"Thank you so much for your guidance, Senior."
"Hm. You go on, too."
The old man waved his hand. The scroll burned away and turned into a token, which he placed in Leo’s hand.
Leo turned to Kessel and gave him a knight’s salute.
"Go." Kessel returned the salute.
There was a small, helpless smile on his face. But his eyes were as sharp as ever.
Leo turned the other way, walked into the mist, and vanished.
---
Watching him go, Kessel got ready to leave too. Just then, the crippled old man spoke to him.
"That boy is a very rare, very good sapling. Young friend, you’re quite good at raising a student like that."
Kessel looked very pleased with the praise.
"Thank you for your kind words, Senior."
The old man said flatly, "I never praise anyone. I only state facts. Now you go too."
"Yes."
Kessel stepped back into the mist, respectful as ever.
---
Before coming here, Kessel had never told Leo about the elders of this place. Because back when Kessel came here himself, he wasn’t even worthy of knowing about them.
These guardians of the Knights’ Sacred Mountain were at least seventh-stage knights of the Alliance. They had finished their duties, earned a set of the Argent Vanguard Armor, and now lived here in retirement.
There were even a few eighth-stage Lightbound Knights here. And if it weren’t for the rule that Divine Knights can only pass on their Divine Throne after death, you might even see a few Divine Knights here too.
The Knight Temple was the head of the Six Great Temples. So the power gathered in the Knights’ Sacred Mountain could only be called terrifying.
Except for the Divine Knights themselves, nobody knew how many dangerous knights were hiding in this mountain range.
But no matter where someone entered from, the moment they stepped into the mountain, they would meet one of the guardians.
---
The old man who had just appeared looked quite weak. Even so, he was at least a seventh-stage powerhouse!
Despite his injuries, Kessel and Sorren together couldn’t have matched him.
Every scar and every injury on his body was a gift from the war with the Ashmaw Horde. You could say that every guardian of the Sacred Mountain was a true hero.
Even if all three Divine Knights of the Knight Temple showed up, they would have to salute these old men. They deserved respect. They were the pride of the Knight Temple.
So when someone as odd as Kessel bowed respectfully to that old man, it was no surprise at all.
---
"You came out too, Elder Brother Kessel?"
Sorren hadn’t left yet. He looked at Kessel and asked in a serious voice.
"It seems your student is really very young. A knight this young is truly rare. I wonder what rank he is right now?"
Kessel said coldly, "What’s it to you?"
Sorren laughed loudly.
"It’s nothing to me. We just have to wait here for a while. So why not make a bet?"
"Between your student and my son, who will get the highest-rank Magical Beast as a mount?"
"If I win, I won’t bother you anymore. Just let me give you a good slap, like in the old days. If you win, as the loser, I’ll pay you 3,000 gold coins. How about it?"
The gold was no small amount. With 3,000 gold coins, you could buy a very good piece of magical equipment.
---
Kessel gave him a cold look.
"Then wait until the Alliance Magical Beast Hunt trials and bet there. A mount doesn’t decide everything. In that competition, we compare the two students’ rankings. Do you dare?"
"If I win, I don’t want your gold coins. Just let me give you one slap."
A cold look came over Sorren’s face.
"You’re as arrogant as ever. Look at your student’s age! How would such a small child take part in the Hunt trials? That’s laughable. Did you forget the upper age limit is twenty-five?"
Kessel said carelessly, "You just have to answer. Do you dare or not?"
Sorren’s pupils shrank.
"I dare! Why would I be afraid? I was planning to send Kaelan into this competition myself, to temper him. He’ll join at twenty-three and shock the whole world!"
"My son is already an eighth-rank knight. Before becoming a Beast Hunter, he can even fight his way to the final round of the competition."
Kessel said, "Then wait for that moment. Until then, wash your face well. I don’t want to dirty my hand."
Sorren’s face changed.
But he didn’t dare lose his temper here. They were in the territory of the Sacred Mountain. If the guardians moved, even the rank of the Hall Master of Solenne City couldn’t protect him.
---
Meanwhile, Leo stepped into the mist.
The light around him grew thicker, fast. A strange comfort washed over him.
He thought to himself, even if he found his Magical Beast partner quickly, he’d still want to stay the full thirty days.
He could clearly feel that his innate Spiritual Energy was spinning twice as fast here, no slower than during meditation. At this rate, he’d gain at least three or four Spiritual Energy levels a day.
As he walked, he suddenly stopped.
The scene in front of him had changed. It seemed he had crossed the mist, because everything was crystal clear.
He raised his head and gasped. The sky was clear and blue. Totally different from the misty area.
With the warmth of strong sunshine, a tree swayed in the air before him. A fresh, sweet, natural sound came from it, returning his energy and wiping away his tiredness.
---
He had reached the foot of the mountain range.
In front of him lay only a forest-covered hill. Thick, sturdy trees, at least 40 to 50 meters tall. All kinds of trees, and not one straight path.
He held the Daybright Aegis in his left hand. With his right hand, he drew his heavy sword. And along with the sword’s handle, he held the black token tightly. He was ready for anything.
Just then, a yellow shadow darted in front of him. It was a monkey-like Magical Beast. It had been hiding beside a tree. But when it saw Leo, it grinned, turned, and ran away.
*What an amazing magic array!*
Leo let out a long sigh. Out in the real world, most Magical Beasts were enemies of humans. Eight times out of ten, they’d attack on sight.
Here, they were far friendlier. It was the effect of the Knight Temple’s magic array and the holy aura it gave off. The Knights’ Sacred Mountain really was a miraculous place.
He looked down at the token in his hand. A yellow glow shone on it. That meant the beast was third rank.
---
Without wasting time, Leo moved forward and entered the forest hill.
He opened a powerful Sanctum Veil. With a hum, it wrapped around him from all sides. As he walked, he carefully checked his surroundings.
Kessel had already told him. After entering the Knights’ Sacred Mountain, if you wanted to reach your goal, the first thing to do was climb the mountain and move toward the inner part of the Sacred Mountain.
The closer you got to the center, the stronger the Magical Beasts you would meet.
The bushes in this forest hill were truly thick. So thick that Leo had to swing his heavy sword to make a path. After half an hour of hard work, he finally climbed to the top of the first mountain.
Along the way, he met many Magical Beasts. But they were all low-rank, third or fourth rank at most. None of them showed any wish to come near him.
---
The moment he climbed the mountain, the view in front of him suddenly turned wide and clear.
After climbing up and down this mountain range again and again, he felt respect for the sight in front of him.
An ocean of green stretched out before him. On the faraway peaks, a few trees looked especially tall. Even from this distance, you could see them clearly.
And then, from the tallest peak, something rang out across the valley. A soft, silver chime, like a bell made of starlight.
The token in Leo’s hand went warm