After breakfast, the sun was just right.
Lei Luo wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin, while Moonlight was still wrestling with the remaining half of a vanilla rabbit, her face covered in grease.
"Aide."
Lei Luo's voice rang out.
Aide stepped forward: "My Lord."
"Take a squad of Knights and come with me."
Lei Luo stood up.
"Yes, My Lord!"
Aide immediately went to gather his men.
Moonlight seemed to understand that they were going outside, and in a few gulps, she swallowed the remaining rabbit meat, leaped onto Lei Luo's shoulder, found a comfortable spot to lie down, and her tail tip wagged gently.
Lei Luo smiled, ignoring her, and walked straight out.
A group of more than ten people, riding at full speed, soon arrived at the Withered Wood Forest, five kilometers southeast of Blackstone Town.
Most of the trees here were dead, their branches twisted, and the ground was covered with thick fallen leaves that crunched underfoot, giving off a desolate aura.
Soon they found the unusually large oak tree.
"Moonlight was playing outside a few days ago and found something buried under this oak tree. Dig it up and see."
Lei Luo stroked Moonlight's head, and Moonlight let out a soft meow at the opportune moment.
Having just eaten her fill, she just wanted to sleep comfortably.
This oak tree was different from the surrounding withered trees; although it also looked ancient, its branches and leaves were still relatively dense, showing signs of life.
The Knights immediately dismounted, took out the shovels they carried, and began to dig.
No one had any doubts; in the eyes of these Knights, anything strange about Moonlight was normal.
Dirt flew.
Before long, with a "clang," the shovel seemed to hit something hard.
"My Lord, we found it!"
A Knight shouted excitedly.
Soon, an old-looking wooden box was completely unearthed.
The box was not large, and it even had fresh mud on it, and the clasp was rusted beyond recognition.
Aide stepped forward, and with a slight effort, he broke the clasp.
The box opened, revealing a small pile of gleaming golden circular objects neatly arranged inside—Golden Dragon Coins.
A rough count revealed about one hundred of them.
Next to the gold coins lay two items: a silver safeguard bracelet inlaid with magic patterns, and a yellowed parchment scroll.
Lei Luo picked up the safeguard bracelet; it felt cool to the touch, and he could sense the faint magical fluctuations contained within it.
"A safeguard bracelet?"
He identified it, somewhat surprised.
"A low-grade magic item, capable of temporarily activating a Tier 1 magic shield."
He pulled a ring from his Arms and tossed it along with the safeguard bracelet to Aide, "You hold onto these two for now; we'll test their effects later."
Aide caught them steadily.
Then, Lei Luo picked up the parchment scroll, unrolled it, and found it was a damaged magic scroll, with complex magic arrays drawn on it, seemingly a defensive spell, but unfortunately, it was severely damaged and had lost its effectiveness.
"Better than nothing."
Lei Luo handed the gold coins and the scroll to the accompanying Knight to put away.
One hundred Gold Dragons was not a large sum, but it was an unexpected windfall, and the safeguard bracelet was decent, though its grade was a bit low.
"Let's go to Crying Canyon; Moonlight said there are good things there too."
Lei Luo mounted his horse, and the group set off again.
Crying Canyon got its name from its unique topography; the canyon sides were steep cliffs, and the wind passing through them made a wailing sound, like a woman's soft crying.
The valley was quite damp, the rocks covered with moss, and the air was filled with the scent of damp earth and humus.
The further they went, the dimmer the light became, and the mountain walls on both sides seemed to close in, leaving only a sliver of sky.
"My Lord, it feels a bit eerie here."
A Knight couldn't help but speak, gripping the sword at his waist.
Aide followed by Lei Luo's side, his gaze vigilantly scanning the surroundings.
Ever since witnessing Moonlight's marvel in the Withered Wood Forest last time, he dared not underestimate this seemingly harmless little cat even more.
Since the Lord said there were good things here, it was probably true, but this environment always made people feel uncomfortable.
"Everyone be careful; Moonlight said earlier that there's a big snake here, which might be the treasure's guardian beast!"
Lei Luo warned.
After traveling a bit further, the terrain ahead leveled out slightly, revealing a relatively open valley.
Moonlight suddenly jumped off Lei Luo's shoulder, landing lightly on the ground, and ran towards an inconspicuous corner in the center of the valley.
"Follow."
Lei Luo urged his horse.
After rounding a giant rock shaped like a crying face, the area ahead opened up suddenly.
A strange small tree came into view, about a person's height, dark red all over, its branches gnarled like dragon claws, covered with fine, sharp thorns that gleamed with a metallic luster.
Even stranger were the few fruits hanging from its branches, pigeon-egg sized, blood-red in color, with faint flowing light shimmering on their surface, emitting an enticing glow.
"This is..."
A trace of surprise flashed in Aide's eyes.
Several Knights also gathered around, curiously examining the peculiar fruit tree.
"These fruits look really beautiful."
"Be careful, this tree is full of thorns."
Just as the Knights were about to step forward to examine the Dragon Thorn Fruit Tree more closely, Moonlight on Lei Luo's shoulder suddenly arched her back, letting out a low growl from her throat, her fur bristling.
Aide reacted, his Knight's sword already drawn, blocking in front of Lei Luo.
A Fishy Wind suddenly struck from the side!
"Hiss—!"
Accompanied by a piercing hiss, a huge shadow darted out like lightning from a rock crevice, directly pouncing on the Knight closest to the Dragon Thorn Fruit Tree!
It was a giant serpent as thick as a bucket, covered in ice-blue scales that gleamed coldly in the dim light.
Its triangular head was terrifying, and its two lantern-like vertical pupils were fixed on its prey. From its gaping, bloody maw, four sharp, dagger-like fangs were clearly visible, even carrying a hint of frosty chill.
A Frostfang Serpent!
"Disperse!"
Lei Luo shouted, simultaneously yanking the reins sharply, his warhorse reared up, narrowly dodging the serpent's whipping tail.
The Knight who was targeted also reacted extremely quickly; upon hearing the Lord's warning, he instinctively rolled on the ground, barely evading the serpent's lunge.
The giant serpent bit empty air, its huge head smashing into the ground, sending gravel flying.
"Protect the Lord!"
Aide roared, drawing the Knight's longsword from his waist, and instead of retreating, he advanced, confronting the giant serpent.
A faint yellow halo surged around him, the unique battle qi glow of an Earth Knight, making him appear as steady as a mountain.
The other Knights also drew their weapons, forming a simple defensive formation, shielding Lei Luo in the center.
The Frostfang Serpent, failing its first strike, immediately turned its head, its cold vertical pupils locking onto Aide, who was charging at the front.
It let out an angry hiss, its massive body suddenly arched, and it lunged out again like an arrow from a bowstring, with astonishing speed!
Aide's expression was solemn; he took a deep breath, circulating his internal battle qi to its maximum.
Just as the serpent's foul-smelling maw was about to approach, Aide let out a low cry, the ring on his left hand flashed with a faint light, and a sense of violent power instantly surged through his entire body.
