Chapter 83: Continuous Perils

The next day, the two rose before dawn. Daybreak had yet to arrive, and the earth was still shrouded in darkness, with stars faintly twinkling in the sky. Xu Feng checked his watch—five in the morning, when people were at their weariest. Under the cover of darkness, they quietly made their way to the border.

Luckily, the sky cooperated, with dark clouds blocking the moonlight and the earth cloaked in heavy gloom. It wasn't pitch dark, but visibility was indeed very low.

To avoid the camps of the Northern Legion, taking the main road was out of the question. They chose a small mountain path, yet even in such a remote place, soldiers were still patrolling.

Lined with small trees and thick weeds, the path buzzed with incessant insects. The ground was rough and hard to walk. Xu Feng gently took Arola's hand. Since kissing him last night, she had become much quieter, speaking very little along the way. Haha, even 'Little Pepper' could be shy!

As a mage, Xu Feng possessed keen senses. By releasing his mental energy, any movement within a hundred meters couldn't escape his detection. Even patrolling soldiers could be avoided in advance. The journey was tense but without incident, and they were already nearing the border.

Just about five hundred meters ahead, they could enter the Northern Wasteland—a desolate, rarely traveled place with barren land, harsh climate, and home to only a few magical beasts. It was also a buffer zone between humans and the Orc Kingdom, belonging to no faction. Once they entered the wasteland, they would have passed through the Northern Legion's defense area.

Xu Feng felt inwardly pleased; it seemed today had been quite smooth. However, at that moment, a terrifying roar pierced the air.

"What's that?"

Xu Feng was startled and quickly sent out his mental energy to scan. About a few dozen meters away, a massive creature rose up on its hind legs.

An Earth Bear!

Xu Feng was stunned. He'd never expected to encounter a magical beast here, especially when they were so close to successfully crossing the border. It must have been a wasteland creature that had come to forage. Xu Feng sighed; luck really wasn't on their side. Earth Bears were earth-attribute magical beasts, adept at concealing their presence, which explained why he had only noticed its trace at such a close distance.

Fear? Naturally not. Xu Feng was an Intermediate Upper Mage, and Arola was no slouch either. As the Young Princess of the Snake Clan, with royal blood flowing through her veins, she possessed many supernatural powers—neither Battle Aura nor magic, but their potency was undeniable.

Together, defeating the Earth Bear wouldn't be difficult. However, this type of magical beast had a tough hide and raw power, and killing it wouldn't be a quick task. Moreover, the commotion from the battle would surely draw the soldiers' attention. Just moments ago, a patrol had passed by.

Why such bad luck? Xu Feng and the young princess shared a look. The young man sighed, "You go on ahead, Xiaoya. I'll hold it off."

"But..."

"Enough, don't hesitate. It's just an Earth Bear. You know my strength. Go ahead, and I'll catch up with you later."

"Alright!"

Arola nodded. She also knew that a mere intermediate-level magical beast was nothing to worry about. What truly concerned her was the possibility of the battle's commotion attracting patrolling soldiers. They were so close to successfully crossing the border; it would be a shame to fail at the last moment.

Thinking this, the young princess no longer hesitated, "Brother Xu Feng, be careful."

The Northern Wasteland was barren, with scarce food. This Earth Bear had come here in search of a meal. Seeing its "food" about to escape, it let out an angry roar to the sky, no longer hiding its form, and charged forward.

"What's all the roaring about!"

Xu Feng was in an even worse mood. He raised his hand, and the fire elements in the air responded to his call, condensing into a small sphere.

This wasn't a fireball spell—it contained a large amount of concentrated energy!

Magical beasts possessed intelligence. Sensing danger, the Earth Bear halted its steps and growled lowly. Xu Feng wasn't in a hurry to attack. Delaying was beneficial now; as long as he waited for the young princess to cross the border, he could calmly make his escape. The Northern Legion wouldn't pursue them into the wasteland.

However, just then, another unexpected event occurred. Originally, the two were only about five hundred meters from the border. According to Xu Feng's estimate, it would only take Arola a few minutes to run there. But a scream echoed as a Flame Lizard appeared in front of the young princess.

How could this be? Were there more than one magical beast crossing the border in search of food?

The lizard blocked the girl's path. As the young princess of the Snake Clan, Arola was not weak in strength. She wouldn't be injured, but she was trapped in place.

Xu Feng sighed. It seemed luck wasn't on their side today. Given the circumstances, he could no longer hold back. He threw the compressed fireball in his hand toward the Earth Bear.

Roar!

The giant bear let out a roar, and an earthen wall appeared out of thin air. No need for surprise—magical beasts were called magical beasts precisely because they could use magic.

However, the power of the compressed fireball was extraordinary. With a loud bang, dust flew everywhere, and the earthen wall was blown open with a large hole. The fireball continued its momentum, flying toward the magical beast.

A burnt smell filled the air as the giant bear was sent tumbling, with a large patch of fur on its chest scorched. It was covered in dust and looked utterly disheveled, yet it wasn't seriously injured. Instead, the pain ignited its ferocity. It stood upright and pounced toward Xu Feng...

Meanwhile, Arola was locked in a fierce battle with the Flame Lizard. Flames soared, and the Snake Clan's Secret Arts were even more bizarre and unpredictable. The rumbling sounds were unceasing, and the entire earth trembled.

Damn it!

Although both he and Xiaoya had the upper hand, Xu Feng was filled with anger. They were so close to successfully crossing the border, only to be disrupted by two foolish magical beasts. The commotion from the battle was so earth-shattering that anyone who wasn't deaf would know something major was happening here. Yet now, they were in a situation where retreat was impossible. Frustration wouldn't solve the problem, so Xu Feng could only vent his anger on the giant bear before him.

Fire Arrows, Fire Dragons—for a moment, Xu Feng's magic seemed divinely aided...

Roar!

A mighty roar echoed, filled with anger but even more with unwillingness and despair. Among the six elements, fire had the greatest destructive power. Although the Earth Bear had thick skin and immense strength, it couldn't withstand such relentless bombardment. Its massive body collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Xu Feng breathed a sigh of relief, but before he could rejoice, the sound of urgent hoofbeats reached his ears. The hoofbeats were rapid yet orderly, clearly from well-trained cavalry—and on a large scale. The Northern Legion had indeed been alerted!

"Xiaoya, hurry!"

There was no time left to deal with the magical beasts. Xu Feng turned around, and several blades of light formed from fire elements whistled toward the magical lizard. Simultaneously, he flashed to Arola's side, took the girl's hand, and was about to run forward when... it was already too late.