Leaving the Magic Beast Mountain Range

Matthews dragged the Blood-Eyed Mane Lion from the crater created by his Thunder Qilin attack to beneath a giant boulder before asking, "What is your name?"

A weak, listless voice echoed in Matthews' mind: "My name is Pal."

After Matthews introduced himself and Asolun, he began to sense the lightning and thunder amidst the rain and mist.

This time, by borrowing the power of the lightning and thunder between heaven and earth, his Battle Qi successfully broke through to the ninth rank. Furthermore, he had grasped the momentum of heaven and earth, clearing the obstacles to advancing to the Saint realm. As long as his Battle Qi reached the Saint level, he could directly advance to the Saint realm, thereby obtaining the immortality that practitioners in his previous world had dreamed of.

Once he reached the Saint realm, as long as he didn't do anything reckless and cultivated quietly, Matthews was absolutely confident he could successfully comprehend the laws and become a god. Afterward, he would just lay low in the material plane until he reached the level of a median god, then head to the divine plane.

Half a year later, Matthews rode the now-recovered Pal and appeared at the edge of the Magic Beast Mountain Range.

This area was already close to the side of the empire ruled by the Church of Light. Students of the Church of Light looked at the young Matthews walking out leisurely and said with envy, "Look, a ninth-rank magic beast!"

"Yeah, I want to ride a ninth-rank magic beast in the future too!"

Just as Matthews was admiring these vibrant students, those students were also setting his strength as their goal. In a great mood, Matthews directed Pal toward a resting mercenary group not far away. Seeing Matthews approach, the mercenary group immediately grew tense.

"May I ask if there is anything you need, my lord?"

The leader of this mercenary group was only a seventh-rank warrior. Unlike those students, he clearly recognized the magic beast this young man was riding; it was a Blood-Eyed Mane Lion, a creature that was at the Saint level once it reached adulthood. Judging by the size of the beast, it was not far from maturity.

Therefore, he knew this ninth-rank magic beast must be at the peak of its rank, not something a seventh-rank warrior like him could handle. Moreover, a young man capable of subduing a magic beast of this level must be even stronger than the beast itself—at the very least a peak ninth-rank, or perhaps even a Saint-level powerhouse—so he kept his posture very low.

"Which city is closest to the Magic Beast Mountain Range, and do you have a map?"

The mercenary leader replied, "The closest city is Mutuo'ya City, and our Wind Fox Mercenary Group happens to be heading there."

"I see. Then give me a lift!"

"This!"

Seeing the leader's troubled expression, Matthews said, "Is there a problem? Don't worry, I won't let you give me a ride for nothing."

As he spoke, Matthews took out the only ten gold coins he had and said, "This is your payment!"

"It is our honor to give you a ride, my lord. Please, keep your money."

"Take it if I give it to you."

Matthews then found a spot to sit down, after which he lay on a flatbed cart to rest, letting Pal stand guard nearby. Three days passed quickly, and since Matthews was tired, he slept on the mercenary group's cart for the entire journey.

The Wind Fox Mercenary Group stopped at this moment, and just as someone wanted to approach, they were scared into staying put by a low growl from Pal.

"Why did we stop?"

Seeing that Matthews had woken up, the leader of the Wind Fox Mercenary Group said respectfully, "My lord, we have arrived."

Matthews rolled off the cart and jumped down, then mounted Pal.

"Thanks!"

When passing through the city gate, Matthews didn't queue at all. He looked at Mutuo'ya City with great interest, and the more he looked, the more familiar it seemed.

"Wait, isn't this the city where I was sold into slavery by the Mad Python Mercenary Group?"

While Matthews was lost in thought, the Blood-Eyed Mane Lion ignored the surrounding city guards and walked straight inside.

"Captain, that person just now didn't pay the fee."

"Slap—"

The response to the young soldier was a loud slap, followed by the captain's scolding: "If you want to die, don't drag me down with you! That lord just now was riding a ninth-rank magic beast. Are you trying to get us killed?"

"I'm sorry!"

After hearing this, Matthews didn't pay it any mind. He had more important things to do now. First, he needed to go to the Mercenary Guild to inquire about the whereabouts of the Mad Python Mercenary Group, and then head to the stronghold of the Maple Leaf Slave Group.

He needed to find out where his main divine artifact, the Death Scythe, had been taken. Such trivial matters as city entry fees were not worth wasting his time on.

In the city, he spent the remaining fifty silver coins he had to ask someone for the location of the Mercenary Guild. Matthews then rode Pal straight toward it.

The area in front of the Mercenary Guild was packed with people, noisy and chaotic, mixed with all sorts of crude cursing. When Matthews rode Pal over, the noise here suddenly died down.

The crowd naturally cleared a path. Most of those trying to make a living in this border city were not high-ranking warriors. Ninth-rank powerhouses rarely came to the Mercenary Guild of such a small border town; they were already powerful enough to be nobles in any kingdom.

Even if they did come to a small border town, it was usually for training, and they would never come to the Mercenary Guild.

The attendant at the Mercenary Guild was a fiery seventh-rank female warrior. Seeing Matthews ride in on a ninth-rank magic beast, she asked with a smile, "Is there something I can help you with, my lord?"

"I want to inquire about information regarding the Mad Python Mercenary Group!"

"This... our Mercenary Guild keeps information about mercenary groups confidential."

Matthews said in an unquestionable tone, "I want to know their latest location."

Seeing Matthews' cold expression, the beautiful warrior smiled and said, "I'm sorry, our Mercenary Guild cannot leak information about mercenary groups. However, my lord, you could try a different method!"

"Oh?"

Seeing Matthews' confusion, a burly man nearby explained, "My lord, you can post a mercenary mission, and naturally, there will be mercenary groups that take the job of finding them."

After listening, Matthews took a sixth-rank magic beast core from his Space Ring and tossed it to the burly man. Amidst the man's thanks, he turned to the fiery seventh-rank beauty and said, "I am also posting a mission for the Mad Python Mercenary Group. The reward is a seventh-rank magic beast core."

"Very well, my lord."

The beautiful warrior quickly wrote up the mercenary mission for Matthews and posted it. Just after Matthews left, mercenary groups who knew the whereabouts of the Mad Python Mercenary Group immediately accepted the mission.

Someone said to the burly man who had received the sixth-rank magic beast core from Matthews, "You're quite lucky, buy us a drink!"

They were all people who lived by the blade, so the burly man laughed and agreed. Naturally, he was generous toward those he was familiar with, especially since he had indeed obtained a valuable magic beast core.

After posting the mercenary mission, Matthews went straight to the branch of the Maple Leaf Slave Group in this city.