Long Xin was completely surrounded by the young women of the Mist Tribe, engaged in conversations unique to girls their age! Having been born into nobility and spending a considerable time in the palace, Long Xin possessed an air of mature elegance and grace that set her apart from these tribal maidens! This quality held an unparalleled allure for both the Mist Tribe warriors and the young women alike! As a result, she became the focus of attention for the young men and women present! And Long Xin, without showing any impatience, answered every question posed to her. When the conversation became spirited, she even took the time to style the girls’ hair with several characteristic noble hairstyles. Even the sets of courtly attire she had stowed away in her spatial pouch became treasured novelties for these village girls!
As for myself, Suifeng, and Xiangtian Wuyin, along with several Great Elders, we were deep in discussion!
“Rumor has it that the Misty Forest is perpetually shrouded in mist, yet why is the air here so clear and crisp, with not a trace of clouds or fog?” I took the opportunity to ask the question that had been troubling me!
“Your Highness, you are not aware,” the elder Mu Yao offered in reply. “Although this area is within the Misty Forest, it is not yet the deep interior. Coupled with the surrounding unique topography, the mist finds it difficult to coalesce here, so the scene of widespread fog does not occur. However, travel another hundred li north, and you will reach the heart of the Misty Forest! There, Your Highness will finally understand what the true Misty Forest is like.”
“I see,” I raised my cup. “Thank you, Elder, for your guidance.”
Elder Mu Yao did not decline, taking the cup and draining it in one gulp before stating, “In the Misty Forest, the pervasive fog makes it easy to lose one’s bearings. Once lost, one can never find the way out! But what is even more terrifying are the various venomous creatures, insects, and ferocious beasts hidden within the mist. Some of these beasts possess terrifying visages, clearly marking them as dangerous, yet others are seemingly insignificant little things! A single moment of carelessness can cost a life! Beyond these, the most fearsome are the Savage Men of the Mist who dwell within.”
“Savage Men of the Mist,” I responded, deeply curious.
“What are called the Savage Men of the Mist are essentially the Savage Men of the Snow Territory, but unlike the savages on the mainland, these dwell year-round in the interior of the Misty Forest and rarely appear outside, so few have truly seen them.” Elder Mu Yao’s expression grew unusually grave as he spoke. “But these savages are far more dreadful than others; they are vastly more formidable in both size and strength! Of course, that’s not all; what is more frightening is that these savages move in hundreds or thousands, haunting the mountains and forests, swift as the wind. Their specialty is jungle pursuit! Even a master at the Heavenly Saint-level, should they encounter them, is unlikely to escape death!”
“Unbelievable, even a Heavenly Saint-level master cannot escape death,” Suifeng paled slightly. “If I encountered them, I wouldn’t even have a chance to run.”
A master at the so-called Heavenly Saint-level is equivalent to the peak masters at the level of the Phoenix Heaven War God on the Mafa Continent. Even Suifeng barely achieved Earth Saint-level mastery, equivalent to the Flame God level.
“This is no exaggeration,” Mu Yao said seriously. “That is the most terrifying place in the world! It is a place cursed by demons. Besides our Grey Mist Tribe, perhaps only the members of the White Mist and Blood Mist tribes can move through it freely.”
“Grey Mist, White Mist, Blood Mist,” I murmured subconsciously. “Could it be that your Mist Tribe is divided into several branches?”
“Precisely so,” Xiang Tian confirmed. “Five thousand years ago, due to internal strife, our Mist Tribe split into three branches: Grey Mist, White Mist, and Blood Mist. We belong to the Grey Mist Clan, and our dwelling is closer to the southern edge of the Misty Forest. Further north, closer to the forest’s interior, lies the encampment of the Blood Mist Tribe.” A shadow of solemnity crossed Xiang Tian’s face as he spoke. “Although we share the same ancestry as the Mist Tribe, the three major clans are utterly irreconcilable, constantly waging war against each other.”
“......” Suifeng and I were taken aback; we had never expected such deep-seated conflict among the Mist Tribes.
“The Blood Mist Tribe are inherently brutal. They believe they are the true masters of the Misty Forest, and anyone who approaches its interior is seen as an invader of their territory, resulting in the most ferocious and merciless resistance!”
“How could such people exist?” Suifeng exclaimed, shocked. “That’s completely unreasonable.”
“What is the situation with the White Mist Tribe, then?” I inquired curiously.
“The White Mist Tribe is situated furthest north in the Misty Forest, closest to the origin of the Frost Ice Tribe. However, this tribe is equally fierce and tenacious, and they are the most numerous of the three Mist Tribe branches! Their arrogance and domineering nature surpass even the Blood Mist! They not only occupy the northern reaches of the Misty Forest but have also seized portions of the Frost Ice Plains adjacent to it.”
Hearing their words, I felt even more strongly that this journey into the Misty Forest would likely not be simple! However, I was equally curious how Yue Che and the others managed to traverse this perilous Misty Forest to return to their ancestral lands. Many questions still remained unanswered in my mind!
Just as I was thinking about digging deeper for information, Xiang Tian stood up. “It is getting very late; let us all rest now.”
Reluctantly, I nodded! The bonfire dispersed, and though very reluctant to part, the Mist Tribe girls finally let Long Xin go. Wuyin led us through the clearing of the bonfire, into a large wooden house. It was a spacious building divided into several private rooms, decorated with exquisite taste and immaculate cleanliness, clearly prepared for distinguished guests!
“This has been prepared. If you require anything, just pull the ring bell by the door, and someone will answer,” Wuyin said, pointing to the bell.
“Thank you,” I quickly replied. “You should go back and rest early as well.”
As the sun rose, its soft, gentle light illuminated this dreamlike, secluded paradise!
In front of the ancestral temple, the wide open ground was already packed with people! A dense crowd, roughly estimating over fifty thousand individuals, most of them robust warriors! Their expressions were all excited, clearly having long anticipated this duel! Despite the huge numbers, there was no sense of disorder; everyone was arranged in neat rows, seated on the ground, their gazes focused! The scene reminded me of the fans at a modern football stadium! Even before the contest began, they were already cheering loudly, mostly in support of Xiang Tian. Clearly, this was Xiang Tian’s home ground!
Near the front, on the high platform before the temple doors sat the six elders, the siblings Wufeng and Wuyin, Long Xin, Suifeng, and nine other tribal warrior leaders. They were all seated in thick, soft sheepskin chairs! Some looked confident and spirited; others were deeply serious. They were the honored guests and the referees of this duel! I couldn't help but entertain the wicked thought: I wonder if these judges will call a foul!
The **Mammoth King let out an impatient, muffled roar! The sound was so immense it completely drowned out the cheers of tens of thousands of people! Everyone turned their heads, staring blankly at the magnificent beast standing imposing on the field!
“What a powerful voice.” “It scared me.” “That must be the legendary Mammoth King.” ...
Seemingly quite satisfied with the shock he had caused, the great creature let out two pleased muffled roars before looking playfully toward the front!
Roar!
Almost simultaneously, another earth-shattering roar erupted! The volume was no less than the previous beast’s mighty cry! From a large stockade beside the ancestral temple, a massive cloud of fire flashed forth!
“It’s the Crimson Flame Dragon King!”
The crowd below erupted into wild cheers!
“Dragon King! Dragon King! Dragon King!”
Amidst the deafening, tidal wave of cheers, I finally saw the legendary Dragon King, Xiang Tian, and his mount, the Crimson Flame Dragon King! A body built like an iron tower, clad in fiery red armor! Even his mount’s hide was a fiery red! Yesterday evening, Suifeng had provided me with a detailed account of all the information he had gathered about Dragon King Xiang Tian!
Dragon King Xiang Tian was born with immense divine strength; legend says he could lift a thousand-pound giant cauldron with one hand! His specialty was an extremely fierce and domineering set of spear techniques known as the Blizzard Spear Style! His weapon, the Blizzard Dragon King Spear, weighed a staggering six hundred jin, forged from meteorite iron mixed with the hardest secret silver and black iron essence stones of the continent. Its quality was certainly no less than my Dragon Shadow Spear! Rumor had it that no one dared to meet his spear head-on in a direct confrontation.
What was even more terrifying was the ferocious beast he rode! That was a savage beast unique to the Snow Territory continent, known as a Dragon Beast! In the Snow Territory, Dragon Beasts were equivalent to the Mammoth Beasts of the Mafa World, sitting at the very apex of the food chain! Its appearance was exactly like the ferocious-looking monster before the ancestral temple: thick, long horns! A huge, gaping maw! Razor-sharp front teeth! Its hide was so tough that blades and spears could not pierce it! Its paws, like the Mammoth’s, were also equipped with sharp claws! It was a terrifying magical beast seemingly created solely for slaughter! Even formidable beings like the Giant Wolves and Savages were prey to them! This was because Dragon Beasts possessed not only enormous size, incredible strength, agile reflexes, and astonishing speed, but also another terrifying ability: powerful fire-elemental magical attacks! They could spew flames of astonishing intensity from their mouths, comparable in power to the Blast Fire of a Flame God-level master—a truly terrifying level of lethality!
And Xiang Tian’s mount was the strongest mutated variant among all Dragon Beasts! Normal Dragon Beasts were snow-white and about the same height as the Mammoths! However, this mutated Dragon King possessed fiery red fur! This coloration was a mutated phenomenon caused by the accumulation of incredibly potent fire magic energy within its body! The fire magic discharged by this mutated Dragon King reached the terrifying level of a Phoenix Heaven Sorcerer God! Because of this, this entirely red mutated Dragon King was also known by outsiders as the Crimson Flame Dragon King! Its size was even slightly greater than that of the Mammoth King!
Dragon King Xiang Tian’s formidable reputation stemmed in large part from this terrifying Crimson Flame Dragon King! At this moment, both man and steed were clad in shades of fiery red, appearing like an endlessly surging, erupting mass of flame! Combined with their fierce and sharp auras, it created a feeling of suffocation, heaviness, and oppression!
This was the true Dragon King? In that instant, my heart trembled uncontrollably! Such powerful momentum! It was the first time I had felt an aura so overwhelming it could crush a person! No wonder Xiang Tian always proclaimed himself the strongest King of Mounted Combat! This aura alone was enough to make any opponent retreat in fear before the fight even began!
As if sensing its dignity had been violated, the Mammoth King became extremely agitated! Its kingly pride would never allow it to yield an inch in terms of imposing presence! Its powerful body lowered slightly—the usual stance for the beast preparing to unleash its full power!
Roar! Roar! Roar!
It kept up a continuous stream of low growls, even as the bright, sunny morning was cloaked in an invisible shadow of gloom and killing intent by those deep rumbles, making everyone’s hearts feel numb!
The opposing Crimson Flame Dragon King was equally unyielding, emitting bursts of thunderous roars! Its hard claws ceaselessly raked deep, shocking gashes into the ground! The Mammoth King was already this agitated before the fight even began, indicating that its opponent was no easy foe! At the very least, that Crimson Flame Dragon King possessed terrifying combat power no less than the Mammoth King’s!
Xiang Tian, seated atop the Crimson Flame Dragon King, had an equally grim expression, like a volcano about to erupt. The only things discernible were his pair of scorching, fiery eyes—eyes filled with madness, cruelty, and a bloodthirsty desire to fight! He held his long Blizzard Dragon King Spear lightly in one hand, subtly pointing it toward me!
Off the field!
“What strong momentum,” Suifeng forced down the fear and tension in his chest. “When a Dragon King meets a Beast King, who knows what will happen.”
“Mammoth King, you must hold strong!” Long Xin was also extremely nervous.
“I didn’t expect the Mammoth King’s presence to be this strong; it’s actually on par with the Crimson Flame Dragon King’s,” Wufeng exclaimed excitedly.
“This is the first time I’ve seen the Crimson Flame Dragon King so wild,” Wuyin trembled slightly in nervousness, unable to remain seated. “They are already challenging each other before the fight even starts.”
“King meeting King,” Elder Mu Yao became excited. “This is a true King meeting King! The Crimson Flame Dragon King has finally found a worthy opponent.”
“It all depends on which knight is stronger,” Elder Siwu Jiankui stated grimly. “Beat the war drums!”
Dong! Dong! Dong! Boom!
Dozens of huge war drums placed around the field were beaten furiously by the Mist Tribe warriors like thunder! The deep drumming shook the heavens! The entire field trembled from the muffled impact! Amidst the drumming, tens of thousands of Mist Tribe warriors became inexplicably excited and thrilled! Everyone struck their maces, swords, and axes against each other, creating violent metallic clashes! At this moment, everyone went wild!
After the third drum signal, the entire training ground suddenly fell silent!
“The final battle begins!” Jiankui’s voice, resonant like muffled thunder, echoed across the field!
Everyone couldn't help but widen their eyes! Tensely observing the pair of man and beast on the field!
The drumming stopped abruptly! The surroundings were eerily quiet! The only sounds audible were the heavy breathing of the Mammoth King and the Crimson Flame Dragon King opposite it! These two peerless, supreme beasts had finally collided! Perhaps this duel was no longer just about the title of the strongest champion between me and Xiang Tian; it was also about which of these two supreme beasts would prove to be the true King Beast!
I tried my best to suppress the slightly disordered aura surging within me due to tension! Calmly observing the man and beast slowly maneuvering thirty meters away!
The Crimson Flame Dragon King moved like a nimble cat, pacing with small, delicate steps, circling the Mammoth King slowly from side to side! Its fiery red eyes were fixed with piercing, chilling light! Without a doubt, this was a battle-hardened war beast, searching for the Mammoth King’s weakness! Its quick, light steps betrayed its unparalleled reaction speed and agility! Its taut muscles and faintly gleaming fangs displayed its formidable offensive power! A beast’s intuition is sometimes superior to human sense, especially in a mutated King Beast like this!
Clearly, the Mammoth King had perceived its opponent’s intention. Its four limbs bent slightly, its body tensed, shrinking inward, and its entire skeletal structure emitted a crisp, popping sound like cracking beans! The Mammoth King was gathering its strength! Its body was like a bowstring pulled to its absolute limit! While its opponent searched for its flaws, the Mammoth King guarded its own defenses while simultaneously seeking openings in its adversary!
A soft morning breeze swept across the sky, carrying three flakes of white silver-pine leaves that drifted gently to the ground!
Pat!
This almost inaudible sound acted as a magical spell, finally shattering the world that had nearly solidified!
Roar!
Roar!
Two muffled, wild roars erupted simultaneously! A flash of massive lightning-like current, one red and one white, darted forth in an instant!