Three Criminals

Kent frowned as he considered his options regarding the Spirit Pearl. The temptation to train in another combat technique specifically for this rare Saint-tier item was strong, but he hesitated. Training an entirely new skill just for a mid-tier Spirit Pearl seemed excessive.

He thought, But I could keep it as a reward, or even give it away. It was an idea, but he'd decide what to do with it later.

While Kent was pondering, the battle below had escalated. Garfield had grown even larger, reaching 15 meters in length, and was radiating an imposing aura.

"Meow!"

With a sharp cry, Garfield unleashed a deadly blow. His claws, now more than half a meter long, shot forward like lightning, piercing the almost shattered Earth Control Chouwa Beast's skull. With a violent jerk, the beast's body was torn apart into countless pieces, scattering across the battlefield.

But the battle didn't end there. The Earth Control Chouwa Beast, after sustaining such a heavy blow, activated its third ability, "Splitting," disintegrating into multiple pieces. If not destroyed within a certain time frame, these fragments would reform into a complete body and resurrect the beast.

Kent had no intention of letting that happen. Knowing the Earth Control Spirit Pearl was key to the beast's power, he quickly stored it in his spatial bag. With his three beasts, he began smashing each piece of the "Spirit Beast remains" to ensure the creature couldn't regenerate.

Amid the chaotic clash, the shattered remains of the Spirit Beast, now aware of the imminent danger of death, scrambled in panic, scattering in all directions, hoping to survive long enough to reform.

Kent and his beasts were relentless, using every method available to destroy each piece. In just three minutes, all the fragments had been pulverized, ensuring the beast would never rise again.

With the Earth Control Chouwa Beast taken care of, Kent let out a relieved breath and turned his attention to the Gourd Fruit Tree.

The tree, sensing the death of its guardian beast, trembled in fear. It released a flurry of flying leaves in a desperate attempt to defend itself.

But its leaf barrage was useless from the start.

Kent, unfazed by the flying leaves, advanced slowly toward the Gourd Fruit Tree. Once close, he drew his blade and drove it into the trunk, embedding it deep. When he pulled it out, purple sap oozed from the wound, emitting a subtle, life-filled fragrance.

Kent smirked, knowing the tree wouldn't dare resist any further. If it tried, he'd simply cut it down—there was no loss to him.

After waiting for a moment and seeing the tree stand still, Kent decided not to prolong the confrontation. He leapt up to a nearby branch, casually plucking the ripe Gourd Fruits from the tree and tossing them into his spatial bag.

Five minutes later, Kent landed with a satisfied expression. Ignoring the trembling tree, he left with his three beasts.

With over forty Gourd Fruits in hand, he was confident that Wukong's evolution would now be fully supported. His mission was complete, and it was time to return.

"Let's head back. Time's running short," Kent decided as he made his way along the same path.

But his luck took a turn for the worse. He unexpectedly ran into a group of vicious individuals, their aura emanating a strong sense of malice.

"Boy, where are you going?"

From behind a dense, shadowy tree, three men emerged.

The one on the left wore a tattered battle helmet, tall and thin, with a gaunt face that looked like it hadn't seen proper nourishment. His appearance was quite intimidating.

On the right was a young man in leather clothes, with sharp, dark eyes that occasionally sparkled. He had two daggers sheathed on his legs and wore black animal hide on his palms to prevent injury.

In the middle stood a man with his hands behind his back, a subtle smile playing on his lips as he eyed Kent. He carried a longsword, and his presence was that of an expert, exuding an aura of hidden power.

Kent froze upon seeing these men, surprised to find mercenaries from Earthstar in the Changguo Mountain Range. He hadn't expected to encounter them here.

However, their tone and demeanor were hostile, and their faces seemed somewhat familiar.

As he stared at them, a look of recognition flickered in his eyes, and he instinctively took a step back, feeling a chill run down his spine.

These were no ordinary mercenaries—they were criminals listed on the bounty board.

Since the Earthstar anomaly, while humanity united to combat the beasts and ensure survival, some "rotten apples" emerged—just like on Earth, with murderers and drug traffickers. Earthstar had similar criminals.

These men were notorious for their lawlessness—murdering and pillaging in cities and the wilderness alike. They were placed on the bounty board by major star cities, forever banned from entering any city. If found, they were to be killed on sight, and each of them had a hefty bounty on their heads.

The man on the left, Gao Qiang, ranked 136th on the list, had killed five people in the city and ambushed numerous mercenaries, killing at least ten.

The young man on the right, Pi Xiaobiao, ranked 129th, was wanted for burglary and murder, and he had a reputation for attacking beautiful female mercenaries in the wilderness, committing unspeakable acts.

The middle man, Qin Jianxuan, was the most dangerous of the three, ranked 58th. He was once a top instructor in a prestigious Earthstar club, specializing in the fifth-tier martial technique "Ghostly Spiral Killing Sword." However, his penchant for inappropriate conduct with his female students led to him being hunted after he killed several city guards to escape. In the wild, he became more reckless, slaughtering entire mercenary teams and imprisoning female mercenaries for his sick desires.

"It's them... I'm in danger now," Kent thought, his mind racing. But on the surface, he forced himself to stay calm.

"Who are you three, and why are you blocking my path?" Kent asked, his voice steady.

"Heh, kid, you've got guts. You see us three brothers, and you don't even flinch. Too bad, it doesn't matter," Pi Xiaobiao sneered.