Chapter 325: The Team
But compared to the chaos of the Ancient Battlefield, that place was at least watched over by the two Holy Mountain Masters.
The Jiuli Mountain Range was dangerous, but it was a far better option.
Without much hesitation, Shen Daoxing chose the Jiuli Mountain Range.
However, although the Jiuli Mountain Range was dangerous, it was also a border region guarded by the Celestial Profound Sacred Land—and the skies were no exception.
For safety’s sake, and to avoid attracting the attention of the two Mountain Masters of the Celestial Profound Sacred Land, Shen Daoxing decided to cross the mountain range on foot.
Besides, the Jiuli Mountain Range was fraught with peril. The demonic beasts within were highly territorial, and there were many powerful, flying ones. He couldn’t just barge his way through recklessly.
...
At the border of the East Continent, mountain ranges rose and fell, overlapping one another like a great dragon slumbering within.
On a narrow mountain path, a group of about a dozen people marched forward in a grand procession.
At the head of the group was a middle-aged man dressed as the leader of an escort team, flanked by rows of carts piled high with goods.
In this group, besides the escort team, there were also many travelers dressed in a variety of clothes.
Shen Daoxing, dressed like a dashing young master in white robes, walked at the very back of the group with a serene expression.
Beside him was Elder Mu, leaning on a crutch. Though Elder Mu was missing a leg, he was a Practitioner, after all. A mere mountain path like this was no challenge for him.
Xing had stealthily climbed onto Elder Mu’s back, craning his neck to look toward Shen Daoxing. Whenever the Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat poked its head out from Shen Daoxing’s robes, the boy would swing a stick at it.
But the Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat was prepared now, so how could it let a little brat hit it? With a flick of its head, it dodged with extreme agility, then poked out from another direction.
WHAP!
Xin swung his stick again, but he missed once more.
"Alright, Xin, stop fooling around. We’re on the move."
Elder Mu’s stern voice rang out.
"This rat is always stealing food!"
Xin reluctantly climbed down from Elder Mu and complained.
The Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat scurried behind Shen Daoxing, poked out its little head, and squeaked twice as if to mock him.
Xin couldn’t help but pout, feeling wronged.
The procession continued its grand march. The cargo carts were piled high with all sorts of specialty goods from the East Continent, pulled by magnificent Red Spirit Horses.
Because the Jiuli Mountain Range and the Ancient Battlefield served as barriers, there wasn’t much interaction between the East Continent and Cangzhou.
This gave rise to merchants who traveled between the East Continent and Cangzhou. As long as they could cross the perilous Jiuli Mountain Range, they could buy low on one side and sell high on the other, making a fortune from the price difference.
Besides the merchants, there were also loose cultivators who wanted to enter the Jiuli Mountain Range to try their luck and see if they could stumble upon some fortunate opportunity.
And then there were those heading to Cangzhou for various other reasons.
To safely cross the Jiuli Mountain Range, these people naturally gathered together to travel as a group.
To avoid attracting attention, Shen Daoxing had waited for a while in a small border town ahead before joining one such group.
The most experienced members of this group were Chu Guifeng, the Leader of the Escort Team from the Mighty Escort Agency, and the merchant Qian Gui. The two had been traveling between Cangzhou and the East Continent for many years and had already scouted out a relatively safe route through the Jiuli Mountain Range.
"Everyone, once we enter the Jiuli Mountain Range, you’d better stick close to me. I’ll say this upfront: if someone falls behind inside and affects the safety of the entire group and the journey, I won’t be responsible for them."
The gruff voice of Chu Guifeng, the Leader of the Escort Team walking at the very front, rang out.
No one said a word, but they all understood perfectly well. This temporarily formed group was just a matter of huddling together for warmth, a way to slightly increase their chances of crossing the Jiuli Mountain Range. If they truly encountered an insurmountable danger, everyone would only look out for themselves.
Shen Daoxing looked up and saw that the escort team leader, Chu Guifeng, was burly and imposing. He seemed powerful, but his cultivation was only around the Eighth Layer of the Spirit Transformation Realm.
Daring to lead a group through the Jiuli Mountain Range with only the strength of the Eighth Layer of the Spirit Transformation Realm seemed a bit too bold.
However, while the Eighth Layer of the Spirit Transformation Realm didn’t seem high, as long as one didn’t go looking for death by venturing into the especially dangerous areas of the Jiuli Mountain Range, the risk wouldn’t be too great.
One had to understand that in the East Continent, aside from a few powerful factions like the empires and the Celestial Profound Sacred Land, Practitioners at the Earth Profound Realm were already considered rare experts. In many smaller kingdoms, they were revered as ancestors.
And Practitioners at the Spirit Transformation Realm were already experts among experts.
After all, in the Martial Kingdom where Shen Daoxing was from, the headmaster of the Celestial City Academy was merely at the Spirit Transformation Realm.
It was just that Shen Daoxing had only been dealing with top-tier powers like the Celestial Profound Sacred Land on his journey, as well as special entities like Tianze, which possessed a massive Celestial Essence Ore Vein. He had forgotten that Spirit Transformation Realm masters were not at all common throughout the East Continent.
The grand procession continued along the mountain path. The Leader of the Escort Team, Chu Guifeng, walked at the very front, followed by Qian Gui and his caravan.
Behind the caravan was a carriage pulled by two Divine Spirit Horses. Inside sat a woman who was quite mysterious.
Since Shen Daoxing had joined the group, she had never once stepped out of the carriage. Only an old servant drove the horses for her.
Behind this carriage was a middle-aged man with a weathered face and many scars on his body. He was a Loose Cultivator named Ma Wan, who frequented the Jiuli Mountain Range to hunt for Immortal Herb Spiritual Medicine and demonic beasts.
After him was a gloomy man who hadn’t said a single word since joining the group. No one knew his purpose for going to the Jiuli Mountain Range, and his silent presence made him easy to overlook.
Next was a pair of siblings around Shen Daoxing’s age, Luo An and Luo Xi. They were disciples from Bixu Palace on Taiping Mountain, sent by their sect to travel and gain experience. Having already roamed the East Continent, they now wanted to try their luck in Cangzhou. The two were masters at the Fifth Layer and Second Layer of the Spirit Transformation Realm, respectively.
And finally, at the very end of the group, was Shen Daoxing and his companions.
Luo An seemed delighted to find someone his own age in Shen Daoxing. He chattered on endlessly with him the whole way, feeling as though they should have met sooner.
"Hey, I was wondering, what brings you to Cangzhou, Yang?"
Luo An turned his head to look at Shen Daoxing and asked curiously.
Shen Daoxing paused for a moment, then gave a vague reply, "The world is a big place. I want to see more of it!"
"A rich young master is a rich young master. This Jiuli Mountain Range is no place for you to be sightseeing."
The weathered-faced middle-aged man nearby, Ma Wan, couldn’t help but speak up.
At that moment, Shen Daoxing was dressed in elegant white robes, looking dashing and refined. He had recalled his Great Ming Demon Sparrow into his Sumeru Ring because it was too conspicuous.
Shen Daoxing held only a fan in his hand, was attended to by Elder Mu like an old servant, and was accompanied by the pageboy Xin. He looked every bit the part of a rich family’s son out on an excursion.
It was no wonder Ma Wan couldn’t resist making a snide remark.
SQUEAK SQUEAK!
The Golden-Eyed Treasure-Seeking Rat heard Ma Wan’s words and poked its head out from Shen Daoxing’s chest, squeaking twice as if in protest for its master.
Seeing this, Ma Wan shook his head even more. "Bringing a pet, too. Later, when we’re in the Jiuli Mountain Range, if something happens, we won’t have time to look after your little pet. You’d better watch it yourself. We’re not responsible."