"My name is Yue Ran, what's yours?" the red-clothed youth asked Xiao Man, surprised, after landing.
"Xiao Qin."
"Xiao Qin, I'll remember your name. This is the first time I've met someone with a lower cultivation rank than me who could fight me to a standstill. You're very good." Yue Ran leaped in front of Xiao Man. "Let's not fight anymore. If you like that bear cub, it's yours."
Xiao Man glanced at him, took the bear cub from Bai Chen, and walked towards the Earth-Splitting Bear, returning the cub to it.
The Earth-Splitting Bear got up from the ground, its body swaying, unable to stand steadily. It sat down with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust. It reached out its claws and touched the bear cub in Xiao Man's arms. After a moment, it turned and quickly left.
Yue Ran watched this scene, stomping his feet in anger. "You're bullying me! I stole its cub, and it chased me wanting to kill me, relentlessly. Why is it willingly giving it to you when you hold it?"
Xiao Man looked at the bear cub snuggling in his arms and couldn't help but smile. "Its mother probably thinks I'll find a good home for it."
"Right, I almost forgot, there's still a Thunder Leopard..." Yue Ran suddenly remembered the Thunder Leopard. However, the Thunder Leopard was sitting to the side, wagging its tail, looking fawning.
"Heh, quite sensible. Why weren't you this sensible when you were attacking me earlier?" Yue Ran walked towards the Thunder Leopard, assuming it had been subdued by him. He reached out to stroke its head, but was immediately struck by lightning, his body going numb, and he fell to the ground.
Xiao Man glanced at him with disdain. "Whose foolish pet is this, let out like this? Aren't you worried someone will kill it?"
Bai Chen nodded in agreement. "See, it's not that I'm stupid; there's someone even stupider than me."
Xiao Man nodded. Not only was he foolish, but he was also incredibly narcissistic. He wondered whose foolish son this was. However, he looked quite wealthy. The clothes he wore were made from Fire Fox fur, impervious to water and fire, and also inscribed with dust-repelling formations. This was not something an ordinary family could possess.
Yue Ran sat up from the ground, moving his somewhat numb arm. "They say a Thunder Leopard's lightning strike is very powerful. It truly is. I was numb for three breaths."
Bai Chen stared at Yue Ran in disbelief. He recovered from the numbness in just three breaths. He was truly a monster!
"My name is Bai Chen, a disciple of the Thousand Machine Sect. Xiao Qin is a disciple of the Hundred Medicine Hall. Where are you from?"
"I'm from Qingyan City."
Bai Chen's heart was filled with suspicion. Qingyan City was the territory of the Huo family. However, this young man's surname was Yue, so he should have no connection to the Huo family. Still, to be safe, it was better to ask.
"Do you know the Huo family of Qingyan City?"
"I do. In Qingyan City, everyone knows the Huo family; after all, they are one of the Five Great Clans." Yue Ran scratched his head. "The head of the Huo family is my maternal grandfather."
Another unsuspecting fool, so easily revealing his identity and trump card. However, with such a background, he could walk with his head held high anywhere. The grandson of the head of the Huo family.
"So you are the young master of the Huo family. My apologies."
"And you?"
"We are rogue cultivators," Xiao Man answered, "unlike your noble status."
"That's right. This young master is the most handsome man in Qingyan City, and also the most talented. However, I admit you are also very powerful, just a tiny bit less than me." Yue Ran said, pinching his index finger. "We met through fighting, and from today onwards, we are brothers. I'm eighteen, how old are you?"
"I'm twenty-one, and he's twenty-four."
"Alright, Bai Chen is the elder brother, you are the second brother, and I am the youngest, the third." Yue Ran produced three incense sticks from somewhere and handed one each to Xiao Man and Bai Chen. "Come, we've bowed to heaven and earth, and now we are brothers. From now on, we share fortunes and bear hardships together."
"Bow to heaven and earth..." Xiao Man felt something was off. The words sounded strange, but he couldn't pinpoint why. After inexplicably bowing to heaven and earth, and looking at the overjoyed Yue Ran, he felt uneasy. They had been fighting fiercely just moments ago, how could they suddenly become brothers?
"Elder brother, second brother, let's go to the Polar Swamp in the west," Yue Ran suggested, his eyes shining with excitement. He had wanted to go there for a long time, but he couldn't get what he wanted alone. With three people now, they were sure to succeed. Su Dan Novel Network.
"What are you going there for? They say there's a fierce Flood Dragon hidden inside, very powerful. Let's not go."
"I want a contract beast. My father said this Flood Dragon is about to give birth, and I want to take the opportunity to steal an egg to be my contract beast."
Bai Chen stumbled, almost falling to the ground. "You want to steal an egg from a dragon's mouth? Have you forgotten why you were chased by the Earth-Splitting Bear?"
"The Earth-Splitting Bear cub wasn't enough; it has to be a Flood Dragon egg."
Speaking of eggs, Xiao Man thought of the egg in his spatial dimension. It had been an egg for so long, with no changes at all. He wondered what would hatch from it in the end.
Bai Chen couldn't persuade Yue Ran and looked at Xiao Man.
"Xiao Qin, quickly tell him. That fierce Flood Dragon is not easy to deal with."
"Do Flood Dragon eggs taste good?" Xiao Man asked, his mouth watering.
It's over! Bai Chen felt his future was bleak. How could he forget that Xiao Man's ability to cause trouble far surpassed Yue Ran's? At the early stage of Foundation Establishment, he dared to confront Nascent Soul cultivators. Such a madman was rare! Meeting another Yue Ran, who feared no chaos, this East Yue Forest would probably be turned upside down by the two of them.
"I haven't eaten it, so I don't know if it tastes good. I imagine it would be delicious, it's a Flood Dragon egg after all."
"I want to eat dragon eggs."
"Me too!" Yue Ran slung an arm around Xiao Man's shoulder. "Second brother, how about this: let's start with the Flood Dragon eggs, and when we encounter dragon eggs in the future, we'll eat them."
"Deal."
The two walked hand in hand towards the Polar Swamp. Bai Chen wanted to stop them, but he couldn't. Moreover, Xiao Man was stubborn, and Yue Ran was no less so. Give them an inch, and they might poke a hole in the sky.
After walking a few steps, Xiao Man took out a bottle of pills and threw it out. The Thunder Leopard immediately jumped up and caught it. "The contract ends here. You can go."
The Thunder Leopard glanced at Xiao Man and quickly disappeared into the depths of the forest.
Yue Ran asked curiously, "What did you give it?"
"Yuan Breaking Pill."
"That's a good thing! This Thunder Leopard has reached a bottleneck in its cultivation. The Yuan Breaking Pill will greatly benefit its advancement," Yue Ran realized with a sudden understanding. "No wonder it listened to you so obediently. So, demonic beasts can also be bribed."
"Demonic beasts are like people. High-intelligence demonic beasts can also communicate with humans. As long as you grasp their weaknesses, you can negotiate."
"Second brother, why don't you go and talk to the Flood Dragon, and ask it to give us a few eggs to taste?" Yue Ran said excitedly, his expression completely genuine, even showing a hint of eagerness.
Xiao Man turned and walked away. You want to eat its offspring, and then ask me to negotiate? Isn't this sending me to my death? No discussion!