Back into the Magical Beasts Mountain Range

Haoyue's spiritual force had finally broken through the level-eight barrier!

"Ha!" Haoyue couldn't help throwing back his head and laughing.

A Level Eight Magus! He had taken another step forward among the ranks of high-level mages!

It had taken him three whole years since graduating from the Ernst Institute to achieve this magical breakthrough.

Three years ago, he had still been a Level Seven Mage. Now, he was a Level Eight Magus. Even in the history of the Yulan Continent, such speed was exceedingly rare.

"A twenty-one-year-old Level Eight Magus who cultivates the Fire, Water, and Earth Elements..." Haoyue murmured to himself. "I doubt there's another one on the entire Yulan Continent, is there?"

Yet just as he was feeling pleased with himself, another problem quietly emerged.

His warrior cultivation... had stalled.

Haoyue frowned and carefully examined his physical condition.

His Battle-qi circulated normally, his meridians were unobstructed, and the energy in his body had reached saturation... By all rights, he should have been able to break through to become an Eighth-level Warrior.

But no matter how hard he tried, his Battle-qi could not advance any further.

"What on earth is going on?" Haoyue couldn't make sense of it.

He consulted numerous texts, sought advice from several experts, and even wrote to several mages in the kingdom's service, but no one could give him a definite answer.

"Could there be a problem with my cultivation method?" Haoyue fell into thought.

Just as he was at a loss, he suddenly remembered something.

"The Tiger Pattern Secret Canon!"

The secret canon that recorded the Tiger-Striped Warrior inheritance!

Haoyue hurriedly took out the canon and studied it again, word by word.

Finally, in a corner of a page he had overlooked for a long time, he found a passage.

"When Tiger-Striped Warriors advance to the ranks of high-level warriors, from level seven onward, there is a certain chance they will experience 'Tiger Pattern Backlash.' When this happens, the power of the tiger pattern within the warrior conflicts with their Battle-qi, leaving them unable to complete their transformation..."

Haoyue's face instantly went pale.

"Tiger Pattern Backlash..." he murmured. "So that's what it is."

He hurriedly read on.

"'Tiger Pattern Backlash' is an extremely rare condition. Only a handful of Tiger-Striped Warriors throughout history have experienced it. The method for removing it is as follows-"

"'Tiger Pattern Backlash' requires the consumption of a rare medicinal herb called 'Moonshadow Grass.' This herb grows only deep within the Magical Beasts Mountain Range on the Yulan Continent and is extremely rare. Once consumed, it can remove the backlash and greatly increase the chance of a breakthrough."

Haoyue let out a long breath.

Fortunately, there was a solution.

But a moment later, he frowned again.

Deep within the Magical Beasts Mountain Range! That was one of the most dangerous forbidden areas on the Yulan Continent!

Countless high-level magical beasts made their home there, and rumors even spoke of terrifying Saint-level beings. With his current strength, barging in recklessly would be almost certain death.

"The Magical Beasts Mountain Range..." Haoyue pondered for a long time.

He gazed through the window into the distance.

There, on the border between the Yulan Empire and the O'Brien Empire, lay a primeval mountain range stretching for tens of thousands of miles. That was the Magical Beasts Mountain Range, the largest gathering place of magical beasts on the Yulan Continent.

"Looks like it's time to go back," Haoyue murmured.

The last time he had entered the Magical Beasts Mountain Range was when he was still at the Ernst Institute. Back then, he had only been a Level Five Mage, and it was only with his Tiger-Striped Warrior transformation and the health points provided by star-level items that he had barely managed to venture around the outskirts.

Now, although his strength had increased greatly, venturing deep into the Magical Beasts Mountain Range was still somewhat daunting.

"But..." Haoyue suddenly thought of something.

Although he couldn't transform into a Tiger-Striped Warrior, his level hadn't dropped. A Level Seven Warrior with level-eight magic in three elements-that was enough strength to handle most dangers.

"It's settled, then." Haoyue made his decision.

He got up, walked out of the cultivation room, and summoned an attendant.

"Go to the Ernst Institute and tell Young Master Linley I'll visit him tomorrow. Also, prepare a list of supplies for a trip into the Magical Beasts Mountain Range."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

The attendant left to carry out his orders.

The next day, Haoyue arrived at the Ernst Institute.

Linley was already waiting at the entrance. In the three years that had passed, the youth had shed his boyishness and increasingly taken on the appearance of a mature man.

"Brother Haoyue, I heard you're going to the Magical Beasts Mountain Range?" Linley asked as soon as they met.

"Yes, there are some special circumstances," Haoyue said with a smile.

"Huh?" Linley scratched his head. "What is it? Do you have to go?"

"What's there to wonder about?" Haoyue said, unconcerned. "I'm not going deep in. I'm just looking for something on the outskirts of the central region."

"Even so, be careful," Linley said seriously. "I hear the Magical Beasts Mountain Range is far more dangerous than people imagine. Even Saint-level experts have to be cautious."

"I know." Haoyue nodded. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

The two entered the institute and found a secluded place to sit.

"By the way, Haoyue." Thirteen-year-old Linley suddenly remembered something. "I'm a Peak Level Four Mage and a Level Four Warrior now. And my Flat Blade Style carving has reached the grandmaster level too."

"Oh?" Haoyue raised an eyebrow.

"Grandpa Doehring says I'm even more talented at carving than I am at cultivation," Linley said, a little embarrassed. "Being a level-four warrior and mage isn't much, but my carving skills should be pretty good, haha."

Haoyue looked at him, his heart filled with emotion.

In just three years, Linley had progressed astonishingly fast. A Peak Level Four Mage and a Level Four Warrior-that achievement was among the best in the entire Ernst Institute.

Not to mention his grandmaster-level carving skills-a height that even some old masters who had devoted decades to the art struggled to reach.

"The protagonist... You really do live up to your reputation," Haoyue said in admiration.

"You flatter me, Brother Haoyue." Linley scratched his head. "Compared to you, I still have a long way to go."

"None of that." Haoyue laughed and gave him a punch. "The next time we meet, I hope you'll have broken through to level five."

"I will!" Linley nodded firmly.

After saying goodbye to Linley, Haoyue visited several professors he knew and made arrangements for some matters.

After returning to the marquis's residence, he wrote a formal request for leave and had it delivered to King Clayde.

"Your Majesty, I must travel to the Magical Beasts Mountain Range to seek a rare medicinal herb for my cultivation. I humbly request two months' leave."

King Clayde promptly approved the request and bestowed some valuable restorative potions and protective items upon him.

"Haoyue, you must be careful on this journey to the Magical Beasts Mountain Range," Clayde wrote in his reply. "Should you need anything, you may request assistance from the kingdom."

Haoyue put the reply away and began preparing for his journey.

Dangerous though the Magical Beasts Mountain Range was, it also held countless treasures. Moonshadow Grass was only one of them. If he was lucky, he might find other useful things as well.

"Moonshadow Grass..." Haoyue murmured. "I hope I can find it without trouble."

Early the next morning, Haoyue left the Fenlai Royal Capital on a swift horse.

He had changed into ordinary adventurer's clothing and did not reveal his identity as a marquis. After all, if people learned that a marquis of Fenlai was heading to the Magical Beasts Mountain Range alone, it would likely cause quite a bit of trouble.

After crossing the border of the Fenlai Kingdom, Haoyue took the road to the Magical Beasts Mountain Range.

The scenery along the way gradually grew desolate. The farther north he traveled, the fewer people he saw. Occasionally, he spotted parties of adventurers, but most hunted low-level magical beasts on the outskirts and didn't dare venture deeper.

"Friend, are you heading to the Magical Beasts Mountain Range too?"

A voice came from behind him.

Haoyue turned to see three adventurers in leather armor riding behind him. Their leader was a burly, middle-aged man with a full beard who looked quite forthright.

"You could say that," Haoyue replied calmly.

"Then that works out-we're going there too," the bearded man said with a smile. "Brother, are you going into the Magical Beasts Mountain Range alone? You've got guts."

"I'm used to it."

The bearded man paused, then burst out laughing.

"Good! You've got courage! I'm Tiechui, a Level Seven Warrior. These two are my brothers, Heizi and Aniu. They're both Level Six Warriors. Our team operates on the outskirts of the Magical Beasts Mountain Range all year round, so we know the area fairly well."

Haoyue cupped his hands. "I'm Wang... Hao, a Level Seven Mage."

He had deliberately concealed his true level, claiming to be only level seven.

"A Level Seven Mage!" Tiechui's eyes lit up. "You're an expert! The mage on our team is only level five."

"You flatter me."

"Since we're all going to the Magical Beasts Mountain Range, why don't we travel together?" Tiechui offered. "There are dangers everywhere in the range. One more person means a little more safety."

Haoyue considered it for a moment, then nodded. "All right."

Although he was powerful, he really did need someone familiar with the terrain to guide him after being away for so long. This team of adventurers was only average in strength, but they had spent years on the outskirts and should have accumulated plenty of experience.

"Wonderful!" Tiechui said happily. "With an expert like Brother Wang joining us, we're sure to come away with a great haul this time!"

And so Haoyue joined the newly formed adventuring team.

They traveled north for five full days and finally reached the edge of the Magical Beasts Mountain Range.

Standing at the foot of the mountains, Haoyue raised his eyes.

Before him lay a boundless primeval forest. Ancient trees towered into the sky, blocking out the sun, and countless birds and beasts moved through the woods. The air was filled with a mixture of decay and freshness that made his heart tremble.

"The Magical Beasts Mountain Range..." Haoyue murmured.

"Brother Wang, this is only the outskirts," Tiechui said. "The real danger lies deeper in. We operate around here all year round, but even we don't dare go too deep."

"I know." Haoyue nodded. "Let's part ways here. I'm going in to look for an herb."

"What herb?" Tiechui asked curiously.

"Moonshadow Grass."

"Moonshadow Grass?" Tiechui frowned slightly. "I've never heard of it. It probably doesn't grow on the outskirts, so it must only be found deep in the Magical Beasts Mountain Range, right? Brother Wang Hao, will you be all right on your own?"

"I'll be fine," Haoyue said. "I can manage alone."

Tiechui opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he swallowed his words.

He knew that once an expert like Haoyue had made up his mind, it wasn't something he could talk him out of.

"Then... take care, Brother Wang." Tiechui cupped his hands. "We'll wait for you on the outskirts."

"Thank you."

Haoyue took a deep breath and looked toward the primeval forest ahead.

"Moonshadow Grass... wait for me."

He stepped into the Magical Beasts Mountain Range and disappeared into the vast sea of trees.