Versatile Mage: Lord of Space

The antlers of the divine deer were successfully acquired, and the essence was sold for a good price.

Although Lin Lan broke through to the Super Rank, there are always others who need to break through to the Super Rank, such as Mo Fan.

Lin Lan's sole purpose was to help Yue'ehuang transform.

Lin Lan found Yue'ehuang some time ago and brought her to Lei Ze Mountain.

Yu Shishi is there too, and with Lei Shi around, the safety level there is at its highest.

After experiencing some events, the group returned to their home country and began their search.

Zhang Xiaohou can now be considered a semi-expert on the Qinling Mountains.

Since joining the army, he has spent most of his time dealing with monsters in the Qinling Mountains.

When they went to the Qinling Mountains to search for the totem, Zhang Xiaohou volunteered to be their guide.

“This town was built to guard against the demons of the Qinling Mountains. Actually, you’ve come at the right time. I’ve always wanted to explore deeper into the Qinling Mountains, but we simply don’t have enough manpower here. Without sufficient strength, we can’t possibly enter the true heart of the Qinling Mountains,” Zhang Xiaohou explained.

"Is this town under your jurisdiction?" Mo Fan asked.

“Yes, I currently hold the highest military rank here, responsible for command and defense. This mountain pass is adjacent to the Qinling Mountains, with steep terrain that could easily harbor powerful demons. If we cannot defend this place, it will seriously affect the ancient capital to the north, threaten several transportation hubs to the west, and may allow them to join forces with the White Demon Eagle clan of the Western Ridge to invade the Jiangsu area to the south,” Zhang Xiaohou said solemnly.

Before being transferred to the northern frontier, Zhang Xiaohou had been dealing with the demons of the Qinling Mountains. Now, the Central Plains military has entrusted him with full responsibility for the defense of the Qinling Mountains, a weighty responsibility.

"The demons of the Qinling Mountains originate from Kunlun. The great demons of Kunlun mostly live deep in the mountains and forests, rarely harassing inland and western cities. But the Qinling Mountains are different; they are located between several important cities and form the dividing line between north and south. In the past, the area north of the Qinling Mountains was the territory of the dead, but now that the dead have settled down, the demons of the Qinling Mountains have begun to cause frequent trouble..." Bai Hongfei added. He had been stationed west of the Qinling Mountains for a period of time and had some understanding of the local situation.

“Let’s go straight into the mountains,” Mo Fan said.

"We can't go into the mountains yet," Zhang Xiaohou said, shaking his head.

"Why?" Mo Fan asked, puzzled.

“Every year, a kind of ‘demonic wind’ blows through the Qinling Mountains at irregular intervals. If you’re walking on densely forested mountain ridges, it’s fine, but if you’re passing through barren valleys or rocky mountains, you’ll be continuously eroded by this wind. Unless you maintain constant defense, you’ll soon be stripped bare of bones. The people in this area call it ‘the whistling wind,’” Lin Lan explained.

"Yes, Brother Lan is right."

"Such a powerful wind? The Qinling Mountains truly live up to their reputation." Zhao Manyan exclaimed in amazement.

"We have to wait until the strongest part of this wind has passed before we go into the mountains, otherwise we won't get very far," Zhang Xiaohou explained.

"Can you figure out the patterns of the wind?" Lingling asked.

She had done her research before coming and knew that the soaring wind was an extremely dangerous mountain wind, the cause of which was still unknown, and that it was difficult for humans to move around in it for long periods of time.

“No. I’ve been in the Qinling Mountains for so long, and I still haven’t fully grasped the pattern of the appearance of the Soaring Winds. They seem to be completely random,” Zhang Xiaohou said helplessly.

Entering the Qinling Mountains is inherently difficult. Zhang Xiaohou has ventured into them many times during his years of military service, and many of his comrades have perished there. It is truly fortunate that he has survived to this day.

“The Qinling Mountains can indeed be called ‘Demon Mountains,’ their temperament is unpredictable. Many hunters are used to settling down in a certain place and being familiar with the rules of the environment so that they can make a profit safely. But the Qinling Mountains are different. I have never heard of any hunters who like to come here to search for treasure. Perhaps only your military can keep this demonic mountain in check,” Bai Hongfei sighed.

"Is it that weird?" Zhao Manyan was a little scared.

“The wind has picked up again these past few days, and now we have to hide under the trees even when we go into the mountains. Why don’t we rest in town first and wait for the wind to calm down before we move on?” Zhang Xiaohou suggested.

“Since the winds are unpredictable, wouldn’t we be constantly running into them if we went in? If it only blows for a short while, we can tough it out, but if it never ends, won’t we all turn into bones? Is it even worth going into this kind of mountain?” Zhao Manyan started to back out. “There must be a way to deal with it, right?” Mo Fan looked at Zhang Xiaohou.

“There is a way, but there’s no need to force our way through. A few more days won’t make a difference, Brother Fan. I’ll show you around the neighborhood,” Zhang Xiaohou said.

"Okay, then let's wait for a bit."

……

After nightfall, the town became exceptionally quiet.

Mo Fan walked alone on the street, unable to find even a single late-night snack shop. In fact, the entire town was dark before nine o'clock, except for the sentry posts and patrol towers.

"Waaaaah~~~~~~~~"

The Qinling Mountains are right in front of us. The mountains here are very different from those in the south. The mountains in the south are like staggered cones, with individual peaks visible when you fly up. But the Qinling Mountains are continuous, with a majestic black mountain range like a wall of heaven. You have to look up to see the night sky.

This is how the Qinling Mountains appear to Mo Fan at this moment, with the small town at their foot seemingly nestled at the foot of this heavenly wall...

The wind howled from high above, and even without experiencing it firsthand, Mo Fan knew the mountain winds were extraordinary. He remembered the wild and terrifying winds of the Kunlun Mountains, but he hadn't expected the Qinling Mountains to have their own "specialties," making this journey seem increasingly difficult.

……

……

Three days later, the persistent howling wind finally subsided. The Qinling Mountains are exceptionally steep; before we had gone very far, the mountain path turned into a plank road hanging on the mountainside.

The inner side is a thick, majestic mountain, while the outer side is a steep cliff and deep valley, with the wind howling past your ears. A fierce wind rages through the dark, steep mountain range.

The group hurried along the winding, rushing mountain stream. What had initially been a biting mountain wind now seemed to have undergone a qualitative change. The wind not only made it difficult to move, but also carried a terrifying erosive force, causing skin to inexplicably crack wherever it passed.

In desperation, the group had no choice but to erect a defensive barrier. This eerie, relentless wind, if left unchecked, could truly turn a person into a skeleton.

After the sky suddenly changed color, it became difficult to distinguish the types of vegetation in the once lush Qinling Mountains, let alone in the darkness of night.

Now, braving the fierce winds to hurry on their way, they are more likely to fall into danger. If they encounter a large group of demons to block their path, their situation will become even more critical.

“We need to find something called a curtain tree,” Lin Lan said.

"What is a curtain tree?" Mo Fan asked, somewhat puzzled.

Everyone knew Mo Fan was terrible at magic, so Lin Lan patiently explained, "That's a special plant called the 'Guardians of the Qinling Mountains,' scattered randomly throughout the Qinling Mountains." Lingling explained, "The branches of this tree have a unique shape. After growing to a certain height, they droop like willow branches, and the leaves intertwine after multiple branches droop, forming layer upon layer of leaf curtains under the tree. The erosive power of the wind has little effect on plants, so as long as you find a curtain tree and hide under its drooping branches, you can safely weather this wind."

"Damn it, the wind is getting stronger and stronger, it's like it's scraping off a layer of my skin!" Zhao Manyan cried out in pain.

At first, everyone only felt their skin was dry from the wind, but gradually, the dryness turned into cracking. Without protective measures, the entire layer of skin would be completely scraped off. Before entering the Qinling Mountains, they didn't know how powerful the wind was; only after experiencing it firsthand did they realize how terrible it was.

What's even more despairing is that this eerie, whistling wind blows everywhere in the Qinling Mountains, leaving nowhere to hide. These winds are all-pervasive, and after two or three hours of torment, everyone gained a completely new understanding of the terror of these whistling winds.

"Don't panic, don't panic, I can reverse these winds, but I can only maintain them for two and a half hours."

(End of this chapter)