Chongxuan Mountain, Camel Village.
"Chief, Boulder Castle has posted a mission. It says they're looking for some kind of flame crystal lost in the Chongxuan Mountain Range?"
"You really don't know much. It's called Earth Flame Essence. I keep telling you to read more."
Second Chief Vester said.
"Read? I'd rather go out and rob people than read that stuff!"
Seventh Brother of Camel Village muttered.
In the Great Earth God Realm, there was no saying about reading to cultivate one's ideals, but studying books about the divine realms really did broaden one's horizons.
Otherwise, even if some rare treasure were right in front of you, you might not recognize it. Wouldn't that be tragic?
"Second Brother, what exactly is the mission? You explain it."
Chief Nick was the most powerful bandit leader for tens of thousands of miles around Camel Mountain.
Their bandit den was built between two connected peaks, which was how Camel Village got its name.
The twin peaks that joined to form this mountain were naturally called Camel Mountain.
"Here's what happened. More than a thousand years ago, people fought over the Earth Flame Essence that appeared in our Chongxuan Mountain Range, but it vanished at a crucial moment."
"That should've been the end of it, but some powerful figure found out about it and posted an investigation mission."
Boulder Castle was an organization similar to the Demon Castle in the Hell Plane.
In the Great Earth God Realm,
only "Panshi" could represent the defining traits of the strong in the Great Earth God Realm.
Panshi wasn't just the name of the largest continent in the Great Earth God Realm; it was also the territory ruled by the Earth Overlord.
It was just strange that the powerful figures of the Great Earth God Realm had chosen such an odd title as "God Hunter."
Wouldn't titles like Five-star Panshi or Seven-star Panshi make more sense?
If Panshi didn't work, Black Tortoise would've been fine, too.
Everyone knew that the Black Tortoise Divine Beast excelled at physical defense.
At the very least, they could've borrowed the "demon" title from the Hell Plane. Why insist on calling them "God Hunters"?
It was a poor fit.
But that was beside the point.
"How are we supposed to complete this mission? The Chongxuan Mountain Range stretches for who knows how many tens of thousands of miles. How big is that Earth Flame Essence?"
After hearing Vester's explanation,
Chief Nick was overcome by the same kind of bewilderment as Seventh Brother.
Who am I? Where am I?
Although he'd never seen an Earth Flame Essence, Nick was a Five-star God Hunter, so he was still a knowledgeable man.
"Chief, I thought the same thing at first. But then I read the mission details carefully..."
Seeing his chief's reaction, Vester didn't dare keep him in suspense. He continued, "A golden hill. The key is the golden hill! The Chongxuan Mountain Range is vast, but there aren't many places with golden hills."
Indeed, when it came to knowing the Chongxuan Mountain Range, who could compare to Camel Village?
Camel Village had stood in the Chongxuan Mountain Range for hundreds of millions of years. Nick had gone from being a Lowgod to a High God during that time.
He was also a powerful Five-star God Hunter who had fused two Mysteries of the Great Earth Law.
The Chongxuan Mountain Range truly was one of the Great Earth God Realm's rare treasures.
If it weren't, powerful High Gods like Nick and Vester wouldn't have stayed here.
The rich earth energy and the mountain range's abundant resources were all attractions.
Besides, Camel Village was no longer just a gang of bandits.
Raising magical beasts and selling local specialties had become the village's main business.
Of course, if a fat sheep happened to pass near Camel Mountain, Nick and the others wouldn't hesitate to rob them.
They couldn't abandon their old trade—or, as they liked to think of it, their old craft.
"A golden hill..."
Nick fell into thought. The Chongxuan Mountain Range crossed several prefectures of the Pebble Continent, and there really were a few places with similar terrain.
"I remember now!"
He suddenly slapped his thigh.
"Could the place where they lost the Earth Flame Essence have been over in Jinyu Prefecture?"
"We lost some 'cargo' there once, too. There was a huge battle, and we killed dozens of fat sheep, but didn't get a thing."
As he brought that up, Nick immediately recalled how strange that robbery had been.
"That's right, Chief. I had the same suspicion, so I went ahead and took this Boulder Castle mission."
Vester said.
"I even paid for information about the Chongxuan Mountain Range from Boulder Castle. It turns out plenty of powerful figures have had the same experience we did."
"I knew it. You were right to take this mission!"
Nick made the call.
"Seventh Brother, gather every Middle God or higher in Camel Village. Don't forget to bring our informants stationed throughout the Chongxuan Mountain Range."
"We're going to Jinyu Prefecture!"
With Five-star God Hunter Nick around, Camel Village could travel freely throughout the Chongxuan Mountain Range, as long as they didn't go crazy and pick a fight with the Prefecture Army or City Guard.
Time passed.
In the blink of an eye, several decades went by.
A metal life shaped like a Phoenix Bird flew at tremendous speed.
Metal life was a special kind of alchemical construct, halfway between a living being and an object.
It could be stored in a Space Ring.
Yet it could also become a god by refining a divine spark or by natural ascension.
Its speed depended only on its own strength and the strength of the person controlling it.
Its shape made no difference.
The form it took was purely a matter of its controller's personal preference.
"Stop!"
Golden Thread transformed into armor, while Hermes wore only a robe formed from his divine power.
He had just fused his Earth Clone with his Golden Mountain True Body when a metal life blocked his way.
"What do you want?"
He was confident in his strength. Although there were two High Gods among the people approaching, Hermes wasn't the least bit afraid.
Even as a Lowgod, he'd been able to use Golden Fist Shadow to kill High Gods with ease. Now he'd broken through to Middle God by fusing Profound Mysteries.
What did Hermes have to fear?
"I remember there used to be a Golden Mountain Peak here. Have you seen it?"
Nick hovered in the air before the metal life, eyeing Hermes with ill intent.
As if he were looking at a fat sheep.
"Never seen it!"
Hermes answered calmly.
"When I got here, it already looked like this."
As he spoke, he pointed toward a deep pit in the distance.
The pit was several thousand meters deep, and water was still bubbling up from it.
Hermes knew perfectly well that an Underground Dark River had run beneath the place where he'd taken root. Now that he'd left, the underground river would become the source of a lake in the future.
"A Middle God. Judging by your build, you might even have a special bloodline. Why not join Camel Village?"
Vester stood behind Nick, pointing at Hermes.
His tone was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.
"Not interested. Don't mess with me!"
Hermes couldn't be bothered with him. He tossed out a metal life.
Just as he was about to board it, an ochre space a thousand meters across enveloped the area. Its terrifying gravity immediately pressed the metal life down, preventing it from taking off.
"You're just a puny Middle God, yet you've got quite the attitude."
Nick said, annoyed.
There were only two possible explanations for someone staying so unbothered upon seeing two High Gods.
Either he was powerful, or he was simply ignorant.
If they were in a city, or if he wore a God Hunter badge, then the first possibility might have been true. But this was a wild, mountainous region.
There were no super Middle Gods here.
Nick used Gravity Space to take control of the situation in an instant.
Then he spoke earnestly. "I'll give you one last chance. Join us, or die."
Before you continue