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The continuous mountain ranges were like giant dragons prostrate on the ground, exuding a desolate and ancient aura.
Gale winds raged in the sky, and dense, dark clouds covered it year-round, never dispersing.
The sunlight struggled to penetrate the dark clouds and gale winds, illuminating the World.
But even at noon, which should have been the brightest time of day, it still felt like evening or dusk.
The entire World was lead-gray; flowers, plants, mountains, and rivers, whose colors should have been vibrant, were all dulled in such gloomy light.
A lean young man, dressed in a black classical robe and wearing a matching pointed soft cap, sat on the back of a Lightning Turtle whose feet crackled with electric arcs.
He held a map in his hand and murmured to himself, "It should be in this area, right? How come I don't see a single soul?"
After collecting all the easily obtainable Heavenly Flames in the Northwest of the continent, Amon was ready to head North.
Although on the map, the Northwest bordered the North of the continent, if he were to fly there, even with Space Fire allowing for short-distance spatial movement, he didn't know how much time it would take.
So Amon's plan was to go to the nearest city with a Space Wormhole and pass through it.
His destination was Eagle Tooth City, a city located deep within the mountains.
However, this city seemed difficult to find; Amon had been wandering for half a day and still hadn't seen a single person nearby.
A beast's roar caught Amon's attention.
His spirit power swept over, revealing a fifth-tier Blazing Fire Cat chasing a middle-aged man of the Dou Spirit rank.
The Worm of Spirit controlling the Lightning Turtle didn't need a reminder from its main body; with a sudden burst, it roared and galloped towards the scene of the chase.
The Blazing Fire Cat didn't seem to be in a hurry to kill the Dou Spirit; its eyes held cruelty and mockery.
It enjoyed the feeling of toying with its prey, watching them die in struggle and pain.
The middle-aged Dou Spirit gritted his teeth; the claw marks on his back were infused with fire poison, causing him to feel waves of burning pain that constantly intensified.
"This damned thing."
A hint of despair emerged in his heart, but he quickly suppressed it.
Even though he knew the opponent had been toying with him for several minutes, letting go of several opportunities to kill him, he could only struggle and flee as the opponent expected.
If he kept running, there might still be a chance of rescue, however slim; he wouldn't just wait for death.
His physical strength was gradually depleting, his Dou Qi was almost exhausted, and significant blood loss made his vision blur.
He bit the tip of his tongue to clear his head a bit.
"I'll go all out; even if I die, I'll bite a piece of flesh off this beast."
The middle-aged Dou Spirit stopped fleeing, preparing for a final struggle.
The Blazing Fire Cat jumped onto a tree, looking down at the middle-aged man from above, leisurely licking its paws, a hint of mockery flashing in its eyes.
It still didn't initiate an attack, merely watching the dying Dou Spirit struggle.
"Not even giving me a chance to fight to the death?" A bitter feeling arose in the middle-aged man's heart.
A sudden sound, growing louder from a distance, caught their attention.
Amidst the roaring and crackling of electricity, a giant turtle, like a cannonball, slammed into the Blazing Fire Cat.
The immense impact directly sent it flying.
The Blazing Fire Cat spun half a circle in the air before landing on the ground, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.
Just as it was about to let out a warning roar at the sudden attacker, a pale hand pierced through its skull, digging out its demonic core.
Casually shaking off the blood from his hand, Amon turned his gaze to the Dou Spirit who had been chased by the Blazing Fire Cat earlier.
Seeing him on the verge of collapse, Amon flicked his finger, sending him a fourth-grade healing pill.
"Take this; it's for healing.
I have some questions for you."
The middle-aged Dou Spirit didn't hesitate, taking the pill from the jade bottle and swallowing it.
From the ease with which the other party killed the Blazing Fire Cat that had pushed him to the brink, this was a powerful expert he couldn't contend with.
The other party had saved his life from the Blazing Fire Cat, so there was no need to be overly cautious.
After taking the pill, the middle-aged Dou Spirit felt a warm energy flowing through his meridians.
As this energy circulated, all his injuries, except for the stubborn fire poison still lingering on his back, improved at a rapid pace, and his body's fatigue also eased considerably.
"Senior, your great kindness is beyond words.
My name is Ming Hong.
If there's anything I can do, please don't hesitate to say so."
Amon adjusted his monocle and asked, "From your appearance, you don't seem to be someone who would venture so deep into the forest alone.
Is Eagle Tooth City nearby?
Do you know its location?"
Ming Hong showed a smile, happy to be able to repay this senior who saved his life, and quickly nodded:
"Yes, yes, Senior, is this your first time in Eagle Tooth City?
Although Eagle Tooth City is nearby, it has been sealed off by a Dou Venerate senior using a Space Lock, so no one knows its exact location.
However, there are specific entrances to get in."
"These entrances are not on the surface but underground, and they are quite hidden.
Therefore, it's difficult for first-time visitors to find the way without someone guiding them.
Senior, are you going to Eagle Tooth City?
I can lead the way for you."
Amon nodded, jumped onto the Lightning Turtle's back, and said softly, "Then let's go."
He glanced at Ming Hong and added, "You come up too."
Ming Hong looked at the enormous Lightning Turtle, which exuded a terrifying aura, feeling awe towards this sixth-tier magical beast, and even more reverence for Amon, who could use such a terrifying magical beast as a mount.
After a moment of hesitation, he climbed onto the turtle's back with some trepidation.
"Senior, about fifty li from here, there's a mountain ravine.
Below that ravine is an entrance to Eagle Tooth City."
Amon didn't know much about Eagle Tooth City, only that it had a Space Wormhole leading to the Barbarian Tribe territory in the North of the continent.
He asked with a hint of curiosity:
"Is there anything special about Eagle Tooth City?
Why is it hidden so secretly?"
Ming Hong answered without reservation:
"Eagle Tooth City is actually a massive black market.
Some forces sell captured people through here to the Northern Barbarian Tribe's territory.
Also, slaves from the Northern Barbarian Tribes are sold here."
"The surrounding Empires don't have a good attitude towards Eagle Tooth City, and it doesn't have the same powerful strength as the Black-Corner Region.
If it were too blatant, it would easily be besieged."
"Therefore, compared to an openly chaotic area like the Black-Corner Region, Eagle Tooth City is much more low-key.
If it weren't located deep within these mountains and had never touched the core interests of the surrounding Empires, it would probably have been eliminated long ago."
"Is that so… Then which forces should I be aware of in the city?
What's the strongest individual's approximate strength?" Amon continued to ask.
Ming Hong thought for a moment and replied, "The strongest family in the city is the Xu Family.
This Space Lock, it is said, was left by an ancestor of the Xu Family, and they are also the managing family of the Space Wormhole here."
"The Xu Family has an old ancestor who is said to be of Dou Ancestor strength.
However, such a great figure is not someone I can come into contact with, so I can't say exactly how strong he is."
"I heard that the Xu Family also has connections with a branch of the Barbarian Serpent Tribe in the North of the continent.
The wife of the Xu Family patriarch seems to be from the Barbarian Serpent Tribe."
Xu Family, Barbarian Serpent Tribe… Do people named Xu have a soft spot for snakes? Amon muttered to himself.
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