Leaving the Undead Mountain Range

Huai'an Nord looked at the five surviving Black Armored Soldiers.

"Commander!" The five Black Armored Soldiers simultaneously raised their sabers in salute.

"You sent the distress signal, didn't you? What happened? And how did you find my brother?" Huai'an Nord asked, exuding an irresistible authority when addressing his subordinates.

"Reporting to Commander, we were ambushed by a horde of undead while searching for the Fifth Young Master, and it was the Fifth Young Master who saved us," the burly man replied. He called Qi Bei "Fifth Young Master" because Qi Bei was ranked fifth among the direct descendants of his generation in the Nord Family.

Huai'an Nord was stunned. Qi Bei saved them? He looked at Qi Bei.

"I also saw the signal, not far away, so I came to check. But I was still too late. Five brothers are dead. They all died searching for me. I, Qi Bei, will remember this in my heart," Qi Bei said.

"Good lad, take this punch from your big brother." Upon hearing this, Huai'an Nord roared and threw a punch like thunder towards Qi Bei's chest.

The fist wind tore through the air, accompanied by bursts of explosive sounds.

Qi Bei stood still and met the punch head-on.

With a "boom," both their bodies staggered.

"Big brother, you're underestimating me, aren't you? I'm not the same Qi Bei as before. Come at me with everything you've got," Qi Bei said, twitching the corner of his mouth. His elder brother's punch had been pure brute force, without any use of Battle Qi.

"Hahaha, good, you brat. Don't beg for mercy later." Huai'an Nord laughed heartily. He had forgotten that Qi Bei had survived in the Undead Mountain Range for nearly nine months; he must have had some fortunate encounter.

Huai'an Nord drew the great saber from his back. Its blade was pitch black, but its edge shimmered with a faint, emerald glow. As he channeled his Battle Qi, the saber emitted a three-foot green light, accompanied by faint tiger roars.

Huai'an Nord's core Battle Qi art was the Mad Demon Tiger Ferocity Art, a King Grade Battle Qi art.

Meanwhile, Qi Bei's seemingly ordinary black longsword trembled, and a circle of golden light emanated from it, echoing with faint dragon roars.

"Big brother, be careful," Qi Bei said in a low voice and suddenly thrust his longsword forward.

The golden Battle Qi at the tip of the sword condensed into a sharp cone, stabbing towards Huai'an Nord with lightning speed.

"Well done." Huai'an Nord let out a long laugh, sidestepped, and conjured a tiger's head with his Battle Qi, charging towards Qi Bei.

However, as soon as Huai'an Nord launched his attack, his heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he instinctively lowered his body. He saw that after the conical Battle Qi from Qi Bei's thrust grazed past him, it transformed into a dragon's tail and swung back towards him.

"Good lad." Huai'an Nord was almost tricked by Qi Bei's attack. Knowing that Qi Bei's strength, even if inferior to his own, was not by much, he stopped holding back.

The two brothers' figures crossed like lightning as they engaged in a fierce battle. Two kinds of Battle Qi, one golden and one black, clashed, sending gravel flying. Tiger roars and dragon cries echoed endlessly.

Tie Tou, who was watching from the side, suddenly slapped himself. His mouth agape, he exclaimed, "My foul mouth! The Fifth Young Master is actually this powerful, yet I spoke of him as if he were worthless. I deserve this slap."

In the Black Armored Army, everyone knew Huai'an Nord's combat prowess, like that of a fierce tiger. Although he remained at the advanced warrior realm, his core Battle Qi was a King Grade Battle Qi art. Coupled with a fifth-tier Earth-Splitting Tiger, he could contend with even ordinary King Grade warriors.

Now, the legendary trash, the Fifth Young Master, was fighting him to a standstill. How could they not be astonished?

The army respected strength above all else. The louder the fist, the louder the voice. The trash Fifth Young Master suddenly appeared much more formidable among these Black Armored Soldiers.

"Boom!"

With a loud explosion, waves of energy rolled, and two figures separated.

Huai'an Nord retreated seven or eight steps, while Qi Bei retreated more than ten.

Between them lay a pit several meters in diameter.

"That was exhilarating! Good lad, tell me honestly, what level are you at now?" Huai'an Nord asked.

"Uh, I should be an intermediate warrior," Qi Bei shrugged.

Intermediate warrior!

The five Black Armored Soldiers exchanged glances. Was an intermediate warrior this powerful? Huai'an Nord was already a monster, and now Qi Bei was even more so.

"Good. Judging by the concentration of your Battle Qi, I'd guess you're an intermediate warrior too. But your Battle Qi is incredibly resilient and its destructive power is astonishing. What surprises me even more is that after our prolonged fight, you show no signs of Battle Qi depletion. Haha, from now on, anyone who dares call you trash will surely make Father ecstatic when he hears about it." Huai'an Nord laughed heartily, his laughter filled with relief and the joy of releasing pent-up emotions.

Qi Bei smiled. His power as an intermediate warrior was due half to the Mad Dragon Battle Qi Art, a Saint Grade Battle Qi art, and half to the inner force support from the Divine Dragon Art. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to sustain the fight for so long.

"My brother and I are tired of this Undead Mountain Range. Let's pack up and return to the capital today so Father can rest easy sooner," Huai'an Nord said. If it weren't for finding Qi Bei, he wouldn't have stayed in this place filled with death energy for so long.

Qi Bei mounted his elder brother's magical pet, the Earth-Splitting Tiger, and they quickly returned to the Black Armored Army camp. The five Black Armored Soldiers returned with four other rescue squads who had arrived.

As the Earth-Splitting Tiger's earth-shattering roar echoed, Qi Bei saw two refined personal guards approaching.

"Women, big brother has quite the taste," Qi Bei teased, sniffing the air. He smelled the scent of perfume on them and immediately knew these two personal guards were actually women. One of them looked somewhat familiar.

Huai'an Nord gave an awkward smile. While this might be considered a blessing for ordinary people, it was quite troublesome for a direct descendant of the Nord Family.

"Commander, you're back." Princess Ruixue's eyes were filled with joy, her gaze solely on Huai'an Nord. It was clear she harbored genuine affection for him.

"Mm, I've found Qi Bei. We're returning to the capital immediately," Huai'an Nord nodded.

Qi Bei! Princess Ruixue finally turned her attention to Qi Bei. Her eyes widened in disbelief, and her red lips parted as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

At this moment, Qi Bei had recalled Princess Ruixue's identity, but he pretended to be oblivious and smiled at her.

Logically, he should show respect to his elder brother's woman and call her "sister-in-law." If she were an ordinary woman, it would be fine, but she was royalty. He couldn't casually call her "sister-in-law." If he did, how would the eldest daughter of the Feng Family, who was engaged to his elder brother, position herself?

In the past, the soul of this body was muddled and couldn't comprehend family matters so clearly.

But the current Qi Bei, with his sharp mind, sorted through his memories, and many things became crystal clear.

Just then, Qi Bei felt his black longsword tremble. He detected a faint trace of dark energy. He glanced over and happened to see a cold glint flash in the eyes of the maid beside Princess Ruixue. His heart immediately became alert.

Strange, does this sword have some special ability? Qi Bei thought.

Huai'an Nord patted Qi Bei's shoulder, winked at him, and said with a sly smile, "Qi Bei, your dream is about to come true."

"What?" Qi Bei was baffled.

"Our wise Emperor has publicly decreed that if you return alive, he will betroth Princess Mingyue to you." Huai'an Nord laughed heartily, already imagining how terrible Emperor Hanmos's expression would be.

It was said that Princess Mingyue had been favored by Tongtian Mountain and was about to become a disciple there, a tremendous honor.

However, once Emperor Hanmos made a decree, it was difficult to go back on his word. His talented daughter would end up with Qi Bei.

Tongtian Mountain was lofty and supreme. Once one entered Tongtian Mountain, they were not allowed to interfere in the conflicts between royal families. Therefore, for the Nord Family, this concern would not exist.

Ugh... Qi Bei frowned. Recalling Princess Mingyue's seemingly indifferent yet actually arrogant gaze, he felt very uncomfortable. Perhaps he should find an opportunity to reject this marriage proposal. He wasn't a masochist.

After the last team of Black Armored Soldiers returned to the main camp, Huai'an Nord ordered the camp to immediately set out and leave the Undead Mountain Range.

By the time the sky darkened, the Black Armored Army had already left the vicinity of the Undead Mountain Range.