Dual Transmigration: American Prison, Surviving to a Fantasy Development Stage

Seeing the ambition that instantly ignited in their eyes, Zhao Boli revealed a satisfied smile.

For martial artists, ambition is the strongest driving force that motivates them to continuously improve their skills.

However, when his gaze inadvertently swept over Lin Feng, he couldn't help but pause slightly.

Lin Feng remained calm, picked up his teacup, gently blew on the floating leaves, and then took a sip, his expression composed.

Those eyes were clear, calm, and undisturbed.

Faced with the temptations of "Innate Skill" and "Marrow Cleansing Pill", he showed no reaction whatsoever.

This composure and calmness far beyond his years surprised Zhao Boli, who had seen countless people, and he couldn't help but look at Lin Feng with even higher regard.

This child's temperament is extraordinary.

Zhao Boli snapped out of his thoughts and his tone turned serious. "Now that you have the reward, go back and cultivate diligently to solidify your foundation."

Strive to achieve a good ranking in the prefectural examination, so that you can secure a better future for yourselves.

"Yes, we will follow the Lord's teachings!" Lin Feng and the others stood up and replied in unison.

"In addition, Lin Feng, as the top scorer, will receive an extra 2 bottles of Blood Qi Powder and 100 taels of silver."

Lin Feng was taken aback, not expecting there to be other rewards. Amidst the envious and jealous glances of the crowd, he accepted the rewards.

"Thank you, Lord City Lord."

"Good, keep up the good work, I have high hopes for you."

Just as Zhao Boli finished speaking, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall.

A soldier in light armor, his face filled with anxiety, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said urgently:

"Report! To the city lord, thirty miles southeast of the city, Yonghe Village has been attacked by an unknown monster. Scouts report that the entire village has been slaughtered, leaving no one alive."

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Boli's eyebrows suddenly rose, his gentle composure vanished instantly, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

He stood up abruptly and ordered in a deep voice, "Immediately issue the order to gather all troops and follow me to exterminate the demonic beast."

"Yes, Lord City Lord." The soldier acknowledged the order and hurriedly withdrew.

Zhao Boli turned around and looked at Lin Feng and his group of eight who had just received their reward and were still there. "You guys, come along too."

Fighting real monsters is an excellent opportunity to test one's cultivation level and unleash one's potential, far more dangerous and beneficial than arena battles.

Treat the battles against the monsters as a valuable training experience.

"Yes, Lord City Lord."

The crowd cupped their hands in greeting.

Upon hearing that they were to accompany the army to exterminate the demonic beasts, apart from Lin Feng and Zhao Erniu, Cheng Yuan, Li Yi, and the others all changed their expressions to varying degrees.

His eyes revealed an undisguised unease and anxiety.

Although they are important figures in the eyes of ordinary people, they all know in their hearts that they are nothing in the face of monsters.

The monsters are ferocious and violent, with strength and speed far exceeding that of ordinary wild animals.

One wrong move and it could be fatal.

In contrast, Lin Feng showed no worry whatsoever; instead, a barely perceptible hint of excitement flickered deep in his eyes.

The Black Lotus has never devoured a demon beast.

Ordinary cattle, horses, and wild beasts like tigers and black bears no longer provide him with much energy or feedback, making them as useless as chicken bones.

He was quite curious to see what it would feel like for the demon beast to be devoured by the black lotus.

Zhao Boli had clearly also considered the safety and importance of Lin Feng and the others.

He gave the order, and soon servants brought several sets of lightweight leather armor and breastplates inlaid with iron plates, distributing them to Lin Feng and the other eight.

"Put them on, everyone."

Zhao Boli's voice left no room for doubt: "Swords and blades have no eyes, and demonic beasts are even more ferocious."

You were the seeds of Yongguan County to participate in this prefectural examination, and it is a great pity that you perished on the way to exterminate the demon.

Of course, his gaze still fell on Lin Feng and Zhao Erniu.

In Zhao Boli's mind, only Lin Feng and Zhao Erniu were valuable enough to break into the top ten of the prefectural examination.

For him, the interim city lord, this was an unexpectedly good achievement.

As for the others, he was not optimistic.

Soon, the demon-slaying team was assembled.

In addition to Zhao Boli's personal guard, there were also elite troops drawn from the city's defense forces, totaling about two hundred men.

Everyone was clad in armor and armed with bows and crossbows, exuding a murderous aura.

The procession even included two wagons loaded with animal traps, crossbows, and supplies.

News of the monster attack on the village had already spread like wildfire, causing a great uproar throughout the town, and the streets were crowded with worried villagers.

Seeing the city lord personally leading the team, the crowd felt somewhat relieved and began to whisper among themselves.

After leaving the city gate, the procession followed the official road and turned southeast toward Yonghe Village.

After traveling for about half an hour, the road gradually narrowed.

Zhao Boli rode his horse to the middle of the group and gestured for Lin Feng and Zhao Erniu to come closer.

He lowered his voice and said to the two of them, "If you do encounter a monster later, remember, your safety is paramount."

If danger arises, do not act recklessly; retreat immediately and let the soldiers and skilled men take over.

Do you understand?

Lin Feng instantly understood Zhao Boli's subtext: your lives are valuable.

"clear"

Although Zhao Erniu hadn't thought that far ahead, since the city lord had personally given him instructions, he naturally replied honestly, "Yes, city lord, I've remembered."

Zhao Boli was quite satisfied with their reaction and added, "Furthermore, after the martial arts examination, if you encounter any difficulties or confusion on your cultivation path, or if you need information on certain cultivation resources, you can come to the City Lord's Mansion to find me at any time."

This is already a fairly obvious gesture of goodwill and investment.

"Thank you, Lord City Lord." The two replied again.

This scene naturally caught the attention of Li Yi, Cheng Yuan, and others who arrived a little later.

Seeing the city lord's obvious favor and private care for Lin Feng and Zhao Erniu, the group couldn't help but reveal deep envy, even jealousy.

Li Yi, in particular, felt a deep bitterness and resentment when he thought about how he had nothing at the moment while Lin Feng was highly regarded.

There were still some people in the group who didn't know Zhao Erniu.

They were quite dissatisfied with Zhao Erniu, who got second place without even playing a single match.

Seeing that the city lord also valued him so much, he couldn't help but complain to Yuan Chun beside him in a low voice: "Senior Brother Yuan, what skills do you think this Zhao Erniu has?"

Why did he become second without even playing a single match, and why is the city lord showing him such preferential treatment?

Yuan Chun was still feeling conflicted because he had voluntarily admitted defeat earlier. He glanced at the grumbling fellow disciple and said, "He single-handedly took down the Huang family martial arts school overnight, leaving only a few disciples alive."

"What?!"

The man's face turned deathly pale in an instant, his lips trembled a few times, and he dared not utter another word.

The Huang Family Martial Arts School is one of the four major martial arts schools in Yongguan County, so its strength is self-evident.

The others were also startled by Yuan Chun's words, and their gazes toward Zhao Erniu's tall figure in front of them were filled with awe.

What terrified them even more was that Zhao Erniu, who was so powerful, actually chose to admit defeat when facing Lin Feng.

Just how strong must Lin Feng be?

Now, no one dared to complain about Lin Feng and Zhao Erniu anymore; all that remained was deep awe and envy.

The procession moved forward in silence, with only the sounds of footsteps, horses' hooves, and wheels echoing across the twilight wilderness.

After walking for nearly two hours, the sun began to set.

Finally, the outline of Yonghe Village came into view at the edge of the horizon.

As they approached the village, a strong stench of blood filled the air.

When the troops entered the village, the scene before them made all the seasoned veterans gasp in shock and feel their scalps tingle.

Yonghe Village has now been transformed into a bloody slaughterhouse.

The bodies of villagers lay scattered haphazardly along the dirt roads, in courtyards, and even on rooftops.

Some were torn apart, missing limbs, with bloody, mangled flesh at the cuts.

Some had huge bloody holes ripped out of their chests or abdomens, with their internal organs spilling out onto the ground.

The entire village fell into a deathly silence.

A scout squad leader in charge of the initial reconnaissance ran up to Zhao Boli with a grim expression, knelt on one knee, and said, "Lord, not a single one of the more than 300 people in the entire village is alive."

But all the children disappeared without a trace, neither alive nor dead.

Zhao Boli sat on his horse, his face ashen.

He was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "I'm afraid it was eaten by a monster."

The order was given to gather the remains of all the deceased villagers, bury them properly on the spot, and cover them with lime to prevent the spread of plague.

"Yes, Lord City Lord." The squad leader accepted the order and left.