Absolute Death Game

After lunch at noon, Xiao Buli set off on his journey to the Mystic Hollow Palace.

The return trip this time was much faster than the long journey from the Mist Valley to Nine Dragons City that Xiao Buli had initially taken.

Although the traveling horse's speed was only 2.5 times the running speed of an ordinary human, and didn't seem much faster, the difference in stamina was incomparable. Xiao Buli had 'walked' his way originally, running only when encountering enemies, whereas the traveling horse was running almost the entire way.

Thus, in less than an hour, he arrived within the bounds of the Misty Forest, which was, as always, shrouded in a faint mist and filled with a mysterious aura. It was a favorite spot for novice adventurers with unripe strength, where monster difficulty was not too high, yet there were still potential surprises to be found--of course, only if luck was on their side.

Unlucky seasoned adventurers could also stumble; all this information was collected by Xiao Buli recently.

Riding the 150-speed traveling horse, Xiao Buli struggled through the forest, with Maoqiu following behind. After being fed another piece of Tiger Meat, Maoqiu seemed to grow a bit more affectionate towards him, and although he still couldn't see the Loyalty level, at least it was willing to approach him.

Although it was a revisit to a familiar place, strictly speaking, Xiao Buli could only generally grasp the direction, as the dynamic game map made memorizing routes outdoors a challenging task.

Just as Xiao Buli was advancing and wondering whether he had taken the wrong path, a tiger's roar suddenly came from the hillside above him.

This sudden tiger's roar drew Xiao Buli's attention. He hadn't had time to rein in his horse when Maoqiu suddenly darted out from behind and sped towards the source of the sound.

Switching the pet to follow mode had no effect, and Maoqiu was soon out of sight.

"Damn it!" Xiao Buli cursed under his breath and had no choice but to spur his horse to follow. He hadn't gone far when suddenly, an opening appeared ahead, and in a clearing within the forest, Maoqiu was facing off against a tiger.

This tiger looked quite ordinary, but its size was still more than twice that of Maoqiu. It seemed to harbor a mix of fear and hatred, growling low at Maoqiu, unwilling to leave but also reluctant to charge.

The two beasts stood off like this, both seemingly on the verge of combat, until Xiao Buli charged into the battlefield on his horse. The next moment, both wild animals lunged at each other.

Maoqiu's leaping posture was fierce, and it jumped extremely high. Being on higher ground gave it an aesthetic resembling an eagle swooping down on its prey. Unfortunately, reality is cruel, and the size difference allowed the tiger to flip it over, biting its foreleg and only breaking free with a desperate struggle.

When the animals separated, Maoqiu had lost a fifth of its health points, and it was limping, evidently injured with a 'Fractured Bone' DEBUFF, decreasing its Movement Speed by thirty percent.

In contrast, the tiger hadn't lost a single drop of blood.

This creature really is useless. Xiao Buli thought, but Maoqiu was already launching another attack.

System alert: Your pet Maoqiu has used the Wild Heart skill.

Ignoring the fractured bone effect, Maoqiu's speed was clearly faster than the tiger's. Darting and dodging, it managed to land several successful Claw Strikes on the tiger, each strike only scratching a shallow line of blood. This was even with the benefit of the 'tiger-devouring' skill's fifty percent damage bonus.

On the other hand, each swipe from the tiger would take away at least thirty-four health points, creating a dangerous situation for Maoqiu, which only had 200 health points. Luckily, Maoqiu's evasion abilities were exceptional, and it was just barely managing to hang on.

Xiao Buli did not want to risk it and hurriedly healed it, while also Summoning a Talisman Soldier. He activated the Ethereal Armor and charged in alongside the soldier. Now with a three-pronged attack, the tiger was quickly defeated.

Maoqiu showed no gratitude for his timely intervention, and it started gnawing on the tiger's carcass on its own, leaving Xiao Buli out in the cold. He watched in frustration and typed: "Come on, can't you stay out of trouble for once?"

Unexpectedly, Maoqiu seemed to sense something and suddenly turned its head around, letting out a threatening growl. The hostility in its eyes gave Xiao Buli a start—this creature truly deserved to be known as an Ominous Beast, born from malice.

He didn't dare to approach and disturb it. It wasn't that he was afraid of Maoqiu, but he didn't want to risk having to kill his hard-earned pet should a conflict arise.

Maoqiu, with its inexplicable appetite, had eaten more than half of the tiger's carcass in no time, and with a long belch, a flash of golden light signified a change: the white name turned into a light blue one.

System alert: Your pet Maoqiu has evolved, all Basic Attributes have been increased by 1 point, and the Rip and Bite skill has evolved into Crazy Bite.

Xiao Buli quickly checked the skill details.

Crazy Bite: LV5. Inflicts significant damage to the target and causes bleeding, dealing 50 points of damage over 10 seconds. There is a chance to cause the Fractured Bone effect, reducing the target's Movement Speed by thirty percent. Consumes 10 Stamina Points, skill cooldown time 10 seconds.

(Not only did the damage double, but it also gained a negative effect. Although the Stamina consumption and cooldown time also doubled, it still greatly increased its strength. Not bad, not bad, but it seems that the tiger just now used this move. Could it be that Maoqiu can learn the skills of the tiger it ate? If that's the case, that's quite overpowered), Xiao Buli thought to himself.

However, the more extraordinary abilities Maoqiu displayed, the more Xiao Buli worried that it might rebel. It seemed necessary to dispel the malice from it as soon as possible.

At that thought, he called out, mounted his horse, and continued to gallop toward the Mystic Hollow Palace.

As the mountain road became increasingly difficult to traverse, Xiao Buli had to abandon his mount and proceed on foot. Maoqiu seemed to revel in the forest, darting around like a wraith. Sometimes it would run off into the distance, and Xiao Buli would have to stop and repeatedly press F3—this was the skill to summon a pet closer to its owner.

In the past, pets always returned with one press, but now there was a delay akin to a slow internet connection. Often it would take forever for Maoqiu to approach in a lazy lope, only to disappear again shortly after.

This journey was turning Xiao Buli's stomach, but finally, as night approached, the thorny wall appeared ahead. After following it for more than ten minutes, the twin beast-shaped stone statues with their strange designs finally came into view.

Thank heavens, he had finally arrived. He looked back and saw Maoqiu silently trailing behind him, its eyes gleaming with a dark light in the dim forest. As Xiao Buli approached the pair of statues, the little creature seemed to hesitate and fearfully hold back.

Xiao Buli switched his pet's mode to follow and pressed F3 a few more times before Maoqiu reluctantly shuffled over.

I'll have to break you of this bad habit sooner or later, Xiao Buli thought to himself.

As a disciple of the Mystic Hollow Palace, he naturally didn't need to navigate any labyrinth. He went straight up to the stone statues, equipped the title of a Mystic Hollow Palace disciple, and walked through the gate toward the maze. Following the path beyond the gate, he suddenly stepped into a clearing.

The scene before him, with elegant bamboo groves and blooming mountain flowers, was the exit of the labyrinth. There were no forks in the road; it was all very straightforward, as if there were no maze at all. However, Xiao Buli knew that for someone without the title, a perilously difficult challenge awaited them.

Heh, such nostalgia. Observing his surroundings, Xiao Buli couldn't help talking to himself.

As night fell and the setting sun cast long shadows between the bamboo groves and the buildings, the scenery was breathtaking. But Xiao Buli had no time to admire it; he quickly walked deeper into the valley, soon arriving at the grand entrance of the Mystic Hollow Palace's main hall.

Standing at the entrance, he hesitated for a moment. Instead of immediately entering, he pondered how to broach the subject with his master. The task of chasing down Xuan Zhenzi was far from being attempted. He wondered if asking his master for help with the malevolent energy would upset him since he didn't dare treat the NPCs in this game like those in ordinary games anymore.

(Should he bluntly tell him that he didn't prioritize the mission to deal with Xuan Zhenzi or claim he did his best but had bad luck and couldn't find him?)

As he vacillated, suddenly a line of text appeared in the dialogue box.

Xuanxu Zi quietly says to you, "What are you pondering out there? Come in quickly."

Xiao Buli was momentarily stunned. Does this game also have a private messaging feature?

He clicked on Xuanxu Zi's name and found he could indeed directly converse. So he typed out a line of text.

You quietly say to Xuanxu Zi, "Master, how can I see you talk?" Enjoy new adventures from empire

Xuanxu Zi quietly says to you, "What's so strange about that? I'm using the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Skills. But how can you 'see' words? If you're at the door, why haven't you come in yet? Stop acting so foolishly outside."

Seeing that the tone didn't indicate anger, Xiao Buli felt relieved and walked inside while mulling over the words.

In the center of the main hall, Xuanxu Zi sat cross-legged on a fine bamboo mat, his long hair flowing, exuding an air of otherworldly grace.

Seeing Xiao Buli walk in, Xuanxu Zi said indifferently, "Buli, you've been gone for quite a while. Why have you returned today? Could it be that you have completed the task I entrusted to you?"

Xiao Buli thought for a moment and typed, "Disciple feels ashamed, having failed the trust you placed in me, I could not eliminate the traitor."

Xuanxu Zi said, "There's no need to be upset. That Xuan Zhenzi is extremely cunning and elusive. He's not so easy to eliminate. Tell me, what matter brings you to your master?"

Xiao Buli thought to himself, as long as he isn't pressing the issue.

He typed, "Disciple has inadvertently tamed an Ominous Beast formed from the malevolent energy of heaven and earth. I hope master can help your disciple neutralize its malevolent aura."

After speaking, he eagerly awaited Xuanxu Zi's reaction.

PS: Some book friends have kindly created several groups; the group numbers are posted in the book's introduction for those interested. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you're welcome to vote and support it on qidian.com; your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued.

If you enjoy this work, you're welcome to vote and support it on qidian.com; your support is my greatest motivation.)