——

"Four-Star!"

Cheng Zongyang’s heart skipped a beat.

This was the strongest Exotic Beast he had ever seen, and its three Abilities were astounding.

Feline Fierce Beasts were already incredibly fast. Once it used that Ability for a five-fold boost, who could possibly land a hit on it?

Not to mention the subsequent combat power boost, claw enhancement, and danger sense. It was a natural-born killer!

If it got close, the outcome was easy to imagine.

Cheng Zongyang glanced at it again as he continued up the mountain, surprised that it was coexisting peacefully with them.

Now that he thought about it, Cheng Zongyang figured it was the danger sense Ability that made it so cautious.

’It must sense that our group could injure, or even kill it!’

Killing it wouldn’t be difficult for Cheng Zongyang.

As long as they got close, a Soul Slave could trap it at the cost of being heavily injured or even destroyed, allowing him to counterattack.

But there was no need, even if he could try using the Geomagnetic Stone and the Soul Gathering Stele.

The Lynx King watched Cheng Zongyang the entire way as he walked up the mountain.

After Cheng Zongyang was gone, it relaxed and lay down in its den again.

The moment Cheng Zongyang appeared, it had sensed danger. Fortunately, neither side seemed to have any intention of attacking.

Perhaps because of the Lynx King, the mountain seemed devoid of ordinary beasts, and he reached the summit without any trouble.

"Whew!"

Cheng Zongyang let out a soft breath and looked around. It had taken him nearly two hours to climb at the speed of his Body Technique, a testament to the mountain’s altitude.

There were quite a few trees on the summit. Though not as tall as the ones below, they still obstructed his view, preventing him from seeing the surrounding area.

The trees on this mountain didn’t follow the usual pattern of becoming sparser closer to the peak.

So, he picked a tree and climbed it.

But when Cheng Zongyang looked down, his expression froze. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but a roiling sea of clouds.

’Damn it, bad planning.’

Frustrated, he went back down toward the mountainside.

After a few attempts, Cheng Zongyang finally found a spot with a beautiful view of the side where his territory lay.

The massive peak he stood on swept down in a continuous range, stretching to a beach, and beyond that was the boundless ocean!

Looking down, he could see Sea Beasts and sea fish occasionally leaping from the water, and flocks of seabirds gathering in certain areas, likely hunting.

"The ocean in this world is definitely dangerous. I can’t just go over there!"

Cheng Zongyang only needed a brief look to understand the dangers of this sea.

He had been thinking he could do some large-scale fishing to earn Points, but it turned out he was being too optimistic.

Next, he circled the mountain, cross-referencing with the map in his hand and also getting a look at the situation behind it.

Behind Snow Moon Peak was a forested plain that stretched on and on, its area impossible to estimate by sight alone.

"It’s really inconvenient that this map doesn’t have place names marked. I’ll have to go there myself to find out," Cheng Zongyang frowned.

He had only learned that this mountain was called Snow Moon Peak after acquiring his personal appraisal ability. The Gray Wolf King from before had come from this Snow Moon Peak, and now, so had the Lynx King.

As for what lay beyond Snow Moon Peak, he would have to go there in person to appraise it and find out.

But looking at the landscape behind the mountain and matching it to his map, Cheng Zongyang now had a concrete understanding of the area.

"Once the Soul Slaves from those sixty Soul Crystal Stones are reformed, it’ll be time to prepare a proper hunting and exploration team."

Gazing at the vast expanse of mountain forests, he saw endless, rich resources.

All these resources were waiting for him to exploit!

’Manpower! It’s far from enough!!’ Cheng Zongyang’s gaze was firm.

After returning to his territory, Cheng Zongyang found Luo Dingran, who was busy planning a route to the seaside.

Seeing how quickly Luo Dingran worked, Cheng Zongyang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He said:

"I was just at the summit. The sea is far more dangerous than the mountains; it’s not a place we can venture into right now.

Our territory has expanded by ten kilometers, and there are too many resources for us to develop. What we need to do now is find ways to earn more Points, accumulate more Soul Crystal Stones, and get more manpower."

Luo Dingran understood what Cheng Zongyang meant. He cupped his fist and said:

"I understand. I was thinking that a quick way to accumulate Points would be to catch sea fish, which would earn us double Points.

Since you have changed the plan, my lord, I will have men trace the water source upstream to see if we can find its origin and the source of the fish.

As it happens, I’ve already organized a hunting party. They can search for the water’s source while also hunting and gathering along the way."

Cheng Zongyang nodded slightly. "Right, there’s something else. To the northwest, by a cliff, there’s a type of Red Ore. Find a chance to check it out. I remember there was a task where two hundred catties of ore could be exchanged for twenty Points. The price should be higher if we sell it on consignment. If it’s hard to excavate, try having the Mole Beasts assist."

Hearing this, Luo Dingran immediately replied, "Yes, I will arrange it."

After giving his instructions, Cheng Zongyang checked the time. It was almost evening, so he didn’t linger and returned to the market hut to leave the Wilderness World.

Appearing in his study, Cheng Zongyang looked at the dim room. He didn’t light a lamp, but instead went to his chair, sat down, and thought quietly.

After some time, Zhang Chuchu’s voice came from outside the study:

"Young Master, I’ve reheated the meal for you. I’ve left it at the door."

Before Cheng Zongyang could reply, he heard the soft footsteps gradually fade away.

Cheng Zongyang took out his watch and checked the time. It was already past nine at night.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, having more or less sorted out his next steps.

First, to advance his Cultivation, he could only rely on Qi Essence Pills to assist his training and speed up the process.

Second, regarding Points, the priority was to acquire Soul Crystal Stones. If people were willing to sell at the price Luo Dingran set, he could start purchasing them regularly.

As for the bodies, that wouldn’t be difficult. Not everyone was an honest, law-abiding citizen; there were always those who caused trouble in the shadows.

He could capture these people, lock them up, and when the time came, simply kill them to be absorbed by the Soul Crystal Stones to reform Soul Slaves.

Third, the Soul Gathering Stele!

He planned to have someone take the Stone Stele to various villages, towns, and county towns to continue raising its tier.

After trying it out, fighting with the Soul Gathering Stele as support was almost too easy.

For him, if there was a simple and direct way to end a fight, he wasn’t going to waste time trading blows back and forth.

’What’s the point of Martial Arts Training?’

’It’s to have the ability to protect yourself, to have the strength to protect your family.’

’In a life-or-death battle, as long as you can kill the opponent and survive, anything goes—eye-gouging, groin-kicking, chokeholds, even spitting. As long as you win, it’s a valid tactic!’

’In the end, it’s all about killing!’

’Since I can use the Soul Gathering Stele’s Ability to help me kill my opponents, why would I be stupid enough to fight honorably, trading moves back and forth?’

’Unless it’s for practice!’

Therefore, the Soul Gathering Stele needed to be moved to different places to level up its tier.

At the same time, he could have the Soul Spirit Stones go with it. The Jade Peak County Town area wasn’t enough.

Having roughly finalized his plans, Cheng Zongyang got up, went to his desk, lit the oil lamp, and opened the door.

He immediately saw a wooden box by the door, which contained a reheated meal. From what Zhang Chuchu had said earlier, this meal had clearly been reheated.

Cheng Zongyang wasn’t picky. He took the box and went back into the study.

A short while later, Cheng Zongyang finished eating and came out carrying the box.

"Young Master, allow me."

Just then, a maidservant saw Cheng Zongyang come out with the box and hurried over, bowing as she took it from him.

"Mm," Cheng Zongyang said, handing it to her. He then asked, "Where is the housekeeper?"

"At the front courtyard gate. It seems someone is here to see him," the maidservant replied respectfully.

"Alright, you may go," Cheng Zongyang nodded slightly and headed straight for the front courtyard.

At the gate, Zhang Chuchu was talking with Li Xian.

Zhang Chuchu, with his back to Cheng Zongyang, didn’t see him, but Li Xian did. He immediately bowed with his fist cupped in his hand and said:

"Greetings, Lord Cheng."

Hearing the voice, Housekeeper Zhang immediately turned around. "Young Master!" he said, bowing quickly.

Cheng Zongyang nodded slightly and asked curiously, "What are you discussing?"

Housekeeper Zhang immediately replied, "Young Master, Gang Leader Li wanted to report something to you, but you were in seclusion for your Cultivation."

"Yes," said Li Xian. "It’s about the matter in Qingfeng County. Someone left out a detail. Once I got a clear understanding of it, I came to inform you, my lord."