Chapter 112: Flaming Mountain

As the intense flashes of electricity gradually faded, Du Long and his companions opened their eyes wide to witness the terrifying scene before them.

Across a stretch of marshland spanning several hundred meters, the violent electric net had reduced all the aquatic vegetation to ash. On the water's surface beneath, schools of large fish floated belly-up, their flesh likely cooked through by the discharge.

"The power of that is truly terrifying!" Princess Huo Feng could not help but mutter to herself.

"Ben Lei! How many such full-power attacks can you unleash in succession?" Du Long, jolted into action by the Spirit Guide, immediately questioned the Iron-Clad Water Rhino King, who was looking rather smug.

"Well..." The Iron-Clad Water Rhino, who had been feeling quite proud, suddenly looked awkward. "At full power, we can only fire three times in a row before we must rest for an hour to replenish our electrical charge."

"Three times in a row?" Du Long frowned, though he quickly relaxed. *If they could fire infinitely, no one would be able to survive it. If that were the case, this herd of Iron-Clad Water Rhinos would have the strength to challenge Xiao Lie, a fifth-rank beast!*

"That is the average! Only those among us who have reached the third rank can unleash more than six consecutive full-power lightning attacks," Ben Lei explained with some embarrassment.

Du Long nodded and continued, "By the way, Ben Lei, besides your herd, are there any other groups of Iron-Clad Water Rhinos in this marsh?"

"There are!" Ben Lei replied with certainty. "This monster marsh spans thousands of miles; naturally, we are not the only group. To my knowledge, there are six Iron-Clad Water Rhino herds in the entire marsh. Besides us, there are dozens of other tribes, such as the Merman race and the Carrion Eagle tribe."

"In this area, apart from the Iron-Clad Water Rhinos, the other monster races are of little use to me," Du Long replied with a shake of his head. "Tell me, in which direction is the nearest Rhino herd, and how far away are they?"

"About three hundred miles to the north, there is a herd led by Ben Men," Ben Lei answered without hesitation, then proceeded to detail the locations of the other herds.

"Very good! Ben Lei, stay here for now. I will go and subdue the other herds, and I will come back for you when I need your able-bodied warriors," Du Long decided with a nod.

With that, the great lion carried the three of them away, flying like lightning toward the north, followed by the respectful gazes of nearly a thousand Iron-Clad Water Rhinos.

The herd to the north, led by Ben Men, was smaller, numbering only five or six hundred. The moment they heard that Ben Lei’s group had submitted, they surrendered immediately to the formidable aura of Xiao Lie.

Guided by Xiao Lie, Du Long spent the next two days tracking down and subduing the remaining territories one by one. By the end, all six Iron-Clad Water Rhino herds in the marsh had pledged their allegiance to him.

The smallest of the six herds numbered only three to four hundred, while the largest was a staggering two thousand strong. Had it not been for Xiao Lie’s status as the Flame-Horned Lion King, even a fifth-rank beast would have found it difficult to subjugate them. The king of that largest herd, named Ben Long, possessed fourth-rank early-stage strength; had he chosen to resist, Xiao Lie would have had a difficult fight on his hands.

Fortunately, these rhinos were herbivores with relatively mild temperaments. They understood that resisting a fifth-rank monster king was futile; even if he couldn't kill them all at once, he could pick them off day by day until they were decimated.

With nearly eight thousand rhinos in total, and three to five thousand of them being in their prime, Du Long had secured a massive new force for his territory.

"Ling'er! What do we do now? Are we heading back to the Black Profound Iron Mountain?" Du Long asked, feeling invigorated as he rode atop Xiao Lie.

"Are you satisfied already?" the Spirit Guide retorted with disdain. "This is only a few thousand rhinos. Do you think they are enough to take on those well-equipped legions? They would be ground down to nothing in no time!"

Clearly, the Spirit Guide was annoyed by Du Long's premature arrogance and sought to bring him back down to earth.

"No, no! I was just asking what our next step should be!" Du Long quickly explained, knowing better than to offend his mysterious mentor.

"Xiao Lie! Are there any gregarious monsters near your old territory?" the Spirit Guide asked after a moment of thought.

"Yes! I used to have a group of subordinates—a pack of second to third-rank Flame Tigers! Dozens of them followed me. Their tribe is said to be deep in the Monster Forest near my old territory, numbering nearly ten thousand!" Xiao Lie replied without hesitation.

"Second to third-rank Flame Tigers? Excellent. That kind of beast is perfect for a spirit beast legion!" the Spirit Guide beamed. Their conversation had been held in private, unbeknownst to Princess Huo Feng and Xia Qinglian.

"Du Long! Where are we going now?" Over the past two days, the girls had been stunned by the sight of thousands of powerful rhinos bowing to Du Long. They could only imagine the impact such a legion would have on a battlefield.

"Come! I’ll show you another type of powerful beast!" Du Long said, flying Xiao Lie toward the forest on the other side of the marsh.

The region between the marsh and the forest was largely uninhabited. The monsters there lived in packs to survive, and the treacherous terrain meant that any human party venturing in would surely face death. Only elite human masters of the Spirit Rank dared to explore this area, as they could fly and ignore the terrain entirely.

With the Spirit Guide scanning the surroundings for any threats, Du Long did not need to worry about revealing Xiao Lie's true power. Flying at full speed, they soon penetrated deep into the Monster Forest, reaching a region where waves of intense heat washed over them.

It was a massive volcanic cluster, featuring dozens of active volcanoes and hundreds of dormant ones, creating an area of eternal, scorching heat. From the chimney-like vents of the active volcanoes, thick smoke billowed, accompanied by rivers of molten lava cascading down the slopes.

"Cough, cough! What kind of hellish place is this? Is this the underworld?" Princess Huo Feng complained, choking on the thick, pungent scent of sulfur in the air.

"Heh, you unlearned little princess! Have you never heard the legends of the Flaming Mountain deep within the Monster Forest?" Du Long teased with a gentle laugh.

"The Flaming Mountain? That legend is actually true?" the princess whispered in disbelief.

"Of course! Only those of the Spirit Rank dare to come near here; why would such people spread groundless rumors?" Du Long laughed again, causing Xia Qinglian to cover her mouth and giggle.

"Never mind whether I'm unlearned or not—why did you bring me and Sister Qinglian to this hellhole? To admire the scenery?" the princess asked, clearly annoyed by the teasing.

"Here, cover your nose and mouth; it will be more comfortable," Du Long said, handing them two damp cloths. Xia Qinglian obediently covered her face, and the princess followed suit, finding it much easier to breathe.

As someone with the Innate Profound Yang Constitution, Du Long actually enjoyed the environment, feeling as comfortable as a fish in water amidst the abundant fire-elemental energy.

"Cough! Husband, why are we here? Besides the stench and the lava, there's nothing worth risking our lives for! We're deep in the dangerous heart of the Monster Forest!" the princess complained.

"Almost there! Once we clear this mountain, we'll reach our destination," Du Long reassured her, pointing toward the largest volcano.

The princess fell silent, unwilling to speak and inhale the acrid air. As they flew around the massive volcano on Xiao Lie's broad back, a terrifying ripple pulsed from the peak, and the entire mountain began to shake.

On the ridges, countless volcanic rocks and torrents of lava began to tumble down. The sheer power of the eruption stunned everyone, including Xiao Lie.

"Oh no! The great volcano is erupting!" the Spirit Guide's panicked roar echoed in Du Long's mind.