Overgrown Weeds and Jagged Rocks

  The sweat-blood horse, having galloped for an entire day and half the night, showed no signs of slowing down. Its powerful hooves struck the uneven terrain, sending loose stones flying. One towering peak after another flashed past as the rider surged forward.

  Unfolding the map given to him by the Lord of Tianchen City, Ye Tianxie quickly pinpointed his location. A few more hours ahead lay a small town called Guping. South of that town was his ultimate destination—the lair of the Blood-colored Phoenix.

  In Chinese mythology, the phoenix, like the dragon, is a noble and revered divine beast. No matter the world, it should always stand at the pinnacle, an existence of supreme majesty. Even as a boss, it should be the most formidable of them all. Yet, in Ye Tianxie's journey through Destiny, this legendary creature had appeared far too soon, leaving even him with a lingering sense of unease.

  "Oh la la, the wind feels so nice!" Guguo perched atop the sweat-blood horse's head, her small legs swinging as the wind swept through her long hair. In her hands was her ever-present lollipop, which she licked with delight. Even now, Ye Tianxie wasn’t entirely sure whether she truly adored lollipops or if she simply saw them as a way to embrace her own peculiar sense of pride as a loli.

  Most likely, it was the latter… After all, under Su Feifei’s influence, this tiny girl—who had seemingly never eaten meat before—would cry out and pounce on it every time she saw it, eating until she was full. And yet, she never carried around a big chunk of meat to suck on like she did with her lollipops.

  The land was desolate, mountains of various heights chaotically scattered across the landscape. Traveling through this terrain was far more difficult than when he had first left Tianchen City. It was the perfect place for ferocious beasts to roam. Throughout his journey, Ye Tianxie never let his guard down, remaining constantly vigilant of his surroundings.

  At level 14, he was a high-ranking player among his peers, but in the grand scheme of the Lost Continent, he was at the bottom of the power scale. Here, even a randomly appearing monster could easily claim his life.

  After finishing her lollipop, Guguo licked the sweetness from the corners of her lips, sucking the last bit of flavor from the plastic stick before casually tossing it away. Stretching her tiny body, she adjusted herself into the most comfortable position atop the horse’s head and yawned.

  "Master, Guguo is going to sleep now. Be careful and make sure I don’t fall. If I get hurt, you’ll feel really bad, won’t you?"

  Ye Tianxie… nodded. By now, he was completely accustomed to this little ancestor’s endless demands—be they reasonable or not.

  The town of Guping was named after a hero from a century ago. At that time, to the south of the town, there existed a dreadful place known as the Skeleton Cavern. The overwhelming yin energy there had given rise to various terrifying undead creatures, and as time passed, these beings grew stronger. Eventually, a powerful Undead Lord emerged.

  Ordinary undead could only exist in darkness, unable to withstand sunlight. However, a powerful Undead Lord had the ability to walk freely in broad daylight. A hundred years ago, this entity stepped out of the Skeleton Cavern, drawn by the presence of the living, and descended upon the nearest settlement—Guping Town.

  The town suffered a devastating catastrophe. Just when all seemed lost, a warrior named Guping appeared. With his sword and shield, he stood against the Undead Lord and ultimately vanquished it—at the cost of his own life.

  The Undead Lord had been a Level 100 Heavenly Calamity-tier Boss.

  Guping, the warrior, was a true hero whose name was remembered across the Lost Continent. He had been the Chief Guard of Lost City, a man who had earned both the Braveheart Medal and the Hero’s Emblem.

  That same year, the people renamed their town in his honor. From then on, Guping Town became a place that revered and honored heroes.

  Though not a bustling town, Guping radiated a sense of peace and tranquility. As Ye Tianxie rode in on his sweat-blood horse, he immediately attracted the attention of the townsfolk.

  The town was small, home to fewer than a thousand people, and had remained relatively isolated. Most of the residents knew each other, so the sudden arrival of an outsider naturally drew curious gazes.

  "Excuse me, could you tell me who the town mayor is?" Ye Tianxie stopped beside an elderly man who appeared to be in his fifties or sixties and asked politely.

  The old man looked up at him with a warm smile. "Greetings, traveler from afar. Welcome to Guping Town. I am the mayor here."

  Ye Tianxie was momentarily surprised before noticing the name displayed above the man’s head—Guping Town Mayor.

  Talk about luck… Then again, with his Luck stat at 12, this wasn’t too surprising.

  Dismounting from his horse, Ye Tianxie casually scooped up the sleeping Guguo and cradled her in one arm before recalling his steed. Despite all the movement, Guguo remained fast asleep, her tiny nose gently rising and falling with each peaceful breath.

  "Mayor, I come from Tianchen City, sent by the city lord to inquire about something," Ye Tianxie said, still holding Guguo without finding a suitable place to set her down.

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  "Tianchen City… What a place to admire," the mayor murmured with a hint of longing. Then, turning back to Ye Tianxie, he said, "Brave traveler from Tianchen City, tell me how we can assist you."

  Ye Tianxie nodded. "Not far south of this town lies the lair of the Blood-colored Phoenix. Do you know anything about it?"

  "I do… Of course, I do," the mayor’s voice grew tense with emotion. "It is a creature of both beauty and terror—a phoenix with the color of blood. Three years ago, it suddenly appeared from the south and rained down crimson flames, burning the southern outskirts of our town. Over the past three years, it has flown over us again and again. Though it has never attacked us since, we live in constant fear. Should it ever decide to unleash its flames once more, our town—this town built upon the legacy of a hero—would be reduced to ruins."

  "A month ago, a team of warriors from Tianchen City ventured into the Blood-colored Phoenix’s lair…" The mayor let out a heavy sigh. "But… alas…"

  Ye Tianxie’s expression sharpened. "What happened to them? They have yet to return, and the city lord has sent me to find out what became of them."

  "Heh, when you mentioned you were from Tianchen City, I already had a rough guess about your purpose here. That Blood Phoenix, while not as powerful as a true phoenix, is still a phoenix nonetheless and possesses formidable strength. It is very likely a Heaven's End Beast... or even a Divine Profound Beast, something completely beyond human capability to defeat. The twelve warriors who went in… only one managed to return, gravely wounded."

  There's still one survivor?

  "Where is he?"

  "Come, I'll take you to him."

  The mayor of Guping Town got up and led Ye Tianxie towards a small house not far away. As they walked, he continued, "The lone survivor from Tianchen City’s warriors was severely injured. He lost both his combat ability and mobility and has been recovering here ever since. We wanted to send word back to Tianchen City, but we lack anyone strong enough for the task. The road to Tianchen City is fraught with dangerous beasts, making it an impossible journey for us."

  So that's why the Tianchen City Lord had lost all contact with them. Given how long they had been missing, the City Lord likely assumed all twelve had perished at the hands of the Blood Phoenix. Sending Ye Tianxie here was merely a last-ditch effort, clinging to a sliver of hope. Perhaps even he never expected that there would still be a survivor.

  The mayor opened the door to a simple yet tidy wooden hut, revealing a modest bed with a bandaged man lying on it. Beside the bed, a middle-aged couple was tending to him. When they saw the mayor enter, they greeted him warmly.

  "Young man, here is the person you seek. Haha, warrior from Tianchen City, a friend has come to visit you." The mayor chuckled.

  "Friend?" The wounded man on the bamboo bed turned his head, looking at Ye Tianxie with some confusion.

  "Hello, my name is Xie Tian. I was entrusted by the Tianchen City Lord to find you. He has been deeply worried since there has been no news from you for a whole month." Ye Tianxie stepped forward, his face showing relief. The first part of his words was true, while the latter half was a deliberate embellishment—it was an effective way to establish rapport.

  Sure enough, the injured city guard visibly stirred, moving slightly despite his pain. He spoke with emotion, "It was our failure in duty that caused the City Lord such concern… Sigh! My friend, please convey to the City Lord that aside from me, the other eleven have all perished. I myself will need about a month before I can return. Also, please inform the City Lord that the Blood Phoenix is far too powerful. It is at least a Heaven's End-class beast and possibly even an invincible Divine Profound Beast. Only the strongest Grandmaster of Lost City might have a chance at destroying it.

  Moreover, the Blood Phoenix did not attack Tianchen City out of some unknown grudge—it has an underdeveloped mind and attacks purely on instinct. The people here say that the Blood Phoenix frequently flies around aimlessly, without any clear target. This randomness is the only reason we’ve been able to drive it away time and time again."

  As soon as the injured soldier finished speaking, a crisp system notification rang in Ye Tianxie's ears:

  "Ding… You have obtained the key information needed to complete the quest ‘Investigate the Missing City Guards.’ Simply return to Tianchen City and report your findings to the City Lord to complete the quest."

  From yesterday morning until now, Ye Tianxie had traveled nonstop, passing through dangerous regions far beyond his level, avoiding waves of monsters that could instantly kill him. Now, at last, the quest was nearing its conclusion. All he needed to do was take out his Return Scroll and teleport back to Tianchen City to complete it.

  A quest with no combat, no collection tasks—just gathering intelligence. Yet, given the perilous location he had to travel to, no one would doubt the difficulty of this unique quest. The real challenge was not the investigation itself but reaching the destination in the first place. Running through areas meant for level 50+ players as someone under level 20, and doing so within a single day and night—this was the true test.

  "Alright, I’ll make sure to deliver your message. Focus on your recovery," Ye Tianxie said. He then pulled out his Return Scroll to Tianchen City and turned to the mayor with a smile. "Thank you, Mayor. You've been a great help to me."

  "Ding… Due to your exceptional charm and courteous behavior, the mayor of Guping Town's favorability towards you has increased by 22."

  "Haha, young man, you are too polite. If fate allows, you are always welcome here… Ah! You… your chest… that emblem… is that—?"

  The mayor’s words suddenly broke off as he stared at Ye Tianxie's chest with visible shock, his body trembling with excitement. His warm smile was replaced by pure disbelief.

  Ye Tianxie immediately understood—his left chest… the Brave Emblem.

  He had obtained this Brave Emblem only a few days ago, yet he had already witnessed its immense significance multiple times. At this point, even if the shopkeeper from Newbie Village #60001 offered him a Heaven’s End weapon worth a billion gold coins in exchange for the emblem, he would refuse without hesitation.

  And the power of this emblem extended far beyond just Tianchen City. Even in this secluded town, someone recognized it.

  What he didn’t know was that a hundred years ago, the very hero who had saved this town and given it its new name had also possessed the Brave Emblem. The number of people capable of earning this emblem was incredibly low—one might not appear even in decades. But those who did were without exception true heroes and powerful warriors.

  Thus, in Guping Town, which revered and honored heroes, the Brave Emblem carried an almost sacred weight. This reverence had been passed down for generations. And now, after a century, the mayor had suddenly seen the very same emblem that had only existed in the town’s records and legends. How could he not be overwhelmed?

  "This… this is the Brave Emblem! Mayor, you recognize it?" Ye Tianxie feigned ignorance with a flawlessly curious expression.

  "The Brave Emblem… it truly is the Brave Emblem… Of course, I recognize it! This emblem represents a true hero. Our ancestors left us a commandment—to always honor and respect those who bear this emblem… It has been a hundred years…"

  The mayor's emotions surged, his voice trembling with awe. The two middle-aged individuals in the hut mirrored his expression, their gazes fixated on the Brave Emblem with deep reverence.

  What kind of benefits could this bring me?

  Ye Tianxie still held the Return Scroll in his hand, but he had already abandoned the idea of using it. Keeping his expression neutral, he began quietly weighing his options.