Chapter 19: Carry’s Sidekick No. 1 and No. 2!

Fang Qingyao and Tang Yu put their heads together for a while. Soon the names on the leaderboard changed.

【Black Mountain Region Demon-Hunting Team Leaderboard!】

【First place: Wealthy Heavenly Emperor’s Team!】

【Members: Wealthy Heavenly Emperor, Carry’s Sidekick No. 1, Carry’s Sidekick No. 2!】

【Demon-hunting points: 128600!】

Lin Yang looked at the new names oddly. “Which of you is number one?”

Fang Qingyao raised her hand. “Me.”

Tang Yu adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses. “I’m number two.”

He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Couldn’t you pick normal names?”

“Didn’t you tell us to hide our identities?” Fang Qingyao replied confidently. “Besides, we didn’t do anything. We followed you around once and reached the sixth level of Qi Refining. What else would we be but sidekicks?”

Tang Yu nodded in agreement. “The names match the facts.”

“Fine, as long as you like them.” Lin Yang let it go. Strange as the names were, they concealed their identities well. Until he reached Golden Core and had the strength to sweep the Black Mountain Region, he would remain cautious. Who would guess the two sidekicks on the leaderboard were disciples of the Qingyuan Sword Sect?

With their names set, the women began collecting loot. Lin Yang’s strike had killed dozens of lions. Besides the tier-three lord chest from the Scarlet Flame Mountain-Splitting Lion, the ground held ordinary chests and materials: beast pelts, scarlet flame beast bones, tier-one and tier-two cores, pills, and weapons.

Tang Yu opened a tier-two rare chest. Purple light flashed, and a water-blue sword appeared.

【Cold Moon Water Spirit Sword!】

【Tier: Two!】

【Quality: Rare!】

【Additional effect: Water-element sword techniques gain 30% power!】

She was delighted. Her cultivation technique was water-element, so the sword suited her perfectly. Fang Qingyao obtained a tier-two high-grade beast-taming ring and a set of tier-two high-grade robes.

“This is good! The ring improves a spirit beast’s obedience and can temporarily hold one beast below tier two.” She happily put it on her wrist.

She opened another purple chest. A flash of white light produced a pale yellow sheet of ancient paper.

【Foundation Establishment Pill Formula!】

【Tier: Two!】

【Quality: Rare!】

【Use to learn how to refine Foundation Establishment Pills!】

“A pill formula too?” Lin Yang’s eyes lit up. He had no personal use for the pills; he’d eaten a hundred epic ones for his breakthrough. But others needed them. Once Wang Biao and Zhao Hai perfected Qi Refining, they would have to prepare for Foundation Establishment. If Lin Yang learned alchemy and refined pills for them himself, he could save them considerable trouble.

“Qingyao, may I have that formula? Once I learn alchemy, I’ll make some good things for you.”

She handed it over. “You know alchemy too?”

“Not yet. I can learn.”

Fang Qingyao was used to his tone. It might not be that simple, but thinking how he’d gone from mortal to Violet Palace, she felt he had a point. He probably learned everything quickly!

Lin Yang pocketed the formula and took out the tier-three lord chest. “Let’s see what’s inside.”

【Open the tier-three rare lord chest?】

“Open!”

A dazzling purple column shot from the chest. A silver-gray axe about half a meter long landed before him.

【Darkrock Mountain-Cleaving Axe!】

【Tier: Three!】

【Quality: Rare!】

【Rating: 18650!】

【Additional effects: Heavy Strike, Armor-Breaking, Earth-Element True Essence Amplification!】

【Tier-three inscription: Earthsplitter! Attacks against the ground create wide-area tremors!】

【Item status: Unbound. Trade permitted!】

He swung it a couple of times. Its attributes were ordinary, and its rating was lower than his enhanced tier-two epic Pure Yang Sword. Still, it was a tier-three weapon with a complete tier-three inscription. Most of all, it was tradeable! Most shop purchases were bound, but this axe had dropped from a beast lord’s chest and could be sold normally.

“A tier-three rare weapon should fetch at least a few hundred high-grade spirit stones, right?” He put it away, satisfied. The tier-three core and axe had already solved half his high-grade spirit stone problem!

While they counted their loot, regional chat across the Black Mountain Region exploded.

“Holy crap! There’s a new first-place team!”

“First has over 128,000 points and second only 5,300. How is anyone supposed to catch up?”

“Wealthy Heavenly Emperor joined the hunt after all!”

“Look at his teammates’ names: Carry’s Sidekick No. 1 and Carry’s Sidekick No. 2!”

“So true! Tag along with someone that strong and you get first place!”

“Does he need Sidekick No. 3? I have an eighth-grade spirit root, third-level Qi Refining, and I’m very obedient!”

“An eighth-grade root is nothing. I can wash, cook, warm his bed, and bear his children!”

“Bro, doesn’t your profile say you’re a man?”

“The cultivation world is vast. There must be a way!”

“Get lost, you freak! Don’t scare the great Wealthy Heavenly Emperor away!”

The names spread across the region. Countless players burned with envy. To kill one tier-one beast, they had to chase it for half a day with senior disciples; the unlucky ones ended up chased all over the mountain. The two sidekicks did nothing but join the team and went straight to first place!

A quest notification appeared before Lin Yang.

【Congratulations! Player has completed Main Quest 6: First Demon Hunt!】

【Objective: Kill ten demonic beasts!】

【Reward: Ten low-grade spirit stones and one tier-one common magical treasure chest!】

He deposited the stones into the shop, then opened the chest. A palm-sized wooden shield appeared.

【Greenwood Shield!】

【Tier: One!】

【Quality: Common!】

【Rating: 106!】

One look and he lost interest. It would only take up inventory space. “Xiao Hei, open your mouth.”

The dog looked up from his lion leg. “What for?”

Lin Yang tossed the shield over. Xiao Hei caught it, crunched twice, and swallowed. “What rubbish? Not even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth.”

【Mountain-Melting Scarlet Hound has consumed a tier-one common magical treasure!】

【A small amount of grade advancement energy obtained!】

Lin Yang spread his hands. “It was a quest reward. Eat it or don’t.”

“Next time, save up more junk and give it to me together.” Xiao Hei licked his lips. “One isn’t enough, but a few hundred would make a snack.”

The next main quest appeared.

【Main Quest 7: Sect Contribution!】

【Objective: Accumulate 1000 contribution points within your sect!】

【Current progress: 0/1000!】

【Reward: Unlock the next main quest!】

An ordinary outer disciple would need dozens of low-level assignments for a thousand points. Lin Yang could kill even a tier-three beast in one blow. Bringing back a few materials or completing some difficult demon-suppression assignments would earn plenty.

“No hurry. Since we’re out, let’s kill a few more beasts.”

He still needed high-grade spirit stones, Xiao Hei needed beast flesh to raise his own attributes, and Tang Yu and Fang Qingyao were close to late-stage Qi Refining. Going back now would waste the opportunity.

“Have you packed everything?” he asked.

Tang Yu put the last scarlet flame bones into her storage ring. “Done.” Fang Qingyao stuffed several chests into her pouch. “I’m ready too.”

Meanwhile, Xiao Hei finished every piece of the lion more than ten meters long. Dark red light flashed over his body.

【Mountain-Melting Scarlet Hound has consumed tier-two demonic beast flesh!】

【Strength increased by 860 points!】

【Physique increased by 1250 points!】

【Fire resistance slightly increased!】

Xiao Hei wasn’t satisfied. “Your strike destroyed at least eighty percent of the essence in that meat. Next time, use a normal method! Your Great Sun Mountain-Burning Seal practically charred the beast.”

Lin Yang considered it. He had many epic techniques he hadn’t really used; there was no need to rely on the seal every time. “All right. I’ll use the Splitting Sword Shadows Art on the next one.”

He extended his spiritual sense. Mountains, rivers, and the auras of countless beasts appeared in his mind. Soon he found a suitable target over forty li—more than twenty kilometers—away: a tier-three level-6 Violet Thunder Berserk Python in a valley. It was over twenty meters long, with a horn like purple crystal and lightning flickering across it. Mid-tier three!

“Xiao Hei, want some python meat?”

The dog drooled again. “Yes! But don’t burn it to charcoal this time!”

“Okay!” Lin Yang made an OK sign. He also detected two Violet Palace cultivators near the valley, one at the fourth level and the other at the sixth.