Cyclebreaker: Rise of the Martial Emperor

Chapter 67 – Fire Yang Tree

Lu Mengyao was in a state of panic and never expected Luo Xiu to actually kill Gou Jinchuan. She thought she was doomed to a fate of humiliation, yet once again, Luo Xiu saved her.

But... Gou Jinchuan was an expert Innate Martial Master, while Luo Xiu was at most at the fifth layer of the Qi Sea Realm. How did he manage to do it?

Luo Xiu was also a bit stunned. He hadn't anticipated that the Death Flame he had condensed would be so powerful. The sparks that splattered onto his opponent burned Gou Jinchuan with such intensity that he abandoned his defense in agony.

If not for this, his final sword strike would not have so easily killed Gou Jinchuan.

"The combination of the power of death and flame, from now on, I'll call you Netherworld Death Flame," Luo Xiu thought with a mix of surprise and joy. Knowing the power of the Netherworld Death Flame, he realized he wouldn't have needed to go through so much trouble to kill his opponent.

Moreover, he believed that with the power of the Netherworld Death Flame, combined with his Swift Sword, he could easily contend with and kill an early-stage Innate expert.

As for experts above the fourth layer of the Innate Realm, although he hadn't fought them, he estimated they wouldn't withstand the power of the Netherworld Death Flame.

Sheathing the Shadow Sword, Luo Xiu gathered his True Qi and unleashed several black flames, quickly reducing Gou Jinchuan and the five Qi Sea Martial Artists' bodies to ashes.

"We can't stay here long. Let's bury your father, and we need to leave quickly."

As Luo Xiu spoke, he cleaned up the traces and collected the storage treasures of Gou Jinchuan and the others.

Then, he and Lu Mengyao dug a pit together, buried Lu Feichen's body, and carved a tombstone.

Lu Mengyao knelt and bowed with tears, and then the two returned to Yunlong Prefecture Capital.

After returning to the Hunter Guild, Luo Xiu was well aware that the Free Spirit Sect would soon discover Gou Jinchuan's disappearance and, based on clues, would suspect him and Lu Mengyao.

With the guild's protection, Luo Xiu didn't worry about his parents and sister. He planned to leave Yunlong Prefecture Capital to train outside.

He chose the Guanlei Mountain Range, located at the border between Yunlong Prefecture and Douhai Prefecture, as his training ground.

"I want to go with you."

When Luo Xiu shared his plan to train outside with Lu Mengyao, her first reaction was to say this.

The series of events during this period had made their relationship somewhat delicate.

"I'm going to train in the Guanlei Mountain Range. It will be quite dangerous. Your father left you a token. You can use the teleportation formation here to go directly to Douhai Prefecture and then to the Thunder Martial Sect," Luo Xiu said.

"I... I want to be with you," Lu Mengyao's eyes reddened slightly.

"Alright."

Luo Xiu had no choice but to agree. He knew Lu Mengyao was alone and had no one to rely on. Besides, in Luo Xiu's heart, he hadn't completely let go of his feelings for Lu Mengyao. Although she had chosen to leave him before, she had her reasons, and Luo Xiu could understand.

Moreover, crossing the Guanlei Mountain Range would also lead them to Douhai Prefecture, and he could take her to the Thunder Martial Sect afterward.

Lu Mengyao was at the fifth layer of the Qi Sea Realm and had obtained a two-star Hunter Emblem long ago. So, the two of them used the teleportation formation to travel directly from Yunlong Prefecture Capital to Gao Yi City.

Gao Yi City was the closest to the Guanlei Mountain Range. After leaving the Hunter Guild, they bought a horse and rode out of the city.

Soon, news of Gou Jinchuan's disappearance reached the Free Spirit Inner Sect. Based on the clues, they discovered that Gou Jinchuan had followed Luo Xiu and Lu Mengyao out of the city.

Elder Gou Hongyi was furious and ordered an investigation into Luo Xiu and Lu Mengyao's whereabouts. They learned that the two had appeared in Gao Yi City and headed towards the Guanlei Mountain Range.

...

The distance from Gao Yi City to the Guanlei Mountain Range was actually quite far. Luo Xiu and Lu Mengyao rode a horse for seven days and still hadn't reached the mountain range.

Perhaps due to Lu Feichen's death, Lu Mengyao became silent, losing her former cheerful and playful demeanor.

Sometimes, when they rested along the way, Luo Xiu would hunt in the woods, and Lu Mengyao would become anxious. Only when Luo Xiu was by her side did she feel at ease.

For her, Luo Xiu was her only support in this world. Her father's death had dealt her a heavy blow, leaving her feeling insecure.

Half a month later, after following the map obtained from the Hunter Guild for so long, they could finally see the mist-shrouded Guanlei Mountain Range in the distance.

Suddenly, a powerful pressure descended from the sky, causing Luo Xiu's expression to change. The horse beneath him seemed unable to bear the pressure, neighing in terror.

Sitting behind him, Lu Mengyao also felt the oppressive aura, her face turning pale.

"Could it be a strong pursuer from the Free Spirit Sect?"

Luo Xiu resisted the pressure, seeing a figure flying across the sky. The overwhelming aura emanated from that figure.

It was a man in purple, who glanced indifferently at Luo Xiu and Lu Mengyao below before flying away, disappearing into the distant horizon.

Luo Xiu was alarmed. The man in purple could fly in the air, indicating he was at least at the Spirit Refining Martial Sect level. Judging by his aura, he was far stronger than Lu Feichen and not weaker than President Wen Qianhong, likely a King of Martial Dao Realm expert.

Such experts were rare in Yunlong Prefecture.

"That's Martial King Yeyang," Lu Mengyao suddenly said from behind Luo Xiu, recognizing the purple-clad man's identity.

"Martial King Yeyang is a powerful rogue cultivator. I met him once when I was thirteen, following my father," Lu Mengyao explained.

Luo Xiu nodded. He wasn't surprised that a Martial King expert would come near the Guanlei Mountain Range.

The Guanlei Mountain Range was a vast area, almost as large as half of Yunlong Prefecture. Whether Qi Sea Martial Artists, Spirit Refining experts, or Kings of Martial Dao, they often came to the mountain range in search of treasures and resources.

According to the information from the Hunter Guild, the Guanlei Mountain Range contained many precious materials for forging war armaments and refining treasures, as well as various grades of spiritual herbs. Additionally, there were powerful demonic beasts, whose materials were also valuable treasures.

This was a place where experts gathered. Luo Xiu knew that with his Qi Sea Realm cultivation, it wouldn't be easy to establish himself here.

He glanced at Lu Mengyao behind him, who was wearing a veil. With her appearance, she could easily attract trouble.

Having come this far, Luo Xiu's character wouldn't allow him to retreat. The path of martial cultivation required a fearless heart; reaching the pinnacle of martial arts was not for the faint-hearted.

Near the Guanlei Mountain Range, like the Yaqi Mountain near Qingyun City, there was also a gathering place for martial artists. Many who trained in the Guanlei Mountain Range would choose to stop there to rest or trade their treasures.

Such places didn't have the four major guilds or teleportation formations, so they couldn't be reached directly.

However, Luo Xiu didn't head to that gathering place because he knew there were formation treasures capable of transmitting messages. The gathering place in the Guanlei Mountain Range certainly had martial artists from the Free Spirit Sect. If he and Lu Mengyao showed up, they would undoubtedly be targeted.

Avoiding the gathering place, Luo Xiu tied the horse to a large tree and then led Lu Mengyao on foot toward the Guanlei Mountain Range.

The path of martial cultivation, if only pursued through secluded training, would yield little progress. Every martial expert had endured countless trials and life-and-death experiences to achieve greatness.

Luo Xiu's goal this time was to cross the Guanlei Mountain Range and reach Douhai Prefecture. The journey itself was a test of his abilities, and once in Douhai Prefecture, he could escort Lu Mengyao to the Thunder Martial Sect.

As for his feelings toward Lu Mengyao, Luo Xiu couldn't quite articulate them.

Though only fourteen, Luo Xiu felt he had experienced two emotional journeys: the first was his secret crush on Liu Yuxin at the Qingyun Martial Hall, and the second was his mutual affection with Lu Mengyao.

But these two experiences made him realize the unpredictability of life, leading him to view matters of the heart with more detachment. His pursuit was to become a powerful figure at the pinnacle of martial arts.

Entering the Guanlei Mountain Range, Luo Xiu recalled the various pieces of information about the area from the Hunter Guild.

Many martial artists trained in the Guanlei Mountain Range, with Qi Sea Martial Artists being the lowest tier, usually training and hunting at the outskirts. They dared not venture deeper, as it would risk their lives.

Despite the dangers, countless martial artists still came to train in the Guanlei Mountain Range because of its abundant resources. Even those at the King of Martial Dao Realm would venture deep into the mountains in search of treasures.

Martial artists usually formed teams of various sizes for training. Those who dared to travel alone were often powerful individuals confident in their strength.

Shortly after entering the Guanlei Mountain Range, Luo Xiu encountered several second-level demonic beasts.

Although he could completely avoid these beasts' territories using his Life Perception ability, Luo Xiu was here for training, so there was no need to be overly cautious.

He didn't collect all the materials from the demonic beasts, only selecting the most valuable ones to store in his Storage Ring.

Suddenly, Luo Xiu's Life Perception detected several life auras belonging to martial artists.

Soon, three figures appeared in Luo Xiu's line of sight, walking toward him and Lu Mengyao.

The newcomers were two men and a woman. One was a middle-aged man wearing leather armor with a sword at his waist, another was a young man with a fierce look, carrying a war knife and wearing armor.

The last one was a woman in a tight-fitting combat suit, with a curvaceous figure and an extremely alluring appearance.

When Luo Xiu saw these three people, they also noticed him and Lu Mengyao.

These three seemed to be hunters who had been training and fighting outside for a long time, exuding an invisible aura of killing intent.

Standing beside Luo Xiu, Lu Mengyao also sensed this aura and felt a bit nervous, staying close to Luo Xiu.

Many martial artists trained in the Guanlei Mountain Range, so encountering others here was not surprising to Luo Xiu.

However, he remained vigilant as he watched the three approaching, knowing that in this wilderness, killing was all too common.

"Greetings, young brother."

When the two sides were about ten meters apart, the three stopped, showing that they meant no harm.

The middle-aged man, who seemed to be the leader, spoke. He was at the ninth layer of the Qi Sea Realm, but Luo Xiu felt he was much stronger than those he had killed in Yunlong Prefecture.

Luo Xiu cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, "What can I do for you three?"

"I am Zhang Haifei, and these are my companions, Tian Guangyou and Miao Feifei," the middle-aged man introduced, not directly answering Luo Xiu's question.

Tian Guangyou was the young man with the war knife, his face fierce and not looking like a good person. Miao Feifei smiled and nodded at Luo Xiu.

These two were slightly weaker than Zhang Haifei, both at the eighth layer of the Qi Sea Realm.

However, Luo Xiu noticed that Tian Guangyou's gaze became heated when it landed on Lu Mengyao.

Lu Mengyao was naturally beautiful, tall, and with an ethereal temperament. Her slightly melancholic eyes only added to her allure, stirring something within Tian Guangyou.

"I'm Luo Xiu, and this is my companion, Miss Lu," Luo Xiu introduced.

He didn't mention Lu Mengyao's full name, as they were still in Yunlong Prefecture, and the three might recognize her.

"Brother Luo, Miss Lu, I apologize for the interruption. We actually wanted to invite you to join our team. What do you think?" Zhang Haifei proposed.

Upon hearing this, Luo Xiu's first instinct was to refuse, knowing the dangers of trusting strangers while training outside. He preferred to team up with reliable people he knew.

But before Luo Xiu could decline, Zhang Haifei continued, "We discovered a Fire Sun Tree, but there's a third-level demonic beast nearby. The three of us can't handle it, so we wanted to invite a few more people."

"Fire Sun Tree?"

Luo Xiu's eyes narrowed. He knew the Fire Sun Tree was a third-level spiritual herb, and its Fire Sun Fruit was the main ingredient for refining the Ascension Pill.

The Ascension Pill was a third-grade pill, a precious elixir for Qi Sea Martial Artists to break through to the Innate Realm. Due to the rarity of the Fire Sun Fruit, this pill was more valuable than many fourth-grade pills.

Although Luo Xiu had obtained the treasure trove of Martial King Buchen, which contained many fifth-grade pills, most were for enhancing cultivation, recovery, or healing. There wasn't a single pill like the Ascension Pill that could break through bottlenecks.