Mist Valley

In late spring, Mist Valley, deep within the Magical Beasts Mountain Range, was shrouded in milky-white poisonous mist all year round. Ordinary people dared not set foot inside.

Linley hovered high in the air outside the valley, his brow slightly furrowed. The pain of heartbreak had tempered his spiritual energy, allowing him to break through to Level Seven Mage in one leap. But that was not enough. He needed Blue Heart Grass-only combined with dragon blood could it activate the Dragonblood Warrior bloodline inherited by the Baruch Clan.

Linley cast the seventh-level spell Earthguard Armor to cover his entire body, spread his Wings of Wind, and slipped silently into the valley. Along the way, he avoided herds of Flame Rhinoceroses, Man-Eating Flower Trees, and flocks of seventh-level winged dragons circling overhead, reaching the valley's interior after several close calls.

The farther in he went, the denser the elemental energy became. The Earth Element and Water Element particles were so concentrated they were almost viscous. The abnormal sight made Linley both curious and wary.

Below a cliff face, a patch of deep-blue grass swayed in the wind.

Blue Heart Grass! A whole field of it!

Linley was thrilled, but Bebe darted off his shoulder before he could move. The Shadowmouse was astonishingly fast. His little paws flew, uprooting swaths of Blue Heart Grass and sending them flying precisely toward Linley. In just a few moments, he had harvested more than 160 plants. Bebe darted back onto Linley's shoulder, his little chest puffed out, a stalk of Blue Heart Grass still between his teeth.

Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Linley put the Blue Heart Grass away, but his gaze was drawn involuntarily deeper into the valley. The concentration of elemental energy there was absurdly high, and a seven-colored halo flickered in and out of sight, as though boundless treasures were calling to him.

Curiosity overcame caution. Linley activated his Wings of Wind and slowly flew deeper into the valley.

He did not know that this journey would change his fate forever.

The farther he went, the higher the concentration of elemental energy grew, and danger came with it.

Two enormous Velocidragons suddenly burst from the dense forest, the fearsome might of eighth-level magical beasts bearing down on him. Linley's expression changed, and he hurriedly beat his wings to rise into the air.

But this was only a trap.

The Velocidragons raised their heads and let out earth-shaking roars. The next moment, flying dragons filled the distant sky, sweeping toward him in a dense mass-a flock of over a hundred eighth-level Fire Dragons and Green Dragons blotted out the sky, sealing off every path of retreat.

"Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar!" The Fire Dragon at their head roared like thunder.

Linley's heart sank. More than a hundred eighth-level flying dragons-a force like that could crush anything below the Ninth Rank.

Without a moment's hesitation, Linley turned and fled. But the flying dragons were faster than he was. Fireballs, ice spikes, wind blades... all manner of magic rained down on him. His Earthguard Armor cracked inch by inch beneath the relentless bombardment, and before long, Linley had burns all over his body and was covered in blood.

"Linley! There's a cave entrance in the small hill ahead! Hurry, get inside!" Doehring Cowart's anxious voice rang out in his mind.

Linley's eyes lit up, and he rushed toward the cave with all his strength. Behind him, a huge fireball howled through the air, about to swallow him whole-

"Squeak!"

A small figure suddenly sprang from Linley's shoulder. It was Bebe, using his own body to block the attack for him!

"Bebe!" Linley's eyes nearly split.

Taking advantage of that brief opening, Linley charged into the cave entrance, tumbled down the steep passage, and slammed into the bottom of the cavern.

"Cough, cough..." Linley struggled to his feet. Bebe was blackened and filthy from the blast, but fortunately, his life was not in danger. He was only somewhat weak.

Before Linley could breathe a sigh of relief, a rumbling crash came from above. The flying dragons had actually brought boulders as large as small hills and completely sealed the cave entrance.

The way out was blocked, and behind him lay a deep underground cavern.

Linley took a deep breath and, holding Bebe, walked into the darkness.

The cavern ran deep, and the farther in he went, the denser the elemental energy became. The surrounding rock walls gave off a faint glow, illuminating the path ahead.

Suddenly, a deep rumbling came from within, accompanied by a terrifying pressure that made Linley tremble all over.

Saint-level!

Linley held his breath and crept closer, peering out from behind a boulder.

In the enormous underground cavern, two terrifying magical beasts faced each other.

One was a giant bear, black all over, with dark-purple markings flowing across its body-a Saint-level Purple-Striped Black Bear. It stood over twenty meters tall, its muscles like granite, radiating a destructive aura.

The other was a giant dragon over thirty meters long-a Peak Ninth Rank Spined Iron-Armored Dragon. Thick, heavy, dark-brown scales covered its body, knife-sharp spines lined its back, and its dragon eyes were full of savagery.

The two top-tier magical beasts were fighting for control of the underground lair.

Without any probing, the Purple-Striped Black Bear attacked first. It swung a paw, and its terrifying strength cracked the ground for dozens of meters around, sending shattered rock flying. The Spined Iron-Armored Dragon refused to be outdone. It swept its tail like a whip, making the air shriek.

Linley huddled behind the rock, not daring to breathe.

Was this the power of a Saint-level being? Even the aftershocks of their battle made him feel as though he were suffocating.

The Purple-Striped Black Bear kept mocking and provoking the Spined Iron-Armored Dragon, finally driving it into a frenzy. The Iron-Armored Dragon burst up from underground and opened its bloody maw to bite the black bear. But the Purple-Striped Black Bear was ready. It suddenly reached out and seized the Iron-Armored Dragon's tail in a vice-like grip!

"Down you go!"

Roaring with rage, the Purple-Striped Black Bear swung the Spined Iron-Armored Dragon, over ten meters long, around like a piece of straw and smashed it into the ground. The earth shook and the mountains trembled; the entire cavern quivered.

Crack-

A sharp snap rang out. The black bear had forcibly broken the dragon's tail!

The Spined Iron-Armored Dragon let out a piercing scream, but a trace of resolve flashed in its eyes. It knew it could not escape death today, so it unleashed a move that would take them both down.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Every spine on its back shot out in a dense barrage, enveloping the Purple-Striped Black Bear like a torrential downpour. Each spine contained the full force of a Peak Ninth Rank attack, with terrifying penetrating power.

The Purple-Striped Black Bear could not dodge in time. Its whole body was riddled with holes, and blood gushed out.

The two magical beasts crashed to the ground, barely clinging to life.

The brutal fight to the death ended with both sides grievously wounded.

Linley watched, his heart pounding, and could not recover his senses for a long time.

Just then, the dying Spined Iron-Armored Dragon suddenly turned its head, its clouded dragon eyes fixed on the place where Linley was hiding.

"Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar!"

Using the last of its strength, it opened its mouth and spat a stream of pitch-black dragon breath that came howling toward Linley!

Before the dragon breath even reached him, its terrifying corrosive aura was already making Linley's skin sting. His face went deathly pale, and he closed his eyes in despair.

It's over...

Linley's short life flashed through his mind.

His father's teachings, Grandpa Doehring's companionship, Brother Haoyue's smile, and... his vow to restore the Baruch Clan.

Was he really going to die here like this?

At that critical moment-

"Humph."

A cold snort came from beside him.

A burly figure had appeared before Linley at some unknown point. He had short, spiky silver-white hair with blue tips, tiger ears atop his head, blue tiger stripes on his face, and sharp red eyes.

His shoulder armor took the form of white tiger claws, and sharp claws grew from his arms. Behind him, a long blue-and-white striped tail ended in barbs. His form blended human and tiger features, giving him a thoroughly wild appearance.

He radiated a fierce aura. He raised a hand and threw a punch, its force like a mountain, and actually blasted apart the dragon breath, which was powerful enough to kill an eighth-level expert instantly!

"Clang!!!"

A clear metallic clash suddenly rang out.

Immediately afterward, a figure appeared before Linley like a ghost.

The man wore close-fitting black clothes and had a tall, upright build. He held a long, unusually shaped blade, its edge slightly curved, resembling both a saber and a sword.

He casually swung the blade.

A brilliant flash of blade light swept past.

That terrifying dark-red sphere of energy was actually... cleaved apart with a single stroke!

It turned into countless points of light and vanished into the air.

"Roar... roar?" The Spined Iron-Armored Dragon froze.

Linley froze as well.

He stared blankly at the familiar yet unfamiliar back before him, unable to speak for a moment.

This person's back... looks so familiar.

But who could he be?

While Linley stood there in a daze, the figure slowly turned his head.

It was a handsome, familiar face covered in tiger stripes, with a carefree smile on his lips.

"Yo, little Linley, long time no see." The man smiled as he spoke, his voice carrying a teasing note. "It hasn't been that long. How did you get yourself into such a sorry state?"

Linley's pupils contracted sharply, and his mouth fell wide open.

"Ha... Brother Haoyue?!"