Chapter 2120: The Strange Young Man

More than a hundred meters from the flames, Zhang Xuan stopped and hid behind the branches and leaves of a large tree.

Concealing his aura completely, he quietly looked ahead.

A campfire blazed in front of a cave in a rock face. A robust young man sat there, roasting a skinned yellow sheep on a spit over the fire.

The meat was golden brown, sizzling with oil, and from a distance, the aroma of roasted meat was tantalizing, whetting the appetite.

Roasting meat here in the dead of night?

Zhang Xuan was puzzled, a strange expression on his face.

On Spirit Mechanism Mountain, he had seen yellow sheep and thought of catching one to improve his diet, but although they were not very powerful, they ran extremely fast, especially climbing mountains—even monkeys could hardly match them.

With his current strength, catching one was not easy. Yet this robust young man had caught one and was roasting it so openly here, unafraid of that top-grade divine beast, the Phosphor-Scale Beast... His strength must not be underestimated!

Curious, he did not approach.

Soon the yellow sheep was cooked. The young man tore off a thigh, took a big bite, and at the same time picked up a gourd at his feet and drank heavily, appearing very hearty.

After drinking seventeen or eighteen mouthfuls, the gourd was empty. He reached out, grabbed another, and continued drinking.

In less than a quarter of an hour, half the sheep was in his stomach, and he had drunk three gourds of wine.

The young man seemed a bit drunk, his head nodding constantly, as if he might fall asleep at any moment.

Is he bold because of his skill, or just careless? Zhang Xuan was speechless.

Having traveled from the Master Teacher Continent, he knew that no matter where, the night in the mountains was very dangerous.

Many fierce beasts would appear at this time. Moreover, roasting meat so openly... the aroma would surely attract no end of trouble.

And on top of that, drinking... If he were ambushed, wouldn't that be extremely dangerous?

Still puzzled, he did not approach.

He had come for the Phosphor-Scale Beast. The other's appearance here at this time clearly indicated the same purpose, making him a potential rival.

It would be best if he got drunk, saving a lot of trouble.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Snoring arose.

After eating and drinking his fill, in less than half an hour, the fellow was fast asleep, seemingly completely unconscious.

I'll go around him first.

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan slid down from the tree trunk, intending to slip past quietly.

According to the person in charge, the Phosphor-Scale Beast should be in this canyon. As long as he followed the path, he would surely encounter it.

Since the other was asleep now, he would go ahead first.

He had just walked a short distance, less than thirty meters from the sleeping young man, when his eyes moved. He lightly shook his body, dodged, and hid in the crown of a large tree.

After concealing himself, he quickly looked toward the young man's side and saw, in a bush not far away, two cold gleams reflecting the moonlight.

His expression turned serious, and his Eye of Insight stirred.

In an instant, he saw the situation around him clearly.

In the bush, two men in black had somehow hidden themselves. The cold gleams came from the longswords in their hands.

Just as Zhang Xuan was wondering when they had hidden there, he saw the two cold gleams suddenly shoot through the air, straight toward the young man lying on the ground.

No wind, no sound. The sword lights came from left and right, striking without warning.

As if rehearsed countless times, the movements were swift and precise. If hit, the latter would surely be killed.

Bad... His face darkened.

Although he didn't want to meddle, the meat-eating man seemed very hearty. If he were killed in an ambush right before his eyes, it would be a great pity.

Forget it. Since we're both here for the Phosphor-Scale Beast, even if he's an enemy, I can't just watch him be killed by a sneak attack...

These two men had hidden in the bush without a sound, and their ambush was so swift, as if honed by countless practice. He immediately labeled them as villains. Now, to save the man, he no longer concealed himself and shouted, "Watch out!"

As he spoke, he flicked his wrist, and a longsword shot straight toward one of the attackers.

Hum!

The sword, infused with all his strength, was like a meteor, piercing the air with a sharp whistle. In the blink of an eye, it covered the thirty meters and just blocked the attacker's path.

Who dares to ruin my good deed!

The attacker snorted coldly, flicked his longsword, and met it.

Clang!

With a crisp sound, Zhang Xuan's sword was deflected. By then, he had come within ten meters of the other and could see his face clearly.

It was a middle-aged man in his forties, his cultivation already at the Upper God realm. Divine power surged through his body, ready to burst forth at any moment.

Not rushing forward, Zhang Xuan looked at the drunken man on the side. He saw that, hearing the shout, the man had woken up. Instead of rising, he reached out and grabbed the longsword from the other black-clad attacker's sneak attack, holding it in his palm.

No matter how the other struggled, he could not break free.

What, trying to ambush me while I'm drunk? Is that all you've got? The robust man sneered, and his hand bent sharply.

Crack!

The longsword in the black-clad man's hand was snapped in two.

Zhang Xuan's eyebrows jumped.

The sword in the other's hand was a mid-grade divine artifact. Even if he used all his strength, it would be difficult to damage it. That the other could catch it with his bare hand was astonishing enough, but to actually snap it...

His strength was terrifying.

Go!

With the sword broken and the target awake, the two black-clad men knew the ambush had failed. With a low shout, they turned and fled.

They attacked without hesitation and retreated without delay.

The one whose sword was broken simply let go, abandoning the sword, and turned to run in the direction Zhang Xuan had come from.

Since you're here, leave something behind!

With a cold laugh, the young man suddenly stood up and let out a great roar: "Hah!"

A sound like a tiger's roar suddenly exploded in the valley, echoing off the rock walls like a thunderclap.

Pfft! Pfft!

The backs of the two black-clad men seemed to be struck by something. They spat blood from their mouths, seriously injured.

A Lion's Roar type martial technique? Zhang Xuan was startled.

Lion's Roar techniques attack the soul with sound waves, similar to his own Eight Dragon Roar. He had rarely seen anyone use it before. He hadn't expected this young man not only to know it but to use it with such power.

Hurry!

Severely injured, the two black-clad men flicked their wrists. A jade talisman appeared out of nowhere, burst open with a pop, and smoke rose everywhere.

When the smoke cleared, the two had vanished.

Ambush, retreat... Their movements were fluid, clearly the result of countless experiences.

Whoosh!

After they left, the robust young man did not pursue. Instead, he sat by the campfire, looked at Zhang Xuan, and asked with some curiosity, "Why did you save me?"

Save... you exaggerate. Given your strength, even without my warning, those two couldn't have harmed you. It seems I was meddling. Zhang Xuan shook his head.

He had thought the young man was drunk and would surely be ambushed successfully, so he couldn't help but intervene to save him. He never imagined that the other was not only powerful but had likely pretended to be drunk to lure the attackers in.

To say he saved him... that was hardly the case!

If I say you saved me, then you saved me. Why all the nonsense? The young man frowned, casually picked up a gourd at his feet, and tossed it over. "Can you drink?"

Thank you! Seeing his boldness, Zhang Xuan did not refuse. He uncorked the gourd and took a drink. After just one sip, his eyes lit up. "Good wine!"

Although he rarely drank, he could still tell good wine from bad.

The wine in the other's gourd was smooth and flavorful, with a strong kick, completely different from what was sold outside.

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was not reserved and drank directly, the young man showed satisfaction in his eyes.

Meeting by chance in such a place, many would be wary of poison in the wine and make excuses to decline. This fellow, without a word, drank straight away—not taking credit, not boastful—very much to his liking.

Mutton! He tore off a front leg of the yellow sheep and tossed it over.

Zhang Xuan was already a bit hungry, so he didn't stand on ceremony and started gnawing.

He had to admit, the divine beast tasted excellent. The mutton, which he had expected to be tough, melted in his mouth, flowing like warm currents through his body.

After a few more drinks and finishing a leg of mutton, Zhang Xuan felt much better, the fatigue of the journey gone. He smiled faintly. "Your mutton and wine count as repayment for the life-saving favor just now... I have matters to attend to, so I won't stay. Farewell!"

With that, he turned and walked into the valley.

Saving someone was just a casual act, not important to him. His priority was to find the Phosphor-Scale Beast and improve his strength.

The young man glanced at the direction he was heading and raised an eyebrow. "Going into the valley in the dead of night—what business do you have?"

The valley was full of dangers. Why travel at night instead of during the day? What was he up to?

I've hit a bottleneck in my cultivation and am seeking a way to break through. Zhang Xuan smiled faintly, not saying much.

Seeking a breakthrough? The young man nodded.

The other's strength was at the peak of Lower God, on the verge of breaking through. That explanation was plausible.

I've been to this valley many times and know it well. What are you looking for to break through? If I can help, I'd be happy to accompany you.

The young man continued.

It's like this... Seeing the other's enthusiasm, Zhang Xuan paused and decided not to hide it. He smiled slightly. "My cultivation method is special. To advance, I need my physical body and soul to break through first. For the soul, I've found a method, but the body is not so easy. I heard that in this valley there is a Phosphor-Scale Beast, and its blood is excellent for tempering the body. So I took the risk to come and see if I can find an opportunity."

Phosphor-Scale Beast? You're looking for the blood of a Phosphor-Scale Beast? The young man was taken aback, then a strange smile appeared on his face. "Do you think, with your strength, you can defeat a top-grade Upper God divine beast?"