Luck

Although the level 8 Magic Beast Blood-Veined Great Ape was terrifying and made many people tremble in their hearts, some were also confused. After all, they could hear the roars from time to time, yet there was no sound of battle.

The night passed surprisingly peacefully, without any danger. Even the low-level Magic Beasts that might occasionally appear did not show themselves all night.

At the Wester Academy student camp.

"Instructor Edita, the sounds have disappeared."

Soon, a student with obvious dark circles under their eyes carefully approached the young female instructor.

Because of the Blood-Veined Great Ape, they hadn't dared to sleep all night. If it hadn't been so late, they would have even considered leaving the Sunset Mountain Range.

A level 8 Magic Beast—it was just too terrifying.

Especially since they had heard that a Blood-Veined Great Ape had once easily torn a Velociraptor in half.

The young female instructor was herself a level 8 mage, so her condition was naturally much better than these level 2 or 3 students. Her shoulder-length sky-blue hair was loose, her eyes were a clear azure, and she wore a well-tailored, pale blue mage robe, holding a specially crafted staff in her hand.

"Hurry up and pack your things; we are leaving the Sunset Mountain Range first."

Edita said directly.

Although training was important, the situation in the Sunset Mountain Range had clearly changed, so it could no longer serve as a training ground.

She was not afraid of a level 8 Magic Beast, but it was abnormal for one to appear on the outskirts of the mountain range; something must have happened.

The Sunset Mountain Range was adjacent to Chiyang City, and once a problem arose, the entire city would bear the brunt of it.

Hearing Edita's words, the other students hurriedly packed their belongings. They had been extremely excited when they arrived, but they were somewhat panicked as they left.

Edita looked ahead with a grave expression, feeling a sense of unease in her heart. The Blood-Veined Great Ape had suddenly appeared on the outskirts of the mountains; could it be that an even more powerful Magic Beast had appeared deep within the range?

Generally, when high-level Magic Beasts leave their territory, the most likely reason is that a more powerful beast has occupied their domain, forcing them to flee.

It wasn't just the students from Wester Academy; even some of the weaker mercenaries were rushing to leave the Sunset Mountain Range.

In a short time, the news of a level 8 Magic Beast appearing on the outskirts of the Sunset Mountain Range spread rapidly throughout Chiyang City.

Not to mention the others, Duyanlong and his men were in a wretched state, hungry, thirsty, and incredibly exhausted, their legs feeling as if they could no longer be lifted.

Even for warriors, defending themselves almost non-stop for an entire night had left them completely drained.

At this point, they no longer had the energy to think about Fang Yun; they just wanted to get out of this hellhole as quickly as possible.

However, every time they tried to run, that damned Blood-Veined Great Ape would appear. It wouldn't fight; the moment they raised their defenses to prepare for battle, the creature would leave.

Before they could rest or try to leave again, the Blood-Veined Great Ape would reappear. After a night of this, even though Duyanlong was a level 6 warrior, he was utterly exhausted. As for the others, many of them could no longer even muster enough battle qi to form a defense.

Targeted like this by the Blood-Veined Great Ape all night, Duyanlong's group was on the verge of a breakdown.

It wasn't that they hadn't seen level 8 Magic Beasts before, but they had never encountered a situation like this.

It was as if this damned beast was just toying with them to drive them away.

"Boss, is it over now?"

One of the members was already struggling to stand.

Duyanlong was also panting heavily, his eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly. "Damn it, everyone be careful. Let's go."

Just as they carefully pushed through a patch of bushes and rounded a path shaded by tall trees, they came face-to-face with the eyes of the Blood-Veined Great Ape, which was sitting on the ground.

"Ah!"

The person in the lead stumbled and fell backward.

The others' expressions changed drastically. They wanted to defend themselves, but only two managed to raise a thin layer of battle qi, while the others were completely unable to sustain any defense at all.

The near-constant consumption throughout the night had left them powerless.

"Roar, roar, roar~"

The Blood-Veined Great Ape stood up excitedly, beating its chest with its fists and letting out a roar.

In the entire night, this was the closest they had been to the Blood-Veined Great Ape.

Looking at the dozen-meter-tall Blood-Veined Great Ape, the weakest warrior rolled his eyes back and fainted on the spot.

In the distance, Fang Yun stretched, glanced at the group, and jumped down from a tree branch with ease.

Seeing Fang Yun, the Blood-Veined Great Ape stopped roaring and instead sat down cautiously. The human in front of it was too terrifying.

Seeing the Blood-Veined Great Ape act this way, the others looked behind them cautiously. Upon seeing Fang Yun, everyone's hearts sank.

In an instant, they seemed to understand what had happened.

The young man before them was not "prey" at all. He was a super powerhouse, or perhaps a disciple of a great family who had contracted a level 8 Magic Beast. Otherwise, the night's events were impossible to explain.

"This young master, I..."

Duyanlong forced a smile, though in his heart, he wished he could kill the guy who had reported the information earlier.

Just then, some movement suddenly appeared in the distance.

The group from Wester Academy suddenly emerged from the path.

Seeing the Blood-Veined Great Ape, everyone's expressions changed. Edita, in particular, drew her staff and prepared for defense.

She hadn't expected that after a night of safety, they would actually run into the Blood-Veined Great Ape on their way back!

Was this Blood-Veined Great Ape planning to kill them? If it were truly a Magic Beast attacking humans, she wouldn't mind helping these people out.

The relationship between Magic Beasts and humans was not particularly harmonious.

The others also noticed Edita and her group. However, because of Fang Yun and the Blood-Veined Great Ape, Duyanlong and his men didn't dare to move at all.

Fang Yun paid no attention to Edita's group, casually waving his hand at the Blood-Veined Great Ape. Seeing Fang Yun's gesture, the Blood-Veined Great Ape let out a low growl, then stood up and cautiously moved behind Fang Yun.

Seeing this, Duyanlong and his men were even more certain that the ordeal they had suffered all night was caused by the young man before them.

Damn it, why did they have to provoke someone like this?

Even if the youth relied on a Level 8 Magic Beast obtained through a family contract, a family with that kind of strength was not someone they could afford to offend. How could someone like this appear on the outskirts of the Sunset Mountain Range?

Seeing that the Blood-Veined Great Ape seemed to obey Fang Yun, Edita's eyes narrowed slightly.

Was the Blood-Veined Great Ape this person's Magic Beast? Otherwise, how could it be so obedient?

Possessing a Level 8 contracted Magic Beast?

Could this youth be a Level 9 powerhouse? How was that possible?

Edita found it hard to believe. She considered her own talent quite impressive, having reached the level of a Level 8 Mage by the age of twenty. But the person in front of her looked about the same age as her; could he already be a Level 9 powerhouse?!

The other students were even more shocked. Some of them had contracted Magic Beasts, but they were mostly small Level 1 or Level 2 creatures.

A Level 8 Magic Beast? They didn't even dare to imagine it.

"So cool."

A boy with short blue hair couldn't help but mutter as he watched the Blood-Veined Great Ape obey Fang Yun, his eyes filled with envy.

Knowing that the Magic Beast was under control, the group felt much more at ease. After all, a controlled Magic Beast was not as bloodthirsty as a wild one; as long as you didn't provoke the other party, you generally wouldn't be killed for no reason.

"Sister, is this person a Level 9 powerhouse?!"

The blue-haired boy's eyes were shining, fixed on Fang Yun without blinking.

"A Level 9 powerhouse?"

The other young students couldn't help but gasp when they heard the boy's guess.

A Level 9 powerhouse was more than enough to serve as the king of a kingdom. Even within an empire, the status of a Level 9 powerhouse was extremely lofty. After all, unless it was a war of national extinction, Saint-level powerhouses would not act lightly, making Level 9 powerhouses the most formidable existences capable of influencing the course of a war.

Even the dean of Wester Academy was only a Level 9 powerhouse.

Could it be that they were actually witnessing a Level 9 powerhouse?

This was the realm they all aspired to reach.

Edita pondered for a moment before nodding slightly, "It's very likely."

Looking at the behavior of the Blood-Veined Great Ape, the possibility was very high.

The higher the level, the harder it was to advance. Although she was currently a Level 8 Mage, she wasn't even sure when she would reach Level 9.

When did such a young Level 9 powerhouse appear in the Rhine Empire?

One had to know that individuals of this caliber were geniuses, not just in the Rhine Empire, but across the entire Yulan Continent.

Duyanlong and his men had no mind to pay attention to anyone else, especially when they saw Fang Yun wave his hand and the Blood-Veined Great Ape moved away, leaving them trembling in terror.

Thump~

Duyanlong fell to his knees, his face deathly pale, "Young Master, please spare my life!"

As a mercenary active in the Sunset Mountain Range, he knew very well that lethal combat between humans was common. If you weren't a match for your opponent, you were usually killed, and now he had reached that point.

"Spare your life?"

Fang Yun raised an eyebrow and smiled, "You really are naive."

Although Fang Yun was not old, he possessed the countless years of cultivation experience of Clementin, which included profound insights into combat. Naturally, he could not completely reject the necessity of killing.

Especially in this situation, he could not let those who wanted to harm him go.

Letting them live through the night was already a great act of mercy.

Hearing this, the expressions of Duyanlong and his men changed drastically.

"Run!"

Duyanlong shouted suddenly, then took the lead and sprinted away.

If his group had been at full strength, he would have been confident that even if the opponent were a Level 7 or even a Level 8 Warrior, they wouldn't be in such a sorry state.

But the exhaustion from the night had drained their combat power too severely. At this moment, they were no match for a Level 8 Magic Beast; they couldn't even put up a resistance.

Hearing Duyanlong's shout, the others also changed color and fled in all directions. Perhaps by splitting up, some of them could survive.

Fang Yun waved his hand, and the Blood-Veined Great Ape understood his intent. It roared and took a step with its massive foot, stomping directly toward the group of people trying to escape.

To a group of weak humans, it could have easily slaughtered them all even last night.

Splat~

Duyanlong was the first to be crushed into a meat patty under the Blood-Veined Great Ape's foot. Even with his battle qi defense activated, it was completely useless.

The power of an eighth-rank Magic Beast was not something they could comprehend.

Caught up in the thrill of the slaughter, the Blood-Veined Great Ape pounded its chest and continued to stomp toward the group of students.

Seeing this, Edita frowned. She reached out to shield the students, saying, "Elite, you all move back."

"So powerful."

The blue-haired boy, Elite, turned pale at the sight. Although he was terrified by the carnage, he also gained a vague understanding of the Blood-Veined Great Ape's might.

It was too powerful.

"When will I be able to tame a Blood-Veined Great Ape?"

A look of excitement flickered in the young boy's eyes.

If only he could have a Blood-Veined Great Ape as his own Magic Beast...

It wasn't just Elite; facing this scene, the group from Wester Academy, though mostly fearful—with many covering their eyes with their hands—still peeked through the gaps between their fingers.

Beyond the fear, deep in their eyes, there was a sense of hot-blooded excitement.

After all, the entire Yulan Continent was defined by war; they had been instilled with the values of combat, slaughter, and the supremacy of the strong since childhood.

Even when faced with such a bloody scene, their capacity to accept it was greater than that of ordinary people.

In their eyes, these mercenaries must have provoked this ninth-rank powerhouse and were subsequently killed in retaliation.

Though the deaths were gruesome, they felt it was only right. The dignity of the strong could not be challenged.

Soon, Duyanlong and his entire group lay dead beneath the feet of the Blood-Veined Great Ape.

The Blood-Veined Great Ape seemed to be in a killing frenzy, its bloodthirsty instincts fully ignited. It roared wildly, swinging its arms and uprooting a nearby tree, sending dirt flying everywhere.

This scene turned the faces of the students pale, and even Edita wore a grave expression.

This guy, it wouldn't be thinking of killing us to silence us, would it?

Edita grew vigilant.

Although she was an eighth-rank mage, she was still at a disadvantage against an eighth-rank Magic Beast. Coupled with the presence of a likely ninth-rank powerhouse, she had no power to resist.

Therefore, she could not help but be on guard.

Fang Yun had intended to check the corpses for anything valuable. But hearing the roar of the Blood-Veined Great Ape and seeing it swing a massive tree, he realized the creature was getting carried away.

After all, this was not his contracted Magic Beast and was not truly under his control. It had been obedient earlier only out of fear; that was a completely different situation from a contracted beast.

If it were a contracted beast, such a situation would never occur.

The Blood-Veined Great Ape roared, its eyes turning bloodshot. It subconsciously scanned the crowd, but upon meeting Fang Yun's emotionless gaze, it instantly sobered up.

This was a Saint-level powerhouse!

The roar cut off abruptly, as if a rooster had been suddenly choked by the neck. It began to whimper, looking almost pitiful for a moment.

The Blood-Veined Great Ape was terrified, wondering if it was about to be swatted to death.

Seeing the creature regain its composure, Fang Yun gave a light huff. If not for the fact that it had chased Duyanlong all night, he would have killed it on the spot.

"Go."

Fang Yun waved his hand impatiently at the Blood-Veined Great Ape.

Seeing this, the Blood-Veined Great Ape let out two roars and turned to run toward the depths of the Sunset Mountain Range without looking back.

However, Edita and her group were confused; what was happening here?

He was letting his own Magic Beast leave?

They dared not ask, though, as they had no idea what kind of temperament this ninth-rank powerhouse possessed.

Fang Yun paid no attention to Edita and the others. He found a tree branch and poked at the corpses, looking for anything of value. He didn't have much money on him right now, unless he slaughtered a few Magic Beasts and traded their magic cores for coin.

But that would require going to trade them, so he would deal with that later.

Edita and the others watched cautiously as Fang Yun rummaged through the corpses.

Just as Fang Yun found a ring with a unique design on Duyanlong's body, Edita saw the ring, and her expression changed instantly, as if she couldn't believe it. "Instructor Cherifet's ring..."

Fang Yun examined the ring he had found and looked surprised. "This is... a Space Ring?"

It was no wonder Fang Yun was surprised; how could a lowly sixth-rank warrior possess something like a Space Ring?

One had to know that this item was a rare treasure throughout the entire Yulan Continent. Even Saint-level powerhouses didn't necessarily possess one.

He had been planning to visit the capital of the Rhine Empire just to see if he could acquire a Space Ring, and he hadn't expected to stumble upon one here.

His luck was truly not bad.