The Black Lion Kingdom was not too far from the Sunset Mountain Range.
Loa headed south with Wangcai, taking three days to officially enter the outer reaches of the mountains.
The Sunset Mountain Range ran east to west and was about as long as the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Both were massive ranges spanning ten thousand li, but this one was narrower, generally only about a thousand li wide.
Entering from the west, heading east, and then turning north would bring them to the Yulan Empire's border.
Loa's plan was to follow the northern outskirts eastward.
That was the safest route. There were magical beasts in the outskirts, but their levels were low, so they would not delay him. He needed to cross to the middle of the mountain range as quickly as possible, then turn south and head straight for Fire Dragon Valley.
Wangcai ran ahead, his four legs moving swiftly. From time to time, he glanced back at Loa, telling him to hurry up.
Loa smiled and quickened his pace.
A week later.
The man and dog reached the middle of the Sunset Mountain Range and began heading south, deeper into the mountains.
The farther south they went, the warmer the climate became. The Sunset Mountain Range lay in the south, where winter snowfall was not as extreme as in the north. Still, snow covered the high peaks, a vast expanse of white in the distance.
That day, Loa was crossing a mountain.
The slopes were steep and strewn with jagged rocks. Loa leaped from rock to rock as he climbed, with Wangcai following behind, his four paws scrabbling against the rock face. Occasionally, he slipped, then caught a firm hold again.
Near the summit, the man and beast rested on a slightly flatter patch of ground.