Chapter 815: Journey of the Fiery Moon

The Imperial Capital Region spans a vast, boundless territory.

Today marks the fifth day of the war.

In the northwestern frontier, the human race had long ago constructed a Great Wall, like a colossal dragon, separating them from other races. From a distance, this majestic Great Wall sprawls across the land from west to north, its dark color exuding an aura of grim solemnity. With the outbreak of war, all entry and exit points are now completely sealed. Unless one possesses a Heavenly King's decree, passage is strictly forbidden.

Beyond the Black City lies the territory of the Flame Moon Mystic Sky Clan, though not their original homeland but rather multiple regions formed by their affiliated tribes. Beyond these great regions lies the true territory of the original Flame Moon clan. The Flame Moon Mystic Sky Clan is truly enormous, comprising eighty-seven great regions including those of its affiliated tribes. Although each of these regions cannot compare to the human race's Imperial Capital Region in size, they are still astonishingly vast.

A languid voice reached Xu Qing's ears.

At this moment, tens of thousands of miles away in the sky from the Black City in the northwest, a massive boat pulled by seven dragons was roaring as it sped towards the border.

Hundreds of cultivators were aboard the giant vessel. Each was neatly dressed, with a solemn expression and an extraordinary presence. At the very front stood a single individual. This person appeared to be middle-aged and powerfully built, much taller than an average human. His ink-black long hair was gently tied back with a golden ribbon, fluttering in the wind. He wore a magnificent brocade robe embroidered with golden dragon patterns and two white jade belts at his waist, highlighting his noble status. His features were not delicate, but rather somewhat rugged; with thick brows and large eyes, yet thin lips, he exuded an invisible aura of majesty. From a distance, one might even mistake him for the Human Emperor.

He was the First Prince, the one who most resembled the Human Emperor in both appearance and temperament. At this moment, he stood at the bow of the boat, gazing into the distant world with a solemn expression. His entire being pulsed with vibrant energy, like a scorching red sun, dazzling the eyes of those behind him.

This was the envoy team, dispatched by imperial decree to the Flame Moon Mystic Sky Clan, accompanying the First Prince. Besides the First Prince's own subordinates, the team also included officials from the Five Palaces of the Lower Abyss and their respective guards.

As for the one who had spoken earlier, it was not the First Prince himself, but an ordinary-looking guard among the people on the massive boat. This individual wore a serious expression, full of vigilance, in a stance ready to act dutifully at any moment. His words were not spoken aloud but transmitted telepathically from within his stomach.

Inside his stomach, amidst a reddish aura, Xu Qing sat cross-legged, a look of helplessness on his face.

"Senior Brother, is it really necessary to go so covertly?"

Xu Qing looked up, glancing around.

After leaving the Red Dust Forgetful Pavilion a few nights ago, he had sent a telepathic message to the Captain, informing him of his itinerary. The Captain was also about to embark on an important mission to the Flame Moon Mystic Sky Clan. The Captain, having had a major problem solved by Xu Qing's timely assistance, readily agreed to Xu Qing's plan and quickly rushed to join him. However, this time, the Captain had his own strategy!

"Of course, we have to go stealthily, Little Ah Qing. I'm telling you, my stomach is extremely safe and perfectly concealed, and I'm only allowing you to hide in my stomach because I consider you one of my own." The guard, with a solemn expression and watchful eyes, checked his surroundings while transmitting thoughts into his stomach.

"Little Ah Qing, although your identity among the human race won't cause much of a stir when you go to the Flame Moon Mystic Sky Clan, you need to consider me. I'm different. My reputation in the Flame Moon territory is too great; everyone in the entire Flame Moon territory knows me. If we go openly, I'm worried we'll be met with an overwhelming amount of hospitality along the way. As you know, I prefer to keep a low profile."

Xu Qing nodded, understanding that the Captain meant if he revealed his identity in the Flame Moon territory, he would be beaten to death by many people. He mused that perhaps in a previous life, the Captain must have done something that incurred the wrath of both gods and men within the Flame Moon Mystic Sky Clan. This reminded Xu Qing of the Captain's verbal descriptions of his relationship with Yue Yan.

"So, we must slip in quietly. What do you think of my current identity? Don't worry, since I have a way to get past inspections, I naturally have a way to bypass border defense arrays. Plus, being with the Prince's entourage makes it foolproof," the Captain's voice was triumphant.

Xu Qing, however, became even more cautious.

Thus, with the Captain's continuous chatter, the First Prince's massive boat slowly approached the Black City. Xu Qing couldn't see the specific details, but from the Captain's perspective, as they drew nearer, the Great Wall's majesty, like a sky-high barrier, seemed even taller than before. The Captain muttered to himself, then continued to maintain a serious and vigilant demeanor.

Before long, the power of the Black City's grand array spread out, sweeping towards the massive boat. Even for the Prince's retinue, necessary inspections were still required during this time of war. The First Prince showed no expression, allowing the array's power to sweep over them. Everyone else did the same, and the Captain secretly crushed a drop of blood hidden between his teeth. The array's fluctuations spread, and after the time it takes an incense stick to burn, everything returned to normal as the Black City array dispersed.

A gap, isolated from its surroundings, formed a solitary passage, like a door leading outside the Black City. Even though the array inspection found no issues, the First Prince's imperial decree did not permit him to enter or stop at the frontier, so he could only pass through, not linger. Furthermore, multiple auras locked onto the massive boat. Under these auras, the scales of the seven golden dragons pulling the boat instinctively bristled as they dragged the massive vessel through the passage and exerted their full strength towards the exit.

Ten seconds later, as the massive boat exited the gap and reached the land beyond the human race's frontier, the passage opened by the array behind them instantly closed. No one spoke throughout the entire process. The First Prince didn't even turn his head, simply stating, "Raise the human race's flag!"

As his words fell, a colossal flag suddenly rose from the massive boat, fluttering in the wind and exuding a terrifying might. The flag depicted images of successive Human Emperors since the time of the Dark Abyssal Ancient Emperor, each radiating dignity. The moment it appeared, the sky itself seemed to dim. Simultaneously, the seven golden dragons in front of the massive boat let out roars, their speed instantly surging as they transformed into a golden streak, vanishing into the horizon.

The journey to the Flame Moon homeland was extremely long, spanning many regions. Even if the golden dragons pulling the boat could fly tirelessly, the cultivators aboard could not. Therefore, they had to land in certain areas for necessary passage. If it were anyone else undertaking this mission, these processes would be quite difficult, potentially encountering difficulties or delays. But for the First Prince, these would not occur. While his identity was important within the human race, it was different within the Flame Moon Mystic Sky Clan. Having half Flame Moon clan bloodline meant that when he walked through the Flame Moon Mystic Sky Clan, most affiliated tribes would worship him due to his lineage.

Thus, after leaving the human territory, the First Prince's aura also seemed to gain a sense of freedom. Several landings for passage also gave the Captain an opportunity to leave. Finally, after passing through four regions, during a period of rest, the Captain subtly concealed his aura and quietly departed. As for the resulting investigations, the Captain clearly paid no mind, traveling covertly for several hours. He opened his mouth, and with a single exhalation, Xu Qing's figure instantly flew out.

The moment he landed, he returned to his normal appearance. Turning around, the Captain, with his usual triumphant expression, spoke proudly, "How about it, Little Ah Qing, was your Senior Brother reliable this time or not? If I weren't worried that the First Prince's entourage would be too conspicuous upon reaching the Flame Moon homeland, I would have planned to follow him all the way."

Xu Qing glanced at the Captain, knowing what the other was waiting for, and gave him a look of admiration. The Captain became even more pleased, patting his chest and saying, "Little Ah Qing, come on, I'll take you to a restricted area. You don't know about the stages of the Grand Hunt yet, do you? I know them all too well."

"I'll tell you about them one by one later. I experienced all these things myself; I almost became a Mystic Sky General. But let's not dwell on those small matters. I'm telling you, the first stage is related to a forbidden zone. As for the qualifications, it's simple: like the characters on the Wordless Stone Book, we can change our aura. Then, we just kill two people we don't like and take their place! The reason I chose this place is also because there's a special forbidden zone in this region that meets the requirements of the first stage. Come with me!" The Captain looked incredibly knowledgeable, then his body blurred, and he sped away.

Seeing this, Xu Qing felt that the Captain's preparation this time was different from before. "This time, you're indeed much more reliable."

However, his long-standing impression of the Captain made Xu Qing remain somewhat skeptical as he followed him, until they actually reached the forbidden zone. After traveling covertly for several days within an unfamiliar great region, when he saw a red forbidden zone from afar, and observed the blood-colored mountain peak standing within it, only then did Xu Qing truly feel that the Captain was different this time.

"See that mountain? That's our destination..." The Captain licked his lips, a hint of madness in his eyes, and his body shot forward, heading straight for the blood-colored forbidden zone. Xu Qing followed closely behind, his speed equally astonishing, and his shadow, moreover, emitted joyful emotional fluctuations.

With Xu Qing's and the Captain's current combat strength, ordinary forbidden zones no longer posed any obstacle or danger to them. So, upon entering this forbidden zone, they charged straight through. The entire restricted area trembled, and all the mutated beasts quivered. Moreover, a violent, anxious aura formed a red mist, gathering from all directions with a sense of repulsion, surging towards Xu Qing and the Captain, attempting to drive them away.

As it drew near, a blue light flashed in the Captain's eyes, and the mist instantly paused. Sensing Xu Qing, the mist churned, almost collapsing. Finally, seeming to sense Xu Qing's shadow, the mist immediately rumbled and instantly recoiled. Little Shadow suddenly burst forth, like a hunter, excitedly chasing after it at high speed. The Captain glanced at it, chuckled, and continued forward. Xu Qing also ignored Little Shadow's chase; here, Little Shadow was the natural predator of all forbidden zone entities!

Thus, after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the two of them arrived at the foot of the blood-colored mountain outside the forbidden zone. From afar, the mountain appeared red, but up close, it had a dark hue. The red was from countless blood-colored mosquitoes, grotesque in appearance, clinging to the mountain and dyeing it.

Xu Qing and the Captain's appearance made these mosquitoes tremble with fear. Xu Qing's gaze swept around, and he was about to move the mountain, but the Captain, standing beside him, made an unexpected move. The Captain raised his hand, and a strange aura emanated from his body, drawing the mosquitoes. Overcoming their awe, their true nature erupted, and a swarm buzzed out, heading straight for the Captain.

The Captain did not dodge at all, allowing the swarm of mosquitoes to cover his entire body. Enduring the sucking of their proboscises and the continuous swelling of his body, he spoke to Xu Qing.

"Little Ah Qing, back then, I suffered a disadvantage in the first stage of the hunt because my body wasn't sturdy enough. So, I later thought of this method: using the strangeness of these mosquitoes to temporarily increase my physical defense!"

"The first stage of the hunt, called 'Heaven's Collapse,' tests physical resilience. You hurry up too, endure it, get bitten more times. The more you endure, the less our bodies will fear Heaven's Collapse." The Captain's voice had changed tone.

Xu Qing stared, dumbfounded, at the Captain rapidly swelling into a mountain of flesh. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.