Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time-Chapter 658: The Cold Mountains

Having killed the beast, Han Yu stored only the falcon's core. Everything else he left behind. The corpse tumbled over the edge and disappeared into the fog below.

He took a breath and steadied himself before continuing down the path. His heart did not race, but he could feel the thinning thread of danger at his back.

The Middle Ring was not going to let him pass easily.

Han Yu descended the last stretch of the cliff with careful steps, using his halberd as a stabilizing pole every time a rock shifted beneath him. When he reached the ground, he exhaled lightly.

The air was unnervingly cold now. Before, the temperature dipped below zero only at night, but here it clung to his skin like a hungry parasite even in the daytime. The winds that swept between the carved valleys carried ice particles sharp enough to sting his cheeks, forcing him to use some Fire Spirit qi to protect against it.

But that wasn't the only issue.

His High Mountain Spirit Yak robe had a long gash slashed across its left side, courtesy of the Cliff Drop Falcon's talons. Even though the formations still worked, the tear allowed the cold to slip through.

After a few hours of enduring the chill stabbing into his ribs, he tore strips from his spare robe and stitched the gap. It was not pretty, but it stopped most of the wind.

He rubbed the patched area.

"At least the formations are intact. If they were broken, I would have to kill my way back down just to replace the robe."

He did not doubt the robe's durability, but he did doubt the mountains' ability to spare even magical garments. The fact that two sets might not be enough for this journey made him reconsider how deep he wanted to go.

But retreat was not an option.

One week passed in this unforgiving terrain. Every day was harsher than the last.

Beasts grew more aggressive. They attacked not because they were hungry, but because he existed in their domain. Even herbivores glared at him with the murderous intent of starving wolves.

It seemed everything here was so accustomed to danger that violence had become the default response to anything unfamiliar.

The Rocky Hoofed Rams were the worst. They were absurdly stubborn. Unlike wolves that at least showed caution, these brutes launched themselves from ridges as if attempting suicide volleys.

One ram in particular almost ended Han Yu's life.

He had been crossing a narrow shelf on the mountainside when he heard gravel scatter above him. Without warning, a massive ram lunged off the ledge and slammed into him with its heavy, rock coated horns. The force nearly tore him from the cliff.

Han Yu's foot slipped.

For a moment he dangled over open air.

He barely had time to pull his halberd free and hold onto it for balance. The ram fell past him, bleating furiously as it disappeared into the fog.

Han Yu steadied himself before shouting down into the abyss.

"Let us see how you like being knocked off your footing, you stupid lump."

The wind carried his voice away.

He shook his head.

"These rams behave like they were born without a self preservation instinct."

Night attacks were no better.

On the fourth night, a Yellow Tufted Panther crept toward him from behind. Its paws made no sound, and even the air around it seemed swallowed by darkness. But Han Yu had long abandoned the idea of sleeping deeply in these mountains. He meditated instead, spreading his spirit sense like an invisible net around him.

That night the net trembled.

The beast was already mid pounce when Han Yu's eyes snapped open. He thrust his halberd backward without turning his head, slashing across its foreleg. It landed with a muffled cry, turned to flee, but Han Yu flicked a Soul Needle that struck the back of its head.

It froze mid leap.

Han Yu stepped forward and slit its throat.

He sighed.

"That is the fifth Soul Needle today. At this rate, I will need to ration my Soul Qi."

Soul Needle was invaluable. Its ability to stun beasts for a moment was priceless when he had no room to maneuver. The beasts here did not produce emotions strong enough for him to harvest Eight Emotions Energy, but at least killing them made travel possible.

He continued deeper.

The eighth day after entering the Middle Ring brought him to a point where his instincts began to whisper warnings. No carved stone marked the border. No sign declared that he had stepped from Middle Ring into Inner Ring.

But the atmosphere shifted. The mountains became eerily silent with even the winds stopping for short periods. The trees thinned until only twisted skeletons of wood remained. The temperature dropped further, and each breath left a white cloud that froze in the air faster than before.

Han Yu narrowed his eyes.

"The Inner Ring."

He recognized it not by scenery, but by pressure. A vague oppressive weight hung in the air, like the mountains themselves were watching him.

He took another step.

RARRRRRRR

A growl rolled across the peaks. Deep. Resonant. Ancient.

It did not belong to any beast he had encountered so far.

Han Yu stopped moving.

"That is not an Early Core Condensation realm beast or perhaps not a Core Condensation Beast at all."

He knew the types well enough now. Wolves had high pitched howls. Panthers had short sharp growls. Rams had something between a bleat and a roar. But this sound carried distance. It echoed through valleys and returned stronger, as if bouncing between giant walls.

Something powerful prowled ahead.

Han Yu crouched and placed his palm against the ground. It vibrated faintly, not from footsteps but from sheer vocal force.

"Peak Core Condensation at the very least. Possibly even early Nascent Soul."

He tightened his grip on the halberd.

This was exactly why the Cold Silk Orchid was not something anyone should casually seek. Where such rare herbs grew, something monstrous always guarded them.