said as he put on his clothes. ¡°She¡¯s gone. Even the house is empty!¡± Lin Qi said in frustration. It seemed that Yu Meng was really angry with him. If he had known last night, he would not have listened to the Holy Maiden and went to find her immediately. ¡°All her stuff is gone?¡± Luther walked to the next room and looked around. ¡°Really? What happened between the two of you?¡± Luther knew that something must have happened between Lin Qi and Yu Meng. Otherwise, why else would Yu Meng disappear the second Lin Qi came back. ¡°Oh, it was Yu Meng who came across the Holy Maiden and me last night¡­ Wait, what does it have to do with you?¡± Lin Qi looked impatient. However, Luther had already cottoned on. ¡°The Holy Maiden? You¡¯re good. That girl usually ignores me. Tell me what happened quickly.¡± Luther came over and put his arm on Lin Qi¡¯s shoulder. Lin Qi shook the arm off his shoulder and ran away quickly. ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to find Yu meng. There¡¯s breakfast in her house, you can eat!¡± Lin Qi said without turning his head. Lin Qi planned to ask those at the gate of the tribe. The gate was the only exit of the tribe, and there were orcs guarding the gate at all times. Yu Meng would have definitely been seen! Before Lin Qi reached the main gate, he saw a familiar figure. It was not Yu Meng, but the Dark King. It was lying on the ground, sunbathing. Lin Qi walked up and asked, ¡°Dark King, what are you doing?¡± The Dark King said lazily, ¡°Are you blind? I¡¯m sunbathing. After floating on the sea for almost half a month, I feel that my fur has a musty smell. Sunbathing is very comforting¡± ¡°How long have you been lying here? Have you seen a human girl? She¡¯s very beautiful.¡± ¡°Girl? Which girl? Did she enter your house first or later last night?¡± The Dark King said without raising its head. ¡°Later¡­ She went in later. Wait, how did you know?¡± Lin Qi said in surprise. ¡°Pfft, what is there that this king doesn¡¯t know?¡± The Dark King said with a wretched smile. Lin Qi was speechless. That d*mn dog must have been lying on the ground and peeping last night. Fortunately, nothing happened between him and the Holy Maiden. Otherwise, that d*mn dog would have seen everything. ¡°Then did you see it?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see it!¡± ¡°¡­ Which one are you talking about?¡± ¡°The one I didn¡¯t see.¡± He slapped Dark King¡¯s dog head. ¡°Let you peek, let you spout nonsense! I have been very merciful nowadays apparently!¡± The Dark King was furious. ¡°Kid, you¡­¡± ¡°Stop your nonsense, come with me to find Yu Meng.¡± Lin Qi turned around and left. He had to leave. If he had not, he would have been bitten by the dog again. ¡°Why should I go with you? You¡­¡± Lin Qi took out a holy light fish from the system and held it toward the Dark King. It opened its big mouth and swallowed the holy light fish in one gulp. It even burped. ¡°Coming, coming!¡± The Dark King followed behind Lin Qi. The Dark King convinced itself that it was all for friendship. It was definitely not because the fish was delicious, definitely not.. Definitely not! Chapter 82 - Goodbye, Chen Lin Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Lin Qi brought the Dark King to the gate of the tribe and asked the two orcs standing guard at the gate if they had seen Yu Meng. The two orcs looked at each other, and one of them said, ¡°Yu Meng? Last night, she left the tribe with a package.¡± The other orc echoed, ¡°That¡¯s right, and she looked very unhappy, with a cold face. We greeted her, but she didn¡¯t look at us.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she usually like this? Cold.¡± ¡°But last night she was especially cold. She usually nods even if she doesn¡¯t speak.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± Lin Qi interrupted the chattering of the two orcs. ¡°Do you know where she went?¡± ¡°Let me think, it should be in that direction.¡± One of the orcs pointed to the left. ¡°Okay, thank you¡­¡± Lin Qi was about to thank him and leave. ¡°No, it¡¯s in that direction.¡± The other orc pointed to the right instead. Lin Qi covered his face with both hands. As expected, one could not count on the intelligence of orcs. He watched the two orcs quarreling but he did not want to stop them. They might as well beat the brains out of each other. Wait, Lin Qi suddenly thought of something and looked at the Dark King. The Dark King was scared by his look and said warily, ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Lin Qi was caught off guard and said embarrassedly, ¡°Well¡­ Dark King, can you follow Yu Meng¡¯s scent?¡± The Dark King heard that and its fur stood on end. It opened its mouth and was about to bite Lin Qi. Lin Qi was so scared that he quickly took out a pile of delicacies from the system. ¡°Dark King, you¡¯re so powerful. You can definitely help me find Yu Meng, right?¡± The Dark King looked at the delicacies in front of him and laughed in anger. ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because we have a good relationship, you can insult me. This is the last time. If you treat me like a dog again, I¡¯ll bite you to death!¡± ¡°No problem, no problem. I promise there won¡¯t be a next time.¡± Lin Qi raised three fingers and swore to the sky. The Dark King swallowed all the delicious food and recalled the scent it smelled last night. Then, it lowered its head and sniffed the ground. Not long after, Dark King looked to the left and said to Lin Qi, ¡°She went that way.¡± Without saying anything, Lin Qi ran to the left. Before he left, he heard one of the orcs say to his companion, ¡°See, I told you!¡± ¡°Hmph, you just got lucky.¡± ¡°Bullsh*t! You¡­¡± Lin Qi could not hear the rest of the conversation, but he did not want to hear it anyway. .. The Dark King led the way in front while Lin Qi followed behind. As they walked, Dark King suddenly stopped. Lin Qi quickly walked up. ¡°What? You found her?¡± Black King nodded. Lin Qi said excitedly, ¡°Then let¡¯s go quickly!¡± After saying that, he was about to walk forward when Dark King stopped Lin Qi. ¡°Don¡¯t rush, there¡¯s an issue.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lin Qi asked nervously. ¡°Other than that woman named Yu Meng, I can smell the scent of other humans,¡± the Dark King said with certainty. Other humans should be other participants. After all, no humans usually entered that forest. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I should know them. Yu Meng knows them too. They shouldn¡¯t make things difficult for her.¡± The Dark King led Lin Qi forward. ¡°You know them? Are you sure?¡± It pushed aside a huge leaf in front of it. It saw a mess behind it. There were traces of fire, cuts from swords to trees, and many places were covered in ice. It was obvious that there was a fight here. Lin Qi stepped forward to identify it carefully. ¡°It¡¯s magic. Judging from its power, it¡¯s at least an intermediate-level mage. This ice should be Yu Meng¡¯s magic. The marks of fire¡­¡± Lin Qi narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why? Do you know it?¡± ¡°Ah, not only do I know it, but I¡¯m also very familiar with it.¡± There were many fire mages among the participants, but there were not many intermediate-level mages. Coincidentally, Lin Qi knew just one. Moreover, that mage was able to fight Yu Meng, so the identity of that person was obvious. ¡°Dark King, just trust me when we get there.¡± The Dark King and Lin Qi had already formed a tacit understanding. When it heard Lin Qi¡¯s tone, it naturally understood what he meant. It chuckled to show that it understood. .. After a while, they came to a cave. The Dark King sniffed carefully and said to Lin Qi, ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± When Lin Qi heard that, he took the lead and walked into the cave. The cave was very big. There were torches on both sides of the cave walls every 15 feet, so they could barely see their surroundings. Soon, they came to the end of the cave. It was like a different world inside. Lin Qi saw a group of people drinking wine and eating meat inside. Yu Meng was tied to the side with a cloth in her mouth. Following Lin Qi¡¯s arrival, everyone stood up and looked at Lin Qi at the same time. Clap, Clap, Clap! A round of applause was heard. Lin Qi saw Chen Lin walking toward him while clapping. ¡°Chen Lin, I know you have a problem with me. If you let Yu Meng go, I¡¯ll take whatever moves you have!¡± ¡°Sure. If you hand over the holy light fish, I¡¯ll let you go.¡± Chen Lin actually knew about the holy light fish. ¡®How did he know?¡¯ Chen Lin saw Lin Qi¡¯s confusion. ¡°Who told you to brag so brazenly on the way? Naturally, someone will hear you.¡± ¡®Oh, that¡¯s not so bad.¡¯ Lin Qi thought. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you the holy light fish and you let Yu Meng go.¡± As he said that, he took out two holy light fishes from the system. For a moment, the entire cave was filled with brilliant phosphorescence. Some people were stunned. Chen Lin greedily walked toward Lin Qi and reached out his hand to grab the holy light fish. Lin Qi stretched out his other hand to block Chen Lin and raised his head toward Yu Meng. Chen Lin chuckled and gestured to the person behind him. That person nodded and walked toward Yu Meng. He untied the rope on Yu Meng¡¯s body and dragged her over. Then, he pushed her toward Lin Qi. Yu Meng leaned on Lin Qi and did not dare to look at him. She had just scolded him yesterday, but she was saved by him today. Lin Qi saw that Yu Meng was fine, so he handed the holy light fish to Chen Lin. Chen Lin took the holy light fish and kept groping on its body. However, just as Lin Qi was about to leave, he was blocked by others. He looked around and asked indifferently, ¡°Chen Lin, what is the meaning of this?¡± ¡°What do you mean? What else could this mean? You can leave, but Yu Meng has to stay.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re not keeping your word?¡± Lin Qi clenched his fists in anger. ¡°So what? Hahaha, don¡¯t you see how many people are here? And you¡¯re just one person.¡± Chen Lin laughed arrogantly. Lin Qi looked around silently and even saw some familiar faces. Back then, he felt sorry for them and even cooked for them. ¡°How ironic!¡± Lin Qi laughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°Ever since I met you, I¡¯ve been trying to teach you a lesson. ¡°Which is, dumb*sses must die!¡± Chapter 83 - Because You’re a Coward Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation It was not the first time that Lin Qi and Chen Lin had met. He did not know where that intermediate-level mage got his pride from. He thought that he was the strongest, and everyone else had to listen to him. What was worse was that Chen Lin¡¯s character was especially bad. The orc tribe had been kind enough to take them in, but he had actually stolen the food with his men. He was worse than a beast. Lin Qi had always followed two principles. The first was that one must have a conscience. One could do something wrong, but one had to admit it. If one admitted it, one would be punished. The second was that a fool had to die. Chen Lin had repeatedly challenged his bottom line. That time, he had even kidnapped Yu Meng. Lin Qi was completely furious. Lin Qi looked at Chen Lin¡¯s demanding smile, and a fire burned in his heart. ¡°Dark King!¡± He shouted. The Dark King suddenly rushed out from the shadow behind Lin Qi. Before Chen Lin could react, he kicked Chen Lin away. The others were shocked by the scene in front of them. They hurriedly took out their weapons, and some of them recognized Dark King. ¡°It¡¯s the dog!¡± They said in surprise. Dark King sneered and said, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you guys! Did you have fun chasing me that day? You even dared to hit me!¡± ¡°You¡­ You actually know how to talk!¡± They were stunned. Chen Lin, who was kicked away, stood up in a sorry state with the help of the people around him. He shook off the hands of the others. ¡°D*mn dog, you dare to kick me? I¡¯ll kill you!¡± They did not know whether the Dark King did it on purpose or accidentally kicked Chen Lin¡¯s face. Moreover, Dark King¡¯s feet were big, so there was a big, black mark on Chen Lin¡¯s face. It was the mark of a dog¡¯s paw. Chen Lin aimed his magic staff at Dark King and Lin Qi. Just as he was about to chant an incantation, he was stopped by a lackey next to him. ¡°Be careful, that dog is a Clean Slate demonic beast. It can spit fire!¡± Chen Lin asked with doubt, ¡°What is a Clean Slate demonic beast?¡± That person began explaining to Chen Lin. Chen Lin became even more excited after hearing it. ¡°It¡¯s comparable to a seven-star demonic beast, but it doesn¡¯t have the corresponding strength? So, it¡¯s very valuable?¡± Then, he started laughing. They were too far away and their voices were soft, so the Dark King and Lin Qi could not hear what they were saying, so the Dark King was startled by Chen Lin¡¯s stare. It whispered to Lin Qi, ¡°Does he have some¡­ Special fetishes?¡± Lin Qi recognized that lackey. It was the first person who recognized the Clean Slate demonic beast that day. ¡°Maybe¡­ I did hear some rumors, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be true.¡± After saying that, he smacked his lips as if he had learned something. He felt that there was no need to explain. In any case, the more angry Dark King was, the worse it would be for them. When the Dark King heard Lin Qi¡¯s words, he felt even more apprehensive. The Dark King bared his teeth and looked at Chen Lin. ¡°That kid¡­ This king is a male!¡± Chen Lin and the others were stunned by the Dark King¡¯s sudden confession. ¡°What? Male? What does that have to do with anything?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen a demonic beast that can speak a human language before.¡± ¡°Ah, I understand.¡± At that moment, someone spoke. ¡°Does it want us to find it a few little b*tches?¡± Little b*tches? However, no one could think of any other explanation. Chen Lin thought for a moment and said to the Dark King, ¡°As long as you abandon Lin Qi and follow me, I¡¯ll give you a few little b*tches if you want them in the future.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Black King was so confused that it stayed speechless. It slowly turned its head to look at Lin Qi. ¡°Is he¡­ Insulting me?¡± When Lin Qi heard the word ¡®b*tch¡¯, he knew that the misunderstanding could not be explained clearly. If it were not inappropriate for the situation, he would have rolled on the floor laughing. Even so, Lin Qi could not help but tremble all over. ¡°Don¡¯t doubt it, he is definitely insulting you!¡± Lin Qi looked at the Dark King and said firmly. The Dark King was so angry that it exploded. Its muscles bulged, and its body instantly tripled in size. Its eyes were red. Not to mention Chen Lin and the others, even Lin Qi was shocked. The Dark King was really about to lose its temper. ¡®It seems like¡­ I pushed too far?¡¯ That was the ultimate move the Dark King used when they were fighting with the dragons. Chen Lin saw the Dark King in that state and finally realized that something was wrong. However, it was too late. He hurriedly turned the magic staff in his hand and aimed it at the Dark King. His eyes were like red lotus flames as he shouted, ¡°Intermediate Fireball!¡± A large fireball flew toward the Dark King. The people next to him wanted to stop Chen Lin, but it was too late. ¡°Don¡¯t! It can spit¡­¡± Dark King took a deep breath and opened its mouth. An even larger fireball gushed out. The scorching heat directly evaporated the intermediate fireball spell! After Chen Lin saw that his strongest spell was easily evaporated, he stared at the person next to him. ¡°Is this what you mean by not having much strength?¡± ¡°Quick, where are the ice mages?¡± Five ice mages stood out shakily and waved their magic staffs at the same time. ¡°Elementary¡­ Elementary Ice Walls.¡± Five ice walls appeared out of thin air and blocked the incoming big fireball. The Dark King sneered. ¡°That¡¯s it? Explode!¡± The big fireball instantly exploded, shattering the five ice walls. The people behind the ice walls were also sent flying by the force of the blast. For a time, apart from Lin Qi and Yu Meng, no one else was standing in the cave. Lin Qi stepped over the charred ground and stood in front of Chen Lin, staring down at him. ¡°This is the last time I¡¯ll spare your life. If you do anything outrageous in the future, I¡¯ll definitely kill you!¡± As a fire mage, Chen Lin had a higher resistance to fire magic than ordinary people. However, his clothes were burnt to shreds, a part of his hair was burnt, and half of his face was red from the heatÒ»the burned part was stinging. He could not say a word, and could only watch Lin Qi leave. ¡°Lin Qi! I won¡¯t let you off!¡± .. Lin Qi and Yu Meng walked in the front, and the Dark King followed behind slowly. It had returned to its normal size. The atmosphere was a little strange. In the end, Lin Qi broke the silence. ¡°Ahem¡­ About that, last night¡­¡± Before he could finish, Yu Meng interrupted him. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about last night. I was impulsive, and¡­ I believe you.¡± Lin Qi was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Really? As long as you¡¯re not angry with me.¡± After a while, they could see the tribe. Lin Qi suddenly asked Yu Meng, ¡°About that¡­ Why do you trust me so much?¡± Although the question sounded cheap, Lin Qi wanted to confirm if she liked him. He had already thought of countless answers in his heart. No matter what Yu Meng said, he wanted to be sure about Yu Meng¡¯s feelings. However, to his surprise, Yu Meng replied, ¡°Because you¡¯re a coward!¡± Lin Qi was stunned on the spot. Yu Meng looked at his reaction and laughed happily. She skipped back to the tribe. Chapter 84 - Migration of the Entire Tribe Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The Dark King walked over with a cold smile. ¡°You big idiot!¡± All the members of the Bru tribe were busy packing up their belongings. After all, that was a place where their ancestors had lived for generations, so there were too many things to pack up. There were only two people in the entire tribe who were not busy. One was the old priest. He was old and had inconvenient limbs. Moreover, he had a high status, so he naturally did not need to do it himself. The other person was Lin Qi. As the hero of the tribe, no one would blame him for being idle. Lin Qi himself was not someone who liked to be pampered. It was just that he had been thinking about a problem. If a woman said that a man was ¡®cowardly¡¯, then did that woman love that man or not? It was the puzzle of the century. .. The Bru tribe was extremely efficient. In just three days, all the orcs were ready. That day, all the orcs gathered in the square. In front of them was a huge square stone platform. On the stone platform stood the old priest and Lin Qi, who was supporting the old priest. The old priest cleared his throat, ¡°Members of the Bru tribe, for a long time, we have struggled against acid rain and demonic beasts. Because of the lack of food, we often don¡¯t have enough to eat. Now, our hero, Lin Qi, will take us to a paradise. There will be no demonic beasts there! No acid rain! Moreover, there is sufficient food. We will settle down there, and we will start a new life!¡± The old priest raised his arms high, and the orcs below cheered, ready to welcome a beautiful future. After a while, the old priest pressed his hands in the air, and the orcs all stopped talking. ¡°Although we are about to leave the land where we have lived for many years, and we are about to go to the Peach Blossom Island, we will always be the bravest orcs! For the tribe!¡± All the orcs raised their right arms. ¡°For the tribe!¡± ¡°For the tribe!¡± The old priest raised his cane and pointed forward. ¡°Onward!¡± The orcs carried their luggage and weapons. Under the morning sun, they set off for a new life. .. The orcs advanced very slowly. They mainly took care of the elders and children in the tribe. In the middle of the group was a large wooden palanquin. In the palanquin sat three people, the old priest, the Holy Maiden, and Lin Qi. The old priest was recuperating at the end of the ceremony, but the atmosphere between Lin Qi and the Holy Maiden was a little awkward. Ever since that day, every time Lin Qi saw her, he would think of the enchanting scene of that night. His mind would always flash over the white, tender skin and the delicate feeling of touching it. Every time he thought of that, he could not compose himself. The Holy Maiden would also become self-conscious, and then blush. Even at that moment, Lin Qi crossed his legs and bent down as hard as he could. The Holy Maiden lowered her head with a red face, and her eyes would glance at Lin Qi¡¯s lower abdomen from time to time. Lin Qi felt that the atmosphere was getting hotter and hotter. He looked at the exposed part of the Holy Maiden¡¯s white legs and swallowed his saliva. In order to prevent the situation from getting worse, he quickly walked out of the palanquin to get some fresh air. He jumped off the palanquin and looked around. Lin Qi immediately found where Yu Meng and Luther were and quickly walked to them. Just as he was about to greet them, Yu Meng acted as if she did not see him and walked away. Luther bumped Lin Qi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What did you do to offend her?¡± Lin Qi shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± He felt that it was probably because of the Holy Maiden again. He and the Holy Maiden had used the same palanquin just now. Even though there was an old priest in there as well, she was still unhappy. Just like that, some people were jealous, some were shy, some were put in a difficult position for two days, some were enjoying the show, and some¡­ And the dog was stuffed full of delicious food. Two days later, they finally arrived at the beach. That beach was the beach where Lin Qi and the Dark King had arrived ashore, and the raft they used was still there. Lin Qi explained the method of making the raft to the orcs. ¡°I suggest that we take the raft in groups of five!¡± The orcs were heavier, and the five of them could take care of each other. ¡°We need a lot of wood. The wood should be as thick and hard as possible. We also need some vines to tie the wood together. Of course, ropes that are strong enough can also be used.¡± Lin Qi was afraid that the raft made by the orcs would fail, so he tried to explain it clearly. He clapped his hands. ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡± With Lin Qi¡¯s guidance, the orcs put their luggage on the ground and took their axes to chop the trees in the forest. Lin Qi planned to use the raft from before. The raft was big enough to fit three more people. He shuttled through the forest, instructing the orcs to cut the wood. ¡°The cut should be as smooth as possible, and the length of the wood should be the same. Sigh¡­ That tree is crooked, why did you choose it? Everyone, I¡¯ll say it again, straight wood!¡± Lin Qi acted like a nanny, instructing the orcs from time to time. As a woman, Yu Meng did not participate in the work of cutting down trees. She sat at the side and watched Lin Qi run around. She did not even realize that a smile had unknowingly appeared on her face. ¡°You like him!¡± A voice suddenly sounded beside Yu Meng¡¯s ear. Yu Meng was shocked. When she turned around and saw that it was the Holy Maiden, her expression instantly turned cold. ¡°You misunderstood! I don¡¯t!¡± The Holy Maiden sat next to Yu Meng. She subconsciously wanted to hide, but there was a faint fragrance on the Holy Maiden¡¯s body. It smelled very comfortable. In the end, Yu Meng remained seated there. ¡°That fool Lin Qi can¡¯t tell. We are both women. I can still tell.¡± The Holy Maiden looked at Yu Meng¡¯s side profile. ¡°You know what? I¡¯m actually very envious of you.¡± ¡°Envious?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve been the Holy Maiden since I was born. I can¡¯t freely fall in love. I can even count on my fingers the number of times I¡¯ve sacrificed for the tribe.¡± There was a hint of loneliness on her face. ¡°I can only passively wait for the arrival of a hero and then dedicate myself to him.¡± ¡°I can tell that Lin Qi likes you and you like him. That¡¯s why I¡¯m envious of you.¡± The Holy Maiden rested her chin on her hand and looked at Lin Qi in the distance. ¡°So, I want someone I like too.¡± Hearing the Holy Maiden¡¯s words, Yu meng¡¯s face softened. She looked at Lin Qi in the distance as well. ¡°Who likes him? He¡¯s a fool.¡± ¡°Alright, don¡¯t get upset with him, I was the one who tried to do something to him that night, but he refused.¡± The Holy Maiden patted Yu Meng¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Listen to me. The sooner you say something, the better!¡± Yu Meng looked at the Holy Maiden back as she left, deep in thought. ¡°Should¡­ Should I say it?¡± Yu Meng looked a little cute as she thought. At that moment, Lin Qi had glanced at Yu Meng. Their eyes met, and Lin Qi happily waved at Yu Meng. Yu Meng made a face, then turned her head and thought, ¡®That doesn¡¯t sound too bad!¡¯ Chapter 85 - Disappear Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation After half a day of hard work, they finally finished making enough rafts. Just like that, the Bru tribe left the land where they were born and bred, heading toward a better new life. Lin Qi and the others took about seven days. In between, they fought with the water dragon and killed a demon fish. Therefore, it took about seven days to return. However, Lin Qi found that there were a lot of ingredients, so he did not have to worry about the food at all. They had walked through all the adversity that they could walk through, so they should not encounter any problems. However, they still had to be vigilant. On Lin Qi¡¯s side, the Dark King, the Holy Maiden, Yu Meng, and Luther were riding on the same raft. He was sandwiched between the two of them and was extremely embarrassed. On the other hand, the Holy Maiden and Yu Meng suddenly became much more familiar with each other, talking and laughing. Lin Qi was even more confused. He could only sigh at the friendship between women. Yu Meng and the Holy Maiden ignored Lin Qi at the same time. They only paid attention to Lin Qi when they were eating. Under such a strange atmosphere, the first three days passed quietly. On the fourth day, the sky was much darker. There was no sun at all. Only dark clouds could be seen. Lin Qi felt that something was wrong. He ordered the other orcs, ¡°From now on, the five of us will take turns to rest. We have to make sure that at least three of us are rowing at the same time. We have to speed up.¡± On the fifth day, a strong wind suddenly blew on the surface of the sea. The orcs had no choice but to hug the raft tightly to stabilize themselves. On the sixth day, the worst thing happened. They encountered a stormÒ»strong wind, and heavy rain. Wave after wave swept toward the rafts. Lin Qi shouted, ¡°Go!¡± Then, he took out the Explosive Beef Meatballs from the system and threw it at the waves. Boom! The explosion temporarily stopped the waves from attacking, but the Explosive Beef Meatballs were limited, and the waves were endless. Lin Qi had no choice but to shout, ¡°Dark King!¡± The Dark King stood on the raft and shot fireballs at the waves. The orcs finally had a moment of rest. The five of them paddled forward desperately. On Lin Qi¡¯s side, the Dark King spat fireballs with all his might. The others picked up the paddles and tried to speed up the raft. Lin Qi wiped his face and looked ahead carefully. Finally, he saw the Peach Blossom Island. ¡°The Peach Blossom Island is right in front of us. Everyone, work hard. We¡¯re almost there!¡± Lin Qi shouted excitedly. Everyone followed Lin Qi¡¯s gaze and saw the Peach Blossom Island. Then, they rowed even faster. That was how things were. Between having a goal and having none, the mentality was completely different. Everyone saw the Peach Blossom Island right in front of them and wished they could take out all their strength to row the paddles. However, things did not go as planned. The frequency of the Dark King spitting fire gradually decreased, and its fatigue was visible to the naked eye. In the end, the Dark King had even fainted. Before it fainted, it looked at Lin Qi and said, ¡°More food!¡± Lin Qi was really touched, but the Dark King did not allow it. Without the Dark King¡¯s fireballs to stop them, the sky-high waves crashed towards everyone. At the critical moment, Yu Meng took out her magic staff and said, ¡°Intermediate Spell: Great Ice Wall!¡± After practicing for a while, Yu Meng had mastered intermediate-level ice spells. An ice wall that was three times larger than a beginner spell¡¯s ice wall appeared out of thin air. Although it blocked most of the seawater, some rushed toward the rafts. Two rafts were overturned by the seawater in an instant, and the orcs on the rafts were also washed into the sea. The orcs next to them wanted to save them, but they were stopped by Lin Qi. ¡°No one is allowed to move on their own. Maintain formation!¡± At that time, they absolutely could not save anyone. Otherwise, it put everyone at risk, and they would be taken one by one. It seemed that God had punished them enough. After that huge wave, there were no more coming. There were no more casualties in the orc tribe. Lin QI looked at the orcs around him that were a little dejected. ¡°Everyone, cheer up. You are orcs who are not afraid of death! Hope is right in front of us. Everyone, work harder.¡± The Holy Maiden also echoed from the side, ¡°That¡¯s right. You are the Bru tribe¡¯s warriors. You must survive and keep their spirits alive.¡± The old priest¡¯s words were usually the most effective. It was just that the old priest seemed to be a little seasick, and now he looked dizzy. Under the constant encouragement of Lin Qi and the Holy Maiden, the orcs finally cheered up. Just like that, a group of orcs and many rafts shuttled through the wind and waves to finally arrive at Peach Blossom Island. When they reached the island, they were already exhausted. A group of orcs collapsed on the beach, gasping for air. As If God had mercy on them, the weather gradually cleared up and they finally saw the sun. The orcs collapsed on the beach, letting the sun shine on them. After a while, Lin Qi felt that the water on his body was almost dried by the sun. He struggled to stand up. ¡°Everyone, this is the Peach Blossom Island. This is where you will live in the future. We¡­ Have succeeded!¡± ¡°Hoho!¡± The orcs stood up one after another, raising their right arms and shouting excitedly. They walked into the forest one after another, looking around. There were also some children who climbed up the trees, picking fruits and eating. Lin Qi and the others stood at the side, looking at the scene in front of them, feeling that it was all worth it. When the orcs had seen enough, Lin Qi called everyone back. ¡°Today, let¡¯s rest first. Tomorrow morning, we¡¯ll cut down the trees and make houses.¡± The orcs were extremely excited. The next morning, early in the morning, a group of orcs could not wait to chop down the trees with axes. The women were responsible for picking the fruits, collecting dry wood and dry straw to decorate the houses. Under the orcs¡¯ division of work and orderly planning, one after another houses stood. Under the women¡¯s care, the cold houses became warm. Even Yu Meng was involved in decorating. Lin Qi looked at Yu Meng, who was busy inside and outside. Then, when there were some tiny beads of sweat on her face, he thought that she was indescribably cute. He suddenly felt that it would be good to live here with Yu Meng for the rest of his life. The cold? It did not matter. He was very enthusiastic. The fact that he did not know how to do housework? It did not matter. He could cook and do what he can to help. He was lost in thought. Suddenly, he felt something whip him. He looked down and saw the Dark King. It had a big mouth and its eyes were shining green. ¡°I¡¯m hungry!¡± Lin Qi slapped his forehead. It was over so he had completely forgotten about it. He hurriedly took out a pile of delicious food and stuffed it into the Dark King¡¯s mouth. Dark King ate all the food and only then did it alive. .. Just like that, everyone had a fulfilling life every day. When they woke up, they would start working, when they were hungry, they would eat, and when they were tired, they would go to sleep. Suddenly, on the tenth day, the changes began! Chapter 86 - The Disappearance of the Orcs Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation ;Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The orcs worked hard to build houses on Peach Blossom Island. They first used dry wood and stones to build a few simple wooden houses for women and children to live in. However, on the surface, they seemed to be thriving, but behind the scenes, there was a hidden danger. During that period of time, Lin Qi and the Dark King continuously explored Peach Blossom Island, but they still did not find any threatening creatures. On the tenth day after the orcs landed on the island, the orcs started to gradually disappear. At first, no one noticed. Orcs were physically strong so they did not get sick easily. Therefore, there were often orcs sleeping outside in order to speed up the progress of building around the island. They had not known that they would become perfect targets by being vulnerable out in the open. By the time everyone realized that something was wrong, there were already dozens of male orcs that had disappeared. At first, their wives complained that their husbands did not return home, and even secretly scolded them for not wanting to pay public rations. Then, a large group was sent to look for the missing orcs, ostensibly afraid that they would be tired during the search. Once they arrived at the construction site, they found that the orcs were nowhere to be seen. When asked, the people at the site thought that those orcs had gone home, and it had been three days since they left. They were still wondering why they had not come back to work by then. That day, while Lin Qi was discussing the future plans of the tribe with the old priest and the Holy Maiden, an orc rushed toward them in a panic. ¡°Not good! Not good! Not good!¡± Lin Qi and the others were confused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is someone injured?¡± ¡°Abalu and the others are missing!¡± The orc said in a panic. ¡°What?¡± Lin Qi jumped up from the stool in surprise. ¡°Missing? Are you sure?¡± The old priest said with a serious face. ¡°Yes, their wives said they haven¡¯t been home for five days, and Denima who is working said Abalu and the others haven¡¯t been at the construction site for three days.¡± Lin Qi scratched his chin and thought aloud, ¡°Are they lost? Or did they find something?¡± ¡°Absolutely not. Abalu is the best hunter in the tribe. They would never get lost. Even if they had found something, they would have never left without saying a word,¡± the orc said with certainty. ¡°How are you so sure?¡± Lin Qi was a little puzzled. ¡°Because¡­¡± The orc stammered and refused to say anything. The old priest frowned. ¡°Speak quickly!¡± ¡°Because Abalu is very disciplined when it comes to his wife. He loves his wife very much. Every time he hunts, even if he is in a hurry, he would find time to go home and tell his wife. But this time, his wife hasn¡¯t seen Abalu for five days,¡± the orc said truthfully. At that moment, the Holy Maiden at the side also said, ¡°Indeed, I have heard about this matter. Sometimes, Abalu¡¯s wife even finds him annoying.¡± Hearing that, Lin Qi finally felt that something was wrong. Would a person who loved his wife so much suddenly leave without saying goodbye? Absolutely not, so he must have encountered an urgent situation. It was so urgent that he did not have time to inform the others. At that time, Lin Qi suddenly thought of the strange skeleton. He and the Dark King, who had just sneaked in and wanted to listen to the gossip, looked at each other. They both thought of the skeleton. If Abalu really had not gotten lost, it meant that there was an unknown danger on the Peach Blossom Island. ¡°How about this¡­¡± Lin Qi instructed the orc, ¡°You gather all the orcs. Remember, it has to be all the orcs! No matter what they are doing, tell them to put all their work aside and count how many people are missing.¡± If there were some dangerous demonic beasts on Peach Blossom Island, the most important thing was to gather all the orcs together. However, Lin Qi was not that worried. If that existence was very powerful, it would not specifically target those who were traveling alone. If they attacked at the moment when they were exhausted, the group of orcs would not have any strength to fight back. Therefore, it was better to see how many people were lost first. It was hard to say if they were really lost. The orc rushed over and gathered his companions to call back all the tribesmen who were working outside. Not long after, all the orcs returned to the gathering place. Lin Qi looked at the crowd and said, ¡°Quiet!¡± After the group of people quieted down, Lin Qi called over an orc, ¡°Line up yourselves and check one by one to see how many people are missing. Also, make sure to keep a record of when they disappeared and where they were last seen. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The orc nodded. Lin Qi looked at the Holy Maiden. ¡°Holy Maiden, you are familiar with the people in the tribe. Help me check them.¡± The Holy Maiden nodded and went down to check the number of people. Lin Qi and the Dark King whispered to each other, ¡°What do you think?¡± The Dark King was also a little confused. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. We stayed on this island for so long, and there was no one keeping watch at night. If there was any creature of intelligence, it would have attacked us a long time ago.¡± It paused for a moment and then said, ¡°Do you think¡­ The big skeleton from that day is still there?¡± Lin Qi said with certainty, ¡°It¡¯s still there. I went to take a look the other day. Moss has grown on the skeleton. And after a few days of observation, that skeleton should have been the skeleton of an elephant of the Peach Blossom Island. That kind of elephant is said to be about 30 feet tall, and the height of the skeleton was around that exact measurement. ¡°And this kind of elephant¡­ I¡¯ll call it the spear elephant for the time being. There are indeed other wild beasts that feed on this spear elephant. A few days ago, I led the orcs to kill one.¡± The Dark King was stunned. ¡°When did you kill it? How come I don¡¯t know about this?¡± ¡°It happened just two days ago, you even ate it.¡± Lin Qi was a little speechless, ¡°Oh, I remember now. It didn¡¯t taste very good¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s get down to business. What should we do now?¡± The Dark King thought for a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s see how many orcs are missing first. The main point is whether there is a pattern. Generally speaking, the time when demonic beasts or wild beasts hunt is random. When they felt hungry they would immediately catch their prey. ¡°And if it¡¯s really an intelligent creature, then there must be a pattern.¡± Lin Qi pondered for a moment and found that it was indeed the case. ¡°It makes sense.¡± After half a day, they finally finished investigating. An orc reported to Lin Qi, ¡°Abalu was the first to go missing. It was about three days ago. So far, a total of nine tribesmen have gone missing.¡± ¡°And¡­¡± The orc gulped, seeming to be a little scared. ¡°Two people went missing at the same time as Abalu. Three people went missing the next day, and three people went missing on the third day.¡± Lin Qi and the Dark King looked at each other, their eyes full of shock. It seemed to be the worst case scenario! Lin Qi looked at the old priest and said in a serious voice, ¡°Announce that from now on, no one is allowed to leave the camp!¡± After the orc left, Lin Qi turned around and said to the old priest, ¡°I have reason to guess that there are intelligent creatures on the Peach Blossom Island hunting the orcs.¡± He paused. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know this would happen. I will take responsibility until the end.¡± After saying that, he was about to bring the Dark King out of the wooden house.. Chapter 87 - Bait Chapter 87: Bait Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Lin Qi originally wanted to lead those orcs to live happy lives and not worry about food shortages anymore. They did not have to worry about the demonic beasts¡¯ attacks either. He had not expected to lose ten people along the way, and nine orcs were still unknown. Lin Qi felt a little guilty. The old priest called out to Lin Qi, ¡°Child, we don¡¯t blame you. It was you who solved the problem of food shortages for us, and it was you who led us to this beautiful Peach Blossom Island.¡± The old priest seemed to see the guilt in Lin Qi¡¯s heart and comforted him. ¡°The old priest is right,¡± the Holy Maiden echoed from the side. ¡°Without you, we might have starved to death.¡± Only then did Lin Qi feel a little better. ¡°All of you can stay in the camp for the next few days. You must strengthen the guards. Dark King and I will go and see what is playing these tricks.¡± Lin QI clenched his fists. The old priest patted his head. ¡°You must pay attention to your safety, child. Come back safely.¡± Lin Qi nodded firmly, turned around and walked out with Dark King. He first checked the supplies in the system, and then made some simple delicacies for self-defense. He also told a few orc commanders to strengthen the guards. Just as Lin Qi and the Dark King were about to leave the camp, Yu Meng and Luther chased after them. ¡°What are you doing out here? Go back, it¡¯s dangerous!¡± Lin Qi stopped them. Luther said with a smug look, ¡°I¡¯m a grand swordmaster, much more powerful than you. You can face the danger, but I can¡¯t?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Lin Qi wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Yu Meng. ¡°Where you go, I go,¡± Yu Meng said with a straight face. As usual, she was direct and did not give Lin Qi a chance to speak. To be honest, Luther and Yu Meng had not faced any danger recently. It was Lin Qi who had been taking care of them for the past month. In order to save them, he went out to look for food alone. After returning, they listened to Lin Qi calmly talk about how he would deal with it alone once more. Their hearts were not calm at all. Thus, at that time, they decided not to let Lin Qi face the danger alone. Just like that, the three of them and the dog set off on their journey. ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡± Luther asked Lin Qi. ¡°I don¡¯t have any ideas either, but let¡¯s go to the place where they disappeared first.¡± Lin Qi was still confused. There were no witnesses, no sounds of fierce fighting, at least no one at the construction site and camp heard it. It was not far apart. Lin Qi had been walking fast for half an hour, and the orcs would have been faster. Moreover, the orcs were brave and good at fighting, and Abalu was the best among them. How could they disappear without a sound? It was completely unreasonable. Soon, they arrived at the construction site. The orcs were suddenly called back so there were still axes scattered on the ground and some wood that had been cut down but had not been dragged away in time. The Dark King sniffed carefully on the ground while the other three looked around to see if there were any valuable clues. Half an hour later, the three people and the dog gathered together again to share their findings. The Dark King said, ¡°The smell of the trees here is too strong. Besides, these orcs don¡¯t pay much attention to hygiene, they urinate and defecate everywhere. Anyway, I don¡¯t smell any strange smells.¡± Luther also shared, ¡°There are no obvious signs of fighting around here, and there are no traces of blood.¡± Yu Meng continued, ¡°There are no traces of magic.¡± Lin Qi thought for a while and said, ¡°No, there won¡¯t be any progress at this rate. Since there are three people missing every day, it means that the other party has been observing us. As long as we wait here, the other party might walk right into our trap.¡± Luther suggested a different opinion, ¡°However, there are no signs of a fight here, which means that the other party didn¡¯t hunt here. It¡¯s very likely that they were on a certain path.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Yu Meng agreed with Luther. ¡°When you guys weren¡¯t here just now, we asked the orcs for some information. These missing orcs disappeared on the way back to the camp, and the time is not fixed. Some of them went back after finishing their work at night, some went back the next morning, and some disappeared after saying that they were hungry in the afternoon.¡± Lin Qi rubbed his chin and thought for a while. ¡°How about this? We wait here until dark, then one of us will go to the camp from here, and the rest will protect him from behind.¡± Yu Meng said, ¡°One of us will protect them. The three of us are too obvious, so the remaining two will wait here. If there¡¯s an attack, quickly send out the signal, and these two can also help as soon as possible.¡± Lin Qi felt that it was not a safe idea. ¡°But¡­ It¡¯s too unsafe.¡± The Dark King, who had not expressed its opinion, agreed with Yu Meng. ¡°Let¡¯s listen to her. Three people would be too obvious.¡± Lin Qi could not persuade them and had to agree. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be the bait. The Dark King will protect me.¡± Luther smiled and said, ¡°Forget it. You¡¯re too inexperienced. This kind of thing will definitely be done by a grand swordmaster like me. The other party can subdue the orcs and subdue you in an instant.¡± Seeing that Lin Qi still wanted to say something, he raised his fist and lightly hit his chest. ¡°It¡¯s settled then. Don¡¯t be so wishy-washy and act like a woman.¡± A certain woman glared at him coldly and said to Lin Qi, ¡°That¡¯s right. A simple-minded fool with strong limbs is more suitable for this kind of thing than you.¡± Luther shrugged helplessly at the side. He was really narrow-minded. Lin Qi could only give up. ¡°Then Luther will be the bait. Dark King will protect you from behind.¡± The Dark King was unhappy. ¡°Why should I protect you from behind? Why don¡¯t you do it?¡± Luther said, ¡°Because you run fast?¡± Yu Meng added, ¡°Because you¡¯re the best.¡± Lin Qi quipped, ¡°Because you¡¯re the worst?¡± ¡°¡­ forget the first two. Who the hell is the worst?¡± ¡°You have dark-colored fur which is suitable for discreet protection.¡± The Dark King could not be bothered to argue with Lin Qi, so it had no choice but to agree. Then, it tugged at Lin Qi and wanted to say something. ¡°I know,¡± Lin Qi answered first. ¡°Extra meal!¡± Without saying anything, he took out a big bowl of Anti-hunger Fresh Mushroom Soup from the system. ¡°Drink whatever you want. You can have as much as you want!¡± .. Soon, night fell. Luther held his weapon and was ready to set off. Before he left, Lin Qi grabbed a handful of Explosive Beef Meatballs and handed them to Luther. ¡°These things¡­ Aren¡¯t for you to eat. Wait a moment!¡± With great difficulty, Lin Qi stopped Luther¡¯s accidental suicide attempt. ¡°These are called Explosive Beef Meatballs. Yes, it can explode. If you¡¯re in danger, hurry and throw it out. When the Dark King comes to save you, we¡¯ll look for you as soon as we hear the sound.¡± Luther put the meatballs into his pocket and said, ¡°Thanks, Brother.¡± The Dark King followed behind slowly. Before it left, it gave Lin Qi a look. The general meaning was, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave it to me.¡± Chapter 88 - Abalu Chapter 88: Abalu Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Lin Qi and Yu Meng watched as Luther and the Dark King left. When they came back to their senses, they realized that there were alone together. The atmosphere was a little awkward. Yu Meng rolled her eyes at Lin Qi as if she was blaming him. ¡°You Idiot, you only realized it now?¡± Yu Meng walked to a big tree stump and sat down. It was September, and the temperature difference between morning and evening was very big. Yu Meng came out in a hurry and did not bring any other clothes. She just sat with her arms crossed. She saw Lin Qi slowly walking over and raised her face to say to him, ¡°I¡¯m cold!¡± Lin Qi was a little puzzled at first. ¡®So what if she¡¯s cold? How would saying it aloud make a difference?¡¯ ¡°Oh¡­ Ah¡­¡± He finally reacted and hurriedly took off his coat to put it on Yu Meng. Yu Meng¡¯s expression softened slightly. ¡°You¡¯re not too stupid.¡± Lin Qi was about to say something when Yu meng changed the topic. ¡°Do you think¡­ They would come back safely?¡± The temperature was too low, and white mist spurted out of Yu Meng¡¯s mouth as she spoke. Lin Qi looked at the direction where Luther and the Dark King had gone. After a while, he said firmly, ¡°They will definitely come back.¡± Yu Meng looked at Lin Qi¡¯s side profile and thought to herself, ¡®At this moment¡­ He looks quite handsome!¡¯ She leaned her head gently on Lin Qi¡¯s shoulder. The moment Lin Qi sensed Yu Meng leaning her head on his shoulder, he froze and did not dare to move. He opened his mouth and was about to say something. Yu Meng spoke first. ¡°Don¡¯t speak!¡± ¡°¡­ Oh!¡± Since she was leaning on his shoulder, she could do whatever she wanted. Time gradually passed in the ambiguous atmosphere between the two of them. The sky was clear, there was no wind, no sound, and no accidents. The two of them enjoyed a moment of peace in such an environment. Lin Qi roughly calculated the time. After so long, there was still no sound of fighting. It seemed that their side should be safe. After a while, he suddenly heard the sound of running, and Yu Meng had also heard it. The two of them stood up instantly. Lin Qi took out the Explosive Beef Meatball from the system, and Yu Meng took out her magic staff. The sound of running was getting closer and closer to the two of them. Lin Qi¡¯s palms were slightly sweaty, and then a huge figure rushed out from the darkness. Lin Qi looked closely and saw that it was the Dark King. There was something on his back, and from afar, it seemed to be a person. Seeing that scene, Lin Qi¡¯s heart tightened. Could it be that something had happened to Luther? He rushed forward and took a closer look. It was not Luther! Lin Qi heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. When he took a closer look, he realized that it was an orc. The Dark King flipped over and threw the orc to the ground. Lin Qi and Yu Meng walked forward. They checked and found that the orc was still alive. When they looked down, Lin Qi¡¯s heart tightened. His body was full of wounds. The blood on his clothes had solidified. The most important thing was that one of his arms was missing. Blood was still oozing out. Yu Meng quickly cast an ice spell to freeze the wound. ¡°It¡¯s Abalu.¡± Yu Meng recognized the orc. ¡°Do you know him?¡± Lin Qi turned his head to look at Yu Meng. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve seen him before.¡± Yu Meng looked at Lin Qi¡¯s puzzled gaze and explained, ¡°He is the most powerful warrior of the Bru tribe. So, in order to practice intermediate magic, I have sparred with him a few times.¡± Lin Qi heaved a sigh of relief. He thought there was something between her and that orc? Yu Meng looked at him as if he had lost his mind. What was in his head? .. At that moment, Luther ran out, panting. There was a little blood on his clothes. Seeing that, Lin Qi rushed up. ¡°Are you okay? Did you guys get attacked?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Luther was stunned at first, then he found the blood on his clothes. He pointed at Abalu and said, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s his blood.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re okay.¡± Lin Qi patted his chest. ¡°Then how did you guys meet him?¡± ¡°Wait a minute, let me catch my breath.¡± Luther walked to the broken tree, drank some water, and slowly told them what had happened. .. Luther walked nervously with the hilt of his sword in his left hand, ready for a sudden attack. The Dark King followed him in the forest not far away, almost blending into the surrounding darkness. They walked for a long time without encountering anything dangerous. They were almost at the camp. Luther was still a little annoyed. It seemed that he could not lure the creature out. Suddenly, a sound came from the right. It sounded as if something was running at a high speed. Luther¡¯s hair stood on end. He took a step back to the left and drew his sword. With both hands on the hilt, he aimed in the direction of the sound. He could feel that the other party was getting closer and closer to him. The Dark King was lying in ambush not too far away, ready to rush out and deal a fatal blow to the other party at any moment. Luther heard that the other party was about to rush out and raised his sword high. Then¡­ He saw a wild boar running out from the bushes. Luther could not help but be speechless. He used his sword as a bundle and gave the wild boar a whack. He had just heaved a sigh of relief and raised his hand to wipe the sweat off his forehead when a huge figure suddenly rushed into Luther¡¯s arms and caused them to fall into a heap on the ground. The Dark King instantly rushed over and pushed Luther¡¯s body away. Luther rolled and stood up. He raised his greatsword and was about to stab at the other party, but he suddenly realized it was an orc. Luther had lived in the Bru tribe for a long time and knew Abalu. He had sparred with the other before. He quickly pulled the Dark King back and told it that it was one of the missing orcs. The Dark King asked Luther to wait for a while while he ran in the direction where Abalu came from to see if there were any pursuers, Soon, the Dark King came back. It shook its head in the face of Luther¡¯s puzzled gaze. Therefore, after a simple discussion, they decided to let the Dark King carry Abalu and quickly run back to find Lin Qi. After hearing Luther¡¯s story, Lin Qi and Yu Meng turned to look at the Dark King. The Dark King was scared. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Lin Qi asked speechlessly, ¡°Did you knock him out?¡± ¡°¡­ Ah, what¡¯s wrong? I didn¡¯t know he was an orc. He knocked Luther out. Don¡¯t tell me I was supposed to stand there watching it happen. You¡­¡± Lin Qi waved his hand. He knew that the Dark King was not at fault. After all, it was dark, and no one knew who it was. He took out a large piece of steak and placed it in front of the Dark King to express his gratitude. Only then did the Dark King stop nagging. Lin Qi and the other two decided to treat Abalu in the camp first. Then, as long as Abalu could wake up, they would know what had happened in the past few days and where the other missing orcs had gone. The three of them carried Abalu onto the Dark King and ran towards the camp. Not long after they left, a figure walked out from the darkness.. It looked at the blood on the ground and then at the direction where Lin Qi and the others had left, revealing a ferocious smile. Chapter 89 - Extermination Chapter 89: Extermination Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Lin Qi and the others ran back to the camp with Abalu at night. They woke up the old priest and the Holy Maiden. Then called the doctor and Abalu¡¯s family. The doctor came over and carefully checked Abalu¡¯s injuries. ¡°The trauma was very serious. He lost too much blood, and his left arm was taken. I don¡¯t know how he survived until now.¡± He paused and continued, ¡°However, the arm wound was treated fairly well, there is no risk of infection. It¡¯s just that ¡­¡± The doctor rolled Abalu¡¯s eyes. ¡°But I think he fell into a deep coma because of the impact, not because of his serious injury.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, everyone noticed that the expressions of Lin Qi and the others were a little strange. The Dark King coughed twice and said, ¡°When we found him, he seemed to be chased by something. He passed out as soon as he saw us. Maybe he just had a fight with something.¡± The doctor did not think too much about it. Only the Holy Maiden noticed that the other three looked at the Dark King strangely. However, that was not the time to delve into it. They should wait until everything was settled before they started to gossip. Just as the doctor was treating Abalu¡¯s injuries, a woman rushed in with a little orc. It was Abalu¡¯s wife and child. She first looked around and soon found Abalu lying on the bed. She pushed the doctor away and pounced on Abalu, crying. ¡°Sob, sob¡­ You b*stard, why did you leave us? The last thing you told me was that you wanted another child! Why did you say that and then leave? What would we do without you?¡± As she said that, she beat Abalu¡¯s chest. The little orc next to her also hugged Abalu¡¯s thigh and began to cry. Everyone was speechless. He was not dead yet. If you continue to beat him like that, he would really die. The Holy Maiden went forward to pull her back. Then, the doctor went up to pull her back, but she pushed them back again. Seeing that it was not working, Lin Qi also went forward to pull her back, but he was still pushed back. Logically speaking, Abalu¡¯s wife was really strong. It was not until the old priest could not stand it anymore and stomped his walking stick heavily that she gradually stopped. Then, the old priest looked at her who had tears in her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s not dead yet!¡± The woman was stunned. Then, she carefully observed Abalu and found that his chest was still slightly heaving. She let out a sigh of relief, wiped her tears with the corner of her clothes, and stood up. ¡°As long as he¡¯s not dead, I¡¯ll settle the score with him when he wakes up!¡± After saying that, she pulled the child and was about to leave. Seeing her reaction, Lin Qi asked curiously, ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to take care of him?¡± The woman was stunned for a moment. She pointed at the doctor and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t he here? I can kill people, but I¡¯m an amateur when it comes to saving people. Are you going to stay here and cause trouble?¡± In fact, it was very difficult for sentient creatures to be so rational. As the saying went, caring would lead to chaos. In Lin Qi¡¯s previous life, there were often patients¡¯ families who did not believe in doctors. Instead, they searched on the internet and then nitpicked the doctors. They even accused the doctors of being unprofessional. It was not until the patient died that they regretted it. Lin Qi continued to ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that¡­ He will never wake up?¡± The woman laughed when she heard that question. She did not answer Lin Qi¡¯s question. Instead, she said, ¡°Do you know why my husband is the best warrior in this tribe?¡± Without waiting for Lin Qi¡¯s answer, she continued, ¡°My husband may not be the best fighter in the tribe, and his IQ is not the highest. Instead, he is a little one-track-minded. But my man is definitely the most tenacious man in this tribe! ¡°There was once a winter when we did not hunt any prey for a long time. All the hunters who went out eventually returned empty-handed. Only my husband stayed in the snow for three days and two nights and successfully hunted a wild boar. Only then did he solve our urgent problem. When he came back that time, his body was covered in bruises from the cold. ¡°I asked him, ¡®Aren¡¯t you afraid of freezing to death outside?¡¯ Do you know what his answer was?¡± Lin Qi thought for a moment and shook his head. ¡°He said, ¡®No matter what, I can¡¯t let you starve! Moreover, the tribesmen are still waiting for me.¡¯¡± The woman¡¯s face was full of pride when she said that. Then, she left the crowd and led the child out. Until they walked out, the crowd could still hear the woman educating the child. ¡°Little brat, train well and avenge your father when you grow up.¡± ¡°Okay, I will train well. I will beat whoever did that to death!¡± ¡°My dear son, it¡¯s not right for you to do such a thing. You should exterminate their entire clan.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Everyone in the room was speechless. Lin QI looked at the Holy Maiden and the old priest. ¡°Is this how your tribe¡­ Teaches their children?¡± The old priest coughed awkwardly. However, after the woman¡¯s ruckus, they were no longer worried about whether Abalu would wake up or not. Luther thought for a moment and said, ¡°I finally know¡­ Why he was the only one who came out alive.¡± Just as his wife had said, how could a man who had such a strong sense of responsibility for his people and family fall so easily? The old priest looked at them and said, ¡°Leave this to us. You¡¯ve been working all day. Go back and rest early.¡± With that, Lin Qi and the others felt exhausted, especially Luther. When he had been the bait, he had been very nervous and had run back and forth several times. It was already good enough that he did not fall asleep right away. Before Lin Qi left, he took out two bottles of Refreshing Drinks and told the doctor, ¡°This drink can quickly calm his mind. If he wakes up a little confused, give him some.¡± Only then did he feel relieved and walk out, returning to his residence. .. The next morning, when Lin Qi opened his eyes, he washed up and came to visit Abalu. When he walked nearby, he was stunned. The entire house was surrounded by orcs. It turned out that the orcs had heard that the missing Abalu had been found, so they hurried over to see what was going on. Lin Qi struggled outside for a long time but still could not squeeze in. He was a little annoyed. ¡°What are you doing? What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s going on?!¡± However¡­ No one paid attention to him. They were all trying to look into the house. Suddenly, a loud shout came from behind. ¡°All of you, get lost!¡± The voice was so loud that it scared the people around him. Lin Qi was also shocked. He turned around and saw that it was Abalu¡¯s wife. She was holding a big basin of hot water and a few clothes on her arm. She walked over aggressively, and the orcs around her silently made a path for her. The woman came to the door and looked back at the orcs around her, ¡°Go back to what you were doing! If you don¡¯t leave now, I¡¯m going to complain to the old priest!¡± After saying that, she turned around and walked in without paying any attention to them. The orcs did not care and surrounded her again. Chapter 90 - Inside the Peach Grove Chapter 90: Inside the Peach Grove Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Looking at that scene, Lin Qi suddenly smacked his forehead. Sloppy! He should have followed them in just now, but now, he was surrounded again. Lin Qi thought for a moment and decided to learn from the woman. He shouted, ¡°All of you, get lost!¡± ¡­ There was no movement at all. Only the orc closest to Lin Qi was a little annoyed and wanted to teach the shouting guy a lesson. However, as soon as he raised his hand, he realized that the person was the hero of the tribe, Lin Qi. He could only bitterly scratch his head and turn around to join in the fun. Lin Qi was stunned. ¡®What do you mean? The difference in treatment is too obvious!¡¯ .. .. In the end, Lin Qi managed to enter the house, but it was half an hour later. Abalu¡¯s wife came out of the house, and the orcs all made way for him. That time, Lin Qi took his time to walk in. Abalu was still unconscious, but the blood on his body had been wiped away, and he had changed into clean clothes. If not for the flat left sleeve, it would have been impossible to tell that he was seriously injured and unconscious. Lin Qi went into the house and looked at the doctor next to him. ¡°How is he?¡± The doctor shook his head. ¡°His life is saved, but I can¡¯t say when he¡¯ll wake up.¡± Lin Qi frowned. ¡°Is his injury that serious?¡± ¡°The serious injury is one thing,¡± The doctor said after a pause. ¡°He must have suffered a lot. The torture he was put through will most likely traumatize him. Did you say that he was running at full speed when you met him?¡± Lin Qi nodded. The doctor continued, ¡°That¡¯s right. At that time, he probably didn¡¯t have much consciousness. He was holding on with one breath. After the impact, he relaxed and fell into a deep coma.¡± ¡°Then¡­ Is there any other way to wake up his consciousness?¡± Lin Qi was a little anxious. ¡°No¡­ If we forcefully wake him up in this situation, Abalu might become a fool.¡± Lin Qi sighed, ¡°Then forget it¡­ I thought Abalu would wake up and tell us what happened and where the other missing tribesmen went. Now it seems¡­ I¡¯ll think of another way.¡± That was not a solution. It was impossible for the reconstruction of the tribe to stop completely. Even if there was a simple treehouse to shelter them from the wind and rain, what would happen in the future? Moreover, the hidden danger could not be eliminated. How could the orcs live and work here? However, if they continued to work, some of the tribesmen might continue to disappear. Now that Abalu had returned, he was still missing an arm. The remaining eight people were most likely doomed. Lin Qi thought for a moment and decided to expand the search area. He called the Dark King to accompany him. ¡°Let¡¯s go out and take a look again. We can¡¯t go on like this.¡± The Dark King thought the same. In the beginning, the group of orcs had agreed to build a luxurious small house for the Dark King. Now, not only was the house gone, but they were also not eating happily. However, that time, they did not head over to Yu Meng and Luther. After all, the man and dog duo had formed a tacit understanding for a long time. They were good at fighting and escaping. To put it bluntly, they thought of Yu Meng and Luther as a burden in their schemes. When there was no one around, the two of them quietly left the tribe. Little did they know that they were seen by the Holy Maiden who had just walked out of the house. She was a little curious, so she quietly followed behind. Lin Qi and the Dark King came to the gorge again. The huge skeleton was still there. At that time, they carefully observed the skeleton. The Dark King lay on the ground nearby and carefully smelled it. Lin Qi climbed onto the skeleton and saw traces that shocked him. ¡°Dark King! Come quickly!¡± The Dark King jumped up and came to the skeleton. Following Lin Qi¡¯s gaze, it saw a row of teeth marks on the skeleton. It was very neat and clear. It looked like¡­ ¡°Human teeth marks¡­¡± Lin Qi said his speculation, but the teeth marks were much bigger than those of ordinary humans! Lin Qi and the Dark King looked at each other. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ Someone on this island! No, it¡¯s a creature that looks like a human.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s an intelligent creature!¡± ¡°But¡­ Why didn¡¯t it attack us last time?¡± Lin Qi was a little puzzled. Suddenly, a woman¡¯s scream came from afar. Lin Qi and the Dark King quickly jumped down from the skeleton and hid in the woods. They quickly went in the direction of the sound. Lin Qi picked out the Explosive Beef Meatballs. The Dark King¡¯s eyes were flashing red again, ready to explode at any time! When they got closer, they found that someone was hanging in the air by some strong vines and was still shaking. Lin Qi looked at the Dark King and gestured with his hands, ¡°Three, two, one, go!¡± A man and a dog, one in front and one behind, surrounded the man. Lin Qi took out the meatballs in his hand and aimed at the man, but he found out that the man was the Holy Maiden! The Holy Maiden also found out that it was Lin Qi and shouted, ¡°Lin Qi, let me down quickly!¡± The Dark King found the root of the vine, opened its mouth, and bit the rope. The Holy Maiden fell from the sky and Lin Qi caught her. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Lin Qi was confused. ¡°Well¡­ I saw you guys coming out and I was curious, so I ran out following you guys,¡± the Holy Maiden answered embarrassedly. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Lin Qi was angry. ¡°What if you go missing after running out of the camp?¡± The Holy Maiden¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that. ¡°Are you concerned about me?¡± Lin Qi was speechless Is that the time to say such things? Moreover, his relationship with Yu Meng had just eased up. Could he admit it? He could not! At that point, the Dark King coughed and said, ¡°Ahem, are you guys going to stop hugging?¡± The two people finally reacted. The Holy Maiden jumped out of Lin Qi¡¯s arms with a red face. In order to hide his embarrassment, Lin Qi turned to study the vine. ¡°Is this a trap set by the tribesmen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± The Holy Maiden carefully observed the trap and said, a little unsure. After a while, the Holy Maiden suddenly said with certainty, ¡°This is definitely not set by the tribesmen.¡± ¡°How are you sure?¡± ¡°Look.¡± She pointed at the knot tied to the root of the tree. ¡°Although our tribe often arranges this kind of trap, the way to tie the knot is taught by the old priest, which means that the hunters in our tribe only know one way to tie the knot.¡± The Holy Maiden spent a lot of effort to untie the knot. ¡°We have never seen this kind of knot before.¡± Lin Qi thought for a moment and said, ¡°According to the current clues, there should be a group of hidden, human-like intellectual creatures living on this island. They are good at hunting and are fierce by nature. But, why are they catching orcs?¡± He could not figure it out. ¡°Are they catching prey? Or do they think we are invaders and want to beat us? But why are they only catching several individuals at a time?¡± He could not figure it out. Chapter 91 - Regret Chapter 91: Regret Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation According to the logic of an ordinary person, you should either fight or kill them. What did you mean by catching them without showing up? I don¡¯t understand! Suddenly, Lin Qi thought of a terrifying possibility that made him feel nauseous. The Holy Maiden and the Dark King looked at Lin Qi¡¯s suddenly pale face. ¡°What did you think of?¡± ¡°I might have guessed why they wanted to capture the tribesmen.¡± Lin Qi bent down to control his strong desire to vomit. ¡°What? Tell me quickly!¡± The Holy Maiden was almost worried to death. Lin Qi did not say anything, but turned his head to look in the direction of the huge skeleton. The Dark King also looked in the same direction, and suddenly understood something. He muttered with a solemn face, ¡°Man-eating? So disgusting!¡± The Holy Maiden did not know what they were looking at, but she vaguely heard the word ¡®eat¡¯ from the Dark King¡¯s mouth. Her face instantly turned pale, and she ran to the side to support herself against the wall and began to retch. After a while, she finally recovered and walked back with a trembling body. ¡°Will this really happen?¡± Lin Qi did not comment on it. In his previous life, Lin Qi loved horror movies. One of his favorite detectives said, ¡°First, we have to eliminate all the impossible conclusions. Then, the rest, no matter how strange, unbelievable, and irrefutable, must be the truth.¡± According to what the other party had done during that period of time, cannibalism was the only possibility, no matter how difficult it was to accept. ¡°Since the trap has been activated, the other might come to check it later. Now, we just have to wait here,¡± Lin Qi said after thinking for a while. He looked at the Holy Maiden again. ¡°You should go back quickly. It¡¯s too dangerous here.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± The Holy Maiden refused. ¡°I¡¯m the Holy Maiden of the orc tribe after all. You¡¯d be wrong if you saw me as an ordinary woman.¡± Then, she punched the tree next to her, creating a big pit. Lin Qi was speechless ¡°Also¡­¡± She continued to persuade him, ¡°If I go back now, what if I run into them on the way?¡± Lin Qi had no choice but to agree. In fact, it was useless whether the Holy Maiden was powerful or not, he could not let her walk back to the camp alone. What if something happened on the way? By then, he would be filled with regret. .. At the camp, Yu Meng and Luther suddenly found that they could not find Lin Qi and the Dark King. They guessed that Lin Qi might have gone into the woods to look for clues. While they scolded Lin Qi for being sneaky, they planned to go to the forest to look for Lin Qi and the Dark King. However, before they left the camp, they heard the orcs say that the Holy Maiden had left as well. Luther noticed that Yu Meng¡¯s face instantly turned cold. She turned around and went back the way she came. Luther shouted from behind, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Weren¡¯t we going to look for them?¡± Yu Meng said without turning her head, ¡°No! Let them die outside.¡± .. Of course, Luther did not know that Yu Meng had misunderstood the situation again. At that moment, Lin Qi was hanging upside down on a tree. They planned to use one of them as bait, and the other two were lying in ambush. At first, Lin Qi wanted the Dark King to act as bait, but it was not willing. Lin Qi said that the Dark King had to work more if he ate more, so the two of them fought. The Holy Maiden suddenly said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I go!¡± Lin Qi waved his hand righteously and said, ¡°How can I let a girl be the bait? If you want to go, I¡¯ll go!¡± Then¡­ The Dark King said, ¡°Agreed!¡± The Holy Maiden said, ¡°I agree too!¡± Just like that, Lin Qi was hung upside down on a tree. He hid a dagger in his sleeve. If anything happened, he could cut the rope as quickly as possible. At the same time, he hid two Explosive Beef Meatballs in his palm. After an unknown period of time, Lin Qi felt all the blood gathering above his head. He was about to lose consciousness. Finally, the sound of footsteps could be heard from afar. A huge figure walked over. When it walked out of the shadow, everyone finally saw its true face. It was in the shape of a human, but it was much larger. It was at least seven feet tall. It had no hair and no eyebrows. Its entire head looked bald, and it was emitting a foul smell. It only had one eye! The giant did not have a neck, and it did not turn its head. It only had a big eye that was spinning. Lin Qi could feel that the eye was staring at him, but it did not move. Instead, it stood where it was and opened its big mouth. Every tooth was sharp, and there seemed to be blood on its teeth. It looked extremely cruel for a moment. Lin Qi¡¯s hair stood on end. Just as he was about to throw out the meatball in his hand, he realized that the giant had slowly retreated into the shadows and was gradually walking away. When they could no longer hear any sound, the Dark King and the Holy Maiden walked out from the bushes and brought Lin Qi down. Lin Qi looked at the Dark King and found that it looked disgusted. ¡°Why? Do you know him?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes, he¡¯s a nine-star cannibal! Filthy creatures!¡± The Dark King spat. Lin Qi and the Holy Maiden were full of questions. ¡°What is a nine-star cannibal?¡± ¡°The species born of female giants and male humans. They inherited the cruelty of the giants and the cunning of humans. They were born to eat their fathers, so they were not tolerated by humans and giants. ¡°They don¡¯t have sweat glands, so they like to sleep in the mud. No wonder we didn¡¯t find any traces after searching so many times. ¡°These creatures especially like to eat human-shaped creatures, so they are called cannibals.¡± Lin Qi¡¯s hair stood on end when he heard that. Hybrid? Eat their human father? ¡°They were born from humans, why would they like to eat humans?¡± The Holy Maiden asked in confusion. Dark King thought for a moment and explained, ¡°Legend has it that it¡¯s a matter of bloodline. They inherited the brutality of giants but no sense, the cunning of humans but no wisdom, so the guess would be that their affinity for humans has been twisted into a different desire. ¡°I thought that those creatures were extinct. I didn¡¯t expect that there were nine-star cannibals on this Godforsaken Island. How unlucky!¡± The Dark King spat on the ground again, as if to drive away the bad luck. Lin Qi looked at the Holy Maiden. ¡°It seems that the other eight tribesmen have been¡­ Eaten.¡± The Holy Maiden felt conflicted when she heard that. She did not know whether to feel sad or disgusted. The cannibals were too cunning. They must have sensed that something was wrong and did not attack Lin Qi. It was useless to stay here any longer. It was better to return to the camp and make a long-term plan. On the way, Lin Qi was still thinking about the nine-star cannibals. He asked the Dark King, ¡°Are there many of these cannibals?¡± The Dark King thought for a moment and said, ¡°Probably not. There are some problems with their bloodline, so they are like the giant dragon race. It is very difficult to reproduce.¡± Lin Qi nodded. As long as there were not many of them! Chapter 92 - His Foot Slipped Chapter 92: His Foot Slipped Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation There was an old saying that said, one was not afraid of a frontal attack, but one was afraid of backstabbing. Even if the nine-star cannibals had the bloodline of the seven-star devil beast, the giants, Lin Qi was not afraid of a frontal attack. After all, the Dark King could occasionally be an existence that could go toe-to-toe with the giant dragon clan. However, the nine-star cannibals were too cunning. They would only capture lone orcs, set traps, and retreat as soon as they felt danger. If they do not get rid of that kind of opponent as soon as possible, there would be big problems sooner or later. After all, the orcs were going to settle down here in the future. There would always be times when they would be alone. When Lin Qi and the others returned to the tribe, they told the old priest everything they had seen and heard. The old priest sighed after hearing it. ¡°What do you think we should do now?¡± Lin Qi thought for a moment. ¡°The most important thing now is to figure out the strength of the other party and the place where they settled down. Otherwise, the other party can set traps for us at any time.¡± The cannibals were in the dark while the orcs were in the light so even if they really fought, it would be easy for problems to arise. Lin Qi continued, ¡°The good thing is that there are not many people of this race, or it would really be troublesome. ¡°The bad thing is that we have already alerted the enemy so it will be even harder to find them.¡± The old priest pondered for a while and said, ¡°You said that they also eat other food?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lin Qi thought for a moment and said, ¡°When the Dark King and I first came to this island, we saw a huge skeleton. At that time, we thought that it was eaten by other wild beasts. Now, it seems that it was hunted by the cannibals.¡± ¡°Also,¡± Lin Qi added, ¡°Before this, there were no other humanoid creatures on this island.¡± ¡°How about this,¡± The old priest suggested. ¡°Lin Qi, why don¡¯t you use the delicacies to attract them? Even if the environment on Peach Blossom Island is suitable for survival and there¡¯s plenty of food, it¡¯s definitely not as delicious as the food you make. ¡°Use some delicacies as bait to see if you can attract them. They¡¯ve captured so many of our tribesmen, so we have to give them something in exchange for them.¡± That was a stupid idea. Moreover, the orcs had captured many trial participants due to their shortage of food situation. If they could solve the problem with the cannibals by giving them food, would the orcs be able to live in peace with the cannibals? Of course, the prerequisite was that the orcs agreed. After all, eight of their tribesmen were still alive, and Abalu was still in a coma. Lin Qi decide to put more thought into it. He said goodbye to the old priest and walked out of the house. As soon as he left, he saw Yu Meng. He happily waved at Yu Meng, and then she turned around to leave as if she had not seen him. Lin Qi was confused by Yu Meng. ¡®What¡¯s going on now? ¡®She was fine yesterday, but what is going on today? ¡®That¡¯s weird!¡¯ If Lin Qi and the others had come back after three or four days, Yu Meng might have been worried about Lin Qi and thought that they had gone to do something important. However, they went out in the morning and came back right after. What good could that do? At that point, Lin Qi was just a sc*mbag in Yu Meng¡¯s mind. Lin Qi was still hesitating whether he should go after her and ask what was going on. The Holy Maiden then walked out of the room. ¡°Lin Qi?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Lin Qi was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go find the other orc commanders and discuss the defenses of the camp. We can¡¯t just sit around and wait for death. We have to take the initiative to attack!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Lin Qi also thought that the orcs had to get involved. He put the matter from before to the back of his mind. Anyway, Yu Meng was always like that. She had a cold personality, so he would talk about it in the future. Little did he know that Yu Meng was about to explode with anger when she saw that scene from afar. From her point of view, it was just that Lin Qi was about to catch up to comfort her, but was stopped by the Holy Maiden, and Lin Qi even left with her. Side by side? Furthermore, they were talking and laughing. Ordinary women would usually rush up and question the sc*mbag at that exact moment, and then put on a show where the original wife would expose homewrecker¡¯s true colors on the street. However, was Yu Meng an ordinary woman? Obviously not! Therefore, Yu Meng took out her magic staff, pointed it at Lin Qi, and rotated it slightly, muttering, ¡°Elementary Hockey Puck!¡± An incredibly small hockey puck suddenly appeared in front of the magic staff and then flew quickly toward the direction where the magic staff was pointing at. The hockey puck fell under Lin Qi¡¯s feet, and the path under his feet was instantly covered by ice. While Lin Qi was chatting and walking, he suddenly slipped then fell on his butt. He was stunned! The Holy Maiden next to him was also stunned. While walking, the person next to her suddenly disappeared. She turned around and saw Lin Qi who sat on the ground. Lin Qi looked at the ice under his feet. ¡°It¡¯s only autumn, and it¡¯s already frozen?¡± He suddenly thought of Yu Meng. In the entire tribe, the only one who could produce ice out of thin air was Yu Meng, but when he turned his head, Yu Meng had already disappeared. He scratched his head. Did the temperature really drop? He could not think of a reason, so he could only vent his anger on the ice on the ground. He used his feet to smash the ice into pieces, then soothed his butt and limped away. .. Lin Qi and the Holy Maiden found all the orc commanders and discussed the matter of guarding the camp as well as taking the initiative to attack. Everyone was sitting on the ground, and only Lin Qi insisted on standing. The orc at the side even politely gave a small stool to Lin Qi. ¡°Hero, sit down!¡± Lin Qi politely pushed him back. ¡°No need, no need!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a hero, you don¡¯t need to be polite with us.¡± The orc pushed Lin Qi onto the stool and patted his shoulder. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Lin Qi¡¯s face turned red. However, Lin Qi could not say it out loud. After all, he was a big man. How could he fall while walking? He could only endure the pain on his buttocks and forced a smile at the orc commander. ¡°Thanks!¡± The orc waved his hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite¡­ Holy Maiden, what¡¯s wrong with you? If you have anything funny to share, let everyone know.¡± The Holy Maiden next to him almost choked with laughter. She knew why Lin Qi had not wanted to sit! Lin Qi¡¯s face darkened. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad.¡± Finally, under the atmosphere where Lin Qi was about to flip the table, the group finally began to talk about the official topic. ¡°The nine-star cannibals are very cruel, very cunning, and cannibalistic. So from now on, we have to set up a fence around the perimeter of the camp to prevent the enemy from suddenly attacking. ¡°Secondly, we must set up a sentry post every 60 feet around the perimeter of the camp. There should be at least two orcs in each sentry post. ¡°In addition, every 20 orcs should form a patrol team and patrol around the clock. As for the total number of teams and how often the sentry posts are changed, you can discuss it yourselves. I believe you are more familiar with each other than I am. ¡°Lastly, we must choose a team of elites to follow me into the forest to investigate the cannibals.. This is the most important and dangerous job.¡± Chapter 93 - Awakening Chapter 93: Awakening Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The orcs had not explored the entirety of Peach Blossom Island, so they definitely were not familiar with the native cannibals. It was very dangerous for them to fight the cannibals in the Peach Blossom Forest. If they were not careful, their lives might be in danger. Moreover, the cannibals that Lin Qi saw last night seemed to be stronger than the orcs, so they had to pick the best of the best. When the orc commanders heard that, they scrambled to express that they were going to carry out that mission, and they were about to fight for the chance to be a part of the elite team. One of the orc commanders even dragged Lin Qi and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t let me go, you¡¯re looking down on me, Abada!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Who the hell is looking down on you. Lin Qi helplessly clapped his hands to signal the orc commanders to calm down. ¡°Now is not the time to be a hero. If you all follow me out, what will happen to the other tribesmen?¡± Only then did the orc commanders calm down. ¡°The hero is right!¡± Lin Qi thought for a moment and looked at them. ¡°Are any of you good at fighting in the jungle? You must know how to track, you must know how to set traps, and most importantly, you must know how to stay hidden.¡± They looked at each other. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Who is it? Come forward.¡± Lin Qi was puzzled. Did such a thing need to take so long to think about? ¡°Abalu is best at these things.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡°What about you guys¡­ ?¡± ¡°Us? We are all good at fighting!¡± Abada rolled up his sleeves and showed Lin Qi his thick biceps. Lin Qi held his forehead helplessly. The Holy Maiden beside him also said, ¡°Indeed! Abalu is the best hunter in our tribe. He is the best at what you said just now.¡± Lin Qi spread his hands. ¡°Then what should we do now? We don¡¯t know when Abalu will wake up. You saw what happened yesterdayÒ»not being a good stealth hunter makes it easy for the cannibals to take advantage of that weakness.¡± In the end, the focus was still on Abalu. Lin Qi silently flipped through the system, trying to see if there was any delicious food that could wake people up from a coma. He suddenly saw a delicacy called Awakening Gumbo. [ Awakening Gumbo: After taking it, one can quickly awaken a person who has fallen into a deep sleep. If a person who is awake takes it, it can keep the consumer excited. Side Effects: None ] [ If taken multiple times, there is a certain chance that the consumer will fall into a state of permanent excitement! ] According to the system¡¯s description, it could wake up a person who had fallen into a deep sleep. However, he did not know if it would be useful for a person like Abalu who was seriously injured and unconscious. No matter what, he had no other choice. [ Material Consumption: Fish (x2), Tofu (x1), Ginger (x2) ] [ Cooking¡­ Cooking completed ] [ Ding! You have obtained: Awakening Gumbo ] Lin Qi took the prepared Awakening GUmbo to Abalu¡¯s ward, where his wife was cleaning his body. The woman looked at the gumbo in Lin Qi¡¯s hand and quickly put down the cloth in her hand. ¡°Oh My, I have troubled you to make the soup yourself, hero.¡± Lin Qi explained, ¡°This soup can awaken those who have fallen into a deep sleep. I want to use this to try to wake Abalu up.¡± The woman quickly took the soup. ¡°Really? You are amazing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯ll work. Let¡¯s try it first.¡± The woman carefully fed the soup to Abalu and carefully wiped his mouth. However, after drinking the soup, there was no reaction at all. Lin Qi could not help but shake his head in disappointment. It seemed that he was forced to think of other ways. The woman was a little disappointed at first, but she quickly composed herself. She smiled and said to Lin Qi, ¡°It¡¯s okay. If he didn¡¯t wake up, then he didn¡¯t wake up. At most, I¡¯ll take care of him for the rest of his life.¡± Lin Qi looked at the woman¡¯s optimism and gave a wry smile. He was going to take his leave. The woman stood up to send him off. Just as she reached the door, she heard a voice behind her, ¡°Darling?¡± The two people at the door were stunned at first, then they turned around and saw Abalu already awake. He was sitting on the bed, looking at the two of them in confusion. The woman suddenly pounced on Abalu and hugged him as she began to cry. Lin Qi was almost embarrassed to death at the door, but it was good that he was awake. He did not want to intrude at that moment so he walked out of the door to wait. The orcs nearby heard the woman¡¯s crying and thought that something bad had happened, so they all came over. Lin Qi stood at the door. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to worry. Abalu has woken up. Now that the husband and wife are reunited, let¡¯s not disturb them.¡± When the orcs heard that Abalu had woken up, they heaved a sigh of relief. They stopped watching the commotion and walked back as they talked. ¡°I told you he would wake up.¡± ¡°Haha, Now you don¡¯t have to worry. That lady doesn¡¯t have to cry all the time though.¡± ¡°She¡¯s crying? She can cry?¡± ¡°She¡¯s done it a few times already. You wouldn¡¯t expect it! Even someone as tough as her can cry sometimes.¡± ¡°Haha, Tell me about it. If she scolds anyone in the future, I¡¯ll bring it up¡­¡± Lin Qi was left standing there, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Not long after, Abalu¡¯s wife pushed open the door and walked out. She did not look like she had cried at all, but her eyes were a little red. She said to Lin Qi, ¡°I¡¯ve already told Abalu about what happened while he was asleep. If you have anything to say, just tell him yourself. I won¡¯t get unnecessarily involved.¡± Lin Qi looked at her and suddenly felt a little apologetic because the purpose of his trip was Abalu¡¯s rich jungle experience. He looked at the woman hesitantly. ¡°Actually¡­ I¡­¡± Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by her. ¡°Abalu is first the orc commander of the Bru tribe and my husband second. If you have anything to say, just tell him. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Looking at the woman¡¯s back, Lin Qi felt some admiration in his heart. He sorted out his emotions, opened the door, and walked in. Abalu was half lying on the bed, looking pretty good. He smiled and invited Lin Qi to sit down. ¡°I heard about the cannibals. No wonder they were so cruel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I want to know how you were captured, how the others are now, and how you escaped.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how I was captured either.¡± Abalu scratched his head and recalled, ¡°I just felt very sleepy when I walked. When I woke up, I was in a cave. There were many cages in the cave. I don¡¯t know what material the cages were made of, but they were very hard. ¡°The cave was full of the bones of various animals, and those ugly guys¡­ The cannibals, they were lying on the ground and sleeping.¡± ¡°Then how did you get out?¡± Lin Qi was puzzled. ¡°It was because those cages were not locked!¡± Abalu thought it was funny, ¡°I ran out while they were asleep.¡± ¡°How many cannibals were there?¡± Lin Qi suddenly asked. Abalu tried to recall, ¡°The cave was too dark, I couldn¡¯t see clearly, there were about ten of them!¡± Lin Qi nodded.. ¡®Ok, not that many.¡¯ Chapter 94 - Taking the Initiative to Attack Chapter 94: Taking the Initiative to Attack Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Compared to the orcs, there were not many cannibals. Even if half of them were still out hunting, there would only be a total of 30 of them. With that in mind, Lin Qi signaled for Abalu to continue. ¡°At first, I couldn¡¯t find the exit of the cave. Later, I found out that the cave was underground! It was connected to the outside by mud. I snuck out to the exit of the cave, entered the mud, and then swam upstream. ¡°But when I came out of the mud, I got lost. I walked around randomly. When I was cleaning off the mud by a river, a cannibal suddenly rushed out from the side. I fought with him, but I was no match for him. He was too strong, and he even cut off one of my arms.¡± Abalu shook his empty sleeve. ¡°After that, I ran like crazy. I don¡¯t know where I ran to but I can¡¯t remember what happened after that. I vaguely remember that I bumped into someone, and then I was hit by something, and then I fainted.¡± Hearing that, Lin Qi was secretly shocked. The cannibals actually lived in a cave at the bottom of the mud. No wonder when they first arrived on the island, he and the Dark King searched all the nearby places, but they could not find any other intelligent creatures. That was quite troublesome. The cannibals could retreat back to the mud whenever they want, but what about the orcs? Lin Qi tried to coax Abalu again, ¡°I know you just woke up and are still injured, but¡­ I need someone who is very good at fighting in the jungle, and¡­ It¡¯s best if they can lead us to the nest of the cannibals.¡± Lin Qi was ready to be rejected by Abalu. After all, he had not recovered from his serious injuries. If Lin Qi had no other choice, he would not have troubled Abalu. He had not expected Abalu to give a forthright smile. ¡°No problem!¡± He was so happy that Lin Qi was stunned. ¡°You¡¯re not worried¡­¡± Abalu waved his hand. ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about! I¡¯m the most courageous warrior of the orcs, and I want to take revenge on those cannibals!¡± When Lin Qi heard Abalu¡¯s words, he heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Have you seen any other orcs there?¡± Abalu replied confidently, ¡°No! ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any of my tribesmen in the process. If I had, I would have saved them all. If someone had helped me, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten lost so easily.¡± Lin Qi touched his chin. ¡°I remember you saying that there were animal bones on the ground. There were no human or human-like bones?¡± Abalu thought for a moment and said, ¡°No! At least I didn¡¯t see any at that time.¡± ¡°Then would you¡­¡± Before Lin Qi could finish his sentence, Abalu interrupted him. ¡°I am a hunter. I am in the business of catching beasts. It is impossible that I can¡¯t distinguish between human and beast bones.¡± That was strange! Where did the other missing orcs go? If Abalu was so sure, there should be no problem with that news. Could it be that the other orcs had been eaten? Were they captured by the cannibals and used for other purposes? Were they like Abalu, who escaped but got lost? Of course, it could not be ruled out. Abalu was a part of the first batch to be captured. Before he escaped, no other orcs had been captured. At that time, Lin Qi remembered another detail. ¡°You said that you suddenly fainted while walking?¡± ¡°Yes, it was quite sudden. It was also my own negligence. Logically speaking, we used knockout drugs before, so we should have been on guard. But at that time, I didn¡¯t feel anything at all, and slowly lost consciousness.¡± Then it should be poisoning. The most obvious difference between poisoning and knockout drugs was the reaction of the person involved. It was impossible for the best hunter like the orcs to not have any reaction at all. It should be because they did not know when they were poisoned! Lin Qi did not think much about it. ¡°Then you should rest and recover. When your body can move freely, we will set off!¡± Before he left, he left some food for Abalu to replenish his strength, hoping that he could recover faster. Lin Qi went back to his place and called the Dark King over to discuss the battle plan. .. Just like that, three days passed. Abalu¡¯s strength had almost recovered. At the very least, he could walk and run at a certain speed without any problems. During those three days, Lin Qi had also prepared a lot of emergency delicacies, and offensive-type delicacies such as Explosive Beef Meatballs. They then set off on their journey, with many orcs following behind them. Every now and then, Lin Qi wishes that a beautiful woman would come to him, with tears in her eyes, and say goodbye to him. However, after a while, none of them have come. Yu Meng did one betterÒ»she knocked on Lin Qi¡¯s door last night. When he had just opened it and noticed that it was her, he was a little excited. He thought that Yu Meng had been enlightened about the situation. Since she came to find him so late, perhaps something exciting would happen. Unexpectedly, Yu Meng picked up her magic staff and said to Lin Qi¡¯s face, ¡°If you dare to die out there, I¡¯ll use intermediate ice magic to blow up your grave!¡± Hearing that, Lin Qi felt pretty good. Yu Meng must have been concerned about him¡­ Right? .. Lin Qi and the others walked into the forest. He looked at Abalu and said, ¡°We¡¯d better find the nest of the cannibals. If we really can¡¯t, we can only try to lure them with my delicious food. ¡°However, according to the cunning of the cannibals, they might not be fooled.¡± Abalu nodded carefully. ¡°Do you still remember the place where you found me? Lead me there!¡± Lin Qi and the Dark King led Abalu through the forest and soon found the place where they found him. There were still some dried bloodstains on the ground, the Dark King pointed in a direction and said to Abalu, ¡°You rushed over from that direction. At that time, you were¡­ No, when you fainted because of your injuries, I checked that direction and hadn¡¯t found anything.¡± Abalu carefully looked at the surroundings. He picked up some dirt on the ground and sniffed it. He turned around and said to them, ¡°Other than you guys, the cannibals should have been here at that time, and they should have been right next to you guys.¡± What?! The Dark King and Lin Qi were shocked. ¡°Look!¡± Abalu pointed at the weeds next to him. ¡°The grass here has been trampled flat, and there is a small footprint on the ground next to it. The size is definitely not the ones of orcs and ordinary humans.¡± ¡°Then how did you know that the cannibals were following us?¡± ¡°Look at the grass again. Look, this is the yellowing of the roots of the grass after the cannibals stepped on it. Look at the grass over here. This is obviously your footsteps on it. The yellowing of the roots is basically the same. ¡°If you were sure that you didn¡¯t meet the cannibals at that time, it means that the cannibals must have come here after you left!¡± The precise analysis stunned Lin Qi and the Dark King. After all, he was a jungle hunter, and he had made a breakthrough right from the beginning. However, it was a little creepy.. Fortunately, they left earlier, or else they would have been ambushed. Chapter 95 (END) - How Many Children? (Grand Finale) Chapter 95: How Many Children? (Grand Finale) Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Looking at the weeds and trees around him, Lin Qi felt a sense of panic. He asked Abalu, ¡°What do you think?¡± To Lin Qi, who was unfamiliar with the jungle, that situation was like being in a cage. If he continued to stay there, the cannibals would most likely poison him from a certain direction. ¡°No.¡± Abalu said and explained, ¡°When I woke up, the sky was like this. They should be sleeping. I should have killed them in their sleep.¡± From Abalu¡¯s tone, Lin Qi and the Dark King knew that the first orc of the Bru tribe was very angry. Thinking of the Dark King¡¯s trump card, Lin Qi nodded. If they could completely exterminate those cannibals, they could live in peace on that island. Suddenly, Abalu growled, ¡°There¡¯s someone there!¡± Without waiting for Lin Qi and the Dark king to react, Abalu chased after him. Lin Qi was stunned and followed after Abalu. The Dark King, born into a dog family and having learned the true traditions of the cat family, leaped through the forest. Whoosh! Lin Qi glanced at the big tree beside him. There was a black thorn embedded deep into the tree, and purple liquid flowed down. It was only one to two inches away from him. If he got hit by such a blow, he would not be able to survive, let alone be poisoned. ¡°Za wa wa wa!¡± Not long after he ran, Lin Qi saw that Abalu had already subdued someone. Seeing Lin Qi and the Dark King catch up, Abalu pointed at the person who was subdued on the ground. ¡°This is a kid!¡± A kid? Lin Qi looked at him. That person had a green face and fangs. He looked like a ghost or a doll. However, what made Lin Qi even more curious was that Abalu knew what that person was saying. ¡°You know what he said?¡± Abalu shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s much younger than the others.¡± Lin Qi and the Dark King looked at each other. That kid was about the same size as Lin Qi. How big would an adult nine-star cannibal be? Lin Qi casually stuffed a handful of mud into the cannibal¡¯s mouth and looked at Abalu. ¡°Abalu, can you lure the other cannibals here?¡± Without waiting for Abalu¡¯s reply, the Dark King raised his chin, ¡°You plan to use him to attract people? ¡°Smart.¡± Lin Qi sighed. ¡°Survival is not fighting and killing, it¡¯s the way of the world.¡± The Dark king looked at Lin Qi with disdain. ¡®If you¡¯re so awesome, why don¡¯t you go?¡¯ Lin Qi looked at him with narrowed eyes. Abalu then replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Then, he immediately set off. Lin Qi also made use of the existing plants around him to weave a large net. Then, he filled the middle with hay. The subdued cannibal was stuffed with grass by Lin Qi and placed in the middle of the hay. After working for a long time, Lin Qi was a little tired. He sat behind a large tree that was hidden. At that moment, the cannibal swallowed the grass in his mouth or spat it out. They were not sure but they wanted him to cry anyway. His loud voice finally resonated through the forest. The Dark King looked at the pile of hay. ¡°Will this destroy the forest?¡± ¡°I was prepared for that.¡± Lin Qi pointed six feet behind them. He had already broken the roots of the trees with branches and removed all the vegetation from the forest. That way, there was only soil and no vegetation. It had already formed a circle around the hay. As long as there was no sudden strong wind in the forest, those plants would never be blown to other places and spread the fire. ¡°What is this?¡± The Dark King was a little confused. Lin Qi said proudly, ¡°This is called a quarantine zone.¡± At that moment, a rustling sound could be heard from afar. A person jumped out from the grass. It was Abalu. At that moment, Abalu had many scratches on his body and he was sweating profusely. The Dark King shouted at Abalu, ¡°Abalu, come here!¡± Abalu turned a deaf ear to him. ¡°Stop shouting. If you continue shouting, they will find out that it¡¯s a trap.¡± Seeing that the Dark King still wanted to shout, Lin Qi grabbed it. Suddenly, the ground began to shake. One by one, nine to ten-foot-tall figures walked out from the lush leaves. When the first one saw the cannibal crying and struggling on the dry grass, they immediately shouted. One figure after another rushed out from several directions. They walked to where the subdued cannibal was and checked his injuries. One of them was less than 30 feet away from Lin Qi. If the cannibal turned around, Lin Qi would have to run. However, at that point, they were all concerned about the younger cannibal¡¯s injuries, they had fallen into a trap. Unfortunately, there were also one or two cannibals who stood outside the hay. ¡°Dark King, Get ready.¡± Seeing the Dark King nod, Lin Qi felt relieved. Lin Qi took a few steps back to the quarantine zone and pulled down a trap with one hand. He laughed loudly, ¡°You cannibals can go to hell!¡± A large net covered the cannibals on the dry grass. The cannibals easily tore apart the large net woven by the vines. One of the cannibals, who seemed to be the leader, sent three of his men to capture Lin Qi. The others stood on the dry grass. The two cannibals who did not dare to enter the dry grass heaved a sigh of relief at that moment. They went in to see the cannibal kid. The three cannibals drooled and rushed toward Lin Qi. Just as they were about to catch Lin Qi, the Dark King rushed out. A ball of fire that was as hot as the sun shot out and roasted the three of them to death. The fire did not stop there. It spread further and burned the surroundings. In the blink of an eye, the fire climbed onto the trees and engulfed all the hay. The fire in the quarantine zone was raging. Lin Qi picked up a rock and was waiting for the cannibals to rush out when Abalu arrived with the Bru tribesmen. Sure enough, soon a cannibal rushed out of the fire and was surrounded by a number of Bru tribesmen who joined forces to kill it. When the sun was about to set, the last of the fires in the quarantine zone went out, and the cannibals inside were either burned or stabbed to death. No more cannibals could be found in the caves after Abalu went and searched. Abalu suffered greatly and was afraid that the cannibals would come back. Thus, the Bru tribe sent people into the forest to search for cannibals. Lin Qi returned to the camp. The Holy Maiden saw him coming and pointed to the beach. ¡°She went over there.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Go and coax her first. If you need anything, come and find me,¡± the Holy Maiden said with a smile. Lin Qi did not know how to answer, so he went to the beach to look for Yu Meng. Looking at Lin Qi¡¯s back, the Holy Maiden smiled bitterly. Yu Meng was walking alone on the beach. The tides by the beach rose and fell, wave after wave. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Lin Qi walked to Yu Meng¡¯s side. Yu Meng rolled her eyes at Lin Qi. ¡°You¡¯re not going to look for the Holy Maiden?¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go.¡± Lin Qi turned around. Yu Meng was so angry that she was about to lose her temper, but Lin Qi suddenly raised his head and pointed at the sky. Yu Meng could not help but look at the sky as well. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Yu Meng looked at him for a while and was a little puzzled. ¡°I¡¯m looking at you.¡± Yu Meng turned back to look at Lin Qi and saw him smiling. ¡°Are you still angry with me?¡± ¡°No.¡± Yu Meng shook her head. Lin Qi replied with an ¡®Oh¡¯ and asked again, ¡°How many children do you think we should have in the future?¡± Yu Meng was stunned for a moment, then blushed. ¡°Who wants children with you?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have five. One of the five will be the referee in a fight.¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°So you want them. How many do you want?¡± ¡°I want two!¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s have two.¡±