Village Chief Hun Mie waited silently.

"You saw through it long ago?" Huo Lingling asked.

Village Chief Hun Mie tapped the table twice. "You have two breathing rhythms within you. Upon reaching Seventh Grade, a martial artist's perception greatly improves. Even faint breathing can be detected. When I approached you, I had already guessed your identity."

Huo Lingling gave Village Chief Hun Mie a deep look, feeling Li Xuan tap her back once. She put down the heavy backpack and unzipped it.

Li Xuan stood up, preparing to transform into the Giant Beast at any moment.

This time, he had miscalculated.

Mainly due to insufficient understanding of martial artists, lack of intelligence, and being overly confident from recent smooth successes, leading to this flawed plan.

Li Xuan mentally noted this failure, warning his future self.

"Truly worthy of being Village Chief."

Li Dalong suddenly stood up, exclaiming in shock: "Li Xuan? How is it you!"

"You know each other?" Village Chief Hun Mie asked in surprise.

"We met on the way to Tianniu Island." Li Dalong explained, then looked at Huo Lingling's ugly face and asked quietly: "Are you Huo Lingling?"

"I am not." Huo Lingling denied.

Village Chief Hun Mie lightly coughed, and Li Dalong shut up, swallowing the questions he wanted to ask.

He stared intently into Li Xuan's eyes, trying to discern something. "I don't care whether you travelers are truly from another world or not. I have one question—can you take me away from Tianniu Island?"

Based on intelligence gathered from outsiders, he had deduced a truth he himself found hard to believe.

These outsiders truly came from another world!

They knew nothing of the Great Qian Dynasty, knew no martial arts, understood no theories. Each could describe scenes from another world, each described different things about that other world, speaking of different matters. But when asked about specific things, the outsiders could answer immediately without much thought.

For example, a giant steel bird that could fly in the sky—any outsider asked could answer it was an airplane that could carry people flying. Some airplanes even had extremely strong offensive capabilities, able to launch shells that could destroy an entire street.

Various details indicated they weren't from outside the island, but from outside this world!

"Impossible." Li Xuan said.

He didn't know whether people from Tianniu Island could go to Blue Star two versions early. The intelligence didn't mention any natives taking the Clown Train to leave Tianniu Island.

Village Chief Hun Mie pressed: "Why?"

"Money is needed. Boarding requires money." Li Xuan said.

Village Chief Hun Mie understood what "car" meant. After realizing the outsiders were travelers from another world, he followed the trail of outsiders coming to Soul King Village and found the Clown Train, witnessing that colossal entity with his own eyes.

Like a giant steel serpent, spewing white smoke from its top—something he had never seen before.

"Can other items not substitute? I have fierce beast pelts, delicious dried meat, martial arts secret manuals passed down from ancestors."

"No, money must be used. Local money. Soul King Village has no currency of its own. This place belongs to Great Qian, meaning Great Qian's money is needed to purchase tickets." Li Xuan said.

Great Qian's money?

Village Chief Hun Mie frowned deeply. Soul King Village had been trapped for hundreds of years—where could they find Great Qian's money?

Moreover, they didn't know whether Great Qian had changed its currency over the centuries.

Li Dalong spoke to comfort him. "Father, Blue Star is experiencing an apocalypse. Zombies run rampant, extreme weather occurs continuously. Survivors struggle even to eat their fill. Otherwise, why would we want to stay in Soul King Village? Going to Blue Star would be suffering for you. Better to stay in Soul King Village and enjoy comfort."

Village Chief Hun Mie snorted, speaking bluntly: "What do you know! Those so-called zombies can't even catch you, let alone hurt me? Standing still, ordinary people with swords can't harm me—can zombies harm me?

Extreme weather is perfect opportunity to temper martial arts. Practicing martial arts on Blue Star, I will definitely break through the Seventh Grade barrier and advance to the Middle Three Grades!"

Hun Xiaoyan said unhappily: "Father! Don't blame Brother Dalong. He means well for you. Even if you're willing to suffer, I'm not willing."

Village Chief Hun Mie sighed, helpless against his foolish daughter. She was his only descendant, and he still hoped Hun Xiaoyan would bear him a grandson to continue the bloodline.

"Tianniu Island is a prison. This place is too small, too small to nurture Middle Three Grades martial artists. The limit is Seventh Grade. All previous village chiefs were martial arts prodigies—who would be content trapped at Seventh Grade for life?

Especially me? I hadn't even reached middle age when I killed the previous village chief. My talent is better than theirs. I originally had hope of impacting the Upper Three Grades, but trapped at Seventh Grade—what regret."

Hun Xiaoyan lowered her head silently. She knew her father's obsession.

After becoming village chief, her father had tried many methods to leave Tianniu Island, even cooperating with the 'Mountain Deity,' but none succeeded.

For a martial arts prodigy, the cruelest thing is having their path forward severed.

Village Chief Hun Mie beckoned to Li Dalong. "Come here."

Li Dalong obediently walked before Village Chief Hun Mie. After witnessing the power of a Seventh Grade martial artist, this excellent Blue Star mercenary wholeheartedly wanted to learn martial arts, temporarily setting aside his pride.

Village Chief Hun Mie looked at him with complex emotions. "Your first child with my daughter will take the surname Hun, regardless of gender. Acceptable?"

Li Dalong nodded repeatedly. His Xia Country name was self-chosen, so he didn't care whether his child was named Li or Hun. "I'd even change my surname to Hun."

Village Chief Hun Mie waved his hand, signaling Li Dalong to step aside. "Enough, stand aside. Afterwards, I'll teach you martial arts."

Having said that, his gaze met Li Xuan's, and he said solemnly: "I'll teach you martial arts, and you help me with one thing. Acceptable?"

"What thing?"

"Did you inquire about the Mountain Deity's information?"

"No."

Village Chief Hun Mie stood up, walked to the wall, and took down a scroll hanging there.

Whoosh~

The scroll unfurled.

It depicted a black fierce tiger with bull horns, wings on its back, and a scorpion-like stinger at the tip of its tail.

The black fierce tiger was ferocious and terrifying, its bloody maw wide open, vividly lifelike. It perfectly captured the tiger's bloodthirst and savagery, as if roaring at the viewer outside the painting, sending chills down the spine.

"This is the Mountain Deity worshipped by Soul King Village. In reality, it's just a powerful fierce tiger. It's Sixth Grade, with difficult-to-heal injuries causing its combat power to decline. Even so, it can still easily slaughter Soul King Village.

Previous village chiefs, to protect Soul King Village, chose to worship the Mountain Deity, formed hunting teams, raised cattle, sheep, chickens, and ducks, offering ninety percent of the obtained meat to the fierce tiger. Thus, the fierce tiger stopped attacking Soul King Village."

Li Xuan stared at the black fierce tiger in the painting. "If you want me to kill it, I'd rather give up learning martial arts."

If he couldn't learn martial arts now, there would be opportunities in the future.

Additionally, he had a martial arts secret manual in hand. Fearing problems, he hadn't immediately practiced it. After returning to Blue Star, he could find some evil survivors and force them to practice the Flowing Water Art, testing whether it had issues.

Village Chief Hun Mie said gravely: "What I want you to do is kill it, but not alone. I'll bring the hunting team to surround and kill the Mountain Deity together with you. I've made full preparations, concocted secret medicine that can give Sixth Grade fierce beasts diarrhea.

I didn't act before because the village only had me, one Seventh Grade, unable to withstand the Mountain Deity's assault. With you joining, it's different. I discussed your transformed Giant Beast's combat power with the hunting team. Preliminary assessment places it no lower than mine."

Li Xuan silently pondered. How much truth was in Village Chief Hun Mie's words?

Was the Giant Beast truly equivalent to Seventh Grade?

Was Village Chief Hun Mie using him as bait to attract the fierce tiger?

The Giant Beast differed from martial artists—huge size, very conspicuous. The fierce tiger would definitely notice the Giant Beast first, then the martial artists. Once battle erupted, the fierce tiger would most likely attack the Giant Beast first.

"I need to consider."

Village Chief Hun Mie nodded, not surprised. "Acceptable. If you can't decide immediately, you may leave first. Come find me after making your decision."

Li Xuan gave Huo Lingling a look. The two left together. When stepping out of Soul King Village, their tense nerves relaxed slightly.