Leaving Wu Mountain Town

After grasping a trace of the Fate Laws, many things suddenly became clear to Shiheng.

He vaguely sensed that invisible threads of cause and effect existed in this world, and that he had already changed quite a few things along his journey. If he continued staying in Wushan Town and became too deeply entangled with Hogg's family, he might well stray from the original course and instead bring unknown calamities upon them. Sometimes, the best way to protect them was not to remain by their side, but to withdraw at the right time without disrupting the peaceful fate they should have had.

Besides, Huohe and Lindana, Xifaman and Lindajin were all newlyweds, spending their days in affectionate pairs. Alone, Shiheng could hardly help feeling torn between laughter and tears at all the sweetness before him-if he stayed any longer, he, a single man, would truly be out of place.

Moreover, he was an active-duty soldier of the Principality of Klan to begin with. Over the past few years, he had merely prolonged his leave on the grounds that he needed secluded treatment for his severe injuries. Now that his injuries had fully healed and his strength had greatly increased, it was time to return to his unit, report for duty, and fulfill his responsibilities as a soldier.

Having made up his mind, Shiheng hesitated no longer and immediately went to bid Hogg and the others farewell.

When Huohe, Lindana, Xifaman, and Lindajin heard that Shiheng intended to venture out alone to gain experience and also return to report for military duty, they were all reluctant to see him go. Yet they understood that a man's ambitions lay far and wide, and knew even more clearly that Shiheng had extraordinary opportunities and a mission, and could not remain confined to little Wu Mountain Town forever.

After exchanging pleasantries and words of advice, they repeatedly urged him to take good care of himself out in the world and exercise caution in everything. If he ever faced danger, he must remember that Wu Mountain Town would always be somewhere he could fall back to.

Warmth filled Shiheng's heart, and he solemnly agreed.

Without lingering in sorrow, he simply packed his belongings, bid farewell to Wu Mountain Town, where he had lived for nearly four years, and to Huohe and the others, who had given him shelter and warmth, and set off alone on the road to the Klin Duchy.

The young man's figure receded into the distance, disappearing at the end of the woodland path.

Shiheng's entirely new journey of trials officially began then.

He finally stood at that legendary fork in the road. One road wound north toward the fires of war on the Principality of Klan's border; the other stretched toward ancient, prosperous Fenlai Lai City. Standing before this choice, Shiheng's gaze was calm, his mind already made up.

After more than three years of training in Wu Mountain Town, his strength had reached the peak of an Eighth-level Warrior, and his overall combat strength could even rival that of an Early Saint. He needed a true metropolis in which to consolidate his strength and familiarize himself with the rules of this Yulan Continent. After weighing his options, he finally stepped onto the road to Fenlai City.

In the original novel, Fenlai City had ranked among the top five cities on the Yulan Continent. The moment Shiheng truly set foot in the city, a powerful sense of history washed over him, as though time itself had frozen here. Fenlai City was both flourishing and prosperous, yet possessed a profound, weighty heritage. Towering walls rose high, grand buildings stretched on and on, and shops lined the streets without seeming garish, while surging crowds maintained an order of their own.

As he strolled through the streets and alleys, all manner of sounds intertwined: the loud cries of vendors, the crisp clinking of weapons at warriors' waists, the whisper of air as mages' sleeves brushed past, people's heated discussions of the Church and the state of the various factions, and the innocent laughter and play of children... These sounds came together in a unique symphony of human life, giving Shiheng a genuine sense of the Yulan Continent's richness and complexity.

He spent three full days quietly in Fenlai City, neither drawing attention to himself nor stirring up trouble without cause. He merely observed the distribution of the city's factions in silence, sensed the thin yet genuinely present Heaven and Earth Energy in the air, and repeatedly consolidated the peak Eighth-level Warrior strength he had attained over the past three years.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Just as Shiheng finished packing his bags and prepared to set out again, a mercenary who looked rather forthright and bore the air of a weather-beaten traveler stopped him. The mercenary had broad shoulders and a thick back, with a broadsword hanging at his waist. One glance was enough to tell that he was a veteran who had spent years on the edge of life and death.

"Young man, judging by your steady bearing, you must be fairly capable. My squad is heading to the Principality of Klan, and we're short one reliable guard. Would you be interested in joining us?"

Shiheng raised his eyes and sized him up, clearly sensing no malice in him, only the straightforwardness and openheartedness particular to mercenaries. Having just broken through to the peak of an Eighth-level Warrior, he needed a long journey to temper his mindset and familiarize himself with his own strength. Besides, the Klin Duchy was his destination in the first place, so traveling there with mercenaries could not have suited him better.

After a moment's thought, the corners of Shiheng's mouth lifted slightly, and he answered crisply, "All right, I'll go with you."

With that agreement, a new journey unfolded. Fenlai City's bustle was left far behind. Ahead of Shiheng lay the unknown dangers of the Principality of Klan and the clash of blades along the mercenary's road. Yet even with a long road ahead and danger lurking on every side, Shiheng remained unafraid.