He secretly glanced at the other two generals. They were in an even worse state than he was. If their necks weren't so thick, they would have been crushed by all the furious weapons.
Aisi's face was as cold as ice. "Don't tell me it was all an accident or that you didn't know?"
Mark, his face contorted in terror, raised his hands. "Priestess Aisi, I swear by the gods, I truly did not know."
"I received the news even later than you. We were just following orders."
Seeing Aisi's unwavering, murderous gaze and the energy in her staff growing without any sign of weakening, Mark panicked. He searched the crowd for someone to speak up for him. Suddenly, he saw the old mage Demanga. "Master, please say something for me! You can testify that I found out the news the latest. Before that, I really knew nothing."
Demanga, who had been winking at Li Xi after he teleported in, hadn't paid any attention to Aisi's affairs. Hearing Mark's plea, he coughed as if clearing his throat. "Little Aisi, I can testify for them. I received the news even before they did. If I hadn't sent someone to inform them, they'd still be out in some remote mountain gorge outside the city, searching for Ba'er's trace."
Aisi looked at Demanga. Demanga nodded solemnly. Only then did Aisi grudgingly release Mark and dissipate the energy in her staff. "We will not let the nearly a hundred casualties go unaddressed. I will have our bishop seek an explanation from the City Lord."
Mark dared not say another word. Facing the surging crowd, he kept bowing and assuring them that he would report to the City Lord, handle all aftermaths, and investigate who had leaked the information, promising a satisfactory response. In his heart, he also secretly swore to find this person and make them pay a hundred times over for his burning hatred.
The bishop of the Church of Light also stepped forward, guaranteeing that they would supervise to ensure the promise was kept.
Only then did Aisi and the others, reassured, prepare to return to the surface. After two days of intense fighting, if these individuals didn't recover properly for some time, they could suffer permanent injuries.
Li Xi also wanted to return with Aisi, but was suddenly stopped by the old mage Demanga. His shrewd eyes reminded Li Xi of the shrewd Robert. "Young friend, walk slowly. I see you are quite depleted. At such a young age, you must take care of your health. Otherwise, by the time you reach my age, even urinating might wet your shoes. I have some excellent potions here that will surely make you as strong as a dragon and vigorous as a tiger after taking them."
With that, he took out a bottle of blue potion from his spatial ring and, without a word, thrust it into Li Xi's hand.
Li Xi listened to Demanga's suggestive words, looked at the potion in his hand, and noticed the curious, barely suppressed smiles on the faces of those around him as they scrutinized him. Li Xi felt a mix of amusement and helplessness. "Master, are you secretly a peddler of snake oil?"
Demanga's old face hardened. "Snake oil? My potions are so good that even the City Lord can't get his hands on them. You'll know their effect once you try them."
"How much is it? It might be too expensive for me to afford."
"Remember the address I told you. Once you've finished it, come find me, and we'll discuss the price."
Demanga wasn't asking for money upfront, offering a free trial and discussing payment later based on effectiveness. The last time Li Xi encountered such a tactic was with that 'Mon the Gift-Giving Boy Ko.'
That fellow, desperate for a set of equipment worth thirty gold coins, was willing to betray Li Xi's virginity, only to end up 'gifting' all his assets to Li Xi and fleeing with his disciple, deeply in debt.
Looking at Demanga's meaningful gaze, a look that said 'my medicine's efficacy speaks for itself, and everyone who takes it praises it,' Li Xi could only think, 'You old scoundrel with ulterior motives!'
Li Xi's injuries from this great battle were no less severe than Aisi's. First, there were the aftereffects of the green spinach pills, followed by the heavy blow from the Fire Demon. Such an attack, delivered to a giant, could have ripped its intestines out, yet Li Xi had absorbed it entirely with his body and the potion's effects. He was severely wounded. Although the yellow curry pills had repaired his body, their aftereffects still lingered.
Li Xi quickly returned home and took out the blue potion from the old mage Demanga. The blue liquid in the bottle shimmered with starry points of energy, like a galaxy merging with the sea. "Free things are always the most expensive. I refuse to believe you're after my body again this time."
He uncorked the bottle and downed it in one gulp. The cool, sweet, and slightly sticky taste was like drinking a bowl of iced honey water in the summer.
But as soon as the potion entered his stomach, the previously cool sensation instantly transformed into a live volcano.
"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"
It was truly like a live volcano erupting in his stomach, sending waves of energy exploding throughout his body. With each explosion, the aftereffects of the three-colored pills deep within his bones, like stubborn, illegally built tumors, were powerfully pulverized by the iron fist of justice. This was followed by an unbearable itch, as if ten thousand ants were gnawing at him, starting from the deepest part of his bones and slowly spreading throughout his body. This familiar sensation was unforgettable for Li Xi; it was the same feeling he had after swallowing dragon's blood. Without a doubt, this potion was made from materials from dragons.
"That old guy really saw through me."
All the pores on his body exploded, and black sweat poured out like a child's urine with the volcanic eruption in his stomach. His weakened body gradually regained strength. The unbearable itch, as soon as it appeared, vanished, like a captivating beauty one could see but not grasp.
Before long, the lingering effects of the great battle had completely disappeared, and his pale face regained its rosy complexion.
In Li Xi's understanding, Demanga's potion had two functions: one was to enhance Li Xi's potential, akin to cleansing the marrow and washing the bones in martial arts novels; the second was to repair the body, with powerful energy compensating for Li Xi's hidden injuries, restoring him to his peak condition.
As Li Xi's body was thoroughly cleansed of the three-colored pills' aftereffects and his body healed, just as Li Xi thought it was over, the volcano in his stomach continued to erupt with immense power.
The energy was too strong and too abundant. His body began to struggle to cope, feeling like he was being force-fed by a game company. It wasn't about whether he was hungry, but rather that they *assumed* he was hungry, so they kept feeding him until they deemed him full.
This was Li Xi's current situation. The potion's energy was still erupting, utterly indifferent to whether his body had the capacity to contain it. Unlike the dragon's blood from before, which he could absorb using the Ghost Luo Ya technique, this was like a violent forced insertion, disregarding his body's tolerance.
In his anxiety, Li Xi thought about leaving the city to expend this energy. However, just as he was about to move, the energy surged towards an unexpected place.
One area was the underside of his back, near the dragon wings. With the surge of this energy, the dragon wings involuntarily tore through Li Xi's clothes and unfurled. The low, cramped room was instantly cleaved in half. Fortunately, the dragon wings were fast enough that the room remained intact after being cut, without collapsing. Seeing this, Li Xi knew he had to replace this house that had sheltered his ancestors for generations.
The potion's energy poured into the dragon wings with destructive force. The originally red dragon wings slowly turned dark red, their internal bones thickening and strengthening. The dragon wings, originally three meters long, also began to grow, quickly reaching three and a half meters before gradually stopping. These powerful wings would provide Li Xi with greater flight capabilities and maneuverability.
Another area was his entire skin. Just as the dragon wings had unfurled uncontrollably, the dense, millet-sized dragon scales all emerged. Similar to the changes in the dragon wings, the color of the dragon scales also began to turn dark red, and Li Xi sensed that the thickness of the scales was increasing. It was as if a large amount of energy had accumulated. If Li Xi could previously defend against a level three attack without injury, now, with the potion's enhancement, his defense would increase by about 10%.
A 10% increase was significant. While it wouldn't elevate him to level four, no one would complain about insufficient defense.
As the dragon scales and wings consumed a large portion of the potion's energy, the eruption from his stomach began to subside, and the feeling of impending explosion in his body disappeared.
Finally, a portion of the energy surged into his esophagus and stomach. While strengthening his esophagus and stomach, it also completely renovated his teeth. It was like an old house undergoing renovations for a wedding: the old ones instantly fell out, and before Li Xi could feel any pain, new, white teeth grew back.
Li Xi tapped his new teeth in disbelief. There was a "clink, clink" sound like metal striking metal. The hardness of his new teeth was at least two to three times greater than before.
At the same time, he felt his stomach acid had been strengthened dozens of times, and his esophageal peristalsis had greatly improved. This was no longer a normal human digestive system.
Li Xi was inexplicably strengthened. "What does this mean? Can I eat stones and still feel full when I can't get food?"
Li Xi took out a piece of jerky, made from monster meat so tough it was comparable to stone. Normally, a small bite would be filling, but it had to be crushed and boiled before eating. If anyone dared to swallow this jerky raw, they'd be in for a very unpleasant time.
Li Xi didn't hesitate. He threw a small piece of jerky into his mouth. His new set of teeth acted like two rows of sharp files, crunching and pulverizing the jerky.
As it went down his throat, his powerful stomach acid, like a perfectly balanced aqua regia, dissolved the jerky without even a wisp of smoke.
"If I continue like this, am I still human?"
But looking at his current state, he chuckled. "Human? I stopped being human long ago."
...
A new day dawned. Aisi got out of bed, her anger still simmering. She intended to go to the City Lord's mansion again today. She refused to believe that the old and immortal City Lord knew absolutely nothing. Could the phrase "all relevant parties are dead" really erase the deaths of hundreds of people?
Although Ba'er was indeed dead, and the young master had been found by others, the thought of so many dead still weighed heavily on her heart. She skipped breakfast and went to open her door.
The moment Aisi opened the door, someone unexpectedly appeared.
Li Xi, holding breakfast, grinned. "Sister Aisi, good morning! I bought a lot of delicious food. As your new neighbor, please join me for a meal."
"New neighbor?"
Li Xi pointed to the house next door. "The previous owner had an urgent need for money, and fortunately, I had enough. So, I helped them out by buying the house. Starting today, I'm your new neighbor."
Aisi recalled, "That's not right. Uncle Locke and Auntie have said many times that this is an ancestral home and they wouldn't sell it for any amount of money."
Li Xi never argued about minor details. He walked into the courtyard with the breakfast. He wouldn't tell Aisi that last night he had paid five times the price to finally persuade the stubborn couple and successfully buy the house, thus becoming neighbors with Aisi.
Li Xi nonchalantly brought out a table and chairs, placed the breakfast on them, and said, "Don't be shy. Eat up. I promised to earn money to support you, and I'll definitely do it."
Aisi didn't stand on ceremony. She picked up a white bread, filled it with sausage and meat slices, and began to eat.
Li Xi sat beside her, watching her eat, but didn't touch anything himself.
Aisi asked curiously, "Why aren't you eating?"
Li Xi replied, "These things don't quite suit my taste. When I have time later, I'll make you something special that you'll never forget."