The border between the civilized world of the Myriad Beast Academy and the untamed chaos of the Wildlands was marked not by a wall, but by a smell. On one side, the air smelled of tea, ink, and anxiety; on the other, it smelled of rotting leaves, ozone, and things that had been dead for three days.
Su Ye stood at the edge of the tree line, adjusting the straps of his heavy hiking pack. Behind him, his three disciples looked less like seasoned adventurers and more like a traveling circus that had taken a wrong turn. Gao Ming was wearing a safari outfit he had likely commissioned from a tailor who had never seen a jungle, complete with a pith helmet and a monocle. Lin Fan was encased in so much scrap-metal armor that he squeaked with every step. Princess Luo Bing was the most practical, wearing fitted leather armor, but she was frantically trying to keep mud off her white boots.
"Listen up," Su Ye said, turning to face them. "Forget the tournament. The tournament had rules. It had a referee. It had a snack bar. The Wildlands has none of those things. Out here, if you wait for the gong to sound, you get eaten."
He pointed to the dense, mist-shrouded forest ahead. "This is the Verdant Hell. The beasts here don't care about your rank or your bloodline. They care about calorie intake. Gao Ming, take off the monocle. If a Spirit Monkey steals it, they'll use the glass to start a fire and cook you."
Gao Ming reluctantly pocketed the monocle. "Master, surely my aura of dominance will deter the lesser creatures?"
"Your aura smells like lavender soap," Su Ye said dryly. "To a Predator Wolf, you smell like a dessert cart. Now, let's move. We are looking for Star-Iron Ore to reinforce the stable, and Void-Root to make a tea that stops the pig from glowing."
Su Ye whistled. "Zhu Zhu! Little Sun! Formation!"
From the bushes, the Void-Swallowing Pig trotted out, looking grumpy. Riding on his back, clutching the pig's ears with its talons, was the golden chicken. The chicken, Little Sun, looked around with imperious, fiery eyes, fluffed its feathers, and let out a deep, resonant Moooo.
"I still find that unsettling," Lin Fan muttered, checking the readings on his gauntlet. "Biologically, it's a bird. Spiritually, it's a star. Psychologically, it's a heifer. Master, can we fix it?"
"It's an identity crisis caused by traumatic hatching," Su Ye shrugged, hacking away a vine with a machete. "As long as it shoots lasers at the bad guys, it can identify as a turnip for all I care. Move out."
They entered the treeline. Immediately, the light dimmed. The canopy of the Verdant Hell was so thick it blotted out the sun, replacing it with a bioluminescent gloom provided by glowing moss and fungi. The air was thick and humid, buzzing with the sound of insects the size of dinner plates.
For the first hour, the journey was deceptively quiet. They hiked through fern gullies and over moss-covered roots. The only sound was the rhythmic clank-squeak of Lin Fan's armor and the occasional low moo from the chicken.
Then, they met the locals.
They stepped into a clearing dominated by a massive, beautiful flower with petals the color of a sunset. It smelled like roasting meat—a delicious, savory scent that made everyone's stomach growl.
"Ah!" Gao Ming inhaled deeply. "Nature provides! A Roast-Pork Lily! I have read about these!"
He stepped forward, reaching for a petal.
"Stop," Su Ye said, not even looking up from his map.
"But Master, it smells divine!"
"It smells like pork because it eats pigs," Su Ye said. "Throw a rock at it."
Gao Ming hesitated, then tossed a pebble. As soon as the stone touched the center of the flower, the petals snapped shut with the force of a bear trap. A cloud of acidic green gas puffed out, dissolving the pebble into sludge in seconds.
Gao Ming turned pale, stepping back.
"The Carnivorous Decoy Lily," Su Ye lectured, walking past the deadly plant. "Tier-2. Not strong, but patient. It relies on idiots. Don't be an idiot."
As they ventured deeper, the forest became more hostile. The trees seemed to lean in. Vines twitched when they weren't looking.
Suddenly, Lin Fan froze. He held up his hand, his Echo Bone vibrating against his chest armor.
"Movement," Lin Fan whispered, his voice trembling. "Multiple targets. Two hundred meters. Closing fast. They don't have heartbeats."
"No heartbeats?" Luo Bing drew her sword, the air around her cooling instantly. "Undead?"
"No," Su Ye sniffed the air. "Not undead. Constructs."
Before he could finish, the bushes exploded.
Five figures burst into the clearing. They weren't animals. They were Wood-Golems—humanoid shapes made of twisted roots and jagged bark, animated by glowing green cores in their chests. They moved with a jerky, unnatural speed, their wooden claws dripping with sap.
"Intruders!" a raspy voice echoed, seeming to come from the trees themselves. "The Forest demands tribute!"
"Wood Golems," Su Ye noted calmly. "Tier-3. Vulnerable to fire and axes. Luo Bing, freeze their joints. Gao Ming, blind them. Lin Fan, shatter the cores."
"What about the tribute?" Gao Ming yelped as a Golem lunged at him.
"We brought a pig and a chicken," Su Ye said. "We are the tribute. Attack!"
Luo Bing moved first. She didn't panic this time. The tournament had hardened her. She channeled her Qi into the Heart of the Frozen North box strapped to her waist.
"Ice Phoenix! Permafrost Floor!"
She stomped her boot. A wave of ice shot across the muddy ground. The Golems, heavy and top-heavy, lost their footing. Two of them slipped, crashing into each other with a sound like bowling pins.
"Gao Ming! Now!"
Gao Ming pulled his Shroud of the Phantom Stag tight. He vanished. A second later, he reappeared directly behind the lead Golem. He didn't have a weapon, but he had a bag of Flash-Powder (a Su Ye special recipe made from magnesium and dried chili).
"Witness my brilliance!" Gao Ming shouted, smashing the bag into the Golem's wooden face.
POOF.
The Golem roared—a sound of creaking wood—as the powder ignited, blinding its sensors. It thrashed wildly, hitting its own allies.
"Lin Fan! The Beat!"
Lin Fan stepped forward. He clamped his hands together, aiming the Echo Bone at the glowing green cores of the fallen Golems. He adjusted the frequency. He wasn't looking for the 'Brown Note' this time; he was looking for the resonant frequency of crystal.
PING.
He unleashed a sharp, high-pitched sonic lance.
CRACK. CRACK.
The green cores in the Golems' chests shattered. The magic holding the roots together dissipated instantly. The Golems collapsed into piles of firewood.
It was over in thirty seconds.
"Efficient," Su Ye nodded approvingly. "Sloppy footwork, Gao Ming, but good timing. Loot the cores. They sell for fifty stones apiece."
"Hold on," a new voice cut through the clearing.
Su Ye turned. Emerging from the shadows on the other side of the clearing was a group of five humans. They wore matching steel armor painted with red stripes. They carried heavy crossbows and serrated swords. They looked professional, dangerous, and very arrogant.
The leader, a scarred man with a shaved head, stepped forward, eyeing the pile of Golem wood.
"Nice kill," the man said, his eyes flicking to the dead Golems and then to Luo Bing. "But this is Iron Fang territory. Those Golems were being herded by us. You poached our kill."
"Herded?" Su Ye raised an eyebrow. "I didn't see a leash. I saw a bunch of angry kindling trying to turn my student into fertilizer."
The scarred man spat on the ground. "I'm Captain Lei. Iron Fang Mercenary Company. We claim all loot in Sector 4. Hand over the cores, and the pretty girl's sword, and we'll let you walk away with your limbs."
Gao Ming bristled. "Do you know who we are? We are the Champions of the—"
"Shut up, Gao Ming," Su Ye silenced him. He looked at Captain Lei. He smiled. "You want the cores? Take them."
Su Ye kicked the shattered green crystals toward the mercenaries.
Captain Lei blinked. He hadn't expected it to be that easy. He grinned, a predator sensing weakness. "Smart kid. Now the sword. And the pig. We're hungry."
Zhu Zhu, hearing the word 'hungry' directed at him rather than by him, growled low in his throat. Little Sun, perched on the pig, narrowed its golden eyes.
"The pig is not for eating," Su Ye said, his voice dropping a few degrees. "And the sword stays with the lady. I gave you the cores as a parking fee. Don't push your luck."
Captain Lei laughed. His men laughed. They raised their crossbows.
"You think you have a choice?" Lei sneered. "This isn't a classroom, boy. Out here, might makes—"
Moooo.
The sound cut through the tension like a foghorn.
Captain Lei paused. He looked around. "Is... is there a cow nearby?"
"No," Su Ye sighed. "It's the chicken. I tried to warn you."
"A chicken?" Lei looked at the golden bird on the pig's back. "You're mocking me. Kill them all!"
The mercenaries pulled their triggers. Five heavy iron bolts flew through the air, aimed straight at Su Ye's team.
Time seemed to slow. Luo Bing gasped, raising a shield of ice. Lin Fan flinched.
But Su Ye didn't move. He just snapped his fingers.
"Little Sun. Breakfast."
The golden chicken hopped off the pig. It didn't fly; it blurred. It moved with the speed of light, literally. It was a streak of gold in the gloom.
Peck. Peck. Peck. Peck. Peck.
In the blink of an eye, the chicken intercepted all five bolts in mid-air. It didn't deflect them. It ate the metal heads off the bolts.
The wooden shafts fell harmlessly to the ground.
Captain Lei stared at his bolt-less crossbow. He stared at the chicken, which was currently swallowing a piece of iron with a satisfied gulp.
Mooo, the chicken said again, demanding seconds.
"What... what is that?" Lei stammered, backing away.
"That is a Solar-Eclipse Crow suffering from a species dysmorphia disorder," Su Ye explained helpfully. "It eats metal. Specifically, iron. Your name is the 'Iron Fang' squad, right? Bad luck."
"Get them!" Lei screamed, drawing his serrated sword. "It's just a bird! Cut it down!"
The mercenaries charged.
"Zhu Zhu," Su Ye yawned. "Tag team."
The Void Pig lunged. But instead of biting, he opened his mouth and inhaled. He didn't swallow the mercenaries; he swallowed the distance between them.
One second, the mercenaries were ten meters away. The next, space warped, and they were stumbling directly into a patch of Itch-Weed (another hazard Su Ye had noticed but not mentioned).
The mercenaries fell face-first into the nettles. Instantly, their skin turned bright red. They dropped their weapons, screaming and scratching furiously.
"Aaargh! It burns! It burns!"
Captain Lei rolled on the ground, clawing at his face. "You... you demons! What kind of poison is this?"
"It's not poison," Su Ye walked over and picked up the abandoned serrated sword, inspecting it. "It's highly concentrated formic acid from the nettles. You'll be itching for about six hours. I suggest mud. Lots of mud."
Su Ye tossed the sword to Lin Fan. "Scrap metal. Feed it to the chicken."
Little Sun hopped over and began happily pecking at the high-grade steel sword, chipping away bite-sized chunks like it was a cracker.
Captain Lei watched in horror as his prized weapon was eaten by poultry. "Who... who are you people?"
"We're the cleaning crew," Su Ye said. "Now, Captain. Since you're incapacitated, let's talk business. You said you were 'herding' those Golems. Wood Golems don't migrate. Why were you moving them?"
Captain Lei gritted his teeth, scratching his neck. "Go to hell."
Su Ye looked at the chicken. "Little Sun, he's still wearing iron greaves. Are you still hungry?"
The chicken's eyes lit up. It took a step toward Captain Lei's legs.
"Okay! Okay!" Lei screamed. "We were clearing the path! The Dark Beast Sect hired us! They're excavating a ruin in the Northern Gorge! They paid us to keep the Golems away from their supply lines!"
Su Ye's expression hardened. "The Dark Beast Sect. Here?"
"Yes! They found something!" Lei babbled. "A Seal! They're trying to break a Seal! That's all I know! Please, call off the bird!"
Su Ye whistled. Little Sun stopped mid-peck, looking disappointed.
"A Seal," Su Ye muttered to himself. "First the Void Scavenger, now a Seal in the Wildlands. They really are trying to end the world on my day off."
He looked at his disciples. "Change of plans. We aren't just looking for ore anymore. We're crashing a party."
"Master," Luo Bing asked, eyeing the scratching mercenaries. "What do we do with them?"
"Leave them," Su Ye said, adjusting his pack. "The itch will wear off by sunset. If they're smart, they'll go home. If they're stupid, they'll follow us."
He turned and walked deeper into the forest, toward the Northern Gorge.
"Let's go," Su Ye called out. "If the Dark Beast Sect opens that Seal, the price of real estate is going to drop significantly."
As they marched away, leaving the groaning Iron Fang squad behind, Lin Fan jogged up to Su Ye.
"Master," Lin Fan whispered. "You knew they were working for the Sect, didn't you? That's why you provoked them."
"I suspected," Su Ye admitted. "Golems don't wander. Someone was pushing them. And only the Dark Sect is arrogant enough to use mercenaries as cannon fodder."
He patted Lin Fan on the shoulder. "Lesson number two of the Wildlands: The beast is rarely the most dangerous thing in the forest. Usually, it's the guy signing the paychecks."
Miles away, in a deep ravine carved into the earth like a scar, the air hummed with dark energy.
Dozens of robed figures moved with purpose, etching glowing purple runes into a massive stone wall that blocked the end of the gorge. The wall was ancient, covered in moss, but beneath the greenery, carvings of chains and locks could be seen.
In the center of the operation stood a tall, thin man wearing a mask made of white bone. This was Elder Wraith, one of the Chimera Elders who had signed the letter to Su Ye.
"Report," Elder Wraith whispered, his voice sounding like tearing paper.
A subordinate bowed low. "The Iron Fang squad has engaged the intruders, Elder. But... we lost contact."
"Expected," Wraith dismissed. "Mercenaries are disposable. Is the drill ready?"
"Yes, Elder. The Void-Borer is primed. But the Seal... it reacts to the energy. It is fighting back."
Wraith looked at the massive stone wall. The runes were pulsing.
"Of course it fights," Wraith chuckled. "It holds back the Hunger of the Ancient Era. But it will break. And when it does, we will control the power that even the Beast Hall fears."
He turned to look at the forest behind him.
"And if Su Ye comes... let him come. The Seal requires a blood sacrifice to fully open. A champion's blood should suffice."
Wraith raised his hand. "Begin the drilling."
A massive, mechanical machine, powered by a trapped Spirit Beast core, roared to life. It began to grind against the ancient stone wall.
GRRRRRRZZZZZ.
The sound echoed through the mountains, a mechanical scream that woke every beast for ten miles.
Back in the forest, Su Ye stopped. He felt the vibration in his feet.
Zzzzt.
"THEY ARE KNOCKING," the Tortoise Ancestor groaned in his mind. "THE FOOLS ARE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF THE PRISON."
"What's inside, Senior?" Su Ye asked.
There was a long pause.
"A mistake," the Tortoise said. "A mistake the First Sect Leader made a thousand years ago. He didn't kill the Beast King of the Void. He buried it."
Su Ye looked at the distant plume of dust rising from the gorge.
"Well," Su Ye cracked his neck. "Time to go teach them why you don't dig up the past."
"Gao Ming!" Su Ye shouted. "Put the cape back on. We're going stealth mode."
"Stealth?" Gao Ming looked at the glimmering, mooing chicken and the giant pig. "Master, we are a traveling petting zoo. How do we do stealth?"
"Simple," Su Ye grinned, pulling a jar of Chameleon Slime (harvested from the Swamp of Regret) out of his bag. "We get sticky."
Luo Bing looked at the jar of green slime. She looked at her white boots. She sighed deeply.
"I hate the Wildlands," she whispered.
"Mooo," Little Sun agreed, waiting to be painted green.