354: Meet again

"Alright, it's time to start looking for Fierce Beasts. I hope the heavens bless me and I don't run into a Mid-Grade Fierce Beast."

Xiao Ran took a deep breath, steeling himself.

He knew that the Fierce Beasts outside the city were extremely dangerous, and with his current strength, encountering a Mid-Grade Fierce Beast would surely lead to his death.

Thus, Xiao Ran, with his simple pack on his back and a mix of nervousness and anticipation in his heart, cautiously explored the forest.

The dense foliage covered the sky, and the occasional sunlight filtering through the gaps formed patches of light on the ground.

The forest was eerily quiet, broken only by the rustling sound of Xiao Ran's footsteps on the fallen leaves.

Half a day passed, and just as Xiao Ran was starting to feel tired and almost ready to give up, he finally discovered traces of a Fierce Beast.

On a patch of soft ground, there were several strange-shaped footprints, clearly not left by ordinary wild animals.

Xiao Ran cautiously followed the direction of the footprints.

However, when he clearly saw what kind of Fierce Beast it was, his hopeful expression immediately fell.

Not far ahead, on a patch of grass, a monkey-like Fierce Beast was leisurely sitting, savoring the fruit in its hand.

This Fierce Beast was nimble, covered in brown fur, and its eyes darted around, revealing a cunning aura.

Xiao Ran was all too familiar with this Fierce Beast; it was a first-order low-grade Fierce Beast—a Monkey Monster—the lowest level in the Fierce Beast hierarchy.

Even an ordinary person who hadn't stepped into the martial path, armed with a weapon and a bit of luck, could potentially defeat it.

Monkey Monsters are relatively docile creatures and do not actively attack humans; they primarily subsist on a vegetarian diet and rarely show interest in meat.

Moreover, Monkey Monsters usually move in groups, with very few appearing alone.

Seeing this Monkey Monster leisurely eating, Xiao Ran's heart sank, and he quickly looked up at the surrounding trees with alert eyes.

Sure enough, the surrounding trees were densely covered with Monkey Monsters; some squatted on branches, others agilely leaped between trees, emitting bursts of chattering sounds.

In this scene, if Xiao Ran dared to attack a Monkey Monster... it would be like the saying, "ants can bite an elephant to death." With so many Monkey Monsters, once they attacked, even a martial artist at Body Tempering Sixth Layer or above would likely find it hard to cope.

Xiao Ran didn't want to needlessly provoke this massive group of Monkey Monsters, as his goal for leaving the city was not these lowest-grade Fierce Beasts.

He knew that only by killing more powerful Fierce Beasts could he receive richer rewards from the system, thereby quickly strengthening himself.

Thus, Xiao Ran continuously traversed and searched this forest, from afternoon until night quietly fell, yet he still hadn't found a suitable target.

Along the way, all he saw were Monkey Monsters, one after another, to the point where he seriously wondered if he had accidentally stumbled into a Monkey Monster nest, as he encountered them everywhere he went.

"Forget it, I'll rest here tonight. I'll continue searching when it gets light."

Xiao Ran sighed helplessly, dragging his tired body as he opened his pack and began to set up his tent.

Since he decided to leave the city, he had made thorough preparations, knowing that wilderness survival required various essential items, and he would never venture out empty-handed.

He skillfully set up his tent and then lit a bonfire not far from it.

The dancing flames not only dispelled the chill of the night but also added a touch of warmth and light to the quiet forest.

Xiao Ran took some dry rations from his pack, ate a few bites, and then hurried into his tent to sleep.

After all, this area was full of Monkey Monsters, and given their habits, he wasn't afraid of other Fierce Beasts attacking him at night.

In this slightly fatigued and expectant state, Xiao Ran gradually drifted into sleep, while the surrounding Monkey Monsters continued to make occasional noises in the trees... The night quietly passed, and the faint light of dawn, like a gentle veil, slowly spread over the tranquil forest.

As soon as it was light, Xiao Ran woke up early.

He quickly packed his belongings, every movement betraying his eagerness.

After all, he hadn't found a suitable Fierce Beast last night, and today he was determined to delve deeper to complete the task assigned by the system.

But just as Xiao Ran was about to set off, a sudden commotion broke the morning's tranquility.

From the depths of the forest, a dense swarm of Monkey Monsters poured out like a tide; their expressions were panicked, and they fled desperately in another direction, emitting sharp cries.

As the Monkey Monsters ran, the branches creaked under their weight, and dust flew everywhere.

Clearly, they seemed to be in extreme fear of something, trying to escape at all costs.

"It can't be that unlucky, that I've run into a Mid-Grade Fierce Beast, can it?"

Xiao Ran's heart jolted, and he muttered to himself.

No sooner had he spoken than a group of people in tattered clothes rushed out of the forest.

Their faces were filled with anxiety and panic, looking utterly disheveled.

"Hua Mulian! What are you doing here?"

Xiao Ran focused his gaze, instantly drawn to the familiar red hair of the person in the lead; he recognized her at a glance—wasn't this Hua Mulian?

At this moment, Hua Mulian's once neat clothes were tattered, and her hair was a bit messy, lacking her usual composure.

"Xiao Ran? What are you doing outside the city? Never mind, this isn't the time to talk about it, hurry and go!"

Hua Mulian saw Xiao Ran, a flicker of surprise in her eyes, but the situation was critical, leaving no room for her to ask more questions.

She rushed forward, grabbed Xiao Ran's arm, and turned to run desperately forward, her tone filled with urgency and unquestionable command.

"Wait, what exactly happened? Why are you all like this?"

Xiao Ran finally regained his senses, his feet struggling to keep up with Hua Mulian and the others as he anxiously shouted his questions.

He looked at the disheveled group beside him, his heart full of confusion, not understanding what they had encountered to make them so panicked.

"It's all that idiot Adi's fault!"

A girl, panting as she ran, cried out in a shaky voice, her voice trembling with fear and exhaustion.

"He actually went and peed in someone's cave, and now look, we've been chased all night!"

As the girl spoke, she angrily glared at Adi next to her, her eyes full of blame.

The man called Adi, at this moment, had his head bowed so low it almost touched the ground, his face etched with guilt.

He ran and said tearfully.

"I... I didn't think it was an Armored Bear's home! I really didn't do it on purpose..."

Adi's voice was filled with regret; he wished he could find a hole to crawl into at that moment.