Supreme Emperor of Mist

Fu-Rong Town's Annual Hunting Festival. Seventh Day.

"Breakfast, young master."

"This is milady's portion."

Lu Qing Yun brought two bowls of heartily made gruel with wild fruits and some meat inside over for the couple.

After breakfast, Lu Qing Yun accompanied Hu Jia over to a secluded area to get themselves changed into something fresher. Lu Qing Yun's skills can be said to be perfect in hair braiding as she helps Hu Jia to come up with a new hairstyle.

"Qin Lan, how do I look with this hairstyle?" that's the first thing in Hu Jia's mind the moment she stepped out of the thick bushes covering them.

"Absolutely dazzling. What an unfortunate that I have no drawing paper here with me," Qin Lan replied. His sweet words melted the cautious heart of this young maiden once again.

Moving to the pile of Yao Beast carcasses hunted by the three servants yesterday as they way, Qin Lan tossed the Qiankun Bag in his hand over to Lu Yi. As for the remaining Qiankun Pouch on his waist, he gently turned over to Hu Jia's side and clipped the treasure on her waistbelt.

"I'll return to the town now. See you this evening at the town's square." Hu Jia took the initiative to hug Qin Lan. Perhaps even she has no idea that she would show such a feminine side right in front of this man that captured her heart.

He then took a hairpin from his sleeve pocket and attached it to Hu Jia's hair bun. It was a simply designed hairpin that Qin Lan used as a hidden weapon in the battle.

Qin Lan gave Hu Jia a kiss on her forehead before he allowed the maiden to leave. Knowing that this girl is totally smitten by his charm, Qin Lan knows that there'll be an additional member in his group from this moment onward.

"Time to work harder." Qin Lan grinned in his mind.

"Young master, are we going into the nest to finish what we've started?" Lu Yi asked. He's been itching to continue the fight against the Quasi fourth-level Yao Beast again.

"That's correct. Based on the pack yesterday, I'm sure there are tons of younglings inside their nest with plenty of adolescent Spider Beasts guarding. It won't be weird for us to find a complete fourth-level Yao Beast inside too." Qin Lan weighted the Qiankun Pouch Lu Yi returned to him.

"Fourth-level..." the eyebrows of the trio narrowed as they considered their overall combat strength.

"We can do it if we're together. Don't forget what we've learned so far. All of it is top quality martial and cultivation arts from the Kuangshan Lu Sect." Qin Lan slapped Lu Yi and Huo Zunjie's shoulders to straighten up their spirit.

"We can do this." Lu Yi nodded.

"Yes. We can do this. I didn't cultivate this far for not being able to do anything." Huo Zunjie said.

"..." Lu Qing Yun didn't add a word into their discussion and merely smiled.

"Great. Let's finish this. We'll return to town after all of this and celebrate." Qin Lan was delighted with the mentality of his three disciples. In his understanding, their strength has surpassed the challenge of fighting against a Quasi fourth-level opponent a long time ago.

His main concern was to allow Lu Yi, Lu Qing Yun, and Huo Zunjie to collect more experience and stabilized their cultivating foundation.

...

...

"Young master, let's go back to the town..." the young butler of Jiao Household said while supporting Jiao Heng on his shoulder.

"I'll... - I'll kill them all. I will..." Jiao Heng continues to whisper while the butler drags him towards the exit of Western Demon Forest. They were the only survivors from last night's attack led by an Amber Python Demonic Soldier.

It was a slaughter.

There was only ten or more Amber Snake Demon Beast at first when a servant was attacked from behind. But they didn't fall into confusion as all of them were a full-fledged third-level Flesh Cultivator.

Furthermore, a second-level beast can't break the defensive layer of a third-level cultivator that easily. Although the servant was poisoned from multiple bites, there was no significant wound that threatens his life.

That was until the Amber Python Demonic Soldier made its appearance.

This Amber Snake Demon Soldier was the one Qin Lan escaped from while he robbed the flowers and fruit from the Moonbell Tree. It is also the one that poisoned Huo Zunjie before he met Qin Lan.

There was no doubt that this Amber Python Demonic Soldier stumbles across some heavenly treasure that promotes its growth.

Using its strength of a fourth-level cultivator, the Yao Beast captured one of the servants as he was maimed on the spot. The head and liver were swallowed in two mouthfuls while the other parts of the body fought by the hungrier younglings.

With only four members left, two servants charged forward with their Xuan-Grade Offensive Treasure. Running away wasn't an option for them as it would end up worst than dying here inside the forest.

The fight lasted close to three hours.

In the end, only the young butler and Jiao Heng is left. As the Amber Python Demonic Soldier seems to be sensitive to sunlight, their pursuit finally ended prematurely. But before that, the Yao Beast made sure to poison its prey before it let them go.

...

...

"Lady Hu from Hu Household has returned! Wait, why is she on her own? Where are the other Hu Household servants?" the spectators waiting on top of the town barricades shared and gossiped as they witness Hu Jia's return.

She headed straight to the town's square under the gaze of more than a thousand people and drops her Qiankun Pouch and number tag to clarify her identification.

Finally, with all the handover procedure is over, the committee member activated the Qiankun Pouch. Two roughly made coffins are taken out from the pouch along with a basket worth of medicinal grasses and ores.

They were handed over back to the Hu Household before the pouch was hanged on top of its registered number.

There are only three numbers without a Qiankun Pouch on the board.

"The Qin Family and the Jiao Family are the last to come back this year again. I wonder which family will last till the end." one of the town's residents commented.

"Number 164, number 200, and number 211..."

"Qin Huang's team came back! One of the two Qin Household's Team came back!" the crowd started to shift their gaze at the arrival of Qin Huang's team.

They're no longer as proud as they were before this. After completing the same procedure as what Hu Jia just went through, the four youths returned to the side where the Qins gathered.

"Third brother is still inside the Western Demon Forest?" Qin Huang asked one of the servants serving him a cup of warm tea.

"Humph! What can he do? As a cripple, he should be back by now! What's the point of staying inside the forest for so long?" the third elder of the Qin Family complained loudly without a hint of respect to the Qin's Patriarch.

"Jiao Heng's team returned! Only Qin Lan's team is remaining inside of the Western Demon Forest!" another announcement came. They were dragging their feet all the way until the middle of the square to complete the frustrating procedure.

"Quickly come and administer an antidote to our young master!" the young butler ordered.

"A team with a crippled member end up as the last one to return... I hope there's nothing happened to them." some of the residents show their concern for the Qin Family. No matter what, Qin Lan is one of the favorites amongst the resident of Fu-Rong Town.

"Jia-Jia, what happened in the forest? And why is there a hairpin that should belong to a man doing on your hair?" Hu Patriarch asked.

"It was given by my man!" Hu Jia smiled the moment the conversation end up touching something that belongs to Qin Lan.

"Your - Your man? Ugh... This rebellious brat. She even dares to speak about this out loud when she's going to be engaged with the Qin Third Young Master soon."

The Hu Patriarch has the urge to cough a mouthful of blood after listening to Hu Jia's reply.

...

...

Two hours earlier.

"Toss the Corpse Melting Solution!" close to sixteen bottles of deadly bottles were thrown all over the spider's nest following Qin Lan's command.

The corrosiveness of the substance immediately melted a third of the spider nest's foundation. Without sufficient threads to keep the nest hanging, it was like an earthquake to the residents living inside.

**SHUA!!!**

Hundreds of young spiders less than half the size of the Quasi fourth-level Yao Beast yesterday runs around. As for those that unluckily end up taking the route guarded by Qin Lan and co, they were immediately slaughtered without given the time to scream.

A commotion of this level soon grabs the attention of the "nest owner" that's hibernating on the lower level.

**Screech!!!**

"Violet Legged Broodmother! A fully matured on top of that!" Qin Lan smiled. They hit the jackpot today at last. Furthermore, three Quasi fourth-level Yao Beast are accompanying it instead of one!

"All of you! stay alive until my fight ends!" Qin Lan said.

"Come out, Eight Transformation Treasured Brush! It's your time to get serious as well." Qin Lan pulled the bamboo brush out from his sleeve once more. But instead of holding it like a pen, it was hovering on top of his palm!

Three pieces of Offensive Metal made an appearance for the first time. As it melted into a pile of liquid substance, Qin Lan's truthfully shows his fighting strength for the first time.

"The first transformation! Sword of Heaven and Earth!"