Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

After a little haggling, Yang Ling had obtained a full eight Black Pulp Tree saplings and ten Black Pulp Melons at a cost of two thousand weapons and sets of armor.

In addition, with Yang Ling’s promise of fair treatment, the fox elder made preparations to move a portion of the clansmen to live permanently in Wissen Town, mainly the elderly and the kids. After all, the Ladak Mountain Range was a dangerous place to live.

But Wissen Town was different. There was a large amount of undeveloped, arable land on the town’s outskirts. One would not have to worry about lacking rations for the winter as long as they were willing to put in the effort. With a large group of fierce warriors defending the town, the elder believed that not many would dare invade or rob them. It was much safer there than in the Ladak Mountain Range.

“Sir, the saplings of the Black Pulp Tree grow slowly, but if you can find a large amount of sulfur, you might be able to harvest a few Black Pulp Melons in just a few years!” The fox elder reminded Yang Ling loudly. He was excited after having obtained a large amount of weapons and armor for the tribe, as well as having fought for a good home for his clansmen.

“Didn’t you say that there is a sulfur mine nearby? Why must I look elsewhere?”

Yang Ling was a little confused. Since there was a large sulfur mine nearby, why didn’t the Beastmen do a large scale excavation and nurture the slow-growing Black Pulp Trees?

Could the Beastmen still be hiding some techniques when it came to the nurturing of the saplings?

Seeing the eight precious saplings, then looking at the elated fox elder and dog elder, Yang Ling felt that this wasn’t the case. For the future of their clansmen and the prosperity of their tribe, the Beastmen had no desire to play around with Yang Ling.

Seeing Yang Ling’s confusion, the fox elder let out a sigh and began to explain.

It turned out that the Beastman tribe had only moved here from near the Aila Mountain Pass a few years ago. They had sent people to scout the surroundings when they had moved here and found the Taildon Valley, a place that looked sinister all year round. There was not only a large sulfur mine within the valley, there were also various rare crystals. Unfortunately, the place was teeming with monsters which made it hard for the scouts to delve too deeply into the area.

“A few years ago, our tribe tried to head to the Taildon Valley, prepared to clear the area of monsters and Magical Beasts. To our dismay, of the three hundred people we sent, only a handful were lucky enough to return. Even a few warriors at the level of Great Swordsmen and Great Spellcasters met with misfortune. The power of our tribe fell drastically from then on!”

The fox elder unbuttoned his shirt as he spoke. Yang Ling looked over to see a jagged scar at his chest. It looked as if it had been inflicted with a sharp blade, or the claw of some wild beast.

Even a few Great Swordsmen and Great Spellcasters met with misfortune?

Originally, Yang Ling had not paid too much attention to the Magical Beasts said to live in the Taildon Valley, but his expression turned serious when he learned of the Beastmen’s experience. A lone Great Swordsman or Great Spellcaster might not be too terrifying, but with the support of over three hundred warriors, a few Great Swordsmen and Great Spellcasters would also be able to unleash a tremendous battle prowess.

“Sir, you must not enter the Taildon Valley rashly. There are corpses all around the valley. Who knows how many warriors and Spellcasters have died in there over the millennia!” The fox elder had a serious expression. “The thousand mile radius around the Taildon Valley is a land of death. According to my knowledge, there are even the remains of a few Sword Saints and Magical Tutors not far away from the entrance. You must not act rashly.”

Even Sword Saints and Magical Tutors have fallen there?

Yang Ling swallowed with difficulty. The abilities of a Great Swordsman were a far cry from those of a Sword Saint. If even a few Sword Saints and Magical Tutors had met with misfortune there, then the Magical Beasts of the Taildon Valley were too terrifying.

Could it be that there are level eight, or even level nine Magical Beasts there?

Yang Ling’s expression became serious when he recalled the terrifying Nine-headed Snake Monster. He might stand a chance against a level eight Magical Beast, but if there was a level nine Magical Beast in the area, then he had to run as far as he could. Rashly entering the valley would be like a moth fluttering to a flame, inviting his own death.

“According to our deductions, other than a large group of intermediate level Magical Beasts, there is at least an advanced level eight or higher Magical Beast in the Taildon Valley!” Clenching on the staff in his hand and recalling the pitiful battle he had fought in, the fox elder had a bleak expression. “Do not even think about moving as you wish within the valley unless you are a Sage level expert. If we had a Sage level expert, the Beastmen would not be as we are today, without status or dignity!”

The expressions of the surrounding Beastmen turned dull, some even tearing up on the spot when the term “Sage level expert” was brought up. Over the millennia, all the races with large populations, from the humans to the Orcs, had possessed Sage level warriors or Spellcasters. Only the Beastmen had none to speak of.

In order to change the plight of their clansmen, countless Beastmen had trained manically. But neither the intelligent Foxmen, the powerful Bullmen, or any of the others had managed to reach the level of Sword Saint or Magical Tutor. The humans and Orcs had many powerful fighters, but the Beastmen were unable to change their powerlessness.

Over the millennia, Sage level had become an unattainable dream!

In order to one day break through their limitations, many Beastmen had tolerated the humiliation and lived on stubbornly. Unfortunately, even after millennia had passed, none of the Beastmen could break through the barrier high above.

“A few thousand years ago, the powerful Orcs ruled over most of the land on the continent, and the humans could only proliferate in the wilderness. But ever since the powerful Church appeared for the humans and gave rise to several Sage level experts, everything changed!”

The fox elder’s tone was dull as he slowly talked about the legends recorded in the history books.

The Church of Light had suddenly appeared on the continent a few thousand years ago, bringing with it a batch of fanatic worshippers and powerful missionaries. No one knew the background of the Church. No one knew what secrets the Church was hiding.

The Church sent a large number of Sage level fighters on a killing spree when they first appeared, helping the humans break out of the Orcs’ control, engaging in a war of epic proportions with the powerful Orcs.

In the war, the destructive power of Sage level warriors was incredibly terrifying. Both Sage level warriors and Sage level Spellcasters could kill off tens of thousands of the enemy forces in an instant. In the later stages of the war, the Orc empire also had someone advance to Sage level. Only then did they manage to achieve a ceasefire with the greedy humans.

“Oh, then there are still several Sage level experts left on the continent?” Yang Ling was not concerned about the fleeting legends; he was only interested in finding out just how many Sage level experts were left in the world today.

After taking in a deep breath, the fox elder said, “It is rumored that there are at least three Sage levels in the world today. The Banto Empire’s Sage level Spellcaster Saint Lucia, the Rossi Empire’s Sage level Swordsman Naistro, and the Orc King from the Orc Empire. It is rumored that the Pope of the Church has also reached Sage level, and might even be more terrifying than the average Sage level fighter!”

Saint Lucia, Naistro, the Orc King, the Pope… Yang Ling was silent, but he was secretly committing the names and identities of these people to memory.

Perhaps he would also be able to obtain the powers of the Sage level after training to the level of Soul Wizard or Wizard Deity!

Yang Ling believed that the Wizard Techniques he was cultivating were not the same as the magical spells or Battle Energy that existed in this world. In fact, it might even be much more powerful and mysterious. As long as he pressed on, Sage level might not be as far away as he imagined.

Even though he knew that the Taildon Valley was fraught with danger, Yang Ling did not give up. He instructed his army to quickly head to the Taildon Valley some ten miles away after bidding his farewells to the fox elder.

The power of the Black Pulp Melons was too alluring. In order to hasten the growth of the Black Pulp Tree saplings and build his own powerful tactical bombing unit, Yang Ling had decided to take the gamble.

Even though it was the height of the afternoon, the Taildon Valley was still sinister and chilly. A thick black cloud covered the sky above the valley, ever-changing. From far away, it looked like a giant mushroom cloud, but up close, it looked like a ferocious wild beast.

As they drew closer to the Taildon Valley, fewer wild beasts roamed the area, and the temperature dropped. Even though they were dressed in thick coats, the elf archers frequently shivered in the cold. Even the muscular barbarians were no exception.

“Master, the place before us is very dangerous. Be careful!”

With his natural instincts, the Twin-headed Ogre Braska felt an impending danger as he walked quickly toward Yang Ling. He raised his giant club and walked behind Yang Ling. Ever since Yang Ling had arranged for the old and weak Ogres to be sent back to Wissen Town, Braska had become more loyal. He would have served Yang Ling even if his soul had not been under Yang Ling’s control.

“Argus, send out five more scouts. We must understand the situation outside the Taildon Valley within four hours!” Yang Ling said as he summoned his Magical Beast army.

For some reason, he had a feeling of unease. The Horned Bee Beasts felt drained after flying two miles forward, and the images they sent back were becoming increasingly hazy, as if something was blocking the mental powers that he was releasing.

Yang Ling felt even more uneasy the closer he got to Taildon Valley. The effective range between him and the Horned Bee Beasts dropped from two miles to a mere eight hundred meters. He also had the feeling that he was being watched, as if some monster was coldly observing his every action. That feeling was akin to having a merciless poisonous snake latch on to his arm, impossible to shake off.

Did he have no choice but to give up halfway?

Catching a whiff of the increasingly thicker scent of sulfur in the air, looking at the trembling Gnomes and nervous elf archers, then looking at the uneasy Magical Beast army that had instinctively sensed danger, Yang Ling could not help but hesitate.

The sulfur was important, but it wasn’t worth suffering heavy casualties!

Without the Magical Beast army, he did not dare imagine how bad the situation in Wissen Town would become. Even the Rossi Empire might be tempted to attack, much less the Banto Empire that hadn’t given up. In fact, even the troops and adventurers in Wissen Town might have other intentions.

There are no permanent friends in the world, only permanent interests!

Today, the Rossi Empire was working with him to deal with the Banto Empire; tomorrow, they might stab him in the back. Today, Harribell was providing him with immense support, but if he were to suffer heavy casualties and lose control over Wissen Town, she might turn around and leave. In fact, even the elf archers and barbarians would leave him if he was at the end of his rope.

He could only truly count on the Magical Beasts he had tamed! Yang Ling understood that until he trained himself to a high level, the Magical Beast army would be his greatest asset. He could not allow them to suffer heavy casualties.