After transmigrating into the body of the protagonist's childhood friend, he was targeted by a

Lin Zhixu has been taking on a lot of missions lately, and he goes to Wanbaoge almost every day.

His talent is not as good as Luo Yiyan's. If he wants to accumulate enough strength before the trial realm opens, he can only rely on practical experience.

His cultivation level is currently stuck at the eighth level of Qi Refining, and he can't accept missions above the human level for the time being. He can only accumulate little by little.

However, after this period of hard work, his cultivation has become much more solid, and he feels that he is almost able to break through to the eighth level of Qi Refining.

That day, he planned to take on a mission to slay a demon beast. He had just arrived at the mission wall with two new followers he had recently met. Just as he was about to reach for the token, his fingertips touched another hand.

He turned his head and saw that it was Luo Yiyan.

Luo Yiyan was clearly surprised to run into him here.

It had been almost two months since the two had last seen each other.

Upon meeting today, they both noticed that the other seemed to have grown taller, and the boyish naiveté had faded from their eyes, replaced by a calm and composed aura.

Lin Zhixu subconsciously probed his cultivation level and found that he couldn't see through it at all.

Either he used a magical artifact to conceal his cultivation level, or the other party's cultivation level was already above his.

I wonder if he's at the ninth level of Qi Refining, or if he's already at the Foundation Establishment stage?

He didn't intend to delve into the matter, nor did he want to exchange pleasantries. He reached out and took off the token first, then turned and left.

Seeing this, Luo Yiyan quickly followed.

After walking for a while...

A slender, handsome young man beside Lin Zhixu glanced back and couldn't help but ask, "Senior Brother Lin, that person behind us keeps following us. Should I go and chase him away?"

Lin Zhixu said calmly, "No need. We didn't create this road. Let him follow if he wants."

"Senior Brother Lin's cultivation is higher than ours, so he must know that someone is following us. You don't need to worry about it."

The man next to the boy was tall, but he looked overly honest and simple.

His smile made him look even sillier.

Boy: "Oh."

Lin Zhixu listened to their conversation and felt helpless.

His meeting with the two of them was accidental.

The skinny boy was named Zhou Tong. He wasn't bad in talent, and his cultivation level wasn't low either. It was just that he looked too weak, so he was often bullied.

The big, clumsy guy next to him is named Chu Yan. He has average physical attributes but is born with superhuman strength. He works as a menial disciple in the sect.

Because he was too honest, he was constantly being bossed around.

Once, Lin Zhixu happened to see the two being bullied and helped them out. As a result, they became attached to him and he couldn't get rid of them no matter what he did.

Along the way, Lin Zhixu gave the two a general overview of the mission.

This time, we need to kill a kind of demon beast called the Crimson Mane Beast. It is not of high rank, but it is fierce and has thick skin. We need to find the weak spot three inches below its neck to attack.

This requires teamwork. Zhou Tong and Chu Yan are responsible for attracting the attention of the Crimson Mane Beast, while Lin Zhixu looks for opportunities to exploit its weaknesses.

Zhou Tong listened attentively, nodding from time to time.

Chu Yan gripped the sword hilt with a solemn expression, muttering incantations as if he were reciting some kind of mantra.

Lin Zhixu glanced at him but refrained from asking.

The last time he asked a question, Chu Yan made him recite the incantation of the cultivation technique for half an hour, and since then he has never dared to say another word.

The main problem is that Chu Yan's brain isn't working well; he always forgets halfway through memorizing something and has to start all over again.

Lin Zhixu was alright, but Chu Yan was sometimes quite intimidated by Lin Zhixu's cold demeanor.

But Zhou Tong was in trouble. He had a baby face, so even when he was angry, Chu Yan wasn't afraid.

The group chatted along the way and soon arrived at their destination.

Before me lay a lush forest, with a faint, fishy odor lingering in the air.

Scattered on the ground were several patches of soil turned upside down by sharp claws, and half of a broken animal bone.

It's clear that there are quite a few monsters in this area.

Zhou Tong glanced back and saw that the person who had been following them was still lingering at a distance. He frowned again and said, "Senior Brother Lin, why is that guy still following us? We can't shake him off."

Chu Yan followed his gaze and scratched his head: "Is he here for a mission too?"

Luo Yiyan had never concealed his whereabouts. When he saw them looking at him, he hesitated for a moment, then walked forward confidently.

Zhou Tong was taken aback by his self-righteous action and subconsciously took half a step in front of Lin Zhixu.

Luo Yiyan met Lin Zhixu's gaze and said frankly, "I also happen to need the beast core of the Crimson Mane Beast. Why don't we cooperate? Maybe you need help too."

Zhou Tong noticed that the atmosphere between him and Lin Zhixu was a bit off, and looked at Lin Zhixu with a questioning gaze.

Lin Zhixu said calmly, "No need, the three of us can handle it. If you want to hunt the Crimson Mane Beast, you can find someone to team up with yourself."

After saying that, he didn't look at Luo Yiyan's expression again, turned around and walked into the depths of the dense forest.

Zhou Tong was stunned for a moment, then quickly pulled Chu Yan, who was still unaware of the situation, to follow.

Behind him, Luo Yiyan stood still, watching the receding figure with a disappointed look in her eyes.

……

As they entered the depths of the dense forest, the light dimmed. Lin Zhixu stopped under an old tree whose bark had been peeled off in half by sharp claws and crouched down to examine the ground.

Several patches of turned-up soil were still fresh, and a few tufts of brown fur lay nearby, likely from when the Red-maned Beast was sharpening its claws.

He stood up, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Be careful, there should be a Crimson Mane Beast nearby."

The group lowered their profile and searched carefully for a moment.

Zhou Tong, with his sharp eyes, pointed to a hidden stone cave entrance not far away and whispered, "Senior Brother Lin, over there!"

The weeds near the cave entrance were bent over and scattered about, several large clumps of dung were strewn on the ground, and large patches of brownish-red bristles were rubbed against the rocks at the edge of the cave entrance.

Lin Zhixu made a shushing gesture, and the three of them tiptoed to the side of the cave entrance.

A large, red-maned beast was curled up in the cave, dozing off, snoring loudly. The hot breath from its nostrils stirred up the dust on the ground, completely unaware that a stranger was approaching.

The Crimson-maned Beast is enormous and slow-witted; its only advantage is its thick skin and tough flesh.

Lin Zhixu quickly made a hand gesture.

Zhou Tong and Chu Yan understood each other perfectly and each found their designated spot.

Chu Yan took a deep breath, gripped the heavy sword tightly with both hands, veins bulging on his forehead, and with a fierce shout, slashed straight at the foreleg of the Crimson Mane Beast.

Sparks flew the moment the sword clashed with the animal hide. The Crimson Mane Beast was awakened by the intense pain, raised its head and let out a deafening roar, its blood-red eyes suddenly turning towards Chu Yan.

Zhou Tong darted out from the side, drawing the red-maned beast's fire.

The red-maned beast turned around in pain, its thick tail whipping towards Zhou Tong.

Lin Zhixu had been waiting for this moment.

As the Crimson-Maned Beast turned around, the white markings on its neck were fully exposed. It swayed, and the sword tip pierced its flesh only three inches deep, hitting a vital spot.

The red-maned beast roared angrily, its massive body slamming into the cave wall, sending pebbles raining down.

Knowing it was going to die, it decided to take one of its own down with it before it died.

As Zhou Tong was about to step back, a stone beneath his feet was shaken loose, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground.

The red-maned beast's blood-red eyes darted around, and it raised its front paw to slap him down.