Little Rascal sat comfortably on a bluestone, resting his chin in his hands as he watched several creatures approach the Fountain of Youth. He showed no impatience, quietly waiting for them to achieve their goal. Ahead in the medicinal field, several ancient remnant species were laboriously gathering herbs, each pluck forcing them to cough up mouthfuls of blood, their bodies suffering severe damage.
“Aren’t you tired? You’re vomiting blood like this and still gathering herbs—aren’t you afraid of dying?” Little Rascal blinked curiously, addressing them.
The creatures wore expressions uglier than crying. Did they really have a choice? They were being forced by that divine servant—each had to gather at least ten spiritual herbs to earn their freedom.
Little Rascal seemed to read their thoughts. “Don’t worry, I’ve already dealt with that golden monster. You can leave now.”
One of the remnant species hesitated before whispering, “But its master is a pure-blooded divine beast. We’ve already agreed to gather ten herbs. If we flee now and get caught, disaster will follow.”
“Oh, you mean her? Don’t worry, what’s hers is mine. Just hand over the herbs you’ve gathered, and I’ll guarantee your safety.” Little Rascal waved his hand dismissively, as if it were no big deal.
By the Fountain of Youth, several terrifying creatures were inching closer to the pool, their focus absolute. The oppressive field weighed on them, their bodies aching as if about to split apart.
The purple-haired girl, her back turned, trembled slightly in anger. That human boy behind her was freely distributing *her* spiritual herbs. But she was already so close to the fountain—if she turned back now, all her efforts would be wasted.
“Human, you’ve succeeded in angering me!” Her voice was cold as a winter spring, beautiful yet laced with killing intent.
Little Rascal rummaged around before picking up a boulder weighing several hundred pounds and hurling it at her back with lightning speed.
**BOOM!**
The boulder shattered the moment it entered the field, turning to dust before it could reach her. Though unharmed, the girl’s purple hair flared wildly—no one had ever dared insult her like this.
“Not sturdy enough,” Little Rascal muttered, then hefted another stone. “Maybe I should try you—I bet you could send an enemy flying.”
“Don’t! I’ll shatter the moment I go in!” the stone wailed, struggling desperately.
After some thought, Little Rascal decided against it—he didn’t want to disrupt the girl’s attempt to draw water. After all, he was counting on robbing her later.
The golden spring shimmered brilliantly, its radiance enveloping the area. The powerful creatures inched forward with great effort, the tension thickening as the moment to seize the divine water approached.
“You idiots, why aren’t you leaving yet?” Little Rascal scoffed, turning his attention to the golden beast.
“Are you from the Divine Mountain of Antiquity?” he asked curiously.
“Indeed. Human, you don’t know your place—insulting me will anger the gods. If you release me and apologize sincerely, I might forgive you,” the golden beast said nervously.
“Why would I need your forgiveness?” Little Rascal smacked it with the stone, sending stars spinning before its eyes.
“What… do you want?” the beast snarled.
“Robbery. Hand over everything you brought from the Divine Mountain!” Little Rascal grinned. Treasures from the domain of ancient divine beasts had to be extraordinary.
“I have nothing! Take my life if you must!”
“You think I won’t?” Little Rascal searched its body but found nothing. “Where’d you hide them? Ah, you must’ve stored them in your inner realm.”
He scratched his head—without access to treasures or runes here, he couldn’t open the beast’s inner realm unless he killed it.
“These horns look nice—shiny enough to pass for dragon horns.” His eyes gleamed as he tugged at the golden beast’s horns.
“True, they’re treasures! Ground into powder, they make rare medicinal catalysts,” the stone chimed in.
“Perfect! I was just craving chicken stew with mushrooms.” Little Rascal raised the stone and brought it down on the beast’s head.
**”AH—!”**
Two screams erupted simultaneously, the stone’s wails drowning out the beast’s roars.
**CRACK!**
The golden horns snapped off, clattering onto the stone like metallic chimes.
“Nice loot!” Little Rascal grinned, sensing the rich spiritual energy.
“I’ll fight you to the death!” the golden beast roared. What rotten luck—how had it encountered such a monstrous human? Even the remnant species gathering herbs nearby wondered if he was actually a pure-blooded beast in human form.
“Fight? I hate violence!” Little Rascal slammed the stone onto its face, knocking it out cold.
“If I didn’t want to tame your master to guard my village, I’d have plucked you clean and tossed you into a stew,” he muttered.
“See this, everyone? That human boy is plotting against us. If we succeed in drawing the water, he’ll ambush us. Our bodies are already weakening—he might just get his way,” the purple-haired girl said, her voice melodious yet chilling.
“Hey, don’t frame me!” Shi Hao protested.
“Why don’t we eliminate him first? Clear the field, then compete fairly,” another creature suggested.
The others nodded. This human was dangerous—letting him recover outside posed a real threat.
“Bullying me, huh? Fine, I’ll join the competition. I was curious about this field’s strength anyway.” Little Rascal sighed.
He knew they wouldn’t retreat—they’d invested too much effort. If he waited to ambush them, they’d surely unite against him first.
Hoisting his beast-skin bag, he stepped forward. As expected, the creatures fell silent—as long as he wasn’t an immediate threat, they’d ignore him.
Little Rascal advanced cautiously, keeping his distance from each creature to avoid early conflict.
The field’s pressure was immense—no wonder they moved so slowly. The ground was sticky beneath his feet, littered with shattered bones and blood.
His own bones creaked under the strain, but he pressed on. Eight corpses lined the path, all recently destroyed.
“Such a terrifying field!”
As he entered the deadlier zone, his steps slowed. The surviving creatures here were either pure-blooded or their equals in strength—formidable foes.
The golden light intensified, blindingly radiant. Each being was enveloped in a fiery glow, their forms barely distinguishable.
A day and night passed before Little Rascal finally neared the golden spring, standing alongside the others.
The pool seethed with golden runes, its undulating waves exuding overwhelming pressure.
**CRACK!**
One creature’s forehead split, blood seeping out as fractures spread across its body. Without a word, it retreated—only for a divine bird to strike, tearing out its heart and devouring it.
“Even if your bloodline isn’t supreme, reaching this level is rare indeed,” the bird mused.
Little Rascal tensed. This place was brutal—even the strong fell without mercy.
Hours later, the remaining beings finally reached the Fountain of Youth. None dared act rashly.
The square-shaped pool steamed with mist, its contents obscured, yet its life force was overwhelming—as if one sip could elevate them to immortality.
Hanging back, Little Rascal avoided the front lines, wary of a united attack.
Someone kicked a stone into the spring. Instead of a splash, a golden shockwave erupted, making every creature shudder.
They gauged the field’s intensity—it was possible to draw the water!
**SHING!**
A blade-like strike flashed—someone attacked their neighbor, aiming not just for the spring but to claim a pure-blooded being as medicinal flesh.
**CLANG!**
Another struck at Little Rascal, their black claw clashing against him with metallic force.
Chaos erupted by the Fountain of Youth as the strongest beings clashed in a decisive battle.
“Bring it on! Pure-blooded beasts and divine birds—I’ll tame you all!” Little Rascal roared.
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