Destruction Mountain Range

Night.

In Snow Eagle Territory, inside Snow Stone Castle, in the study.

Dongbo Xueying sat behind his desk, while Zong Ling and Tong San sat down casually as well.

"Xueying, why did you call us here?" Tong San asked, puzzled.

"Today I went to see the great mage. He agreed to take Qing Shi as his personal disciple, but he made two demands: either fifty thousand gold coins or the heart of a Silver Moon Wolf King. If we meet one of his demands, there won't be a problem with Qing Shi becoming his disciple," Dongbo Xueying said.

"Fifty thousand gold coins?" Tong San's eyes widened. "That's outrageous! Your Uncle Zong, your parents, and I risked our lives so many times back then, and we still didn't manage to save up many treasures. It was only after your mother became pregnant that we stumbled upon a huge windfall! Otherwise, how could your parents have bought a noble title and Snow Eagle Territory? And he just asks for fifty thousand gold coins?"

It was an absurd sum. Even a Meteor Knight would find it difficult to pay that much, even if he liquidated everything he owned.

His parents had been among the few lucky ones who had adventured abroad in those days. Adventurers went to extremely dangerous places, where the death rate was high. His parents had been lucky enough to survive and buy a title and territory! And since all those who dared become adventurers feared neither death nor danger, and were exceptionally ruthless, the nobles of Yi Water City didn't dare make a move, even though they knew Snow Eagle Territory was very wealthy.

"The Silver Moon Wolf King's heart would be even harder to get." Zong Ling frowned. "If it were just a regular fourth-rank magical beast, a Silver Moon Wolf King, then with Xueying's current strength and our help, we'd still have a chance! But a Silver Moon Wolf King has a huge pack of wolves under its command... When they attack together, they're even more terrifying than the wolf king itself."

The wolf king itself wasn't frightening. The pack was!

That was why, even though the Silver Moon Wolf King was a fourth-rank magical beast, its corpse was worth as much as a fifth-rank beast's!

"I'm planning to enter the Destruction Mountain Range," Dongbo Xueying said.

"You can't—"

"That's too risky!"

Tong San and Zong Ling were both shocked.

What kind of place was the Destruction Mountain Range?

It was the largest mountain range in the entire world, stretching across four provinces! Countless magical beasts lived within it, and there were even transcendent beings. Despite generations of effort, the human Empire had never managed to eliminate this enormous threat. The Empire's army was even primarily stationed around the Magical Beast Mountain Range! The troops often carried out large-scale exterminations along the mountain range's outskirts, and it was only because of them that large quantities of low-rank magical beast meat were available for purchase.

That was why first-, second-, and third-rank magical beast meat was relatively cheap. But prices rose sharply starting with fourth-rank beasts. An ordinary army couldn't hunt them; only the best of the best could.

"Even the army goes out in force, and sweeps only the outermost three thousand miles." Zong Ling continued, "Even Silver Moon Knights and Title-level Knights don't want to enter the Destruction Mountain Range... There isn't much to be gained in the outer three thousand miles, and if you go deeper, you could run into terrifying magical beasts at any moment!"

"Exactly, Xueying," Tong San said. "Back when I adventured with your parents, we never even considered venturing into the Destruction Mountain Range! You want to hunt a fourth-rank magical beast, but there's no guarantee you'll find one. You might run into a fifth- or even a sixth-rank beast instead! Then you'd be dead!"

They were both anxious.

The Destruction Mountain Range?

It was the ultimate lair of humanity's greatest enemy: the magical beasts! Going in meant gambling with your life.

"You haven't let me finish," Dongbo Xueying said with a smile. "I am planning to enter the Destruction Mountain Range, but I'll stay within the outermost three thousand miles. Hunting magical beasts is secondary, though. What I really intend to do is hunt down the Curved Blade Alliance!"

"The Curved Blade Alliance?" Zong Ling and Tong San's eyes lit up.

Because the outer three thousand miles were frequently swept by the army, the strongest magical beasts had long since retreated. The area was generally home to large numbers of low-rank beasts. Every sweep was a massive clash between the army and the low-rank beasts... The beasts were endless; after one group was wiped out, even more low-rank beasts would pour out from deeper in the Destruction Mountain Range.

Too many human soldiers had fallen across those three thousand miles, but the army had also forged many experts there.

"The Curved Blade Alliance? Those bandits hide in the Destruction Mountain Range. They don't dare venture too far in either; they stick to the outermost three thousand miles." Zong Ling nodded. "And Gai Bin, the alliance leader, is a Meteor Knight. He's greedy and often plunders people, so he must have quite a few treasures. Their whole bandit den probably holds even more, but it won't be easy to attack."

"The enemy knows where we are, but we don't know where they are. Uncle Zong, how do you think my strength compares with Gai Bin's?" Dongbo Xueying asked.

"You're far stronger than him. I can hold my own against him for a while, but against you... if you really went all out, I wouldn't last." Zong Ling smiled wryly.

Even when he was holding back, Dongbo Xueying was already at the peak of Meteor Knight strength.

When he unleashed his full power, his strength rose to that of a Silver Moon Knight!

His spear technique was nearly at the level of a Spear Technique Master, and he had learned his Battle Qi circulation techniques from Gu Yuanhan, the "Mystic Ice Knight"!

"Your only weakness is that you've seen too little blood," Zong Ling said. "You've executed some serious criminals in our territory, but you've still had too few life-or-death battles. When you spar with us, it's only sparring."

"I understand. That's why, on this trip to the Destruction Mountain Range... while searching for the Curved Blade Alliance's den, I'm sure I'll run into plenty of magical beasts. It'll be a good chance to hone my skills, too," Dongbo Xueying said.

"Finding the Curved Blade Alliance's den won't be easy."

Zong Ling was worried. "You'll run into magical beasts again and again along the way... and there's even a very small chance you could encounter some powerful ones."

Though it was unlikely that anything too powerful, like a transcendent being or a sixth-rank beast, would show up in the outer three thousand miles, fifth- and fourth-rank beasts still appeared from time to time. Whenever the army swept through, they would sense the danger and retreat early. But for someone like Dongbo Xueying, venturing out alone, those powerful beasts could lie in wait and ambush him.

"I shouldn't be so unlucky," Dongbo Xueying said. "And my spear technique is quite good at defense, so I'm confident I can protect myself."

"Besides, if I don't go to the Destruction Mountain Range... how else am I going to earn fifty thousand gold coins?" Dongbo Xueying shook his head.

Did he want to avoid taking risks?

A Meteor Knight could work as a retainer and guard for a major clan, where the job was safe, but the annual salary would only be three or five thousand gold coins. To get tens of thousands of gold coins? That took a major risk.

"All right." Zong Ling said, "I'll go with you. I've been to the outer three thousand miles several times, at least."

"You've been there, Uncle Zong?" Dongbo Xueying stared at him in surprise.

"Mm. After your parents bought Snow Eagle Territory, I trained by myself and went to the outskirts of the Destruction Mountain Range to hone my skills." As a royal of the Snake-man Race, Zong Ling had his pride. He had always wanted to break through the Earth-Rank and reach the Meteor level, and he pushed himself hard.

"When you go to the Destruction Mountain Range, listen to your Uncle Zong and don't be careless," Tong San urged.

After making preparations, Dongbo Xueying and Zong Ling set out with a hundred-man troop at dawn five days later.

The castle's drawbridge had already been lowered.

"Brother, come back soon!" Qing Shi ran to the edge of the mountaintop and called out loudly. Tong San stood beside him.

"Qing Shi, don't worry. Behave yourself at home and listen to Uncle Tong," Dongbo Xueying called back from far away.

"I know!"

Qing Shi nodded firmly, but deep down he felt reluctant.

He'd never been apart from his brother for long before. This time, he'd heard, his brother would be away on business for ten days or half a month.

He had no idea that Dongbo Xueying was going out this time to earn his "tuition."

Dongbo Xueying's cavalry troop traveled at an easy pace. By dusk, they had reached the edge of the Destruction Mountain Range, more than nine hundred miles away.

The cavalry began setting up camp.

They started cooking dinner.

"Old Yang."

Zong Ling and Dongbo Xueying stood with a bearded man named Yang Cheng. He was an Earth-Rank Knight who served the Dongbo Clan and was the commander of this hundred-man troop.

"Tomorrow morning, the lord and I will enter the mountain range. I'm leaving this place in your hands," Zong Ling said.

"Lord Zong Ling, Lord, don't worry. I'll take care of everything here," Yang Cheng said. "But please be careful." He was worried. "Back when I was in the army, I took part in sweeps of the Destruction Mountain Range's outer regions. But those were full-scale military operations; I never went out alone. And the magical beasts charged us in waves, fearless of death... Of the brothers who enlisted with me, only three or four out of ten were able to retire safely. Almost all the rest died in the Destruction Mountain Range."

Dongbo Xueying nodded.

The Destruction Mountain Range... truly was a forbidden place. Those who dared enter its outskirts were soldiers and desperate bandits. Even fewer dared venture deeper.

Early the next morning, while the sky was still dim, Dongbo Xueying, with a weapon case on his back, quietly entered the Destruction Mountain Range on foot with Zong Ling. There was no way to ride horses in the Destruction Mountain Range, and even a slight commotion from a horse could draw out a terrifying magical beast.

"Lord, please be careful!" Commander Yang Cheng and the other soldiers watched anxiously as the black-clad youth and the silver-haired Snake-man man walked away into the distance, until they disappeared among the mountain forests and could no longer be seen.

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