Killing Time (1)

"Nicholas is far more calculating than he seems. Far deeper than we imagined."

In the guest hall of Marquis Sweet's estate, Duke Aldrich spoke slowly, his brows tightly knitted.

"Mm. The matter of the Black Dragon definitely isn't as simple as he made it sound, and that massive magical beast that looks so much like a Black Dragon is extremely similar in appearance to his other summoned beasts." Sweet filled the old duke's wineglass and sat down beside him.

"If we asked him, he might not answer truthfully. If we pushed him too hard, it would only make things worse. Forget it. No matter what, the blood flowing in him belongs to the Harriman Family. If he achieves anything in the future, it will be our family's honor." As Aldrich spoke, he raised his glass and drained the red wine in one gulp.

"If Laurat hadn't discovered this in time, I never would have gone to His Majesty to ask for that notice from Blood Canyon. In the past, Blood Canyon notices were hot commodities. Now they've become thunderbolts no one wants to hold. Ever since that inexplicable elimination tournament appeared in Blood Canyon thirty years ago, those who want to go don't dare, and those who dare to go may not be qualified to obtain a notice. Aside from quite a few lunatic martial fanatics, those who can go..."

The old duke sighed at this point, then continued, "Ah, I don't even know who came up with this bullshit rule. The major empires sent people to ask, yet they were refused reception. How did Blood Canyon suddenly make people feel as if it had slipped beyond the control of the major empires? That said, one Black Dragon summoned beast can add some weight to our family's side, but it still isn't enough. Even with these old bones of mine, I'm fully confident I could kill Nicholas beneath my sword under the attacks of two Black Dragons, to say nothing of how many hidden experts the other families have."

"We're gambling. The Blood Canyon with its changed rules has an extremely high death rate, but Nicholas has two Black Dragon summoned beasts, so he should be fine. In just a few years, our Harriman Family's weight in the empire will grow much heavier."

What if he dies? Sweet said the words in his heart, but looking at the somewhat excited face of the family head, in the end, he still did not dare ask them aloud.

"Still, they're all just weights for the family..." Count Sweet raised his glass and drained it in one gulp. The image of his daughter's utter reluctance when she had married into the royal family rose unbidden in his mind, and he sighed inwardly.

In the sky above the edge of the Falling Moon Mountains, a level-eight magical beast, the Rock Thunder Bird, was flying with its wings spread. Its body was enormous, and its wingspan reached a full hundred meters. Crackling arcs of electricity constantly wandered around the two horns atop its head.

Two people sat on the Rock Thunder Bird's broad back. They were Randolph and Li Junshan, who had been traveling for seven days.

Time waited for no one. Blood Canyon only opened to outsiders during this period each year. The day after Duke Aldrich and Li Junshan finalized the matter of going to Blood Canyon, Li Junshan had set off under Randolph's lead. He had not even had time to visit his parents in Floro City.

Sitting on the Rock Thunder Bird's back, Li Junshan's heart felt heavy.

That day, inevitably, at Duke Aldrich's request, Li Junshan had released the Xenomorph Black Dragon, the little Black Dragon, and ordinary xenomorphs. Aldrich, Sweet, and Randolph had all looked at Li Junshan with suspicious eyes, but in the end, none of them had spoken.

There were far too many similarities between the external features of the Xenomorph Black Dragon and ordinary xenomorphs. Li Junshan knew they had grown suspicious.

If they did not ask, Li Junshan would be even less likely to explain. The matter of the Xenomorph Eggs and the Queen absolutely could not be known by anyone.

Randolph actually possessed two high-level summoned beasts. This surprised Li Junshan somewhat. That level-eight land turtle was already overbearing enough on land, but he had not expected Randolph to also have an overlord of the skies.

The fierce wind that rushed at him whipped Li Junshan's face. He had no choice but to narrow his eyes slightly and look down at the boundless Falling Moon Mountains beneath his feet.

In the past, he had only hunted magical beasts at the edge of the Falling Moon Mountains. Now that he had flown high into the sky, he finally knew that the vastness of the Falling Moon Mountains far exceeded his imagination.

They flew for more than half a day. Midway, they stopped in the forest and casually ate some dried meat, drinking a few mouthfuls of clear water from a river before continuing to fly toward the depths of the forest.

"Mr. Randolph, have you been to Blood Canyon before?" Li Junshan asked loudly.

"Once. Otherwise, His Grace wouldn't have had me bring you there." Randolph turned his head and answered.

"What did you go there for?"

Randolph hesitated for a moment before saying, "You'll see sooner or later anyway. Lei Xuan's older sister, Lei Yu, was brought over by Lei Wei and me together."

"Lei Xuan's older sister." Black-haired Lei Xuan appeared in Li Junshan's mind. He wanted to ask more, but he saw Randolph wave his hand and turn his head away, so he could only give up.

They flew for another half day. When the sun was setting in the west, Li Junshan, in midair, suddenly saw dozens of level-five magical beasts, Thunder Eagles, fly out of the forest ahead of them, surrounding them in a circle as they closed in from the air.

"The area ahead is forbidden ground. No one may enter without permission." Seated on the Thunder Eagles' backs were some big men in leather armor. The bearded man in the lead shouted coldly.

Randolph hurriedly directed the Rock Thunder Bird to land on the ground. After the two of them got down, he took the Rock Thunder Bird back into his spiritual space.

At this time, the dozens of Thunder Eagles also landed. The bearded man who had spoken just now walked over warily. Before he could speak, Randolph took a sheepskin scroll from his robes and respectfully handed it over.

The bearded man took it and examined it carefully for a while, then glanced at Li Junshan a few times and nodded. "From the Lans Empire, huh. You got here just in time. It'll be over in a little while. Anyone who comes after that won't be allowed in."

That scroll was the recruitment notice Blood Canyon had sent to each empire. No one knew what method Duke Aldrich had used, but in half a day, he had obtained one from the king and brought it back.

"You can go back now." The bearded man did not become polite to Randolph just because he possessed a level-eight Rock Thunder Bird, while Randolph looked as if this was only natural. He smiled at the bearded man and pulled Li Junshan a few steps away.

"Passing through this forest is the necessary checkpoint for newly admitted students. It's filled with killing intent, and the entrance won't open until three days later. At that time, only the ten people who survive will be qualified to enter Blood Canyon. Be careful later. Unless you have no choice, don't release the Black Dragon. In this place, keeping a trump card to save your life is more important than anything."

Li Junshan nodded and said, "Mr. Randolph, my friend Fate is still studying magic at George Academy. I'm afraid he'll be bullied. Please look after him more often."

"Don't worry about that." Randolph patted his chest and said, "I can at least handle such a small matter. Besides, your current status in the Harriman Family is anything but ordinary. Even if I didn't interfere, Marquis Sweet would take care of him."

"All right, then. If there's nothing else, you should head back first." Li Junshan gave him a grateful smile.

Randolph waved his hand, summoned the Rock Thunder Bird, and sat on it. Before long, he disappeared above the dense forest.

"Hurry up and go in." The bearded man said impatiently, "The newcomers these days are worse one after another. I'd say you won't even make it a few hundred meters in before you become a corpse."

Li Junshan glanced at him and asked, "How much longer before this place closes?"

The bearded man frowned. "Why are you asking that? Soon."

Li Junshan ignored him after that. He walked to one side, leaned against a tree trunk, sat down, took out dried meat, and slowly ate.

Seeing that Li Junshan ignored him, the bearded man felt as if he had lost face. Embarrassed and angry, he walked over and cursed, "Why haven't you gotten the hell in there?"

"Is killing people here not punished?" Li Junshan chewed the dried meat carefully and raised his head to ask the bearded man.

"Kid, you're pretty arrogant." A thin man ran over and said, "There's no punishment for killing within the range Blood Canyon allows. On the contrary, if you're injured by someone else, you'll receive severe punishment. If you die, naturally, there's nothing more to say."

As he spoke, he reached out to grab Li Junshan's neck.

Li Junshan dodged slightly and asked again, "Then what if I kill you?"

The bearded man's expression changed, and he said coldly, "Kid, you're a little interesting. In these four days, I've received more than thirty newcomers, and you're the first one who dared to ask that question. According to the rules, we can't make a move against you now, but there's no rule saying whether you can kill us or not. But don't think we have no way to deal with—"

Before the bearded man could finish, the thin man beside him impatiently swung his hand toward Li Junshan's face.

"Ah!"

The bearded man was dumbfounded. From the back of the head of the companion in front of him, something flashing with a cold gleam like a sharp blade had punched through. Brain matter sprayed all over his face.

Uncontrollably, the bearded man's body began to tremble violently. He waved a hand to stop the companions rushing forward, swallowed hard, and craned his neck to look at the magical beast that had suddenly appeared before him.

It stood over three meters tall, with a streamlined skull and cartilage throughout its body that was full of flexibility and power. In its gaping maw were two rows of sharp teeth, saliva flowing like a river, while the tip of its long tailbone had vanished into his companion's forehead.

Dozens of Thunder Eagles smelled the blood and began flapping their wings uneasily, screeching in disorder. The big men hurriedly took out jerky to calm them down.

"In several hundred years, you're the first person who's dared lay a hand on a reception envoy of Blood Canyon." The bearded man's face twitched. He still wanted to throw out a few harsh words, but then he saw that magical beast swiftly pull back its tailbone and hold it upright in his direction. Startled, he quickly retreated several steps.

"Don't bother with him." The bearded man returned to the middle of his companions and said hatefully, "There'll be plenty of chances later."

Li Junshan had released the Xenomorph and killed the skinny man, but he did not take it back. He simply let it stand beside him, then closed his eyes and pretended to doze.

That kill had nothing to do with intimidation, nor with bloodthirsty indifference. It was because Li Junshan felt very uncomfortable inside, a heavy sense of oppression pressing down on him.

He disliked the feeling of being controlled or steered by others, and now the Harriman Family's great big label had been slapped onto his head, leaving him very unused to it.

"The Harriman Family. Use me? Maybe you can for now. But in the future?" Li Junshan sneered inwardly, then relaxed his mind and rested.

Who knew what dangers still lurked in that forest? Li Junshan had traveled for an entire day and had no intention of charging in with a somewhat tired body.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Junshan suddenly heard a clear cry from the sky. He opened his eyes and looked up, only to see a huge Arrow-Wing Bird slowly descending from the air. He could vaguely make out two people seated on it.

The Arrow-Wing Bird was an eighth-level magical beast. This enormous beast could not only cast fire magic comparable to a magister's, it also had one special trait: in battle, its feathers could shoot out with tremendous force in an instant, their power astonishing, and they could grow back again in a very short time.

"I'm sorry, Lord Reception Envoy. We came from the Bywater Empire, and the journey was too far, so we arrived a little late." A white-haired old man climbed down from the Arrow-Wing Bird and spoke to the bearded man with a face full of guilt.

Beside him stood an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old blond youth. His body looked very frail, but Li Junshan noticed that when he walked, his steps were extremely light, almost soundless when they landed.

The bearded man said nothing. He took the notice and looked it over, then waved his hand and said, "Hurry in. In a little while, this place will be sealed off, and no one will be allowed inside."

The white-haired old man thanked him repeatedly, then pulled the youth aside and instructed him for quite a while. The youth kept nodding, his curious gaze drifting toward Li Junshan again and again.

Li Junshan ignored him. Before long, the white-haired old man watched the youth enter the forest, then gave a long sigh and rode the Arrow-Wing Bird into the air, leaving.

"Everyone, spread out. If anyone else comes, they are not to be allowed in under any circumstances." The bearded man looked up at the darkening sky and shouted loudly.

Only then did Li Junshan get up and flip onto the Xenomorph's back.

"How many people went in this time altogether?" Li Junshan urged the Xenomorph over to the bearded man's side.

The bearded man glanced at the ferocious Xenomorph and could not help shivering. Subconsciously, he answered, "Including you, thirty-four in total."

Whoosh! The Xenomorph's body cut out an afterimage, carrying Li Junshan straight into the forest.

The time for slaughter had come!