Chapter 279 - 277: Splitting Up

Chapter 279: Chapter 277: Splitting Up

Early on the morning of the twenty-eighth, the sun had not yet risen.

Summer on Black Forest Island was hot and humid, a fact that was palpable even in the early morning.

Fortunately, a gentle breeze wafted through Forest Castle, making it feel comfortable.

Eleven Warriors of Advanced Level or higher, including Manny, were ready.

The combat power of this ad hoc team was formidable, and Duane couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride and ambition as he looked at them.

’If only I had a dozen more teams like this!’

Meanwhile, Kaelon and Owington were also assembling their own party, preparing to head to the Silver Jade Territory.

This advance party heading to the Silver Jade Territory consisted of fifty-two people in total.

Kaelon was responsible for security, commanding two ten-man squads led by Hardy, a Middle Level Warrior, and Willie, a Basic-level Warrior.

Owington was in charge of selecting a site and constructing a temporary outpost. He had recruited thirty laborers for the task.

As for the voyage, two ships would be sent out, one captained by Heck and the other by Jim.

They would land at Baron Uriel’s port and travel overland to the Silver Jade Territory. Once they had identified a suitable area for docking, they would then map out a sea route.

That way, when Duane went to the Silver Jade Territory, he could sail there directly instead of taking the land detour.

Duane gave Kaelon and Owington some parting instructions and handed them twenty-five hundred Gold Coins.

Twenty-four hundred of it was for Sir Trenton’s "territory surveying fee," while the remaining one hundred Gold Coins were for Kaelon and Owington to treat their men to a meal at the Silent Shore.

A good meal and good drinks are essential for a job well done.

Of course, Duane also made a point of telling them that if Sir Trenton’s group just took the money to eat and drink without doing the work, Kaelon shouldn’t hesitate to get rough.

If the final surveyed territory was less than nine hundred square kilometers, he wanted them to cough up everything they had eaten and drunk.

"This is the first battle where we are fielding all of our elites. I hope you all give it your best, and I hope that as many of you leave, just as many will return!"

The men looked up at their young Lord, their eyes filled with fighting spirit.

For new followers like Lune, they needed to prove themselves in this battle.

For veterans like Raymond and Simone, they had to set an example and not be outshone by the newcomers.

Manny was the only outsider. Standing among the men, he gripped the hilt of his sword, his heart filled with complex emotions.

Though he was a Knight Commander of the Holy Radiance Court and heir to a Viscount Clan, he carried no special weight within Duane’s ranks.

"Move out!"

At Duane’s command, the two teams set off. One marched toward Thorn Valley, while the other headed for Black Forest Port.

Duane’s goal this time was to besiege and exterminate the Secret Realm Demon Beasts, so they didn’t waste much time on the journey.

Furthermore, he had stuffed all their rations and supplies into the Void Space in his left eye. This allowed everyone to travel light, and their pace was incredibly fast.

By the morning of the second day, they had arrived outside the three mountains that stood before the Secret Realm.

Duane used the Wind of Inquiry to sense the surrounding environment.

Eight hundred meters away, he sensed some birds behaving erratically. Clearly, the Black Bear’s sentinels were still active.

Since he was leading a group this time, a single-target Stealth Spell wasn’t practical. However, it wasn’t impossible to obscure their movements from the birds.

A Skilled Level Fog Condensation Technique could achieve a similar effect.

However, Duane’s purpose here was to exterminate the Demon Beasts in the Secret Realm. Forcing them to scatter would only reduce his efficiency.

So, he decided to simply march his men forward openly, letting the Black Bear gather all its subordinate Demon Beasts. Annihilating them in one fell swoop would be both time-saving and efficient.

"Stay alert, everyone."

Duane warned, "We’ve entered the vicinity of the Secret Realm. There could be stealthed Mutated Shadow Leopards around. Don’t get ambushed!"

Everyone went on high alert.

Leopard-type Demon Beasts were never weak. A moment of carelessness could have dire consequences.

FLAP, FLAP~

A bird beat its wings, about to fly off.

WHOOSH~

Lune loosed an arrow, which pierced cleanly through its body and knocked it from the sky.

This wasn’t the first time he had demonstrated such precise Archery.

As the eldest grandson of the Holmes Clan, Lune’s skill in Swordsmanship, Combat Techniques, and Archery were all excellent.

The display immediately drew cheers from the group. Even Raymond and the other veterans had to applaud in admiration.

After all, they knew nothing about the Bow and Arrow.

The original Archers on Black Forest Island had been trained single-handedly by Duane himself.

"Lune, your Archery is highly skilled. From now on, I’m putting you in charge of the Archery Team."

Duane said, "I hope you can train more outstanding archers!"

Lune smiled. He had proven his worth and earned recognition.

But he didn’t let it go to his head.

He had heard the stories of Duane’s performance at Lord Erlwin’s banquet and knew he himself was not yet capable of loosing multiple arrows in a single breath to hit the same bullseye.

"Compared to your Archery, my own is still a long way off!"

As Lune spoke, he stepped forward to retrieve his arrow from the bird, only to find that despite being pierced through the abdomen, it was still alive.

"So this is the Mutated Demon Beast the Lord mentioned. Its Life Force is truly tenacious!"

Lune drew his sword and cut off the bird’s head, finally ending its life.

Duane and the others caught up. "There was more than one bird watching us. Our location has likely already reached the ears of the Secret Realm Black Bear."

Everyone tensed up.

They had already heard how unusual this Secret Realm was, and they imagined being besieged by Demon Beasts the moment they stepped through the Secret Realm Gate.

"Manny, is this Secret Realm similar to the one on your family’s territory?" Duane called Manny to his side to ask.

"Not really."

Manny shook his head, his mind recalling the Secret Realm on his family’s lands.

"Based on your description, this Secret Realm corrupts the Demon Beasts that enter, causing them to lose their minds. But the one back home constantly spawns new Magical Creatures from within."

"Also, people don’t go mad when they enter. It’s just that the environment inside is so harsh that it’s easy to lose your way."

Duane understood. The danger level of that Secret Realm was likely lower than the one on Black Forest Island, and the value it held was probably not very high either.

"If I get the chance, I’d really like to see it for myself." He was eager to find out more.

Manny’s eyes lit up. "If you’re really willing to go, I’m sure my father would be absolutely delighted!"

The Haydon Clan’s decline was because of this Secret Realm. The endless stream of Magical Creatures from within had drained their manpower and resources. Even after relocating their castle, they were still incessantly plagued by the problem.

If Duane were to go, he could certainly clear out a large number of the Magical Creatures.

That would significantly reduce the pressure on the Haydon Clan for some time.

"Maybe next year."

Duane thought for a moment and said, "I’d like to pay your father a visit next year."

The group continued on, and before long, they arrived before the Secret Realm’s Space Gate.

The Jade Demon Vine that had been accidentally planted in front of the gate had now grown to five or six meters tall, but its petals had withered and its leaves were showing signs of yellowing.

"Raymond, cut down these Demon Vines and bring them with us when we head back," Duane ordered.

Haien had already conducted experiments with the Demon Vine.

The fibers extracted from it were extremely tough; if woven into rope, it would be incredibly durable.

Moreover, when infused with Extraordinary Fighting Qi, the rope became comparable to steel rebar.

Beyond that, a thought occurred to Duane. ’Since this thing can react to Extraordinary Energy, could it be a natural Magic Energy Conductor?’

He could test it out when he started making power devices or setting up a Magic Flow Silkworm Room.

The group skirted the vines and arrived before the Secret Realm Teleportation Gate.

All was quiet and perfectly still.

However, everyone was already picturing hordes of Demon Beasts massed on the other side of the Teleportation Gate.

Duane gripped his Big Ring Saber. "I’ll go in first. You follow me."

As he spoke, he mobilized the surging Fighting Qi within him, condensing it into a tangible suit of Fighting Qi Armor.

Lune’s mind reeled in shock. He could feel that the pressure radiating from the Lord was far stronger than that of an ordinary Shooting Star Warrior.

’Is this the Lord’s true strength?’

Clint, Ross, and the others were also affected by this aura. As they looked at Duane’s back, it seemed like an unshakeable, mighty tree!

The others felt the same.

The corners of Duane’s mouth curved up slightly.

The very reason he had brought his new followers to clear out the Secret Realm Demon Beasts was to display his own strength before them.

Otherwise, with his current power, he could have cleared out the Demon Beasts in the Secret Realm all by himself. It would have just been a matter of time.

It wasn’t that he enjoyed showing off his martial prowess, but some of these new followers had only heard his name and had never seen him fight.

Only by seeing it with their own eyes and experiencing it firsthand would the impression be truly lasting.

Overwhelming strength would reinforce their loyalty and squash any nascent thoughts of betrayal.

"In!"

With a sharp cry, Duane was the first to step through the Space Gate.

Simone, Lune, and the others scrambled to keep up, afraid of falling even half a step behind.