The night sky at eight or nine o'clock had already become very clear, perhaps because of the decline of human technological civilization, the stars visible to the naked eye in the night sky seemed much more numerous than before, and they were especially bright.
But at this moment, the brilliant stars in the sky seemed unusually dim.
The night sky was taken over by an orange hue, as if the dawn had spread across the sky or the twilight had set the horizon ablaze.
The source of that orange color did not seem to be a real presence; it was difficult to describe exactly what kind of existence it was.
It was as if it existed and yet did not exist; it was seen, yet it seemed not to have been fully seen.
The orange light was like the outline in a painting, while the main body was empty and distorted. To say there was nothing there seemed untrue as the starry sky seen through the void was warped; to say something was there, yet nothing could be seen.
Only the eerie light of the orange outline recolored the starry sky, and the left void resembled a distorted bird that covered the heavens, flapping its wings in flight.
The hollow distortion slowly flew over the heads of Lin Shen and his companions. Whether intentionally or not, it went straight to the other end of the canyon, the orange light brightening the long, dark chasm as it moved away into the distance.
Taking advantage of the bright light, the group saw a strange mountain peak standing among the clouds at the far end of the canyon, though they had no idea how far away it was.
The mountain peak stood proudly among the hills, making the smaller surrounding peaks look like mere mounds, diminishing their majestic aura.
What was even stranger was the shape of the mountain—it was quite peculiar.
Lin Shen had not seen much of the world; the mountains he had seen today already surpassed the total of what he had seen in the previous twenty years.
But among the others, there were those who had traveled widely and had broad knowledge.
Yet, not one of them had ever seen a mountain like this. Its shape resembled a giant gourd, slanting amidst the mountains.
A mountain shaped like a gourd—such a thing was hard to imagine. What kind of geological changes and natural erosion could have shaped it into its current form?
"Gourd Mountain... That must be Gourd Mountain..." A trembling voice arose, not trembling from fear but rather from surprise and excitement.
Lin Shen also felt that the mountain must be Gourd Mountain, it was just too lifelike. He supposed that must be why his second brother had casually named it Gourd Mountain back then.
What puzzled Lin Shen was, given the enormous size of Gourd Mountain and its proximity to the Dark Bird Base, it should have been easy to find. Why then had only the Lin brothers known of its existence?
Such a majestic and strange mountain would surely be unforgettable with even a single glance. There should have been many who had seen it, and it would have been easy to connect it with the name Gourd Mountain. Had nobody thought of this before?
"That's not right!" Lin Shen suddenly realized something.
When they arrived at the canyon, it was still daylight, and visibility was good. If there had been such a strangely shaped large mountain in the distance, they could not have missed it.
Why hadn't anyone seen it during the day, yet now, suddenly, a mountain had appeared?
"Could it really be one of those legendary mountains that can hide from the world?" Lin Shen pondered in his heart.
The orange light gradually receded, slowly disappearing behind the massive Gourd Mountain until the last glimmer of light vanished, and the majestic and mysterious Gourd Mountain could no longer be seen.
In the vast night, it was unknown whether it still stood there.
The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat delicate, as both the Qi and Wang families looked towards Bai Shenfei.
As Ye had analyzed, they needed the Goddess Consort because they did not know where Gourd Mountain was.
The unexpected appearance of the orange light had pointed them in the direction of Gourd Mountain, and having the Dark Bird with them, they no longer needed the Goddess Consort.
Lin Shen could not see what expression Bai Shenfei was wearing now, but he imagined it was not a good one.
"Miss Bai, it seems we must renegotiate our cooperation," Qi Shuheng said with a smile.
"Indeed, indeed, cooperation requires fairness. You reap what you sow. If there's no investment, even if we were willing to give, a person like Miss Bai would not condescend to accept it, right?" Wang Tian'er also said, smiling.
"How do you want to renegotiate?" the Goddess Consort asked indifferently.
"To sit at the table and play the game, you need chips. Miss Bai, you're out of chips now, but don't worry. Follow us, and I'll make sure you get a tenth. Tian'er, you have no objections, right?" Qi Shuheng said.
"With Miss Bai's exceptional ability, a ten percent share is reasonable," Wang Tian'er added.
"What if I don't agree?" the Goddess Consort said coldly.
"If you don't agree, that's okay too. Business is business, and we won't make things difficult for Miss Bai. But, 'those who do not share the same values cannot work together.' If Miss Bai has the capabilities, feel free to go to Gourd Mountain on your own. We won't stand in your way. With your abilities, Miss Bai, you are bound to return loaded with treasures. No matter how much you take, we certainly won't be envious," Wang Tian'er said with certainty.
He was confident that the Goddess Consort had no choice but to cooperate with them. Without the Dark Bird, it was questionable whether she could even reach Gourd Mountain, let alone enter it.
"Since that's the case, let's go our separate ways," the Goddess Consort said before turning to Lin Shen and asking, "Will you come with me?"
Before Lin Shen could answer, Wang Tian'er had already begun speaking, "Miss Bai, please do as you wish. Our three families' affairs do not require your concern."
"Are you willing or not?" Bai Shenfei didn't pay any attention to Wang Tian'er; she didn't even glance at him but continued to look at Lin Shen and asked.
"You are my junior sister, of course, I should take care of you." Lin Shen said as he walked over to Bai Shenfei.
Lin Shen had thought it through clearly, even if Bai Shenfei had ulterior motives for coming, his own needs far outweighed those of the Qi and Wang families.
Of course, what Lin Shen most wanted to see was Bai Shenfei engaging with the Qi and Wang families first, as that would be the most advantageous situation for him.
"You're going to leave with an outsider. Is the Lin Family ready to disregard the past camaraderie between our three families?" Qi Shuheng said with a cold face and an indifferent tone.
The people from the Qi and Wang families had already positioned themselves between Lin Shen and Bai Shenfei; they couldn't possibly let Bai Shenfei take Lin Shen with her. If the Lin Family had another Dark Bird, that would be troublesome.
"Wang Tian'er, you'd better think this through. If my junior sister and I join forces, do you really think you stand a chance?" Lin Shen said unaffectedly.
Wang Tian'er said with disdain, "If you really were that bastard Lin Xiangdong, I wouldn't dare to stop you. Unfortunately, you are only Lin Shen from the Lin Family, who only knows how to eat, drink, and be merry... Don't hesitate to take him down..."
Lin Shen knew something was wrong when he heard this, and quickly turned to look at Ye.
Only Ye could be hundred percent certain that the person here was Lin Shen and not Lin Xiangdong. If Wang Tian'er could be so sure that he was Lin Shen, then there was a nine out of ten chance that the problem lay with Ye.
Of course, it might also be Wei Wufu; he must have guessed that Lin Xiangdong was actually Lin Shen in disguise, but Lin Shen still felt it was more likely to be Ye.
The moment Lin Shen turned to look at Ye, Ye suddenly drew a knife and held it to Lin Shen's neck, sighing, "Lin Shen... I'm sorry... I had no choice..."
He hadn't finished speaking when he suddenly saw a flash of cold light before his eyes, which made him retreat in shock.
Ye's speed of retreat was incredibly fast; even Lin Shen was a bit surprised, as Ye's aged body was able to move so quickly, not inferior to those of top alloy creatures.
But even though he retreated so fast, there was still a slash mark diagonally across his cheek, which, though not deep, looked extremely fierce and terrifying.
Wei Wufu, holding a jade Tang Sword in his hand, stood in front of Lin Shen. Blood was still dripping from the chilling blade of the sword.
"You go first; I'll hold them off here." As Wei Wufu spoke, a mysterious substance surged within his body, and in a blink, he was clad in purple armor that covered his robust and tall figure as if he were a Purple Armor War God.
Lin Shen hadn't expected Wei Wufu would really make a move to help him. Without time to think more, he flipped onto the White Gold Beast and ran wildly toward the outside of the canyon.
A Mutator from the Qi Family, who was nearest to Lin Shen, attempted to intercept him but suddenly saw a flash of cold light. The Mutator's head soared into the air while his body fell to the ground, blood spraying out.
The jade-like Tang Sword in Wei Wufu's hand was pointed obliquely at the ground, with blood flowing down the blade.
Wei Wufu was a man of few words but ruthless actions; a man who would chop at someone without hesitation. Even Lin Shen felt a chill watching him.
"Brother Tian'er, it seems our Dark Bird Base has been taken lightly by others, as if anyone dares to defecate and urinate on our heads. I can't tolerate this; can you?" Qi Shuheng's eyes flashed coldly.
"I can't tolerate it either," Wang Tian'er said with a cold voice.
"Then let's kill him," Qi Shuheng said darkly as he flicked out a Pet Capsule.
Almost at the same time, Wang Tian'er also threw out a Pet Capsule.
But before their Pet Capsules could transform into living creatures, a sapphire-like rapier pierced through the two capsules, skewering them.
"Didn't the one who taught you cultivation ever tell you? That is not how you use Pet Capsules." Bai Shenfei held the longsword and with a flick, the two pierced Alloy Pet Capsules instantly shattered to pieces on the ground.
Qi Shuheng and Wang Tian'er looked at each other and, without another word, drew out another Pet Capsule each, but this time they didn't dare to toss them carelessly as before and instead held them up above their heads.
The others from the Qi and Wang families also surrounded them, trapping Wei Wufu and Bai Shenfei.
"Leave Bai Shenfei to us. As for that bastard Wei Wufu, scrape him off for me," Wang Tian'er commanded, staring coldly at Bai Shenfei.
Two cries of phoenixes sounded simultaneously as two Dark Birds sprang forth from the palms that Qi Shuheng and Wang Tian'er held aloft. They shot toward Bai Shenfei like two dark blades of light.
They harbored wariness against Bai Shenfei and unleashed their strongest Dark Birds right from the start.
On the other side, Wei Wufu was surrounded by the Mutators from both families, and the sounds of battle were unceasing.
Lin Shen had intended to escape a bit further and then assess the situation, but when he turned his head, he saw a figure chasing after him.
He was riding a White Gold Beast with a speed of 18.4, but the figure wasn't riding anything and was even faster than the White Gold Beast, quickly closing the distance between them.
Lin Shen saw that the figure was covered in black, scale-like metallic armor, with an extremely emaciated body that looked terrifying, like a monstrous hybrid of man and snake.
"Stop running, Lin Shen. You can't escape. Let's talk properly. As long as you cooperate, even at the risk of offending Qi Shuheng and Wang Tian'er, I'll ensure your safe departure from here," Ye said as he suddenly flashed past Lin Shen, blocking the path of the White Gold Beast.