Chapter 63: So Arrogant, So Confident

  "What's going on, the captain specifically ordered me to protect them? How did she rush out, this stupid woman, is she crazy or stupid? If something happens to her, the captain will skin me alive!" Jiang Fei was so angry that he almost shouted out loud, and with a determined heart, he also prepared to follow her up, but just as his feet moved, he was firmly pulled back by a strong hand.

  "Don't worry, she'll be fine." Ling Feiyang said confidently to him.

  Jiang Fei suddenly discovered that it wasn't just him, but all the other members of the Lihuo Mercenary Group were stunned by Zhuge Mingyue's sudden action. However, Zhuge Mingyue's companions didn't seem to be in a hurry at all, with relaxed expressions and faint smiles on their faces. Of course, it definitely wasn't a smile of schadenfreude. It was a confident smile. Did they believe that the girl would be fine when she went out? Where did this confidence come from?

  Although I don't know why they are so confident, this is a pack of nearly a thousand Blood Wolves, with strength ranging from mid to high level. How can they laugh like that? Jiang Fei hesitated for a moment and still didn't follow them out.

  As for Zhuge Mingyue's actions, Ling Feiyang and the others didn't find it strange at all. She had said before that she owed Yan Qingfeng a favor, so she would definitely repay it.

  Yan Qingfeng also noticed Zhuge Mingyue's actions at this time, and his face changed: What is this little girl doing, isn't it chaotic enough?

  Yan Qingfeng was just about to loudly scold and tell Zhuge Mingyue to get lost, when he saw that seemingly delicate figure, like a fleeting cloud, suddenly appear behind him.

  。

  What a terrifying speed, what an eerie movement! Yan Qingfeng almost dropped her jaw, she herself was known for her gentle yet ruthless and agile movements, but she didn't expect Zhuge Mingyue to be any worse than her. Was she really just an alchemist?

  Actually, it wasn't just Yan Qingfeng who was shocked. Everyone inside the firewall was extremely surprised, except for Ling Feiyang and Duanmu Xun. Wan Qi Chen rubbed his eyes with his chubby hands and asked Xue Zihao: "Haozi, am I seeing things? When did Mingyue have such skills?" He thought that Mingyue had summoned her magic pet while rushing to the side. But she didn't summon her magic pet, instead, she wielded a dagger and harvested the lives of the wolf pack. Xue Zihao was also stunned. They had never seen such skills from Zhuge Mingyue before. Although they knew that Zhuge Mingyue seemed to be cultivating some kind of strong physical skill, they didn't expect it to be so terrifying. Duanmu Xun, however, wasn't surprised. She had seen her sister and Feiyang Gege spar before.

  It was just a moment of distraction, and Zhuge Mingyue's figure had already arrived in front of Yan Qingfeng, with several cold gleaming stars moving in her hand, leaving deep bloody holes on the throats of several blood wolves.

  Compared to Yan Qingfeng's swordsmanship, she still has some gap in precise control of strength, but the ferocity and simplicity of her moves are not at all inferior to Yan Qingfeng. More importantly, Yan Qingfeng did not find any signs of internal energy fluctuations on her body, which means that she is using pure physical strength, which is much more difficult than Yan Qingfeng's use of internal energy to control his strength.

  Yan Qingfeng completely put away his previous underestimation and even felt admiration, Zhuge Mingyue looked like she was only sixteen or seventeen years old at most, but she didn't have such strength at this age.

  In front, the deputy commander of the Lihuo Mercenary Corps was surrounded by a large pack of blood wolves. Countless blood wolves opened their huge mouths, revealing sharp fangs and pounced on him. The deputy commander's strength was not bad either, his heavy sword continuously slashing and sealing off the fatal blows, but compared to Xueying and Qingfeng, his speed and agility were far inferior. Under the attack of the blood wolves' sharp claws and teeth, he suffered many injuries. Yan Qingfeng gathered his mind, his feet moved swiftly, like a sharp arrow shooting out from a bowstring, charging forward.

  "Uuu... uuu..." The two Blood Wolves, just about to launch a sneak attack, let out two mournful howls as they fell under the daggers of Zhuge Mingyue and Yan Qingfeng.

  "Go quickly!" Zhuge Mingyue grabbed the deputy commander's arm and threw him towards the firewall with force. Yan Qingfeng followed closely behind, swinging his sword to clear a bloody path for him.

  "Is it you?!" The deputy captain was stunned, the girl in front of him, wasn't she the same girl he had ridiculed at the Mercenary Guild in the capital? He had even vowed to teach them a lesson and make them roll back home. But now, it was this very girl who had saved him.

  "Go!" Zhuge Mingyue shouted again in a low, stern voice. She had also recognized him - the deputy commander was none other than Qi Jian Shan, someone she had met once before, but this wasn't the time for reminiscing.

  Ji Jian Shan didn't hesitate, nodded slightly, and charged towards the firewall. The only gap was no longer guarded by Yan Qingfeng, and the cunning Blood Wolves launched another attack. However, Ling Feiyang and Wan Qichen had already taken Yan Qingfeng's place, and in front of the steel wall built by Di Jia Beast and Po Kill Sword, the Blood Wolf pack didn't have a chance, only to throw down another pile of corpses in vain.

  It was this brief stay that Zhuge Mingyue and Yan Qingfeng fell into the heavy siege of the Blood Wolf Pack. The two leaned back to back, facing the blood wolves rushing towards them, but their expressions were calm.

  "You're very strong." Yan Qingfeng's eyes were filled with some inexplicable emotions, his tone was affirmative.

  "Thank you." Zhuge Mingyue laughed lightly, without any modesty, with a hint of arrogance between her eyebrows, "You're very strong too."

  Two people rushed towards the Blood Wolf pack in the direction of the firewall at the same time, the starlight of the dagger and the crescent moon of the fine sword intertwined to form a beautiful yet cruel scene.

  At this moment, they are friends who can entrust their backs to each other, and also the messengers of death in the eyes of Blood Wolf.

  The mercenaries all hid in the safe zone, where they could harvest the lives of the Blood Wolves without any scruples. At this moment, no sympathy or pity was needed; only the law of the jungle applied - survival of the fittest. On this ancient ice plain, it was an unyielding truth that if one didn't have enough strength, everyone would become prey for the Blood Wolves and die a miserable death, with no one showing them even a shred of sympathy.

  Facing the two men's god-like assassination, even the ferocious wolf pack began to fear, no longer launching a crazy attack like before, but shrinking the encirclement, waiting for an opportunity.

  "One hundred and nine!" Finally retreated from the firewall, Yan Qingfeng smoothed out her hair in front of her forehead. This was the number of Blood Wolves she had killed. She was indeed the captain of the Lava Mercenary Group! The members of the Lava Mercenary Group heard this number and couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. This was their captain's strength!

  "One hundred and twelve!" Zhuge Mingyue also retreated into the firewall, glanced at Yan Qingfeng, and smiled brightly. The confidence and domineering air in her eyes were dazzling. The crowd was stunned, but no one questioned her words. Because everyone had witnessed her skills with their own eyes.

  "You're indeed, very strong." Yan Qingfeng lightly spat out these words. The girl in front of him was purely relying on physical strength to fight. She had never seen such skill before, and for a moment earlier, she even thought that Zhuge Mingyue and the surroundings had become one, almost unable to feel her own existence. If it weren't for those wolves' mournful howls reminding her... "Thank you." Yan Qingfeng was very grateful that Zhuge Mingyue was there; otherwise, Qi Jian Shan wouldn't have been rescued so easily.

  "You're welcome, I've said it before, I will return your kindness." Zhuge Mingyue smiled and said.

  "Now I owe you one, I just did something extra, but you saved all of my people." Yan Qingfeng also said with a smile, his tone was so frank.

  After seeing Zhuge Mingyue's true strength, the dissatisfaction with her earlier ignorance had long since dissipated. What she said was indeed correct - it was not Zhuge Mingyue who should have thanked Xie Yanfeng, but rather Zuo Anba. If it weren't for her meddling, they would have died a miserable and ugly death.

  "I'm glad to meet you." Zhuge Mingyue blinked and extended her hand. Yan Qingfeng was such a woman, so refreshing, open-minded and kind-hearted. The battle just now, with her coordination, was even more tacit. Such a woman made it hard for people not to have a good impression of her.

  "I am too." Yan Qingfeng smiled lightly, grasping the hand of Zhuge Mingyue tightly. From this moment on, they were friends, comrades-in-arms who had shared life and death together, friends to whom she could entrust her back.

  "I apologize for what I said at the Mercenary Guild." Qi Jian Shan walked forward with a hint of embarrassment, but still with an air of openness. Right is right, wrong is wrong, the straightforwardness and integrity of a mercenary were all written on his frank and open face.

  "It doesn't matter, if I were in your shoes, I might have said the same thing. The White Ice Plain is indeed a dangerous place, you put your brother's life first, that's what men do." Zhuge Mingyue waved her hand nonchalantly.

  "In short, thank you. From now on, you are my friend, Qi Jian Shan's friend, and also the friend of our Lihuo Mercenary Group. If anyone dares to provoke you, I will be the first to not let them off." Qi Jian Shan said solemnly with a clenched fist. He didn't care if Zhuge Mingyue considered him a friend or not, as long as he had acknowledged it. Moreover, Zhuge Mingyue's last words made him blush slightly. Earlier, when he sarcastically asked for one million gold coins to escort them, it was indeed unmanly behavior. Compared to today, when Zhuge Mingyue saved him without holding a grudge, he felt even more ashamed.

  "Right, our Blazing Mercenaries won't let him off either." The other mercenaries raised their weapons and shouted loudly.

  Listening to that earth-shaking roar, not only Zhuge Mingyue, but also Ling Feiyang and several others felt a thrill and hot blood in their hearts. The loyalty of mercenaries is so simple and persistent, once they recognize friends, they can die for them.

  "Look, what's that?" Wan Xi Chen gazed into the darkness not far away and suddenly exclaimed.

  。

  It's a wolf, a huge blood wolf, and it can fly. The Monster Manual didn't lie, there really is a variant of the Blood Wolf King that has learned to fly. That electrifying speed, that aerial pounce, or rather, not quite true flight, but it did leave the ground, adding a few points of intimidation to its already massive body, and bringing endless pressure to everyone.

  Facing the raging flames, the Blood Wolf King showed no fear at all. From high above, he swooped down swiftly, his eyes filled with a dense bloody color. Even the curved fangs in his ferocious mouth were radiating a blood-red glow.

  Soul-level! Absolutely a soul-level demon beast! Zhuge Mingyue's eyes suddenly narrowed, and he began to recite incantations silently. All the mercenaries also gripped their weapons tightly, with bloodlust surging inside them. Everyone knew that the moment of life and death had finally arrived!

  Just as Zhuge Mingyue was reciting the summoning incantation, a strange noise came from the front.

  "Huh, could it be..."

  "He's a member of the Blade Fang Mercenaries!"

  "It can't be wrong, that demon pet is Liao Fei of the Knife Edge Mercenary Group!"

  Will the Blade Edge Mercenaries? That renowned A-level mercenary group? Zhuge Mingyue stopped her incantation and looked at the team that appeared in front of her. The three men running at the very front were sturdy, and flying in front of them was a Griffin!

  Before Yan Qingfeng and others could speak, Liao Fei, who was running in the front, had already commanded his own Lion Eagle to rush up and fight with the Blood Wolf King.

  The mercenaries behind Liao Fei began to fight the Blood Wolf Pack, and Yan Qingfeng also ordered his uninjured members to go forward and kill the wolves. The situation was turning around, Zhuge Mingyue did not participate in the battle again, in her view, with support, the Blood Wolf Pack was dwindling under such a fierce attack, the Blood Wolf King let out a mournful howl, it was no match for the Griffin. The Griffin was ferocious and could fly.

  As the firewall slowly disappeared, the battle also entered its final stage.

  "Vice Captain Liao, thank you." Yan Qingfeng naturally knew Liao Fei, who was the vice captain of the Knife Edge Mercenary Group and also the captain of the second elite team.

  "No need to be polite, since we've met, it's only natural that we can't just stand by and do nothing." Liao Fei smiled, the Knife Edge Mercenary Team had dealt with the Wildfire Mercenary Team many times over the years, and he and the team leader both admired Yan Qingfeng. Although Yan Qingfeng was a woman, she was bold and decisive in her actions, and wholeheartedly devoted to her members. Moreover, Yan Qingfeng was very enthusiastic and had helped them before. This time, they met again, and it was within their power to help, so of course they would lend a hand.

  The battle was almost over, and the people of Lihuo Mercenary Group did not go to touch the corpses of those wolf groups, but left them to Liao Fei and his team. Because of Liao Fei's help, Lihuo Mercenary Group left all the spoils of war to Jianfeng Mercenary Group. However, Zhuge Mingyue's fire wall also played a great role, and Yan Qingfeng turned her head to look at Zhuge Mingyue with some difficulty. Zhuge Mingyue immediately understood her meaning, but just smiled slightly and shook her head lightly, indicating that she didn't mind at all. Yan Qingfeng also subconsciously returned a smile, feeling relieved, and was grateful and moved by Zhuge Mingyue's attitude.

  "Liao Deputy Captain, let's go rest over there for a bit." Yan Qingfeng invited Liao Fei to sit by the fire.

  Liao Fei nodded and walked towards the bonfire with Yan Qingfeng. In fact, Liao Fei had another reason for lending a hand. From afar, he saw that the fire wall was as high as five meters. How did they manage to do that? Did the Blazing Mercenary Corps buy such a terrifying potion somewhere? Or did they have an extremely powerful alchemist? No way! Neither of these possibilities seemed likely, and if Liao Fei had to choose one, he would rather it be the first option. If the Blazing Mercenary Corps really had such a formidable alchemist, their strength would only continue to grow. However, if this was indeed the case, they must find a way to recruit them.

  But anyway, the second situation is absolutely impossible, right?

  He really wants to know where he can buy such a medicine. If such medicines are available, there must be even more powerful ones. It's worth noting that some medicines aren't even sold on the black market in the capital city.

  When Liao Fei sat down by the fire, he finally noticed Zhuge Mingyue and her group. The attire of Zhuge Mingyue's group was clearly not that of the Huo Yan Mercenary Corps. Moreover, their clothing materials were all top-notch. Liao Fei furrowed his brow, could it be that these few people were some wealthy young masters brought along by the Huo Yan Mercenary Corps to make some extra money?

  As soon as he thought of this, Liao Fei's face didn't look good. He turned his head to look at Yan Qingfeng who was talking to Zhuge Mingyue and said in a cold tone: "When did Captain Yan also start bringing people to the White Ice Plain?" Since he still wanted to ask Yan Qingfeng about the medicine, his tone wasn't too biting.

  "No, they weren't brought by me. We just met here." Yan Qingfeng heard the unpleasant tone in Liao Fei's voice and knew that Liao Fei had misunderstood. However, she didn't explain much because she had seen the power of the medicine with her own eyes. Zhuge Mingyue wouldn't say anything if she didn't want to. Everyone has their own secrets.

  "Oh." Liao Fei responded coldly, and then said in a low voice, "That's just their good luck, running into you and us." In Yan Qingfeng's view, these few were ignorant of the heights of heaven and earth, young masters and misses who had run out to take risks, and tonight encountered a pack of wolves. They should have been buried in the wolf's belly, but fortunately, they ran into Yan Qingfeng and his group, and were saved.

  Zhuge Mingyue and the others naturally saw the disdain in Liao Fei's eyes, but they didn't mind. It wasn't the first time anyway. If they were to mind every person's gaze towards them, wouldn't that be too tiring? Perception can't be changed by verbal arguments; actions are the most authoritative proof.

  Liao Fei was certain of this, so he stopped paying attention to Zhuge Mingyue and the others, and instead started chatting with Yan Qingfeng. The Lihuo Mercenary Group had a lot of injured people this time, and they couldn't continue to take on tasks, so they could only turn back and regroup before coming again.

  Liao Fei looked at the ring of charred marks in front of the bonfire and smiled, saying: "Commander Yan, I don't know what kind of medicine you used, but it's incredibly powerful."

  Yan Qingfeng was taken aback, she didn't expect Liao Fei to ask so directly. How could she answer? She turned her head and glanced at Zhuge Mingyue, seeing Zhuge Mingyue nod slightly, before saying: "This medicine is not ours, it belongs to Miss Zhuge Mingyue."

  "Oh?" Liao Fei was taken aback, very surprised, and then suddenly realized. A rich family's young lady buying expensive medicine wasn't unusual. However, this medicine probably couldn't be bought with just money; the people in front of him, were they some kind of noble identity?

  Liao Fei smiled and showed a charming smile, saying: "Miss, I'd like to ask where you bought your medicine, would you please tell me?"

  "Found it." Zhuge Mingyue blurted out two words with a expressionless face. Impolite guy, asking someone about something without even exchanging pleasantries first? Are we close or something? Even men who try to woo women know to bring flowers and flatter them, but this person is truly unmatched - not asking for the other's name, nor introducing himself, directly asking about medicine... Don't think I didn't see the disdain and impatience in his eyes. If you're impatient, then don't ask!

  Ling Feiyang and his group were secretly laughing on the side, not giving face. Zhuge Mingyue's expressionless face said two words that picked up, really joyful ah. Yan Qingfeng turned her face away, can't let Liao Fei see the unkind smile on her own face ah.

  Liao Fei's mouth twitched, wanting to tell a lie, but also having some technical content, okay? Is it contempt for his own IQ or revenge for his previous slight remarks to them? Or both? Liao Fei thought of this and his mood was no longer so good.

  "Ah, Miss... " Liao Fei only then realized that he didn't know the woman's name. Yan Qingfeng had mentioned it earlier, but he hadn't remembered. "May I ask your surname, miss?"

  "I don't have any extra medicine left. As for how I got my medicine, it's inconvenient for me to say."

  "In short, it's over and won't happen again." Zhuge Mingyue cut straight to the point, not wanting to beat around the bush. Only now did he think of exchanging pleasantries, how ridiculous! And what was the meaning of that smug smile he showed off earlier? Did he really have such poor taste?

  Liao Fei was choked by Zhuge Mingyue's words, and indeed, the arrogant noblewoman was the most annoying. Seeing that he couldn't get an answer out of her, he let out a cold snort and stopped paying attention to Zhuge Mingyue, turning his head to chat with Yan Qingfeng instead.

  Liao Fei took his men and left.

  Yan Qingfeng smiled wryly at Zhuge Mingyue: "Zhuge Mingyue, don't mind him, Liao Fei is a bit too eager for success, but he's not a bad person."

  "Hmm." Zhuge Mingyue nodded slightly at first, but then said, "I'm just that kind of person. If others treat me poorly, I'll be even worse to them. If others treat me well, I'll be even better to them."

  Yan Qingfeng was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. Yes, the girl in front of him was indeed this kind of person. However, it was good that way.

  Yan Qingfeng decided that the members of the Lihuo Mercenary Group would rest and recover first, and then head back tomorrow. Qi Jian Shan was not seriously injured, but his injuries were not light either, and in such bad weather, they had to go back.

  "Do you want to go further in?" Yan Qingfeng asked Zhuge Mingyue.

  "Right." Zhuge Mingyue nodded, "We're looking for a mutated magical beast..." Zhuge Mingyue told Yan Qingfeng the purpose of their trip.

  Yan Qingfeng clapped his thigh after hearing this: "Hey, your chance for revenge has come."

  "Huh?" Zhuge Mingyue was puzzled.

  "I just so happen to know where the Variant Beast appears, Qi Dage and the others have all returned, I'll take you there." Yan Qingfeng said with a smile.

  "Really?" Wan Xi's eyes sparkled with excitement.

  "It's true that it's natural. However, I've never heard of extracting the skills of a variant magical beast before." Yan Qingfeng was both puzzled and curious.

  "Just wait and see." Wan Xi Chen said with a rubbing of his palms and a clenching of his fists, his eyes shining brightly.

  "What about your members then?" Zhuge Mingyue looked around at the people who were bandaging themselves, somewhat worried.

  "They're not unweaned kids, they can go back by themselves. I'll take you." Yan Qingfeng called out to Qi Jian Shan in a loud voice, giving him some instructions.

  "Alright! Don't worry!" Qi Jian Shan patted his own chest, "Don't worry anymore! Zhuge Mingyue, you all go ahead. We'll be waiting for your good news in Bailing Town."

  "Thank you." Zhuge Mingyue smiled, Qi Jian Shan was really a simple person. Once he made up his mind, he would go all out for it.

  The next day, the other members of the Lihuo Mercenary Group packed up their luggage and headed back. Yan Qingfeng led the group, including Zhuge Mingyue, to pack up their belongings and continue on towards their destination.

  The white sunlight sprinkles on the endless ice field, refracting a colorful glow like a rainbow, warm and gentle, bringing a faint warmth to this crystal-clear beautiful world. Although it can't completely dispel the chill brought by the north wind, at least the wind blowing on the face won't feel so biting and piercing anymore.

  On the smooth ice surface, a simple sled made of whole logs was pulled by a reindeer and quickly slid towards the opposite side. The four hooves of the reindeer were all wrapped in thick leather, both to prevent slipping and to prevent breaking through the ice surface.

  "Go... go..." Wan Xi Chen stood on the simple sled, excitedly urging the reindeer to move forward.

  。

  With the addition of Yan Qingfeng, the journey ahead will be much easier. It has to be admitted that although Zhuge Mingyue and others have good strength, compared to real mercenaries, they are still a bit inexperienced in terms of experience. How to avoid dangerous magical beasts based on subtle clues in the forest, how to find delicious and safe food, and how to better conserve physical energy, following Yan Qingfeng, several mercenary rookies learned a lot, and their appearance became more and more seasoned, more and more like those professional mercenaries who have been fighting for survival all year round.

  Even a simple sled like this, at least Ling Feiyang couldn't think of it.

  It was already nightfall when they crossed the ice lake, and it was pitch black all around. The few people set up camp on the spot and rested for a night before continuing on their journey.

  "Midnight, guess what kind of skill that mutated magical beast will have, is it suitable for our magical pet?" Wan Xi Chen wrapped himself in a thick blanket, too excited to sleep, said to Zhuge Mingyue who was keeping watch.

  "I don't know." Zhuge Mingyue added firewood, her heart also had some expectations and excitement, but she said solemnly, "Fatty, Teacher Wen Yi has said that the inherited skills of the variant beast are extremely dangerous. If you're not a hundred percent sure, don't try it at all."

  Wen Yicong has repeatedly emphasized that in order to extract inherited skills from variant beasts, one must use special incantations and rely on strong spiritual power to control the beast, then perform a spiritual fusion. When the summoner's spiritual power fluctuations are highly consistent with those of the beast, they can imprint its inherited memories and then transfer them to their own contracted beast.

  It seems that it's not difficult to talk about, but the process of spiritual fusion and branding is extremely dangerous. If there's even a slight mistake, the summoner will become mentally disordered, or even fall into a completely closed self-mental space, also known as going crazy, or becoming a vegetable.

  "Don't worry, I won't come uninvited." Wan Xi Chen said with a nonchalant tone, his eyes gleaming with an expectation that he couldn't quite conceal.

  Zhuge Mingyue's eyebrows furrowed, and although he couldn't see Wan Qi Chen's expression, just listening to his tone was enough to know that he didn't take his words seriously at all. This guy is almost possessed by a demon. He needs to be kept an eye on. Zhuge Mingyue made a silent decision.

  At dawn, Zhuge and his entourage one by one opened their eyes from sleep, and with a refreshed look, they emerged from the tent.

  "Damn it!" Fatso couldn't help but curse loudly early in the morning.

  Before them was a massive mountain range that stretched for thousands of miles, like a giant snow dragon standing proudly between heaven and earth. The majestic snow-capped peaks rose like sharp swords into the clouds, visible only faintly through the veil of cloud and mist. Not just Wan Qianchen, but even Ling Feiyang and the others were left speechless. Yesterday, due to the darkness, none of them had seen clearly the snow mountain marked on the map, which turned out to be this massive mountain range stretching for thousands of miles.

  "What a terrible map, why isn't it marked clearly!" Wan Xi Chen couldn't help but complain, the small Snow Peak he had imagined would actually be such a huge mountain range like a white dragon, and he didn't know when he could climb over it. As for going around, well, looking at that endless undulating mountain range, this idea was better not thought about.

  "Alright, everyone go wash up and fill your stomachs, prepare to climb the Goddess Peak." Yan Qing's expression was as usual, without any unusual color.

  "Do we really have to get past it?" Wan Xi Chen swallowed a mouthful of saliva, his expression somewhat difficult.

  "After all these years as a mercenary, apart from the mutated Blood Wolf King I saw last night, I only know that there's a mutated magical beast over there, but I really don't know about other places." Yan Qingfeng said.

  "Alright, let's cross the Goddess Peak." Wan Xi Chen said gritting his teeth. Mutated magical beasts are extremely rare and their whereabouts are unpredictable, it's not like you can find them just because you want to. If we miss this opportunity, who knows when we'll have another chance.

  After finishing breakfast, several people brought up necessary food and other supplies lightly equipped, while the horses were released into the mountain forest.

  。

  Following Yan Qingfeng, several people walked further and were amazed to find an ancient plank road hidden in the snowy mountains with steep cliffs everywhere. Although the road was still bumpy, it made the journey that seemed difficult to complete much easier.

  "This is the Mercenary Trail, it's a path that our generation after generation of mercenaries have carved out with their swords and axes." Yan Qingfeng explained proudly, seeing the surprise in several people's eyes. In fact, when she first set foot on this mercenary trail, she was also filled with the same shock and astonishment.

  "Ah!" Zhuge Mingyue nodded, as she came into contact with these mercenaries more and more, she had a deeper understanding of them. They sometimes seemed reckless, even a bit rough, but on their bodies, Zhuge Mingyue also saw bloodiness, bravery, responsibility, tenacity and other qualities that were admirable, and also saw the confidence and pride they had as mercenaries.

  "Chubby, what's wrong?" Zhuge Mingyue suddenly found that Wan Qi Chen's expression was somewhat off, his eyes tightly closed, his face a pale iron color, and his whole body trembling non-stop.

  "I, I, I seem to have acrophobia." Wan Xi Chen opened his eyes to take a look at the deep cliff below his feet, and then quickly closed them tightly. Then, this guy just stood behind Zhuge Mingyue, trembling with fear, refusing to move forward, blocking the path of Ling Feiyang and others behind him.

  Acrophobia! Zhuge Mingyue suddenly understood why his behavior was so strange that morning.

  "How come I've never heard you have acrophobia before? Didn't we climb the Long Dragon Mountains without any issues?" Zhuge said with a smile, "Come on, let me hold your hand."

  "How high is that, how high is this? Besides, isn't there a rope? Close your eyes and you'll be there in no time." Wan Qichen said with embarrassment, his hand held by Zhuge Mingyue. Despite the thick fur gloves between them, Wan Qichen's face turned as red as a monkey's buttocks, but his nervous heart calmed down instantly.

  "Don't think about anything else, don't look down at your feet, just look at me and slowly move forward." Zhuge Mingyue comforted Wan Qi Chen, leading him to walk slowly forward.

  "It seems I'm not that scared anymore, hehe!" Wan Xi Chen's face turned red to the point of almost bleeding, and he awkwardly withdrew his hand, mustering up courage to move forward. Ling Fei Yang was behind him, his scorching gaze almost burning a hole through his back! If he didn't let go of Zhuge Mingyue's hand soon, he feared that Ling Fei Yang would kick him down directly.

  All the way was safe and sound, under the leadership of Yan Qingfeng, Zhuge Mingyue and his party successfully crossed the mercenary trail through the Goddess Snow Peak. A wetland marsh with a faint mist appeared in front of them. On the almost empty grassland that could be seen at a glance, small birds with beautiful feathers flew over the grass from time to time, several groundhogs poked their heads out of their burrows and looked around curiously, and a large wild cow grazed leisurely on the lush green grass, like a peaceful and serene Shangri-La.

  However, in this peaceful and serene atmosphere, Zhuge Mingyue and others felt a somewhat unusual atmosphere. Logically speaking, even the outer periphery of the White Ice Plain is inhabited by ferocious magical beasts like the Blood Wolves, so being in the heart of the White Ice Plain should be fraught with danger. Yet, not only did they not feel any aura of fierce magical beasts, but they also didn't see a single carnivorous wild beast.

  This means that in this seemingly peaceful wetland marsh, a certain powerful demon must live, at the top of the food chain, to the extent that no other demons dare to invade its territory.

  "This is the territory of that mutated demon beast, are you sure you still want to continue?" Yan Qingfeng asked, knowing that Zhuge Mingyue and the others must have felt something.

  "Of course, I'll continue. I was so scared that I almost died crawling over here, but I don't want to go back and get scared to death again." Wan Qi Chen's face finally regained its rosy color, thinking about the thrilling experience earlier made him shudder with fear, now even if he were to fight the mutated Blood Wolf King, it would be much easier than crossing the Goddess Snow Peak again.

  。

  Several others looked at Wan Qi Chen and burst out laughing, no one had expected that the usually carefree and fearless fatty would actually have acrophobia.

  "What are you laughing at? It's just acrophobia, what's so funny about it? You little mouse, if you dare to laugh again, I'll tell everyone that you still wet the bed when you were eight years old." Wan Qi said menacingly.

  "My god! Fatso, I'm going to fight you!" Xue Zihao's smile froze, how could he say that out loud?! This fatso! Xue Zihao's face turned bright red like a tomato, feeling guilty and secretly glancing at Zhuge Mingyue and Duanmu Xun, then pounced on the fatso, and the two of them started fighting.

  Looking at this group of energetic young people, Yan Qingfeng couldn't help but smile.

  "Alright, let's take a break first, then go find that legendary mutated beast!" Yan Qingfeng knew this group of young people wouldn't back down easily.

  After hearing her words, Wan Xi Chen and Xue Zi Hao stopped their quarrel and looked at the vast wetland, unable to help but feel a bit perplexed. "Such a big place, where should we go to find it?"

  "I think maybe I know where it is." Zhuge Mingyue took out the map and pointed to the red dot in the middle.

  "Isn't this our current location?" Yan Qingfeng looked at the map in Zhuge Mingyue's hand, marked with their position, and said in surprise.

  "Right, maybe the variant beast we're looking for is here." Zhuge Mingyue had a kind of intuition that this time's treasure hunt was connected to this variant beast. Ling Feiyang leaned in, took a look at the map, and instantly understood. He also suspected that what Zhuge Mingyue said was probably true.

  Following the direction indicated by the arrow, Zhuge Mingyue and his party walked forward along the edge of the swamp. On the cliff wall above, a stone cave with a diameter of more than three meters appeared in front of them.

  "It should be here." Zhuge Mingyue said with a map in hand, guessing by orientation.

  "Just go in and you'll know." Wan Xi Chen glanced at the map, very regretful that he didn't understand it, so he boldly rushed inside.

  "You're going to get yourself killed!" Yan Qingfeng's eyes were quick and his hands were fast, grabbing Wan Kuocheng's collar and pulling him back, scolding, "Do you know what's inside?"

  "I don't know." Wan Xi said dazedly.

  "I don't know how you dare to run around wildly, what if there's danger?" Yan Qingfeng scolded with a bad temper. After going through the battle against the Blood Wolf Pack and this journey together, she had unknowingly started treating these few people including Zhuge Mingyue as her younger siblings in her heart, so when scolding them, she didn't leave any face.

  "There's danger, just retreat and come back later." Wan Xi Chen rubbed his forehead, heh-heh stupidly smiling. In fact, they had always been like this when training. Although also very careful, but obviously not as aware of crisis as mercenaries.

  "I'll take the lead, Zihao follow me, Baozi you're behind Zihao, Mingyue and Xiaoxuan in the middle, Feiyang at the back." Yan Qingfeng didn't waste any more words on Wan Chenzhen, arranging the order of their group.

  With her strength and experience, she should be at the forefront of the team, ready to respond to any potential dangers that may arise. With Xue Zihao's caution and the archer's keen senses, they can react in time when a crisis occurs. The youngest and weakest member of the group, Duanmu Xuan, is placed in the middle, with Zhuge Mingyue's protection, there shouldn't be any problems. As for the most vulnerable area at the back, it naturally falls to the most stable Earth Sword Saint. That night, she had already witnessed Ling Feiyang's strength, and as an Earth Sword Saint, she knew that even if she only considered defense, she wasn't much stronger than him.

  After making arrangements, a group of people holding windproof lanterns specially made for mercenaries walked into the mountain cave one after another.

  。

  As I walked into the cave, a warm current greeted me, making my whole body feel cozy and comfortable. Although the rocky ground beneath my feet was dry, it was uneven and difficult to walk on, with many places exposing sharp, conical rocks. The entire inner wall of the cave was also like this, with deep marks everywhere. Upon closer inspection, it looked as if they had been carved out by knives and axes, completely unlike a naturally formed stone cave.

  It's definitely correct, the treasure must be here, otherwise who would spend so much effort digging a cave in such a place. Zhuge Mingyue looked at the obvious man-made marks and became even more certain of her previous judgment, while also becoming more excited and expectant.

  What kind of treasure could it be that both Xue Feng and Luo Xiao have been dreaming of and died for in a foreign land?

  Suddenly in front of a bright, about two or three hundred square meters of space appeared before my eyes, like a small giant stone palace, the top of the palace is a circular hole like a skylight, allowing sunlight to penetrate into the stone hall, illuminating it brightly.

  Eyes that had grown accustomed to the darkness suddenly saw this bright light, and felt a slight stinging sensation. Rubbing his eyes, he looked towards the center of the stone hall, where on a rough stone pedestal, a seven-colored glow was flickering uncertainly, casting a mysterious radiance over the entire hall. Although he didn't see the piles of gold, silver, and jewels that he had imagined, the seven-colored glow made everyone feel a thrill from the bottom of their hearts, as if even their souls felt a slight tremor. Clearly, this seven-colored glow contained some kind of strange and unknown power.

  "Found it!" Just as everyone was shocked and puzzled, Wan Xi Chen excitedly darted out from behind Xue Zi Hao, rushed into the stone hall, but he didn't rashly reach out to take it. Instead, he stood still and stared straight at what was in front of him.

  "Hu", at this moment, a dull wind sound started, and a huge palm covered with golden long hair, thick and heavy like a stone mill, suddenly swung towards Wan Qi Chen.

  "Be careful!" Yan Qingfeng's toes tapped lightly as he flew in, his slender sword slashing fiercely at the giant palm radiating golden light, while blocking in front of Wan Xizhen. At the same time, Ling Feiyang and Zhuge Mingyue also made their moves, both standing in front of Wan Xizhen simultaneously.

  "Bang!", Yan Qingfeng's slender sword chopped into the golden giant palm, but only left a shallow wound, and he himself was thrown backward by the enormous force, also knocking Wan Qichen and Zhuge Mingyue, Ling Feiyang flying backward. After stumbling several times, they barely managed to steady themselves. Wan Qichen wasn't so lucky; he directly fell to the ground and rolled around in circles, muttering to himself.

  Looking ahead, everyone took a deep breath of cool air.

  All that was seen was a giant bear, over three meters tall, pounding its chest and letting out a furious roar. Its shiny golden fur stood on end like sharp spears.

  "It's a variant of the Earth Bear! That's right, it must be a variant of the Earth Bear!" Wan Xi Chen's face was covered in dirt as he crawled up from the ground, his excitement almost rendering him speechless. The Earth Bear was a type of powerful attacking magical beast, mostly high-level beasts that weren't particularly rare, but one with a height of over three meters and a body covered in golden fur was unheard of, not to mention unseen.

  "Haha, finally found it! Watch me get it!" Wan Xi Chen quickly chanted the incantation, his voice strange and awkward-sounding, completely different from the usual summoner's incantations. It was precisely the Spiritual Fusion Incantation that Wen Yi had taught him. This was a variant magical beast, although its skills were still unclear, just by looking at it, one could tell that it definitely wouldn't be simple. Wan Xi Chen couldn't wait any longer.

  "Idiot! What's gotten into you!" Zhuge Mingyue shouted in anger. If it were that easy to merge, then what's the point!

  What Wan Qi Chen did was absolutely extremely dangerous! Zhuge Ming Yue was both angry and anxious! Therefore, she immediately took corresponding action!

  Simple and brutal!