(Warning! Warning! The author is frozen. Everyone, please help … Please help immediately …)
Mount Fulong stretched for tens of thousands of miles. The seven martial cities of metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, and thunder were located at the bottom of Mount Fulong. They were relatively close to each other.
Mount Fulong was the first choice for martial artists from the seven martial cities to train. It was also a must-go place.
Mount Fulong was long and wide, but it was only a branch of the Hundred Beast Mountain Range. When Chen Zong found out about this, he was very shocked.
Mount Fulong was already so long and wide. What about the Hundred Beast Mountain Range?
Countless beasts roamed Mount Fulong. The weakest was naturally a first-grade low-grade beast. It was said that there were fourth-grade beasts and even higher-grade beasts. Only powerful martial artists who had surpassed the Blood Qi realm could fight against them.
Under the lead of a deacon, the ten people from the Chen clan hall left Martial Wind City. Relying on their own two feet, they quickly headed in the direction of the Hidden Dragon Mountains. Along the way, the deacon explained the situation of the Hidden Dragon Mountains to them, focusing on the Chen clan's iron mine.
The Chen Clan's iron mine was in Mount Fulong, but it was not too deep. It was deeper than the outer area. It was said that the beasts that roamed there were usually first-grade and second-grade beasts. Third-grade beasts would occasionally appear, but they were rare.
"The ten of you will be divided into five groups. You will be stationed at five different directions of the mine. Remember, you must leave at least one person in the stronghold. Both of you cannot leave at once." Warden Chen Shaojie's tone was solemn. "You should already know the other rules from the mission summary."
The forest was everywhere and the grass was lush.
Although the path was a little bumpy, it did not hinder the group. After all, they were all martial artists.
This was Chen Zong's first time entering a mountain since he was young. Moreover, Mount Fulong was even bigger than Mount Fenghou outside Little Lake Town. There was an indescribable feeling in his heart.
It was as if he was excited.
He felt that he could not get enough of the scenery around him. The immersive experience was very wonderful. It was as if he had suddenly walked out of a cage. The sky was high and the ground was wide. His heart was also infinitely bigger.
Vaguely, there seemed to be something stirring, but there was nothing.
As they walked, the vegetation gradually became sparse, until it finally disappeared. Everyone knew that they had arrived at the Chen Clan's mine.
Mineral veins produced pig iron and small amounts of heavy iron, which could be refined. After refining, the pig iron ore would become crude iron, which could then be forged into ordinary iron, refined iron, and so on.
As for heavy iron, although there was less of it, its use was limited and its value was not high.
"Deacon Shao Jie, it's your turn to lead this mission."
A group of ten people walked in front of them. They were all wearing light iron armor and had long sabers at their waists. They looked to be at least in their twenties. Their expressions were cold and solemn, and their bodies emitted traces of murderous aura. Immediately, they brought an invisible pressure to Chen Zong and the other ten people.
That was a murderous aura, a murderous aura that could only be cultivated through a true battle of life and death.
These ten people were the Chen family's martial artists who guarded the mineral vein. They were also known as the Chen family's Iron Guards. Each of them had a cultivation level of at least Qi and Blood realm seventh stage or even higher.
The one who greeted them was the leader of the ten. He looked to be in his thirties and had a stern look on his face. The smile that he squeezed out looked a little forced, as if he rarely smiled.
"Yes, Captain Tie San. Nothing has happened to the mineral vein recently, right?" Deacon Chen Shao Jie replied with a smile.
"With the Chen family's Iron Guards around, nothing will happen." Captain Tie San's tone revealed a kind of confidence.
"That's true." Chen Shao Jie's tone was not perfunctory, but also a kind of confidence.
The two of them exchanged some pleasantries before Captain Tie San led his team to continue their patrol.
Deacon Chen Shao Jie also took the opportunity to introduce the Chen family's Iron Guards to everyone.
The Chen family's Iron Guards were the direct guards of the Chen family. Only those who had reached Qi and Blood realm seventh stage were qualified to enter. There were a total of 120 of them. Other than the head captain, they were divided into twelve small teams, with three small teams guarding the mineral vein. They rotated once a year.
There were thirty martial artists who were at least Qi and Blood realm seventh stage. Every one of them was an elite martial artist who had gone through many life and death battles. Not only were they strong individually, but they were also good at teamwork. In addition, there were also elders who had surpassed the Qi and Blood realm. It was not difficult for them to guard a mineral vein.
This was also the reason why the mineral vein still belonged to the Chen family after so many changes over the past few decades.
Chen Zong and the others could not help but feel a sense of respect for the Chen family's Iron Guards.
Chen Zong and the other ten people were brought to the center of the mineral vein. There were two big rows of houses there. One row was for the miners, and the other row was for the elders and the Iron Guards who guarded the mineral vein.
After meeting the elders and the Iron Guards, the ten people were assigned to their respective positions.
"Chen Zong, I'll give you one more chance. Hand the sword to me." Chen Kaiyue walked to Chen Zong's side and said in a low voice, "The favor I owe you still counts. Also, you can be in my group. I can protect you and let you complete your mission smoothly."
Chen Zong did not even bother to say anything and walked to Chen Zhong's side.
"Brother Chen Zong, I'll be in your group," said Chen Zong.
"That would be great." Chen Zhong also had the same intention.
After all, they were both from Little Lake Town and were relatively closer to each other.
Chen Kaiyue's face was ashen. He gritted his teeth so hard that they almost broke. Chen Zong actually dared to look down on him.
"Chen Zhong, aren't you afraid of being in the same group as a Qi and Blood Realm Level Four cultivator?" Chen Waixiu laughed strangely.
"Aren't you also at Qi and Blood Realm Level Four?" Chen Zhong retorted.
"Hehehe, your information is outdated. I'm already at Qi and Blood Realm Level Five now." Chen Waixiu was a little proud.
"Alright, since you've been assigned to your groups, each of you will choose a direction and walk there. You'll see the house and stay there for three months. If you run out of food, you can come here to get it. If you encounter something you can't solve, you can also come here to ask for help. Also, remember, if you encounter a beast that you're not confident of defeating, remember to send a signal for help." Chen Shaojie clapped his hands and signaled for everyone to start the mission.
"Brother, let's go this way?" Chen Zhong pointed to the west. However, Chen Waixiu seemed to be deliberately opposing him and led his group to the west.
Chen Zong and Chen Zhong did not care and chose to go north.
…
A small courtyard was located in the mountains. On one side, there were sparse vegetation, while on the other side, it was barren. It was like a dividing line.
Chen Zong and Chen Zhong lived in the small courtyard. Each of them had a bedroom. There were other rooms that had other uses, such as a kitchen.
The air in the mountains was very fresh and the scenery was very beautiful. However, there was a slight metallic smell, perhaps because of the mineral vein boundary.
After receiving enough food for ten days, Chen Zong and Chen Zhong settled down peacefully. Besides cultivating, they would also take turns to patrol the nearby area.
Today, it was Chen Zong's turn to patrol again.
After circling left and right, they walked forward. Gradually, the vegetation became sparse and flourished.
Chen Zong suddenly smelled a very strange fishy smell. It seemed to be getting thicker and thicker. He immediately realized that something was approaching him.
Suddenly, an indescribable excitement welled up in his heart.
"Maybe it's a monster," Chen Zong thought to himself. His left hand gripped the sword even harder.
Since he started cultivating and became a martial artist, his cultivation had reached the fifth level of the Qi and Blood realm. However, other than some sparring sessions, he had never experienced a real battle.
His father once said that an outstanding martial artist had to go through life and death situations. Only then could they truly grow.
Chen Zong did not know about the other Iron Guards of the Chen family, but he had seen the ten of them with his own eyes. Every one of them had a murderous aura that gave him an extremely dangerous feeling.
"Monster, come on." Chen Zong almost held his breath as he muttered to himself. His eyes became extremely sharp as he stared ahead, as if he could see through countless vegetation.
As the fishy smell became thicker, the vegetation in front of him swayed. That thing was getting closer.
A red pattern appeared, becoming clearer and clearer.
Its dark yellow fur was dotted with red markings. It looked like a huge lynx.
"Red-spotted Leopard." The moment Chen Zong saw it, the various handwritten notes he had read in the clan hall's Martial Arts Repository flashed through his mind. He instantly identified its name and all other information.
Red-spotted Leopard. An adult Red-spotted Leopard was about 1.5 meters long. It was a low-grade Class 1 monster. It was fast and had explosive power. Its claws were extremely sharp, comparable to a fine-iron sword.
Moreover, the Red-spotted Leopard did not have any obvious weaknesses. If one had to point it out, it would be that it was not strong enough. However, it was relatively easy to kill those below the fourth level of the Qi and Blood realm. Even if a normal fourth level of the Qi and Blood realm unleashed their full strength, they would not necessarily be its match.
After all, monsters were born with strong bodies and a certain level of intelligence. They were also good hunters in the forest.
The Red-spotted Leopard in front of him was about 1.6 meters long. It was definitely an adult.
The Red-spotted Leopard lowered its body like a drawn bow. Its golden eyes locked onto Chen Zong. It was extremely cold and filled with brutality. Its front claws lightly scratched deep marks on the ground. Its strength surged violently, ready to explode at any time to deliver a fatal blow.
Its brutal aura and cold, emotionless eyes were enough to make a fourth level Qi and Blood realm martial artist who had never seen blood tremble. It would be difficult for them to unleash even a fraction of their strength. Even a fifth level Qi and Blood realm martial artist would not fare much better.
Chen Zong's heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably. He felt chills all over his body and his skin tingle. He was horrified. He realized that he had never experienced a life-or-death battle. Facing monsters that had survived countless killings, he was naturally at a disadvantage.
He assumed the starting stance of the Crouching Sword Style. His eyes were fixed on the Red-spotted Leopard, not letting go of even the slightest movement. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. Everything around him seemed to be fading away. Only the sound of his heartbeat became clearer, like the beating of a drum.
The tip of the mysterious sword trembled slightly. A silver dragon danced in the air, illuminating his entire body. Chen Zong's breathing became long and deep. He was highly focused. His bones and muscles were in a relaxed state. In an instant, he was able to unleash a shocking amount of strength.
One man and one beast faced off!
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