After an unknown amount of time, an ancient aura hit Lin Xiao, and a scene resembling a primeval forest unfolded before his eyes.
Towering ancient trees, cloud-piercing peaks, rugged rocks, and the roars of barbaric beasts created an ancient grandeur.
Lin Xiao hovered in the air, scanning his surroundings. Not far away, there were piles of shattered earth and stone, covered in moss, clearly the remnants of a battlefield. Over time, the ruins had sprouted moss and grass.
“The seven stars’ alignment can only be determined at night,” Lin Xiao mused. This space had its own sun, moon, and stars, though whether they were projections from the greater world or formed within the space itself was unclear.
That wasn’t the point. The focus was finding opportunities in the Mysterious Domain Battlefield.
With his current first-level Martial King cultivation, he had likely been teleported to the edge of the battlefield. His goal was to head towards the centre, where the greatest opportunities lay.
Surveying a radius of dozens of miles, Lin Xiao saw no one.
The number of people entering the Mysterious Domain Battlefield was likely small. Even the Holy City, one of the greatest powers in the Chaotic Lands, had only sent just over two hundred.
With those two hundred scattered across tens of thousands of miles, the chance of being teleported near someone else was slim.
When night fell and he confirmed his direction, Lin Xiao set off.
For three days, Lin Xiao travelled alone through the primeval forest, encountering no powerful spirit beasts.
Roar!
But at noon on the third day, an ape’s howl echoed, and a giant ape emerged from a mountaintop.
This ape was covered in long, curly red fur, standing ten metres tall with a massive frame. Its palms were larger than a human.
“A Curly-Haired Violent Ape!”
Lin Xiao’s heart jolted. Though not particularly famous, these red curly-haired apes were now exceedingly rare.
In ancient times, they were among the most common ape spirit beasts, immensely strong, ill-tempered, and travelling in large groups, making them a formidable and troublesome race. Most would steer clear.
This battlefield was indeed extraordinary to have Curly-Haired Violent Apes.
Roar!
Spotting Lin Xiao, the ape reacted as if seeing an enemy, its temper flaring. A violent aura erupted, and with a single slap of its massive palm, half the mountain crumbled into dust. A deafening roar shook the surrounding dozens of miles.
“A mid-tier fourth-rank spirit beast!” Lin Xiao’s brows furrowed, and he quickly retreated.
At the same time, behind the mid-tier fourth-rank ape, several peaks collapsed, dust billowing as ancient trees toppled.
As expected, it wasn’t just one ape but a group.
A single mid-tier fourth-rank Curly-Haired Violent Ape was already more than Lin Xiao could handle. A group would be extremely dangerous.
Fortunately, Lin Xiao could not only form wings with his vital energy but also fly using spiritual power. Combining both, his speed surpassed the mid-tier fourth-rank ape’s. After flying over a hundred miles, he shook off the group.
To avoid being pursued, Lin Xiao took a detour, travelling several hundred miles before stopping to rest.
Ahead, four figures appeared in Lin Xiao’s line of sight—three men and one woman, looking rather dishevelled.
“Who are you?” Seeing Lin Xiao, the four turned, their gazes wary.
Lin Xiao made no effort to hide his first-level Martial King aura. Once they sensed his cultivation, they relaxed.
A first-level Martial King was practically the weakest here, posing no threat to them.
Lin Xiao, in turn, sensed their cultivations. All four were second-level Martial Kings, with one fleshy-faced young man exuding the strongest presence.
“Kid, which faction are you from?” the fleshy-faced man demanded.
“Lin Xiao, from the Lin family,” Lin Xiao replied humbly.
Revealing his Holy Origin Academy identity might attract trouble if word reached the Nether Sky Demon Palace disciples.
Lin Xiao wasn’t afraid, but he didn’t want unnecessary hassle.
The Lin family he mentioned didn’t exist in the Chaotic Lands, so they wouldn’t know it.
“The Lin family? Never heard of it…” the fleshy-faced man said, his face full of disdain.
The other three shook their heads. They, too, had never heard of a Lin family in the Chaotic Lands.
A faction unknown to them must be utterly insignificant.
“The Lin family is just a small faction. I’m sure you haven’t heard of it,” Lin Xiao explained, playing along.
After a pause, a plain-looking young man stepped forward and said, “Brother Lin Xiao, I’m Wu Yifeng, also from a minor faction. Why don’t you join us to head to Mist Forest City? There are too many spirit beasts here, and there’s safety in numbers.”
“I’m Zhang Fan!” a lean young man added.
“Wu Xiaofei!” the ordinary-looking woman introduced herself, clearly agreeing to Lin Xiao’s inclusion.
“Hmph, you lot may be from minor factions, but I, Song Dong, am not! Letting a first-level Martial King join—are you trying to drag us down?” the fleshy-faced youth crossed his arms, his face full of contempt. “Even if you want to, I won’t allow it. I call the shots here!”
Wu Yifeng frowned but didn’t dare argue outright. Instead, he politely said to Song Dong, “Brother Song, it’s not easy for Brother Lin Xiao to be here alone. Plus, there are plenty of powerful spirit beasts on the way to Mist Forest City. Brother Lin Xiao, as a first-level Martial King, won’t be entirely useless.”
“Right, Brother Song. Even if he’s just running, Lin Xiao can distract some spirit beasts. We’re in a tough spot, so please, show some leniency,” Wu Xiaofei added.
Hearing Wu Xiaofei’s words, Lin Xiao frowned. Were they suggesting he join just to use him as bait for spirit beasts?
But when Wu Xiaofei glanced at him, Lin Xiao held his tongue. She likely meant well, phrasing it this way to secure his place in the group.
Hearing this, Song Dong paused, then smirked coldly, thinking Wu Xiaofei was clever. He nodded, “Fine, bringing him along isn’t out of the question. But if anything happens, I won’t look after him.”
“Heh, don’t worry, we won’t trouble Brother Song,” Wu Yifeng smiled, looking relieved.
“Thanks!” Lin Xiao joined the group, nodding to Wu Yifeng and the others. It was clear they were helping him.
“By the way, what’s this Mist Forest City?” Lin Xiao asked curiously.
