Chapter 373: Beastfolk Never Serve as Slaves

The Deep Mud Swamp is a vast marsh on the eastern side of the beastfolk tribe; after crossing the Stano Mountains, it takes a two‑day flight to reach.

Ai Mi Li Si has only heard that a benevolent dragon dwells in the swamp, but she has never seen it herself and does not know its exact location, so she will have to search after arriving. Finding a giant dragon in a swamp that spans hundreds of thousands of square kilometres is not easy and will take at least a few days.

She has two giant dragons with her, so there will be no danger.

Lei En sees this as a chance to turn back and eliminate Feilis.

He is not a vindictive person, but Feilis once tried to threaten him with his family's lives and repeatedly sent assassins after Viola in secret, making it an unending, deep‑seated grudge.

Feilis usually stays inside ParrasFloatingCity, so Lei En cannot reach her; it is rare to see her leave the city, and he does not want to miss this chance.

"Lei En, where are you going?" Ai Mi Li Si asked, a little puzzled.

"To settle a personal vendetta." Lei En did not elaborate. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon to reunite with you."

Ai Mi Li Si gently bit her lip.

Actually she probably guessed Lei En's target, which must involve the airship of the Zhuoken Tribe. This may pertain to a conflict between two floating cities, and she is not in a position to get involved, nor does she dare to.

Duke Hong Shi's reputation on the steppe is well‑known; even she has heard of it across the Wansong Ridge at Haituo.

Only someone like Lei En, backed by a Holy Soul Wizard, dares to act against the Wizards of Parras.

The two giant dragons remained silent.

To the giant dragons, a Holy Soul Wizard is also an unattainable, powerful presence.

"You take care of yourself." Ai Mi Li Si did not press further. "When you reach the Deep Mud Swamp, how will you find us?"

Lei En produced a black steel ring. "If I keep this with me, I'll know your location." He embedded a marker in the ring using activated metal.

"Alright." Ai Mi Li Si took the ring and put it on.

Lei En patted Jia La De Luo Si's neck; the copper dragon descended, set him on the ground, and said, "Lei En, don't die; I'm still waiting for you to tell me jokes and stories."

"I won't." Lei En replied with a smile.

The copper dragon nodded, beat its wings and rose into the sky; the two giant dragons continued northward, soon vanishing on the horizon.

Lei En sensed the metal marker; the airship was still idle in the Zhuoken Tribe's camp, so he did not rush over.

Within a Holy Soul Wizard's territory, harming his student requires a thorough plan.

He also recalled that the teacher, on that island with a teleportation array, used a spell to view past scenes—a set of eight Arcane rings called "Light‑Shadow Reversal." Duke Hong Shi founded the psychics and also studied Arcane arts, so he certainly mastered this technique.

He lacks the Master Luin's ability to block Light‑Shadow Reversal, so he can only create false images by other means to conceal his identity.

Lei En sat on a stone in the Stano Mountains, pondering for a long time.

A few hours later, he stood up.

He retrieved a pile of metal raw material from the dimensional‑space ring, stripped off his shirt and trousers, leaving only tight shorts, activated his steel body and the activated metal; his muscles slowly rippled, his stature quickly elongated, and his form began to expand outward.

In less than half a minute, Lei En had completely changed his appearance.

Now he stood over two meters tall, immensely muscular, his slightly tan skin rough, limbs like pillars, especially his arms, which seemed assembled from solid muscle blocks, thicker than an adult man's waist.

The most striking feature was Lei En's face.

His massive head was completely bald, round and large, ears pointed upward, eye sockets deep with blood‑red pupils, a broad jaw, two fangs protruding from the corners of his mouth pointing upward toward the sky, giving him a ferocious visage that was far from human.

This is a typical beastfolk appearance, and his bloodline is exceptionally pure!

Lei En made a slight adjustment, forming a black tattoo on his right cheek; it was faint, as if weathered by decades of wind and rain, barely recognizable as the silhouette of a roaring giant‑dragon head.

Among the beastfolk tribe, tattoos signify one's clan.

The tattoo Lei En chose is called "Dragon Throat," representing the famed Longhou clan of beastfolk, which has produced many powerful warriors and left numerous legendary tales. His transformed beastfolk form is in its prime; his abdomen shows eight distinct muscle blocks, his iron‑like chest bears black tattoo patterns, and his arms and thighs are etched with beastfolk runes—an honor reserved for those of legendary or higher status.

Anyone who sees such a beastfolk warrior would not dare to provoke him lightly.

Lei En fashioned a nose ring from a steel ingot, pushed it through his nostril, and winced with a soft "hiss…" sound.

The ring hung centrally, adding a touch of ferocity to his look.

Then, using the metal he held, he forged his gear: a heavy belt as wide as two palms side‑by‑side, set with a skull on its front, encircling his waist; beneath the belt were leather trousers wrapped with several iron chains, and he wore a pair of sturdy war boots forged from refined iron.

His upper body was exposed, wearing only crude shoulder plates and wrist guards.

The wrist guards were also wrapped in coils of iron chain, clinking with each movement.

"It still feels like something's missing…"

Lei En examined his appearance, finally recalling, and pulled from the ring a pair of massive tusks over half a meter long, taken from a ferocious mammoth; their curved sections could hook onto both shoulders, secured with iron chains, looking extremely flashy.

Finally came the weapon.

He alloyed the remaining meteoric iron with refined gold, forging a massive axe weighing a thousand pounds.

The axe had a single edge; its shape resembled a banner, the blade a long curve, the back of the head lined with a row of sharp metal spikes, the central area hollowed out, and the C‑shaped face engraved with dozens of intricate runes that were merely decorative, bearing no enchantment.

Nevertheless, this single‑edged axe, nearly one and a half meters long, still possessed terrifying power.

Just its weight of over a thousand pounds is enough to intimidate.

Lei En gripped the thick axe handle, finding it very comfortable, and swung it a few times, cleaving the air before him into a terrifying gust.

"Lokta! Oga!"

A low beastfolk growl came from his mouth: "Beastfolk never serve as slaves!"

Lei En was very satisfied with his current appearance; even standing before his closest companions, such as Viola and Ai Mi Li Si, they could not recognize him; only Ao Xi Li Ya could confirm through a soul contract.

He checked his bearings and sprinted into the mountains.

During the first two flights atop the giant dragons, Lei En had spotted several flying monsters from afar, any of which could be captured as a temporary mount.

After crossing a few peaks, before night fell, a massive silhouette appeared on the distant horizon, resembling a giant dragon at first glance.

"Wind‑rider!"

Lei En's soul eye zoomed in, revealing its full form.

It was a bipedal wyvern, its wingspan and length both exceeding ten meters, its skin a pale cyan, flying at extreme speed while patrolling its territory; its narrow eyes scanned the ground for prey. A Wind‑rider is innately attuned to the wind element, its strength comparable to a fire dragon, its size even larger, and it excels at flight, making it an excellent aerial mount.

The Wind‑rider before him had already reached a high tier; given time, it could even break into the legendary rank.

"I'll take it."

Lei En used Orcish to shout at the Wind Rider: "Beast, come here!"

The flying dragon was immediately drawn, flew over from afar, saw the Orc on the ground; though its intelligence was low, it sensed Lei En's formidable aura, not to be trifled with, so it hesitated, did not recklessly dive, only circled in the sky.

"Pretty quick‑witted."

Lei En muttered, flashed and slipped under a dense great tree, the canopy blocking the Wind Rider's view, raised a hand, opened a portal, and stepped through.

The Wind Rider couldn't see under the tree, was puzzled, while Lei En emerged from the portal above it, falling heavily onto its back.

Bang!

Lei En's heavy body, together with his half‑body metal armor and great axe, nearly two thousand pounds, pressed the Wind Rider down dozens of meters.

The Wind Rider let out a terrified shriek, desperately flew forward, instinctively rolled to fling the enemy off its back. At the same time, countless wind blades erupted, forming an impenetrable net that sliced Lei En's body.

Amid the hissing, white scars were cut into Lei En's skin, yet no blood flowed.

He ignored the wind blades, one hand tightened around the Wind Rider's neck, his stout arm squeezed hard, instantly choking the bipedal flying dragon, nearly snapping its neck.

The Wind Rider rolled its eyes and fell toward the ground.

Lei En, fearing it would die from the fall, eased his grip slightly; after a struggle, the Wind Rider wobbled and crashed into the forest in the mountains.

Amid the flying foliage, the Wind Rider turned, opened its mouth and bit Lei En, spitting a toxic gale breath.

A single‑edged great axe shot out of the breath, striking the Wind Rider's head dead on.

"Aoo"—a mournful scream.

The bipedal flying dragon's head burst with blood, it collapsed, its broad wings flailed wildly, occasionally brushing Lei En like a light breeze, causing no damage at all.

Lei En walked to the Wind Rider's front, raised his fist and hammered it; the struggling stopped instantly.

He glanced at the breath coating his body, foul and stinking, and shook his head.

He opened the mobile phone interface and activated the Pet Master.

After several attempts consuming battery, he finally tamed it; a red‑white sphere entered the Wind Rider's skull, its attributes appeared on the screen, becoming his pet.

Lei En examined the Wind Rider's soul Element and thought, "A decent flying dragon, not as strong as a great dragon, but more than enough as a flying mount."

He took out a bottle of magic potion, applied it to the Wind Rider's wound, and the injury healed rapidly.

Minutes later, the Wind Rider woke, shedding its fierce look, affectionately nuzzling Lei En's thigh with its head.

Lei En leapt onto the dragon's back, rode its neck and commanded, "Take off."

(End of chapter)