He cast an icy, indifferent glance over the Demon Tiger nailed dead by a single spear and shook his head, disdainful: "Too weak."
This was a fact, yet it commanded respect from everyone in the Mercenary Group, for he was unquestionably a Super Expert. Even as a youth, he was excessively strong, skewering the Demon Tiger that had pushed them to the brink of life and death with a single thrust—his mighty strength was indubitable.
Wiping the bloodstains off his Long Spear, Ye Chen remained silent.
Today marked the eighth day since he left the Ye Family and also his eighth day within the Demon Beast Mountain Range.
He set off to the dangerous mountains famous throughout Xiafeng Country and even the neighboring nations for training as soon as he left Luofeng City, marching into the mountains alone and unceasingly.
True to its notorious reputation, the Demon Beast Mountain Range did not disappoint; on his very first day, Ye Chen encountered an attack from a Demon Beast.
It was a Red-haired Long-tusked Boar, as tall as a grown man and an Acquired Seventh Rank Demon Beast. Its physical strength was so formidable it could rival an Acquired Eighth Realm Cultivator—a ferocious beast that struck terror into the hearts of many hunters in normal days, causing a change of color when spoken of.
Typically, encountering such a Red-haired Long-tusked Boar upon entering the Demon Beast Mountain Range would be considered bad luck, for the beast’s thick hide and immense strength coupled with terrifying attack power made it easily enraged and hard to stop, leaving one with no choice but to flee.
But when confronted with the suddenly charging Red-haired Long-tusked Boar, Ye Chen merely threw a punch and sent the beast flying dozens of meters away. It crashed into a cliffside, dead upon impact, resolving the situation without suspense; by evening, it had become a delicious roasted meal for Ye Chen.
Not long after, in the span of just half a day, he was attacked by six Demon Beasts in succession. Luckily, Ye Chen’s strength was formidable enough to kill each one, whereas anyone else would have undoubtedly perished.
During the subsequent eight days, Ye Chen pressed deeper into the heart of Demon Beast Mountain Range, spear in hand, striking out repeatedly. One Demon Beast after another fell to his blade, their blood painting his path red, and his aura thickened with the scent of slaughter.
However, the beasts he encountered along the way were all Acquired Demon Beasts, ordinary ones at that. The most formidable had been the Red-haired Long-tusked Boar first encountered; the rest were even weaker.
Obviously, these creatures couldn’t provide much training effect for Ye Chen, for his venture into the Demon Beast Mountain Range had another purpose.
He had made it a point to come here today because of this, specially for this Mercenary Group.
The individuals from the Mercenary Group gratefully said to Ye Chen, "Thank you for your life-saving grace. We, the Sunrise Mercenary Group, will never forget this kindness and are eternally grateful. If the young master has any requests in the future, we from the Sunrise Mercenary Group will not hesitate to go through fire and water, pledging to do whatever it takes."
Ye Chen gave a nonchalant nod, his gaze passing over the Sunrise Mercenary Group, scrutinizing everyone, finally resting on a young girl, his eyes lingering up and down her figure several times, which immediately caused a nervous change in the expressions of the group, fearing Ye Chen’s intentions for the girl.
After all, despite her face being smudged with dirt, looking a bit grimy, her naturally beatific features as a young beauty could hardly be concealed, and her gentle disposition was particularly endearing.
The nervous girl hid behind the group leader who clenched his teeth and said anxiously, "Young master, may I ask why you are looking at this young girl like that?"
Ye Chen spoke, and his words sent a wave of tension through the Mercenary Group. The girl’s eyes were brimming with tears, her innocence and vulnerability evoking empathy as she clung to her father’s clothes, filled with terror.
The group leader was even more anxious, "Please show mercy, young master. The young girl is but thirteen years old, not yet an adult."
The others stepped forward, forming a protective circle around the girl, a bullish posture, even though they well knew of Ye Chen’s fearsome strength to kill an Acquired Ninth Stage Demon Beast with a single spear, but at that moment, they unhesitatingly guarded the girl from any harm.
Seeing this, Ye Chen internally laughed and cried at the same time, realizing the misunderstanding about his interest in the young girl, though he was not yet beastly enough to not spare even underage girls.
He immediately waved his hands and said, "Do not misunderstand, I harbour no such desires for her. Let me finish speaking."
The Sunrise Mercenary Group instantly came to their senses, laughing awkwardly as they realized they had misunderstood their savior, and quickly apologized.
"Young master, we’re not sure what you truly want, but whatever we have, we will definitely give it to you," the group leader hurriedly said.
Ye Chen’s gaze then once again fell on the young girl, or rather, on the package she carried, "Do you have a blood-red flower on your person, similar to a lotus, with a special fragrance emitting from it?"
Meizi looked at Ye Chen in surprise, "Big brother, how did you know?"
Hearing this, Ye Chen’s face lit up with joy, his guess had been correct—the girl truly had such a plant on her. He then said, "Please take it out for me to have a look."
Without any hesitation to refuse the request of the man who saved her life, Meizi took out a small bundle wrapped in brocade cloth. Unwrapping it layer by layer, to their amazement, it was a lotus. The entire plant was blood-red, translucent, and imbued with a faint, misty light. It emitted a light fragrance that revitalized the spirit upon inhalation.
In an instant, Ye Chen’s eyes flashed with a dazzling brilliance, "It really is—it’s the Blood Soul Lotus!"
The Blood Soul Lotus was an extremely precious type of spiritual medicine, even considered a heavenly material and earthly treasure, worth a city; it was known for replenishing spiritual power among other miraculous effects.
The main purpose of Ye Chen following them was the peculiar fragrance of the Blood Soul Lotus left behind on the trail, which he had followed here.
Even Elder Yan couldn’t help but float out and exclaim, "This little girl is quite lucky, to have found such a heavenly material and earthly treasure by pure chance, and it’s even a Blood Soul Lotus. Although it hasn’t fully matured, its value is still immeasurable. Little Chenzi, you’ve truly stumbled upon a treasure."
Among the ingredients for refining the "God Awakening Pill" that revives the bloodline of the Holy Body, the Blood Soul Lotus was one of the main materials. Because it was a heavenly material and earthly treasure, naturally, the price would be exorbitant, and moreover, quite rare. Even Li Yun had yet to collect such a treasure.
He had originally thought that even if he reached the Royal Capital, it would take considerable effort to buy it. He did not expect to encounter it today.
Ye Chen was straightforward, "I need this Blood Soul Lotus. If possible, I hope you can sell it to me. I can offer you a very good price, what do you say?"
Meizi was quite taken aback, as she had no idea about the effects of the Blood Soul Lotus. She had simply seen it by chance while chasing the Red Jade Rabbit, thought it looked beautiful, and was attracted by its fragrance, so she had picked it.
She hadn’t expected that the man who saved her life would want this blood-colored lotus flower.
The Mercenary Group leader hastily took the Blood Soul Lotus from the girl’s hands and then handed it to Ye Chen, grinning honestly, "Young master, it was you who saved our lives. If you need it, even if it means going through fire and water, we would not hesitate, let alone part with a mere object. Please, directly take this Blood Soul Lotus; we cannot accept your money."
Ye Chen received the flower and took out a beautifully decorated jade box from his bosom, placing the Blood Soul Lotus inside and sealing it away. He breathed out a sigh of relief, feeling one step closer to reviving the Holy Body Bloodline.
Then he looked toward all the members of the Sunrise Mercenary Group; even when he took out the valuable jade box, none had shown any hint of greed. He sighed inwardly, feeling uncomfortable about simply taking the Blood Soul Lotus and leaving. After contemplating for a moment, he said, "I won’t take advantage of you. If sold, this Blood Soul Lotus could be worth tens of thousands of Gold Coins, perhaps even more. However, for you, it may become a curse, easily attracting those with malicious intent and leading to potential deadly trouble."
"I will take the Blood Soul Lotus with me, and to compensate, I’ll leave this Demon Tiger with you. If sold properly, although it may not match the Blood Soul Lotus’s value, four to five thousand Gold Coins shouldn’t be a problem. What do you think?"
All members of the Sunrise Mercenary Group nodded their heads in agreement, without objection. Although they were greatly shocked and pleasantly surprised when they heard the Blood Soul Lotus could be sold for tens of thousands of Gold Coins, they understood Ye Chen’s point. Innocence breeds crime when one harbors a treasure; once targeted by someone with ill intentions, not only would they not get a fair price, it might even bring them fatal trouble. The powers of their small mercenary group wouldn’t suffice to resist.
Compared to the Lotus, this Demon Tiger could fetch a handsome price, as Ye Chen had mentioned, several thousand Gold Coins were definitely not an issue.
Moreover, what mattered more was Ye Chen’s formidable strength; with the ease of killing an Acquired Ninth Rank Demon Beast, he was probably an Innate Expert and had saved their lives. Morally and emotionally, they could not refuse.
Yet the group leader immediately waved his hand and refused, "Young Master, we really can’t, you have already saved our lives, not to mention giving us a Blood Soul Lotus, even if you took everything we have, it is only right and proper, we won’t bear any grudge. You don’t need to worry, we of the Sunrise Mercenary Group won’t have any objections."
The others in the Mercenary Group naturally nodded without any hesitation, including Meizi.
But Ye Chen shook his head, "Just take it if I tell you to. This Demon Beast is useless to me, merely a burden. If you don’t want it, then I’ll just leave it here to be devoured by other beasts."
Hearing this, the Sunrise Mercenary Group could only offer a wry smile and agree to accept it, understanding that to the mysterious high master like Ye Chen, such a beast was insignificant.
With such formidable capabilities, he was surely a revered figure from super forces, how could he lack money?
And for them, such a Demon Beast—if luck was good—might even sell for six to seven thousand Gold Coins.
After that, before leaving, Ye Chen tossed a small bottle to them, saying, "This bottle contains the scent of the hair of an Innate Demonic Beast. Wear it on you, and Demonic Beasts below the Innate level won’t come near. Consider it a final compensation from me."
"However, I advise you’d better leave here quickly. The smell of blood will attract more beasts, and it could get more troublesome."
In the end, he bid them a kind warning. Ye Chen walked away without looking back, holding a Long Spear and heading deeper into the Demon Beast Mountain Range. He left a long, slender figure behind, walking farther and farther until he completely disappeared into the forest depths...