Huh? Isn't this an adventure kingdom building game?!

Sure enough, the health bar atop the Demon Beast began steadily dropping with -100, -200... constant damage.

Jiang Yuan dropped his blade, embedding it into the beast's belly. The next second, he teleported onto its broad back, his hands gripping the leathery hide as if it were armor. He cast whatever skill came off cooldown while continuously draining its lifespan.

Xie Chenyuan watched with his heart pounding in his chest. Senior Jiang was a ruthless man!

The Demon Beast had gone berserk, yet he still dared to engage it in close combat!

"Stop! Stop!" Shen Laoliu felt his life force slipping away and begged for mercy, "I have many treasures, just stop and I'll give them all to you!"

Jiang Yuan found it amusing, "I've heard this plea N times before. Don't you realize, if we kill you, we can loot freely without leaving a threat behind?"

"No, no, no! If I die, the secrets I know are lost forever!" Shen Laoliu hollered, "I know many secrets!"

Xie Chenyuan felt somewhat tempted. After all, the other party was an important figure cultivated by the major family of Carefree City. Furthermore, after the Shen family was divided, their important treasures, including cultivation techniques, were never found. It's very likely that they are hidden where the Demon Beast knows.

But Bai Yunqi and Hu Zhile continued casting their magic unbothered, not worried about hitting Senior Jiang on the beast's back.

"Shouldn't we pause a bit?" He hesitated to act, afraid of harming Jiang, and flew over to Bai Yunqi, whispering, "Might it not hurt Senior Jiang this way?"

"It won't," Bai Yunqi replied crisply and decisively, "The Venerable Family said he can enable some sort of Secret Technique that won't be affected by our spells.

This is your first time working with the Venerable Family, so you're unfamiliar with his combat style. Just remember one thing: As long as the Venerable Family hasn't ordered a stop, stay far away, protect yourself, and attack with full force, leaving everything else to him."

Xie Chenyuan: ???

Is it really that simple?

"You two... are Family Guardian Immortals, right?" He was even more astonished, thinking that serving a Family Immortal should be like having elders in a Sect who step up in times of need. How come these two were acting like cheerleading underlings?

Bai Yunqi's face darkened upon hearing this, thinking that guy really hits where it hurts.

Actually, he didn't expect the Venerable Family to grow so quickly. When they first met, he had nothing, not even cultivation techniques. Yet now, just a few short months later, he could hold down and pummel a High Tier Demon Beast.

"I swear it's true!" Shen Laoliu couldn't see, was injured, and felt his vitality continuously slipping away and panicked. "I possess extraordinary skills, and alive, I'm much more useful than dead!"

Jiang Yuan, without even looking up, continued casting skills while draining lifespan, "You've eaten so many Demon Cultivators, causing harm to the world. It's better to kill you for the greater good!"

"These Demon Cultivators were all captured by the old man Shen who forced me to eat them when I lost control! There's also the City Lord of Carefree City's little daughter, that young girl in her teens; she's in grave danger!

For survival, Shen Laoliu half-truthfully shouted, "That day, I was uncontrollably drawn in by her dual souls! I didn't mean to harm anyone! I wanted to save her; you misunderstood me!"

[Triggered Side Quest: Carefree City Lord's Worry]

[The City Lord of Carefree City, Gongxi Yanchang's little daughter, Gongxi Jin, is intelligent and adorable, but three years ago suddenly fell ill with a strange disease that no renowned doctor can cure. This matter has become Gongxi Yanchang's greatest concern. Please cure Gongxi Jin's strange disease for a generous reward.]

[Quest 1: Obtain the unrefined Flood Dragon Bloodline Power within the Golden-Horned Thunder Avoiding Beast. Reward: Acceleration Card +2]

This can trigger a side quest?

Jiang Yuan was amused; not only did Shen Laoliu's mention of "secrets" fail to save his life, but it also turned into a death sentence because the side quest required obtaining the Bloodline Power.

"Hmm, you can sense the dual souls because of the unrefined Flood Dragon Bloodline Power inside you, right?" He kept draining lifespan and took the chance to probe for information.

Shen Laoliu's original intention was to distract the opponent, hoping to escape or change the adverse situation. If the opponent were at all greedy, they might have actually swallowed his story whole.

So he quickly nodded, "Exactly, exactly! This bloodline power in me could help the City Lord solve his problem, and the benefits will all be yours!"

"So where did you get this Flood Dragon Bloodline Power?"

"How would I know!" Shen Laoliu's not-so-bright mind was working overtime trying to save himself and counterattack, but the opponent wouldn't stop. It was frustrating, "It was brought back by the old man Shen! I've been terribly wronged by him!

Little Immortal, please spare me a life. I truly haven't harmed anyone; all the bad stuff was done by the old man Shen and his people..."

As he spoke, he attempted again to charge and unleash the thunder with his Golden Horn.

Since brute force wasn't effective, he'd electrocute them nearly to death while they were unsuspecting and toss them out of the cave. The traps set on the island's network would naturally take care of them.

Jiang Yuan noticed it winding up again, and with a technique like Vast Mountains and Rivers, he devoured most of the thunderous power, interrupting the spell.

"The traps outside, were they also set by the old man Shen?"

"Of course, it was all them! I'm just a Demon Beast; how could I set all that up?" Shen Laoliu lamented, clawing at the colorful ribbons covering his eyes, "Ever since they chose me as the Shen Clan's Guardian Beast, I haven't known a day of peace!

All other Demon Beasts can live in their habitats, but I have to endure being stuffed with indigestible things.

After eating, I get irritable and can't control my power. To avoid the other prestigious families in the city catching on, they brought me to this island set with a net trap to live here.

That day, they brought me to the city and fed me strange things. After eating, I fell asleep, and upon waking, I was drawn by the dual souls, trying to help but caused disaster. Little Immortal, I'm innocent!"

[Lifespan +1 year]

[Lifespan +2 years]

......

Growing increasingly pleased as he drained more, Jiang Yuan once again interrupted its spell preparation, "Keep talking, then what? Where are the Shen family's cultivation techniques and treasures hidden?"

"You want benefits, then stand down!" Shen Laoliu jumped anxiously.

On one front, there was Hu Zhile, Bai Yunqi, and Xie Chenyuan taking turns with their attacks;

On the other, Jiang Yuan was on his back sapping lifespan, frequently interrupting his counterattacks, leaving his immense power unused, and the opponent was still fishing for information relentlessly. At this rate, he'd be beaten to death!

"Don't worry, just a little longer," Jiang Yuan replied cheerfully, "Once you're drained of the strength to fight back, we'll naturally stop, because if you manage a successful counterattack, we'll become your fodder instead."

"You, you're bullying a beast too much!" Shen Laoliu was thoroughly infuriated, roaring loudly and thrashing its tail to slam its back hard against the stone wall, wanting to crush the one on its back into pulp.

[High Tier monster has entered wounded state, activating berserk mode]

The system promptly reminded him as Jiang Yuan instantly teleported away just as the beast slammed into the cave wall.

"Retreat!"

He grabbed and tossed the dual-fish Jade Pendant to Hu Zhile, "Return the way you came; wait for me outside!"