The carriage swayed. The Land Candle Dragon's long whiskers drifted past the windows as it gradually picked up speed, striding between two great mountains with its passengers on its back, letting out earth-shaking dragon roars from its throat.
The Candle Dragon was passing through the No-Man's Land, its roars intimidating the demons and monsters lurking within.
Someone came to inspect their Jade Slips, and only then did Su Yun learn that the slips were supposed to serve as boarding passes.
There were two rows of seats beneath the windows, each row seating three adults. Opposite Su Yun sat a dashing young man with sword-like brows and starry eyes. He was handsome and brimming with youthful vigor.
His clothes were exceptionally splendid as well. Golden phoenixes were embroidered on both sides of his collar, while the edges of his robe bore embroidery of golden crows driving a carriage that hauled the Great Sun.
"Those white wolves are monsters from the Tianshiyuan No-Man's Land. They transformed into humans and entered the city to work."
The young man seemed to be speaking to them, yet also seemed to be talking to himself. "In recent years, there have been more and more monsters in the city, and public order has grown increasingly chaotic. When will these demons and monsters finally be wiped out?"
Su Yun asked in confusion, "Brother, humans have good and bad among them, and monsters do too. Why destroy monsters instead of destroying bad people and bad monsters?"
The young man turned his head away, refusing to look at him, and sneered. "You boarded from the No-Man's Land with four children at your side. Clearly, you too are a monster transformed into human form. If you ever commit evil, do not fall into my hands..."
Flower Fox whispered, "Xiao Yun, this man must have just run out of an official academy. His head is full of strange ideas about vanquishing demons and eliminating evil."
The young man's face immediately flushed red, veins bulging on his forehead. Over and over, he could only repeat phrases like "vanquish demons and eliminate evil" and "eliminate demons and defend the righteous path."
Su Yun watched him and smiled faintly.
Beside him, Li Xiaofan had stuck out his tongue and was licking the window.
The window was made of glass, icy cool and transparent, allowing him to see the scenery outside.
What country fox had ever seen such a thing? To him, licking it felt like eating candy.
The young man opposite them finally could not hold back any longer. "Stop licking it! That's glass, not candy!"
Li Xiaofan lowered his head and sat there aggrievedly. In the end, the young man's heart softened. Tossing aside thoughts of vanquishing demons and eliminating evil, he rummaged through his luggage for a while, found several pieces of candy, and pushed them across the table to Li Xiaofan. "Eat this. It's Mare's Milk Candy I bought for my sister in Yang City beyond the frontier. It sticks to your teeth a little."
Flower Fox said softly, "Why don't you thank big brother?"
Li Xiaofan, Hu Buping, and Qingqiu Yue shot to their feet at once. They bowed in unison and said together, "Thank you, big brother!"
The young man's face reddened again. At a loss for what to do, he hastily said, "Ah, ah, don't do this... It would be wonderful if my little sister were as sensible as you. That girl is practically a tormenting demon king reincarnated!"
Su Yun and Flower Fox quickly became acquainted with the young man. His name was Li Muge. He was from the Northern Frontier and a Scholar of Shuofang Wenchang Academy, having only recently become a Spirit Scholar. He had gone beyond the frontier to train and cultivate Spiritual Abilities, but with the New Year drawing near, he was returning home from beyond the frontier to celebrate it.
"Those white wolves are wolf demons from the No-Man's Land. They went to Yang City beyond the frontier to work."
Li Muge said, "In recent years, it has become quite common for monsters to transform into humans and enter cities to work. There are many such cases in the Northern Frontier too. The government used to look into it, but later they simply turned a blind eye. Monsters are paid little for their labor, yet they work as though their lives depend on it. The government is happy to see this, so they do not drive them away."
Su Yun relaxed. He had promised Old Gou and his wife that he would protect Flower Fox and the others in human territory. He had originally feared that city dwellers would discover Flower Fox and the others were monsters, then shout for their deaths.
Flower Fox had actually entered the city with him prepared to die.
This bond of friendship between classmates deeply moved Su Yun.
The sky outside gradually darkened. Suddenly, the Candle Dragon opened its enormous mouth, and a Dragon Pearl flew out, hovering between its lips. Fire blazed from the pearl like a torch, illuminating dozens of miles ahead as brightly as day.
Su Yun squeezed over to the window to admire the scenery. He saw the Candle Dragon walking between mountain ranges. It had already left Tianshiyuan's blizzard region, and the great mountains ahead loomed in layers, towering and immense.
The Candle Dragon actually climbed all the way upward, soon reaching the mountaintop.
When the Candle Dragon twisted its body to turn, Su Yun could see the adjacent carriages.
Some of those carriages were two-story wooden buildings. Spirit Scholars stood in the pavilions on their top floors, holding exceptionally bright lamps. Their light was like pillars piercing the night sky, shining in every direction.
By the light of those lamps, Su Yun looked out and could not help giving a soft cry. There were actually things in the darkness, flapping through the air at incredible speed and swooping toward the carriages. Yet as soon as the Spirit Scholars' lamps shone upon them, they flapped away.
Su Yun could not tell what those things in the darkness were, even after watching for some time.
He could only see tattered clothes flying through the sky, but could not make out what lay beneath them.
"This is the edge of the Old No-Man's Land."
Li Muge said, "Those flying overhead are Artificer Puppets. When a Spirit Scholar dies, if their Spiritual Nature clings to their own corpse and refuses to depart, it becomes one of these strange things. Those ragged clothes are what they wore while alive. It is said that no one knows how many Spirit Scholars died in the Old No-Man's Land."
Hu Buping shuddered, his voice trembling. "Then beneath those clothes are..."
"Skeletons."
Li Muge added, "Flying skeletons."
The three little children huddled together, trembling as they stared fearfully out the window.
Li Muge smiled. "There's no need to be afraid. Candle Dragon Carriages always have Spirit Scholars traveling with them. The Spirit Scholars in those pavilions are responsible for the carriages' safety. Their lamps are Spirit Divine Weapons specifically designed to restrain Artificer Puppets."
Hu Buping grew even more terrified and pointed outside. "Ancestor Yuan San!"
Su Yun's heart lurched violently. He hurriedly looked out the window and saw a white ape more than ten feet tall standing naked atop a small building on the Candle Dragon Carriage. Holding an Iron Cudgel, it thrust out with a single strike. The cudgel spun, and three white apes flew out, smashing the nearby pavilion to pieces!
The Spirit Scholar in that pavilion had been holding up his lantern and dealing with the Artificer Puppets. Caught completely off guard, he was struck in the chest by the Iron Cudgel. Unable to hold onto his lantern, he was sent flying backward and tumbled out of the Candle Dragon Carriage.
The Spirit Scholar let out a shrill scream as the Artificer Puppets flying through the dark night seized him and dragged him into the night sky.
The carriage immediately descended into chaos. The passengers were thrown into panic. Without a Spirit Scholar to drive away the Artificer Puppets, those skeletons draped in clothes would surely burst into the carriage, and they would all be buried in the mouths of the Artificer Puppets!
A hundred years had passed since Emperor Yuan established the official academies, yet few people had attended them. Most merely learned to read and write, and even fewer could become Spirit Scholars.
Most of the people in this carriage were ordinary folk. Faced with such a situation, they were at a complete loss.
"Ancestor Yuan San actually chased us down again!"
Su Yun's heart sank. He rose to his feet just as Li Muge did the same, speaking rapidly. "The Spirit Scholar guarding the carriage is dead. Someone must guard the lamp, or everyone will be eaten by the Artificer Puppets! Junior Brother Su Yun..."
Su Yun headed outside and said in a deep voice, "Senior Brother Muge, guard the lamp. That violent ape came for me. I'll deal with it myself!"
Li Muge froze briefly, then hurried after him.
Su Yun walked out of the carriage. "Second Brother, Bu Ping, protect the people in the carriage!"
Flower Fox's spirits rose. He stripped off his outer padded coat and said solemnly, "Xiao Fan, Bu Ping, Xiao Yue, guard this carriage. I'll go to the carriage without a Spirit Scholar guarding it! You absolutely cannot let the Artificer Puppets enter. Understand?"
"Understood!"
The three little children all stripped off their thick outer clothing. Hu Buping and Li Xiaofan guarded the front and rear of the carriage, while Qingqiu Yue stood watch in the middle.
Earlier, these three little children transformed from young fox demons had been adorably innocent, carrying a touch of foolish charm. But now, they seemed exceptionally calm and composed.
—Foxes were predators too.
The three little children had now entered hunting mode!
Su Yun flipped onto the carriage's rooftop terrace. A freezing wind swept over him, howling across the roof as cold air poured down his collar and into his neck.
"Yuan San! I'm here!" Su Yun shouted.
Ancestor Yuan San was holding the Iron Cudgel and crouching before a carriage window, peering inside as he searched for Su Yun.
Hearing his voice, the old ape's body shook. It turned around and looked over, slowly straightening to its full height.
Li Muge leaped up as well. Looking toward Ancestor Yuan San, his heart trembled. "This monster is incredibly strong. It won't be easy to deal with!"
Ancestor Yuan San was covered in bulging muscles, possessing more than twice as many muscles as an ordinary human. The strength and density of his bones, his heart's ability to supply blood, and the endurance of his breath all far surpassed those of humans!
This meant that he was naturally stronger than humans, born with immensely vigorous qi and blood. His reach was longer, his attacks and explosive force stronger, and his range wider!
Such humanoid monsters also possessed extremely high intelligence, making them even more difficult to handle!
"Junior Brother Su Yun, be careful!"
Li Muge rushed toward Ancestor Yuan San. Suddenly, he leaped into the air and vaulted over the ape's head.
At the very instant he jumped, Ancestor Yuan San violently shook the Iron Cudgel, sending three white apes flying out to pounce upon Li Muge in midair.
Li Muge activated his qi and blood, and his Spiritual Abilities immediately appeared. A sword floated above his head, with a long tassel hanging from its hilt.
Only after qi and blood poured into that sword did it materialize. Li Muge seized it in hand and performed sword techniques in midair. With a flicker of sword light, sword after sword flew from its tip, each performing a different move as they met the three white apes!
Li Muge had poured all his thoughts into the sword, so his Spiritual Abilities were sword abilities. The martial arts he cultivated in the Foundation Establishment realm had also become swordsmanship imprints, branded upon his Spiritual Abilities.
As he performed his sword techniques, the swordsmanship martial arts from his Foundation Establishment days were unleashed alongside them. Sword light shot forth, and sword after sword sprang from the blade. All kinds of sword techniques flowed forth, incomparably sharp!
Although Li Muge blocked the three white apes, the impact numbed and ached his arms. Alarmed, he thought, This monster's qi and blood are far too immense!
Before he even landed, a bell rang out from the other side. Su Yun had already activated his Spiritual Abilities. The Yellow Bell appeared, and with the body of a violent ape, he strode forward to charge straight at Ancestor Yuan San!
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