The scroll in Shen Qian's arms was black and gold, with a pattern encircling its edge.

This was the bounty he had secretly accepted for the one star in the night.

Most bounty mission scrolls will start to get hot as they approach the target area, as a reminder to the warriors undertaking the mission.

Shen Qian wasn't quite sure what the underlying principle was, but he noticed the scroll starting to heat up as soon as the first candle snake appeared.

That's why he was distracted at the time.

Otherwise, he might have had a chance to stop Gu Yungao.

It can only be said that the other person was unlucky.

As time went on, the temperature of the scroll not only did not decrease, but also showed a gradual upward trend.

This puzzled Shen Qian even more.

He stood still the whole time, so why did the scroll get hotter and hotter?

Before setting off, I opened the quest scroll to check the details. Theoretically, the quest area is also in the east of the city, but it should be some distance from Xiaowang Village.

This situation can only mean that the mission area or mission objective is moving towards him.

Therefore, Shen Qian remained vigilant throughout, which allowed him to detect the approaching snake swarm first.

"Shen Qian, what did you mean by what you just said?"

Xiang Qi frowned, then realized something from the solemn expressions of the Dark Star Squad members, "Are there other dangers here?"

"Most likely." Shen Qian nodded.

Upon hearing this, Xiang Qi instantly leaped to his feet and called to the other three members of the Rock Squad, "Let's go!"

"The green hills remain unchanged, the clear waters flow on forever. Before you go, I've decided to be your friend. Let's have a drink later, goodbye!"

Shen Qian looked at Xiang Qi and the others, who disappeared into the distance without looking back, with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

...That's incredibly pragmatic!

But on second thought, perhaps this is one of the secrets to surviving in the penalty area for so long.

Seeing how decisively the Rock Squad left, He Weichen and Yuan You exchanged a glance and nodded at the same time.

"Let's leave as soon as possible; we'll have to abandon the bounty mission in Xiaowang Village for now."

He Weichen spoke up.

No one objected.

Putting everything else aside, there weren't so many candle snakes gathering in Xiaowang Village before.

This place is no longer a place that ordinary slash-and-burn farming teams can set foot in.

Just as the Dark Star Squad was about to leave, Yuan You glanced back unintentionally and stopped, asking in confusion, "Shen Qian, why aren't you leaving yet?"

“I’m not leaving.” Shen Qian shook his head.

"Why?"

The Dark Star Squad members were all taken aback, and He Weichen asked in bewilderment.

"I have some other things to take care of. You guys go ahead. Don't worry, with Dao Jiu here, I'll be fine."

Shen Qian smiled and, without waiting for the others to ask further questions, led Dao Jiu into the depths of Xiao Wang Village.

He Weichen opened his mouth, but in the end he could only shake his head helplessly.

He didn't think there was anything wrong with Shen Qian's behavior, but the feeling that he had become a burden was really unpleasant.

"Let's go."

He Weichen let out a long breath, took one last deep look at Shen Qian's back, waved, and led the group out of the village.

"Sinking, be careful!"

Gu Zifang shouted, and only after seeing Shen Qian wave in response did she and Ouyang Fei catch up with the group.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine."

Seeing that Gu Zifang was still somewhat stunned, Ouyang Fei smiled and comforted her, "Even if there is any danger, they can definitely protect themselves."

"I'm not worried about his safety..."

Gu Zifang shook her head in disappointment.

"That……"

"I know he's strong, but this is too much. How am I supposed to catch up?" Gu Zifang said with a wry smile.

For a moment, Ouyang Fei could only remain silent.

He knew that Gu Zifang wasn't talking about the Shan Hai Bodyguards, but rather... Shen Qian, with his apparent martial arts skills, had rendered Gu Yungao, a high-level martial artist, powerless against him.

The three of them knew best just how shocking that scene was.

The speed of progress before the sinking... is truly terrifying.

It's despair-inducing.

"team leader!"

Just then, Yang Ni suddenly shouted.

The group stopped temporarily. He Weichen, who was still pondering something, turned around and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Where is Yuan You?" Yang Ni asked.

Everyone looked around and were stunned, because Yuan You had really disappeared.

He Weichen's expression changed at first, then he seemed to realize something, stopped in his tracks, and said with a complicated expression, "She must have gone to find Shen Qian..."

"What... what is she trying to do? With her cultivation level, won't she just be a hindrance to Shen Qian?" Yang Ni asked in astonishment.

"Who knows?" He Weichen sighed helplessly. "Women..."

...

Deep within Xiaowang Village, Shen Qian and Dao Jiu stood atop a mountain wall, their faces serious as they gazed ahead.

It's getting foggy.

About a kilometer away, a thick fog was spreading in, obscuring everything.

Feeling the scroll growing increasingly hot in his arms, Shen Qian was about to say something to Dao Jiu when Dao Jiu suddenly flashed in place and reappeared in front of Shen Qian.

Yuan You seemed surprised that Dao Jiu had dragged her out in such a brutal way, and was momentarily at a loss.

But she quickly tidied her messy hair and, before the stunned Chen could speak, said, "I have three reasons to take me with you!"

"Tell me about it," Chen Qian said, remaining noncommittal.

"First, I am a genuine senior scholar. In terms of knowledge, I am easily among the top ten in the entire Jingcheng. The forbidden zone is extremely mysterious, and I can give you answers to many questions!"

"Secondly, I'm not only intelligent, but I also know when to advance and when to retreat, and I will absolutely never hold you back!"

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