Chapter 273: Storm Cliffs, Leveling Up

Chapter 273: Storm Cliffs, Leveling Up

The Elven Queen Arelana had managed to turn three powerful members of her race against her; just how stunning must she be? After hearing Aelena's story, Lu Heng and the others shared the same thought, all eager to meet this Elven Queen in person.

"May I ask where Sword Saint Teris is currently located? I'd like to pay him a visit," Lu Heng inquired, seeking the information he truly wanted.

Aelena's story was a warning to these humans, hinting at the potential heavy price of meeting Teris.

However, she had no intention of stopping them. She pointed to the east, towards the Storm Cliffs, and said, "If you can climb the Storm Cliffs with your bare hands, you might be able to meet Teris. But I must warn you, don't fly up there, or the Storm Cliffs will show you why it's named as such."

Lu Heng nodded in agreement, "Alright, understood. Thank you."

Just as he was about to leave...

Aelena called out, "Teris has a much more peculiar temperament than Serien. If you're hoping to get something from him, you're mistaken."

Lu Heng was momentarily confused by her words, but quickly realized their meaning.

The Elven Arcanist was clearly implying that the three of them were looters.

It seemed that the news of humans looting the Knowledge Tree in the Moonshadow Forest had already spread.

No wonder Aelena had been rather cold at first and only agreed to meet after seeing the Gold Tree Seed.

Fortunately, before leaving the Moonshadow Forest, they had obtained a token from Serien.

With the Gold Tree Seed in their possession, they could at least prove their friendly relationship with Serien.

...

After leaving the Twisted Tower, the trio arrived at the base of the Storm Cliffs.

Aelena had previously mentioned that to meet Sword Saint Teris, one would have to climb the Storm Cliffs with their bare hands.

Lu Heng wasn't sure if this was a test, but he decided to follow the Elves' instructions.

Moreover, climbing the Storm Cliffs without any equipment wasn't as difficult as it seemed.

That was what Lu Heng initially thought, but when he actually started climbing, he realized it wasn't as easy as he'd expected.

The mountain was named Storm Cliffs because storms frequently swept through the cliffs.

The mountain's unique shape caused the wind blowing in from the eastern coast to be funneled into the mountain range, creating an intense wind pressure.

Lu Heng felt the wind speed in the mountains was at least ten times stronger.

While climbing, a momentary lapse in concentration could result in being blown away by the storm.

Initially, Lu Heng had planned to use Windrunner to sprint up the cliffs, but upon starting the climb, he realized that doing so would cause him to be swept away by the wind.

In the end, he had no choice but to climb step by step.

Due to the difficulty, Lu Heng left Su Muyu and the others behind at the foot of the mountain.

Lu Heng slowly climbed upwards, resisting the powerful wind pressure, unable to utilize his speed advantage.

Sometimes, when the storm became too fierce, he had to seek temporary shelter in the crevices of the cliffs.

Although the challenge was greater than expected, Lu Heng's strength was more than sufficient, and he climbed steadily upwards.

After an hour of climbing, he finally reached the top of the 2,600-meter Storm Cliffs.

At the summit, Lu Heng spotted a cave with a height of over ten meters, a vast space.

This cave must be the Storm Cave Aelena had mentioned.

Lu Heng stepped into the cave, and as soon as he entered, the sound of the storm in his ears ceased, as if the storm was isolated outside the cave.

Once inside, Lu Heng stood at the entrance, not daring to move around.

The cave showed clear signs of Elven habitation, with stone tables, stools, and beds—everything one would need for a dwelling, but the furnishings were simple, with not a single unnecessary item.

At that moment, the cave was empty, and Lu Heng had intruded uninvited, so he could only stand at the entrance.

After a long wait...

A flash of sword light approached from behind, and Lu Heng, sensing the danger, immediately ducked and drew out the Aurora Blade, deflecting the incoming sword strike.

The moment the Aurora Blade was unsheathed, a voice from behind exclaimed, "A fine sword!"

Lu Heng sheathed the Aurora Blade and turned to face the speaker.

It was an Elf with a ponytail, well-built arms, and a tall, slender figure, indicating swift movements.

The Elf had a distinct scar above his right eye and a beard on his chin, giving him a carefree appearance.

If one were to judge by human standards of age, this Elf would appear to be in his forties.

However, Elves and humans had different lifespans, and when converted, this Elf was over six hundred years old.

In other words, he was born not long after the Abyssal Invasion.

To prevent another attack, Lu Heng quickly spoke up, "Greetings, I'm from the human world, and I've come to visit Sword Saint Teris."

"Hmm..."

The Elf let out a mocking yet meaningful 'hmm' and stepped into the cave, asking, "What did Serien send you here for? Are you here to apologize to me?"

Hearing this, Lu Heng was certain that this was Teris.

Moreover, his tone clearly indicated a personality that was both eccentric and sentimental.

There was indeed a rift between him and Serien, but it wasn't hatred.

Lu Heng had just left the Moonshadow Forest, and he likely still carried the forest's aura, and with the Gold Tree Seed in his possession, it wasn't surprising that Teris had sensed their presence.

Now, it was a matter of resolving this situation.

To learn Teris' sword techniques, Lu Heng had to improve their relationship.

However, the Sword Saint Teris was rumored to be eccentric and difficult to approach.

In the previous life, the metahuman who learned Teris' ultimate technique didn't do so at this point in time but a year and a half after the Abyssal Invasion of Blue Star.

At that time, the Elven Race faced a significant crisis, and Teris imparted his sword technique to that Metahuman in order to gain more allies.

Therefore, the Metahuman who received the sword technique inheritance in his previous life did so because the situation forced Teris to teach it.

Lu Heng had arrived too early; the Elves had not yet encountered such a severe crisis.

Now, getting Teris to impart his sword technique would naturally be even more challenging.

Lu Heng's mind raced, and he replied, "I'm from the human world, summoned here. My mission prompt states that the Elven Capital, Colossus, will face a crisis, and I'm required to go and resolve it.

"The Forest Elder gave me a Gold Tree Seed and asked me to take it to Colossus City, saying that someone would receive me there."

Teris's eyes flashed with displeasure, and he scoffed, "Then go there. Why are you climbing my mountain?"

Lu Heng remained calm and continued, "My mission also mentioned the presence of Abyssal Summoners. So, I speculate that there's a powerful being from the Abyss who has teamed up with the Abyssal Summoners to launch an assault on Colossus City.

"Mr. Teris, have you been summoned? If you have, you should know that the appearance of a summoning indicates a real crisis."

"So, I'm wondering if Colossus City will fall? Even if it doesn't, the people in the city might still be in danger.

"I don't know if Queen Arelana has enough guards to protect her."

Upon hearing Arelana's name, Teris's fingers visibly trembled.

Obviously, he was very concerned about Arelana's name.

The fact that he was willing to argue with the Forest Elder of the Elven Race over Arelana showed how much he cared about this Elven Queen.

Lu Heng noticed the fleeting expression on his face and knew he had guessed correctly.

Teris scoffed, "Colossus City is heavily guarded, and Abyssal Summoners can't get in."

Lu Heng shrugged, "I hope so."

Teris said this, but his aura was not as steady as before, clearly showing his worry.

He glared at Lu Heng and asked, "If you were sent by Serien to Colossus, why aren't you there? Why are you here?"

Lu Heng held up his hands and corrected, "I wasn't sent by Serien; I was summoned by the World Will. My task is to stop the Abyssal Summoners and resolve the crisis facing Colossus City.

"I don't think going to Colossus City directly will solve this crisis. If it were that easy, there wouldn't be a need for a summoning.

"What I'm considering now is investigating the source of the crisis and improving my combat power as much as possible. I'm worried that my current strength may not be enough to handle this crisis."

Teris scoffed, "You are indeed too weak."

Lu Heng felt like rolling his eyes, thinking, You, a six-hundred-year-old guy, are criticizing me?

Teris was thinking about the sword in Lu Heng's hand, and he had already guessed something. He scoffed, "State your purpose."

At this point, it would only be awkward to continue hiding it.

Lu Heng nodded in acknowledgment, "I wish to learn Mr. Teris's sword technique."

Teris spoke with great arrogance, "The Elven sword technique is not to be passed on to outsiders."

Lu Heng's heart mocked, Now he says it's not to be passed on, but the crisis hasn't arrived yet.

In his previous life, he had already passed on the sword technique to a human, so obviously, this principle of his wasn't that firm.

Lu Heng thought for a moment and then decided to use a drastic approach, "It seems that Sword Saint Teris doesn't care about Queen Arelana as much as Elder Serien. My companion received the blessing of the Knowledge Tree immediately after offering to help resolve the crisis in Colossus City.

"I thought I could also receive guidance from Sword Saint Teris, but I guess I was wrong. Farewell!"

With the last two words, Lu Heng turned and walked away, showing no intention of further negotiation.

Teris had already sensed the aura of the Knowledge Tree's blessing at the foot of the mountain, so he knew Lu Heng wasn't lying.

When it came to Queen Arelana, he could endure anything, but he couldn't bear losing to Serien.

So, he stood up and shouted, "Even if I were willing to teach you, you wouldn't be able to learn it. My sword technique is not something any being can master."

Lu Heng's lips curled into a smile, and he turned to reply, "Sword Saint Teris, just teach, and if I can't learn it, that's my problem."

Teris considered for a moment and said, "To learn my sword technique, you must first meet several requirements to qualify for the attempt. First, create a sonic boom with your sword."

Without saying a word, Lu Heng raised the Blade of the Aurora and swung it, creating a sonic boom with his sword.

Teris raised an eyebrow, surprised that the human before him had more talent than he had expected. He continued, "Second, kill five hundred Abyssal Demons to prove your determination."

Without hesitation, Lu Heng turned and took a step forward, reaching the cliff. He then leaped off, and the Celestial Phoenix caught him in mid-air. Lu Heng said, "Find demons, five hundred of them."

Time was pressing, and the number of five hundred was quite high. Moreover, there would be additional time needed to practice Sword Saint Teris's ultimate technique.

If the training difficulty was genuinely high, the 30-day period in the Abyssal Battlefield might be very tight.

So, speed was of the essence.

Since Teris didn't specify the level of the demons, only the quantity, Lu Heng just needed to find and kill them.

The Quel'dorei World had been invaded by the Abyss for seven hundred years. Although the elves' powerful magic resisted the invasion, this lengthy period had allowed many Abyssal Demons to exist in this world.

These demons usually hid in the mountains and canyons, never appearing in the elves' active areas.

Su Muyu controlled the Celestial Phoenix, carrying Lu Heng while flying and conducting aerial reconnaissance to search for demons.

Due to the presence of powerful elves residing in the Storm Cliffs and the Twisted Tower, there were hardly any demons in the surrounding areas.

Whenever demons appeared in the vicinity, they were swiftly dealt with by elven powerhouses like Teris and Aelena.

Thus, to find demons, one had to venture into harsher regions.

Take the Wasteland Swamp, for example.

This area was originally a swamp filled with venomous insects, and after the Abyss's arrival, it became shrouded in fog, transforming it into a deadly zone.

Mutated insects, abyssal demons, and unknown creatures hid within the fog, deterring any elves from daring to venture into this region.

Therefore, entering the Wasteland Swamp to search for demons was easier, but also more dangerous.

The fog in the Wasteland Swamp had existed for several hundred years, becoming so dense that it felt like a solid entity.

Visibility was almost non-existent, akin to being in complete darkness.

Fortunately, Su Muyu's Sky Dominator class granted her the ability to manipulate weather within a small area.

She could summon fierce winds to temporarily disperse the fog within a certain range.

However, the Wasteland Swamp had a diameter of over a hundred kilometers, and her weather manipulation could only affect an area of a few hundred meters.

It was impossible to use this ability to disperse the fog on a large scale.

Thus, Su Muyu controlled the Celestial Phoenix to fly beneath the fog for reconnaissance.

The team of three rode on the Mechanical Tiger, flying above the fog.

Once the Celestial Phoenix located demons, Su Muyu would summon strong winds to disperse the fog, and then they would descend to eliminate the demons.

After entering the Wasteland Swamp, they flew for about five kilometers before Su Muyu's voice came from the Celestial Phoenix.

"There's a hollow tree below with over a dozen abyssal worms inside. I'll disperse the fog first."

"No need, I'll handle it," Lu Heng released himself from the Celestial Phoenix and descended, landing above the hollow tree. He unsheathed his sword and unleashed the Dragon Breath Slash.

A roar echoed as an Infernal Wyvern's shadow appeared, spewing fierce dragon flames that engulfed the hollow tree, burning it to ashes.

The intense dragon flames evaporated the fog, allowing visibility within a radius of over a hundred meters.

Abyssal worms struggled to crawl out of various openings in the tree, their bodies charred by the dragon flames, but more than half of them were still alive.

Lu Heng landed and finished them off with his sword.

[Killed Abyssal Worm, Absorbed 800 Demon Energy]



[Killed Abyssal Worm, Absorbed 800 Demon Energy]



A series of similar messages appeared.

During the battle, Lu Heng utilized the Windrunner skill, further increasing his proficiency.

[Used 'Windrunner' Skill in Combat, Skill Proficiency +1]



With this, the Windrunner skill's proficiency reached (2932/3000), getting closer to full proficiency.

After clearing out the abyssal worm nest, the Celestial Phoenix descended and collected the fallen crystal cores.

Lu Heng raised his left hand above his head, and the Celestial Phoenix carried him back into the air, continuing their journey.

The trio continued their search in the Wasteland Swamp, descending to deal with abyssal creatures whenever they encountered them.

After using Dragon Breath Slash, the second wave of demons was attacked by the Celestial Phoenix's Solar Wind.

The few demons that managed to escape the Solar Wind were swiftly dispatched by Lu Heng's sword.

When the Solar Wind was exhausted, it was Lin Zeyu's turn to use the Essence Energy Cloud Bomb.

All three skills were area-of-effect attacks, turning parts of the Wasteland Swamp into scorched earth.

Once the Essence Energy Cloud Bomb was used up, Lu Heng's Dragon Breath Slash was ready again.

The three took turns using their area-of-effect skills to clear out abyssal creatures, and whenever their skills were on cooldown, Lu Heng would use the Thunder Prison to fill the gap.

The Thunder Prison was also a B-Rank skill, with the same skill level as the Essence Energy Cloud Bomb.

In terms of sheer power, the Thunder Prison was slightly weaker than the Essence Energy Cloud Bomb, as it was a hybrid control and damage skill, trapping targets within a lightning cage.

Skills of the same level generally had similar overall performance.

The Thunder Prison had an additional control effect, which naturally made its damage output lower compared to pure damage skills like the Essence Energy Cloud Bomb.

Although its damage was slightly lower, combined with the trio's other skills, it was more than sufficient.

The three of them spent the entire night slaughtering abyssal creatures in the Wasteland Swamp, only stopping at the break of dawn.

After over ten hours of relentless killing, all three of them had their Primal Energy levels increased.

Lu Heng reached level 34, with all attributes increased by 4 points, and an additional boost to Agility. His stats were now: Strength 86, Agility 110, Constitution 86, Spirit 91, and Perception 86.

Out of the 91 Spirit points, 4 points were provided by the rune gem crafted by Su Muyu after her promotion to Advanced Scribe.

Excluding these bonus points, his base Spirit attribute was 87.

Su Muyu also reached level 34. When she was summoned, her Primal Energy level was 32, and after receiving the Ancient Tree's blessing in the Ancient Tree Space, she gained a level, reaching level 34.

Additionally, the Ancient Tree Blessing effect granted her a +10 Spirit bonus.

Combined with the +9 Spirit boost from the Dragon Eye Gem Bracelet,

her Spirit attribute reached 109 upon reaching level 34, an exceptionally high value.

However, the Ancient Tree Blessing effect only lasted for 30 days, so the 109 Spirit attribute was temporary. Once this Abyssal Battlefield mission ended, her Spirit attribute would drop back to 99.

Su Muyu gazed at the Ancient Tree Blessing effect, wishing that this buff could be permanent.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end