After Granny Wendy left, Sophia spread out a map of Dragon Ascend Continent on the table for everyone to study.
The Abyss of Despair, located outside of the Great Xia Kingdom in the Tian Luo Kingdom, is one of the five deadliest places, much like Ghost See Sorrow.
However, unlike Ghost See Sorrow, the Abyss is often frequented by adventurers, especially during the spring and summer seasons, when countless treasure-seekers venture there to gather herbs or steal monster eggs.
The death rate is extremely high, especially deeper inside the Abyss, where survival chances are slim. Mercenary groups often write their wills and bid farewell to their families before embarking on such a perilous journey.
The Abyss of Despair, originally known as Snake Coil Valley, was renamed due to its notoriety.
The first and most dangerous threat in the Abyss is not the fierce monsters but the terrain itself.
The risk of falling to death in the ravines is higher than being killed by monsters.
The second threat is the fierce mountain winds, capable of blowing a herd of Dwarf Rock Sheep miles away, let alone humans.
The third are the spiders, ranging from the giant Blood Nest Mother to the tiny Funnel Spider, all lethal killers.
These spiders, including the fast-moving Wolf Spider, the Bird-Catching Spider, and the Sand-Burrowing Spider, are numerous and formidable.
The most terrifying aspect is their preference for human flesh.
Given a choice between humans and animals, these spiders will prioritize attacking humans, which is why adventurers find the Abyss so despairing.
"We'll prepare our luggage, teleport to Wuye City, travel by carriage to Shamen to cross the border, then take a special vehicle to Shuiniu City and teleport to Mountain Cat City. From there, we'll hire a carriage to Snake Coil Town. As for a detailed map of the Abyss of Despair, we'll buy it locally," Yehken, though inexperienced with the Abyss, quickly planned the most efficient route, leaving Eddie to simply nod in agreement.
"Are you sure you want to go, Sophia?" Eddie asked, concerned about her well-being in such a dangerous place.
"Yes, I want to train hard too!" Sophia replied with determination.
Sophia had always aspired to follow her brother, hoping to quickly enhance her own abilities without holding him back.
Seeing this opportunity for experience, she felt she shouldn't be intimidated by the Abyss of Despair.
Determined to challenge herself, she knew that if danger arose, her brother would protect her. All she needed to do was stay close and endure.
Eddie, seeing Sophia's eagerness to improve, didn't dissuade her.
To him, the Abyss of Despair, though terrifying to ordinary people, wasn't as daunting as Ghost See Sorrow, with its demonic insects and deadly Death Roaches.
The treacherous terrain and strong winds of the Abyss could be managed with good skills and a flying beast.
However, what made Eddie cautious was Granny Wendy's one-month deadline.
Even accounting for a five-day round trip, that left twenty-five days, suggesting the Starlight Azure Grass wouldn't be easy to find.
Moreover, such a treasure would likely attract powerful beasts.
Recalling the challenge of gathering Black Ear Withered Heart Orchids in the Abyss and competing with the level eight Herculean Unicorn Beetle, Eddie decided.
"Yehken, you guys get ready. We'll first stop by the beast shops in the Capital to see if there are any suitable Chaos Eggs. Then I'll write a letter to Laura, the Lord of the Falling Flower City, for advice on harvesting Starlight Azure Grass. Sophia and I will visit Mother Grace at home. If you don't want to join us, wait for us at the Tian Luo border. Oh, and I'll write to the Inan siblings too..."
Eddie thought having the company of a beauty like Inan would be more motivating.
"Okay, we'll follow your plan," Yehken and the Ly brothers agreed, knowing their own abilities were only sufficient for self-preservation in the Abyss, and harvesting the Starlight Azure Grass would be up to Eddie.
Haye Yew, snoring thunderously with drool flowing onto the table and then to the floor, had a talent for sleeping through lectures, regardless of the teacher or topic. As a contract tome warrior, his level of dedication was indeed rare.
Eddie, using his third-level insight, noticed some unique strengths in Haye Yew that others lacked, which, if utilized properly, could be quite advantageous.
"Let's go, Pig Head!" Yehken, seeing Haye Yew still sound asleep, couldn't help but slap him.
Haye Yew didn't react, continuing to snore loudly. Yehken resorted to drastic measures, dousing him with a bottle of water.
Startled, Haye Yew sat up, wiped his face with his chubby hand, looked around confusedly, and upon seeing Eddie, he blurted out, "It's raining! It's raining! Quick, gather the clothes!"
Eddie almost burst out laughing at Haye Yew's ridiculous reaction, while Sophia tried to stifle her giggles.
"We've got a new mission!" Yehken, annoyed, kicked Haye Yew, signaling him to stop embarrassing himself.
"What's the reward?" Haye Yew's primary concern was always the reward.
"A beautiful woman if we succeed," Eddie said with a straight face, leaving no room for doubt.
"Did you just say a beautiful woman? I, the great Haye Yew, was born for missions! I'm the leader and will guide you to victory... Wait, what's the mission? Harvesting Starlight Azure Grass? Where is it? The Abyss of Despair? Did you just say the Abyss of Despair? I'm not going!"
Upon hearing the destination, Haye Yew quickly reevaluated, choosing life over the prospect of a woman.
"If the boss isn't going, then the beauty is mine," Eddie jokingly offered the non-existent reward to Yehken.
"A real beauty? I'm all in! I'll sacrifice my three hundred pounds for this... Can't we go somewhere else? Going there is like signing a death warrant. I haven't even dated a girl yet; dying like this would be tragic!" Haye Yew began to wail.
"If you're not going, then the beauty is mine," Yehken whistled nonchalantly.
"Drop the beauty, remove all greed and lust from your mind! The beauty is mine, got it?" Haye Yew grabbed Yehken's collar, roaring with anger.
"Aren't you not going, Piggy?" Yehken asked, puzzled.
"Call me boss! As a leader, how can I shrink from difficulty?
Do you think I'm that kind of person?
I am a warrior, a hero, born to be paired with beauties.
You, a monkey-like sidekick, better behave, or I'll tear you apart.
No one dares snatch beauties from the boss. Understand?
Until I lose my virginity, none of you can either.
Otherwise, I'll flip out!"
Haye Yew's eyes blazed like a bull in heat, his appearance fierce.
"You, a boss, still a virgin? Or did I mishear?" Eddie, about to leave, turned back to ask.
"Me? A playboy since twelve, I broke that long ago.
How could I be so pitiful?
My admirers are countless;
I'm overwhelmed with dating, hence my lack of sleep.
I'm worn out by beauties.
Why worry about my virginity...
Cry? Me? Where did you see me cry?
These are tears of excitement and pride!
How can I not be moved being with you crazy daredevils?"
Haye Yew, in his ramblings, started to cry.
Eddie, along with Yehken and Haye Yew, visited the beast shop but found no suitable Chaos Eggs.
He wrote two letters, one each to the Inan siblings and Laura, the Lord of Falling Flower City, seeking advice on harvesting Starlight Azure Grass.
Then, he returned to Yue Manor with Sophia, while Yehken and the others prepared for the journey. Mother Grace was overjoyed at their return and spoke of their uncle's improvement, thanks to Miss Feng's devoted care.
Eddie remained silent, suspecting a scheme behind the seemingly benevolent act. For now, the priority was not confrontation with Yue Shan but waiting for the right moment.
Eddie planned to simultaneously train and wait for the opportunity to strike, aiming for a decisive battle against the true culprit behind the scenes.
He also intended to investigate other matters, like the tragic man's broken engagement and his suicide attempt.
This visit was primarily to help Little Frost open her meridians. Although she hadn't practiced cultivation, Eddie often transferred some of his qi to help her.
Eddie had been gradually opening Little Frost's meridians, keeping her healthy and less prone to illness. After discovering that doing so increased her chances of contracting a Bronze Tome, he decided to wait for the right moment to present it to her publicly, ensuring success in front of many witnesses.
To ensure Little Frost's successful contract, Eddie figured he needed to open at least five meridians, having only done two so far.
Keeping this process secret from others, especially Little Frost, was crucial to prevent her from inadvertently revealing it.
Pretending to play with her, Eddie discreetly transferred qi to open her meridians bit by bit, taking advantage of her playful distraction.
Since there was no rush to have Little Frost contract a tome, Eddie planned to find the perfect opportunity to showcase their branch's achievements publicly, honoring Mother Grace and making her prouder than any other mother.
However, Mother Grace's mention of matchmaking for Eddie, suggesting Princess Jean, startled him. "Please, don't think about that now. I need to focus on cultivation. Let's talk about it later," Eddie quickly refused, fearing the topic of marriage.
"Alright, but if you don't find someone suitable, I'll have to step in," Mother Grace replied, aware of Inan but not having met her. She didn't want to pressure Eddie into a relationship.
After a day at Yue Manor, fearing more matchmaking talk, Eddie quickly left with Sophia for the Tian Luo border.
Arriving at the imposing border wall, they found Yehken and the others in a heated altercation at the checkpoint, with a large crowd gathered around.