Although Jiang Yao hadn’t said anything else about the rejection he got from Luo Xiao, the rest of the morning went by in silence. Mostly because Luo Xiao couldn’t help but feel quite guilty about it.
The two of them made their way towards the Beast Ridge quietly, with Luo Xiao doing everything he could think of to avoid Jiang Yao’s eyes. The young man couldn’t help but think back to that dark look in the prince’s eyes, most likely disappointed in him pushing him away.
Their goal in coming here was to find a certain plant, and use it to get stronger.
The looming figure of the Fourth Demon Prince always stood in the back of his mind, and Luo Xiao could only look forward to the day he would be able to stand up to face him on his own. That demon was vile and cruel, and Luo Xiao had no intentions to crumble under his scheming and manipulative hands.
The two of them left the little town, and finally headed towards the Beast Ridge.
Looming over the town, the mountain rose up into the sky like a giant wall, built with the single purpose to be intimidating and impossible to traverse; it was quite a place. The bare rocks at the very top of the thin, almost narrow crest of the Beast Ridge seemed so sharp, even from as far away as Luo Xiao currently stood. He could almost feel its ability to cut skin like a knife through butter.
Below them were many, many ravines, filled with razor-sharp fragments of rock, clearly piled there over many, many millennia, and it was only between them that the smallest of bushes made their appearance. These small, twisted, and calloused bushes were the last thing that could survive on those rocky parts; they were the only thing with roots deep enough to reach into whatever soil there remained to keep them in place before it would be eroded from the wind and rain on the ridge.
But that scenery was in a place far, far away from where Luo Xiao and Jiang Yao stood. In front of them was instead a deep, deep forest; the kind that would really only be spoken about in legends. Tree trunks, branches and roots mingled together like one unit, with thorny bushes at every step, making it nigh impossible to traverse through. And yet, a path started in the forest from where the two of them stood, making it clear that it was in fact possible to make one’s way through the forest.
Jiang Yao’s expression was back to normal, as if the rejection hadn’t hurt him at all. Which was obviously a lie.
But now wasn’t the time for that. Despite being unwilling to admit it, and he probably never would, Luo Xiao had reminded him that they had work to do. They had come to the Beast Ridge to train, not to spend their time cuddling and being close. As much as the prince really wanted to do that, and even more than just those few things.
“The Beast Ridge,” he spoke, startling Luo Xiao in the process. “The place where a majority of the strongest beasts of this land come from.”
“Most of the beasts don’t leave their territories when they are weak. But when they get stronger, they tend to move up into various regions to both test their ability and luck, but also to claim new territory for themselves. This place is dangerous, so be very careful.”
“Mhm,” Luo Xiao nodded slowly, his eyes travelling back to the forest.
“Our goal was the Fourth Region, which is pretty deep in. Making our way through this forest will take awhile on foot, so…”
Jiang Yao didn’t continue with words. Instead, he grabbed Luo Xiao on the waist and flew towards the sky, ignoring the surprised squeal from him as he was suddenly raised in the air.
Within a few minutes, the two of them had crossed three of the regions, and finally landed in the middle of the Fourth Region.
Shaken up from the sudden, and quite fast flight, Luo Xiao stared at the woods around them in something similar to shock. However, it did not last long, as the roar of a beast shook their vicinity.
A gigantic lion head, attached to the body of a snake, made its way into the little clearing the two of them had landed into, instantly making Luo Xiao almost paralyzed with fear.
That beast was much stronger than any similar creature he’d ever faced before. Those sickly yellow eyes locked onto him, making him shiver in place, and rendering him unable to even breathe. The breath of the creature felt like walking into a swamp, the scent of rot and blood washing over him, and the rattle of its tail was so loud that it almost drowned out every noise from around them.
Luo Xiao was sure he was beyond dead.
“Stupid pest,” Jiang Yao’s voice suddenly broke the illusion of death, sounding annoyed.
And annoyed he was, as he suddenly waved his hand, sending numerous icicles in the direction of the beast, far too quickly for it to even react. Just like that, the beast was slain, and limply fell on the ground, it’s body pierced by at least a dozen icicles, completely lifeless.
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