Chapter 80: Unusual
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Behind Qin Ming, Xu Sheng, and Zhou Lin, Red Glow City was as bright as day. The high, thick city walls built from gray stone stood illuminated, casting a glow over everything within. Ahead of them, the night mist shrouded towering mountains that rose like dark silhouettes. It felt like they were standing between two completely different worlds.
Xu Sheng looked ahead thoughtfully and said, “After the first spring thunder, the mountains turned dark again, but in a few days, the underground fire springs will fully awaken, and the wild landscape will transform into something extraordinary.”
Already, things were changing. Most of the snow had melted, filling the air with the scent of earth, and the branches of old trees were starting to sprout new buds.
“Could it be that our luck is finally turning?” Zhou Lin asked, sounding excited, her spear pointing forward. They were already deep into the mountains by now.
“Is that an aberrant plant? I might just get lucky after all!” Zhou Lin was barely in her twenties, but she called herself “old lady” just because she had always been rather bold.
“It really does look like one of those special plants with a strong spiritual essence. And it just bloomed! We might actually be in time!” Xu Sheng said, his voice full of surprise.
There was no need to say anything more. The three of them started sprinting towards it.
In the forest ahead, an ancient tree stood out with silvery flowers blooming all over it, each glowing and slowly lighting up the dense woods around it.
Aberrant plants could cause all sorts of birds and beasts to mutate, and if humans consumed them, it could enhance their bodies and trigger an awakening.
This wasn’t Qin Ming’s first time seeing an aberrant plant. Once, when he and Xu Yueping were traveling near Silver Vine Town, they had seen crimson petals swirling in the air, surrounded by dancing “red butterflies.” Unfortunately, they had been too far away, and by the time they arrived, the petals had already been carried away by the wind into the night sky.
“We made it!” Xu Sheng cried out joyfully.
Ahead, an old tree was sprouting leaves and blooming, casting a rosy glow and filling the air with a sweet fragrance. A gentle breeze swept through, sending some petals fluttering like fireflies in the night.
Aberrant plants bloomed without following any season or pattern; they were unpredictable and once they flourished, they would quickly wither and die. That’s why Zhou Lin and Xu Sheng were so excited—it felt like they had stumbled upon incredible fortune.
“Qin, don’t hesitate. Not a single petal should be left behind!” Xu Sheng reminded urgently.
“The mountain beasts will be here any moment. Let’s hurry!” Zhou Lin shouted, thrusting her spear forward. With a crack, a thick branch snapped and fell.
A loud roar echoed through the forest, and the nearby creatures were startled.
Qin Ming and Xu Sheng wanted to carry the entire tree and run, but it wasn’t realistic—already, a massive bird of prey was diving down from the sky.
Where aberrant plants appeared, chaos followed. There was no way for anyone to keep it all for themselves.
“Blegh! Why does it taste like blood?” Zhou Lin spat out the glowing flower bud she had just put in her mouth, her face scrunched up in disgust.
Xu Sheng also spat his out, his expression changing. He quickly knelt down to inspect the tree roots, his brow furrowed.
“The smell of blood is too strong,” Qin Ming added, his nose wrinkling.
Xu Sheng looked serious. “This isn’t an aberrant plant… Someone forced it to bloom. Could it be that some outsider wants to lure beasts here to refine medicine?”
He had once been a traveling merchant and had seen many things. He immediately bowed deeply towards the forest depths and said, “Our apologies, senior. We stumbled in here by mistake and meant no offense.”
“Let’s get out of here!” Zhou Lin whispered urgently.
In the sky, a giant claw was already reaching down toward them.
Zhou Lin jabbed her spear upwards, clashing with the claw. Sparks flew everywhere. It belonged to a bird nearly ten meters long, its black wings sharp like steel blades, slicing through treetops as it swooped. Its eyes shone with a golden glow.
Roars echoed through the dark forest as countless beasts charged towards them, black shapes flying through the air.
“It’s only been a moment and already the sky is filled with birds and beasts! We need to break out of here!”
The three of them paled.
The last time Qin Ming encountered an aberrant plant, it was outside the mountains, near Silver Vine Town, so there were no powerful aberrations around. But now, deep in the mountains, things were much more dangerous.
“A five-time mutated venomous python, and it’s only just early spring!” Xu Sheng’s face turned dark as a massive snake, as thick as a barrel, lunged towards him.
“Is it a spiritual creature?” Qin Ming asked as he moved to confront it.
“No! It’s highly poisonous—watch out for the venom mist!” Xu Sheng warned.
The python opened its mouth, releasing a gust of wind that sent a brightly colored mist rushing towards them. Qin Ming’s body was surrounded by a glow, and he quickly dodged. There was no need to fight to the death with something that wasn’t a spiritual creature.
The python was fierce, its tail whipping around and smashing thick trees as it lashed towards Qin Ming.
With a thud, Qin Ming brought his black metal hammer down, crushing the python’s tail into a bloody mess, severing part of it.
Nearby, Zhou Lin clashed twice with a golden leopard, her spear flashing.
Xu Sheng found himself facing a six-meter-tall black bear. He cursed, “I’ve had such terrible luck lately. I just got into the mountains and I’m already in trouble! You stupid bear, you’re gonna give me that gallbladder!”
Without hesitation, he threw the bear down.
“Xu, look out! There’s another big one!” Qin Ming shouted.
Xu Sheng froze, then his face went pale. A bigger bear?
A roar echoed, and from behind the “small” six-meter bear, a twelve-meter giant bear emerged from the forest, glaring at Xu Sheng.
The smaller bear seemed to be complaining.
“Could it have mutated six or seven times?!” Xu Sheng’s scalp tingled as a massive shadow loomed over him, a huge paw slamming down.
He turned and ran.
If there was only one giant bear, Qin Ming might have considered fighting it, but with countless birds and beasts around, staying wasn’t an option.
Worse still, these aberrations seemed to see them as tasty snacks, their eyes filled with hunger.
With a boom, Qin Ming clashed with the giant bear, using his long-handled black metal hammer to smash one of its paws into a bloody mess, finally making it back off.
This managed to deter the other beasts for a moment.
But still, the three of them were in terrible shape, barely making it out of the chaos alive.
“I thought we got lucky, but nope. Almost ended up bear chow,” Zhou Lin grumbled, clearly fed up.
“Do you think there’s really an outsider here?” Qin Ming asked.
Xu Sheng shook his head. “Not necessarily. It could’ve been someone else using a blood elixir from beyond the boundaries to lure the beasts.”
Zhou Lin looked suspicious. “Xu Sheng, are you sure you didn’t bring some kind of bad luck with you? Every time I go out with you, it’s a disaster!”
“Impossible!”
After that chaotic battle, Zhou Lin and Xu Sheng were exhausted, and they decided to head back to rest up before coming back into the mountains the next day.
“As long as we can find those spiritual shells tomorrow, we don’t need to fight. They’re not dangerous,” Xu Sheng said.
The next morning, Xu Sheng and Zhou Lin led the way, with Qin Ming following behind. They arrived at a marshy area, searching for a rare type of shell.
The place was full of scattered trees, puddles, and muddy pools, with a faint black mist hanging over it.
“See that blue slime in the mud? That’s left by the spiritual shells,” Xu Sheng said, pointing at the shimmering blue substance.
“Be careful this time. Last time we were here, someone ambushed us,” Zhou Lin reminded them.
Luckily, no one attacked them this time.
But an hour later, they were running for their lives as a pack of “mud dragons” chased them, snapping at their heels like dogs, stirring up the entire marsh.
Deep in what had seemed to be a peaceful marsh was an entire nest of mud dragons—creatures that looked like crocodiles but with a horn on their heads and long legs that made them much faster.
Each adult mud dragon weighed thousands of pounds, and with their eyes red with rage, they charged after the trio, mistaking them for egg thieves. Early spring had just arrived, and some of the mud dragons had started laying eggs.
“Aaaah!” Zhou Lin screamed in frustration once they escaped the marsh, covered head to toe in mud. Her hair and face were coated in muck.
Once a dashing young woman, she now looked like a mud-covered monkey. Furious, she snapped, “Xu Sheng, there’s definitely something wrong with you! Every time we go out, it’s bad luck!”
“It’s not my fault! How was I supposed to know the shell trail would lead to a mud dragon nest?!” Xu Sheng snapped back, just as frustrated, even suspecting that someone was deliberately messing with him.
Qin Ming was just as annoyed. He had rolled through the mud a few times himself, and now the three of them looked identical—completely filthy.
And so, Zhou Lin became “Sister Muddy,” yelling all the way back from the mountains to the city.
Xu Sheng tried to calm her down, “Don’t be mad. Tonight, I’ll go talk to my old mentor from my traveling merchant days and ask if there’s any safe place where spiritual creatures have shown up recently.”
People in the city stared at Zhou Lin, who looked like a mud-covered monkey, which only made her angrier.
“Xu, maybe you should have your mentor check you over too, see if there’s something wrong,” Qin Ming said, wiping mud from his face.
Xu Sheng actually seemed to consider this, nodding, “Alright. I’ll ask him to give me a proper checkup tonight.”
The next morning, Red Glow City was bathed in golden light, and the three of them set out once again.
“My mentor said there’s nothing wrong with me,” Xu Sheng began explaining as soon as they met up. “It really wasn’t my fault.”
“This time we’re going to the Red Mist Cave? There are so many fire bats there—we can’t handle that!” Zhou Lin protested, shaking her head.
“We’re not there to mess with the bats,” Xu Sheng assured her. “There’s an underground cold pond nearby, connected to a dark river. Spiritual eels have appeared there.”
The Red Mist Cave was deep inside a mountain. The three of them followed a crack in the earth down. It wasn’t too dark inside because the fire springs beneath the mountain had started to awaken.
“You sure the fire bats won’t get disturbed?” Qin Ming asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
“Don’t worry,” Xu Sheng replied with confidence. “The cave is huge, and we’re headed in the opposite direction from their nest.”
They soon reached the cold pond. The water was dark and icy cold, with flashes of colorful light appearing briefly under the surface—spiritual eels.
“I’ve got bait, fishing rods, harpoons, a big net—everything’s ready. It’s time to make a haul!” Xu Sheng said confidently.
Zhou Lin scoffed. “Don’t jinx it. Every time I go out with you now, I feel like something’s going to go wrong.”
Half an hour later, the entire Red Mist Cave was filled with the sound of flapping wings. Countless fire bats took off, swarming across the area.
“Why are there so many of them?!” Qin Ming was horrified. There was no way they could fight them all.
Xu Sheng explained, “There are too many mutated insects in the mountains, so the City Lord’s Mansion gave strict orders not to disturb the fire bats. They help control the insects, but now their numbers have grown out of control.”
The three of them had to jump into the cold pond and swim along the underground river to escape.
They kept trying to find a way out, hoping to get back to the surface, and only found a few small openings for air. After swimming for miles, they finally surfaced in a lake inside the mountains.
“Aaaah!” Zhou Lin screamed in frustration again. She warned Xu Sheng that she would never join him again.
“It’s not Xu’s fault,” Qin Ming said, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. “I’m going to do some digging when we get back.”
He couldn’t believe it was all just a coincidence—it felt like someone was deliberately targeting them. Although they always managed to escape safely, they were always on the brink of disaster. It seemed like someone—or something—wanted them, or maybe just him, to die out there in the mountains.
“Could it be some invisible hand reaching out from afar?” Qin Ming wondered aloud. It didn’t seem likely. If it really was those people, things would be ten times worse and far more terrifying.
“Maybe it’s some brat I beat up years ago, trying to mess with me now,” he muttered under his breath.
“What did you say—he might be able to withstand six or seven waves of Celestial Light?!” In the City Lord’s Mansion, Meng Xing Hai stood up abruptly as he listened to a report from a man dressed in black.
That day, Meng had been drinking in the Mountain God Temple, accompanied by nobles, watching the spectacle over the Thunderfire Refinement Temple, and had no idea what had happened inside the Golden Hall.
“Is the information reliable?” Meng Xing Hai asked.
The man in black nodded. “That body collector, Xu Hai, died coughing blood two days ago. Before he passed, he told his family that it might have been his greed that doomed a genius. He deliberately had the boy take six or seven waves of Celestial Light—and now he believes he paid the price for it.”
“Impressive,” Meng murmured, smiling. “Keep this to yourself. Never mention it again,” he instructed his confidant, waving the man away.
Standing by the window, Meng Xing Hai said to himself, “To endure multiple waves of Celestial Light and survive—such talent will make the Cui Family regret their decisions.”
A smile played on his lips. “The most talented of the outsiders will soon compete for that legendary item, supposedly hidden in a spirit cave with extraordinary Celestial Light. It seems that if Qing Yue has a new golden-armored guard, she just might win and become the final victor.”