Chapter 66: Chapter 8: Snow Mist Pearl
Knight Oerstein said he was suspicious, but his gaze was already filled with inquiry.
After so many days of interaction, more or less, the knights of the territory have speculated that their own Lord has certain foresight abilities.
There are already zealous attendants secretly referring to the Lord as the Knower of the Gray Mountain Foot, the Great Prophet of the Hesse Territory, the Venus of the Bauhinia Clan.
Su Li is also roughly aware that many bloodlines in this world possess certain foresight abilities, so he still can’t quite determine whether he obtained a golden finger or awakened his bloodline abilities.
But in any case, this is a good thing. Across ancient and modern times, a prophet of a force is always respected as a sage, and the more richly civilized powerful forces, such as the Forest Elves or the Powerful Church, will especially value the position of their prophets, even revering them as leaders.
Su Li didn’t deliberately conceal any of this. A force that’s paving the way, full of hardships, needs a great leader to inspire and give them hope.
So facing Knight Oerstein’s inquiry, Su Li neither refuted nor directly responded, but instead asked, "My Commander-in-Chief, if there truly is a giant dragon, then aren’t we currently weakening its kin and striking its strength?"
Knight Oerstein’s spirit was immediately invigorated, he laughed heartily, the brown rigid beard beneath his helmet slightly quivering, mirroring his excitement at the moment.
"Haha, Lord, what you’ve said is simply too right. A powerful knight must have the courage to face challenges, slay beastmen, monsters, and even giant dragons to achieve a broader and brighter future."
"I feel following you, Lord, to venture into the Border Prince’s Territory for expansion is the most correct choice of my life! Here, I can find the meaning of life and tread the path of cultivation more majestically and further. Your words back then were literally a guiding light in my journey of cultivation."
A Champion Knight viewing Su Li as both a prophet and a great mentor emblemizes this persona quite vividly.
Su Li couldn’t help but smile; who would dare challenge his authority in the Hesse Territory in the future?
With Knight Oerstein’s full assistance, Su Li quickly led the territory’s army across the north’s soft and fertile Green Leaf Hills, reaching the Bloody Highlands further north.
The name is due to it being already under the Gray Mountain Foot; every rainy season, brigands and Wild Beastman Tribes from inside the Gray Mountain Foot come out to raid and slaughter, leaving the streams of melted snow from the mountains stained with blood.
Because the water flow isn’t large enough, these streams spread throughout the grasslands at the foot of the mountain, staining the land red, which allows a plant called Bloodhoof Grass to thrive here. A plant whose leaf shape resembles a horse’s hoof, with blood-red edges, and is one of the top fodders in this world.
This place will be a fertile pasture dedicated to breeding in the territory.
Crossing the Bloody Highlands and heading north leads to the Gray Mountain Range, where mining is the dominant industry. The low peaks of the Gray Mountain Range have abundant copper, iron, and gold ores; if it can be continuously penetrated, one will find Dwarf Guard Teams patrolling in the cavernous mountain tunnels and dwarf miners wielding pickaxes.
Su Li and Knight Oerstein, with the main force of the troops, took three days to successfully traverse the Bloody Highlands, reaching the southwestern Jinke Mine in the Gray Mountain Range.
Before they initiated an attack, a knight squad in the distance rushed over, all four knights donned finely crafted, heavy knight plate armor, the leading one’s armor with red battle patterns gleaming under the sun, surprisingly adorned with the Vibranium Rune Armor of Radiant Sun.
Death’s Claw flying in the sky let out a sharp, excited cry, directly diving down and happily circling around the knight squad.
Knight Frederick, escorting Su Li, laughed and said, "Lord, it’s Hilude and the others who have returned."
Su Li astonishingly asked, "How can this be so fast? Although the Gray Mountain Range is merely a branch, climbing its highest peak should take at least a day and a night, right?"
It takes 2-5 days to climb Mount Everest; even if knights have better stamina, they shouldn’t be this fast. After all, it’s a snow-covered mountain, and a squad of four knights advancing against wind and snow with longswords shouldn’t be that quick.
Before Su Li could think further, Hilude had already galloped up to him, tugging the reins as the warhorse’s forelegs reared high, gallantly coming to a halt right in front of Su Li.
"Lord, we successfully planted the clan’s banner on the highest peak of the Gray Mountain Range, and also made an alliance with the Snow Elves. They promised that if residents of our territory lose their way in the snow mountain, they will guide them safely away from the mountain."
This truly is a remarkable harvest.
Su Li asked, "So your speed was due to the assistance of the Snow Elves?"
Hilude nodded excitedly, clearly, this fantastical journey had left her very elated and eager to share its marvelous moments with Su Li.
"We followed your orders to find the highest snowy mountain in the Gray Mountain Range; initially it wasn’t smooth, but until we found a frost path built of ice and snow, leading upwards along the mountain ridge covered in snow, with visibility no more than thirty meters."
"We initially worried the staircase of condensed ice beneath our feet might shatter, but stepping on it we found our concerns were unwarranted, we could even engage in fierce battles atop it. These icy steps did not shatter; along the way, there were endless Snow Corpse Demons, we slew over a hundred, and collected more than thirty Snow Mist Pearls."
Corpse Demons are a common monster in this world, creatures formed from wandering dead who refuse to rest. They constantly attack passing travelers out of hatred and loathing for the living. Consuming enough flesh, they could give birth to a powerful Corpse Demon King.
Snow Corpse Demons in the snowy mountains are particularly prevalent, as the bodies and spirits of the deceased covered in ice and snow have much higher probability of turning into Corpse Demons.
There are also Demon Hunters, Rangers, and Mercenaries who make a living hunting Corpse Demons in the snow. A Snow Mist Pearl is valued at 20-30 Silver Coins, required for crafting specific potions and runes, like the Cold Steel Rune on the Blazing Soul Law Armor of the Bauhinia Clan, which requires two Snow Mist Pearls.
With Giant Acid and Snow Mist Pearls, the materials for forging Vibranium Rune Armor in the territory are almost gathered!
Su Li then looked to Hilude, asking, "Aside from these, do you have any more valuable findings?"