Edited by Aelryinth

A strong wind kept sweeping along the pitch-black ridge. The group was moving as fast as they could along a rapid stream. The wind had changed significantly not long ago. Not only was it slowing them down, but their skin was also cracking from the strong corrosion.

Everyone was forced to set up magic barriers to defend themselves, or the wind would eventually turn them into a pile of bones!

"It's so dark, how are we going to find a Curtain Tree?" the advising officer said worriedly.

They were already struggling to identify the plants during the day, let alone in the dark. If they kept rushing amid the Wind of Sorrow, they were more likely to walk into trouble. They would be in great danger if they were ambushed by a pack of demon creatures under the current circumstances.

"What is a Curtain Tree?" Mo Fan also asked.

"A huge plant that is called the Guardian of the Qinling Mountains. They are scattered all over the mountains. Their branches and leaves are quite special. Their branches dangle like a willow after the tree reaches a certain height. Their leaves intertwine along the dangling branches and form layers of curtains to shield it from the Wind of Sorrow. Therefore, if we can find a Curtain Tree, we can hide under its leaves to shelter us from the Wind of Sorrow," Lingling reported.

"That's true, but it's already difficult to find the Curtain Tree in the day, let alone at night..." the advising officer sighed.

"Damn it, the wind is growing stronger. I'm losing the outer layer of my skin!" Zhao Manyan cursed.

At first, the group only felt their skin turning extremely dry because of the wind, but it began to crack apart not long after. If they could not defend themselves, the wind might even peel off their skin. They did not understand how deadly the Wind of Sorrow was before entering the Qinling Mountains, but they now realized how terrifying it was after experiencing it firsthand.

The Wind of Sorrow had covered the Qinling Mountains. There was no place to hide, as the wind could penetrate even the slightest gap. After being tortured for three hours straight, the Wind of Sorrow had given Mo Fan and the others a new impression of it!

Zhao Manyan had no choice but to set up his defenses, constantly consuming his energy to maintain them. Having no energy in the wild was like a woman running around naked in a village!

"Old Zhao, how long can you last against the wind?" Mo Fan asked.

"Around five hours. My energy will more or less run out in five hours," Zhao Manyan replied.

"If he's lucky enough and the wind stops growing stronger… we might be able to last a little longer, but if it keeps growing, I'm afraid that even five hours is asking too much," the advising officer judged.

The Great Inferior Earth Dragon was covered in golden-brown scales, so its defense was comparable to a Ruler-level creature. To everyone's surprise, the dragon's scales were visibly cracking! The skin not protected by scales was filling with cracks, too!

The creature was more exposed to the deadly wind due to its massive size. The Great Lesser Earth Dragon was suffering greatly, as the barrier of the defensive spells was not big enough to cover it.

"Go get some rest." Li Dexin helplessly withdrew the Great Lesser Earth Dragon into his Contract Space. He cursed, "What the hell is this wind? Even my dragon can't withstand it!"

"The Wind of Sorrow ignores every kind of defense. Everyone has to follow the Qinling Mountains' rules, regardless of their level," Zhang Xiaohou said evenly.

"What kind of a shitty place is this!?"

Mo Fan was surprised that even a Lesser Dragon had struggled to endure the wind. He could not help but wonder where the wind came from, to possess such a strange power.

"How are those lesser creatures surviving in the wind if a Lesser Dragon is struggling against it?" Yu Shishi had to ask.

"The lesser creatures have their little tricks to survive here. Besides, the Wind of Sorrow doesn't care about the level of creatures. The skin of a Lesser Dragon will start to crack after it is exposed to the wind for three to five hours, and the same goes with the weaker demon creatures," Zhang Xiaohou explained calmly.

"Percentage health true damage..." Zhao Manyan mentioned a common term from video games.

"No wonder the Qinling Mountains are called the Demon Mountains. It's difficult for ordinary people to understand their power. It really is a trip of no return!" Mo Fan exclaimed.

"Major General Zhang, isn't it more dangerous for us to walk around aimlessly?" Advisor Xu finally spoke up in concern.

"We just need to travel for another kilometer," Zhang Xiaohou replied, unperturbed.

------

The group followed Zhang Xiaohou for another kilometer. Advisor Xu was just about to speak up again when Zhang Xiaohou suddenly increased his pace. He quickly moved under a huge wall against the wind.

The massive wall looked like a mountain being sliced in half by a sword. It was perfectly straight, with lots of trees growing on it. Their thick trunks had constructed a tiny world in the dark, where many creatures lived.

At the edge between the wall and the ground stood an ancient tree that was completely different from the others. Its trunk extended into the darkness, and was further split into two at the middle...

Both trunks were firm and upright. They were unaffected by the corrosive wind, nor were they swaying in the slightest. Their branches were different from normal trees. Those that grew out of the trunks were dangling naturally from them, forming layers of elegant curtains.

The branches were densely covered in leaves in a slight arc, shielding the area under the tree perfectly. The Wind of Sorrow only managed to shake the leaves slightly instead of scattering them!

"Isn't that a Curtain Tree!?" Advisor Xu exclaimed in relief.

They had been traveling in the Wind of Sorrow for three hours, but the wind showed no sign of weakening. Advisor Xu was getting more worried about their situation. Their mission was to rescue someone in the mountains. That person might be in danger if they were delayed too long!

To Advisor Xu's surprise, they had found a Curtain Tree amid the grim situation. Where there's a will, there's a way!

"Well done, Houzi. You managed to find the place in the dark," Mo Fan patted Zhang Xiaohou on the shoulder.

Zhang Xiaohou had been leading the way. He insisted they keep going even when the group was feeling uneasy. To their surprise, he had managed to bring them to a Curtain Tree. The group could finally catch their breath!

"I'm dying from fatigue. I've used up so much of my energy, even though I wasn't doing much. What happens when we are really in trouble?" Zhao Manyan moaned.

There were two areas protected by the curtains of the two trunks. They decided to split into two groups based on their genders, since they had to sleep for the night. They simply found a spot in the curtains and laid down on the ground to get some rest.

As a matter of fact, the cultivation level of the group was pretty high. They had never felt so tired after traveling in the wilds for a single day, but the Wind of Sorrow was just too weird. They were even more scared of the Wind of Sorrow now!

"Let's get some rest. The Wind of Sorrow should be weaker in the day, so we'll increase our pace tomorrow," Zhang Xiaohou said.

Mo Fan and his group were here for the Tree of Vows. They were not in a rush, but the people of the Violet Imperial Battalion were running short on time. They had no idea if the person they were told to rescue was capable of looking after themselves before help arrived. If the person was a scrub, they might not even survive the night!

The person who had consumed the most energy was Zhao Manyan. A Light Mage from the Violet Imperial Battalion had used up his energy, too. The thick-browed man was meditating diligently, trying his best to recover his energy before daybreak.

"The environments are pretty nice here, it's like a high-quality tent!" Mo Fan noted as he scanned his surroundings.

The area under the Curtain Tree was surprisingly clean. A patch of soft red moss had grown under the Curtain Tree since it was difficult for the sunlight and wind to enter the curtains. The moss was as comfortable as a carpet. The dirt under the layer of moss would not stain their clothes when they were lying on it. If it was summer, Mo Fan could imagine lying on it for a whole day if he brought along cold drinks, half a watermelon, and a phone with full signal…

---

The Wind of Sorrow blew continuously outside the curtains. The wind had obviously grown stronger during the latter half of the night, but the people were resting comfortably under the tree. The wind did not bother them, no matter how strong it was.

A few noises occurred outside the curtains around three in the morning.

Mo Fan was awake. He immediately opened his eyes and listened to the noises carefully.

He frowned when a few piercing cries followed up.

Didn't those cries belong to the Winged Patrol Beasts? The wind was blowing so strongly outside, why weren't the Winged Patrol Beasts hiding from it?

The cries grew more frequent as time went by. It felt like more Winged Patrol Beasts had begun to circle the area. They were summoning more companions to them!

"What's going on?" Li Dexin asked impatiently after he was woken up.

"It seems like they have no intention of letting us go. They have gathered more numbers this time," Mo Fan observed.

"Those annoying pests! This time, I won't be driving them away!" Li Dexin grunted.

Li Dexin was about to Summon his Lesser Dragon to teach the Winged Patrol Beasts a lesson. However, a strong gust of wind knocked people and their things to the ground as soon as he parted the curtain.

"Damn it, why is the Wind of Sorrow even stronger now?… What's going on with the Winged Patrol Beasts outside?" Li Dexin cursed.