Battle Through the Heavens: I can solidify the talents of all things

The town of Qingshan was still shrouded in smog in the early morning, but Xiao Qing had already set off from the inn.

Without any delay, Xiao Qing headed towards the Beast Mountain Range outside the town, which resembled the spine of a giant magical beast.

Along the way, Xiao Qing's powerful soul force swept across the area, keenly capturing the conversations of the mercenaries on both sides of the street and inside and outside the tavern.

"Hey, did you hear? The Blackwater Squad got into trouble in Darkwater Ravine the day before yesterday. Apparently, they ran into a swarm of Tier 1 Bloodthirsty Bats..."

"That area south of Broken Sky Cliff seems unusually quiet lately. Damn it, last time I almost got my heart ripped out by a second-tier purple lightning rat there!"

"Approaching the inner perimeter of the Monster Mountain Range? Who would dare go there! Last time, 'Big Bear' and a dozen other high-level warriors teamed up to try and sneak into the Deadly Swamp to find some precious medicinal herbs, but only one of them escaped. They said there was a terrifying monster inside that could spew poisonous gas!"

These mercenaries who frequent the mountains year-round may not be particularly strong, but their knowledge of the outer areas of the Monster Mountain Range, and even parts of its inner regions, makes them veritable living maps.

They knew exactly where the dangers were, where the relative safety was, and what powerful monsters lurked in which places. This information was often obtained at the cost of countless lives and blood of their comrades!

Xiao Qing silently gathered and analyzed these scattered pieces of information in his mind, and soon gained a general understanding of the situation in the Monster Mountain Range.

"I've gathered enough information," Xiao Qing thought to himself, quickening his pace as he officially entered the edge of the Monster Mountain Range.

Here, ancient trees reach for the sky and shrubs grow in abundance. The air is filled with the damp scent of earth and a faint smell of decay, unlike the bustling town.

Xiao Qing's goal was clear: "In the dark forest within the Monster Mountain Range, there is a legendary fifth-tier magical beast—the Demon Flame Wolf—equivalent to a human Dou Wang! Perfect, I'll use it to test my current strength."

Xiao Qing's expression remained calm, as if he were about to face not a fearsome fifth-tier magical beast, but merely an ordinary wild animal.

With his current peak as a Great Battle Master and his trump cards of possessing multiple high-level battle techniques, plus the guidance from Elder Yao, he has the confidence to contend with or even defeat even a fifth-order magical beast!

However, not long after Xiao Qing left the town and before he had ventured deep into the mountains, he keenly sensed several malicious gazes fixed on his back like venomous snakes.

Greed and cruelty, made no attempt to conceal them!

"As expected, we've been targeted." Xiao Qing frowned slightly, a hint of annoyance flashing through his mind.

These mercenaries, like hyenas, specifically target lone, seemingly easy targets, committing murder, robbery, and all sorts of evil deeds.

The strongest person in Qingshan Town on the surface, Mu She, the leader of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, had only recently advanced to the Dou Shi level. With Xiao Qing's cultivation level approaching Dou Ling, he naturally had nothing to fear.

But being stared at by these flies is ultimately unpleasant.

"They haven't even left Qingshan Town yet, and they're already so impatient? They're really... courting death."

Xiao Qing deliberately slowed down her pace.

Sure enough, the figures hidden in the shadows couldn't hold back when they saw Xiao Qing "alone". They emerged from behind several boulders and bushes and quickly surrounded him, blocking his way.

The leader was a burly, middle-aged man with a fierce face, carrying a large, door-like knife. His eyes were fixed greedily on the two storage rings on Xiao Qing's fingers as he sneered, "Kid, be smart! Hand over those two storage rings obediently, and if I'm in a good mood, I might spare your life!"

Even the lowest-grade storage ring is worth tens of thousands of gold coins; two storage rings would be enough to drive these desperate criminals mad.

Not far away, a gloomy man with a hideous scar on his face cursed under his breath, "Damn it, Tiger Power is really fast!"

He wasn't sympathizing with Xiao Qing; he was just annoyed that he had acted too slowly and that the prize he was about to take had been snatched away.

Some mercenaries and passersby who were also preparing to enter the mountains or had just come down from the mountains stopped in their tracks upon seeing this, gathered around at a distance, pointing and whispering, but no one stepped forward to stop them.

In this lawless land, the law of the jungle prevails.

"Boss, look at this kid, he's got such fair and delicate skin..."

A fat, lecherous-looking middle-aged man next to Hu Li licked his thick lips and said in a low voice, "How about... we rob the money and then hand the man over to me?"

Hu Li frowned, seemingly displeased with his subordinate's quirks, but ultimately nodded indifferently, as if Xiao Qing were already fish on his chopping board, to be disposed of at will.

Xiao Qing's eyes instantly turned icy cold, like a thousand-year-old block of ice.

"Rotten oranges are rotten oranges; putting them together won't turn them into fine wine."

Xiao Qing uttered these words softly, but they carried a chilling coldness.

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Qing casually raised his right hand, and a wisp of pale white flame leaped out from his fingertip like a living spirit—it was the Bone Spirit Cold Flame!

The flame appeared weak, yet it exuded an eerie aura of extreme low and high temperatures that sent chills down one's spine.

"go."

With a gentle wave of his hand, Xiao Qing sent the wisp of pale white flame instantly transforming into two thin lines that shot toward Hu Li and the greasy middle-aged man who had spoken rudely, respectively, at a speed that was impossible for the naked eye to perceive.

The ferocious smile on Huli's face froze instantly, replaced by boundless fear!

He didn't even have time to circulate his fighting spirit before the crimson flames touched his body.

"No--!"

The piercing scream was only half-sung before, to everyone's horror, Tiger Power and his fat accomplice, like ice and snow being burned by a raging fire, instantly melted and vaporized from the point of contact!

Not even a trace of ash remained, as if it had never existed in this world!

Sold out instantly!

Immediately afterwards, Xiao Qing flicked his fingers, and several lines of eerie white fire shot out like invitations from the Grim Reaper, accurately targeting the mercenaries who were originally hiding in the shadows and who harbored ill will towards him, including the gloomy man with a scar on his face!

puff!puff!puff!

After the soft sound, those places were also empty, with only a faint smell of burning in the air, proving that life had once existed there.

quiet!

Deathly silence!

All the onlookers stared wide-eyed, as if they had been choked, their faces filled with extreme fear and disbelief!

They looked at the boy whose face remained calm, as if he had just casually swatted a few mosquitoes and flies, and a chill ran from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads!

Someone shouted first, and the dozens of onlookers scattered like birds and beasts, desperately fleeing towards the town, afraid that if they were even a step too slow, the eerie, pale white flames would descend upon them.

Xiao Qing didn't even glance at the fleeing figures, as if he had only done a trivial matter.

Xiao Qing gently patted off non-existent dust from his clothes and turned his gaze back to the depths of the Monster Mountain Range.

"Finally, some peace and quiet..."

Then, Xiao Qing moved swiftly, transforming into a blurry figure and disappearing from the spot.

Only a few patches of black ashes, symbolizing death, remain, silently warning those who come after.