The Portal of Wonderland

Shi Mu and Princess Huo Wu left the hillside cave, and headed towards the north.

Both of them were extremely strong. So, they were safe as long as they didn’t come across a Xian Tian level ominous beast, or a large group of beasts.

A large river appeared in front of them after they had walked for two days. The river was dozens of feet wide. Several big waves of water could be seen flowing at a great speed. It was issuing a thunderous sound of gurgling.

“This is the famous river – the River of Warriors of the Portal of the Brave Warriors, right? There’s a forbidden area across the river. It’s called the Central Region.” Several rays of lights flickered in Shi Mu’s eyes as he looked at the wide river in front of him. He then said.

Shi Mu’s goal was to go into the forbidden area on the opposite side of the large river.

But, the river gave him a treacherous feeling. It didn’t seem easy to cross.

“Yes, Priest Yan Ya once told me that the barbarians had put a formidable seal in the ancient times… so that the vicious beasts of Xian Tian level or above living on the other side of the river never cross it. But, I don’t know whether it’s true or false,” Princess Huo Wu replied as she looked at the river.

Shi Mu moved his vision, and puckered up his brows. He then turned his head towards the left side, and looked; a golden light flashed in his pupils.

He saw that a row of five or six figures were moving towards them from a distant place.

Princess Huo Wu’s charming face changed. She gripped the hilt of her sword on her waist with one hand, and slipped her other hand inside her sleeves.

“It’s nothing; these are the men of the peaceful barbarian tribes.” The golden glow in Shi Mu’s eyes disappeared. He then informed her in a soft voice.

Princess Huo Wu exposed expressions of surprise on her face. She had increased her eyesight by practicing several cultivation methods. But still, she couldn’t clearly see these men coming from a distance. But, Shi Mu was impressively capable of seeing over such a long distance.

She glanced towards Shi Mu. He had seemed shrouded in layers of mysterious veils ever since they had met the Saintess of the sea race. And, she had been wishing to see through these layers ever since.

The peaceful barbarians approached nearer after a while.

Princess Huo Wu’s complexion loosened-up as Shi Mu’s words had turned out to be true.

Two people in the front of the group had taken the lead. One of them was wearing clothes of the Green Tooth Tribe, and seemed to be around thirty years old. The other man’s upper body was bare, but a golden feather crest was braided in his head. This was the symbol of the Golden Feather Tribe – one of the four peaceful barbarian tribes.

The two people had powerful aura around their bodies. They were the consummate-level Hou Tian warriors. A few of the other men looked a little weaker in comparison, but they too had the strength of an advanced-stage Hou Tian warrior. They were talking to each other. Shi Mu with his strength of a middle-level Hou Tian warrior seemed puny in front of them.

“So, it’s our noble guests of the human race,” the big man of the Green Tooth Tribe exposed a smile on his face, and greeted them affectionately.

“Brother Mo Lang…” Princess Huo Wu answered with a smile on her face.

Shi Mu stood half a step behind Princess Huo Wu; he also smiled at them.

He and Princess Huo Wu had stayed with the Green Tooth Tribe after they had arrived at the Holy Mountain. So, the people of the Green Tooth Tribe were a little familiar to them. In fact, they had met Mo Lang twice before.

“Let me introduce you to Brother Jin Huang of the Golden Feather Tribe.” Mo Lang laughed out loud. He then pointed a finger towards the young barbarian with a golden feather crest braided in his head and said.

The youth with the feathered crest was silent. He had a cold expression on his face. Princess Huo Wu and Shi Mu nodded towards him, but didn’t say anything.

“Brother Jin has some etiquettes.” Huo Wu didn’t mind Jin Huang’s cold attitude towards them. Instead, she laughed and said.

Shi Mu looked towards Jin Huang and the huge blade with circular edge that was suspended on his back. The edge was covered with saw-teeth, and was emitting a thick cold light.

He felt surprised in his heart. He could see some witch-magic characters on the surface of this thing with circular edge and saw-teeth. It was clearly a witch-magic tool, and its grade was certainly not low. This was definitely a killing weapon.

Shi Mu became lost in thoughts while looking at the cold barbarian. Jin Huang felt strange, and turned his head to look at Shi Mu.

Shi Mu’s chain of thoughts was broken as their eyes met. His eyes felt a slight prick, but his facial expression didn’t change.

Shi Mu exposed a smile, but Jin Huang looked away.

Jin Huang raised his brow. He then glanced at Shi Mu to make a few observations. After that, he slowly moved away.

Mo Lang then introduced the rest of the four barbarian men. Two of them were from the Beautiful Gauze Tribe and the other two were from the Crow Horn Tribe.

These peaceful barbarians had nothing in common, but they had the same point of view. In fact, they had a harmonious relationship.

“Brother Mo Lang, I don’t know why you people have come to the River of Warriors. What’s the matter?” They chatted for a while. Then, Princess Huo Wu got to the point and asked.

“We’ve been together since the last two days. We hunted down two vicious beasts in a nearby area some time back. Now, we’re looking for other prey. Why don’t you travel with us on this journey if you don’t have any specific target…?” Mo Lang chuckled and said.

“Well, this forbidden area is indeed very dangerous. So, it would be safer to travel together.” Princess Huo Wu exchanged glances with Shi Mu. She then nodded in an amicable manner.

“That’s great.” Mo Lang exposed colors of happiness on his face and laughed heartily.

They didn’t speak to Shi Mu much since he was only a Hou Tian middle-level warrior. However, they were very optimistic about Huo Wu’s strength. After all, the union of the Human Race had sent this person. So, there must be a lot of treasures up her sleeve.

“Where are we going? Do you have any plan?” Princess Huo Wu asked.

“There’s no specific place to go. We just want to go along the River of Warriors as far as possible… and hunt down some Hou Tian consummate-level ominous beasts,” Mo Lang said.

“But, the real prey must be on the opposite side of the river.” Princess Huo Wu’s beautiful pupils flashed. She then said.

The barbarian men were flabbergasted as they heard this.

“Princess Huo Wu, are you implying that you wish to go to the other side of the river?” Mo Lang and Jin Huang looked at each other, and exposed smiles on their faces.

“Yes,” Princess Huo Wu said lightly.

It had been four or five days since they had entered this forbidden area. The Princess had gradually become aware of the difference between the peaceful and vicious barbarians. She knew that it was impossible for the peaceful barbarians to win if they didn’t take the risk to hunt down high-level ominous beasts.

“But, many ominous beasts of Xian Tian level hide on the opposite side. They’re extremely strong. They’ll definitely kill us if we come across them,” a big man from the Crow Horn Tribe argued.

The two barbarians from the Beautiful Gauze Tribe also shook their heads. It was obvious that they didn’t wish to go into the Central Region.

Princess Huo Wu puckered up her elegant eyebrows. She then turned her head, and looked towards Shi Mu.

“Since the Princess wants to go across… I’ll also go with you,” Shi Mu spoke-up without any hesitation.

The four men of the Crow Horn Tribe and Beautiful Gauze Tribe looked in disdain towards Shi Mu as they heard this.

Shi Mu was ready to enter the forbidden area with these people. But, he was only a middle-level Hou Tian warrior. So, it was a miracle that he was still alive. In addition, he had told lies to enter into their Holy Land. So, it seemed to these people that he was going to court his death in the Central Region.

“You two, what do you say?” Princess Huo Wu didn’t pay attention to the two people of the Crow Horn and Beautiful Gauze Tribes each. She looked towards Mo Lang and Jin Huang, and asked.

“What Princes Huo Wu said is exactly what I was thinking. I was indeed planning to go to the Central Region for a good fight,” Mo Lang laughed and replied.

The four Barbarian men of the Crow Horn and Beautiful Gauze Tribes became surprised as they heard this.

“Gentlemen, we only have four or five days remaining. Half of the time has already passed. Everyone knows what benefits we have made till now. We know that the vicious barbarian tribes are much stronger than us. If we don’t take this risk… then we’ll lose our chances of winning this competition,” Mo Lang said in a heavy tone.

The two men of the Beautiful Gauze Tribe showed a little hesitation on their faces as they heard this.

“Brother Mo Lang, please forgive us. We can’t agree to go to the Central Region. This competition is important… but we can’t put our lives in so much danger. So, we’ll have to part ways from here if you’re determined to go into the Central Region…” a lofty barbarian man of the Crow Horn Tribe shook his head and said.

“Well, I can’t force you.” Mo Lang wrinkled his brows and nodded.

The two men of the Crow Horn Tribe cupped their hands in greeting, and turned around to walk into the distance.

“Brother Mo Lang, the Central Region is too dangerous for us. We too… we too can’t help you in this operation,” the two men of the Beautiful Gauze Tribe exposed apologetic expressions on their faces, and spoke-up in embarrassing tone.

“You two are modest. That area is extremely dangerous. It was obvious that you’ve made up your minds on how to act,” Mo Lang smiled regretfully and replied.

The two men of the Beautiful Gauze Tribe cupped their hands in greeting. Then, they too started to walk towards a distant place. But, they didn’t go in the direction of the two men of the Crow Horn Tribe.

Now, only Shi Mu, the Princess, and the other two people were left at that place. Nobody spoke for a while.

“Only the four of us are left now. We’re few in number, but now the operation will be much more convenient,” Mo Lang smiled and said.

“We have to determine the ways to cross this river. But, I think that this large river isn’t safe at all. I’m afraid that it wouldn’t be easy to cross this river,” Shi Mu spoke-up in a casual tone.

“You two probably aren’t aware of what Brother Shi just said. A kind of a carnivorous swordfish grows in the River of Warriors. They’re very large in number, and extremely violent. They attack any living creature that enters into the water of this river. And, if the fish is Xian Tian… then it can do some unpleasant damage,” Mo Lang explained further with a dignified complexion.

“Swordfish? I can’t see them now…” Princess Huo Wu raised her brow and said.

Jin Huang hadn’t spoken all along. Suddenly, he took out a piece of fresh meat from a rucksack on his body. It had a few small wisps of blood on its surface. It seemed to have been cut out of the body of an ominous beast. He then went forward, and threw it into the River of Warriors.

Suddenly, a silver light appeared, and rushed over from the abyss of the river as soon as the piece of meat entered into the water.

Shi Mu’s vision flashed. His face exposed a trace of astonishment.

That silver light was a slender silver-colored fish. Its body seemed to be as sharp as a sword. It was only half-a-foot long. Several silver thorns could be seen on the top of its upper jaw. They seemed like swords.

The water around the piece of meat lump churned up as several silver swordfishes surrounded it. They formed a shape of a huge silver ball, and splattered everywhere.

‘Bang!’

The silver ball formed by the swordfishes dissipated with a loud rumbling sound after a short while. Then, the fishes swam back into the depth of the river. They disappeared without a trace in a flash.

The piece of fresh meat had also disappeared; not even a little trace of the meat was left behind.