The next morning, in Huacheng, the front yard of the outpost where Teng Qingshan and his group were stationed was filled with a large crowd.

“Distinguished sirs,” Yang Ta called out loudly. “Your superior warhorses will be temporarily stabled here. For the journey to Flaming Mountain, you will ride these common yellow-maned horses instead!” At the mansion gate, many inexpensive yellow-maned horses were already waiting. This sight caused several experts from the Guiyuan Sect to frown slightly.

Riding a yellow-maned horse was simply too humiliating.

Ji Hong said coldly, “We will set up camp at Flaming Mountain! We will be there for one or two months; keeping the superior warhorses there would easily attract the covetous eyes of some martial artists! Alright, everyone mount up. Depart!”

With Ji Hong’s command, the eighty-odd individuals mounted their horses.

It wasn't just these eighty-odd people; Yang Ta also ordered ten servants to ride.

“Once we reach Flaming Mountain, these ten servants of mine will take care of your daily needs for the next month or two,” Yang Ta said with a smile. Teng Qingshan and his large group left Huacheng in a grand procession, quickly heading toward Flaming Mountain.

Although the yellow-maned horses were cheap, they could still cover three to four hundred li in a day. The journey from Huacheng to the foothills of Flaming Mountain took just over two hours.

By the time they arrived, it was already high noon.

At the mountain's base, there were quite a few tents, large and small. Around the tents stood numerous martial artists, chatting and laughing in small clusters, as if attending a grand gathering. The arrival of the Guiyuan Sect contingent immediately drew the attention of many.

“Look, that’s the contingent from the Guiyuan Sect! The one leading them is Ji Hong, one of the Four Commanders!”

“The Iron Clothes Sect has arrived. Even the Guiyuan Sect is here. It probably won't be long before the forces from the farther Qinghu Island show up. How can the small sects and factions from Xuyang Prefecture compete with them?”

...

A wave of murmurs swept through the area; many famous figures were recognized. However, what they said was accurate. Groups like the Guiyuan Sect and the Iron Clothes Sect each had nearly ten thousand core disciples alone, not to mention their martial artist armies and countless outer disciples... Compared to these major sects, the numerous small factions in Xuyang Prefecture likely only had a few hundred members combined—how could they compare?

“Set up camp!” Ji Hong commanded.

Instantly, everyone dismounted. The Black Armored Army soldiers and the core disciple experts of the Guiyuan Sect immediately went to assist the ten servants in setting up camp!

Large tents were quickly secured; each large tent was spacious enough for ten people to sleep and rest inside.

There were twelve large tents in total. Two of these were reserved for the ten servants, who would be responsible for boiling water, cooking, and other tasks, allowing Teng Qingshan and the others to focus on seeking the Black Fire Spirit Fruit.

“Qingshan, there aren't that many people here. At first glance, maybe only two or three hundred,” Teng Qinghu said, surveying the surroundings. Teng Qingshan also glanced at the martial artists scattered here and there. “Cousin, it’s daytime. Many martial artists are already inside Flaming Mountain, searching for that Scaled Young Beast!”

Teng Qingshan had visited this area three times over the past two or three days.

Teng Qingshan knew just how staggering the number of martial artists here actually was.

A small minority lived in inns; the majority camped at the foot of the mountain, almost all preferring the area near Jin Family Village.

Although Flaming Mountain spanned a radius of sixty to seventy li, everyone was convinced that the lair of the Scaled Young Beast and the location of the Black Fire Spirit Fruit must be near Jin Family Village. After all, within such a vast area of Flaming Mountain, there were countless villages at the base, so why did the Scaled Young Beast specifically target the people of Jin Family Village?

The reason was simple—Jin Family Village was close to its dwelling!

...

“Gather around!” Ji Hong shouted from not far away.

Immediately, the eighty-odd members gathered. Ji Hong took out a scroll. “This is the Black Fire Spirit Fruit and the Black Fire Spirit Root. Examine their appearance clearly.” As he spoke, he unrolled the scroll.

Teng Qingshan looked on carefully.

The scroll displayed two colored illustrations. In the first, the Black Fire Spirit Root was a silvery-white color, but its leaves were an eerie black. The fruit, resembling an apple, was nearly round and black.

In the second illustration, the Spirit Root remained unchanged, still silvery-white, but the leaves had turned red, and the fruit had also become red.

“This Spirit Root is not white, but translucent!” Ji Hong said in a low voice. “The first picture shows it immature; the second shows it fully ripe! Memorize them well, don't mistake them when you see a Black Fire Spirit Fruit. Also, the Black Fire Spirit Fruit grows only in intensely hot locations!”

After letting everyone look for a while, Ji Hong rolled up the scroll. “Everyone eat first. We enter the mountain after lunch!”

**

In the scorching summer heat, Flaming Mountain was intensely hot.

“With so many of us, we will split into three teams to thoroughly search Flaming Mountain!” Ji Hong instructed at the foot of the mountain. “The thirty elite members of the Black Armored Army will remain with me! The core disciple experts will follow Commander Guan! Commander Teng, your subordinate troops will follow you! Any objections?”

Teng Qingshan and Guan Lü both nodded.

“Be extremely cautious once you enter the mountain,” Ji Hong advised. “The mountains are full of venomous snakes, insects, and wild beasts. Do not wander recklessly. Commander Guan, Commander Teng, you should have men familiar with the mountains among your ranks; listen to them closely. I don't want to see you injured by snake venom or insect poison instead of by fighting other martial artists!”

“Yes, sir,” Teng Qingshan and Guan Lü replied.

Teng Qingshan had grown up in the mountains, but Guan Lü lacked survival experience in such terrain.

“Return here before dusk. Alright, enter the mountain!” Ji Hong waved his hand broadly.

The three parties separated and began exploring Flaming Mountain.

...

Teng Qingshan was unaware of the progress of the other two teams, but his own group was proceeding smoothly. They were all Black Armored Army soldiers, most possessing experience surviving in forests. Led by Teng Qingshan, Teng Qinghu, and Du Hong in the mountains, they feared no immediate danger.

“Damn it, it’s too hot!” Teng Qinghu couldn't help but curse.

Teng Qingshan looked at the sky. Based on the time scale of his past life, it should be around two-thirty in the afternoon, exactly the hottest part of the day.

“Qingshan, Commander mentioned that the Black Fire Spirit Fruit grows in scorching places. I think this entire Flaming Mountain is hot,” Teng Qinghu chuckled. “How are we supposed to find it?”

“By sheer luck!” Teng Qingshan replied. “That Scaled Young Beast is very cunning; finding it will be hard. The Black Fire Spirit Fruit is inanimate; we might stumble upon it. We must be patient; this kind of wait could last a month or two.” Teng Qingshan understood that even if they found a Black Fire Spirit Fruit now, they couldn't pick it.

They had to wait until the day it matured.

“Hm?” Teng Qingshan glanced ahead. A group of martial artists was approaching them head-on. These martial artists immediately recognized Teng Qingshan’s group as being from the Guiyuan Sect by their ‘standardized uniform.’ The leading martial artist was a young man, notably bald, with a pair of dead fish eyes, and a vulture perched on his shoulder.

“Greetings to the heroes of the Guiyuan Sect. I wonder, which of you is Teng Qingshan?” the bald youth said, cupping his hands.

“Is the Commander’s name something you can just call out casually?” Du Hong snapped.

The bald youth’s eyes lit up. “Commander?” His gaze swept over the group and locked onto Teng Qingshan. “This must be Commander Teng Qingshan, right?”

“What is your business?” Teng Qingshan looked at him.

“Commander Teng, my name is Jia Liang! I have heard of Commander Teng’s great name and wish to have a contest with Commander!” The bald youth’s face held a trace of arrogance. This bald man was the young master of Xuyang Prefecture’s ‘Vulture Gang’ and currently its foremost expert, having defeated all challengers within a hundred-li radius.

Since mastering the blade, this young master, ‘Jia Liang,’ had never lost a fight. His heart was filled with arrogance; he believed his innate talent was supreme, with few in the younger generation who could match him.

Hearing that Teng Qingshan had defeated Meng Tian, he desired to challenge him! If he defeated Teng Qingshan, he would use that victory to gain fame across the world.

“No time,” Teng Qingshan said coldly. “Let’s go!”

Teng Qingshan couldn't be bothered with challenges like this. The Black Armored Army soldiers also glanced dismissively at the young master ‘Jia Liang,’ finding such youngsters beneath their notice.

“Teng Qingshan, are you afraid?” Jia Liang shouted.

Whoosh!

The Black Armored Army members turned around, looking coldly at Jia Liang and his group. Jia Liang, having grown up among bandits, felt his heart constrict under the fierce aura emanating from the Black Armored Army.

“If you challenge me, you must be prepared to die!” Teng Qingshan looked at him coldly. “Are you?”

Jia Liang, momentarily stunned by the imposing aura of the Black Armored Army members, froze in place when Teng Qingshan posed the question.

Seeing this, Teng Qingshan shook his head inwardly. “His mental fortitude isn't firm enough. He must be someone with remarkable talent who hasn't faced many setbacks—a frog in a well who thinks he’s amazing.” Teng Qingshan felt no interest in such a young man and immediately led his group away.

Only then did Jia Liang react. “He actually left!”

“Young Master, that Teng Qingshan must be afraid of you,” one of the bandits, who had previously kept silent, immediately called out.

“Hmph, a coward,” Jia Liang spat hatefully.

“Young Master, Teng Qingshan defeated Meng Tian; his methods must be formidable and shouldn't be underestimated,” another bandit said cautiously.

“Let’s go!” Jia Liang commanded.

...

As dusk settled, Teng Qingshan’s group had descended the mountain and were walking along the foothills back toward their campsite.

“Qingshan, three people challenged you today! But they all seemed rather mediocre, easily intimidated by the aura of us Black Armored Army brothers. Truly overestimating themselves,” Teng Qinghu sighed. Teng Qingshan couldn't help but smile wryly; there really were many people in the world who thought too highly of themselves.

However, the intimidating presence of the Black Armored Army was undeniably potent.

Twenty of them standing together, a single cold stare, possessed an aura more terrifying than hundreds of ordinary bandits. This saved Teng Qingshan a great deal of trouble.

“Commander, you defeated Meng Tian! Many people in Xuyang and Chu Prefectures know of it now, and many wish to step over your body to rise up! We will be here for one or two months, and three people challenged us on the very first day. The trouble is likely to increase later on,” Du Hong remarked.

Teng Qingshan frowned. Indeed, many martial artists spent decades cultivating precisely for that one moment of fame.

The next month or so would bring considerable trouble!

“I need to intimidate those people,” Teng Qingshan mused to himself.