"Let's go."
Lan E sighed.
Despite their reluctance and unwillingness, there was no other option but death if they stayed.
The three parted ways at a corner of the island.
Having always been part of the Hei Fa gang, leaving their territory meant a high probability of becoming underlings to others, starting from scratch.
Perhaps they had another option.
To legitimize their identities, go ashore, and become honest citizens.
But whatever the outcome, the three saw their futures as completely bleak.
Damn Li Zhonglou!
Don't let me run into you outside!
Achhoo!
Li Zhonglou, in the underground world, sneezed again.
"What's going on today? Am I being targeted by someone?"
Touching his nose, Li Zhonglou was puzzled.
With his current physique, especially in his soul fusion state, sneezing shouldn't be possible.
As the saying goes, when something unusual happens, there must be a reason. Li Zhonglou cautiously raised his guard.
"Forget it, I'll go back and check."
Upon returning to the underground mine again, the three Zi Zi beasts had also reached the mid-stage of level five.
This improvement was faster than forty years of their own cultivation!
The three fierce beasts were already sincerely subservient to Li Zhonglou.
It was a pity that the stone gate to the upper levels remained tightly shut. Li Zhonglou could only sigh in helplessness.
While returning to the underground world, his sharp eyes suddenly noticed a slight abnormality in Zi Zi One.
"Your back?"
On Zi Zi One's back, the slightly protruding bone had become much more prominent.
It looked as if something was trying to break through the skin from within.
"Zi zi!"
"You feel itchy too?"
Li Zhonglou suddenly remembered an idiom.
Adding wings to a tiger.
He couldn't help but express his surprise, "Could it be that wings are about to grow?"
Zi Zi One looked confused.
Li Zhonglou thought for a moment and rephrased his question, "What did your ancestors look like in their complete form? Do you also have a special bloodline?"
Zi Zi One remained confused.
Alright, it seemed to be another unusual situation.
However, this was understandable. After all, under normal circumstances, which level four exotic beast could eat a level seven heart?
If these hearts were not preserved by special means, they would lose their energy very quickly. Li Zhonglou had intended to keep them all for Xiao Bai.
Hearts were almost the core of every exotic beast, thus the most special part of their bodies.
Compared to this, the energy lost from their other organs and flesh was much slower.
Since the situation with Zi Zi One couldn't be understood for now, Li Zhonglou had to continue hunting level seven exotic beasts.
"I want to see what level these three guys can reach."
Li Zhonglou was still not satisfied with just a mid-stage level five strength.
Unlike Xiao Bai, these beasts were not as small, nor as stealthy, and they didn't excel at pouncing!
In terms of advantage, even at a lower level, Xiao Bai posed a greater threat than them!
In Li Zhonglou's opinion, these three Zi Zi beasts should at least reach level seven before he would be satisfied.
The happy hunting trip continued.
At this point, Li Zhonglou had cleared all level seven exotic beasts within a ten-kilometer radius centered on the underground mine's exit.
However, the surroundings were still a vast forest, stretching to the horizon. It seemed his current location was deep within the primeval forest.
The others, like Old An, were accustomed to this mode of operation due to the energy feedback they received.
They had become so proficient that they would transmit energy as soon as he appeared, without Old An even needing to speak.
It was almost an instant upgrade!
However, on this outing, after traveling only a few hundred meters out of the new area, Li Zhonglou's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
"Damn! Level eight? Level nine?"
Almost simultaneously with the surge of mortal danger, Li Zhonglou instinctively applied his pulse stealth, locking all his aura within his acupoints!
If one were to examine Li Zhonglou's body with a magnifying glass at this moment, they would find all his pores tightly sealed.
To others' perception, Li Zhonglou was no different from a stone!
He was completely buried in the weeds.
The next second, a powerful, suffocating aura appeared out of nowhere.
"Hmm?"
Li Zhonglou heard a human-like voice of confusion.
After a few seconds, the aura suddenly vanished.
It was only about five or six seconds in total, but Li Zhonglou's entire body was drenched in cold sweat.
"Xiao Li?"
Old An could only perceive the general situation. Li Zhonglou's concealment at that moment not only sealed his own aura but also cut off his connection with Old An.
Therefore, the latter only knew that a sudden situation had occurred, but he didn't understand the specifics.
"A level eight, or even a level nine existence!"
Li Zhonglou couldn't help but feel a lingering fear. Old An was shocked to hear this.
Level eight? Level nine?
An existence like that could probably kill him with a single glance in his prime!
"What about now?"
"We should leave."
Although he said that, Li Zhonglou maintained his posture and remained there.
It wasn't until more than half an hour had passed.
"Phew."
Li Zhonglou let out a deep sigh of relief.
"It should be gone."
He was scared.
After confirming his safety, Li Zhonglou turned and fled without a word.
Only when he returned to the entrance of the underground mine did he truly feel at ease.
The three Zi Zi beasts waiting there looked at Li Zhonglou expectantly.
They resembled young birds eagerly awaiting food.
Li Zhonglou rolled his eyes, "Stop looking, there's nothing this time. I almost didn't make it back."
"Zi zi?"
"I'm not invincible. Try fighting someone at level eight or nine?"
Just hearing the words "level eight or nine," Zi Zi One shivered, and the other two retreated towards the cave entrance.
Li Zhonglou chuckled in exasperation, "Good heavens, it seems if anything happens in the future, you three will probably run faster than me!"
"Zi zi!"
"I'm not angry."
"Zi zi?"
Li Zhonglou really wanted to hit its head, but he held back in the end.
He merely gave it a cold glare before returning into the cave.
Zi Zi One shrunk its body, looking wronged.
The other two nudged closer.
"Zi zi!"
The two beasts lowered their heads as if they knew they had made a mistake.
Just then, Zi Zi Two's expression suddenly froze.
"Zi zi!"
"Zi zi?"
Zi Zi One suddenly looked anxious, pacing around Zi Zi Two, its mate, with its nose occasionally rubbing against its belly.
"Zi zi?"
"Zi zi!"
Zi Zi One paced back and forth, and finally, a hint of determination flashed in its eyes as it also walked towards the cave entrance.
Meanwhile, Li Zhonglou, still shaken, had decided to wait just behind the stone gate for it to open!
He couldn't possibly defeat an existence at level eight or nine right now!