Half an hour later, outside Black Wind Mountain.
Night gradually shrouded the earth, and many people waited by the entrance. Every group that emerged sparked a round of discussion.
Who was who, how many had gone in and how many had come out, their past records, where they might have gone this time, and what they had gained.
Around the treasures within Black Wind Mountain, a fairly stable treasure-hunting circle had already formed outside.
There was no shortage of old hands who had been at it for years, even over a decade. Most were leaders of their respective teams, each with a reputation of their own.
Whenever a group emerged whole and unscathed, faces glowing with health, it inevitably drew cheers. They called to friends and acquaintances, while merchants swarmed forward to haggle over the purchase of Ink Spirit Fruit.
If they encountered an eager buyer, such scarce goods could fetch double the price, or even several times more.
Whenever someone came out alone, or even drenched in blood with death written across their face, it would draw a wave of sighs. Amid the discussions, one could hear that some old hand or another had fallen inside and met his end.
Some rejoiced, while others grieved.
Not long after a group of four rushed out from within, the entire scene erupted.
News that the "Humanoid Fierce Beast" had appeared near the outskirts spread swiftly through the crowd. Everyone who heard it changed color and sucked in a sharp breath.
It was the greatest omen of misfortune within Black Wind Mountain. To encounter a Humanoid Fierce Beast at close range and still emerge alive was simply defying the heavens.
In the past, people had only dared glimpse it from afar before fleeing like wolves and stampeding pigs, lucky to escape with