Lassim emerged from the Funnel’s entrance, leaving the hidden metropolis behind. The stark contrast between the dense, web-covered underground cave system and burrow and the open air terrain was refreshing. Even if it was still also web-covered too. He took a deep breath, ready to begin his journey south.
Activating [Tempest Steps], he set off at high speed, practically turning into a lightning bolt as he carefully navigated the webbing at high speeds; determined to make up for the time he had lost.
The journey was smooth, only interrupted by the occasional tree or spider crossing his path that he needed to adjust to. Lassim deftly avoided these obstacles, his spirit sense alert and guiding him as it scanned the area 1 km ahead of him for what was approaching. After several hours of travel, he decided to take a break for dinner.
He’d made good progress and the density of the webbing in the environment was already starting to thin out.
Finding a quiet spot under an ancient looking tree, he pulled out some dried meat and bread from his storage pouch. As he ate, he updated himself on his location using the detailed map from the cartographer.
Estimating his approximate location using his observations of the surroundings, he reviewed his route forward, noting the terrain and potential obstacles. This time, he was more determined to avoid towns and people to prevent any additional delays. He planned to travel at full speed and even run through the night to reach the Southern Continent as quickly as possible.
"If I can maintain this pace, I should reach Mount Aso in three days," he mused. His cultivation had advanced to the point where he needed very little sleep, and he figured he could easily go a week without it if he took occasional breaks to meditate during meals.
With his plan settled, Lassim resumed his journey, following the route he had mapped out. He avoided towns but used carved-out roadways and paths in-between to maintain his speed were possible.
Whenever his spirit sense detected caravans or people ahead, he would dart into the wilderness, avoiding any encounters, before returning back to the road ways and paths once he passed them.
Three days passed in a blur. Lassim took breaks only to eat and chat idly with Zaphy and Mari, filling the time with their conversations.
His spirit sense guided him through each of the nights, and he made excellent time.
As dawn was breaking on the third day, he spotted the towering behemoth of a mountain range off in the distance.
The tallest mountain in the entire Viridian continent, Mount Aso, loomed before him. Its peak breaking through the cloud cover and hidden among a large blizzard that he could spot raging at its summit.
Lassim scanned the adjacent peaks, looking for the lowest and closest point to cross. That should be where he needed to go to begin his search for his target.
He referenced his map again, noting the original crossing point—a tunnel built to allow travelers to pass through without issues. Glancing into the distance, he estimated where it should be but couldn’t spot it from his current location.
"I should reach it in a couple of hours if I keep up my pace," he thought, pushing forward and continuing his journey.
Another two hours passed before he approached the suspected location of the tunnel. Yet, arriving nearby he noticed a commotion. A group of people had gathered at the area he believed the tunnel entrance was located.
As he got closer, it became clear that the tunnel had collapsed. Rocks and shards of cliff face had fallen down and spilled out of the carved opening that was wide and once allowed a space of roughly 10 meters across and 10 meters tall to pass through.
Lassim approached the group, deactivating his [Tempest Steps], which turned out to be a merchant caravan.
As he greeted them, his presence, bolstered by his cultivation, made them initially wary but they relaxed when they realized he was a powerful spirit warrior rather than a beast.
"Greetings, senior!" one of the merchants called out, bowing respectfully. "We’ve been stuck here for a few days. It seems like the tunnel somehow collapsed before we arrived, and we’re waiting for a nature elemental spirit warrior from our branch office to come and fix it. He should arrive in another two days. That is, unless you yourself might be a nature elemental spirit warrior by any chance?"
"Unfortunately, I can’t help with the tunnel," Lassim said, shaking his head and letting them just misunderstand that he was probably hundreds or thousands of years older than they expected. It wasn’t worth the hassle to explain. "My elements are different and won’t be able to help. My apologies as I was hoping to use it myself to cross and save time as well."
The merchant sighed but nodded, "That’s alright, senior. We appreciate your honesty and bad luck seems to always follow us around anyways. We always make do with the unexpected and now it’s just a matter of waiting a bit longer before we get back on schedule."
"Yeah, understandable." Lassim replied. "Anyways, I think I’ll try my luck crossing over the top. It shouldn’t take too long if I go over myself."
The merchant’s eyes widened. "Be careful, senior! It’s the yeti breeding season right now. The males are aggressive and roam far from their usual territory in search of mates."
"I’ll be fine," Lassim assured him with a confident smile. "I’m plenty strong enough to handle a few horny yetis that come my way."
With that, Lassim waved goodbye and transformed into a bolt of lightning, shooting upwards using [Tempest Steps] to scale the side of the mountain at full power.
Lassim’s enhanced physique and strength allowed him to hop from ledge to ledge, rock to rock, as he climbed the mountain.
As he reached the halfway point, the snow began to fall more heavily, and the blizzard that raged at the peak of the mountain some kilometers away, had its edges break off and begin to extend toward the area directly ahead of Lassim. The snowfall became more intense.
He decided to take a moment to put on his heavier leather and animal hide gear he wore in the Drow realm directly over his silk martial attire, feeling warmer almost immediately. That way the durable and enhanced silk attire could still protect his body and act as an insulator for the incoming freezing temperatures.
Resuming his climb with [Tempest Steps], Lassim used the water mana in the falling snow and ice to create a windshield barrier in front of him, allowing him to continue at nearly full speed despite the blizzard.
He was making good progress when, at one point, he leaped upwards from one rock to another, passing directly in front of a cave on his right side.
As he crossed the cave entrance, his senses and primal instincts flared with an incredible wave of danger coming towards him.
He barely had time to twist his body to the right and cross his arms in front of his chest before a gigantic, hairy blue fist struck him with immense force. The blow sent him rocketing through the snow and ice towards an adjacent rock face, slamming his back hard against it and knocking the wind out of him.
Lassim slumped to the ground, lifting his head to refocus his spirit sense towards his opponent.
Through the blizzard, he observed a gigantic, three-meter-tall yeti emerge from the cave. Its bright blue skin and hairy white body blended seamlessly with the snowy landscape.
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The beast roared with rage, and Lassim realized why he hadn’t been able to react quickly enough—this yeti was a Spirit Transcendent beast, albeit a first-level one.
Coughing out a splat of blood onto the snow, Lassim summoned his halberd and used it to stand.
In response to the sudden threat, he called upon his entire cultivation force, feeling a connection to the blizzard above. He may be injured, but this beast was just what he needed to test his current limits.
He could feel Mari’s, and especially Zaphy’s, excitement building within him as they each started merging their senses with Lassim’s and charging his halberd. The runes along its blade danced with pure Lightning and Water elemental energy as he straightened his back and wiped the blood that dripped from his lips.
Drawing upon his full and entire cultivation base, Lassim prepared for the fight. Even the giant crystal within his inner world began to emit a low hum that rippled across the surrounding pool of mana that had slowly been rebuilding itself and growing in size again after his advancement to Spirit Transformation stage.
It was now at double its previous size prior to the advancement, a testament to having reached the Spirit Transformation stage at level 8. One more level would significantly increase its size and depth once again before he crossed into the Spirit Ascension stage in the future.
The yeti charged at him with a ferocious roar and an incredibly quick speed, its massive fists swinging towards him. Lassim barely dodged to the side this time, his movements more fluid and precise with his full attention and focus on his opponent this time.
He countered with a swift strike from his halberd, aiming for the yeti’s exposed side.