Chapter 9: Magical Beast Mountain Range

Yunluo Li, 9995, July.

The first summer vacation after the fourth year ended.

Aikesi stood outside the east gate of Fenlai Cheng, looking at the faint outline of the Magical Beast Mountain Range in the distance, and took a deep breath.

Two years ago he had wanted to come here, but back then his strength was insufficient; entering the mountain range at the early stage of the fourth level would be pure suicide.

"One month's time," he calculated, "that's enough."

He turned to look at the few people seeing him off—Yelu, Qiaozhi, and Leinuo had all come; Linlei stood a bit farther away, with Beibei perched on his shoulder.

"Third brother, do you really not need me to send a few people to follow?" Yelu was uncharacteristically serious. "The Magical Beast Mountain Range is no joke."

"No need." Aikesi shook his head. "More people would only cause trouble."

Qiaozhi nodded: "Then be careful yourself. See you at the start of school."

"See you at the start of school." Leinuo waved his hand. "Don't come back missing an arm or a leg." This book is first published on Tiantian Kan Xiaoshuo, with many collections; ttkts. tw offers you error-free chapters and non-disordered reading experiences anytime.

Aikesi smiled: "Don't worry; if anyone's missing a limb, it'll be someone else's."

Linlei said nothing, merely nodding toward him.

Aikesi nodded in return.

This was how they got along—reminding each other when reminders were needed, showing concern when concern was needed, but never fussing. Everyone had their own path to walk; brothers were not for binding, but for trusting.

He turned, stepped forward, and walked toward the direction of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

Behind him came Yelu's loud voice: "Come back alive! I'll treat when school starts!"

Aikesi did not turn back, only raising a hand to wave.

The outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, second day.

Aikesi crouched behind a huge boulder, watching the magical beast thirty meters away.

Bloodthirsty War Boar, a fifth-level magical beast, Fire Element attribute, thick-skinned and tough-fleshed, with a violent temper. A single blood-red horn protruded from its snout; at this moment it was lowering its head to root in the ground, searching for something.

"Fifth level," Aikesi calculated in his mind, "just right to test my skills."

He raised his right hand and began to chant.

The Fallen Heart Flame trembled slightly within his body, and the surrounding Fire Elements rapidly gathered. He did not use the Five Spirit Wheel to absorb at full power; that would make too much commotion and alert the target.

A fire snake shot out from his palm, heading straight for the Bloodthirsty War Boar's back.

"Roar—!"

The Bloodthirsty War Boar, stung by pain, spun around sharply, its blood-red eyes staring fixedly in Aikesi's direction. It let out a furious roar, powered up its four limbs, and charged forward like a heavy war chariot.

Aikesi did not dodge.

He was waiting.

Thirty meters, twenty meters, ten meters—

At the instant the Bloodthirsty War Boar's horn was about to pierce him, he moved.

He sidestepped, slid his foot, and at the same time struck the Bloodthirsty War Boar's flank with his right palm.

Fallen Heart Flame, activated at full power.

Milky-white flames instantly invaded the Bloodthirsty War Boar's body. The interior of this fifth-level magical beast's body was far more fragile than its exterior; the flames spread along the blood, rushing straight for the heart.

"Roar—!"

The Bloodthirsty War Boar let out a piercing shriek; after charging more than ten meters, it crashed to the ground with a boom, its limbs twitched a few times, and then it lay still.

Aikesi walked over and looked at the magical beast's corpse.

"Fifth level, not bad."

He took out a short knife, skillfully cut open the magical beast's skull, and dug out a fiery-red Magic Crystal Core. A fifth-level magical beast core, market price at least two hundred gold coins.

"A good start."

After stowing the core, he continued walking deeper into the mountain range.

Fifth day.

Aikesi encountered his first target of the day—a sixth-level magical beast, the Blazing Fire Lion.

This magical beast was not particularly large, about two meters long, its entire body covered in crimson mane, capable of spewing high-temperature flames. Among sixth-level magical beasts, it was considered troublesome: fast, fierce in attack, and cunning.

At this moment, the Blazing Fire Lion was lying on a rock basking in the sun, its eyes half-closed, looking very relaxed.

Aikesi observed for a while, confirmed there were no other magical beasts nearby, and began to act.

He chose to approach from the side.

The Fallen Heart Flame was suppressed to the extreme; his footsteps grew light, and using the cover of trees and rocks, he slowly closed in to within twenty meters.

This distance was enough.

He raised his right hand and began to chant.

The surrounding Fire Elements began to fluctuate.

The Blazing Fire Lion suddenly lifted its head, its crimson eyes sweeping toward Aikesi's direction.

"Roar—!"

With a mighty roar, the Blazing Fire Lion leaped from the rock and pounced toward him.

Aikesi remained calm and continued chanting.

At the instant the Blazing Fire Lion pounced within ten meters, the spell was completed.

"Blaze Storm!"

Milky-white flames erupted in all directions, centered on Aikesi. The Blazing Fire Lion collided head-on with the flames, let out a shriek, and was blasted flying backward.

But it did not die.

A sixth-level magical beast's defense was far stronger than a fifth-level's; this strike only wounded it, instead enraging it.

The Blazing Fire Lion got up, opened its mouth, and spewed a column of fire.

Aikesi sidestepped and began chanting a second spell.

The fire pillar struck a tree behind him, igniting it instantly. The Blazing Fire Lion lunged again, this time faster, its claws whistling through the air as they aimed straight for his head.

Aikesi did not retreat.

He surged forward, and at the instant they were about to collide, he slid sideways, striking the Blazing Fire Lion's flank with his right palm.

Fallen Heart Flame, activated at full power.

Milky-white flames invaded its body. The Blazing Fire Lion let out a piercing shriek, its body convulsing violently as it rolled on the ground.

Aikesi stepped back a few paces, watching it struggle.

A few breaths later, the Blazing Fire Lion lay still.

He approached, confirmed it was thoroughly dead, then began collecting the spoils. A Level Six Magic Crystal Core, larger than a Level Five's and darker in color.

"Level Six. Not bad."

After securing the crystal core, he glanced around. The commotion from the battle had been significant; it might attract other Magical Beasts, so he needed to leave quickly.

He turned and vanished into the dense forest.

Evening of the eleventh day.

Aikesi sat at the entrance of a cave, tending to the wound on his left arm.

The wound was not deep, left by a Level Six Magical Beast he had encountered yesterday—a Thunder Leopard. It had been too fast; he had dodged a fraction too slowly and got scratched.

"Fighting a Level Six Magical Beast one-on-one is still a bit of a struggle," he muttered to himself. He rinsed the wound with clear water, applied medicinal herbs, and wrapped it tightly with cloth strips.

After finishing with the wound, he leaned against the cave wall and exhaled a long breath.

The past eleven days had been fruitful. He had slain seven Level Five Magical Beasts and three Level Six Magical Beasts. The Magic Crystal Cores combined were worth at least two thousand gold coins. He bore several wounds, but none were serious and none hindered his movement.

"I'll wander around for a couple more days tomorrow, then it should be time to return."

He closed his eyes, preparing to rest.

Just then—

【Ding—Detected that the Host has entered the Magical Beast Mountain Range for the first time. Triggering Special Location Check-in.】

【Check in?】

Aikesi opened his eyes, momentarily stunned.

Special Location Check-in? Such a good thing actually exists?

He silently thought in his mind: Check in.

【Check-in successful.】

【Reward obtained: Immortal Sword World · Fire Spirit Bead (Fragment) — One of the Five Spirit Beads of Heaven and Earth, containing pure Fire Spirit power. Can be integrated into the body, greatly enhancing Fire affinity, increasing Fire Magic power by 100%, and increasing Fire Element absorption speed by 200%. Current status: Sealed state, requires gradual unsealing.】

Before the words finished, a scorching aura appeared out of nowhere and surged into Aikesi's body.

In that instant, he felt as if he were immersed in molten lava.

Fire Elements around him rushed toward him like mad, moving at speeds unknown multiples faster than usual. The Fallen Heart Flame beat violently, as if encountering something that excited it, tangling with that scorching aura.

After an unknown duration, everything returned to calm.

Aikesi opened his eyes and found his state had changed.

The Magic within his body had not increased, but his perception of the Fire Element was completely different. Closing his eyes, he could clearly "see" countless crimson light points floating around him, happily circling him as if welcoming something.

"Fire Spirit Bead..."

He raised his right hand, and with a thought, a ball of flame materialized in his palm.

Milky-white flames, but brighter and hotter than before. He could feel that the power of this flame was more than double what it had been previously.

"100% power increase, 200% absorption speed..." Aikesi murmured to himself, "And this is just the sealed state?"

He recalled the settings from the original work. The Fire Spirit Bead was one of the Five Spirit Treasures of the Immortal Sword World, containing the purest Fire Spirit power in heaven and earth. If fully unsealed, its power was unimaginable.

That night, he did not sleep.

Because after the Fire Spirit Bead integrated into his body, the surrounding Fire Elements automatically converged on him. The sensation was too clear, so clear that he simply could not sleep.

He might as well sit up and cultivate.

The Five Spirit Wheel rotated, the Fallen Heart Flame beat, and with the Fire Spirit Bead's enhancement, the absorption speed was three to four times faster than usual. He could clearly feel the Magic in his Middle Dantian growing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"At this rate, I can reach Level Five within a month."

The fifteenth day.

Aikesi stood on a hillside, looking down at the valley below.

A group of Magical Beasts inhabited the valley, roughly a dozen or so, all Fire-type Magical Beasts of Levels Four and Five. In the past, he would never have dared to provoke such a large group, but now—

He wanted to try.

He raised his hand, activated the Fallen Heart Flame, and applied the Fire Spirit Bead's enhancement.

A ball of milky-white flame condensed in his palm, growing larger and brighter. He did not chant any spell; he simply compressed the flame until it reached its limit.

Then, he threw it toward the valley.

The flame landed in the center of the valley and exploded with a boom.

A wave of milky-white fire spread in all directions. The dozen or so Magical Beasts screamed simultaneously; four or five fell dead on the spot, while the others scattered in panic.

Aikesi himself was momentarily stunned.

"So fierce?"

He leaped down the hillside and walked toward the valley.

Five Magical Beast corpses: four Level Four and one Level Five. After collecting the Magic Crystal Cores, he stood in place, feeling the Strength Profound Mystery within his body.

The Fire Spirit Bead's enhancement was indeed terrifying. With the same spell, the power doubled while the consumption remained roughly the same. This meant his current combat power was more than double what it had been when he first entered the Mountain Range.

The twenty-third day.

Aikesi prepared to return.

In those twenty-plus days, he had killed over twenty magical beasts, and his bag was more than half full of Magic Crystal Cores. There were Level 4 and Level 5 ones, and five of Level 6. At market price, they were worth at least five thousand gold coins.

He had several wounds on his body, but none were serious.

"That's about enough." He packed up his bundle, took one last look toward the depths of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, and said, "I'll come back next time."

He turned and walked toward Fenlai Cheng.

Three days later, outside the east gate of Fenlai Cheng.

Aikesi saw from afar the several people waiting at the gate.

Yelu, Qiaozhi, and Leinuo were all there; Linlei stood a little farther away.

"Third Brother!" Leinuo rushed up first. "You're finally back! We thought you'd been eaten by magical beasts!"

"Almost," Aikesi said with a smile. "But the one who got eaten wasn't me — it was the magical beasts."

Yelu sized him up: "Thinner, darker, but you look good. How were the gains?"

"Not bad." Aikesi patted the bundle on his back. "Enough for a few good meals."

"Then let's go, Huadeli!" Yelu waved a big hand. "My treat!"

That evening, at the Huadeli Hotel.

A table full of dishes, the five of them ate and chatted. Aikesi picked out some of his experiences in the Magical Beast Mountain Range to share, making Leinuo gasp in startlement again and again.

"Over twenty magical beasts? All by yourself?"

"What else could I do? They don't follow any code of honor."

"Way too fierce! When will I ever be able to be like you?"

"Cultivate well, and in a few more years you'll manage it."

Qiaozhi smiled and poured wine for Aikesi: "Here, let's celebrate Third Brother coming back alive."

"Celebrate my head — I came back alive in the first place."

"Then let's celebrate your bountiful harvest."

"Now that's more like it."

Yelu raised his cup: "Come on, bottoms up!"

The five cups clinked together.

Linlei, rarely, drank a little too — though his brows knit into a knot, he still swallowed it down.

【Ding — Host detected as having completed the first trial in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, with bountiful gains.】

【Sign in?】

Aikesi silently recited in his heart: Sign in.

【Sign-in successful.】

【Reward obtained: Aizesilasi · Shaxianshu — can instantly move forward ten meters, cooldown time one incense stick.】

A stream of cool Qi surged into his body, then quickly settled down.

The corners of Aikesi's mouth curved up slightly.

"Third Brother, what are you smiling about?" Yelu leaned over.

"Nothing." He picked up his wine cup. "Come, one more."

"Bottoms up!"

Under the moonlight, the laughter of the five youths drifted out the window, drifting toward the distant night sky.