Through the Mountains (part 1)

"Everyone ready to go?"

Xiong Zhelan asked Nero, Zhu Tai, and Xun Lan, who already had their backpacks and bags ready to go.

"Sure."

Nero answered in his usual serious tone. People were already used to him not showing emotions except when it was about Marie.

"Yes, me too."

Zhu Tai responded in a respectful form that he always spoke to Xiong Zhelan.

"All right!"

Xun Lan was by far the most exciting and jumped up by raising her arm in agreement.

"So let's go. Will you follow us to the exit of the city?"

Xiong Zhelan asked Xun He, who had previously mentioned that he would escort them to the city limits to wish them a good journey.

"Yes, let's go."

Then the group now formed by those who were going to travel, and some members of the Xun Family went north of the city.

The streets were full of people coming and going from various places. It was an animated day in the center of the small town, as there was a significant change in the arrangement of powers.

People talked a lot everywhere about Xun Family, becoming the most influential family in the city. Many said that they had attacked the Dai Family and killed most of their forces. Others said it was someone new to the town who had disagreements with one of the Dai sisters.

There were also rumors that someone in the shadows was protecting the Dai sisters, and even the Xun Family could not touch them. Everyone had many doubts and assumptions, but no one dared to think of harming them.

The group cannot help laughing about the rumors they heard as they walked to leave the city. Xun He was a good person and only wanted the best for Abun's people. So he wished that this matter is forgotten and that everyone progress.

Nero found it particularly interesting what people said about a person all in black walking through the night like a shadow. He loved that humans feared him. Sarah thought it was very childish, but he just laughed about it.

After walking for less than an hour, Nero could already see a wooden fence on the edge of the city where the houses ended, and the cobbled street became just dirt.

The houses closer to the city limits were very humble, made of wood and clay. The fence was very simple and should not hold a normal wolf, but as far as Nero knew, the beasts did not come so far south of the mountains, and that fence was enough to mark the city limits.

The fence had a wooden arch as a gate written 'Abun' with flowers as details. After the arc, Nero could see a multitude of green landscapes with few trees.

The northern part of the Green Valley was a clear horizon to the mountains, and the southern part was just forest. One opposite the other but with terrible dangers, the further as someone went ahead.

As they got closer to the exit, Nero could see animals like cows, horses, and goats in the fields outside the fence.

He asked the group if it would be better for them to go horseback riding, but Xiong Zhelan replied that they could not go on the mountain roads with regular horses as they would not be able to run there and would also attract many beasts that could cause problems for them.

"We are here."

It was easy to see that Xun He was discouraged by his tone. But it was to be expected because he was saying goodbye to his only and beloved daughter.

Xun Lan could return alone when she was stronger or even require help to come to visit him, but she had to focus on cultivation for a long time from now on.

"Dad! I will really miss you so much, but I won't hesitate to come to visit you."

Xun Lan hugged her father and brother tightly as she said goodbye with tears in her eyes. She was not sad to go to the great Black Sword Sect but knew that she would miss her family.

"Nero, please treat my daughter well. Even though we haven't known each other for a long time, she thinks of you fondly, so if you can at least be a friend to her, I would be less worried."

Xun He, like everyone else, still had many doubts about Nero. No one knew for sure much about him other than the story of living in the forest with his grandfather and having lost his mother at birth.

But nobody thought badly of him just that he was very mysterious and impulsive. Xun He knew it would be difficult for his daughter to adapt quickly to a new place, so having someone she knew would be nice. That friend could very well be Nero, who was going with her from the same place.

Nero didn't want to be too involved with Xun Lan, but he knew that the Xun Family had been good for him, so it was okay not to be hostile to the girl. Then he nodded in agreement leaving father and daughter Xun with smiles on their face.

"Remember, treat Marie well, and when she wakes up, tell her about the situation, as I explained."

Nero once again spoke to Xun He about explaining to Sarah everything that happened in the way he said when she woke up. He feared that she would misunderstand things and think badly of him even though they might never meet again.

"Do not worry. I will take care of her and keep an eye on the Dai sisters."

Xun He was a decent man and would keep his word even though he was not a non-human sympathizer, but he would not hurt Marie without reason, and Nero was a great reason to take good care of her.

"Goodbye!"

After all, was said and confirmed, the farewell ended, and Nero's group went the dirt road towards the mountains in the north.

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The group did not run, but they also did not walk very slowly and always kept the same speed. For more than five hours, they walked through the same landscape that was green pastures and a clear horizon with few trees.

It was tranquil, and they talked to pass the time because there were no beasts sighted, and they would see any danger that could appear from afar.

Zhu Tai talked a lot with Xun Lan about Black Sword Sect and other things. Xiong Zhelan sometimes spoke useful things about beasts that occupied the mountains and even possible bandits on the other side of the mountain.

Nero was always walking in silence and didn't even make sounds. The others tried to start a conversation, but he just nodded, making it clear that he didn't really like small talk. But in fact, he talked a lot with Sarah in mind about things of all kinds.

They left the city in the morning, and it was already the middle of the afternoon when the landscape began to change from green pastures to a gray land with many rocks and some trees with few leaves.

But still no sign of wildlife. The mountains were still far away, but they could already feel that the road was going up, and they were no longer walking in a flat line.

After a few more hours, the sun left to make way for a beautiful moon. The mountains were already very close, and the dangers would begin at any moment.

"We must camp now because, from that point, we can be attacked by wild beasts at any time, and some will be at the level of the Martial Warrior Realm."

Xiong Zhelan had made this journey to come from the Black Sword Sect to Abun, so he knew well what were the best places to camp.

Nobody had anything against it, and they took advantage of the fact that the night was well illuminated by the moon to set up camp peacefully. Xiong Zhelan had two tents in his magic backpack, and Xun Lan had one in hers.

"You know... I don't care if you sleep with me... Of course, if you promise not to do anything funny."

Xun Lan did not miss the opportunity to try something with Nero. Even though she warned him not to do anything funny, she really wanted something on her mind.

"He better shares the tent with Zhu Tai; they are young and will have no problems with each other."

Xiong Zhelan liked Xun Lan the first time he saw her. She was talented, and even though she was a little spoiled and childish, she could become a great person if he instructed her as well as a disciple.

As his only disciple, he wanted her to be happy and would always try to help her. It was quite evident that Xun Lan was fascinated with Nero, but he knew that Nero did not have the same interest in her, so it would be better for her to understand as soon as possible.

After everyone had set up their tents, Nero and Zhu Tai went to get firewood for Xun Lan and Xiong Zhelan to cook something for them to eat. After she made a soup with dried meat that they brought for the journey, Nero apologized and said he was going to be a little away from the group for cultivating.

The group found Nero quite different from normal young people as if he were a bit eccentric but did not find it suspicious that he wanted privacy for cultivating. Then, after eating, everyone went to the tents while Nero was cultivating.

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"I think you will reach the fourth layer."

Sarah excitedly spoke when Nero arrived at a place more than five hundred meters away from the camp.

Nero wanted to go very far so that no one would see what he was going to do. The land was mostly stone with a huge tree nearby. There was a rock almost the size of the tree that blocked the view towards the group, so he did not fear being discovered.

"That time, I got almost thirty bodies in the sixth layer of Qi Refinement."

Nero had put in the Red World twenty-eight cultivators that he killed at the Dai Family's mansion. More than half he killed, leaving Dai Jingyi confused when she supervised the cleaning, but she had no way of imagining that Nero had caught them to drink their blood when he had time.

"How is it to drink from corpses?"

Sarah knew that Nero didn't like draining bodies but living people. He just had no way of stopping to drain people in the middle of a fight because his secret would be revealed, and someone could find out, causing problems that he couldn't handle without being stronger.

"This sucks. But I have no choice now."

Nero spoke to Sarah as he drained the bodies behind the large rock. He had no way of doing this very quickly as it took a while to absorb Qi by blood. As always, there was a lot of loss to the environment, but he was filling his Dantian slowly and would soon reach the maximum limit in the third layer.

"I thought of something, but I don't know if it will work as I don't have much knowledge of Qi Guardians."

Sarah spoke in a calm but hesitant tone making Nero very curious.

"Little Red? Tell me about your idea."

Nero had complete confidence in Sarah, so when she talked about having an idea to improve the cultivation method, he was radiating with expectation.

"Your Guardian Qi is probably related to blood so you could try to drain the blood by the gauntlet. That would not work for many reasons, but as you have Red World, it can work."

"You would attack with the gauntlet and focus your Qi Guardian to suck the victim's blood, then at the same time try to pass the blood that came from the gauntlet to Red World. You could have containers at Red World to store that blood and drink it later."

Nero listened carefully to the idea of Sarah and cannot help thinking that an incredible idea. It would be much better to drink blood like juice than to drain from dead bodies. Of course, the most delicious method is still sucking from living prey, but it won't always be possible.

Nero wasted no time and tried to do it right away with one of the corpses. If he manages to suck blood from a corpse with the gauntlet, it will also be possible to do it in battle, and it will not be strange because when attacking someone, it is supposed to hurt and draw blood from the other.

"Hahaha! It's working! Sarah, you are incredible."

Nero couldn't help but be celebrating when he felt the blood coming from the gauntlet and then being transported to Red World. He had to maintain focus and concentration, but with training, it would not be difficult to master that art of stealing blood with the Qi Guardian.

"Hehe. Of course I'm amazing!"

Sarah was also happy to make things better for Nero. She, who was in the Red Word as a spirit, could see the blood appearing from nowhere and falling to the ground because Nero had not yet placed any container in the Red World.

After two hours, Nero was almost finished draining the twelfth corpse when he felt the barrier of the fourth layer break, and he felt once again a massive increase in his strength, speed, and senses.

"Congratulations, Nero. Another one advances so fast you are really amazing!"

Sarah understood well that it was not easy to advance so fast in cultivation without a lot of support from resources, and she was quite content at that pace. Her plans had Nero going to the Endless Divine Kingdom more than two thousand years later, but now she thought less than a thousand could be a reality.

"Every advance I make is only possible because of you so you don't have to praise me."

Nero and Sarah were talking about the new advance as he continued to drain the remaining corpses. But then he heard the sounds of an animal coming almost a mile away.

"Your senses are very potent! Get closer to it, and then I can use my spiritual sense to see the level of cultivation. Perhaps that beast will be a good opponent for you to test your new strength."

Sarah didn't need to speak twice before Nero went in the direction he heard the wild beast's movements.