Mount Ao Nine Towns

Luo Ming's spear was the longest, so he was the first to stab the Wood Puppet Grotesque.

However, the incredibly sharp spearhead, after piercing the Wood Puppet Grotesque's chest, stopped abruptly, unable to advance even an inch further.

But Luo Ming's face showed no surprise.

Clearly, he knew he couldn't break through the opponent's physical body.

At the same time, Li Hu's goose-feather saber also struck the Wood Puppet Grotesque's legs.

Clang...

Unfortunately, after hitting, it only produced a sound.

Only when the last long sword was about to slash across its body did the Wood Puppet Grotesque's face truly show a hint of fear. It first turned its head to dodge, and then its right hand's fingers moved slightly.

Boom... Crack...

Suddenly, a sound like the earth shaking and mountains trembling echoed.

The tree closest to the four people began to tremble violently.

Then, the tree suddenly uprooted itself, as if it had come alive. Its branches resembled human arms, beginning to thrash.

Immediately after, the second, third, and up to the eighth trees nearby also came alive. They all uprooted themselves and then used their branches to push off the ground, rapidly closing in towards the center.

The thousands upon thousands of branches and twigs on the eight trees extended towards the three people like snakes and monsters. Not only were they incredibly fast, but they also surrounded the three with almost no gaps, leaving no room for escape.

Just moments ago, they were the ones surrounding the Wood Puppet Grotesque.

Unexpectedly, the tables had turned in an instant.

Luo Ming's face showed some panic, while Li Hu was calmer, merely looking at the young man holding the sword, waiting for him to make a decision.

"Getting entangled will be troublesome. Break through these trees first!"

Hearing the young man's words, Luo Ming and Li Hu responded immediately. One used his spear to sweep and thrust, the other used his saber to slash left and right. Instantly, countless branches and vines were cut down.

The leading young man was even more extraordinary. With his sword light dancing, he not only severed vines and branches but even directly cut down the main trunks of three or four large trees.

However, the young man's eyebrows shot up, realizing something. He quickly turned his head towards where the Wood Puppet Grotesque had been, his expression instantly becoming extremely grim.

The Wood Puppet Grotesque was nowhere to be seen.

"We were tricked. These trees weren't turned into puppets yet!"

As if to confirm his words, the menacing trees instantly lost their sentience. All their vines and branches fell off, and they collapsed to the ground with a loud crash.

Seeing Luo Ming escape the predicament, the young man, who had been greatly relieved, immediately sneered, "Leader Luo, don't celebrate too early. Being able to control eight such large trees simultaneously means this Artisan Grotesque is probably not far from reaching the intermediate level. If it breaks through, there will be no survival for your camps around Redwood Ridge."

Hearing this, Luo Ming's expression immediately became tense and confused.

Just as he was about to speak, Shi Qing arrived with four others.

Walking up to the three, the five people immediately knelt and prostrated themselves on the ground:

"We, your humble servants from Big Stone Camp, Shi Qing, thank you two lords and Leader Luo for saving our lives. We will never forget this kindness."

Luo Ming wasn't in the best mood, but he had a good impression of Shi Qing. He still stepped forward to help him up and said softly, "Stoneman, you are too kind. I am no match for that Grotesque either. If you want to thank someone, thank the two lords from North Camp!"

Remembering that Shi Qing didn't know the other two, he continued to introduce them:

"This is Lord Yang Ning, and this is Lord Li Hu."

North朔 Camp?

Shi Qing heard the unfamiliar camp name. Although a bit confused, he still had the four people turn quickly and kowtow three times to Yang and Li respectively.

Although he had guessed it earlier, Luo Ming's status was below these two.

But hearing Luo Ming address them as lords, Shi Qing couldn't help but be shocked.

Luo Ming was the leader of the only medium-sized camp around Redwood Ridge, Rogue Camp, and also the strongest expert in the Earth Excavation Realm.

If even he called them lords, what level would the North Camp where Yang and Li belonged be?

A large camp, a giant camp?

After all, his experience was limited, and these were the only two possibilities that came to his mind.

In reality, neither the five of them nor Luo Ming had noticed that when the word "camp" was mentioned, Yang Ning and Li Hu's brows had slightly furrowed, and a look of disdain clearly flashed across their faces.

But as if deeming it beneath them, neither of them spoke to explain.

"Two lords, Luo Ming would like to ask why this Wood Puppet Grotesque is called an Artisan Grotesque, and what it truly desires.

Why would our camps around Redwood Ridge have no way to survive if it breaks through to the intermediate level? I beg the two lords to enlighten me."

After helping Shi Qing and the others up, Luo Ming finally couldn't help but ask the questions that were troubling him.

His questions made both Yang and Li frown slightly.

Li Hu shook his head and spoke with disdain.

"I don't know how you people have survived in the Ice Abyss for so long, to be so ignorant."

Yang Ning looked around at everyone, including Luo Ming, and seeing the animal skin skirts they were wearing, a hint of sympathy flashed in his eyes. He sighed, "Living in such an environment, I can't blame you. The word 'Ice Abyss' is also a term you're hearing for the first time, isn't it?"

Luo Ming, Shi Qing, and the others all nodded gently.

They truly had never heard of the Ice Abyss, nor did they know what it was.

The Ice Abyss was indeed something they were hearing about for the first time.

Yang Ning and Li Hu exchanged a look, their eyes revealing a "just as expected" expression.

"The Ice Abyss is the name given to this world by the Great Lord Yang Zun, meaning 'Abyss of Cold Ice.' This name has already received the unanimous approval of all humans in the Nine Towns at the southern foot of Mount Ao. You must all engrave these two words firmly in your minds from now on."

When the name Yang Zun was mentioned, both Yang Ning and Li Hu displayed expressions of immense respect, even piety.

Seeing two people of such power exhibit such demeanor, Luo Ming, Shi Qing, and the others felt more than just shock; they were filled with curiosity.

"May I ask, sirs, what you speak of as Yang... no, what are Mount Ao and the Nine Towns?"

Luo Ming had initially intended to ask about Yang Zun, but as soon as he uttered the syllable "Yang," he was met with such a fierce gaze from Yang Ning and Li Hu that he abruptly retracted his question and instead inquired about Mount Ao and the Nine Towns.

"To speak his name directly, without the prefix 'Great Lord,' is a capital offense in the Ice Abyss. Considering your lowly ignorance, I will let you off this time. If you dare to offend again in the future, do not blame me for showing no mercy!"

To speak his name directly, without the prefix "Great Lord," was a capital offense.

Luo Ming trembled slightly, able to detect the killing intent in Yang Ning's tone. He quickly bowed to both of them:

"It was my ignorance and presumption, my lords. I beg your forgiveness."

Seeing his apology, Yang Ning no longer pursued the matter and continued:

"The Mount Ao mountain range is the largest mountain range in the southern part of the Ice Abyss. No one knows its exact length. Currently, it is known that all our human camps are located on its southern foothills.

As for the Nine Towns..."

Speaking of the Nine Towns, Yang Ning paused, looked down at Luo Ming, and a smile curved his lips:

"It refers to the collective name for the nine largest camps on the southern foothills of Mount Ao."

Nine, the largest camps?

Luo Ming, Shi Qing, and the others wore expressions of confusion.

Finally, Luo Ming tentatively asked, "Could it be that those nine are all giant camps with a population exceeding five thousand?"

"Hahahaha..."

Luo Ming's question caused Yang Ning and Li Hu to burst into laughter.

Their laughter was filled with contempt for Luo Ming's ignorance.

This made Luo Ming feel somewhat awkward, but he could only offer a sheepish smile.

Shi Qing, however, gave him a sympathetic look.

Although they felt uncomfortable, the two were still very curious about just how large these nine largest camps mentioned by Yang Ning and Li Hu were.

After their laughter subsided, Li Hu cleared up their doubts.

"On the southern foothills of Mount Ao, there are nine town-level camps, and each one has a population exceeding one hundred thousand."

One... hundred thousand?

Upon hearing this number, Luo Ming, Shi Qing, and the other four were instantly stunned, their minds reeling with disbelief.

"And we come from one of the Nine Towns, North Shuo Town!"

Seemingly satisfied with everyone's reaction, Li Hu said this with his head held high, his face full of pride and his tone brimming with self-importance.