Chapter 6: Entering the Mountains (Part 1)

Luo Jie gritted his teeth and said, “He must have released small spirit beasts for scouting. He was trying to find a way out just now… That’s why he detected us. Damn it… that bastard! Luo Zhan, carry Twelve with you. Remember, your task isn’t to fight—it’s to escape, to get out with Twelve!”
Guo Twelve bit his lip tightly, staying silent. He hated the people of Xi Fu Men as well as those of the Fu Ye family.
Luo Jie said, “Da Shan, old buddy! This time, we might have to fight to the death. Try to get away if you can—don’t engage in a prolonged battle!”
Qi Nan Shan asked, “Which way should we go?”
Luo Jie replied, “Into the mountains! Hehe, we’ll lure them first… Luo Zhan, you five martial artists and the children, set off in a moment. Retreat toward the edge of the forest, and once you’re far from the battlefield, head for the mountains. Don’t look back or worry about us! Hide in the mountains—don’t show yourselves—until we emerge from this secret realm. We’ll come back for you!”
Guo Twelve said calmly, “Master, you must come back. I’ll wait for you… Take care, Master. Take care, Grandpa Nan Shan!” He knew well how powerful Luo Jie and Qi Nan Shan were. Without the burden of the five children, they should have a good chance of escaping with their strength.
After giving a few brief instructions, Luo Jie heard Lu Ning say again, “Don’t make me reveal your location!”
Luo Jie shouted softly, “Let’s turn around and run!” His goal was to draw the hunting vehicles away and run deep into the jungle. Running toward open plains would be suicide—hundreds of hunting vehicles surrounding them would be impossible to resist. At least the jungle offered cover from the trees.
Ten people stayed behind—five martial artists and five children. Luo Jie and Qi Nan Shan led the other eleven into the jungle at full speed. Qi Nan Shan laughed loudly, “No need for you to reveal our location. Go ahead and keep playing with those bastards. I’m not staying!”
The thirteen of them ran swiftly, without hiding, creating a huge commotion. The hunting vehicles of the Fu Ye family waiting outside rushed after them, assuming these were the ones who had attacked their family.
Lu Ning was furious and snapped, “Good! Good…” He was enraged. He hadn’t expected the opponent to have two masters who didn’t attack but instead turned and fled. His plan to take advantage of the chaos failed—how could he not be angry?

Luo Zhan and the others moved slowly along the edge of the forest. Fortunately, it was completely dark, allowing them to be extremely cautious. Less than ten minutes after they set off, a dozen or so hunting vehicles flew to their original hiding place, from which more than a dozen spears were suddenly fired, toppling countless trees. Seeing no movement, the hunting vehicles then headed back into the dense forest.

Luo Zhan broke into a cold sweat. If not for Guo Shier’s reminder to move, this attack would have exposed them completely.

Guo Shier whispered, “Keep moving! Don’t stop!”

……

The Great Beast Sorcerer Lu Ning was desperate. Although Luo Jie and his men had drawn away hundreds of hunting vehicles from the periphery, those surrounding them hadn’t moved, still watching closely. It was now impossible to try to take advantage of the chaos.

In despair, he issued an order: “Charge! Charge back!” Lu Ning realized that even if they managed to break into the mountainous area, they wouldn’t be able to go far—the enemy’s hunting vehicles could easily block their path. It was better to retreat back into the forest, where there was still a sliver of hope for survival.

The six Beast Warriors activated their beast armor and rushed desperately toward those surrounding them.

At that moment, a distinctive hunting vehicle flew over. Two people jumped out of it and rushed forward like a gust of wind, heading straight for the Beast Warriors. One of them laughed loudly and said, “I’ll go left, you go right—let’s see who catches more!”

As soon as the two sides clashed, two Beast Warriors fell. Lu Ning immediately realized they were two master-level experts. They had waited until now to strike. Moving left and right like a unstoppable force, they rushed into the crowd, and no one could stop them. In the blink of an eye, they reached Lu Ning’s side.

A Great Beast Sorcerer was a profession where one couldn’t be approached closely. Once caught, their strength was no better than that of a Beast Warrior. Even if Lu Ning tried to fight desperately, he couldn’t do anything and was knocked unconscious with a single palm strike.

“Tie them all up and take them away. Put binding talismans on them, and don’t forget the identification talismans too. Hehe, we’ve made a good catch this time—encountering experts from the Lower-Level Talisman Continent. We can sell them for a good price when we get back!”

……

Guo Shier and the others could no longer see the battle behind them, nor did they know that Lu Ning had been captured alive. Luo Zhan, along with a few Talisman Warriors, moved carefully, staying far away from the battlefield.

Only when the enemies were out of sight did Luo Zhan straighten up and ask, “Should we continue along the edge of the forest or cross this open area from here?” He naturally handed over command, as if Guo Shier wasn’t a nine-year-old child but a qualified Talismanist.

Guo Shier said, “Let’s go. If we don’t leave now, it will be daylight soon. At that time… we’ll be delayed another day, and no one knows what might happen.”
Luo Zhan whispered, “Okay, follow me. Don’t get separated and make as little noise as possible.” He narrowed his eyes, scanning the ground to find the best place to set foot. He moved slowly, crossing the open area at a leisurely pace.
Xiao Feng was second, carrying Chen Hong on his back. The group marched in a single file, moving forward one after another. There was no need to rush; they could only walk slowly. If they sped up, the sound of their footsteps would carry far, especially on such a quiet night.
The group was gradually approaching the foot of the mountain. Luo Zhan felt tired. If he had gone at full speed, it would have taken no more than twenty minutes to reach the foot of the mountain, but now they had spent five whole hours. Even normal walking speed would be faster than theirs.
“Uncle Luo, we need to find the entrance to the mountain as soon as possible. It’s about to get light!”
The east was already showing signs of dawn. Fortunately, a thin layer of mist appeared in time, temporarily hiding their tracks. Luo Zhan said, “Let’s speed up a bit!”
Huo Bao whispered, “Look, is that the mountain entrance?”
Luo Zhan and the others looked up. Behind a few solitary trees, there was a low hill with a not-too-high stone wall. Following the wall forward, there indeed was a small entrance—likely the path into the mountain.
Guo Shier exclaimed happily, “Great! Let’s go in quickly!”
Luo Zhan said, “Follow me!” He carried Guo Shier on his back and rushed forward, no longer caring about making noise. If it weren’t for the thin mist, they would likely have been discovered.
Once a Sorcerer of Talismans exerted his strength, his running speed was extremely fast. They reached the entrance in just a few dozen seconds. Guo Shier kept saying, “Don’t stop! Hurry! Keep running! Hopefully, the noise from earlier didn’t alert those guys!”
The terrain gradually rose. After climbing several consecutive hills, another large mountain appeared. Guo Shier said without hesitation, “Climb the mountain! Get over there!”
Luo Zhan shouted, “Let’s climb the mountain!” By now, he no longer had any reservations and spoke loudly. He led the way at the front, drawing a talisman sword and quickly cutting through the branches and weeds blocking their path. The five of them leaped and rushed up the mountain.

Soon, they reached the mountain ridge. It was a steep peak, and once they climbed up, they could see endless ranges of mountains, deep valleys, all in full view. The red sun rose slowly in the east, with clouds swirling—truly a rare and beautiful sight. The place where the battle had taken place yesterday was also clearly visible, and there were even hunting vehicles roaming around. Guo Shieru worriedly said, “I wonder if Master has managed to escape?” Luo Zhan replied, “Shieru, don’t worry. The old man isn’t an ordinary person; he’ll definitely be able to escape. With two masters together, having worked as partners for so many years, their combined strength is extraordinary. I’m sure they can get rid of those hunting vehicles.” Guo Shieru nodded and said, “Let’s head over there…” He pointed at a distant peak and said, “If we cross that peak, we’ll be safe.” The five martial artists picked up the five children again and moved quickly along the ridge. Following the ridge downward, they came to a cliff face. After going around it, they climbed another peak, gradually moving further away. After rushing all day, they reached a stream at noon, with a waterfall not far away, producing a loud rushing sound. Guo Shieru said, “Let’s rest by the pool under the waterfall.” Luo Zhan said, “I’ll keep watch. Shieru, you take the kids and boil water. Hehe, we’ll finally be able to drink some hot soup.” Chen Hong said, “Xiao Baozi, you guys go chop wood… I need firewood; otherwise, the smoke will be too strong and people will notice!” She became more lively. The journey had been extremely dangerous, and it was remarkable that she, a little girl, had followed silently the whole way—it was really not easy for her. Guo Shieru laughed and said, “Don’t go too far. Look for wood nearby! If you see any danger, signal immediately.” Huo Bao called Hong Shi and Chen Bing and said, “Let’s go get some dry wood. Ugh, I’m dying of boredom.” Guo Shieru set up a large copper pot and said, “This time, we’ll use earth dragon meat to make soup. It’s delicious and good for health.” Three large copper pots were set up together, and earth dragon meat cut into fist-sized pieces was put in. After cooking for over an hour, the aroma made everyone salivate. They had been eating dried meat for almost half a year and had almost forgotten what hot soup tasted like. Huo Bao stared at the copper pot, muttering nonstop, “I want a big pot… I want a big pot… I’m hungry!” This made Guo Shieru laugh uncontrollably. Chen Hong said, “Shieru, stop laughing. I want a big pot too… Ugh, I’m so hungry…” This statement about being hungry made everyone salivate again.

Luo Zhan returned, smelled the aroma, and said, “Ah, I’m so hungry!” This made everyone laugh. He asked in confusion, “What’s wrong? Did I say something wrong? Why are you laughing?”