In the eerie darkness of the Demonic Beast Mountain Range, Han Yang sat by a roaring campfire, fiddling with a piece of black iron in his hand.

It was already the third day since they had fled Luo City and entered the mountain range.

During these three days, Han Yang led Chen Qiaoqian northward along the way, venturing into the mountains in search of the Blazing Sun Flower.

However, a 3rd Tier spiritual herb wasn't easy to find in the outer regions. They had to venture deeper into the mountains to have a chance.

The two of them rested here for a while, eating something to replenish their spent energy.

As for the iron piece Han Yang was examining, he found it inside the Demonic Beast they had just slaughtered for food—a Flying Cloud Leopard.

The iron piece was engraved with some simple lines, which roughly looked like a map.

But what it actually was, he couldn't discern.

After all, the way he obtained it was too abrupt.

After studying it for a moment, Han Yang casually put it into his backpack. Seeing the aroma of the roasting leopard meat wafting from the campfire, he nodded in satisfaction, tore off a large piece, and handed it to Chen Qiaoqian, who was warming herself by the fire.

"Thank you..."

Chen Qiaoqian accepted it and softly expressed her gratitude.

"You're my woman, Chen Qiaoqian; there's no need for thanks," Han Yang said with a smile.

Chen Qiaoqian's cheeks flushed with a rosy hue as she lowered her head to eat.

"Brother Yang, this place is really dangerous. In just three days, we've encountered nearly ten Demonic Beasts. If we go deeper, won't we run into even stronger ones?"

While eating, Chen Qiaoqian looked at Han Yang with some concern.

As an ordinary person, it was her first time stepping into this perilous land filled with Demonic Beasts.

Following Han Yang, they had already ventured dozens of miles into the mountain range in three days.

Moreover, they were continuing to advance inward.

Even without any cultivation, she could tell that the Demonic Beasts they encountered were gradually getting stronger.

Especially the leopard they were eating, which had reached the peak of the Body Tempering stage, just a step away from the 2nd Tier, comparable to a Bone Refinement Stage warrior.

"Don't worry, as long as I'm here, you don't need to be afraid. To cure your illness, we must find a spiritual herb in this mountain range. After eating, rest well. Tomorrow morning, we'll continue our journey."

Han Yang didn't tell Chen Qiaoqian about her "Innate Ice Body."

He just comforted her with a few words and a smile.

Chen Qiaoqian obediently nodded and quickened her eating pace.

After a hearty meal, Han Yang extinguished the campfire and led Chen Qiaoqian to a spot several dozen meters away.

There stood a Camphor Ancient Tree, which required four or five people to encircle it.

The unique scent of camphor could ward off poisonous snakes and insects, making it the best resting place in the ancient forest.

Under the tree, Han Yang wrapped his arm around Chen Qiaoqian's slender waist, lightly tapped his toes, and immediately leaped up to a spot over ten meters high, finding a suitable place among the branches to settle Chen Qiaoqian.

"You sleep for a while. Tonight, I'll meditate and cultivate."

"Okay."

Chen Qiaoqian gave Han Yang a deep look, closed her eyes, and began to rest with complete peace of mind.

With Han Yang by her side, she didn't have to worry even if the sky fell.

...

As the first rays of sunlight rose, Han Yang slowly opened his mouth, exhaling a wisp of white air that shot down a leaf with a hiss.

There was a slight trace of disappointment in Han Yang's eyes.

Three days had passed, yet he still hadn't managed to break through to the Bone Refinement Stage.

His cultivation speed was somewhat slow.

To think of breaking through from the Body Tempering 9th Level to the Bone Refinement Stage in just three days?

If outsiders heard this, they would definitely think Han Yang was a fool.

Such a thing had never happened under the heavens...

Just as he was about to get up and wake Chen Qiaoqian, his expression suddenly changed. Han Yang moved to Chen Qiaoqian's side, hiding in the tree canopy, and looked down.

Several dozen meters away, seven figures dressed in black were walking and talking as they approached.

Judging by their appearance, they didn't seem to be Chen Family warriors. They were likely here to hunt Demonic Beasts or gather spiritual herbs.

Han Yang didn't want to meet them, so he instinctively concealed his aura and completely hid his presence.

At this moment, Chen Qiaoqian also opened her eyes and woke up.

Before she could speak, Han Yang covered her mouth, gesturing for silence and indicating for her to look down.

"Boss, the other party hired us to hunt the Iron Flame Beast... Could it be dangerous?"

Below, a short black-clothed person suddenly spoke.

The tall man at the front glared at him and said, "What isn't dangerous? In our line of work, we lick blood off the blade. As long as we can make money, we have to take the risk."

"Yes, yes, with great rewards come great risks. They're offering a high price of a hundred thousand gold coins. It's worth doing this job," another black-clothed person nodded in agreement.

"The Iron Flame Beast is just a late 2nd Tier Demonic Beast. Besides, they made it clear that they couldn't handle it themselves, which is why they entrusted it to us. As long as we're careful, there shouldn't be any problem killing this beast."

"Hehe, the boss is right. Just be careful. A 2nd Tier Demonic Beast for a hundred thousand gold coins—it's still a profit for us..."

As they chatted away, they passed under the tree and continued forward.

Soon, their figures gradually disappeared into the forest, never suspecting there were people above them.

"Iron Flame Beast?"

"These warriors... are here to hunt the Iron Flame Beast?"

Han Yang's eyes suddenly lit up.

They had entered the Demonic Beast Mountain Range hoping to try their luck and find more places where they could locate the Blazing Sun Flower within a month.

But the Iron Flame Beast was a fire-attribute Demonic Beast, fond of consuming flames, and would naturally reside in areas rich in fire energy.

Places with Iron Flame Beasts often had a high probability of producing fire-attribute spiritual herbs like the Blazing Sun Flower.

If there truly was an Iron Flame Beast nearby, it would undoubtedly narrow down their target significantly.

Who would have thought that he would learn such an important piece of information from this group of warriors?

Thinking of this, Han Yang's heart raced.

Turning to look at Chen Qiaoqian, who was gazing at him, Han Yang nodded and said, "Qiaoqian, stay here and wait for me. This tree is safe. I'll follow them and see. Maybe we can leave this place sooner..."

"But..."

Chen Qiaoqian hesitated for a moment, then spoke up, "Brother Yang, maybe... we should forget it. Those people weren't amateurs, and they mentioned a powerful 2nd Tier Demonic Beast guarding it. Going alone... is too dangerous."

"It's okay, I'll be cautious."

Han Yang took off his backpack and placed it beside Chen Qiaoqian.

Inside the bag was a large piece of leopard meat and several bags of water.

Even if he couldn't return in time, it would be enough for Chen Qiaoqian to last four or five days.

Seeing the worry in Chen Qiaoqian's eyes, Han Yang took a deep breath and said seriously, "Listen to me, stay hidden here and don't wander off. I'll be back to get you in three days at the latest."

He had to go.

For Chen Qiaoqian, he had to take this risk.

Looking at Han Yang's determined face, Chen Qiaoqian nodded, "Then... be very careful."

"Alright."

Han Yang squeezed Chen Qiaoqian's cold hand, hesitated no longer, and leaped back to the ground.

He circled around, picking some seemingly ordinary plants and smearing their juice around the tree trunk. After ensuring there were no threats nearby to Chen Qiaoqian, he cautiously followed the tracks left by the black-clothed people.

A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled.

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Proofreader: Peter Pan