Level 6 peak.
Standing at this threshold, Lin Yun knew that simple meditation and carving would no longer help him break through in a short time. What he needed was real combat—to fight on the edge of life and death, feel for that invisible barrier, and then shatter it.
The thought had circled in his mind for a long time. At last, one autumn evening, he brought it up with Doehring.
"Grandpa Doehring, I want to train in the Magic Beast Mountain Range."
In the woods behind the mountain, the setting sun had painted the horizon gold and red. Lin Yun stood beneath an old tree, his gaze calm and resolute. Linley was beside him, helping him pass on his words, but his face was full of worry.
Doehring drifted out of the Coiling Dragon Ring and hovered before them. He remained silent for a long while.
"Do you know how dangerous the Magic Beast Mountain Range is?" His voice was calm. He neither refused nor agreed. "It isn't the woods behind the academy. There won't be an instructor rushing in to save you at a critical moment. You could encounter Level 7, Level 8, or even Level 9 magic beasts. One careless mistake, and not even your bones will be left behind."
"I know," Lin Yun said.
"Aren't you afraid?"
"I am," Lin Yun answered frankly. "But I'm going anyway."
Doehring looked at him, a complicated expression flashing in his eyes.
This child had never been like others his age. His composure, his reason, and his clear understanding of his own path were all far beyond what one would expect of a twelve-year-old boy. Sometimes, Doehring even felt that the person standing before him was an adult who had lived for decades, not a boy who had only just entered adolescence.
"Lin Yun," Doehring said, his voice turning serious, "do you know why I'm agreeing to let you go?"
Lin Yun shook his head.
"Because you're right," Doehring said slowly. "Great trees don't grow in greenhouses. Your strength is already among the best at the academy, but it's still nowhere near enough for a real battlefield. You need actual combat, the tempering that comes from standing between life and death. Only in that kind of environment can your magic truly transform into a means of killing enemies, instead of a trick you show off in class."
He paused, then continued, "I won't stop you. True strongmen are never made by being protected."
Linley listened beside them. His expression shifted, and he opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he swallowed his words. He knew what his younger brother was like—once he made up his mind, not even nine dragons could drag him back.
"However," Doehring said, changing course, "you can't go alone. Take Bebe with you."
"Chirp!" Bebe jumped down from Linley's shoulder and sprang onto Lin Yun's. He patted Lin Yun's cheek with a tiny paw, looking as if to say, "Leave it to me."
"Bebe..." Linley was reluctant, but he still nodded. He knew Doehring was right—with Bebe by his side, Lin Yun would have an extra measure of protection. Though Bebe looked small and delicate, his speed, agility, and defense were enough to match Level 7 or 8 magic beasts.
"Don't worry," Lin Yun told Linley. "I'll come back safe and sound."
Linley took a deep breath and patted his younger brother on the shoulder. "I'll be waiting for you."
Early the next morning, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, Lin Yun quietly left Ernst Academy with a simple pack on his back and Bebe with him.
The pack contained only a few changes of clothes, some dried food, a few bottles of healing potion, and a Refined Iron Short Blade. He had paid a good deal to have it made at the academy smithy. The blade was long and narrow, suited to close combat. Though his magic was enough to handle most situations, he never put all his eggs in one basket.
Bebe perched on his shoulder, tiny paws clutching his collar, his bright black eyes full of excitement.
"Chirp!" he cried, as if saying, "Let's go!"
The Magic Beast Mountain Range lay north of Ernst Academy and stretched for nearly ten thousand miles. It was one of the regions with the highest concentration of magic beasts on the Yulan Continent. The journey from the academy would take several days on foot.
Along the way, Lin Yun used no magic to speed up his travel. He relied on his own legs and walked the whole way. He needed to let his body gradually adapt to the wilderness—the changing temperatures, the uneven terrain, the flow of the air. These were all things he couldn't learn at the academy.
Bebe, on the other hand, took it easy. Every so often, he would leap from Lin Yun's shoulder and dart into the roadside grass to chase a butterfly or a lizard. Then he would bound back, enjoying himself immensely.
Several days later, Lin Yun finally reached the edge of the Magic Beast Mountain Range.
Standing at the foot of the mountains, he looked up. The range stretched on and on like a vast barrier between heaven and earth. Its slopes were steep, its forests dense, and a faint mist shrouded the mountainsides. The occasional roar from the woods was low and drawn-out, enough to put anyone on guard.
The air carried an atmosphere utterly unlike the academy's—damp and rank, with a faint trace of blood. It was the scent left by magic beasts, a mark that had lingered in these mountains for thousands of years.
After arriving, Lin Yun often saw groups of people heading into the Magic Beast Mountain Range. Some numbered only three or four, others seven or eight. Few came alone to train as he did; only those supremely confident in their strength would choose to enter this perilous range by themselves.
Many looked at Lin Yun as if he were already a dead man. After all, he looked no more than fourteen or fifteen. There was no way he looked like an expert.
Some people also invited him to join their teams, but Lin Yun turned them all down. Joining an unfamiliar group on a whim was more dangerous than going alone.
Lin Yun took a deep breath and stepped into the forest.
As soon as he entered the Magic Beast Mountain Range, Lin Yun let go of all his complacency. Ancient trees, perhaps hundreds or even thousands of years old, towered overhead, their crowns blocking out the sky. Weeds covered the ground, and thorny brambles grew everywhere. Withered Fallen Leaves carpeted the earth, crackling beneath his feet, while old vines and weeds crowded thickly around him.
"In a forest this old, the weeds and vines are so dense that I might not even see a magic beast hiding ten meters away." Lin Yun felt a chill run through him.
To be safe, Lin Yun silently recited a spell.
A gentle breeze spread outward from Lin Yun in every direction, then faded away into the world.
Wind Element magic—Wind of Perception!
Generally, a Level 3 Mage could cast the Wind of Perception. The stronger the mage, the wider its range. A Level 3 Mage's spell could reach only a dozen meters or so, while a Level 6 Mage's Wind of Perception could cover several hundred meters. It could sense the shape and aura of living beings. Within that range, no faint sound escaped his awareness—the rustle of leaves, the chirping of insects, the flow of a distant stream, and... several clusters of life hidden in the bushes.
They were magic beasts.
Lin Yun stopped and closed his eyes, carefully sensing the strength of those auras. Three of them, none very large and none particularly powerful. They were probably around Level 3. They posed no threat to him.
But he didn't rush to attack.
He needed to adapt—to real combat, to a fight where either he died or his enemy did. These were things no classroom could teach, and no book could properly explain. Only by experiencing them firsthand could he truly learn.
Lin Yun held his breath and quietly approached the bushes.
Parting the branches and leaves, he saw three furry little creatures—Wind Foxes. They were about the size of ordinary foxes, but their coats were brighter, and the tips of their tails glowed a faint green. They were gathered around a dead rabbit, fighting over it.
Wind Foxes were Wind Element magic beasts, skilled at short bursts of speed and Wind Blade attacks. A Level 3 Wind Fox's Wind Blade was about as powerful as a spell cast by a Level 3 Mage.
Lin Yun took a deep breath and raised his right hand.
Spiritual Energy surged. A violet arc of electricity shot from his fingertips—
"Crackle!"
Thunder Element Level 3 magic—Thunder Arrow.
This was the first time in his three lifetimes that he had attacked a living creature. Though he had simulated the moment countless times in his mind, he was still nervous when he actually made his move. The Thunder Arrow's trajectory veered an inch from where he had intended, striking the Wind Fox's hind leg instead of its torso.
The Wind Fox let out a piercing cry and tried to flee, dragging its injured hind leg. The other two raised their heads in alarm and bared their teeth in Lin Yun's direction.
One of them opened its mouth and spat out a green Wind Blade.
Lin Yun dodged to the side, but he was half a beat too slow. The Wind Blade skimmed his sleeve and sliced a hole in its cuff.
Real combat was nothing like fighting in a classroom.
Lin Yun's heart raced, but he forced himself to stay calm. He raised his right hand again, and this time his fingers were much steadier.
"Thunder Arrow."
The violet bolt struck the first Wind Fox squarely in the head. It fell without even having time to cry out.
The remaining two Wind Foxes saw that things had gone badly and turned to flee.
Lin Yun swept his left hand out. A flash of watery blue light appeared, and a hand formed from Water Element materialized out of thin air, grabbing one of the fleeing Wind Foxes.
Water Element Level 2 magic—Hand of Water.
The captured Wind Fox struggled desperately, but the Hand of Water tightened its grip. Lin Yun took a deep breath and fired another Thunder Arrow with his right hand, ending its life.
The last Wind Fox had already run far away. Lin Yun didn't pursue it. He simply stood where he was.
Of the three Level 3 magic beasts, he had killed two and let one escape.
Though he had won, his performance had fallen far short of his expectations. His first Thunder Arrow had veered off course, he had been too slow to dodge the Wind Blade, and he had been on the defensive throughout the fight. If he hadn't been stronger than his opponents, he might already have been injured.
Bebe leaped down from a branch and perched on Lin Yun's shoulder. He chirped twice, as if trying to comfort him.
Lin Yun gave a bitter smile.
"As expected, theory and practice are two different things," he murmured.
He crouched and removed the Magic Crystals from the two Wind Foxes. Each was about the size of his thumb and of ordinary quality. This was the first time he had taken Magic Crystals from a magic beast with his own hands. The smell of blood made him uncomfortable, but he didn't show it.
A true adventurer wouldn't care about such things.
Lin Yun stood, took a deep breath, and continued deeper into the mountains.
Before you continue