Five Years

"Pfft!"

With a wet squelch, a pale green, translucent spear burst through the shadow's heart. Blood sprayed out, staining the Earth Guardian Sacred Armor on Lin Feng's body red.

At the same time, a terrifying shriek rang out. Shadow Mouse Beibei suddenly appeared beside the shadow's wrist. Its mouth gaped wide enough to swallow a fist, and its sharp teeth clamped down on the shadow's wrist. A piercing scream followed as Beibei bit the wrist clean off.

Only a severed hand remained, still clutching the dagger. It fell to the ground.

"Ah! Ahhh!" The shadow shrieked in agony as the wrist was torn away.

"Die!"

Lin Feng curled his fingers into a claw and reached for the hole in the shadow's chest, where blood was still gushing.

Black Tiger Steals Heart!

"Pfft!"

Lin Feng ripped the shadow's heart out and clenched it in his hand. The blood-red organ seemed to keep beating, thumping again and again.

The light gradually faded from the shadow's eyes, his face filled with deep reluctance.

"Thank goodness I made it." Lin Feng smiled at Beibei. He had nearly lost his life this time.

Doehring Cowart appeared as well, marveling, "That assassin's ability to lie in wait is truly terrifying. You have this Shadow Mouse and your little girlfriend to thank. Without them, Lin Feng, you would have been in real danger. This decrepit old man of mine is only a soul now. I wouldn't have been able to save you."

From the original Coiling Dragon, Lin Feng knew that the most terrifying threat in the Magical Beast Mountain Range was human assassins. But he had never faced one himself, and in the four years since entering the range, he had never once been attacked. Over time, he had let his guard down. He never expected his first encounter with an assassin to be so dangerous. If he hadn't recently broken through to become a Level Seven Mage, and if his Earth Guardian Sacred Armor hadn't advanced to the Jade Level, he would likely have been done for.

Doehring Cowart continued, "That assassin was probably a Level Six warrior, but he cultivated the strange Dark Attribute Battle Qi and had likely undergone special training. He was skilled at moving stealthily and concealing his presence. A Level Six warrior trained like that is generally more powerful in attack than an ordinary Level Six warrior. Dark Attribute Battle Qi is quite strange. He was probably using some kind of secret technique to increase his speed."

Lin Feng nodded slightly.

He was also a Level Six warrior, as well as a Level Seven wind-element mage. Yet the shadow's attacks had been far faster than his own.

In the Holy Union, cultivating Darkness Attribute magic or battle qi was forbidden. In the four great empires, however, the Dark Alliance allowed it. It was much the same as how the Dark Alliance forbade the cultivation of light magic and light-element battle qi.

"Big brother, come quickly!" Shadow Mouse Beibei's voice suddenly rang out in Lin Feng's mind, frantic with worry.

"Hm?" Lin Feng turned and saw Dilia lying on the ground, her face as pale as paper. His heart lurched.

"Dilia!" He rushed to her side, gathered her into his arms, and called her name anxiously.

"Don't worry. She's only suffered some magical backlash. It's nothing serious; a few days' rest will be enough for her to recover." Doehring Cowart's words eased Lin Feng's worry.

Dilia had used Levitation for more than ten minutes straight. Although Levitation didn't place much strain on her magic or mental energy, it was still a Level Five spell, and she had only recently become a Level Five Mage. The effort had left her with little magic power and drained most of her mental energy. But when she saw Lin Feng in danger, Dilia had panicked and ignored her condition. She forced herself to use what little magic power and mental energy she had left to cast the Level Five spell Wind Roar, triggering magical backlash. That was why she had fainted.

"Phew!"

Lin Feng let out a breath of relief. If anything had happened to Dilia, he would have been consumed by guilt and regret. After spending years together, his feelings for Dilia had grown stronger and stronger. At first, he had approached her because she was sweet and pretty, and because of the influence of the original book. But after all these years, Lin Feng had truly fallen in love with her.

With Dilia unconscious, Lin Feng had no interest in collecting their spoils. He gave the battlefield a cursory search, then left with Dilia and Beibei.

Autumn deepened, and the weather grew colder. Then one day, a white snowflake drifted down, heralding the arrival of another winter.

Fenlai City, outside the gates of Ernst Academy!

"Hm?" Yale, dressed in a fur coat and accompanied by his two other roommates from dorm 1987, George and Reynolds, was about to enter the academy when he suddenly stopped.

"Uncle Hillman, have you come to wait for our third brother again?"

Because of Lin Feng, Yale—despite being the son of one of Yulan's three great merchant guilds—deeply respected Hillman, who was only a Level Six warrior.

"Yes. Has Lin Feng come back yet?" Hillman's voice trembled, and his eyes were full of hope.

George stepped forward and sighed. "Uncle Hillman, Lin Feng still hasn't come out of the Magical Beast Mountain Range. I think he'll probably return next year."

George was worried about Lin Feng too, but he didn't let it show in front of Hillman.

"This is the fifth year. Lin Feng has been in the Magical Beast Mountain Range for five years, and I've come here five times." Hillman's eyes held memories and disappointment, but no trace of the hope he'd once had. He shook his head dejectedly and murmured, "Lin Feng entered the Magical Beast Mountain Range when he was ten. Five years have passed now. He must be fifteen."

Seeing that Hillman sounded troubled, Reynolds quickly said, "Uncle Hillman, Third Brother will definitely make it back safely. I believe in him."

Yale and George chimed in at once. "That's right. Third Brother was already a Level Five Mage when he entered the Magical Beast Mountain Range, and his warrior cultivation was impressive too. Plus, he has his contracted magical beast, Beibei. Nothing will happen to him."

"If that's true, then why hasn't he come back after all this time?" Hillman asked, his voice rising with emotion.

"Maybe, maybe, maybe Third Brother wants to break through to Level Seven Mage before coming back and applying to graduate right away!" Reynolds said, shifting his eyes twice, clearly unsure of himself.

Most people didn't spend more than three months training in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Even the longest expeditions lasted only half a year before they returned. Once winter set in, the trees withered and food grew scarce. The magical beasts, desperate to fill their bellies, became especially savage and bloodthirsty. In other words, the range was more dangerous in winter than at any other time. Perhaps, in a way, the fact that Lin Feng had been gone for five years meant that he might never come back.

Hillman realized that he had let his emotions get the better of him. He shook his head and said, "If Lin Feng comes back, please tell him to return to Wushan Town right away."

With that, Hillman didn't linger. He walked away slowly, his steps heavy.

Yale watched Hillman's figure recede into the distance. His hands clenched until his knuckles cracked, and he gritted his teeth. "If Third Brother comes back, I'm going to beat him up. How could he disappear for so long? Doesn't he know we'd worry about him?"

George and Reynolds were just as dejected. They shook their heads and entered the academy.