It was not until the third day-
An was scouting ahead when he suddenly frowned.
"What is it?" Linley asked.
"Two groups are facing off up ahead," An said. "Four people on one side, just one on the other. All armed."
Linley grew alert. "Should we go around?"
An considered it for a moment. "That would take us too far out of our way. The slopes here are steep, and this valley is the only way through. Let's take a look first, but keep our distance. Don't get involved."
The two cautiously approached.
Beyond a dense stretch of forest lay a narrow valley. Five people stood within it-four men in leather armor surrounding a lone middle-aged man.
"Hand over your Magic Crystal Cores, and we'll spare your life," the leader said coldly.
The middle-aged man gripped a longsword, his face livid. "You scum! If you're so capable, go hunt magical beasts yourselves. What's so impressive about robbing others?"
"Cut the crap!" another man said with a nasty chuckle. "The six of us have been doing this in the Magical Beast Mountain Range for three years, and we've never failed. If you know what's good for you, hand them over. Don't make us use force."
Watching from concealment in the distance, An and Linley exchanged a glance.
More scum who preyed on humans.
An swept his gaze over the four men and silently recited an incantation, casting Wind of Perception again. He clearly sensed two more people hiding about two hundred meters away, a man and a woman, both armed with bows.
"Never!" the middle-aged man roared. A yellow battle-aura shield rose around his body, and he charged at the leader.
"You're asking to die!" The leader sneered and drew his saber.
The fight erupted in an instant.
The middle-aged man clearly had some ability, with powerful battle aura and fierce swordsmanship. But his four opponents worked seamlessly together, surrounding him from the front, both sides, and the rear. In less than a minute, he had suffered three wounds.
"Argh-" One of the hidden archers loosed an arrow that struck the middle-aged man squarely in the thigh.
He staggered, and the leader slashed his shoulder, sending blood gushing out.
"Hand over the Magic Crystal Cores!" the leader snapped.
Gritting his teeth, the middle-aged man pulled a cloth bag from inside his clothes and threw it to the ground. Then he limped away, dragging his wounded leg. The men did not pursue him. Their leader picked up the bag, looked inside, and nodded in satisfaction.
"Seven hundred gold coins. Not bad." He tucked the bag into his clothes and waved a hand. "Move out."
The six quickly disappeared into the dense forest.
Linley's expression was grim. "Those bastards."
An said nothing, but his eyes were cold.
There were things more dangerous than magical beasts in the Magical Beast Mountain Range: people. Rather than hunting magical beasts, these people specialized in robbing and murdering mercenaries and adventurers leaving the mountains. They lurked in the shadows like vultures, living off the blood and sweat of others.
"An, should we-"
"Leave them alone for now," An said. "Our first priority is our training."
Linley nodded, and the two continued onward.
Chapter 4: The Magical Beast Mountain Range
It was their seventh day in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
An and Linley had already ventured about eighty li into the mountains. Most of the magical beasts here were fourth or fifth level, though they occasionally found signs of sixth-level beasts. Working together, they had killed more than a dozen magical beasts and collected a full bag of Magic Crystal Cores.
But An knew the truly challenging battles still lay ahead.
"An, have you noticed there are fewer magical beasts around?" Linley asked quietly.
An nodded. This was unusual. In the Magical Beast Mountain Range, there was generally only one explanation for it:
A powerful magical beast lived in this area and had driven all the others away.
"Be careful," An said, casting Wind of Perception.
A gentle breeze spread outward, and about two hundred meters away, he sensed a powerful life force.
"There's a big one out there," An said. "At least sixth level. Possibly seventh."
The two carefully moved forward.
Beyond a dense stretch of forest lay a clearing. At its center crouched an enormous leopard-type magical beast.
The leopard was a full three meters long, its entire body pitch-black without a trace of any other color. Its fur gleamed darkly in the sunlight, and every sharply defined muscle held explosive strength.
"A Shadow Leopard," An said quietly. "A sixth-level magical beast with a darkness affinity. Extremely fast, skilled at stealth and ambushes. Its claws and teeth are sharp enough to tear through steel."
Linley frowned. "Sixth level? That's manageable."
"No." An shook his head. "Those are just its usual traits. Look at its size-three meters long, larger than an ordinary Shadow Leopard. And there are faint silver patterns in its fur. That's the sign of its evolution into a Seventh-Level Magical Beast, a Silver-Patterned Shadow Leopard."
Linley looked closely and indeed saw faint silver patterns flowing beneath the leopard's black fur. Without careful scrutiny, they would have been impossible to notice.
"Seventh level?" Linley's breathing quickened.
An said, "You take the left, I'll take the right. Watch its speed, and don't let it get close."
Linley nodded and began silently reciting an incantation.
An also took a deep breath, bringing his spiritual energy into peak condition.
The Silver-Patterned Shadow Leopard seemed to sense something. Its golden, slit-pupiled eyes snapped open, turning toward An and Linley's hiding place.
"It's spotted us," An said. "Attack!"
They leaped out of hiding together.
Linley struck first. With a sweep of the Flat Blade in his hand, a Wind Blade whistled straight toward the Shadow Leopard's face. The leopard lightly tilted its head, and the Wind Blade skimmed past its ear, cutting off a few hairs.
A trace of disdain flashed in the Shadow Leopard's eyes.
An silently recited an incantation and cast Wind Blade Dance-dozens of Wind Blades interwove into a dense net in the air and descended on the Shadow Leopard. A fifth-level spell, forty-two Wind Blades, covering more than ten meters.
The Shadow Leopard finally moved.
Its speed was astonishing. The instant the net of Wind Blades descended, it had already vanished from its spot. An saw only a black afterimage.
"Watch out!" Linley shouted.
An felt a chill behind him. With no time to think, he instinctively hurled himself forward. Black claws swept past his back, ripping three slashes through his clothes. Had he reacted any slower, that swipe would have torn his back open.
So fast! An was startled.
With his Gale Spell enhancing him, his speed as a sixth-level mage already far exceeded that of an ordinary sixth-level warrior. But he was still nowhere near this Shadow Leopard. Had he not been on guard beforehand, that swipe would have injured him.
"Linley, Gravity Spell!" An shouted.
Linley immediately cast the earth-element Gravity Spell. Gravity within fifty meters of him abruptly increased to three times normal. The Shadow Leopard noticeably slowed, but it was still astonishingly fast.
An seized the chance to put some distance between them, silently reciting an incantation.
He cast the fifth-level Wind Element magic spell, Wind Binding Spell. A band of green light flew from his palm and coiled toward the Shadow Leopard. It nimbly dodged, but An immediately released a second band, then a third. Three Wind Binding Spells closed in from different directions.
One band wrapped around the Shadow Leopard's hind leg.
The Shadow Leopard growled and strained against it, tearing through a third of the band. But in that instant, Linley's Earth Spike Array erupted-dozens of sharp earthen spears thrust out of the ground, completely cutting off its retreat.
The Shadow Leopard was finally forced to reveal itself.
An and Linley exchanged a glance and attacked together.
Linley cast the fifth-level earth-element Earth Split, opening a seemingly bottomless fissure beneath the Shadow Leopard's feet. It leaped, trying to clear the fissure, but An unleashed Wind Blade Dance again, covering every direction it could maneuver.
The Shadow Leopard faltered slightly in midair and was struck by two Wind Blades. They sliced across its black fur but left only two faint white marks-its defense far surpassed that of an ordinary sixth-level magical beast.
"What a tough hide!" Linley cursed.
An said nothing. His gaze remained calm as he cast spell after spell.
Wind Blade, Wind Binding Spell, Gale Spell, Wind of Perception... He alternated between six spells, coordinating flawlessly with Linley's earth-element magic. The understanding the brothers had built over six years was on full display.
Under their combined assault, the Shadow Leopard was steadily driven back. The disdain in its golden, slit-pupiled eyes turned to wariness, then to a flicker of anger.
It suddenly let out a low growl, and the black fur all over its body stood on end.
The Shadow Leopard's body abruptly blurred, as though it were merging into the shadows.
Stealth! An was alarmed.
This was the Shadow Leopard's innate ability. It could merge its body completely into the shadows, becoming invisible to the naked eye and difficult to detect even with perception magic.
An closed his eyes and pushed his perception to its limit.
"Linley, ten meters ahead to the left! Earth Spike Gun!"
Without hesitation, Linley cast Earth Spike Array. Dozens of earthen spears thrust out of the ground, forcing a black figure to appear out of thin air—the Shadow Leopard had been driven out by the Earth Spike Gun.
But instead of retreating, it used the momentum of its leap to lunge straight at Linley.
Linley had no time to dodge. Fortunately, Rock Armor protected his chest. The Shadow Leopard's claws raked across it with an ear-piercing metallic screech.
The swipe sent Linley flying backward into a large tree, blood spilling from his mouth.
"Linley!" An roared.
The Shadow Leopard rolled as it landed and lunged at Linley again, pressing its advantage.
An's eyes reddened. He began reciting an incantation he had never used in actual combat before.
Level 7 Magic-Wind Roar!
Wind essence surged madly toward An, forming an enormous green vortex before him. The vortex spun faster and faster with a deep howl. Fierce winds battered the surrounding trees, whipping stones and dead leaves into the air.
The Shadow Leopard finally felt fear. It abandoned its attack on Linley, turned, and fled.
Green light flashed in An's eyes, and he thrust his right hand forward.
"Go!"
An enormous column of wind more than two meters in diameter erupted from An's hand, sweeping toward the Shadow Leopard like a roaring dragon. Wherever it passed, it plowed a deep furrow through the ground, uprooted trees, and sent boulders tumbling.
Although the Shadow Leopard was fast, Wind Roar covered far too wide an area. It had no time to escape the attack's range.
The column of wind struck the Shadow Leopard.
"Aooo-" A shrill cry of agony rang through the forest.
The Shadow Leopard was swept up by the wind column and slammed hard into a large tree before falling to the ground, motionless.
The column of wind dispersed, and calm returned to the forest.
An stood where he was, gasping for breath. Level 7 Magic consumed an enormous amount of magical energy. Even though he had already broken through to seventh level, casting Wind Roar once had used up nearly a third of his magical energy.
Linley climbed to his feet and walked over to the Shadow Leopard's corpse, clutching his chest. He prodded it with a short blade and confirmed that it was dead.
Before you continue