Stepping out from the inky black iron gate, Chen Feng followed the pool back into the valley and woke up Xiao Hu, who was still enjoying a lie-in.

“Boss, you’re out!” Xiao Hu immediately sprang up, his thick tail wagging like a puppy eager to please its master.

Chen Feng patted Xiao Hu’s massive head and chuckled.

Suddenly, Xiao Hu sensed an aura emanating from Chen Feng that sent tremors through its very soul. It instantly flattened itself to the ground, whimpering, terrified to move!

Chen Feng was puzzled when a trembling voice echoed in his mind, "Boss, is that really... you? You’re not going to silence me for what I saw, are you…"

"..." Chen Feng tapped Xiao Hu's head again. "Why would I kill you?"

"Because I saw you naked..." Xiao Hu cautiously glanced at Chen Feng, seeing he made no move to attack, but that incomparably powerful aura still made its heart pound. It asked timidly, "Boss, if you really want to keep that Celestial Dragon Yang Fruit for yourself, I don't want it..."

Chen Feng was rendered speechless and exasperated. Seeing Xiao Hu’s utterly fearful demeanor, he realized his dormant Flame Dragon bloodline was exerting its influence. After all, dragons were the pinnacle of all beasts; even a High-Grade Illusionary Demon Beast like Xiao Hu would naturally feel an inescapable pressure in their presence. This was the same reason those four-tier Demon Beasts previously dared not offend the comparatively lower-ranked Xiao Hu—in the world of magical beasts, such a gap was enough to extinguish any thought of resistance.

With a thought, Chen Feng circulated his Vortex Force through his meridians, masking the might of the Flame Dragon bloodline. Only then did Xiao Hu manage to stand on shaky legs, looking utterly disbelieving. "Boss, what exactly happened inside? That presence just now was..."

Chen Feng casually recounted what happened, omitting any mention of Earth, transmigration, or fellow countrymen—lest Xiao Hu be instantly struck dead by shock. When Xiao Hu learned that the item strapped to his back was a shovel forged from Dark Gold Iron and the ring on his hand was a spatial container, it was overwhelmingly envious.

Chen Feng reached beneath the "skirt" of leaves and pulled out the Celestial Dragon Yang Fruit, which he had risked his life to seize, handing it to Xiao Hu. He asked curiously, "Does this thing also benefit Demon Beasts immensely?"

Xiao Hu glanced gloomily at the fruit. "This fruit is actually a little underripe. It would be best if it could mature for another ten minutes!"

Then, Xiao Hu explained the efficacy of the Celestial Dragon Yang Fruit for Demon Beasts. It was one of the most intensely Yang and potent fruits in existence, having the greatest effect on male Demon Beasts. Not only could it ensure an everlasting erection, but in a short time, it could accelerate a beast’s absorption of magic, allowing them to advance three tiers in a single day!

Hearing its effects, Chen Feng was momentarily speechless. "I suspect your main objective was the everlasting erection!"

Xiao Hu blinked its large, somewhat innocent eyes. "I am a High-Grade Illusionary Demon Beast, after all..." It stopped midway, catching the dangerous glint in Chen Feng's eyes that dared him to lie. It quickly changed its tune: "But you know High-Grade Illusionary Demon Beasts have low fertility rates. With something like this, we could definitely father seventeen or eighteen little tigers... That way, our Iron-Backed Silver Tiger family can flourish and expand..."

"..." Chen Feng was silent for a long time. He nearly lost his life fighting for this thing, only to discover it was essentially an aphrodisiac... Unbelievable. Utterly unbelievable!

Next, Chen Feng told Xiao Hu the way out. The man and tiger searched near the Nine-Story Pagoda for a long time, eventually spotting a seal on one side of the stone cave. Chen Feng spoke four words in standard Mandarin: "You handle it." The seal cracked open, revealing a narrow staircase sloping sharply upward, leading straight to the mountain summit.

Seeing a path to leave, Chen Feng and Xiao Hu didn't depart immediately. Instead, they stealthily returned to the valley to gather more fruits. It would have been a waste not to take advantage of the abundance of precious medicinal herbs in this place. Chen Feng even filled his waterskin with water from the pool; its healing properties were superior to most spiritual elixirs, useful to keep on hand for emergencies.

This time, the pair sneaked back without alerting the Demon Beasts living at the bottom of the valley. Occasionally, one or two careless beasts came looking for trouble, providing Chen Feng a perfect chance to test the results of his cultivation in the Gravity Domain. The ultimate outcome was that the Demon Beasts in the valley learned an actual demon had entered their domain, and many perished by his hand.

After gathering everything, Chen Feng and Xiao Hu ascended the narrow staircase and exited the valley.

This exit staircase led to the towering, sword-like peak Chen Feng had first seen upon arrival. Standing halfway up the mountain, letting the swirling leaves around his waist whistle in the wind, Chen Feng let out a mighty roar!

His six months in the deep valley had whitened his skin considerably and made his physique leaner, but his overall strength was countless times greater than before!

Since emerging from the Gravity Domain, Chen Feng had felt a surging power expanding in his flesh. His body, tempered under ten times normal gravity, was now as hard as iron; even without using his Vortex Force, he could crush stones into powder with his bare hands.

His Vortex Force had also soared to the peak of the Fourth Tier!

With a formidable physique complemented by terrifying Vortex Force, Chen Feng now likely possessed the strength to challenge even an Eighth-Tier Fighter!

However, upon hearing Xiao Hu's account, Chen Feng couldn't help but feel a bit deflated. In the past three months alone, Xiao Hu’s cultivation had jumped directly to Eighth-Tier Fighter! When unleashing its wind magic, it moved as fast as lightning—Chen Feng, even using the Phantom Crane Steps, couldn't catch up!

Chen Feng let out a sigh, about to voice some complaint, when he suddenly tugged Xiao Hu’s tail. Man and beast immediately dove into the nearby undergrowth.

Chen Feng’s Mental Perception was exceptionally powerful, comparable to a Fourth-Tier Battle Master, so the higher-cultivated Xiao Hu hadn't noticed anything unusual and couldn't help but grumble slightly, "Boss, what's wrong..."

"Hush!" Knowing his voice wouldn't carry, Chen Feng still made a silencing gesture, stopping Xiao Hu from speaking.

About five minutes later, a party of people walked past the spot where they had been standing, slowly stopping right in front of the pair.

Xiao Hu gazed at Chen Feng with stars in its eyes. The Boss was truly the Boss; how did he spot this group? I must learn from him diligently in the future...

Hiding in the grass and regulating his energy fluctuations to the absolute minimum, Chen Feng stared at the approaching group, his brow gradually furrowing.

It was a strange assortment of people.

The company consisted of seventeen or eighteen individuals traveling in five horse-drawn carriages. Within the group were warriors, mages, archers, and knights—over a dozen people comprising more than ten different professions! Shockingly, there were even two nurses!

The Nurse profession, typically only seen protecting someone important, practiced techniques like the Divine Turtle Art, which allowed them to generate armor called "Turtle Eggs" to shield the person they were guarding.

Judging by their appearance, they looked like a tour group, yet they employed two nurses! This was truly inexplicable.

Just as Chen Feng was pondering this, the window of the central carriage slid open, revealing a delicate, lovely face. She called out to the knight in front.

"Brother Austin, why have we stopped?"

Her voice was exquisitely sweet, like a yellow oriole released from its cage, clear and resonant. Chen Feng sighed, turning his attention to the girl. She appeared to be fourteen or fifteen, with jet-black hair falling straight past her chest. Her skin, tender enough to be peeled, framed a pair of lovely, delicate eyes. She was breathtakingly beautiful; even Feliya would pale in comparison! This girl was a future calamity for any nation if she was already this beautiful at such a tender age.

The knight on the carriage, Austin, looked about seventeen or eighteen, possessing a somewhat resolute expression. He turned back, his face grave. "Grace, Alfred just sensed the aura of a High-Grade Demon Beast nearby. If anything happens, you must not come out!"

Austin’s voice was loud. A man who appeared to be a mage ahead nodded toward the girl in the carriage; he must be Alfred.

Chen Feng inwardly marveled that even after suppressing his and Xiao Hu's energy fluctuations, they were still detected. This mage was clearly no ordinary person! He took a closer look and gasped. Embroidered on the mage's dark robe was a silver-white, single-horned magic insignia!

"First-Tier Magus!"

A Magus was in no way comparable to a formal Mage. Anyone who reached the Magus rank possessed extraordinary talent and relentless effort; years of magical cultivation made every Magus immensely proud. For this touring party to include a First-Tier Magus indicated that the person they were protecting held extremely high status!

Chen Feng dared not be careless. The spiritual range of a Magus was too formidable. While his powerful mental perception might keep him hidden, Xiao Hu had no way to conceal itself. It seemed Alfred had detected Xiao Hu as the High-Grade Demon Beast!

After a moment of thought, Chen Feng looked up. As long as these people didn't provoke him, fine; but if they showed any intent harmful to himself or Xiao Hu, he would fight to the death to ensure they regretted it!

Having made up his mind, Chen Feng tugged Xiao Hu and stepped out from the thicket first.

The members of the traveling party were suddenly startled to see a strange man clad in leaves, carrying a large shovel, accompanied by an Iron-Backed Silver Tiger. Astonishment registered on their faces as the formation tightened, encircling Austin and Grace in the carriage, and they immediately adopted defensive postures.

At this moment, Alfred cautiously drew his staff, his eyes fixed grimly on the man and the tiger. A wavy pattern of water immediately materialized before him, rapidly coalescing into a small sphere of water that hovered in the air!

A First-Tier Water Magus!

Chen Feng’s pupils contracted as his Vortex Force began to slowly rotate. A battle was ready to erupt at any second!

P.S.: I got back early today, time to update a chapter quickly!! Chen Feng’s first battle after six months of training is about to begin, everyone please support!