"Ah!"
Liu Qian heard Janice let out a delicate cry, like a frightened deer, followed by the strange looks from Jelena and the other warriors. Only then did he realize that his recent Prairie Fire had turned the temporarily woven feather skirt into ashes.
He stood naked amidst the pile of corpses, and Janice's startled cry and the guards' strange looks made him somewhat embarrassed.
He only covered his body after Jelena threw him a robe.
After getting dressed, Liu Qian approached Janice.
He didn't understand High Valyrian, so he could only rely on Janice to relay information.
But his unintentional action alerted the warriors.
When he tried to approach Janice, the guards immediately raised their swords in a defensive posture, their eyes under their bronze helmets filled with vigilance and distrust, even though Liu Qian had just fought alongside them.
Fortunately, Janice reacted at this moment and quickly said, "Sister, let him come. He won't hurt me. You know I can distinguish whether everyone is benevolent or malicious."
Jelena also knew that her sisters were right.
However, the flame sorcery Liu Qian displayed was too great a threat, and she was very afraid that Liu Qian had some ulterior motive for Janice.
After a moment of hesitation, Jelena still agreed to Janice's request, allowing Liu Qian to come and talk to Janice.
Seeing Liu Qian safe and sound, Janice showed a happy smile: "Liu Qian, it's really great that you managed to escape from that Chimera. I thought…"
Janice stopped speaking mid-sentence, afraid that her jinx would bring misfortune.
Liu Qian looked at Janice, whose half-ugly face was covered by thick hair as bright as molten silver, revealing only the beautiful left half of her face, and said:
"Maybe I was lucky. I plunged into the dead forest and ran for my life, and that strange bird might have gotten tired and stopped chasing."
Liu Qian did not intend to reveal the fact that he had killed the Chimera.
Janice translated Liu Qian's words to Jelena, but saw Jelena cast a look at her.
"That kind of Chimera lives near the Fourteen Fires all year round and rarely comes here to forage. Perhaps there is something here that interests it."
Liu Qian felt a faint unease upon hearing this. Could that purple-haired monster have come for him?
He remained calm and changed the subject:
"Wait, you said it's called a Chimera?"
Jelena also had no intention of dwelling on the previous question and had Janice translate for her: "Chimeras are creatures created by Valyrian Wizards using Blood Magic. Their form is usually a combination of different creatures, but these creatures are tyrannical and uncontrollable. Ancient Valyrian Wizards always kept them in laboratories near the Fourteen Fires, but when the Doom came, along with the uncontrollable Blood Magic materials, these terrifying creatures were released."
Liu Qian understood after hearing Jelena's explanation.
According to his understanding of the Ice and Fire world in his previous life, Valyrian Wizards not only tamed dragons but were also obsessed with Blood Magic involving flesh-sewing and other dark tricks.
They forced humans to mate with other creatures to produce deformed offspring, creating terrifying creatures with the characteristics of different organisms to drive and enslave them.
There was even a theory that dragons were also creatures created by Valyrian Wizards using Blood Magic.
Many questions in Liu Qian's mind were gradually answered by Jelena's words.
Those human-faced maggots that burrowed into sailors' bodies and cooked them were definitely the product of Wizards transforming fire dragon worms.
Also, the scales that Janice mentioned the residents of Teria were born with, which gradually covered their entire bodies as they aged, were very likely caused by some Blood Magic material the Wizards kept in their laboratories.
Liu Qian was fortunate that he didn't go to Valyria City with Gillian, and even more fortunate that he escaped along the way.
His guess was correct; Valyria City was full of dangers, and the Fourteen Fires were nearby, suffering the greatest impact after the Doom.
He could already imagine the terrifying scene of monsters everywhere in the Fourteen Fires and Valyria City. That crazy Gillian was still delusional, hoping to seize treasures in Valyria City.
"Who are these people?"
Liu Qian's gaze lingered on the well-disciplined warriors around him for a while, then he asked.
Jelena did not conceal: "These are my subordinates, the warriors of Teria. We came out this time to collect ghost grass and bring them back to Teria."
"Is this ghost grass very important to you?" Liu Qian pressed.
"ghost grass is a key material used by the Blood Wizard of Teria to make potions that inhibit the growth rate of scales, so of course, it's very important to us," Jelena explained, listening to Janice relay Liu Qian's continuous questions.
Upon hearing the word "Wizard," Liu Qian's heart was filled with curiosity. Did Blood Wizards still exist in Teria?
Did the Doom not wipe out all these madmen?
Liu Qian was a bit troubled.
He originally wanted to go to Teria with the sisters Jelena, on the one hand, to understand the secrets of the Valyrian Doom, and on the other hand, to search for dragon eggs and Valyrian weapons.
However, the information revealed in Jelena's words made Liu Qian extremely hesitant.
He felt that his current strength was much greater than when he first arrived at the Valyrian Ruins.
Especially since he had just harvested a large amount of Dragon Spirit, and his bloodline purity had already reached 3%.
But facing the Blood Wizards of Valyria, to say he had 100% confidence in getting out unscathed would be false.
On one side was staying in the dead forest to continue killing monsters to improve his bloodline purity, and on the other was going to Teria to seek greater opportunities.
Liu Qian pondered for a moment and quickly made a decision.
Although staying in the dead forest to continue hunting Scale Claw monsters could improve his bloodline purity.
But as Jelena just said, Chimeras would not stay far from Valyria City.
Liu Qian had an ominous premonition that this Chimera was coming for him.
If there was one, there would be more. If Jelena hadn't shot an arrow that destroyed one of its heads, and he hadn't ambushed its buttocks causing it serious injury, Liu Qian might not have been able to kill it so easily.
It was too dangerous outside.
Teria was the only city in Valyria that he currently knew had residents.
Liu Qian could inquire about the whereabouts of dragon eggs there.
Even if there were no dragon eggs, it would not be too late to find an opportunity to leave and return to continue grinding in the wilderness.
After all, this was his only legitimate chance to enter.
Liu Qian told Jelena his idea of going to Teria, and to his surprise, Jelena had no objections.
She told Liu Qian:
"The Wizard Lord of Teria has always asked us to bring outsiders who trespass into Valyria back, because Teria's population is dwindling and needs outsiders to work for Teria for free. This is Teria's tradition."
"What happened to those people later?"
Liu Qian didn't care about the free labor issue; he also wanted a reason to go to Teria.
Jelena looked at him deeply: "They all died. No one can survive in the Valyrian Ruins forever. This place is filled with various Blood Magic creatures. Teria's black stone walls can defend against all creatures, except for parasites. Those who rashly intrude but are lucky enough to reach Teria will be killed by some cruel parasitic creatures. Only infected residents like us are immune to these disgusting bugs."
Liu Qian's heart skipped a beat. The image of being parasitized by human-faced maggots was still vivid in his mind, and he really didn't want to die so painfully.
However, he immediately realized that he had been fine for so long. Could it be that his dragon bloodline also had a miraculous effect against parasites?
No longer thinking, Liu Qian looked at Jelena and probed: "Aren't you afraid that I'll go to Teria and be detrimental to you? I'm a Wizard."
Jelena, who had witnessed Liu Qian's strength, frowned upon hearing this: "I advise you not to act excessively in Teria. Teria is ruled by the Blood Wizard Lord, and no one can cause trouble under his nose, not even you, an Eastern Wizard."
Liu Qian heard Jelena's naked threat and couldn't help but smile.
Was the Blood Wizard of Teria really as powerful as she said?
He didn't agree in his heart.
If that were truly the case, that Blood Wizard would have already led the residents of Teria to restore Valyria's glory. Why would he be struggling to survive here?
However, being careful was also appropriate.
He looked at Jelena, who was currently directing soldiers to clear the battlefield and carry away the bodies of the fallen Teria warriors.
After cleaning up, everyone set off for Teria.