After cutting a lava wolf's head into two, I spun around and kicked a second lava wolf so hard its neck snapped. As it fell to the ground, I straightened and scanned my surroundings. I had wiped out the entire pack.
This was like the second pack I had run into while traversing the forest at the foot of the Mystical Volcano Chain. Being minion-ranked spirit beasts, the lava wolves were no match for me. However, they were still dangerous in high numbers. It wasn't wise to underestimate weaker opponents – when working together, they could overwhelm a much more powerful opponent through sheer numbers.
A swarm of army ants, for example, was capable of reducing even an elephant to nothing more than a skeleton. No matter how many ants the elephant crushed under its immense bulk, it didn't matter if there was an entire sea of them engulfing the poor beast.
Same logic applied here – no matter how high one's cultivation realm, he could still be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. I remembered how Ba Bai was driven off by an entire group of police even though he had mystical powers. Perhaps a single gun wasn't enough to defeat him, but a lot of guns would certainly give him second thoughts.
Of course, there was that cultivator from my world who intervened in the end, but the point was that the police nearly drove Ba Bai off even without the unnamed cultivator's help.
"Hmm, but it's a good idea to collect some claws, fangs and fur."
I had learned from Xia Xing Yue's group when I worked with them during that mission in the Starry Forest. Spirit beast parts could be sold for profit. And the rock-hard parts of lava wolves could be used to forge a myriad of things. I also heard spirit beast blood could be used as an ingredient for enchanted ink – one of the things I needed to make spirit talismans.
There were other dangers, but by and large the other spirit beasts left me alone. The most dangerous turned out to be the lava wolves – for now. I had no doubt more powerful spirit beasts lived higher up in the volcanoes themselves.
It took me half a day to trek through the dense forest, fighting not just lava wolves but also the treacherous terrain. I had to bash through bushes and thick branches, occasionally using my poor dragon sword for such an undignified job. I was sure proper swordsmen would balk at my cavalier use of such a pristine weapon for menial tasks, but necessity demanded that I put aside pride and used whatever I had at hand.
Also, I would rather be clutching my dragon sword in the event that I ran into a spirit beast while bashing through the branches and shrubs.
Eventually, I managed to fight my way out of the forest and reach the volcanoes proper. Panting, I looked up at the steep slopes and rocky ground. Even this far from the peaks, where acrid fumes and boiling lava churned, I could feel the intense heat.
"Whoa…"
The region was rich in fiery yang qi. I couldn't help but take a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air and dense qi present. Unfortunately, I ended up inhaling the rotting eggs stink of sulfur dioxide too, and I choked.
"Ugh…"
Shaking my head, I proceeded up the volcano in hopes that I would randomly run into a plant with Mystic Fire Fruits.
Unfortunately, I first ran into a dig site where several laborers…uh, labored wearily under the hot sun. They were clad in protective gear, including helmets and what looked like fire-resistant armor. I had seen the like in the Armament Sect's Seven Stars branch store I visited the other day, but at that time I refused to buy it because it was too bulky and heavy. Like I said, I would rather travel light and rely on my speed to evade enemy attacks than be weighed down by armor.
As for enduring the heat and dense fiery yang qi that saturated the volcano chain, I thought of it as training. If I could condition my body to withstand such temperatures and concentrated qi, I would definitely grow stronger. This was my main reason for coming here to help Xia Xing Yue. Honestly, I had seen this as a chance to temper my body and train myself further, not just as an opportunity to help a beautiful girl.
With the inter-academy tournament coming up, I needed to become as strong as possible within the short three months leading up to it. Or was it two months now? Time really flies.
"Hey, you over there! I'm talking to you, kid! What are you doing here?"
As I passed by the dig site, one of the supervisors caught sight of me. He straightened up and approached me swiftly, a scowl on his weathered face. He tried to grab me, but I effortlessly evaded his huge hand.
"Don't you know that unauthorized personnel aren't allowed here?"
"Sorry, just passing through."
"Get out of here, kid. It's not safe." The supervisor shook his head, looking annoyed. I sighed and pushed my glasses up my nose.
"But I do have authorization to be here in the Mystical Volcano Chain, sir." Retrieving my smartphone, I called up the mission that I had applied for and displayed my screen to the supervisor. He stared for a moment, rubbing at his yellow helmet with his hand, and then his eyes widened.
"Ah, you're from Seven Stars Academy…you're here for a job. Sorry."
"No problem. By the way, do you know where the plants with the Mystic Fire Fruit are?"
The supervisor shook his head. "Sorry, I'm afraid I don't. But judging from your mission briefing, it says here that it'll be located higher up and deeper in the Mystical Volcano Chain."
"I guess I still have some ways to go then." I sighed and was about to resume my journey. "Thanks, anyway."
"Wait!" The supervisor raised a hand. He lowered his voice, glancing nervously at the peaks of the volcanoes. "You should be careful, kid. There are increased sightings of spirit beasts, especially warrior-ranked salamanders, fire drakes and lava lizards. They've been plaguing our worksites and attacking our miners, making it very difficult for us to retrieve the fiery yang crystals. As you get higher, there will be more of them. They particularly like to cluster near the top, to absorb the fiery yang qi emanated by the volcanoes."
"I understand. Thank you for the warning, sir. I'll be careful." I bowed my head politely.
"Oh, and one last thing." The supervisor swallowed. "It's not confirmed, but there is a rumor about a commander-ranked fire dragon flying around. Avoid it at all costs."
"Will do."
Inwardly, I wondered if the fire dragon was stronger than the winged demonic tiger, and then I shuddered. Best not to think about it. I couldn't defeat a wounded wing demonic tiger and was barely able to escape with my life. If I hadn't dropped off the edge of the cliff and miraculously found the demonic cave when the primordial spirit of Tian Mo resided,
Speaking of which, I was glad I didn't simply accept the offer Tian Mo proposed to me. Having seen what Han Sha did to Pang Bai Shan, I shuddered to think what would have happened if I stupidly agreed to stepping into the demonic realm and learning under Tian Mo. Pang Bai Shan had accepted Han Sha's help without hesitation, and he was used and discarded as an expendable pawn in the end. A harmful demonic cultivation technique that would have long term side effects, and a steroid that damaged his body irreparably (though there were probably expensive and very inaccessible cultivation techniques that could theoretically repair his meridians). If I had followed Pang Bai Shan's example, I imagined I would have met with a bad end.
Demonic cultivators were not to be trusted. Not to mention, there was a bunch of them from the future after my life. Funnily enough, I guess Tian Mo was a demonic cultivator from the past, so maybe he was better than the others…?
Still not trustworthy, though…
Bowing my head, I bade farewell to the supervisor and took my leave. Before I stepped away, I glanced one last time at the miners who were hacking away at the ground, trying to yank out crystal deposits and ferrying them about in carts. There were a few vehicles too, excavators that scooped out vast amounts of earth and soil before pouring them aside. Some workers scrounged through the dug rock for any sign of minerals while other miners dug the softened rock to reveal more shimmering crystals.
After leaving the dig site, I proceeded higher, toward the peaks of one of the nearest volcanos. I prayed that I would find the Mystic Fire Fruit there, or I would have to descend that volcano and climb another. That would be too time consuming. On the other hand, the more time I spent in this place, the stronger I would become. Or so I hoped. Acclimatizing to the dense qi, immense heat and thin air would temper my body beyond imagination.
However, I had a time limit. I couldn't spend too much time here, especially since there was the tournament to consider. I had less than two months. Plus I wanted to practice how to draw spirit talismans too. There were so many things I wanted to do and so little time.
"Oh, this looks bad."
While ascending a fairly steep slope, I paused and looked around. Despite the thick fiery yang aura that permeated the entire place, I could sense qi from living creatures. And right now I could detect a swarm of warrior-ranked spirit beasts closing in on my position.
How did I not detect them earlier? Oh, right…because of how dense the fiery yang aura was. It was like trying to see through a thick fog. My sixth sense was muddled by the tremendous amount of qi in this place.
Pushing my glasses up my nose, I tried to see what my enemies were. I could barely make out the dark, massive shapes crawling toward me on squat and stocky feet, their bodies hugging the earth. Glimpses of black scales interspersed with glowing crimson spots and long tails told me all I needed to know.
Salamanders. Three-meter long spirit beasts that came up to my waist. They had huge jaws, a cross between crocodiles and lizards, but they had the ability to breathe fire. Indeed, the glowing crimson spots resembled angry, red magma.
The first three stopped and their maws yawned. Immediately, fireballs were spat toward me at high speeds, but I was already moving, having sensed the buildup of fiery qi through Heavenly Flow and Earthly Paths.
Flipping myself up and over a fourth fireball, I landed and drew my sword. Using my footwork techniques, I weaved through the volley of fireballs and closed in on my targets.
My right hand wielding my dragon sword, I retrieved a spirit talisman from my pocket with my left hand and cast a protective spell on me. I had no doubt that I would eventually get hit, especially with the sheer number of fireballs coming at me.
To avoid getting caught in the bombardment and to diminish the number of fireballs streaking toward me, I dashed toward the midst of the salamander swarm. Hopefully, a few of them ceased fire, afraid to get their comrades caught in the crossfire.
As it turned out, I was overly optimistic. The salamanders continued hurling fireballs at me without pause, heedless of their brethren. Stepping on the head of one of the salamanders, I kicked off and propel myself away before it could bite my foot off. The flaming projectiles struck the unfortunate salamander and detonated, stunning it.
To my shock, I saw that it was barely injured. Its black and glowing red scales weren't even scorched by the huge amount of flames that had seared it earlier. It snarled and tried to scamper after me.
I couldn't pay much attention to it. Another salamander had gotten close to me and it whipped its thick tail forward, trying to slam me away.
Doing a cartwheel, I lashed out at the tail after it brushed past me. Despite its sturdy scales, I had managed to cut into the portion where I sensed the weakest current of qi, and in a single stroke I severed its tail.
The salamander howled, its stump spraying heated blood as it scrambled away. Landing on the ground, I pivoted and dodged another volley of fireballs. Using a footwork technique, I advanced toward a salamander who was about to hurl a fireball at me. Before it could finish producing its flames, I stabbed my sword into its throat, slicing apart the flames and piercing its skull.
Even as the salamander thrashed about in its death throes, I yanked my sword out and disappeared before a cluster of fiery projectiles crashed into my position. They failed to scorch my victim, but it still fell backward from the shockwaves of the resulting explosions before falling limply from the fatal blow I had dealt it.
"Huff…" I exhaled wearily as I skidded across the ground, using my sword to arrest my momentum. Watching the gathering salamanders, I narrowed my eyes. "Seems like warrior-ranked spirit beasts are really on a different level from minion-ranked ones."