Soon, Zhou Yuan flew straight into Fulong Mountain. Most of the ordinary people who had followed him were stopped by the soldiers outside the mountain. Fulong Mountain was now under martial law.
It wasn't just ordinary people—even low-ranking warriors would have a hard time getting in.
As for the red figure flying through the sky, the soldiers naturally didn't dare stop it. They didn't have the strength to, either.
Zhou Yuan paid no attention to what was happening below and flew straight toward the pillar of light.
After seeing Zhou Yuan fly in, the mayor of Fulong Town finally breathed a little easier.
With the Fire Saint here, even a Velociraptor couldn't cause much trouble.
"Come on, follow me in."
The mayor spoke to the others.
Naturally, no one refused. With a Saint-level powerhouse there, they had nothing to fear. Even if they couldn't obtain the treasure, following along to broaden their horizons would be worthwhile.
In the blink of an eye, Zhou Yuan had flown above the small valley.
He stopped in midair, and his appearance became clear.
He was a plump man just over five feet tall, with a buzz cut that had turned red from cultivating battle qi. His clothes fit snugly over his protruding belly, giving him a rather prosperous look.
Looking down, Zhou Yuan saw a huge, almost perfectly circular "platform." Distinct patterns had been carved into its surface, resembling some kind of strange design. A soft glow emanated from it, giving it an almost dreamlike quality.
The two Velociraptors beside the platform didn't even register on Zhou Yuan's radar.
"Could this mysterious 'platform' be the source of the phenomenon?"
A thoughtful expression crossed Zhou Yuan's slightly chubby face.
He had sensed the pillar of light the moment it appeared.
But it had already vanished by the time he was halfway here. Its location, however, had long since been determined.
He wasn't the only one who could pinpoint it. The enormous pillar of light was like a giant beacon. Not long after it appeared, detection instruments all over the country had estimated its location.
It was easy to imagine that the other powerhouses were already on their way.
"I'll see for myself what this thing is."
Zhou Yuan narrowed his eyes, then dived toward the "platform." He wanted to examine it up close.
The two magical beasts below had noticed Zhou Yuan as soon as he appeared. Their huge eyes flickered with unease. A Saint-level human!
A powerhouse like him was far beyond their abilities. Their lord had said there was no need to stop anyone that strong, so they stayed still and watched him descend.
But both the Velociraptors and Zhou Yuan himself were stunned by what happened next.
As Zhou Yuan descended toward the platform, he suddenly seemed to hit something. He staggered in midair and nearly fell.
Zhou Yuan's head spun. At the spot where he'd struck, a glimmer of light appeared.
Then, like ripples on water, the light slowly spread outward, and a huge transparent barrier gradually came into view.
"What..."
Zhou Yuan stared at the scene, dumbfounded. What was this?
Was the platform surrounded by some mysterious barrier?
Only then did Zhou Yuan turn his attention to the two Velociraptors inside. He frowned. How had they gotten in?
With that thought, Zhou Yuan retreated a short distance. Flames appeared mysteriously in both his hands, and he slammed them down toward the barrier.
As he struck, the air seemed to burn, and sparks flickered in several places.
But when his palm hit the barrier, it didn't even make a ripple.
"Impossible!"
Seeing that his attack had no effect, Zhou Yuan couldn't help exclaiming.
He had killed a Level Nine Magical Beast with a single strike just like that.
Even other Saint-level powerhouses couldn't withstand a direct hit from him. What was this barrier? How could it withstand the power of a Saint-level warrior? It was simply unbelievable.
The two Velociraptors inside the barrier were just as shocked. Their lord really was stronger than those Saint-level powerhouses.
Their lord had to be an existence beyond the Saint level.
Being captured by such an existence and assigned to guard the "platform" was an honor.
Zhou Yuan refused to believe it and tried several more times, but the result was the same.
He was shocked, but at the same time, he couldn't help feeling excited. If the barrier could block his attacks, then both it and the "platform" inside had to be beyond the Saint level.
Only then did Zhou Yuan have time to pay attention to the two Velociraptors within the barrier.
The barrier was so powerful. How had the Velociraptors gotten inside?
Just then, the mayor and the others returned to where they had been before.
Noticing the people outside the small valley, the Velociraptors stopped watching Zhou Yuan. Remembering their lord's instructions, they reappeared at the entrance to the valley.
Only then did Zhou Yuan realize that the barrier had an entrance.
Zhou Yuan landed directly in front of the soldiers.
Although Zhou Yuan was no more than a tiny insect to the Velociraptors, they didn't dare show him the slightest hostility.
Even a peak Level Nine Magical Beast had no power to resist a Saint-level powerhouse.
"I know you can understand me. I don't want to slaughter anyone right now, so move aside."
Zhou Yuan spoke casually.
They were only Seventh-Level Magical Beasts. They couldn't withstand even one of his attacks.
Besides, there had to be something unusual about these two Velociraptors for them to be here. So until he understood the situation, he wouldn't act rashly.
"Heh. Quite the swagger, threatening Seventh-Level Magical Beasts?"
A woman's voice rang out, dripping with disdain.
Everyone froze, shocked. Who had the nerve to speak to the Fire Saint like that?
A tiny, palm-sized bird flew onto a nearby branch.
Its feathers were crimson, with golden plumes atop its head and golden markings on its tail and wingtips. Its dark golden eyes shone with a distinctly human intelligence.
While the others looked around, Zhou Yuan noticed the little bird and his expression turned grave.
"Crimson Feather Golden Phoenix!"
His voice dropped low.
The ability to speak and freely change one's size were the clearest signs of a Saint-level magical beast.
The Crimson Feather Golden Phoenix was a Saint-level magical beast from Mount Everest. More than a thousand years ago, she had already become famous and was counted among the most powerful magical beasts.
"I didn't expect you to know who I am, little fellow."
The bird chuckled.
To her, Zhou Yuan really was just a little fellow.
Only then did the others realize that the voice had come from the bird's beak. One by one, they swallowed nervously.
A Saint—an actual Saint-level magical beast!
Saint-level magical beasts were terrifyingly powerful. Many Saint-level humans were helpless against them.
Zhou Yuan ignored the Crimson Feather Golden Phoenix's teasing. His voice was stern. "How dare you enter the Yanhua Empire without permission!"
For thousands of years, Saint-level humans and Saint-level magical beasts had abided by an agreement.
Neither side could enter the other's core territory at will.
For example, Saint-level magical beasts couldn't casually enter areas guarded by Saint-level humans, and Saint-level humans were likewise forbidden from entering the territory of Saint-level magical beasts.
The agreement didn't apply to humans and magical beasts of other ranks.
Zhou Yuan had been a Saint for only fifty years, but as soon as he demonstrated his Saint-level strength, the other Saint-level powerhouses had informed him of the agreement.
It was meant to prevent fighting between Saint-level humans and Saint-level magical beasts.
A battle between beings of that level would cause too much damage.
He had suspected that the phenomenon might attract Saint-level magical beasts, but he hadn't expected the Crimson Feather Golden Phoenix to arrive so quickly.
His territory wasn't far from Fulong Mountain, so he had been able to get here in a hurry.
The Crimson Feather Golden Phoenix was said to live on Mount Everest. It wasn't all that far away, but the distance was still twice what he'd had to travel. And yet she had arrived almost as quickly as he had!
That alone told Zhou Yuan how much stronger she was than him.
The Crimson Feather Golden Phoenix glanced at Zhou Yuan disdainfully, then took flight. A Saint-level aura burst from her. The Velociraptors and the humans alike trembled in terror beneath its pressure.
Zhou Yuan frowned and took the pressure on himself. The people around him gradually felt some relief, but their eyes grew even more fearful as they stared at the little monster-bird.
The Crimson Feather Golden Phoenix paid no attention to what Zhou Yuan had done. Looking at the Velociraptor in front of her, she asked, "Tell me everything you know!"
She had actually arrived a minute before Zhou Yuan, but she'd been cautious and hadn't revealed herself.
For one thing, she didn't know what was going on. For another, this was human territory, and Zhou Yuan had arrived almost on her heels, leaving her no chance to investigate in advance.
So she'd decided to let Zhou Yuan explore first. If there was any danger, she could prepare for it.
After seeing Zhou Yuan hit the barrier, she was sure this place was no ordinary one.
As for the two Velociraptors, since they were inside the barrier, they must know something.
Perhaps they had found this place when the white light appeared. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain why they had arrived before her and Zhou Yuan—and how they had found a way in and out of the barrier.
With only Zhou Yuan here, she could still keep him in check.
Once the other Saint-level powerhouses arrived, she would lose the advantage.