First, the clash between the Divine Moon Palace and the Raging Dragon Gang ended with the Divine Moon Palace victorious. Second, there were those tiresome rumors concerning Yan Luo and me, which we both decided to simply disregard. Third, the Crimson Blood Demon Sword has reappeared in the Illusion Realm, though it has little bearing on us, so we chose to ignore that as well.

The final conclusion: clear skies ahead, free to move about. However, since we were now on the turf of Sabak, discretion was the better part of valor. After all, the towns surrounding Zumar Temple all fell under Sabak’s sphere of influence.

Satiated and well-watered, the three of us settled into the inn. After cleaning up, the girl Qian Yue vanished without a trace, and I had no clue where she went, but I couldn't afford to worry about that now. I promptly turned in for the night.

After a full afternoon and evening of rest, both my body and spirit had finally recovered.

By habit, I would have looked to pick up some Ranger quests, earning a bit of extra cash while cultivating. But now, with Yan Luo here—a veritable goddess of wealth—we naturally had no cause to fret over gold coins. All that remained was dedicated cultivation. Early the next morning, we set out toward Zumar Temple.

Zumar Temple lies in the eastern reaches of the Great Desert of Mengzhong, yet it remains encircled by a vast oasis. Signs of the desert are hard to find here; the surroundings are characterized by sparse woods and grass that transitions from pale yellow to green, bursting with vitality. Occasionally, we encountered foraging wolf packs and Armored Bugs, creatures unique to the desert. For ordinary folk, these things posed considerable trouble, but for Yan Luo and me, they amounted to nothing. Qian Yue, whose sole focus was to become a magnificent Archmage, certainly wouldn't pass up an opportunity to prove her mettle and earn merit.

Thump! Thump! Whoosh! Three massive fireballs flew out in quick succession. Qian Yue was gasping for breath at this point.

"Hnh, huff," Qian Yue wheezed, proudly waving the Sea Soul in her hand. "How was that? Huff, huff, not bad, right?"

"........." Yan Luo and I were struck speechless. She had the audacity to show off with that level of skill.

I secretly regretted bringing her along, and Yan Luo mirrored my expression.

"Hey, I told you, I have huge potential! I just haven't had the chance to train properly," Qian Yue declared brazenly.

Possessing only Intermediate Initial Stage strength, her cultivation at this age was decidedly mediocre. But seeing Qian Yue's utterly self-satisfied confidence, Yan Luo and I truly couldn't bring ourselves to pour cold water on her.

Ah, forget it. We'll take it one step at a time. At worst, we’ll just have to dedicate extra attention to keeping her safe.

By noon, we finally reached the location of Zumar Temple.

I harbored a profound curiosity for Zumar Temple. I had always considered its architecture to be the most mysterious and enigmatic structure in Legend. Now, having the chance to see it in person, I certainly wasn't going to waste the opportunity.

Amidst the thin woods were segments of crumbling city walls. Strictly speaking, they weren't walls but massive staircases built from colossal stones, rising over three meters high. I couldn't fathom why the outer perimeter of Zumar Temple was designed this way. It resembled a vast, rectangular corridor more than a defensive wall. On the top level of the steps, symmetrical pairs of pillars stood every ten meters or so, a layout that reminded me of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The main entrance followed a similar design, though the pillars were less exaggerated, only about five or six meters tall. The roof was tiled with stone resembling glazed tiles, colored in hues of blue and yellow. The enclosure formed a precise square, with four exits on each side, yet conspicuously lacked actual gates. Clearly, defense was never a consideration in Zumar Temple's construction; its aesthetic value far outweighed its utility. It wasn't hard to imagine how luxurious and dazzling Zumar Temple must have been thousands of years ago.

Entering the enclosure brought a completely different sensation. The ground was grayish-yellow, littered with a few wilted, drooping trees. The sheer age had rendered the once-flourishing Zumar Temple desolate.

In the very center stood a massive entrance resembling a gate. Above it, a golden-yellow rectangular plaque bore six powerful, vigorous characters inscribed in wild cursive—Hall of Zumar Temple.

Inside the Hall of Zumar Temple, the scene shifted again. The Hall was the size of a football field, crowded with dense throngs of people—a completely different world from outside. This reminded me vividly of the entrance to Mengzhong Pig Cave. These people were all clad in standard Ranger attire, gathered in groups, clearly there for cultivation. Like Centipede Cave and Pig Cave, Zumar Temple was one of the crucial training grounds for Rangers in Mengzhong territory. Strictly speaking, those who trained here had already reached at least the High Middle Stage. Many were here specifically to break through to the Red Moon Middle Stage in Dou Qi cultivation, just like I was now. As for Yan Luo, she was likely here to grasp new magical skills. Her magical accumulation had long reached the peak of the Red Moon level. At her stage, gaining deeper mana reserves was incredibly difficult, so her breakthrough lay in the application and technique of magic—all skills gained through extensive practice. And Qian Yue? She was purely here to tag along, surrounded by the clamor of the crowd. It was like being in a massive modern train hub. The air was thick with the stench of musty sweat and various pungent, unknown odors. Their ventilation system seemed terribly inadequate.

Where there are people, there are business opportunities. In the corners around the hall, numerous sundry stalls displayed daily necessities for Rangers. However, Yan Luo and I were already fully provisioned in our spatial satchels and needed no resupply.

Directly in the center of the hall was a stone staircase stretching downward, the passage to the first floor of Zumar Temple.

There were many cultivators, and at least fifty people descended the stairs with us. Most traveled in groups of ten, complete combinations of Warrior, Mage, and Taoist classes. Our trio, Yan Luo, Yan Luo, and Qian Yue, stood out conspicuously among them. Most people eyed us with curiosity. Generally, most prefer full ten-person squads for training; this setup maximizes individual capabilities and allows for coordinated combat to yield the greatest results. Of course, there were exceptions. Usually, smaller parties signified superior individual combat prowess, meaning they needed fewer teammates. Thus, our solitary-seeming trio naturally drew the most attention. Thankfully, we all wore helmets, preventing them from seeing our faces, which gave Yan Luo and me considerable peace of mind.

A flash of light, followed by piercing screeches, and a gray shadow suddenly lunged before us. Though the event was sudden, I clearly registered that what was charging us was an immensely large rat. Good heavens, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed such massive rats existed in this world. However, I was mentally prepared for this; both my past life in Legend and the Ranger's Manual of the Marfa World clearly informed me that a giant rat resided in Zumar Temple, aptly named the Giant Rat.

Without hesitation, I drew my sword and struck.

Clang! Thwack! Blue light flashed violently, and mist of blood sprayed out. The Giant Rat, suspended mid-air, was cleaved in two by my sword.

A wave of enthusiastic cheers immediately erupted from the surroundings.

"Superb swordsmanship."

"No wonder only three people dared to enter Zumar Temple."

I nodded slightly, raising a hand in acknowledgment—a return courtesy, I suppose. After all, receiving genuine applause from others was a rare treat.

We continued down the main thoroughfare of the hall. Along the way, we occasionally heard dull, booming sounds like war drums and the bleating cries of creatures resembling goats. I knew those sounds belonged to the Zumar Guards and the Zumar Statues.

Not long after, we saw a group of people taking turns attacking a Zumar Guard. Most members of this squad were around the High Middle Stage in strength. They struggled somewhat against the Zumar Guard’s powerful hammer swings, but their coordination was flawless. Four Warriors circled the Guard, hacking furiously. The Zumar Guard, trapped in the center, was furious, its massive iron hammer swinging wildly in all directions. However, these four Warriors were clearly veterans skilled in Combined Strike techniques, displaying agile footwork, always managing to subtly evade the Zumar Guard's attacks at the nick of time, while their companions attacked in the openings. The Well Moon and Purgatory struck the Zumar Guard with sharp whistles, but its hard, black armor—resembling natural plating—was incredibly tough; even heavy weapons like Purgatory and Well Moon struggled to penetrate its defense.

What interested me wasn't their attack method, but the Zumar Guard’s appearance. It was my first time seeing a physical Zumar Guard. Its towering body stood over two and a half meters tall. Its exterior was hard armor, alternating between black and dark brown. One glance confirmed these behemoths possessed nearly abnormal defensive power. Their thick arms, coupled with the massive iron hammer, indicated that besides astonishing defense, their attack power was also terrifying; no one dared to take a full-force blow from them.

Boom boom boom! The dull thuds were the sound of the Warriors’ weapons striking the Zumar Guard. With each intense impact, sparks flew. Undeniably, the Zumar Guard's defense was freakishly strong. Yet, even the strong cannot withstand numerous foes. Furthermore, the four Mages on the periphery were not idle; Lightning Spells and Fireballs relentlessly pelted the Zumar Guard. And the two Taoists were wickedly cunning, unleashing waves of double attacks with Scarlet Poison and Green Poison. Under such concentrated assault, even the Zumar Guard’s immense defense couldn't hold.

Whoa! Crash! With a roar of angry reluctance, the Zumar Guard’s imposing body crashed to the ground. The four Warriors of the squad quickly cleaved open its chest cavity and extracted a fist-sized, black core—the unique Zumar Essence Iron Stone found only on them. These hard bio-minerals were essential components for crafting Zumar equipment.

Clearly, this small team was cultivating and earning money simultaneously, just like Dragon Xin and I used to. This was the stage of accumulation and refinement that most Rangers on the continent had to experience. I thought that if not for the Death Coffin expedition, perhaps I would be the same as them now.

Around us, there were many more combat teams operating similarly. Countless dazzling magical lights flashed incessantly: Lightning Spells, Fireballs, the Warriors’ Assassination Sword Qi and Crescent Blade, and the Taoists' Sacred Armor and Ghost Shield. The visual effects of these varied offensive and defensive skills were far more spectacular than the modern Lantern Festival fireworks display. The entire Zumar Temple was saturated with dense roars and the shouts of the Warriors.

A red-hot army of leveling! I mused inwardly. Yan Luo and I were accustomed to this scene, but Qian Yue was utterly beside herself with excitement.

"Wow, look! So powerful! That's Assassination Sword Qi!"

"So cool! That's Exploding Flame!"

"Hell Thunder Light! Hitting eight targets at once, amazing!"

Qian Yue exclaimed loudly along the way, drawing stares everywhere, much to Yan Luo's and my embarrassment.

We then encountered Zumar Archers, Zumar Statues, and other variant creatures unique to Zumar Temple. Their appearances were largely consistent with Legend, but seeing them in person was far more awe-inspiring than viewing them on a 2D screen.

However, Yan Luo's and my destination was the seventh floor of Zumar Temple, the passage leading to the Lord’s lair. At Yan Luo's level, mana accumulation was no longer the primary goal. Therefore, challenging the Elite Zumar Guards, whose defense far surpassed that of normal Zumar Guards, was the optimal choice. The same applied to me. Only by fighting formidable variant Zumar Guards could I continually enhance my attack power. Currently, the insufficiency of Dou Qi energy severely constrained my attack strength. Choosing the heavily defensive variant Zumar creatures as practice partners seemed the most suitable path.

According to the Ranger's Manual, the deeper we went into Zumar Temple, the stronger the variant creatures became. On the sixth and seventh floors, most inhabitants were variant Zumar Guards, whose defense, attack, speed, and technique surpassed the regular Zumar creatures by more than threefold. Only Rangers with exceptionally high cultivation dared to venture into those areas casually.

The Ranger's Manual also recorded that the area of each floor in Zumar Temple, from one to seven, was astonishingly large—even bigger than the Pig Cave. I truly wondered how such a massive complex of underground palaces could have been constructed. It was certain that these two underground palace complexes must have been built by the same civilization during the same period. However, to my mind, these palace structures resembled prisons built to hold someone, a conclusion supported by the numerous single cells that resembled jail bars. The purpose of the Zumar Temple underground complex has been a subject of endless debate on the continent, with no consensus yet. Some say these underground structures were for housing sacrificial offerings; others claim it was a prison from an ancient civilization. I lean toward the latter theory.

Rangers cultivating on floors one through four were mostly between the High Middle Stage and High Peak Stage. Nearly ninety percent of all Rangers on the Marfa Continent had their strength capped below High Peak Stage, with only about ten percent managing to break through to the Red Moon level in the Warrior class. And among that meager ten percent, only one percent reached the Red Moon Peak professional level, like Yan Luo. Freaks like Li Xie were even rarer—perhaps less than one in a thousand.

In other words, the Rangers cultivating on floors one through four accounted for over ninety percent of all cultivation activity within Zumar Temple, meaning far fewer people would be cultivating below the fifth floor.

It took us the entire afternoon, but we finally arrived at the fifth floor of Zumar Temple. The architectural layout here was completely different from the four floors above. Gone were the dilapidated, cell-like single rooms. According to the map, this floor resembled a winding, intricate labyrinth with crisscrossing paths. I couldn't fathom the original purpose of constructing this level.

But that didn't matter now. We could no longer see large groups of cultivators around us. The corner near the entrance was clearly a relatively safe spot; we hadn't spotted any variant Zumar creatures in the vicinity yet.

"Whoa, is this the legendary Zumar Fifth Floor?" Qian Yue shouted excitedly. "Hahaha, I can boast about this to my brothers when we get back!"

"Qian Yue, be careful! Just stick behind us," I said, rubbing my forehead as I looked at the hyperactive girl behind me. "It's just the Fifth Floor, why the fuss?"

"You wouldn't understand!" Qian Yue argued earnestly. "This is a place only Red Moon experts dare to tread, hehe."

"Sigh!" I sighed, exasperated. "She's satisfied that easily."

Yan Luo offered a faint, helpless smile. Having such a lively pest along was truly both vexing and amusing.

"We've reached our destination. Let's rest a bit first."

"Right, we've been traveling all day; a good rest is in order," Qian Yue immediately pulled out a stool and table from her spatial satchel and began preparing dinner.

.............................

The spatial satchels of the Marfa World were truly convenient; not only did they keep food fresh, but their capacity was astonishing. Qian Yue was clearly a spoiled young lady unused to roughing it, so she took charge of all the food arrangements.

If it weren't for the gloomy surroundings and the occasional strange, goat-like cries echoing nearby, I might have believed we were in a high-class private room at an inn.

The table was laden with all manner of delicacies. Don't assume this was Qian Yue's cooking prowess; the girl was a master of cutting corners. The dishes on the table had been pre-ordered at the inn and preserved in the spatial satchel using a special ice-freezing preservation spell. When it was time to eat, all she needed to do was reheat them with fire.

Staring at the steaming, delicious feast before us, Yan Luo and I finally realized that the girl Qian Yue wasn't entirely useless.

With food before us, Yan Luo and I certainly knew no such thing as politeness. We dove in with gusto and quickly cleared the entire spread.

Full and satisfied, I leaned back in my chair and let out a contented belch. "Whew, that meal must have cost at least two gold coins."

"Hehe, two gold coins wouldn't cover it," Qian Yue boasted proudly. "The preservation spell alone cost five gold coins."

"Gasp! That expensive?" I asked, surprised.

"This is nothing," Qian Yue declared. "As long as you keep me around, you’ll eat like this every day from now on."

It seemed this girl was trying hard to curry favor with us, fearing Yan Luo and I would abandon her.

"Fine! From now on, you're responsible for all our food and drink!" Since she was so eager, we couldn't possibly discourage her enthusiasm, especially when it meant enjoying delicious meals daily.

"Let's begin," Yan Luo said, hoisting her Gu Yu spear, and taking the lead.

Resuming cultivation after a two-month hiatus, time was pressing, and we couldn't afford further delays.