"As for Luoyan Mountain, you can explore the foothills, but you canât just go up the mountain. There are Great Black Beasts up there, stronger than the Force Integration Level!" Qin Yueâs expression grew grave as if recalling something.
Jiang Che nodded. âLooks like Iâll have to wait until Iâm stronger before I can go investigate that sheepskin map.â
"For us, if we want to find the good stuff, we mainly go to Coiling Dragon Mountain and Moon Viewing Mountain," Qin Yue continued.
"Coiling Dragon Mountain has no fewer than ten types of Black Beasts, mostly snakes, poisonous insects, and birds. Among them, thereâs one at the Force Integration Level, three at the Iron Skin Realm, and the rest are at the Stone Skin Realm and Bull Skin Realm. The Force Integration Level beast is a type of python, but it usually stays on the summit and rarely comes down, so itâs not too bad. If you want to capture Black Beasts to raise, Coiling Dragon Mountain is your best bet. You just have to find Snake Eggs, bird eggs, or insect pupae, and you can take them back to hatch."
"What if weâre hunting for Black Crystals?" Jiang Che asked.
"If youâre after Black Crystals, then those arenât very suitable. Birds, snakes, and insects have Black Crystals, but theyâre tiny. The ones from insects, especially, are only the size of a sesame seed. Plus, the insects themselves are small, agile, and hard to catch. So, if you want to hunt for Black Crystals, you need to go to Moon Viewing Mountain.
"That mountain is home to Black Beasts like boars, bulls, sheep, wolves, tigers, and leopards, and their Black Crystals are plenty big. But if you want to capture their young to raise, itâs not as easy. The offspring of these Black Beasts can run as soon as theyâre born, making them very difficult to catch. Itâs not like with Snake Eggs or bird eggs, where you just lure the adult away and snatch the nest.
"Also, just like Coiling Dragon Mountain, Moon Viewing Mountain also has one Black Beast at the Force Integration Level, three at the Iron Skin Realm, and various others at the Stone Skin and Bull Skin Realms.
"And on this trip, our main goal is to hunt for Black Crystals, so weâre heading to Moon Viewing Mountain," Qin Yue explained as they walked.
Jiang Che nodded, now having a basic understanding of the Black Beasts.
This was the kind of information that only specialized Black Beast hunters would know.
If Qin Yue hadnât brought him along, it would have taken him a long time to figure all this out on his own.
The group traveled southwest, and an hour later, they arrived at the foot of Moon Viewing Mountain.
Jiang Che looked up.
Before him was a vast, rolling mountain forest.
The mountainside was covered in dense, verdant green trees.
At the foot of the mountain, a small, weed-choked path snaked its way upward.
The roars of some unknown animal echoed from the distance from time to time.
A gust of wind blew past, and though the weather wasnât yet cold, Jiang Che felt a sudden chill.
Qin Yue stepped in front of the group and came to a stop. He slowly scanned the faces of his men, then said in a deep voice,
"Two brothers stay behind to watch the carriages. The rest of you, up the mountain with me!"
At his words, the men began unloading their gear from the carriages: Weapons, dry rations, ropes, iron cages, rain cloaks, and other items.
Qin Yue, meanwhile, took out a porcelain jar. He grabbed a handful of powder and went around sprinkling it on each person.
When he got to Jiang Che, Qin Yue explained, "Itâs Deodorizing Powder. Itâll mask our scent so we donât startle the Black Beasts."
Jiang Che nodded. He had learned something new again.
"Oh, and tie your pant legs and cuffs tight. You donât want any poisonous insects crawling in," Qin Yue added, glancing at Jiang Cheâs clothes.
Although Jiang Che was immune to poison after his Transformation, this wasnât the time or place to use it. Not daring to be careless, he diligently tied his pant legs and cuffs tight.
After everyone had been treated with the Deodorizing Powder, two Martial Artists were left to guard the carriages, and the rest of the group started up the mountain.
Two men with short blades took the lead, hacking away the overgrown weeds to clear a path.
"On this mountain, do you know what the greatest danger is?" Qin Yue asked Jiang Che as they walked.
"Isnât it the Black Beasts?" Jiang Che asked, puzzled.
"The Black Beasts are dangerous, yes, but we all know to be careful of them. The real dangers are the poisonous insects and the weather! Never underestimate the insects here. The venom of some can take down even a Force Integration Artist! You canât let your guard down for a second!
"As for the weather... see how the sun is out right now? The weather on this mountain can change in a heartbeat. One minute itâs sunny, the next it could be a downpour, or even hailing! The temperature can plummet to freezing in an instant! We Martial Artists can handle the cold better than most, but if your clothes get soaked, over time youâll be drained of your Qi Blood. If you run into a Black Beast in that state, youâre in serious danger!" Qin Yue said gravely.
"Right." Jiang Che nodded. No wonder everyone had brought rain cloaks.
He lamented internally. Even though they were Martial Artists, they were still fragile in the face of nature.
âOne must always respect nature!â
The group ventured deeper into the mountains.
The mountain path grew more difficult. The ground was covered in a thick layer of rotting leaves, and the trees towered over them, dense and imposing.
Suddenly, Qin Yue gestured for everyone to halt. He listened intently for a moment, then whispered,
"Weâre entering the territory of the Black-Horned Sheep. Everyone, be careful!"
"Black-Horned Sheep?" Jiang Che asked immediately.
This information would be crucial if he were to hunt on his own later, so he had to seize every opportunity to ask questions.
"The Black-Horned Sheep are incredibly sharp. Theyâll bolt at the slightest sound, and their leaping ability is astounding. An ordinary person could never keep up. Most of them are at the Stone Skin Realm, but youâll occasionally find some at the Iron Skin Realm. They usually travel in groups of three or four," Qin Yue explained in a hushed voice.
Jiang Che nodded to show he understood.
The group crept forward cautiously. Suddenly, Qin Yue spotted something and signaled for them to stop again.
Then, he reached into the small pouch at his side and took out several items that looked like cakes made of grass.
The palm-sized cakes gave off a strange, fragrant aroma.