Chapter 180
In the twilight of the forest, the sounds of nocturnal animals beginning to stir could already be heard.
Under a pile of fallen leaves, Mo Ke realized he had been discovered. His heart sank at first, but upon hearing the voice of a boy, he froze in surprise.
Raising his head from the leaves, he saw two familiar figures of young boys.
Mo Ke couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy.
“An An! Zhou Qi! It’s you!”
These two kids had left a deep impression on Mo Ke. Even though they had only met once, he recognized them instantly.
“I thought someone was tailing me,” he said, sitting up from the pile of leaves with a grin. Looking at the two boys, he added, “How long has it been? You’ve both changed so much!”
The most noticeable change was, of course, their height. But what truly caught his attention was the fire energy surging around Zhou Qi.
He hadn’t noticed this before—Zhou Qi was a fire element wielder? And judging from his aura, he seemed stronger than Mo Ke himself…
However, remembering that they came from the fortress, Mo Ke quickly let it go.
“Where’s Old Li? Isn’t he with you?”
“No, he’s still in the Desolate City.”
Mo Ke nodded and didn’t ask further. After all, since the flood, everyone had been stuck on the mountain. These two boys probably wouldn’t know much about Old Li’s current situation.
“Were you looking for me?” Mo Ke asked.
Earlier, he had sensed someone following him, which led him to take a winding, unpredictable route. But no matter how he tried, he couldn’t shake off his pursuers.
When it seemed like they were about to catch up, he had no choice but to hide on the spot.
He was confident in his choice of hiding place, yet he had still been easily found. It was a bit of a blow to his ego.
This only confirmed for him that these two boys must have something important to discuss with him.
Otherwise, if they just wanted to say hello, they wouldn’t have followed him this far, right?
“Yes, we want to go to Lanhu Town and hope you can guide us,” Tang Yu’an said directly.
“Lanhu Town? What do you want to do there?” Mo Ke asked, studying them.
“To trade,” Tang Yu’an replied honestly.
“You’re going to exchange for Lanhu Leaves?”
Mo Ke nodded in understanding but was skeptical. “The Lanhu people are very xenophobic. You probably won’t get much from them.”
He himself had only received a single Lanhu Leaf as a token of gratitude after saving one of the Lanhu people.
Hearing that these two boys had saved Old Li, Mo Ke had been moved to give that precious leaf to Tang Yu’an.
If he took them to the town now, they might not even get close to the Lanhu people before being driven out by the guards.
“It’s fine. We just want to take a look,” Tang Yu’an said, pulling out a fruit and handing it to Mo Ke.
The fruit had been gathered earlier in the Greatwood Forest (interdimensional world’s forest) . Its taste was similar to a grape tree but was fist-sized, juicy, and delicious.
Tang Yu’an called it a “grapefruit.”
Mo Ke hesitated for a moment before taking the fruit and biting into it.
“All right. As it happens, I’m planning to go to Lanhu Town too,” he said while chewing. “If you want to go, you can come along.”
At least this way, they wouldn’t get into trouble wandering around on their own, which would be hard to explain to Old Li.
“You’re going to Lanhu Town?”
“Yes,” Mo Ke replied.
The fruit was so fragrant and sweet that he couldn’t help but take a few more bites, his cheeks bulging.
Between bites, he said, “I’m tired of being stuck on Jufeng Mountain. I thought I’d go check out Lanhu Town. Even if I can’t enter the Lanhu Forest, I can still roam around nearby.”
Mo Ke wasn’t one to stay in one place for long. After being trapped on Jufeng Mountain for over twenty days, he had grown restless.
Tang Yu’an glanced at the map and asked, “So we’re already on the way to Lanhu Town?”
“Exactly,” Mo Ke said, pointing to a nearby peak. “Once we cross that mountain, go through the canyon, and pass a grassland, we’ll reach Lanhu Town.”
Tang Yu’an looked at Zhou Qi.
They had sought out Mo Ke to ask if he could lead them, but they hadn’t planned to set off immediately.
“Mo Ke, how long will it take to get there from here?” Zhou Qi asked.
“About five or six days,” Mo Ke said, clapping his hands as he stood up. “I’m heading out now. If you’re coming, keep up.”
Seeing this, they had no choice but to go along with Mo Ke’s pace.
Fortunately, aside from leaving the drift bottle behind, there wasn’t much else to worry about. They had already disappeared for seven days before, and their base in the Desolate City had continued to run smoothly.
As for the dream wishers, aside from the uncertain situation at Ice Flame Fortress, everything seemed fine.
And since Wen Qian was living in the fortress with enough water, the fire stones, and ten kilograms of soybeans, she should manage until they returned.
When they reached Lanhu Town, they would have the house Chi Hao had arranged for them. They could quickly set up a teleportation array and return within a few days.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi exchanged messages on their communication board and decided it wouldn’t hurt to leave with Mo Ke now.
Since their storage was stocked with all kinds of useful supplies after their time in the alternate dimension, they felt prepared.
Additionally, with their light-footed and flying techniques, they could probably cut down the travel time.
“Mo Ke, wait for us!”
After making their decision, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi jogged forward, following closely behind Mo Ke.
“Are we still traveling now?” Tang Yu’an asked.
“Of course, there’s still some time before it gets completely dark,” Mo Ke replied. “The mountains aren’t safe; it’s better to leave as soon as possible.”
As the flooding persisted, even with daily efforts by the mountain folk to clear the area, the number of mutated creatures in the forest was increasing.
However, the fire serpent from before had not reappeared. As long as the mutated creatures weren’t of that level, the guards could still handle them.
Zhou Qi glanced at the time. They had about an hour left before darkness fully set in.
Tang Yu’an then turned to Mo Ke and said, “How about I fly us there?”
“What?”
Mo Ke was stunned for a moment before feeling a light pat on his shoulder. Then… his body suddenly became weightless!
Tang Yu’an had cast a Lightening Spell on him—something he rarely used since learning the Flight Spell, leaving him with all three uses for the day.
Tang Yu’an grabbed Mo Ke’s arm and took off into the sky with him.
“Ahhhhhh—!”
The sudden ascent into the air made Mo Ke cry out in shock, but he quickly realized they were in the mountains and clamped his hand over his mouth to avoid attracting danger.
Then he noticed—he was actually flying!
More precisely, he was being carried through the air by the two boys.
“Are you a wind-element user?” Mo Ke asked Tang Yu’an, shocked.
He had heard of powerful wind-element ability users being capable of flight but had never seen it for himself, let alone experienced it.
His amazement deepened when he turned to Zhou Qi.
“Aren’t you a fire-element user? How can you fly too?” Mo Ke asked, incredulous. “Could it be you’re one of those legendary dual-element users?”
Zhou Qi paused and then smiled without answering.
By now, they were no longer the clueless newcomers to this world who had been mistaken for fortress dwellers because of their appearance. They knew that showcasing their strength would keep them safer during their travels.
Seeing Zhou Qi’s silence, Mo Ke’s expression turned to one of awe and envy. “Wind and fire dual elements—how incredible!”
Wind enhances fire. With the synergy of both elements, fire abilities would undoubtedly become much stronger.
“Mo Ke, you’re supposed to guide us!” Tang Yu’an reminded him.
“Oh, right, right!”
Mo Ke quickly refocused. Being naturally adventurous, he quickly adapted to the sensation of being carried through the air by the two boys.
He pointed out their route, heading toward the mountain peak.
The higher they went, the steeper and more treacherous the terrain became. The path narrowed to the point where only one person could pass sideways.
Under normal circumstances, Mo Ke would have had to cross this peak with extreme caution. But now…
They simply flew over it!
Of course, by the time they were crossing the canyon below, Mo Ke had stopped looking down altogether.
His heart was racing, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
In truth, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi had never flown at such great heights either.
The highest they had previously flown was to the top of a giant tree, about a hundred meters up. But this canyon was so deep that its bottom was invisible, likely plunging at least a thousand meters.
Fortunately, the canyon was only about fifty to sixty meters wide, and they crossed it in under a minute.
When they landed on the cliff on the other side, all three of them had weak legs—Mo Ke included.
“That was… intense.”
The moment Mo Ke spoke, a sudden gust of mountain wind swept him off his feet. Luckily, before crossing the canyon, Zhou Qi had secured a safety rope to Mo Ke and tied the other end to himself and Tang Yu’an.
“Ahhhhh—!”
Mo Ke screamed as he was blown into the air above the canyon.
Tang Yu’an quickly grabbed the rope, and as soon as he tightened his grip, the force of the wind dissipated. He pulled Mo Ke back to safety.
“Are you okay, Mo Ke? I cast a Lightening Spell on you, so your body is much lighter now, making it easier for the wind to blow you away.”
Mo Ke clung desperately to a rock on the cliff, his face pale, his legs shaking.
“H-how long does this Lightening Spell last?”
“About five hours.”
Without a clock, Mo Ke had trouble understanding the timing method of the two boys and asked, “How much time has passed since we started?”
“A little over an hour,” Tang Yu’an replied.
Mo Ke immediately wore a hopeless expression and stammered, “Th-then let’s get down the mountain as soon as possible!”
“It’s dark now. Are we still traveling?” Tang Yu’an hesitated.
“Can’t you fly?”
“We can’t fly anymore. We’ll have to walk from here.”
Having flown for over an hour, they had reached their limit with the Flight Spell and needed to rest before they could use it again.
Mo Ke: “…”
Finally, he resigned himself to the situation and said, “Let’s rest in that cave over there for the night and set off again in the morning.”
“Sounds good.”
Under Mo Ke’s guidance, they quickly found a cave. Once inside, Mo Ke finally didn’t have to worry about being blown away by the mountain wind.
Zhou Qi went out to gather firewood, while Mo Ke used his fire ability to burn away the weeds and spider webs inside the cave before sprinkling insect repellent powder.
“There aren’t many mutated creatures on this cliff. Aside from snakes and bugs, the only thing to watch out for is falcons nesting on the cliffs…”
Tang Yu’an listened carefully to Mo Ke’s advice, nodding as he memorized it.
“Mo Ke, how did you usually cross the canyon before?” he asked curiously.
“There’s a spot where the canyon narrows, and it’s connected by an iron chain. If you two couldn’t fly, we’d have to cross it that way.”
Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but look at Mo Ke with admiration.
Without the Flight Spell—and the ability to counter the wind—there was no way Tang Yu’an would have dared to crawl across an iron chain.
Yet Mo Ke had done it before, traveling between Jufeng Town and Lanhu Town, which meant he had crossed it at least twice. Truly courageous!
Mo Ke waved off the praise with a smile. “The winds weren’t as strong back then. If it weren’t for you two, I probably wouldn’t have made it this time.”
“Still, that’s impressive!”
Soon, Zhou Qi returned with firewood, and they lit a campfire in the cave, beginning to prepare dinner.
Once again, Mo Ke experienced Zhou Qi’s exceptional cooking skills.
“Zhou Qi, your cooking is amazing! I wish I could eat this every day!” Mo Ke said, savoring roasted mushrooms, meat buns, and a fresh wild vegetable soup. He felt like he’d never get tired of such delicious food.
“When the flood ends, you can visit the Desolate City,” Zhou Qi suggested after some thought.
“The Desolate City?”
“Yes, we’ve built a home there!” Tang Yu’an added enthusiastically. “Grandpa Li is there too.”
Mo Ke chuckled, assuming their “home” was just a base like any other outpost.
“All right, I’ll definitely visit when I get the chance.”
In truth, he was a little worried about Old Li’s situation in the Desolate City. The water levels were high, and there were many mutated creatures…
Mo Ke nodded, resolving to head to the Desolate City once the floodwaters receded.
That night, they set up their tent and went to sleep.
Tang Yu’an used the shop channel to check in with Old Li, letting him know they’d be away for a few days. Afterward, he started his daily lucky draw.
Today, as usual, he had completed a task with Lan Yunqing’s help.
It seemed the situation with the Lanhu Mother Tree wasn’t critical enough to demand all of Lan Yunqing’s attention, so he still had time for transactions, though the trade volume had dropped significantly—from five or six hundred items a day to just over three hundred. Even so, Tang Yu’an earned over ten thousand points in revenue.
The lucky wheel spun and spun, and the pointer finally stopped.
[Congratulations! You have obtained a special item: “Lien’s Magical Tent.”]
Tang Yu’an blinked. A special item… a magical tent! He quickly shared the news with Zhou Qi.
Zhou Qi: “…”
He touched the lucky marble he always carried with him and calmly nodded. “Take it out and let’s see.”
“Okay!”
Tang Yu’an retrieved the magical tent. The Shadow Umbrella hovered above them, concealing all their movements.
[Lien’s Magical Tent]
Description: A magical tent crafted by the great mage Lien, later pawned and sold. It possesses many wondrous abilities, making it an essential item for traveling.
Bound to: Tang Yu’an.
A pawned magical tent?
Tang Yu’an curiously set up the tent.
The magical tent was smaller than their current one, with plain black fabric and an unremarkable appearance that revealed nothing of its capabilities.
As his hand touched the tent, a sudden understanding came to him.
[The magical core asks: Do you want to enter the inner space or the outer space?]
What’s the difference? Tang Yu’an wondered. After some thought, he chose the inner space. Lifting the flap, he crawled inside, and his vision suddenly expanded.
He wasn’t inside a small tent but a… wooden house?
The wooden house was fully furnished, its style whimsical, like something out of a fairy tale.
Am I in another dimension again? Tang Yu’an thought nervously. He quickly turned back, lifting the flap to peek outside. Seeing the cave and Zhou Qi still there, he let out a sigh of relief.
“Brother Qi, there’s a house in here!”
Tang Yu’an ducked back inside the magical tent, and a system prompt appeared.
[The magical core is asking: Would you like to light the fireplace?]
Tang Yu’an chose “Yes,” but the fireplace didn’t ignite. A new system prompt popped up.
[The magical core is informing you: Insufficient energy. Please provide a spirit stone.]
“A spirit stone? Does it matter which type?” Tang Yu’an asked. He had plenty of spirit stones, thanks to his frequent trips to the Greatwood Forest.
[The magical core is informing you: Any type of spirit stone will do.]
“Got it!”
Tang Yu’an took out a wood-element crystal. “Where should I put this?”
At that moment, a small black orb on the table floated over. It was semi-transparent, about the size of a fist.
[The magical core is asking: Master, is this spirit stone for me?]
“Yes,” Tang Yu’an replied.
As soon as he spoke, the black orb darted over and wrapped itself around his fingers. It had a soft, cool texture, like jelly—very peculiar.
Tang Yu’an felt the wood-element crystal being pulled from his fingers. The black orb detached and began to chew noisily.
“Boom—”
The fireplace suddenly burst into flames, illuminating the entire wooden house and filling it with warmth.
[The magical core is informing you: A guest has entered the outer space.]
A guest? Could it mean Brother Qi?
Tang Yu’an exited the magical tent and, as expected, didn’t see Zhou Qi outside.
Just then, the tent flap moved slightly, and Zhou Qi poked his head out, looking at Tang Yu’an with surprise. “An’an, when did you get out?”
Tang Yu’an leaned in to peer behind him.
[The magical core is informing you: You have entered the outer space.]
The outer space was quite cramped—a simple, ordinary tent. With Zhou Qi inside, there was barely any room left.
Wow, this magical tent has a disguise feature!
So the tent was divided into two spaces: the outer space, which anyone could enter, and the inner space—the wooden house—which only the owner could access.
Tang Yu’an pulled Zhou Qi out, then re-entered the inner space. He asked the magical core, “Can I allow Brother Qi to enter here?”
[The magical core is informing you: You can grant guests permission to enter the inner space.]
After some fiddling, Tang Yu’an successfully brought Zhou Qi into the wooden house.
Zhou Qi looked around in amazement. Although his portable storage unit had a similar function, it couldn’t compare to the refinement of this place.
The house had a two-story layout. The first floor was furnished with elegant furniture, and a staircase led to a cozy, soft bed on the second floor.
[The magical core is informing you: The bedding has been magically sanitized. Please use it with confidence.]
Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but laugh. He then introduced Zhou Qi to the black orb.
“By the way, what’s your name?” he asked the orb.
[The magical core is informing you: Master, I do not have a name.]
“Then let me name you!”
Tang Yu’an studied the black orb, noting its soft texture, and decided, “I’ll call you Hei Tuan Tuan!”
The orb paused for a moment before a new system prompt appeared.
[The magical core is informing you: Thank you, Master.]
The orb then guided Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi to the bathroom, explaining that bathing was an excellent way to relieve stress during long journeys.
The bathroom was surprisingly spacious, equipped with both a shower and a large bathtub.
“This is so luxurious!” Tang Yu’an exclaimed, comparing the freezing winds outside the mountain cave to the warm, fully functional magical tent.
“Does this place have water?” he asked, turning on the faucet.
“Splash—”
Crystal-clear water flowed out.
[The magical core is informing you: As long as there are spirit stones, water is available.]
Spirit stones were proving to be incredibly useful!
Since Tang Yu’an had collected a large number of crystals in the alternate dimension, he wasn’t worried about running out. Hearing that water didn’t require points made him feel even more at ease.
An idea struck him, and he opened the system panel, hoping to designate the magical tent as a branch location. If successful, they would have a mobile teleportation point!
Unfortunately, the system informed him that construction couldn’t be carried out inside a special item, so he had to give up the idea for now.
Instead, he and Zhou Qi took a long, relaxing hot bath, then settled by the fireplace to read for a while before heading to bed on the second floor.
Before sleeping, they climbed out of the tent to check on their surroundings.
As soon as they moved, Mo Ke in the neighboring tent woke up with a start, instinctively poking his head out to investigate.
“What happened?”
“Nothing, nothing. We’re just getting ready to sleep.”
“Alright, go ahead and rest. I’ll keep watch.”
After the brief exchange, they each returned to their respective tents, and the little black orb floated over.
[The magical core is informing you: Master, please rest assured. If any danger approaches, I will alert you.]
Tang Yu’an nodded and thanked it.
Earlier, he had already left Green Gem outside the tent. With it on guard, their safety should be assured.
The next morning, when Mo Ke called for them to wake up, the magical core immediately alerted them.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi, having slept soundly through the night, emerged from the tent feeling refreshed. They were greeted by the sight of Mo Ke with dark circles under his eyes, looking utterly exhausted.
“Mo Ke, let us keep watch tonight,” Tang Yu’an offered.
Mo Ke glanced at them. He was about to remark on their age and inexperience but stopped when he sensed the energy emanating from the two boys.
It seemed… they might actually be capable?
He agreed with a nod. After breakfast, Mo Ke was once again flown down the mountain.
What would have taken most of the day on foot took just over an hour with the Flight Spell. Once they reached the base of the mountain, they stopped to rest.
“Beyond that forest up ahead lies the grasslands,” Mo Ke explained. “But it might not be easy for us to fly there.”
“Why not?” Tang Yu’an asked curiously.
“The grasslands are home to many wind-element mutated creatures, especially mutated wolves. They travel in packs, and we wouldn’t stand a chance against them,” Mo Ke said. “And in the open sky, there’s no cover. If we’re spotted, we’ll be easy targets—not even hawks would leave us alone.”
Tang Yu’an nodded seriously, mentally noting these considerations. Then he noticed Zhou Qi looking at him with a peculiar expression.
Thinking Zhou Qi had noticed something important, Tang Yu’an asked, “Brother Qi, what’s on your mind?”
Zhou Qi shook his head thoughtfully and replied, “I was just wondering… do wolves count as dogs?”
