Star Brilliance Unicorn (II)

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior."

"Mm, you should go as well." With a sweep of the old man's hand, the scroll turned into light and merged into another token, which he handed to Long Haochen.

Long Haochen turned and gave Ye Hua a standard knight's salute.

"Go." Ye Hua returned the salute. A stiff smile surfaced on his face once more, but his eyes burned with fervor.

Only then did Long Haochen turn away, vanishing into the golden mist as well.

Watching his departing figure, Ye Hua was just about to take his leave when the one-eyed old man before him said calmly, "This child is an exceedingly rare talent. Little fellow, you are quite something to have raised such a disciple."

A trace of delight appeared in Ye Hua's eyes. "Thank you for your praise, Senior."

The old man said blandly, "I never praise others. I only state facts. You may go too."

"Yes."

Ye Hua withdrew from the mist, but the respect in his eyes did not lessen in the slightest. Before coming here, he had never told Long Haochen what the mountain-protecting elders of Knight Holy Mountain were, because knights who had not obtained a mount from Knight Holy Mountain had no right to know.

These guardians of Knight Holy Mountain were all Seventh Tier Holy Knights who had surrendered their Mithril Base Battle Armor after completing their missions, retiring here to spend their remaining years.

There were even former Eighth Tier Holy Knights here. If Divine Seal Knights did not return their Divine Seal Thrones only upon death, Divine Seal Knights might perhaps be found here as well.

The Knight Temple stood at the head of the Six Great Temples. Beyond its strength in plain sight, the power hidden within this Knight Holy Mountain could only be described as terrifying.

Other than Divine Seal Knights, no one knew how many retired powerful knights resided within this holy mountain. Yet no matter from which direction one entered the mountain, one would encounter its guardians at once.

That old man might have looked miserable, but he was at least a Seventh Tier powerhouse! Even crippled to such an extent, Ye Hua and Gui Ying together would not have been a match for him. What was more, every one of his disabilities had been inflicted in battle against the Devil Race. It could be said that every guardian of Holy Mountain was a true hero.

Even if the Knight Temple's three Divine Seal Knights came here, they would have to salute these elders most worthy of respect. They were all the pride and glory of the Knight Temple. Thus, even with Ye Hua's strange temperament, he had remained so respectful before that old man.

"Brother Ye Hua has come out too? It seems your disciple is rather young! A knight so young is truly rare. I wonder what rank knight he is now?"

Gui Ying had not gone far. Seeing Ye Hua emerge, he spoke with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

Ye Hua shot him a cold glance. "What does that have to do with you?"

Gui Ying laughed heartily. "Naturally, it has nothing to do with me. But we will be waiting here for quite some time. How about a wager? We'll bet on whether your disciple or my son obtains the higher-ranked magic beast mount. If I win, I ask for nothing else—just let me slap you back for that slap you gave me back then. If you win, I'll give you three thousand gold coins. How about it?"

Gold coins possessed considerable purchasing power. Three thousand gold coins were enough to buy a very fine piece of Magic Equipment.

Ye Hua looked at him coldly. "If you want to gamble, wait until the Demon Hunter Group Selection Competition. Mounts cannot decide everything. We'll compare our disciples' rankings in the Demon Hunter Group Selection Competition instead. Do you dare? If I win, I do not want your gold. Let me slap you once more."

Gui Ying's gaze turned icy. "You are still as arrogant as ever. How old is your disciple? At such a young age, he wants to participate in the Demon Hunter Group Selection Competition? What a ludicrous joke. Have you forgotten that the age limit for the Demon Hunter Group Selection Competition is twenty-five?"

Ye Hua said calmly, "You only need to answer whether you dare or not."

Gui Ying's pupils contracted. "I dare. What is there not to dare? I was planning to have Gui Wu enter the Demon Hunter Group Selection Competition this time as well, to temper himself. Then, when he enters the selection competition for the second time at twenty-three, he can make a stunning debut. My son is already an Eighth Rank Knight this year. Perhaps he really can make it into the final stage and become a demon hunter."

Ye Hua said, "Then we shall wait and see. Wash your face clean, so you do not dirty my hand."

Gui Ying's face turned livid with rage, but he did not dare make a move here. This was within Holy Mountain's bounds. If he disturbed those guardians, even his origins in Xiu Cheng Main Hall would not be enough to bear the consequences.

Long Haochen stepped into the mist, and the Light Element seemed to grow even denser, bringing an indescribable comfort. Even if I have already found a magic beast companion, it seems I should still remain here for the full thirty days. He could clearly sense that the circulation speed of the funnel vortex formed by his Internal Spiritual Power had already reached more than double its usual rate, almost equal to the speed when he meditated. Under such conditions, he could increase his spiritual power by at least three or four points each day.

As he walked forward, the scene before him suddenly opened up. It seemed he had passed through the layer of mist, and the landscape ahead became clear.

Looking up into the sky, he was astonished to discover that what he saw was not mist, but a clear blue sky. It was as though the pale golden luminous mist that had appeared so hazy from outside had vanished completely.

Bright, warm sunlight spilled down. Before him lay uneven, swaying shadows of trees, and the fresh air carrying the fragrance of plants instantly washed away the exhaustion of his journey.

He was currently at the foot of a mountain, and all he could see was the forest ahead. Every sturdy tree was at least forty or fifty meters tall. The forest contained countless varieties of plants, yet there was not a single path through it.

He removed the Shield of Radiance with his left hand and drew his heavy sword with his right. He held the black token together with the sword hilt, allowing him to inspect it at any moment.

With a whoosh, a yellow figure darted past him. It was a monkey-like magic beast. Landing on a branch some distance away, it bared its teeth at Long Haochen before turning and running off.

What an incredible magic formation! Long Haochen exclaimed inwardly. In the outside world, nearly all magic beasts were hostile toward humans. Eighty percent of them would actively attack upon encountering a human. Yet after being cleansed by the Knight Temple's light-filled formation here, they had become far friendlier. This Knight Holy Mountain truly was a wondrous place.

He lowered his head and glanced at the token in his hand. An orange glow flashed, indicating that the magic beast from earlier was of the third tier.

Not daring to waste time, Long Haochen strode into the forest. He uttered several syllables, releasing a Spiritual Light Shield with a certain degree of defensive power that enveloped him. As he advanced, he carefully observed everything around him.

Ye Hua had told him that after entering Knight Holy Mountain, the first thing he needed to do was climb to the summit of a mountain. Only then could he determine his direction and head toward Holy Mountain's interior. The closer he got to the center, the more powerful the magic beasts he would encounter.

The vegetation in the forest was simply too dense, forcing Long Haochen to use his heavy sword to clear a path. His climbing speed was not especially fast. It took him a full two hours to reach the summit of the first mountain.

Along the way, he encountered several magic beasts, but none were of high rank. Most were third- or fourth-tier magic beasts. After seeing him, these magic beasts showed almost no signs of friendliness.

Upon reaching the mountaintop, the view before him suddenly opened wide. Rolling mountain ranges stretched clearly before his eyes.

It was a green ocean. On distant peaks stood some exceptionally towering trees, which he could see clearly even from where he stood.