Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 901
They were all staring at one another with wide eyes!
"Is this like an annual gathering after we've all graduated?" Jiang Yu was the first to break the silence.
"How would we know you guys came to Tianshan Mountain?"
"We didn't expect you to be here either!"
"HAHAHA, I bet the Heavens have gathered the members of the strongest team here because we are about to set the Thames on fire."
It was a great coincidence that they had bumped into one another in Tianshan Mountain.
Both sides finally explained what was going on after laughing about it.
"Basically, our advisors invited us to the capital to give the students a lecture, so we decided to hang around for a bit. Old Ai told us he's planning to take some time off from the military to train himself. Jiang Yu, Guan Yu, and I had the same thought. We heard something about a Rift Valley in Tianshan Mountain recently, so we all agreed to come here," Nanyu explained with a smile.
Chapter 1969 - Snow Lotus of the Scar
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
Nanyu was a calm person, but her eyes were obviously brimming with joy.
They had not met one another since the World College Tournament, yet fate had brought them all to Tianshan Mountain.
The eight of them were almost the whole team!
The rest of the team were either incompatible with them or were in opposing factions. It would not be a coincidental gathering if they were here too...
"A powerful Mage must visit Tianshan Mountain at least once!" Ai Jiangtu sounded quite obsessed with Tianshan Mountain.
Many people were obsessed with Tianshan Mountain, but they were a little hesitant at first due to how mysterious and dangerous the place was. However, they felt more confident now that everyone was here.
"When are you guys heading out?" Zhao Manyan asked.
"If only you had come here earlier! The four of us have already joined a group of mercenaries. After all, we aren't familiar with the weather, wind, terrain, distribution of demon creatures, and how we should react during an emergency. Just collecting information isn't enough since we all lack experience," Jiang Yu sighed.
"It's not a bad idea to follow a group around."
"Why don't you all join the same group then? They are still looking for members. We'll ask the leader to arrange for us to be on the same team. Following an experienced group will save us a lot of trouble," Nanyu encouraged them.
Their cultivation did not really matter if the environment was terrible. What mattered was their experience and their ability to adapt to circ.u.mstances.
"It's a long journey through the Rift Valley. It's necessary for us to stick with a group," Lingling said.
If they had not stumbled into Ai Jiangtu and the others, Lingling had also been planning that they join a bigger Hunter Group. Nanyu's choice of a more disciplined and well-trained group of mercenaries was not a bad idea either!
"At least three thousand Mages have gone into the Rift Valley, but I bet only a few made it to the end. It doesn't matter, since they can still obtain valuable resources along the way," Guan Yu spoke up.
Guan Yu occasionally glanced at Mu Ningxue as he spoke, but he had noticed that Mu Ningxue was sitting very close to Mo Fan. Their skin was almost touching.
Only lovers would sit so close to one another!
Guan Yu knew his chance of building a relationship with Mu Ningxue was slim to nothing ever since Fanxue Mountain had been established, but he still felt uncomfortable when he saw Mo Fan and Mu Ningxue acting so intimately.
---
Mercenaries were similar to Hunters, but mercenaries were usually more organized, like actual military. Their members were usually fairly fixed.
Hunters were more casual and freewheeling. They were constantly on the move, chasing after quests with handsome rewards. Ai Jiangtu was used to the military, so he preferred to join a group of mercenaries instead of a Hunter Group.
A group of mercenaries would normally be considered elites among the Hunters. The mercenary group Ai Jiangtu had chosen was ranked in the top three in Asia. It had around a hundred and ten members, split into ten teams.
Mo Fan and his crew were assigned to the ninth team of the Mailong Private Military Company. It turned out that Ai Jiangtu was quite close to the Vice Leader of the mercenary group. Without that connection, it would be unusual for a mercenary group with fixed members to bring in so many strangers at once.
"The Mailong Private Military Company... even a renowned organization based in Dubai has come to Tianshan Mountain. It's going to be bustling on the mountain!" Zhao Manyan exclaimed.
The Mailong Private Military Company was reputable throughout Asia. Its members were strong and reliable. The jobs they took were not just quests submitted by the Hunter Alliance. They were even hired to fight in some of the wars in the Middle East!
Zhao Manyan was quite at ease after joining the mercenary group.
"I heard the Mailong Private Military Group has its own city in the Middle East?" Jiang Shaoxu asked him.
"Yes, they do have their own city. They collect tax from the residents just like a normal government, but their main focus is still on mercenary jobs and exploration. They have been sponsored by the Liden Royal Family to explore the Scar of Tianshan Mountain. The Liden Royal Family wants to make a name for themselves, but they are also looking for the Snow Lotus of the Scar to treat their queen's illness," Ai Jiangtu told the rest of them.
"The Liden Royal Family is quite wealthy and imposing," Zhao Manyan exclaimed.
"Your family is here too. They have hired one of the top Hunter Groups in our country," Guan Yu mentioned to him.
Zhao Manyan twisted his lips. He did not comment on the topic.
He had no clue what Zhao Youqian was up to. The man had hired one of the most expensive Hunter Groups in the country!
It was not like they were traveling to the moon to raise their flags on it.
"What illness is the queen of the Liden Royal Family suffering from?" Mo Fan asked. He had heard something about the queen from Xinxia.
Tata did not let Xinxia use her Spell of Resurrection because she was hoping Xinxia would reserve her remaining energy for the queen, earning the Liden Royal Family's support.
Both Xinxia and Izisha had tried to cure the queen's illness, but it was beyond their capabilities!
"It's not really an illness… but she has reached the end of her lifespan. Not everyone can live for a hundred years. Some people have already reached their limit in their fifties or sixties. It's not that complicated," Jiang Yu said.
Mo Fan only realized the truth after hearing Jiang Yu's words. No wonder both Izisha and Xinxia were unable to do anything about it!
Even the Spell of Resurrection was not going to save someone who had reached the end of their lifespan. The Spell of Resurrection did not make a person immortal. It was not going to work for someone who was dying a natural death!
"I know a thing or two about the Liden Royal Family. The queen isn't on friendly terms with her first grandson. She wants her youngest grandson to be her successor. She even wrote it into her will, but her youngest grandson is still in his mother's w.o.m.b. She will only give birth half a year from now. A kid who isn't born doesn't have the right to be her successor. If the queen can't live until her little grandson is born, all her wealth will fall into her first grandson's hands," Zhao Manyan told everyone.
"The Snow Lotus of the Scar can extend a person's lifespan. Rumors say it can make a person live at least three to five years longer, up to ten years at most, so the queen is willing to spend a fortune to hire the Mailong Private Military Company," Jiang Shaoxu said.
"That's fine, they can look for the Snow Lotus of the Scar while we look for our Totem Beasts," Zhao Manyan said.
"What Totem Beasts?" Nanyu asked with glittering eyes.
Zhao Manyan put on an awkward face when he realized he had carelessly spilled the beans.
"We are here to look for a Totem Beast," Jiang Shaoxu explained quickly. She believed there was no need to keep it a secret.
"The Sacred Tiger of Tianshan Mountain?" Nanyu asked sharply.
"You know about it?" Jiang Shaoxu was surprised.
"Did you forget? I'm very interested in our ancient heritage, and the most mysterious heritage of our country is the Totem Beasts!" Nanyu said confidently.
Chapter 1970 - The Gift from the Sacred Tiger
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
---
The Rift Valley in Tianshan Mountain had appeared less than half a month ago, yet Mages from all over the world had already gathered at the foot of the mountain. The Town of Hope was bustling like never before. Some of the opposing factions were even cursing at one another on the streets when most people were asleep at night. They were deciding places and times to settle their disputes.
Lingling began analyzing the information she had bought from the vendors on the streets.
Lingling established a dataset to link all her information every time she was on a new mission, so that she could filter the facts out of the pieces of information she had gained from a variety of sources.
Not every piece of costly information was accurate. There were usually discrepancies between the information from different sources, so she needed more sources to verify the validity of the clues.
Lingling did not have a lot of information on the Night Amethyst. If it weren't for Asha'ruiya's help, they would be trying to find a needle in a haystack.
There was a lot of information and rumors related to the Totem Beasts. Many Mages had no idea Totem Beasts existed, but there were a lot of tidbits related to the Snow Tiger, the White Tiger, and the Sacred Tiger of the Scar.
China had many powerful species of demon creatures, and the demon tigers had always been at the top. Some of the infamous tribes were the Dunhuang Demon Tigers, the Tianshan Demon Tigers, and the Kunlun Demon Tigers.
The Tianshan Demon Tigers and Kunlun Demon Tigers were both strong species. The Tianshan Demon Tigers were able to use Ice Magic and were mostly white as snow. Their white fur gave them an aloof and imperious demeanor.
The Sacred Tiger of the Scar was the King of the Tianshan Demon Tigers!
Unfortunately, it was extremely difficult to spot the Sacred Tiger of the Scar. Even finding its trail was an extravagant hope, let alone meeting it in person.
"Rumors say the Sacred Tiger of the Scar is friendly to humans. It would stroll through the Scar of Tianshan Mountain around the end of autumn every year. It would gift the first person who saw it. Some people grew a lot stronger because of the gift from the Sacred Tiger of the Scar!" Lingling said.
"Friendly to humans? Does that mean the Sacred Tiger might be a Totem Beast?" Mo Fan asked.
"Mm, it's rare for a powerful demon creature to be friendly to humans. This Sacred Tiger of the Scar might be closely related to the Totem Beasts. It might even be a Sacred Totem Beast itself," Jiang Shaoxu said.
"Lingling, are you sure the gift from the Sacred Tiger of the Scar is real? I heard people mentioning it at the bars in Lhasa. It's a ridiculous idea," Zhao Manyan spoke up.
"It's real," Nanyu declared.
"How do you know it's real if no one has ever seen the Sacred Tiger of the Scar before? How can you be so sure that it's the Sacred Tiger's doing? I doubt the Sacred Tiger is like a random NPC in the Rookies' Village who gives players a luxurious gift after they talk to it," Zhao Manyan protested.
"Someone has received the gift before, someone whom we are familiar with. His current status and achievements are closely related to the Sacred Tiger of the Scar," Nanyu stated firmly.
"Who is it?" Jiang Shaoxu asked.
"Chairman Shao Zheng!" Nanyu declared.
Everyone was startled, especially Mo Fan, whose eyes flew open.
Shao Zheng!
"Are you serious? Chairman Shao Zheng is someone who received a gift from the Sacred Tiger of the Scar?"
"Why have I never heard it from him?"
"Now that you mention it, I did read in his biography that he spent three years on Tianshan Mountain. He didn't get much attention before the age of twenty-five. However, after he left Tianshan Mountain, he had made incredible progress and became one of the highest authorities in our country," Jiang Yu mentioned.
"Chairman Shao Zheng did mention the changes that Tianshan Mountain brought him many times when he was younger. He also mentioned the Sacred Tiger of the Scar often over the past twenty years. Many people strongly believe the Sacred Tiger of the Scar and its gift are real because of him," Nanyu said.
"No wonder Shao Zheng asked us to do our best to look for the Totem Beasts. It's because he was also blessed by one!" Mo Fan realized.
"However, many people died after coming to Tianshan Mountain because of that legend over the last twenty years, so he stopped mentioning his past here," Nanyu finished.
"I see. It's currently around the end of autumn, too. Tianshan Mountain will soon be entering its coldest season," Mo Fan noticed.
"It's exactly when the Sacred Tiger of the Scar might show up. No wonder the top organizations across the world are here!" Zhao Manyan nodded.
"I believe the Blazing Song Hunter Group the Zhao Family hired is after the Sacred Tiger of the Scar too," Guan Yu said.
"Why would they bother chasing rumors around instead of focusing on making money?" Zhao Manyan shook his head, like he had no interest in learning the state of his family.
Guan Yu knew Zhao Manyan had faked his death. He could easily guess it was because of his family, so he did not continue the topic.
Guan Yu used to hang around with Zu Jiming, Nanrong Ni, and Mu Tingying, but he was no longer on friendly terms with them after something happened. He had drawn closer to Jiang Yu, Ai Jiangtu, and Nanyu instead, since he was at the capital most of the time.
He had basically given up on his wrong way of life and turned to a better one. The others were not worried that he would leak the secrets about the Totem Beasts and Zhao Manyan still being alive.
Shao Zheng's personal experiences had further increased the credibility of the rumors about the Sacred Tiger of the Scar. Mo Fan had been through similar situations where he was gifted. The Fruit of the Vow was a gift that possessed similar effects to the Blessing of the God's Seal. These things were even more appealing than valuable resources to Mages. Mo Fan's strength was outstanding mainly because of the unique effects of the Blessing of the God's Seal on his Lightning Element. Otherwise, he would have to struggle to beat people with a higher cultivation than he had.
Speaking of which, Mo Fan still had not consumed the Fruit of the Vow. He initially planned to give it to Xinxia, but since he was the only person that could consume it, he had to find a time to enjoy it. Zhang Xiaohou, Jiang Shaoxu, Bai Hongfei, and Zhao Manyan had all received their benefits. He wondered what special blessing he would receive from it.
"You said you are looking for the Night Amethyst. Why are you interested in such an ancient and evil thing?" Nanyu asked.
"You know about the Night Amethyst?" Mo Fan's eyes widened.
Not even one person in a group of ten thousand would have heard of the Night Amethyst before, let alone know its traits, yet Nanyu was right on point!
Nanyu explained with a smile, "The Night Amethyst is the God of Darkness' favorite, like how dragons love shiny jewelry, gold, and agates. You came to the right place if you're looking for the Night Amethyst. If there's still a place where the Night Amethyst can be found in the world, it will only be the Valley of Glaciers that has existed for millions of years!"
Chapter 1971 - Discrimination and Disturbance
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
"We've been searching high and low for clues and people who know where to find the Night Amethyst, but it turned out that you knew about it all along!" Mo Fan exclaimed, while smacking his forehead.
Lingling and Jiang Shaoxu looked at Mo Fan disdainfully. Since when had he spent time searching for information about the Night Amethyst?
"I don't believe many people in our homeland know about the Night Amethyst. The person who told you to come to Tianshan Mountain to look for it must be an expert too," Nanyu said.
"Can you help us find it? Someone's life is at stake," Zhao Manyan asked her.
"I can give it a try, but there's no guarantee. In the past, many Mages used the Night Amethyst as a bargaining chip when dealing with the God of Darkness, in exchange for his power. The Night Amethyst is extremely rare now, since it takes over a hundred thousand years or even millions of years to form. It's rare to find a place that has been well preserved for over a hundred thousand years. The Southernmost Land is one possibility, and Tianshan Mountain is the other," Nanyu told him.
"The Southernmost Land..." Zhao Manyan twisted his lips. Did that mean they had to visit Antarctica if they could not find the Night Amethyst on Tianshan Mountain?
He would rather choke Mu Bai to death and force him to swallow his last breath. The Southernmost Land was worse than Tianshan Mountain!
"Next time, if you're looking for something ancient, you can ask me first. How much have you spent on the information related to the Night Amethyst?" Nanyu said.
Mo Fan turned to Lingling.
Lingling was also Mo Fan's treasurer. He had given her all his cards. Mo Fan had saved up some money lately. He should have at least a billion by now...
"One or two hundred million," Lingling said calmly.
Mo Fan almost fell from his chair.
One or two hundred million was enough for him to buy a luxurious mansion with a sea view in a modern city, yet she had spent it on some unreliable information?
Could a piece of information be worth a hundred million?!
"I have bought information from more than a hundred sources, each of which cost around a million. Most of them were information on minerals and crystals, so we might be able to earn some back if we bother looking for them, but that's largely a waste of time for us. I ended up re-selling the information, but most people were interested in the rare resources in the Scar of Tianshan Mountain instead of minerals, so I couldn't cover the losses," Lingling went on.
