Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Is It Really Good Luck?
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"This is strange. They say the eight peaks of Phoenix Mountain are teeming with High-Level Spirit Beasts, but we haven’t seen a single one this entire time. Things going this smoothly is a little... unsettling," Hu muttered, hacking through a tangle of vines with his blade. As a Hunter with years of experience, he didn’t feel relieved in the slightest; instead, a deeper sense of dread washed over him.
Not encountering any ferocious Spirit Beasts wasn’t necessarily a good thing. It most likely meant an even more terrifying Spirit Beast was lurking nearby! The weaker ones wouldn’t even dare to approach.
"Maybe they were scared off by all the human Martial Artists who came?" Bu Yunyan said, sounding uncertain. "After all, with so many Celestial Level experts around, even a Spirit Beast that has achieved Transformation would keep its distance, right?"
Hu shook his head. "The strongest Spirit Beast I’ve ever encountered in my life was probably only at the Profound Level, and my only option was to run for my life. In short, powerful Spirit Beasts are terrifying. We’re like tightrope walkers on a cliff’s edge right now!"
Bu Yunyan’s face turned pale. Hearing about something and experiencing it firsthand were two completely different things. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t afraid. But when she glanced at Qin Li’s relatively calm expression, she comforted herself. ’He’s not afraid, so what do I have to be afraid of?’
"But our haul on this trip has been massive!" Hu said, changing the subject when he saw Bu Yunyan’s pale face. "We’ve gathered more medicinal herbs this time than we would in an entire year, and on top of that, we found this thousand-year-old One-leaf Centennial Grass. We’ve really struck it rich! As long as we make it back alive, we might not have to take risks like this anymore!"
In Hu’s mind, the most likely reason Qin Li had taken them in was to establish a family of his own. Yellow Sand City’s most prominent families were the Shangguan, Qin, and Fang Families, but there were countless smaller ones as well. If Qin Li wanted to build his own power base, Hu was confident that it wouldn’t take long for them to flourish.
With a freakishly talented Martial Artist like Qin Li and an Alchemy Master like Leng Yao, it would be difficult *not* to prosper. Didn’t the Fang Family of old rise miraculously on the back of just a few Pill Formulas? The Qin Family, too, only reached its current standing because it had two ancestors at the Celestial Level.
If they could do it, why couldn’t they? Hu might seem rough and hearty on the surface, but he actually possessed a shrewd and discerning mind. Otherwise, why would he have chosen to follow a young man like Qin Li, who had no established foundation to speak of?
Once Qin Li rose to power, they would be his original, most trusted followers. Besides, he had an excellent impression of Qin Li. Hu’s own passionate and straightforward nature made him value his bond with Qin Li as a brother.
Leng Yao said calmly, "Fortune is found through risk. The real prize is the ruins in Phoenix Lake. As long as we can get inside, we’re bound to come out with something of value."
Leng Yao’s words made Hu feel a bit ashamed. He had to admit that even back when Li Jian and He Laosan were still alive, Leng Yao had always been the one with the grandest vision in their group. They had even secretly speculated that she must have come from some great family.
They chatted idly as they traveled. A few hours later, they had emerged from the jungle and climbed to an extremely high vantage point. Looking back, the vast sea of trees was like a green carpet spread out beneath their feet.
Before them now was a barren expanse with sparse trees and gentle terrain. Several miles in the distance stood a steep, massive mountain, its snow-capped peak wreathed in clouds and mist, soaring into the heavens.
Even from several miles away, they could feel its immense, imposing presence.
"It’s so tall!" Bu Yunyan couldn’t help but exclaim.
"The shortest route is the steepest, while the gentler slope is much, much higher," Hu said, squinting at the peak before them. "I suggest we take the steep path. This place gives me a bad feeling. The sooner we’re past it, the better."
Qin Li nodded, a corner of his mouth twitching into a wry smile. "I’m suddenly realizing that coming to a place like this, with our level of strength... it’s completely insane."
Qin Li’s words drew a few chuckles, but when they thought of the Ancient Ruins in the massive lake on the other side of the mountain, their eyes once again burned with fervent desire.
"Let’s go!"
This time, Qin Li took the lead, striding into the barren wilderness and heading resolutely toward their destination.
After the group vanished into the wilderness, the little white fox appeared where they had just been resting. It squinted at the cliffs and shook its head in resignation. ’What a bunch of reckless humans. They’re courting death. If I hadn’t been following you all, you would’ve died countless times over by now. And now you want to cross over *there*... Ugh, just my luck!’
The Little Fox muttered to itself as it reluctantly followed. That shorter peak was home to a Celestial Level Spirit Beast, an Iron-armed Ape! Never mind Martial Artists like Qin Li’s group, who hadn’t even reached the Earth Level—even a human expert at the Celestial Level would meet only one fate if they clashed with the Iron-armed Ape there.
Death!
’Fortunately, that Spirit Beast is one of my subordinates,’ the Little Fox thought. Its body shot off like a bolt of lightning, vanishing into the wilderness. It had to give the Iron-armed Ape a heads-up. Otherwise, that hot-tempered beast would undoubtedly tear these humans who dared to enter its territory to shreds without a second thought.
By the time the group stood atop the mountain’s peak, the setting sun was perfectly framed between two opposing summits. A single ray of golden light struck the surface of Phoenix Lake below, gilding it in shimmering gold. The sight was like a paradise on earth. But it was the massive, ten-thousand-meter-long complex of buildings emerging from the lake that truly sent their hearts racing. Though only ten or so meters of it broke the surface, its aura—ancient, magnificent, profound, and desolate—seemed to wash over them. Despite the distance, their hearts were pounding with excitement, and they had to fight the urge to throw back their heads and cheer.
"Our luck is incredible!" Qin Li shouted.
From the shadows, a small white creature shook its claws viciously at their departing backs. Beside her, a giant gray ape—two meters tall even while squatting—bared its razor-sharp fangs in a ferocious grimace. It stared at the frail humans with a malevolent gaze, thoroughly confused. ’Why won’t the Boss let me tear those damned things to shreds?’ It agitatedly stuck out its scarlet tongue and licked its lips. The Little Fox shot the Iron-armed Ape a sidelong glance.
"Don’t cause trouble. They saved my life!"
The Iron-armed Ape sullenly turned away. An order from the Boss could not be disobeyed. Having reached the Celestial Level, it possessed a degree of sapience and understood what it meant to be a savior.
The White Fox crouched there, watching the celebrating humans. For some reason, its gaze gradually softened. ’Being human must be quite an adventure, huh?’ it thought.
Of course, the group on the mountain was completely oblivious to all this. Hu was utterly baffled by how smoothly their journey had gone. It was impossible for a towering mountain range like this not to have even Profound Level Spirit Beasts. And yet, their trip had been so smooth it could only be described as miraculous—they hadn’t even run into a single Yellow Level Spirit Beast.
Other than sheer luck, they couldn’t find any other explanation.
Just then, Qin Li’s eyes narrowed. He had suddenly spotted several figures flying through the air, skimming just above the water’s surface.
Their target was the magnificent, ten-thousand-meter-long structure in Phoenix Lake... the Ancient Ruins!
