Swallowing the Stars: Starting with Panlong

Chapter 13: Monster Mountain Range

Level 6 Peak.

Standing on this threshold, Lin Yun clearly felt that relying solely on meditation and carving would make it difficult to break through in a short period of time. What he needed was real combat—to touch that invisible barrier in a life-or-death struggle, and then shatter it.

This idea had been swirling in his mind for a long time, and finally, one late autumn evening, he brought it up to Delin.

"Grandpa Delin, I want to go to the Monster Mountain Range to train."

In the woods behind the mountain, the setting sun painted the sky a golden red. Lin Yun stood under an old tree, his gaze calm and resolute. Lin Lei relayed a message for him, but his face showed obvious worry.

Delin floated out of the Panlong Ring and hovered in front of the two, remaining silent for a long time.

"Do you know how dangerous the Monster Mountain Range is?" His voice was calm, neither refusing nor agreeing. "It's not the back mountain of the academy; there are no instructors to come to your rescue in critical moments. You might encounter level seven, eight, or even nine monsters. One wrong move, and you're gone without a trace."

"I know," Lin Yun said.

"Aren't you afraid?"

"I'm afraid," Lin Yun said frankly, "but I have to go."

Delin looked at him, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.

This child was unlike anyone his age. His composure, his rationality, and his clear understanding of his own path far exceeded the expectations of a twelve-year-old. Sometimes, Delin even felt that standing before him was an adult who had lived for decades, not a teenager just entering puberty.

"Lin Yun," Delin's voice turned serious, "do you know why I agreed to let you go?"

Lin Yun shook his head.

"Because you're right," Delin said slowly. "You can't grow a great tree in a greenhouse. Your current strength is already top-notch in the academy, but it's far from enough for a real battlefield. You need real combat experience, the tempering of life and death. Only in that kind of environment can your magic truly transform into a means of killing enemies, instead of a trick used to demonstrate in the classroom."

He paused, then continued, "I won't stop you. True strength is never something that can be protected."

Lin Lei listened from the side, his expression shifting. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately swallowed his words. He knew his brother's personality—once he made a decision, not even the Nine-Headed Dragon could pull him back.

"However," Delin changed the subject, "you can't go alone. Take Bebe with you."

"Chirp!" Beibei jumped off Lin Lei's shoulder and onto Lin Yun's shoulder, patting his cheek with its little paws, looking like it had "I'll take care of you."

"Bebe..." Linley nodded reluctantly. He knew Delin was right—with Bebe by his side, Lin Yun's safety would be more assured. Although Bebe looked small and delicate, its speed, agility, and defense were enough to rival that of a level seven or eight magical beast.

"Don't worry," Lin Yun said to Lin Lei, "I'll come back safely."

Lin Lei took a deep breath and patted his younger brother on the shoulder: "I'll wait for you."

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Lin Yun, carrying a simple bag, quietly left Ernst Academy with Bei Bei.

His baggage contained only a few changes of clothes, some dry rations, a few bottles of healing potions, and a fine iron dagger—a custom-made piece he'd spent a considerable sum at the academy's blacksmith shop, its blade narrow and long, perfect for close combat. Although his magic was sufficient for most situations, he never put all his eggs in one basket.

Beibei perched on his shoulder, her little paws clutching his collar, her dark eyes filled with excitement.

"Chirp!" it chirped, as if to say, "Let's go."

The Monster Mountain Range, located north of Ernst Academy, stretches for nearly ten thousand miles and is one of the most densely populated areas of magical beasts on the Yulan Continent. It takes several days to walk there from the academy.

Along the way, Lin Yun did not use any magic to travel, but instead relied on his own two feet to move forward. He needed to allow his body to gradually adapt to the wild environment—the changes in temperature, the undulating terrain, the flow of energy—things he could not learn at the academy.

Beibei, on the other hand, was quite relaxed. Every now and then, she would jump off his shoulder and dart into the roadside bushes to chase butterflies or lizards, and then dart back, enjoying herself immensely.

A few days later, Lin Yun finally arrived at the edge of the Monster Mountain Range.

Standing at the foot of the mountain, he looked up—the continuous mountain range stretched across the sky like a giant barrier, steep and densely forested, with a thin layer of mist shrouding the upper slopes. Occasionally, a few roars of beasts echoed from the forest, deep and long, making one involuntarily wary.

The air was filled with an atmosphere completely different from that of the academy—damp, pungent, and with a faint, almost imperceptible, smell of blood. It was the scent left behind by magical beasts, a mark that had never faded from this mountain range over thousands of years.

After arriving here, Lin Yun frequently saw groups of people entering the Monster Mountain Range, ranging from three or four to seven or eight people. Very few people came here alone to train, unless they were extremely confident in their own strength. Only those who chose to enter the perilous Monster Mountain Range alone would do so.

Therefore, many people looked at Lin Yun as if he were a dead man. After all, Lin Yun, who looked no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, did not look like a master at all.

Some people extended offers to Lin Yun, inviting him to join their teams, but Lin Yun refused them all. Joining an unfamiliar team rashly was more dangerous than being alone.

Lin Yun took a deep breath and stepped into the forest.

Upon entering the Monster Mountain Range, Lin Yun immediately abandoned all his composure. Ancient trees, some hundreds or even thousands of years old, stretched as far as the eye could see, covered the ground with all sorts of weeds and thorns. The withered leaves were scattered all over the ground, and his footsteps made a sound. The surrounding area was dense with old vines and weeds.

"In this deep, ancient forest that has existed for who knows how many years, the weeds and vines are so dense that even if a magical beast were hiding ten meters away, you wouldn't be able to see it." Lin Yun felt a chill run down his spine.

Just to be on the safe side, Lin Yun silently recited a magic incantation.

A gentle breeze emanated from Lin Yun and spread outwards in all directions, eventually disappearing into the world.

Wind magic - Wind of Discovery!

Generally, once a mage reaches the third level, they can cast "Wind of Detection." However, the stronger the mage, the wider the range of Wind of Detection. A third-level mage's Wind of Detection has a range of about ten meters, while a sixth-level mage's Wind of Detection has a range of several hundred meters. Wind of Detection can sense the shape and aura of living beings. Within this range, no subtle movement can escape their perception—the rustling of leaves, the chirping of insects, the flowing of a stream in the distance, and... a few clusters of life hidden in the bushes.

That's a monster.

Lin Yun stopped, closed his eyes, and carefully sensed the strength of the auras. There were three, not large in size, and their auras weren't strong; they were probably level three magical beasts. To him, magical beasts of this level posed no threat whatsoever.

But he didn't rush to make a move.

He needs to adapt—to adapt to real combat, to a fight where it's either you or me. These things won't be taught in the classroom, nor will they be clearly explained in books. Only through personal experience can one truly grasp them.

Lin Yun held his breath and quietly approached the bushes.

He parted the leaves and saw three furry little creatures—wind foxes. They were about the same size as ordinary foxes, but their fur was brighter, and the tips of their tails gleamed with a faint bluish light. At that moment, they were huddled around a dead hare, fighting over the food.

The Wind Fox is a wind-type magical beast, skilled in short-range dashes and wind blade attacks. A level three Wind Fox's wind blades are roughly equivalent in power to a spell cast by a level three mage.

Lin Yun took a deep breath and raised his right hand.

A surge of spiritual energy erupted, and a purple arc of electricity shot out from his fingertips—

"Crack!"

Lightning-type level 3 magic - Lightning Arrow.

This was the first time in his three lifetimes that he had attacked a living creature. Although he had simulated it countless times in his mind, he was still somewhat nervous at the moment he actually struck. The trajectory of the lightning bolt was an inch off from what he expected, hitting the wind fox's hind leg instead of its torso.

The wind fox let out a piercing screech and dragged its injured hind leg, trying to flee. The other two wind foxes raised their heads in terror, baring their teeth in Lin Yun's direction.

One of them opened its mouth and spat out a cyan wind blade.

Lin Yun dodged to the side, but he was a beat too slow. The wind blade grazed his sleeve and cut a gash on the cuff.

— Real-world practice is completely different from classroom learning.

Lin Yun's heart was racing, but he forced himself to calm down. He raised his right hand again, this time with much steady fingers.

"Thunder Arrow."

The purple arc of electricity struck the first wind fox precisely on the head, and it collapsed before it could even let out a scream.

Seeing that things were not going well, the remaining two wind foxes turned and ran.

Without hesitation, Lin Yun waved his left hand—a flash of azure light appeared, and a hand formed from water elemental energy materialized out of thin air, precisely catching one of the fleeing wind foxes.

Water-based level 2 magic: Hand of Water.

The captured wind fox struggled desperately, but the water hand's restraints tightened. Lin Yun took a deep breath, and with another lightning bolt from his right hand, ended its life.

The last wind fox had already run far away. Lin Yun didn't chase after it, but stood still.

He killed two of the three level-three magical beasts, and one escaped.

Although he won, his performance was far below expectations—the first lightning bolt missed, he was too slow to dodge the wind blades, and the battle was entirely on the defensive. If it weren't for his overwhelming strength, he might have been injured.

Beibei jumped down from the branch, perched on his shoulder, and chirped twice, as if trying to comfort him.

Lin Yun gave a wry smile.

"Indeed, theory and practice are two different things," he murmured.

He crouched down and took out the magic crystals from the two wind foxes—they were about the size of a thumb and of average quality. This was the first time he had ever personally extracted magic crystals from a magical beast's body, and the smell of blood on his hands made him feel a little uncomfortable, but he didn't show it.

True adventurers don't care about these things.

Lin Yun stood up, took a deep breath, and continued walking deeper into the mountains.