17: Chapter 17 An Unexpected Joy

However, Chu Xiao was always cautious. He had to grasp in advance any variable that could affect his plans.

"System, Divine Insight!"

He chanted silently in his heart.

In an instant, a sapphire-blue light screen, visible only to him, quietly materialized behind the burly man.

[Name: Meng Da]

[Realm: Foundation Establishment Realm, Second Level]

[Fate: Utterly Ordinary]

[Recent Opportunity: Tomorrow at noon, deep within the 'One-Line Sky' canyon on the southern foothills of the Yunnong Mountain Range's periphery, beneath a thousand-year-old ironwood tree, he will discover a second-grade Spirit Medicine, 'Scorching Sun Grass'. He will then engage in battle with the Low Grade, second-tier Yao Beast guarding the Spirit Medicine, the 'Blazing Lion'. Although he will sustain minor injuries, he will ultimately succeed in slaying the Yao Beast and seizing the Spirit Medicine.]

Scorching Sun Grass!

Seeing these three words, the corner of Chu Xiao's mouth couldn't help but curve upwards slightly.

This was truly an unexpected delight.

Scorching Sun Grass is a second-grade fire-attribute Spirit Medicine, containing pure fire elemental power. For Cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Realm, it is a rare treasure, whether directly refined or used in Alchemy.

More importantly, the location of this Opportunity was in the periphery of the Yunnong Mountain Range, perfect for him to test his skills and, by the way, probe the reality of the Li family's mountain sealing.

As for this Meng Da...

Chu Xiao gave him a faint glance. Since I've seen it, this Opportunity naturally has nothing to do with you anymore.

He placed a few pieces of broken silver on the table, rose, and left the tavern without the slightest pause.

Outside Linyun Town, as expected, checkpoints were set up at several main entrances leading to the Yunnong Mountain Range.

Over a dozen servants dressed in Li family attire, holding long knives, arrogantly blocked all Cultivators trying to enter the mountains.

Chu Xiao glanced from afar but did not approach.

His figure flickered, bypassing the main road, and he directly entered the vast sea of forest from an unguarded, steep cliff.

With the 'Flying Cloud Flash' executed at full power, his figure transformed into a faint, almost imperceptible cyan phantom among the trees, moving silently without disturbing even the birds in the forest.

Following the information provided by the System, he headed south and soon found an extremely precipitous canyon.

Two mountain walls stood as if split by a divine axe.

Only a sliver of sky remained between them—this was the 'One-Line Sky' where the Opportunity lay.

Inside the canyon, the light was dim. The air was filled with the damp scent of vegetation and a faint, elusive sense of scorching heat.

Chu Xiao slowed his pace, reining in his Aura to the extreme, advancing cautiously like the most experienced hunter.

After roughly the time it takes an incense stick to burn, his view suddenly opened up.

At the end of the canyon, in a clearing, stood a massive ironwood tree whose gnarled trunk, requiring several people to encircle, thrust straight into the sky.

And beneath that thick root, a small plant, its entire body crimson red with leaves burning like flames, grew quietly, emitting waves of pure fire elemental power.

It was indeed the second-grade Spirit Medicine, Scorching Sun Grass!

Delight surged in Chu Xiao's heart, but he did not immediately step forward.

He could clearly sense a violent and powerful Demonic Qi lurking in the shadows not far away, firmly locking onto this Spirit Medicine.

"Roar——!"

An ear-splitting roar suddenly erupted from a cave to the side.

A male lion, its size comparable to an elephant, its body ablaze with raging flames, leapt out from the darkness!

Its large, bell-like eyes fixed intently on Chu Xiao, this uninvited guest, filled with bloodthirsty killing intent.

A Low Grade, second-tier Yao Beast, the Blazing Lion!

Its strength was enough to rival an ordinary Foundation Establishment Realm, second-level Cultivator!

Facing the oppressive Aura of this Yao Beast, Chu Xiao's expression did not change in the slightest; he didn't even bat an eyelid.

Seeing this insignificant human dare to ignore it, the Blazing Lion instantly flew into a rage.

It opened its bloody maw, and a human-head-sized crimson fireball instantly took shape, hurtling towards Chu Xiao with scorching force!

Wherever the fireball passed, the air distorted, and the vegetation on the ground instantly turned to charcoal.

However, just as the fireball was about to strike him, Chu Xiao's figure gave a slight shimmer in place and vanished into thin air.

Boom!

The fireball slammed heavily into the spot where he had just stood, exploding into a ball of flames that blasted a charred crater into the ground.

Missing its strike, confusion flashed in the Blazing Lion's eyes.

The next moment, an indifferent voice rang out like a ghostly whisper right above its head.

"Too slow."

The Blazing Lion looked up in terror, only to see Chu Xiao had somehow appeared in the air above it, a seemingly ordinary fist slowly descending.

There was no earth-shattering Aura, no dazzling spiritual light.

But the Blazing Lion's beastly instincts screamed in frantic warning. A fear originating from the depths of its Soul made all the fur on its body stand on end!

It wanted to flee, to dodge, but found its body as if suppressed by an invisible mountain, unable to move even a fraction!

The Demon-Subduing Fist, powered by the 'Golden Cauldron Jade Art'!

Thud—!

A muffled sound of extreme intensity.

Chu Xiao's fist landed squarely on the Blazing Lion's skull.

There was no spray of blood, no sound of shattering bone.

The once majestic Blazing Lion's entire massive head was, under that single fist, violently shaken into a mist of blood by a terrifying force!

The enormous headless corpse collapsed with a crash, stirring up a cloud of dust.

One punch, instant kill!

Chu Xiao landed slowly, his clothes spotless.

Without even a glance at the Yao Beast's corpse, he walked straight to the base of the ironwood tree and carefully uprooted the Scorching Sun Grass.

The moment his fingertip touched the Scorching Sun Grass, the familiar System notification tone sounded in his mind as expected!

[Ding! Detected host has successfully intercepted the Opportunity of 'Utterly Ordinary' fate holder Meng Da. Initiating Opportunity Return Settlement...]

[Ding! Congratulations, host has triggered a Hundredfold Return!]

[Congratulations, host has obtained a fourth-grade Spirit Medicine—purple extreme dragon saliva grass!]

As soon as the words fell, the crimson-red Scorching Sun Grass in Chu Xiao's hand suddenly erupted with a brilliant purple light!

The originally flame-like leaves rapidly elongated, their color shifting from crimson to a deep purple, upon which mysterious patterns resembling dragon scales surfaced.

A pure medicinal power, at least a hundred times more potent than before, mixed with a faint, elusive draconic majesty, exploded forth!

A fourth-grade Spirit Medicine, purple extreme dragon saliva grass!

Its value was enough to make even Golden Core Stage Cultivators covet it!

"Good stuff!"

A satisfied smile appeared on Chu Xiao's face.

With this Spirit Medicine, he would face no Bottleneck whatsoever in his attempt to break through to the second level of the Foundation Establishment Realm!

But just as he was about to store the Spirit Medicine in his Storage Pouch...

An arrogant shout suddenly rang out from the canyon entrance without warning.

"What audacity! How dare you ignore my Li family's prohibition, trespass into the Forbidden Ground, and even steal the Spirit Medicine my Li family is guarding!"

"Leave the Spirit Medicine and sever your own arms. I might consider letting you keep your corpse intact!"