Though they had celebrated late into the night yesterday, everyone woke up quite early today, six o'clock sharp.

Moreover, the group still seemed unable to settle down from yesterday’s mishaps, often bursting into laughter when they caught each other's eyes.

It was understandable; such an activity was a first for the "Ethereal Mercenary Group." Yet, it had to be admitted that the revelry the night before had significantly deepened the bonds between them!

“Little sister, your performance yesterday was brilliant!” Sha Feiyan chuckled, covering her mouth.

“Big sister, look who’s talking, your animal impressions yesterday were spot on,” Yue Nongying retorted, not willing to be outdone.

The two finally shared a knowing smile.

During the early breakfast, the atmosphere was strangely awkward. Everyone’s gazes kept drifting towards others, their half-smiles clearly recalling yesterday’s embarrassing moments!

“Xiaoxiu, let’s host more sessions like yesterday’s in the future!” Kaini said, savoring the memory.

Zhong Shenxiu first shot her a look; it was Kaini’s idea that he’d made such a fool of himself yesterday. However, Shenxiu didn't say anything, his eyes flickered, and a cunning smile played on his lips. In a very calm tone, he declared, “Since everyone enjoys it so much, here’s the deal: based on today’s harvest results, the bottom five finishers must each perform a new act!”

“What?” Everyone instantly pulled faces like they’d bitten into lemons.

Zhong Shenxiu’s decree effectively excluded the freaks among them—himself, Robin, and Kaini—since their power levels ensured they absolutely wouldn't rank near the bottom!

“Young Master is too cunning! No, this is too fair!” Makexin was the first to protest.

“Exactly, we demand democracy, we demand equality,” Laurent chimed in, joining the fray.

“This suggestion is very fair; if you don't want to perform, you must work harder today. That’s fair competition!” Shenxiu said shamelessly, clearly trying to avoid dressing as a woman again!

The others felt the same; not a single person wanted to repeat the humiliating performances, especially since these next ones would be solo acts!

“It’s not fair at all! The Young Master’s requirement should be at least doubled the amount,” Andrew said seriously, his face slightly flushed. Among the group, his strength was on the lower side. If he followed Shenxiu’s rule, he was guaranteed to perform!

“Right! Not only the Young Master, but Robin and Kaini should also have their requirements doubled, otherwise it’s unfair!” Yale, standing beside him, immediately agreed. He and Andrew were neck-and-neck in ability, and at this moment, they had to vigorously defend their rights.

“Double the amount is far too little for the Young Master. I say it should be at least five times the amount!”

“Five times is still too little. Who is the Young Master? That amount is negligible to him. I say it should be twenty times!”

“How about thirty times!” The atmosphere instantly became lively, and finally, a resolution was reached: Zhong Shenxiu would have his amount increased by fiftyfold, meaning his final score would be divided by fifty. Robin would have his increased by thirtyfold, and Kaini by tenfold!

Once this was settled, Niuniu and Diya also started crying foul, arguing that even with the increases for Shenxiu and Robin, they weren't starting from the same baseline as the others. After more discussion, it was finally decided that Niuniu’s amount would be reduced by tenfold—meaning her final score would be multiplied by ten. Diya’s would be reduced by fivefold, and Andrew and Yale by twofold!

This finally satisfied everyone!

After a brief rest, the "Ethereal Mercenary Group" officially began their exploration. Everyone was fired up, not just because of the looming performance penalties, but also because of their share of the spoils!

If a magic beast showed up now, it would definitely be courting death—it would be instantly wiped out the moment it appeared!

And sure enough, Diya joyfully shouted, holding up a Grade Two Magic Rabbit, “Look, look, I caught one!”

She then proudly waved the Magic Rabbit in front of the group. Among them, only Niuniu showed a hint of envy; the others merely glanced over before shifting their gaze elsewhere.

Catching a Grade Two magic beast only yielded four points, which simply wasn't interesting enough to hold anyone else’s attention. To explain, here is a brief rundown of the scoring rules:

The group’s objective was magic beasts; the higher the beast’s grade, the more points it yielded. The points were calculated using the “square of the magic beast’s grade.” A Grade One beast earned one point, Grade Two earned four points, Grade Three earned nine points, Grade Four earned sixteen points, and so on.

Furthermore, capturing a beast alive earned an additional bonus, also related to the beast’s grade. Capturing a Grade One beast alive added one bonus point, Grade Two added two, Grade Three added three, Grade Four added four, and so on.

This was precisely why others weren't interested in low-level beasts!

However, Diya didn’t care about such details; any magic beast would do. This was because of her modifier: with the “reduced by fivefold amount,” the Grade Two Magic Rabbit in her hands would ultimately score thirty points—equivalent to someone else capturing a Grade Five magic beast alive!

This explained why Diya was so thrilled over catching just one Grade Two rabbit! Of course, if that rabbit had been caught by Niuniu, the score would have been even higher—sixty points, equivalent to capturing a Grade Seven magic beast! This demonstrated just how intense the coming competition would be!

In addition to magic beasts, Zhong Shenxiu added a special supplement: capturing a magic insect would count as scoring for a Grade Fifteen magic beast!

This was practically a direct stimulus for the group. Generally, a Grade Twelve magic beast was comparable to a Dragon. Most actual Dragons were only around Grade Twelve or Thirteen, yet a single magic insect counted as a Grade Fifteen beast—how could the group not be excited? Capturing one insect would yield more points than capturing several high-level beasts!

This resulted in a peculiar situation: while other mercenary groups dreaded encountering magic insects, the members of the "Ethereal Mercenary Group" eagerly awaited their appearance!

Time flew quickly, and it was already noon.

At this point, everyone except a smug-looking Kaini was listless. The reason was simple: any magic beast of Grade Five or higher encountered seemed to be completely taken down by Kaini alone, leaving no room for anyone else to even make a move! Zhong Shenxiu and Robin were the exceptions, as they refrained from engaging because their ambitions were set much higher!

“This isn't fair!” Makexin wailed again. Several of them hadn't secured a single beast, and if things continued this way, they were guaranteed to tie for last place.

The others also realized that staying close to Zhong Shenxiu, Robin, and Kaini was inherently unfair. Right now, only Kaini was actively hunting; if they ran into a Grade Ten or higher beast or, heaven forbid, a magic insect, Shenxiu and Robin alone could claim them all, leaving zero opportunity for the rest!

“Why is it unfair again? We settled this just fine earlier!” Kaini laughed triumphantly.

“By staying with you and the Young Master, none of us has a chance to catch a high-level beast; you’ve monopolized them all!” Makexin argued.

“Yes, we request to split up!” Others echoed her sentiment. If they didn’t act now, they were truly headed for the bottom.

Finally, after strong demands from the group, a compromise was reached: the competition would end when the sun set, with the rendezvous point being the sheer cliff face at the highest elevation ahead.

The group once again sharpened their resolve; this was their real chance to shine!

“Niuniu, why don’t you team up with me? We can split whatever we catch evenly,” Diya suggested to Niuniu. Although Niuniu was the weakest among them, Diya didn't need to worry about her safety, as Zhong Shenxiu had given Niuniu the previously acquired ‘Windbeak Bird,’ which could instantly obliterate even a magic insect!

Niuniu nodded in agreement. She didn't want to wander alone in this forest; even if there was no actual danger, she would still feel a bit scared, being so young. Having company was certainly preferable!

Diya had initially considered inviting Robin, but remembering his overwhelming strength, she knew she and Niuniu would only become a burden, so she dropped the idea!

Finally, the pairs were set: Zhong Shenxiu and Robin, Elina and Makexin, Solomon and Laurent, Rhys and Daisy, Angelia and Leng Xiangxue, Andrew and Yale!

Everyone else formed solo teams!

“Sister Xia, want to team up with your big sister?” Kaini asked Xia Luo flirtatiously.

Xia Luo shook her head violently; she would rather die than team up with Kaini, as that would be an immediate sentence to perform!

The group then dispersed in various directions and quickly vanished from sight... it seemed everyone understood the need to maximize their time!

Simultaneously, within the "Forest of No Return," a mercenary group of several dozen people was fleeing in panicked haste.

“Keep up, everyone! That magic scroll won’t last long! If those magic wolves catch up, we’re finished! Don’t fall behind!” the leader shouted frantically.

Though the people behind him didn't speak, their expressions were anxious. They had narrowly escaped death using the function of the ‘Magic Scroll,’ but if they didn't move faster, that pack of magic wolves would surely track their scent and pursue them again! If that happened, they would truly be doomed!

These people remained taut, pouring all their strength into keeping pace, knowing that straggling meant approaching death!

Just as they were running forward like this, a dark shadow suddenly flashed out of the thicket, moving with incredible speed!

“Everyone watch out!” the leader suddenly yelled.

The group assumed they had encountered a new magic beast and immediately adopted fighting stances. But when they saw who it was, they all froze!

“Cap... Captain?!” The leader stared, equally astonished, at the equally stunned face of Xia Luo!