Chapter 66: Be My Little Brother

The next day, by evening, the rankings had changed significantly.

Prince Xiao Wang had good luck and encountered a group of blue-furred wolves. He slaughtered most of them, earning 1,400 points and ranking first, far ahead of everyone else. Any discerning person could tell it was a group operation.

If an ordinary person encountered a wolf pack, they would have run away. With the wolves outnumbering them, how much spiritual energy could a single innate strength practitioner expend? Even if one were extremely powerful and could easily kill wolves, the wolves wouldn't just stand there waiting to be killed; they would run too! Only a group operation, where the wolves were surrounded and slaughtered, could achieve such results!

Ling Yunxiao wasn't stupid; he knew what was going on just by looking at the score. At the moment, Ding Hao hadn't moved up in the rankings, but Ling Yunxiao didn't blame him. He knew that Prince Xiao Wang and Prince Chai had large groups hunting, while Ding Hao was fighting alone. In fact, Ling Yunxiao could have used his eighty Iron Hoof Riders to mix in with the disciples, but he wasn't that shameless and couldn't bring himself to do it.

In the dark forest, a man with a narrow face emerged. The moonlight filtered through the black leaves, casting a slanted light on his face, making his chiseled features appear even more cold and ruthless.

"Damn it, I was first this morning, and now I'm second by evening!" This man was none other than Mao Changhai, the notorious figure from Yunzhou.

He had been first in the morning but dropped to second by evening, with Prince Chai and Ye Wen, who were third and fourth, close behind. Mao Changhai felt the pressure.

In fact, Mao Changhai was determined to win this autumn hunt. He had been at the innate stage for many years and desperately wanted to advance to the Qi Cultivation stage. He was after the Bi Bo Pill!

"Just relying on抢分 (grabbing points) isn't a solution."

On the first day, he hadn't killed a single spirit beast but had frantically grabbed points, securing the top spot.

"But today is different. The major families have joined in, and I can't compete with them just by grabbing points! They have many people, while I'm alone!"

A cold smile appeared on Mao Changhai's face. "I can have many people too!" As he spoke, he reached into his storage pouch and pulled out a black porcelain bottle, his smile widening. "Rotten Gut Pill, I'll see if you listen to me!"

As he spoke, a figure flashed ahead.

Mao Changhai moved quickly and soon followed. Being at the peak of the innate stage and having practiced movement techniques, he caught up in no time. He shouted, "Stop right there, do you want to die?"

The two figures ahead were teenagers, both at the fifth stage of innate strength. Seeing Mao Changhai, they immediately fell to their knees, pleading, "Senior Mao, you already robbed us this morning, please spare us!"

"So it's you two." Mao Changhai's face actually showed a kind smile. "How many points do you have now?"

The teenagers exchanged glances, finding it strange that Mao Changhai would smile. They didn't dare hide anything and said softly, "We both have five points."

Mao Changhai continued, "I'll leave you these five points, but from now on, you must follow me on the hunt! Everything you catch will be mine!"

One of the teenagers said, "Senior, five points are enough for me. I'm preparing to go to the mountaintop to end the hunt early..."

Before he could finish, Mao Changhai's Xiu Chun Dao was already at his throat.

The teenager's face changed drastically, and he quickly said, "Senior, we agree."

Mao Changhai then threw two pills. "Good, each of you take one! I'll give you the antidote when the hunt is over!"

"Eat this..." The two teenagers picked up the small black pills, smelling a foul odor. They knew it wasn't good. One of them angrily said, "Mao Changhai, you've already robbed us once, what more do you want? Don't push us too far..."

Before he could finish, Mao Changhai's long knife flashed, instantly illuminating the dark forest. In the light of the blade, the teenager's head and blood were reflected in the other's terrified eyes.

"Senior, I... I'll eat it!"

Through a combination of threats and killings, Mao Changhai found a dozen or so people in the forest who had taken his Rotten Gut Pill. He was secretly pleased; if he could do this, he would have dozens of little brothers by nightfall, making him no less powerful than Prince Chai or Prince Xiao Wang.

"Hmph, each chicken has its own way of peeing! You have your methods, and I have mine; you can bring your servants to hunt, and I can temporarily gather a group of little brothers!" Mao Changhai's eyes finally showed a satisfied smile, admiring his own cunning.

...

Not far away, outside a cave, Shang Hai was slowly approaching the entrance.

He had targeted a medium-grade pangolin, which was a second-grade mutant. Generally, Shang Hai couldn't handle a second-grade mutant, but this pangolin's mutation was in its back armor, making its attack not very strong.

After tracking it for half a day and several attempts, Shang Hai finally drove the mutant spirit beast into a cave.

"Want to come out? Not so easy!" Shang Hai's eyes narrowed, and he punched the pangolin back into the cave. "I'll wear you down until you're exhausted, then I'll kill you!"

Not far away, Mao Changhai and his group heard the commotion. He immediately ordered, "Go check it out!"

When the dozen or so people reached the cave entrance, Shang Hai was startled, thinking, "It's over."

He was at the cave entrance, and seeing the unfriendly faces, he wanted to abandon the pangolin and escape, but Mao Changhai and his group blocked his way.

"Innate fifth stage, a body cultivator, not bad!" Mao Changhai's eyes lit up when he saw Shang Hai. None of his dozen or so little brothers were body cultivators. He said, "Come over here."

Shang Hai dared not refuse and walked over, bowing. "Senior, what do you need?"

"Wait a moment." At this point, Mao Changhai ordered his little brothers to rush in and kill the pangolin, cutting off its head.

With so many people, they quickly killed the second-grade mutant pangolin.

Mao Changhai put away the head and nodded. "A second-grade mutant medium-grade spirit beast, 30 points, not bad." He then said to Shang Hai, "Now let's talk about your business. Show me your token, how many points do you have?"

Shang Hai thought it was over; he had encountered a robber.

He was at the innate fifth stage, and although being a body cultivator gave him an advantage, Mao Changhai was at the peak of the innate stage, and his group was overwhelming. Shang Hai had no choice but to take out his token, input spiritual energy, and show the number 53, the result of two days of hard work.

Mao Changhai nodded. "Body cultivators indeed surpass ordinary innate strength practitioners. Transfer your points to me."

Shang Hai was unwilling to give up two days of hard work, but a smart person doesn't suffer a loss in the moment. Shang Hai endured his anger and transferred the 53 points to Mao Changhai's token.

After the transfer, Shang Hai turned to leave.

But at this moment, Mao Changhai's little brothers surrounded him.

Shang Hai, though honest, had a temper. He angrily said, "Mao Changhai, what more do you want? I gave you the prey I chased all day and the points I earned over two days. What more do you want? Don't push me too far!"

Mao Changhai sneered. "What if I do? Innate fifth stage, do you want to die here?"

Shang Hai said, "But I have no points left. What more do you want?"

"I want you!" Mao Changhai threw a black pill. "Be obedient, swallow this pill, serve me for three more days, and I'll spare your life!"

Shang Hai angrily said, "I won't eat it! You're dreaming!"

Mao Changhai coldly laughed. "Stupid fool from Wuzhou, if you weren't a body cultivator, you'd be dead now! Little ones, hold him down, and make him eat it!" Mao Changhai wasn't bluffing; if Shang Hai weren't a body cultivator, he would have killed him outright. But he wanted a body cultivator to lead his group, so he ordered his men to hold Shang Hai down.

A dozen people pounced, quickly pinning Shang Hai to the ground. Mao Changhai picked up the Rotten Gut Pill and forced it into Shang Hai's mouth, coldly saying, "Body cultivators are indeed strong! It seems one pill isn't enough; I'll give you at least three..."

Shang Hai struggled on the ground. "Bastard! I won't eat it!"

Mao Changhai applied force and shoved the pill into Shang Hai's mouth...

At this moment, a voice came from the forest behind them.

"Let my friend go, and I'll spare your life." A figure emerged from the darkness, the moonlight revealing a teenager, about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a determined face.

"You are..." Mao Changhai slowly turned around.

Shang Hai's face lit up with joy, and he quickly spat out the black pill, shouting, "Brother Ding Hao, save me!"

Hearing Ding Hao's name, Mao Changhai remembered something and smiled coldly. "Isn't this the future genius of Wuzhou? Do you want to be my little brother too?"

It was a coincidence. Ding Hao knew the Immortal Daoist was looking for him, so he didn't dare come out at night and hid in the Star Absorbing Stone. Coincidentally, the Star Absorbing Stone was nearby! Mao Changhai had forced others to eat the Rotten Gut Pill, and Ding Hao had seen it, but he hadn't appeared.

But now that Shang Hai was targeted by Mao Changhai, he couldn't stand by.

"I'll be your little brother? You're not worthy!" Ding Hao coldly snorted, taking out the Spirit Finger Ring from his storage pouch and slowly putting it on. He knew this battle was inevitable!

"Nice ordinary treasure!" Mao Changhai's eyes showed greed. "But don't think you can fight a peak innate strength practitioner with just an ordinary treasure. That's a delusion!"

As Mao Changhai spoke, he reached into his storage pouch and pulled out a small ox-horn knife. The knife glowed a cold blue in the darkness, also an ordinary treasure.

Mao Changhai's little brothers were all at the middle innate stage, so they definitely couldn't beat Ding Hao. He had to take action himself and shouted, "Surround this kid, don't let him escape."

As his little brothers surrounded Ding Hao, they relaxed their hold on Shang Hai. Unexpectedly, when Shang Hai saw Ding Hao in danger, he reacted more fiercely than when he was in danger himself. He shouted, "Crescent Rhino Power!" and used the Half Rhino Power, engaging in a fierce battle with Mao Changhai's little brothers!