BTTH : From Humble Beginnings to Dou Di

Outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

Lin Feng, who was assigned to the front of the herb-gathering team as a scout, was cautiously exploring the jungle.

Before long, he came across a clearing. After a brief search of the surroundings, he confirmed that there was no danger and gestured behind him, signaling that the area was safe.

Seeing his signal, the other mercenaries in the scouting team moved up to join him. As Lin Feng looked at the new faces around him, he couldn't help but sigh at the cruelty of the Dou Qi Continent.

Originally, he was just a regular member of the scouting team. However, less than half an hour after setting out, they were ambushed by three first-rank magical beasts.

Although Lin Feng swiftly defeated the beast attacking him and turned to assist the others, the attack still resulted in the loss of a teammate.

This small-scale magical beast assault gave Lin Feng, who was entering the Magical Beast Mountain Range for the first time, a firsthand taste of its harshness.

However, in order to avoid drawing attention to himself, he had only utilized the strength of a two-star Dou Zhe so far. He also refrained from using any Black Class Dou Techniques, relying instead on a Mid-Grade Yellow Class Dou Technique called Shattering Stone Fist.

Yet, after an entire morning of hardship, the other four members of his squad had either perished or were resting in the rear to recover from their injuries.

As a result, he had smoothly taken over as the scouting team leader.

Once everyone had gathered, Lin Feng turned to a thin mercenary and said, "The map."

Upon hearing this, the mercenary quickly took out the map and spread it open.

Lin Feng glanced at it, then pointed to the nearby clearing. "We're less than two hours away from the herb-gathering site. Since the herb-gathering team has been working for a while now, we can rest here for a bit before heading to the valley by dusk."

After marking the map, Lin Feng handed it to another mercenary. "Go inform the main team."

"Yes, Captain!" The mercenary responded, took the map, and quickly ran toward the rear.

Once he was gone, Lin Feng turned back to the remaining three members. "You guys, follow me and search the surroundings carefully to prevent any magical beast ambushes."

"Yes, Captain!" They responded in unison.

A while later, the main herb-gathering team arrived at Lin Feng's location. Just then, a gentle and clear voice rang out among the quiet ranks.

"Everyone, we're close to the herb-gathering area now. Let's take a break. We've been walking for so long, you must all be tired."

The advancing group halted momentarily before nodding in agreement at the sight of the white-robed woman whose smile was pure and untainted.

With the arrival of the main group, Lin Feng and the other scouts finally got a much-needed break. As for the security duties, they were naturally handed over to the mercenaries in the back.

Most people sat down, closed their eyes slightly, and circulated their cultivation methods to replenish their Dou Qi, which had been depleted from traveling.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Lin Feng quietly slipped into the small forest nearby.

Earlier, while studying the map, he had memorized the locations of several cliffs in the vicinity.

Now was the perfect time to check if there were any caves.

As he walked into the forest, the lighting dimmed. However, since this was an area he had previously scouted, he wasn't too concerned about sudden magical beast attacks.

The deeper he went, the darker it became. But after a while, the dim surroundings suddenly brightened.

Lifting his gaze, Lin Feng realized he had reached the end of the small forest.

Stepping out, he saw a steep cliff in front of him. Below it lay a dense, lush green forest, creating a picturesque scene.

His eyes scanned the edge of the cliff before suddenly pausing. Stepping closer, he carefully examined the cliffside.

His gaze slowly moved along the rocky wall until it stopped at a section partially concealed by wooden logs.

The oddly placed branches were arranged skillfully, but Lin Feng still detected something unusual about them.

Narrowing his eyes, he used the slanting sunlight to peek through the gaps in the wood and caught sight of a dark hollow in the cliffside.

Instantly, the corners of his mouth curled into a grin.

A hidden cave, well-concealed with wooden logs, and not far from the Thousand Medicine House herb-gathering team's location—everything matched the original story.

Unless he was extremely unlucky, this cave was the one that contained a flying Dou Technique!

Memorizing the location, Lin Feng turned to head back to the team. Now was not the time to linger for too long.

"Hmm? What's this?"

Just as he was about to leave, his peripheral vision caught something on a large tree directly above the cave—a rope tied to its trunk.

Startled, he quickly rushed toward the tree.

Upon closer inspection, he confirmed that it was indeed a rope, and his expression darkened.

"Could someone have beaten me to it?"

As Lin Feng pondered, the rope in his hand was suddenly tugged from below, moving rhythmically.

Seeing this, Lin Feng immediately realized—someone was still down there!

Without hesitation, he retrieved a dagger from his storage ring, stepped to the edge of the cliff, and spoke coldly, "If you had already escaped, I wouldn't be able to do anything. But since I caught you, I'm afraid I can't let you go."

The rope swayed for a moment before a delicate, jade-like hand suddenly emerged from below, gripping the rocky edge.

Then, a soft and ethereal face appeared over the cliff's edge.

The young girl froze at the sight of the clean-looking young man crouching in front of her. Her mind took a moment to process the situation.

But as soon as she noticed the gleaming dagger in his hand, her expression changed to one of panic.

"Xiao Yixian?"

Lin Feng was also stunned for a moment before he coldly demanded, "Hand over the items, or don't blame me for being ruthless."

Hearing this, Xiao Yixian's beautiful eyes first showed a trace of panic, but she quickly concealed it and replied with a charming smile, "Oh, it's Captain Lin Feng from the scouting team. Did you drop something down there? I was just gathering herbs below, but I didn't see anything of yours."

"Give me the items from the cave, or I'll kill you."

Lin Feng had no patience for games. While Xiao Yixian was undoubtedly beautiful and had great potential, his priority was his own strength.

The items inside that cave were far too valuable—especially that remnant map. He had to obtain it.

Hearing the mention of a cave, Xiao Yixian stiffened slightly but still feigned ignorance. "I was just collecting herbs and didn't see any cave. If you're looking for something, everything I gathered is in my basket. If you want it, take it."

Lin Feng moved the dagger closer to her delicate face, his tone icy. "Don't play dumb. Where are the cave's contents? If you keep stalling, don't blame me if I leave some scars on that pretty face of yours. Let's see how you'll show yourself in public then."