"This is a tough one. With such strong Life Force, this Exotic Beast is going to be hard to kill."

Deaf to its cries and showing no mercy, Guan Wanjing raised his shotgun and fired a shot straight into the Iron Feather Giant Goose’s right eye. The blast did indeed blind it, but its head was wreathed in dense Spiritual Power, and the impact never reached its brain. Besides, what did it matter if the brain of an Extraordinary Creature was destroyed? It might very well think with its Soul, having no need for a physical body. They were strong enough to challenge and defeat a single enemy stronger than themselves, but when facing Spirit Beasts like this—creatures with absurdly tough bodies and levels higher than their own—a victory was possible, but a kill was far more difficult.

But Shao Qiming had a clever plan for this—a great way to deal with hard-to-kill enemies, one he had learned from his good friend.

"A friend of mine once told me to always carry white phosphorus."

As he spoke, Shao Qiming pulled a sealed box from his utility belt. He explained to his teammates, who were clearly surprised and confused, "It’s all legal. I applied for permission to carry flammable and explosive materials into the camp. Azhou helped me get it past the professor’s review."

With that, he cut another wound into the giant goose’s back. Then, Shao Qiming sprinkled the white phosphorus inside and lit it. The whole process was casual and smooth, as if he had done it many times before.

WHOOSH!

A raging fire began to burn on the screaming giant goose’s back.

Guan Wanjing, the only one in the squad who seemed capable of normal conversation, was stunned. "Where the hell did you learn such a vicious technique? That’s terrifying! And isn’t Professor Su your childhood friend? Of course he’d approve your request! This is blatant favoritism!"

"From Su Zhou, of course. He said that most Spirit Beasts have powerful regeneration abilities. And to deal with strong regeneration, you use white phosphorus. It’s an easy way to make them feel like death would be a mercy."

Shao Qiming was still smiling his bright, cheerful smile as he spoke. While stabbing the giant goose’s body with Li Hanshan’s sword to observe its regeneration speed, he added, "He also said that if an opponent has strong regeneration, you should rip out their fingernails. Keep ripping them out, since they regenerate fast anyway—of course, that’s just for humans. My interpretation is that when facing an enemy with a strong regeneration ability, once you’ve knocked them down, you must keep hurting them nonstop to observe their regeneration speed."

"This way, you can also judge if the Spirit Beast has any stamina left to counter-attack, whether it was playing dead, or if it has any power in reserve."

As he spoke, the fire on its back began to spread. The sizzle and aroma of cooking flesh filled the air. The Iron Feather Giant Goose’s screams had grown faint, and it was barely breathing.

Watching this scene, Guan Wanjing swallowed. After all, it was Spirit Beast Flesh, and it smelled really, really good.

"..." Li Hanshan said nothing. He just took a step back, his gaze a mixture of awe and fear as he watched the still-smiling Shao Qiming, who seemed lost in thought. Then, his body began to tremble.

Meanwhile, Lii Yeyu was reeling in shock, screaming internally, ’Holy shit! I thought he was just a cheerful, handsome guy, but he’s totally rotten on the inside?!’

’Is there anyone normal on this team?’

「Meanwhile, at the Jade Pool, beside the Peach Tree Forest.」

"Eat people? Where would I even find people to eat here? And why would I eat people?"

’Have the peaches stopped being tasty? Has nature’s spiritual energy lost its flavor? I’m at the Extraordinary Tier and can sustain myself through Fasting. Why would I need to eat flesh and blood?’

Hearing Su Zhou’s question, the Garuda tilted its head in confusion, its golden hair swaying. It couldn’t figure out the thought process of this Dragon Race member who hadn’t even answered its question.

Just then, it saw the Dragon Race member nod slightly, as if to say, ’Correct answer.’ Then, he spoke, his tone cultured and easygoing. "Since that’s the case, there’s some room for discussion. To be fair, you’re not some great villain. But you did obstruct me and send beasts to attack me earlier, and that was quite malicious." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"How about this: I’ll start by beating you until you cry."

Having said that, Su Zhou exhaled, and his feet moved.

Instantly, the solid earth and rock beneath him shattered and exploded. His body vanished, leaving only a crackle of Thunder Light in the air.

In the next instant, the Garuda’s eyes widened as it saw a massive, white fist hurtling toward its face.

Its body was sent flying backward.

BOOM!

Only then did its body register the feeling of being hit.