Phoenixes are powerful, and so was the Blood Phoenix. Only after an arduous battle and the combined efforts of everyone in Tianchen City were we able to drive it away, narrowly averting a catastrophe that should never have happened. But... it didn’t end there.
Since then, the Blood Phoenix has reappeared near Tianchen City time and time again, always leaving behind nothing but destruction and devastation. For the past three years, it has attacked almost every few months, and all we could do was repel it—we never had the power to eliminate it.
The City Lord of Tianchen let out a long sigh.
“If only we had warriors as strong as those guarding the Lost City, we wouldn’t be struggling like this… Just last month, the Blood Phoenix appeared again. It ravaged our city before we barely managed to drive it away as always. But this cannot go on forever. So, after that attack, I gathered Tianchen City’s finest guards into an elite squad. They followed the Blood Phoenix’s trail, determined to locate its nest and uncover the reason behind its relentless assaults. If there was even the slightest chance, they were to do whatever it took to eliminate it.”
The City Lord paused for a moment before continuing, his voice heavy with concern.
“Now… more than a month has passed, and not a single word has come back from that brave squad. Aside from their initial reports in the first few days about the Blood Phoenix’s location, we have heard nothing since. Many believe they must have met a terrible fate at the hands of the Blood Phoenix... But I refuse to believe it. I cannot believe it.”
He turned to face Xie Tian, his gaze firm yet pleading.
“Brave warrior from another world, will you travel south and investigate their whereabouts for me?”
Ding…
Tianchen City's Lord has entrusted you with the task of investigating the missing city guards.
- Quest Requirement: 200 Reputation
- Quest Type: Unique
- Quest Time Limit: One Month
- Quest Reward: Unknown (depends on completion level)
Do you accept?
“Accept.”
“Thank you, young man.” The City Lord nodded, smiling in relief. “You bear the Hero’s Emblem, which means you must be an extraordinary warrior. Knowing you’re taking on this dangerous mission eases my worries greatly.”
Xie Tian asked, “Where exactly is the Blood Phoenix’s nest?”
“The squad sent back its location on the fourth day after their departure… That was the last message we ever received from them. Come, take this.” The City Lord handed over a newly marked map. “This map indicates the Blood Phoenix’s Nest. You should be able to find traces of the missing squad somewhere nearby.
“But listen carefully, young man.” The City Lord’s expression turned serious. “Though I know you must be strong, do not attempt to approach the Blood Phoenix’s nest. Its power is beyond anything you can face right now.”
Xie Tian accepted the map, glanced at the marked location, then closed it with a calm nod.
“Understood. I’ll complete this mission as quickly as possible.”
This was undoubtedly an exceptionally difficult and dangerous quest… But if it weren’t, how could it be a Unique Quest?
“I look forward to your safe return—and the good news I hope you will bring.” The City Lord smiled.
Xie Tian left the City Lord’s mansion quietly. After wandering around Tianchen City’s central commercial district to familiarize himself with the layout, he visited a general store to purchase 20 return scrolls, then stopped by an apothecary to buy three bundles of high-grade recovery potions.
Finally, he made his way to the Mount Shop.
According to the City Lord’s map, it would take about three days on foot to reach the Blood Phoenix’s Nest. The Lost Continent was vast, and even though three days of travel covered only a small portion of the map, it was still too long to go without a mount.
Since currency exchange wasn’t available yet, most players—limited by their low levels and small activity range—had no reason to spend a fortune on a mount. However, for a long journey like this, a mount was a necessity.
The Mount Shop’s owner was an elderly man, appearing to be in his seventies or eighties. He half-reclined in his chair, looking half-asleep. Unlike the other shops, which were constantly flooded with players, his Mount Shop was deserted. Even if he wanted to be alert, it seemed the lack of business made it impossible.
When Xie Tian entered, the old man only glanced at him lazily, assuming he was just another window shopper who would leave in seconds.
The Mount Shop sold four types of mounts:
- Ordinary Horse – ??? gold coins, standard red-brown horse with basic mobility.
- Tall Warhorse – 300 gold coins, a larger, stronger horse with better speed and endurance.
- White Dragon Horse – 2000 gold coins, said to be a divine horse from the heavens, once used to escort a certain… questionable monk on a legendary journey. However, ever since the phrase “Divine Horses are Just Illusions” became popular, its value plummeted.
- Blood-Sweating Ferghana Horse – 30,000 gold coins, one of the oldest and rarest breeds on the Lost Continent. Known for its incredible speed, endurance, and strength, it was once the mount of emperors. Now, only a handful exist, making it priceless.
“Hey, boss! I’ll take a Tall Warhorse,” Xie Tian called out, pulling out 300 gold coins—the spoils he had extorted from the Red Leaf Guild’s five fat sheep. At the same time, he subtly pushed his chest forward, making sure his Hero’s Emblem was clearly visible.
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Hearing someone actually buying a mount, the old man finally opened his eyes. His first glance was at Xie Tian, but his second glance locked onto the Hero’s Emblem on his chest.
“Th-That’s… a Hero’s Emblem!”
Just as Xie Tian expected and hoped, the Mount Shop owner immediately snapped awake, his expression and voice filled with excitement.
“Yes, this is indeed a Hero’s Emblem I acquired by chance,” Xie Tian responded calmly.
The old man studied him seriously for a moment before speaking.
“I never thought I’d live to see another person bearing the Hero’s Emblem… I’m truly moved. Brave warrior from another world, take back your gold. Helping you is my honor. This Tall Warhorse is free—no, wait…”
The old man hesitated, then seemed to make a firm decision.
“The Lost Continent needs heroes. We long for true warriors—and we wish to support them in any way we can. So… instead of a Tall Warhorse… I’ll give you this.”
He took a deep breath and spoke firmly:
“This Blood-Sweating Ferghana Horse is yours.”
Xie Tian: “…”
What the f*… A Blood-Sweating Ferghana Horse… for FREE?!**
Originally, he had only hoped to get a free Tall Warhorse. But now… a 30,000-gold coin mount was being gifted to him?!
Was this real life… or a dream?!
"Ding... You have received the mount 'Blood-Sweat Horse' as a gift from the Tianchen City Mount Shop Owner. It is now stored in your mount space, and you can summon it at any time to ride."
The notification in his ear snapped Ye Tianxie out of his stunned disbelief. He quickly composed himself and said to the mount shop owner, "This will be of great help to me. Thank you for your generosity."
"Hehe, I'm honored to hear that," the mount shop owner replied with a warm smile.
Every player had their own mount space, capable of holding up to ten mounts, but only one could be summoned for riding at a time. Mounts served as a means of transportation and were immune to damage while being ridden. In the early stages of the game, only warriors and shield guardians could engage in combat while mounted, while archers, assassins, mages, priests, and summoners had to wait until they reached level 30 and learned the appropriate skills—such as the archery profession’s "Mounted Archery"—before they could fight on horseback.
Mounts generally lacked offensive abilities—at least, all the ones sold in Tianchen City's shop did. However, mounts were categorized by strength, ranked from Tier 1 to Tier 5, followed by Spirit-tier, Celestial-tier, Divine-tier, and the highest, Extinction-tier. The shop only sold mounts up to Tier 4, which were relatively accessible to players. From Tier 5 onwards, mounts gained additional supportive effects, and some even possessed offensive capabilities to assist their riders in battle. However, obtaining a Tier 5 or higher mount was incredibly difficult—far beyond the reach of ordinary players. Given that a Tier 4 Blood-Sweat Horse already cost 30,000 gold coins, it was hard to imagine how valuable a Tier 5 mount would be.
Mounts could be ridden within city limits, but if Ye Tianxie were to summon and ride his newly acquired Blood-Sweat Horse—worth a staggering 30,000 gold coins—he would undoubtedly attract countless eyes. After a brief moment of hesitation, he ultimately decided to leave the city on foot.
To the south of Tianchen City stretched an endless expanse of open plains known as the Fallen Wind Plains. The area was home to relatively weak creatures. At the moment, a glance across the landscape revealed a sea of players. The highest-level players had yet to surpass level 11, making this region—where monsters ranged from level 10 to 12—the ideal grinding spot. Combined with the city lord’s quest to hunt Thunder Rabbits, it was no surprise that the place was packed with players. However, Ye Tianxie was in no rush to complete his unique quest. His immediate goal was leveling up—to surpass the current top player on the rankings as quickly as possible. He had told himself long ago that in any virtual world he set foot in, the number one spot would never belong to anyone else!
Weaving through the bustling crowd like a marketplace, Ye Tianxie pressed forward into the depths of the Fallen Wind Plains until he reached an area devoid of other players.
This was the territory of the level 15 Raccoon Cubs.
Raccoon Cub (Lv. 15)
HP: 680
A small mammalian creature of the raccoon family, known for its keen senses and habit of using its front paws to capture food and attack. Due to past legal disputes over name and likeness infringement by a certain crispy noodle brand, it harbors a deep hatred for instant noodles.
Skills: None.
After a player underwent their first job advancement, their skillset expanded significantly, and their stats increased accordingly, resulting in a noticeable boost in strength. Naturally, monster difficulty scaled up as well. These Raccoon Cubs were far stronger than the creatures in the beginner village. Meanwhile, since Ye Tianxie had yet to acquire a formal profession, he hadn’t gained any extra abilities upon surpassing level 10. The gap between him and other players had grown, putting him at a relative disadvantage.
Fortunately, Raccoon Cubs were passive creatures and would not attack unless provoked. Ye Tianxie didn't rush into combat right away. Instead, he slowly took out a skill scroll from his inventory—the "Berserk Battle Will" scroll he had obtained from the final trial of the Abyss, dropped by the Amethyst War Tiger. With a swift motion, he crushed the scroll in his hand. A dark glow emanated from the shattered scroll and infused into his body.
"Ding... You have acquired the skill 'Berserk Battle Will.' When your HP drops below 20%, you can activate this skill to increase physical and magical attack power, as well as movement speed, by 30%, at the cost of reducing defense by 50%. Mana Cost: 30. Duration: 30 seconds. No cooldown. The effect will automatically end when HP rises above 20%."
"Wow! I can feel my master gaining new power! Are you stronger now?" A sleepy voice chirped in Ye Tianxie's ear as Guoguo appeared on his shoulder, stretching lazily. She pulled out a lollipop, licking it as she spoke in a muffled voice.
Ye Tianxie paused just as he was about to charge forward. He turned to Guoguo and asked, "Guoguo, is there something you forgot to tell me?"
"Eh?" Guoguo blinked, tilting her head. "Did I? I don’t remember."
"Yesterday, you said if I bought you lots of lollipops, you’d tell me about Hidden Dragon Abyss."
"Hidden… Dragon Abyss? What’s that?" Guoguo blinked again, eyes wide with innocent confusion, as if she had never heard of it before. Ye Tianxie nearly slapped her off his shoulder in frustration.
"Ah-la-la, I really don’t know anything about Hidden Dragon Abyss! But I have seen a dragon before! It was really, really big… and kind of scary. Oh, and there’s a real dragon in a deep, dark place to the south!" Guoguo nibbled on her lollipop as she spoke seriously.
South… deep and dark… Could it be Hidden Dragon Abyss?
But even if it was… how was this any different from saying nothing!?
"Wow! These little kitties are so cute!" Guoguo's eyes sparkled as she spotted the herd of Raccoon Cubs, her tiny face lighting up with excitement. She clapped her hands together and cheered, "Master, let's wipe them out, okay?"
Faced with this tiny creature’s utterly absurd thought process, Ye Tianxie had no choice but to accept defeat. He summoned Moment of Destiny, his weapon, and charged toward the Raccoon Cubs.
-49, -50, -48…
With a single light stab, Ye Tianxie instantly drew the attention of the entire herd of Raccoon Cubs. The once-docile creatures swarmed toward him in a frenzy. Damage numbers popped up above his head one after another. Normally, these monsters would only deal around 30 damage per hit to other players of similar level, but since Ye Tianxie was still wearing beginner gear, he was taking around 50 damage per hit.
Ye Tianxie stood his ground without dodging, allowing his HP to drop rapidly.
His health bar continued to shrink—until it finally fell below 100 points… dropping to less than 20% of his total HP.