Having chosen his Weapon, Lin Yun wasn't greedy. He walked straight out of the room, locked the door, and headed for his own courtyard, carrying the Overlord Spear.
Back in his room, Lin Yun admiringly examined the dark Overlord Spear. From its shaft to its tip, the entire Weapon was black—a deep, unsettling black that could make one's heart skip a beat.
"The Overlord Spear, haha." After a moment, Lin Yun laughed heartily. He really liked this Overlord Spear.
Lin Yun slept soundly that night. Early the next morning, he wrapped the Overlord Spear in a cloth he had prepared the day before, slung it over his back, and left his room.
Today was the day of the expedition to the Yunlu Mountain Range. It wasn't just Lin Yun; many Martial Artists from Iron Gate Pass and the children of the Eight Great Vice Generals were heading out as well.
At the entrance to the Guan Family estate, Guan Renjie strode proudly toward the city gates, a large broadsword strapped to his back. It was a similar scene at the Lu Family's entrance, with the siblings Lu Bingning and Lu Tao preparing to depart. Such sights were common before the mansions of the Eight Great Vice Generals.
Likewise, in front of the Lin Family home, Lin Yun, with the Overlord Spear on his back, smiled and bid his parents farewell before striding off toward the Yunlu Mountain Range.
As he watched his son leave, Lin Xiaotian's eyes fell on the weapon on Lin Yun's back. Even though it was wrapped in cloth, he easily recognized the Overlord Spear.
'The Overlord Spear... I wonder if Yun'er can truly wield it. It is, after all, a Weapon that has reached the level of a Top Grade Earth Spirit Artifact.' Lin Xiaotian mused to himself with a faint smile.
Many Martial Artists were heading for the Yunlu Mountain Range at this time. Some were going for training, some for Treasure Hunting, and others to hunt Demon Beasts. In short, people of all kinds were on the move.
Walking among the crowd, Lin Yun looked quite young.
'There are a lot of new faces. It seems they're all here to train in the Yunlu Mountain Range.' Surveying the crowd, Lin Yun noticed that many of the Martial Artists were young and unfamiliar. 'They must have come from out of town.'
The entrance to the Yunlu Mountain Range wasn't far from Iron Gate Pass. An hour later, Lin Yun arrived. The entrance was currently guarded by over ten thousand soldiers. As the crowd grew, Li Tie, one of the Eight Great Vice Generals of Iron Gate Pass, took a few steps forward and spoke.
"Everyone, the Yunlu Mountain Range will be open for one month. During this time, Martial Artists from not only our Yanhuang Country but also the Nan Feng Kingdom will be entering. Once you are in the mountains, be careful. For this one month, Yanhuang Country will not offer any protection to those of you inside the mountain range."
October was the best time of year to hunt Demon Beasts. As such, the Yanhuang Country and the Nan Feng Kingdom had an agreement that when October arrived, Martial Artists from both nations could freely enter the mountain range for one month.
During this month, soldiers from either kingdom were forbidden from entering the mountains. Any fighting or rewards within were left entirely to fate.
"Alright, those of you who are ready may enter the mountains now. Remember this: you must exit the mountain range one month from now. Otherwise, when the soldiers of both kingdoms move in, anyone remaining will be killed without question. Please, keep this firmly in mind," Li Tie reminded them again.
Hearing Li Tie's words, many people, already aware of the rules, didn't linger. They began entering the Yunlu Mountain Range in twos and threes. Since the mountains were only open to Martial Artists for this one month out of the entire year, they naturally didn't want to waste any time.
"Lin Yun!" Standing in the crowd, Lin Yun hadn't been in a hurry to enter. Just then, Lu Bingning spotted him and called out his name happily.
"Lin Yun, why don't we go together? There's safety in numbers," Lu Bingning said cheerfully, running up to him. As she spoke, two rosy blushes appeared on her lovely face.
Watching his sister from the side, Lu Tao thought she was a lost cause. Just as their father had said, Lin Yun had completely stolen Lu Bingning's heart.
Lin Yun accepted Lu Bingning's invitation. He had planned on using this trip for training anyway, so having two others along wouldn't be a problem.
'Lin Yun, you're a dead man. I'll let you enjoy yourself for a little while longer.'
Lin Yun was unaware that, in the distance, Guan Renjie was watching Lu Bingning smile at him, his heart seething with rage. In that moment, Guan Renjie's resolve hardened. He would definitely kill Lin Yun in the Yunlu Mountain Range.
After shooting Lin Yun a venomous glare, Guan Renjie led several of his family's guards into the Yunlu Mountain Range, likely to set up an ambush ahead of them.
"Come on, let's go in too." Lu Bingning was visibly delighted to have found Lin Yun. She unconsciously hooked her arm through his and practically dragged him toward the mountain entrance.
As they passed Li Tie, the Vice General stopped Lin Yun and handed him a signal flare.
"Yun'er, take this," Li Tie said with a smile. "It's a special signal flare we've made. If you run into a life-or-death crisis in the mountains, fire it, and I will personally come to your aid."
As the only son of Lin Xiaotian, the supreme commander of Iron Gate Pass, Lin Yun naturally deserved such special treatment. He didn't refuse. With a smile, Lin Yun accepted the signal flare, thanked Li Tie, and then followed Lu Bingning and her brother into the mountains.
Watching Lin Yun's retreating back, Li Tie shook his head and chuckled. 'The General's son is certainly no simple character. He's even managed to capture Lu Bingning's heart. No wonder Lu Xiong has been fuming with rage these last couple of days.'
The thought of Lu Xiong made Li Tie smile again. That man had been having a rough time lately, storming around angrily every day and constantly avoiding Lin Xiaotian, terrified the General would say something that would make him cough up blood from pure rage.
As he stepped into the Yunlu Mountain Range, Lin Yun felt a thrill of excitement. The legends surrounding this place were numerous.
Rumor had it that extremely powerful Demon Beasts dwelled in the depths of the Yunlu Mountain Range—beasts so strong that even an expert of Lin Xiaotian's caliber wouldn't dare to venture too deep.
The vast expanse of the Yunlu Mountain Range acted like a natural chasm, clearly separating the Yanhuang Country from the Nan Feng Kingdom. It was because of this formidable mountain range that the two nations had never broken out into a truly devastating war.
After all, with the mountain range in the way, the only strategic route connecting the two kingdoms was the road through Yanhuang Country's Iron Gate Pass. There were no other paths linking the two nations.
"The Heaven and Earth Primordial Power is so rich here." After walking only a few thousand meters, Lin Yun could already feel how incredibly dense the Elemental Power was within the Yunlu Mountain Range.
If he were to cultivate here, Lin Yun's Realm would advance much faster.
"Hmph, so ignorant. Even the Yanhuang Royal Family is green with envy over the Heaven and Earth Primordial Power in the Yunlu Mountain Range. But several hundred years ago, a major Sect also coveted this place and chose to establish itself within the mountains. Who would have guessed? The Sect had only just been built when it was completely wiped out in a single night."
"Ever since then, no Sect has dared to make a move on the Yunlu Mountain Range. Even the Yanhuang Royal Family wouldn't dare act rashly."
Lu Tao explained coolly, his eyes filled with disdain, looking as if Lin Yun were some kind of country bumpkin. However, the moment the words left his mouth, Lu Bingning smacked him on the back of the head.
"Tao, where are your manners? Lin Yun is our friend," Lu Bingning said sharply.
'She's changed, she's really changed. A woman in love is a terrifying thing.' Scolded by Lu Bingning, Lu Tao didn't dare to talk back at all. He could only complain miserably in his heart.