Chapter 374: Axe Technique Descending from the Heavens

Two days later.

Lei En rode the wind‑rider through the sky; not far ahead on the ground, a vast ridge lay in the middle of the grassland. The ridge's slope was gentle, its highest point only a few dozen meters high, and its slopes were dotted with thousands of tents, wooden huts, or stone structures, forming a small, crude city.

"Thorn Ridge."

Lei En recognized the place; Thorn Ridge was one of the largest settlements on the grassland, its populace a mixed lot, chiefly half‑beasts, then centaurs, with some humans, goblins and beasts.

Thorn Ridge lay on the Empire's essential route to the beast tribes, its trade relatively prosperous, and the taxes collected there far exceeded those of the Zhuoke tribe's Kas.

The airship from ParrasFloatingCity stayed with the Zhuoke tribe for a day, first stopping at a smaller tribe to collect taxes smoothly, then proceeding to Thorn Ridge.

Lei En patted the wind‑rider, signaling it to lower its altitude.

Moments later, the massive wind‑rider approached Thorn Ridge; the people on the ground noticed the sky‑borne dragon, and many looked up.

A half‑beast guard stationed on the watchtower assumed a vigilant stance.

Only when they saw the beast on the wind‑rider's back, and the dragon showed no intent to attack, did they relax slightly, watching Lei En land on a clearing.

Under the onlookers' gaze, Lei En leapt down from the wind‑rider's back.

Bang!

A muffled thud sounded as heavy footsteps left two large prints on the ground; his armor and iron chains clanged, producing a metallic clang. The single‑edged great axe hanging on his back caught a cold glint, faintly exuding a whiff of fresh blood.

Anyone who saw his appearance could tell he was a battle‑hardened beast warrior.

Lei En swept the surrounding crowd with a fierce gaze, his eyes bearing terrifying Willpower, making others dare not meet his stare.

"Legendary beast warrior!"

"Move quickly, get far away from this guy, don't provoke him."

"Who is he?"

The onlookers craned their necks and stepped back; none dared approach, especially some half‑beasts, who possessed an innate fear of pure beasts.

Lei En grinned, his two tusks at the corners of his mouth drawing particular attention.

He walked along the dirt road of Thorn Ridge, the wind‑rider trailing behind; along the way, everyone kept a wide distance. Even those with poor eyesight who could not recognize him as the legendary beast could be intimidated enough by the high‑rank dragon that was the wind‑rider.

Lei En's all‑things‑voice heard many whispered rumors; he was sure that within half an hour, speculation about him would spread throughout Thorn Ridge.

He walked for two minutes and stopped in front of a tavern.

Looking up toward the tavern's rear, he could see half of an airship's gasbag exposed; his own dart made of animated metal still rested on the bag, firmly secured.

Lei En ordered the wind‑rider to stay outside and entered the tavern himself.

He pushed the door open; the tavern's noisy hall fell silent at once, a dozen‑plus tables filled with patrons, each turning to stare at the entrance, eyes full of astonishment.

Among them were powerful beasts, half‑beast warriors, and transcendents.

Yet Lei En paid them no heed, his scarlet eyes glaring, a cruel expression on his face, he snarled in beast tongue, "Do you want to eat my axe?"

When people saw the great axe on his back, most quickly averted their gaze.

A few, unwilling to accept, were about to rise and retort, but a companion pressed them down, covering their mouths, and whispered, "Are you mad? He's a legendary warrior! Moreover, he's a Dragon Throat Clan beast; you couldn't even catch a single swing of his axe, so don't drag us into this."

Upon hearing 'legendary,' those people immediately wilted, their heads dropping in horror.

"Useless coward."

Lei En sneered, his heavy steps carrying him to the tavern's bar, where he casually set the great axe from his back onto the floor, a muffled thud echoing as his massive body crushed the wooden stool, which creaked as if about to collapse.

Bang!

The bar was slapped so hard it rang like thunder, leaving the half‑beast owner trembling, shrinking back and daring not to approach.

"Mongrel, come here."

Lei En, dissatisfied, summoned them, shouting, "Bring me the best spirit from your tavern, and ten pounds of roast lamb. Also, fetch a few live livestock to feed my wind‑rider; preferably adult moss‑sheep, but not older than three years, lest the meat be tough. When feeding, be careful—if you startle the wind‑rider, I'll skin you."

As he spoke, he reached into his waist and tossed a fingertip‑sized piece of gold.

The half‑beast owner, initially looking uneasy, relaxed instantly upon receiving the gold; even the insult 'mongrel' no longer sounded as harsh.

"Sir, the drink and meat will be delivered at once," he bowed, stammering in imperfect beast tongue, "I'll send someone to purchase moss‑sheep right away."

"Hurry up," Lei En urged again.

The half‑beast owner's efficiency was high; a few minutes later, a steaming plate of roast lamb and two jars of deer‑blood wine were placed before Lei En.

He began to devour the meat, chewing huge bites; every two or three bites he lifted a wooden cup and gulped a mouthful of deer‑blood wine. The red liquid dribbled from his mouth and ran down his exposed chest, as if he were drinking fresh blood, his savage eating style terrifying.

Soon, the tavern's exterior echoed with the wails of moss‑sheep, and the wind‑rider began to eat.

The hall's noise returned.

But the patrons unconsciously lowered their volume, occasionally glancing furtively at the legendary beast.

They secretly speculated about Lei En's origins, deducing from his facial features and tattoos that he likely hailed from the Dragon Throat Clan, though that clan had declined for centuries; while still one of the beast royal families, it no longer possessed its former glory.

The few known legendary warriors of the Dragon Throat Clan bore no resemblance in appearance to the one before them.

Most striking were the massive tusks the beast bore on his shoulders, faintly etched with runes, clearly a piece of exceptionally high‑quality enchanted gear.

Lei En listened to the low murmurs, smiling to himself.

He deliberately made a flamboyant appearance in Thorn Ridge to plant false information, to mislead the ParrasFloatingCity investigation.

In less than a quarter‑hour, Lei En devoured two massive plates of roast lamb, totaling over twenty pounds, a staggering appetite that shocked everyone.

After downing the final jar of deer‑blood wine, he casually wiped his mouth.

"Burp…"

He let out a belch, waved at the half‑beast owner, "Mongrel, I have a few questions."

The half‑beast owner shivered, replying in a trembling voice, "Honorable Sir, please speak; whatever I know I will tell you fully."

"My name is Buluokesijia, not some Sir; don't try your human tricks on me," Lei En spat, his face full of contempt, frightening the half‑beast owner into silence before asking, "Where did that airship parked on the mountain come from?"

"They are Wizards from ParrasFloatingCity," the half‑beast owner replied respectfully.

"ParrasFloatingCity…" Lei En scratched his bald head, then waved impatiently, "Fine, I've got it, scram."

"Y‑yes…"

The half‑orc boss, as if granted a pardon, hurried into the corner behind the bar.

Lei En stood up, his towering frame seeming to press against the ceiling, instantly silencing the hall and startling the patrons.

He slung his massive axe over his back, gave a contemptuous smile, and left the tavern.

The wind‑rider lay on the open ground outside the tavern like a small hill, a pool of fresh blood spreading across the earth, flesh clinging to its serrated teeth; many passersby stood at a distance, pointing and murmuring, their eyes full of envy and curiosity, for such a flying‑dragon mount was rare on Jingji Ling.

They saw Lei En emerge and quickly turned away.

Lei En leapt onto the wind‑rider's back; the dragon reluctantly rose, beating its wings as dust swirled, soaring into the sky and soon vanishing on the horizon.

In this brief half‑hour stay, the legend of a half‑orc warrior named Bu Luoke Si Jia had already spread across Jingji Ling.

Everyone who had seen the half‑orc left a lasting impression.

But the buzz did not last long; legendary strongmen passed through Jingji Ling from time to time, and caravans brought all sorts of news. A rough yet mighty legendary half‑orc added a bit of gossip over tea, then was soon forgotten.

After leaving Jingji Ling, Lei En did not fly far.

He found a secluded spot in the wilderness and waited patiently. By the third day, the metallic waypoint in his sensing moved.

The dart left Jingji Ling, heading east.

Lei En's spirit surged.

About two hundred li east of Jingji Ling lay a modest centaur tribe; evidently, the airship was headed there to collect taxes.

He mounted the wind‑rider, flew east at top speed, and arrived ahead.

Roughly a hundred li east of Jingji Ling.

The dart drew nearer.

Lei En sent the wind‑rider to the highest altitude, thousands of meters above the ground, far above the airship's flight path, to avoid early detection by the airship's psionic.

During the days of tracking, he had never come within close range of the airship.

The psionic's vigilance was extremely high, especially in telepathy, worthy of a Master; even the best concealment would be detected the moment hostile intent approached.

The one on the airship, Luo Kan Nan, was a legendary psionic; Lei En had heard the name before—a legendary novice Wizard with some standing in ParrasFloatingCity, though he knew little else. Relying on the immunity of the Willpower of Truth, a legendary psionic, he was untroubled.

By virtue of the Duke Hong Shi's formidable reputation, a tax‑collecting airship needed only a single legendary Wizard to command it.

Lei En could confirm there was no stronger foe aboard the airship.

A moment later, a speck appeared on the horizon, growing larger until the airship's full shape was revealed, speeding across the sky.

"Finally arrived."

Lei En's soul‑eye locked onto the airship, guiding the wind‑rider to fly against the high‑altitude chill.

The gap between them narrowed; the wind‑rider hovered thousands of meters above the airship, appearing from below like a bird no larger than a fingertip, failing to alert the airship.

Lei En calculated the distance and bearing.

He drew a deep breath, axe in hand, vaulted from the wind‑rider's back, using flight inertia to plunge rapidly toward the airship.

His routine is back on track; there will be three chapters today.

(End of Chapter)