6: Chapter 6 Lianyun Mountains

"Da-da-da."

A fast horse galloped wildly along a rugged path, finally coming to a stop at the end of the road.

Xia Chen gazed at the dense forest before him; the road had run out. This forest was his destination: the Lianyun Mountain Range!

Rumor had it that the Lianyun Mountain Range was teeming with wild beasts and even many powerful Yao Beasts. Ordinary hunters dared not venture too deep; only powerful Martial Artists dared to enter the depths of the Lianyun Mountain Range.

Xia Chen leaped down from the horse's back, gently stroking its head. He whispered, "You can't go in with me. Go on, I'm giving you your freedom."

Xia Chen estimated he would be staying in the Lianyun Mountain Range for a long time and couldn't bring the horse along, so he had to release it. Thus, Xia Chen removed the saddle and patted the horse's back. The horse let out a cheerful whinny, glanced back at Xia Chen, and then galloped away, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.

*Whoosh.*

Xia Chen looked at the mountain forest before him. With a flash of his silhouette, he leaped into the forest like an agile spirit monkey.

The Lianyun Mountain Range stretched for thousands of miles, and no one knew where it ended; the Yao Beasts within were countless. After entering the forest, Xia Chen felt the air grow humid and sultry. He was extremely cautious; in such an environment, venomous insects and fierce beasts could appear at any moment.

If he were at the Peak of the Ninth Level of Body Refining, a powerhouse who had truly achieved the Realm of Bronze Skin and Iron Bones, he wouldn't fear venomous insects or fierce beasts at all. Upon reaching such a Realm, one would be immune to all poisons, possessing boundless stamina that reached the limits of the human body—essentially a human-shaped Vicious Beast, someone who could be called a 'match for ten thousand.'

Although the Nine Forgings of Heavenly Flame that Xia Chen cultivated was miraculous, he was still far from being a match for ten thousand, nor could he immune to the attacks of certain venomous insects. Therefore, his entry into the Lianyun Mountain Range this time was still quite risky.

"The Earthfire Cave marked on Mother's map seems to be in the depths of the Lianyun Mountain Range, quite far from here."

Xia Chen frowned. The Lianyun Mountain Range was dangerous, and its depths were even more so, with the possibility of encountering Yao Beasts at any time. However, since he had already come this far, he had to go, no matter how dangerous it was.

"Let's go!"

Xia Chen leaped onto a large rock. His full power erupted, and his speed instantly increased several times as he dashed toward the depths of the Lianyun Mountain Range.

During his rapid sprint, Xia Chen's entire bloodline surged violently, providing him with a continuous stream of power. Because his bloodline was far more robust than an average person's due to cultivating the Nine Forgings of Heavenly Flame, his stamina was also exceptionally long-lasting. Even after sprinting continuously for several hours, he wouldn't feel tired.

"Roar..."

Xia Chen's luck was good; after sprinting for three hours, he hadn't encountered any Yao Beasts. However, just as the sky was gradually darkening, a massive beast's roar echoed through the mountain forest.

"Stop!"

Xia Chen was startled and hurriedly came to a halt, his eyes fixed forward as his entire body tensed in alert.

*Rustle, rustle.*

From behind the bushes, a black wolf with a pitch-black back and a body the size of an ox slowly emerged.

A bloodthirsty light seemed to flicker in the black wolf's eyes, and its entire body exuded a strong, oppressive aura. If an ordinary hunter encountered this black wolf, they would be in despair, because this was no ordinary wild beast—it was a Yao Beast!

"Black-Backed Wolf, a Peak Rank One Yao Beast!"

Xia Chen was also very cautious. Yao Beasts had varying strengths and were divided into many Ranks by Martial Artists.

For instance, Rank One Yao Beasts were the lowest tier, with Rank Two and Rank Three above them.

The strength of Yao Beasts was immense. An ordinary Rank One Yao Beast was equivalent to a Martial Artist around the Sixth Level of Body Refining. If it was a Peak Rank One Yao Beast, it could even rival a powerful existence with Bronze Skin and Iron Bones at the Ninth Level of Body Refining.

As for Rank Two, they had already transformed to possess all sorts of miraculous powers, enough to rival Qi Cyclone Realm powerhouses above the Body Refining stage. One must know that in Feng City, only the secluded Old Ancestors of the various families could reach such a Realm.

However, although there were legends of Rank Two Yao Beasts in the Lianyun Mountain Range, they were hidden in the deepest parts, and very few people ever encountered them. Rank One Yao Beasts were already enough to run rampant through the Lianyun Mountain Range.

Xia Chen's luck wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible either. This Black-Backed Wolf was among the stronger Rank One Yao Beasts, comparable to a powerhouse at the Seventh Level of Body Refining, or potentially even the Eighth Level. Thus, it was extremely difficult to deal with.

"Awoo!"

Suddenly, the Black-Backed Wolf howled at the sky, its eyes overflowing with ferocity. Like a whirlwind, it lunged at Xia Chen. A powerful gust of wind blew against his face, accompanied by a faint scent of blood that inspired fear.

But Xia Chen was a Martial Artist! He felt no fear upon encountering the Black-Backed Wolf; instead, he felt a hint of excitement. For so many years, he had been at the Jiang Family, flatly and mundanely cultivating the Nine Forgings of Heavenly Flame. Even though he had cultivated the Great Sun Vajra Palm to the stage of Major Achievement, he had never fought without restraint.

Now that he was in the Lianyun Mountain Range and had encountered a Yao Beast, he no longer had to hold back and could fight with everything he had.

"Take this!"

A surging Battle Intent radiated from Xia Chen. He suddenly exerted force with his foot, kicking a pebble. The tiny stone now contained terrifying power as it whistled toward the Black-Backed Wolf.

*Chit.*

The Black-Backed Wolf was also a veteran of many battles. It struck out with its sharp claws, instantly crushing the pebble. It failed to injure the wolf in the slightest, but it did delay the wolf's speed, giving Xia Chen an opportunity.

*Boom!*

Xia Chen's bloodline surged like a rainbow, erupting violently. A scorching aura gradually radiated from his palms, like the blazing sun. As he pushed both palms forward, the violent palm force struck fiercely at the Black-Backed Wolf.

This was the supremely hard and yang Great Sun Vajra Palm. As the palm was struck, a powerful gale arose, carrying terrifyingly high temperatures. For a moment, even the Black-Backed Wolf felt terror.

"Die!"

Xia Chen aimed a palm at the Black-Backed Wolf's body, but the wolf's massive frame was exceptionally agile, allowing it to slightly change direction even in mid-air. Consequently, Xia Chen's supremely hard and yang palm only managed to hit the wolf's leg.

*Crack.*

A crisp sound came from the Black-Backed Wolf's leg; it had clearly been snapped by Xia Chen's palm strike.

"Awoo..."

This time, the Black-Backed Wolf could only let out a mournful cry, fear appearing in its eyes. It used its three remaining legs to retreat with all its might, then fled frantically, disappearing without a trace in an instant.

"Whew." Xia Chen let out a soft sigh, looking in the direction where the Black-Backed Wolf had disappeared, feeling slightly annoyed.

"To think it actually escaped..."

Although Xia Chen was annoyed, he also knew his combat experience was lacking. This Black-Backed Wolf was only equivalent to the Seventh Level of Body Refining; it might be fierce, but its strength was ultimately limited. With the Great Sun Vajra Palm, Xia Chen could firmly suppress the wolf, making him roughly comparable to a powerhouse at the Eighth Level of Body Tempering.

If Xia Chen had been slightly more experienced, the Black-Backed Wolf wouldn't have stood a chance of escaping and would likely have been killed by a single palm strike.

"Encountering the Black-Backed Wolf is also a good thing. My combat experience is lacking, so I can properly make up for it in the Lianyun Mountain Range from now on."

Xia Chen checked the sky; it had already turned dark. He had to find a place to rest for the night as soon as possible. After all, at night, even a powerhouse with Bronze Skin and Iron Bones at the Ninth Level of Body Refining wouldn't dare to travel through the Lianyun Mountain Range.

Thus, Xia Chen spotted a rock face ahead and quickly sprinted toward it, hoping to find a cave there to rest.

*****

*Swish.*

Within the dense mountain forest, a figure appeared on a piece of high ground, looking slightly disheveled.

"Phew... I've finally arrived!"

This figure was none other than Xia Chen! He had been in the Lianyun Mountain Range for a full half-month. During this time, he had encountered several Yao Beasts and engaged in fierce battles before finally reaching this place.

Among them was even a Peak Rank One Yao Beast whose body was invulnerable to blades and spears. Even his Great Sun Vajra Palm could do nothing against it. It was comparable to a true powerhouse with Bronze Skin and Iron Bones at the Ninth Level of Body Refining. Consequently, Xia Chen could only avoid its brunt and struggle to escape.

However, the battles with Yao Beasts along the way had enriched Xia Chen's practical experience, and he had also slowly come to understand his own strength.

If he went all out, he should be barely comparable to an Eighth Level of Body Tempering powerhouse. However, if it were an Eighth Level expert who had cultivated a High Grade Yellow Rank Martial Skill, Xia Chen would find it very difficult to contend with them.

Ultimately, Xia Chen had only just entered the Sixth Level of Body Refining. He hadn't even truly begun Refining Flesh, and his strength hadn't undergone a qualitative change. Therefore, the fact that he could barely contend with an Eighth Level of Body Tempering powerhouse was already incredibly impressive.

Gazing at the hillside ahead, Xia Chen's expression was slightly excited. According to the map's markings, the cave with the Earthfire was right beneath this small hillside.

Below this small hillside was a vast slope that stretched down to a lake. This seemed to be an inner lake of the Lianyun Mountain Range, nourishing this entire region of mountains.

Although Xia Chen was joyful, he remained cautious. He first gradually projected his Consciousness Power and actually sensed several powerful auras that made even him tremble; they were clearly Peak Rank One Yao Beasts.

It seemed there were indeed some powerful Yao Beasts around this lake. Currently, Xia Chen did not have the strength to confront these Peak Rank One Yao Beasts, so he had to be extremely cautious and absolutely must not provoke them.

"Let's go!"

Xia Chen restrained his aura and cautiously approached the small hillside, his Consciousness Power constantly covering the surroundings. This mysterious Consciousness Power had been instrumental in his ability to traverse the Lianyun Mountain Range until now; those Yao Beasts simply couldn't detect its presence.

Therefore, when encountering powerful Yao Beasts, Xia Chen could calmly avoid them.

Finally, being careful all the way, Xia Chen arrived at the foot of the small hillside. He saw a dark cave entrance hidden behind some weeds, which even contained some moss-covered steps. This was clearly man-made.

"This is the place."

Xia Chen took a deep breath, scanned the cave with his Consciousness Power, and after finding no Yao Beasts, he quickly leaped into the dark cave entrance.