I Stepped on a Bug, and the System Says I Slayed a Dragon? Chapter 83: Da Li Mountain Range! Li Zixuan’s Progress

「Outside the suburbs of Jianghai City, the Da Li Mountain Range.」

The mountains were majestic. A cool breeze swept through the forest, where vast groves of giant pines soared into the clouds, their dense canopies casting shadows like a perpetual night.

In the mountain forest.

The roars of Star Beasts echoed everywhere.

Shrill howls, accompanied by the grueso sound of flesh being chewed, reverberated among the dark branches...

RUSTLE.

A few leaves drifted slowly down.

A slender figure appeared on a thick tree branch, crouched low, cautiously observing her surroundings.

"I’m finally getting close to the depths of the mountain range."

Li Zixuan panted lightly, brushing a strand of hair from her ear. She took out a water bottle and took a small sip.

She looked a little worse for wear at the mont.

Her clothes were in disarray, sweat-soaked strands of hair clung to her forehead, and her face was as pale as silk.

A large tear had been accidentally ripped across her waist, but fortunately, it hadn’t broken the skin.

The faint outline of her fine, fair skin could be seen, a tantalizing glimpse.

’I’ve already used up all the spare clothes I brought.’

Li Zixuan looked down and smoothed the tear in her clothes with her hand.

A pang of regret imdiately struck her heart.

A week had passed since she entered the mountain forest, and she had already gone through all the clothes she had prepared.

’Teacher was right. It really is incredibly dangerous outside the city suburbs.’

Li Zixuan kept track of the ti as she leaned against the branch, pondering her next move.

She now had two choices.

The first was to turn back now and properly digest the combat experience she had accumulated over the past week.

She could steadily improve her strength and aim to make more progress next ti.

And the second option...

...was to continue deeper into the Da Li Mountain Range.

She could seize this opportunity for a breakthrough and cross the Innate Threshold in one fell swoop!

Both choices had their pros and cons.

Li Zixuan frowned slightly, weighing her options, and hesitated for a mont.

But in that instant!

BZZZT!

The sword in her hand humd, issuing a trembling warning. A sharp, cold killing intent pricked her back, instantly making Li Zixuan feel as if she had been plunged into an ice cellar.

’Not good!’

She reacted in a flash, drawing her sword with a backhand motion and slashing behind her.

A cold glint of sword light shattered several speeding Flying Locust Stones, which scattered as streaks of light and slamd into the giant pine’s bark, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Deep pits blasted into the surface of the mottled old bark as if it had been drilled by bullets. The power was astounding!

’Stones? Is soone here?’

Seeing this, Li Zixuan’s brow furrowed tightly as she glanced back in the direction the shattered stones had co from.

Beneath the canopy that blotted out the sun, where dappled sunlight dotted the forest floor, a creature resembling an ape hung from a branch. Its face was a mix of red and white, as if it were wearing a shamanistic ritual mask.

Bizarre and terrifying.

When it saw Li Zixuan looking at it, it showed no fear and didn’t try to hide. Instead, it bared its teeth in a snarl.

A shrill laugh escaped its mouth, echoing through the gloomy mountain forest.

"A Mountain Demon!"

Li Zixuan recognized the creature at once. She pointed her sword at it, her heart instantly beginning to pound in her chest.

Elder Li had specifically warned her before, "There’s an old saying among the mountain folk: ’Better to et a wolf than to cross a Mountain Demon!’"

The Mountain Demon species was capricious and lecherous by nature.

Once targeted by one, it would stick to you like a maggot on a bone, tailing you through the forest with no hope of escape.

’But when did it start stalking ?’

’Why didn’t I notice anything at all?’

At this thought, Li Zixuan didn’t dare to be careless and kept her eyes fixed on the Mountain Demon opposite her.

BOOM!

A majestic Star Pressure was released, crashing down like a flood and pressing onto the Mountain Demon with its full weight in an attempt to scare it away.

However, it was no use.

The Mountain Demon showed no sign of retreating. Instead, it released a matching Star Force to counter her, easily neutralizing the pressure.

It, too, had vaguely reached the peak of the Postnatal Realm!

’No wonder I didn’t notice it earlier.’

Li Zixuan’s pupils contracted. The hand holding her sword trembled slightly, and her breathing grew ragged.

Seeing her state, the Mountain Demon on the branch opposite her stuck out its thick, coated tongue to lick its sharp claws, a line of drool dripping from its mouth.

This was no child’s play.

Life and death hung by a thread.

Looking at the Mountain Demon’s hideous display, a crazed, determined glint flashed in Li Zixuan’s eyes.

’I absolutely cannot lose this fight. If it drags back to its lair to be toyed with, the consequences will be unimaginable.’

’I have to stay calm. Stay calm.’

Li Zixuan cald herself, sheathed her drawn sword, and retracted her aura to avoid attracting other Star Beasts.

She had just released her aura, so she had to end this fight quickly.

The victor would be decided by a single sword strike!

CRACK!

The Mountain Demon opposite her paused for a mont, then shattered the thick branch beneath its feet and began to dart rapidly around Li Zixuan.

Its speed was imnse. The mountain wind howled through the forest, and in the shifting light and shadows, the ferocious red-and-white demonic face flickered in and out of sight, seeming to be everywhere at once.

"Hoo~"

Seeing this, Li Zixuan let out a slow breath, closed her eyes, and listened intently to the cacophony of sounds around her.

The rustle of leaves, the crack of branches...

’Southeast!’

The Mountain Demon’s claws lashed out, slicing through the air as they aid for Li Zixuan’s back.

CLANG!

The next mont.

A cold glint of sword light flashed from its sheath, as graceful as a soaring swan. It was like the Celestial Gate opening wide, blooming deep within the Mountain Demon’s eyes.

Imdiately after,

it felt a chill on its neck.

The world in its vision spun, and its head, now separate from its neck, tilted and fell straight down below the giant pine.

THUD... THUD—

After the two dull sounds of impact, not another sound could be heard.

The mountain wilderness returned to silence once more.

"Hah."

Li Zixuan panted lightly, looking at the blood-stained longsword in her hand. She then raised her thumb and wiped away a few drops of warm blood from her face.

A few traces of madness flashed across her pretty face.

The details of the battle just now replayed in her mind, over and over again.

It was as if a heavy hamr was striking the shackles holding her back from the Innate Realm, causing them to show signs of loosening.

"As expected,"

Li Zixuan gazed into the depths of the mountain range and broke into a smile.

"I was right to co out here for training."

.........

「As night fell, the stars shone brightly.」

Outside the Da Li Mountain Range, a point in the void trembled violently.

Qin Yang used Close Yet So Far, appearing atop an ancient pine tree with Xiaobai in his arms.

"Master."

Xiaobai yawned, nestled listlessly in Qin Yang’s arms, and mumbled, "Why are you running around in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

"And you dragged along, too!"

"Shh, be quiet."

Qin Yang raised his index finger to his lips, hushing her.

He then unfurled his Spiritual Power, spreading it as far as he could to cover the Da Li Mountain Range and scan for the locations of Star Beasts within its scope.

In an instant.

Countless red dots appeared across the vast green mountains—an eerie and terrifying sight. They were densely packed, covering every hill and dale, an absolutely chilling spectacle!

’Just as I thought. The wilderness is nothing like the city. This is the domain of Star Beasts.’

Qin Yang retracted his Spiritual Power. Then, holding Xiaobai, his figure drifted over the pine forest, heading toward the Da Li Mountain Range.

"Help keep an eye out in a bit, Xiaobai."

"Keep an eye out for what, Master?" Xiaobai asked, poking her head up innocently.

"Help look for any Fire-attribute Star Beasts."

Qin Yang stroked Xiaobai’s head and said in a low voice.

To obtain the Beast Fire needed for Alchemy, he first had to find the lairs of those Fire-attribute Star Beasts.