The Lord of Heaven: A Road to Eternity

Chapter 03: Two Choices

Once again, the middle-aged man looked at Han Nian, then said while raising his hand toward the mountain he had been gazing at earlier, “I once heard that there is a fastest route to Pandan Wangi City, but I don’t know whether it’s true or not. It was told by a merchant who once passed through that place.”

“They say it only takes half a month from here to reach Pandan Wangi City. But I don’t recommend taking that path,” he continued, offering a small piece of advice.

“Is there some kind of danger there, Uncle?” Han Nian looked at the beautiful mountain in the distance.

“It’s extremely dangerous. That mountain is called Death Mountain. Do you think such a name would be given carelessly?” he said. Seeing Han Nian fall silent, the middle-aged man continued, “What are you planning to do in Pandan Wangi City, and all alone at that?”

“I’m looking for a physician, Uncle. I heard there are many famous physicians in Pandan Wangi City. That’s why I’m going alone,” Han Nian answered honestly.

“But you’re not reckless enough to take that route, are you?” the middle-aged man asked.

Han Nian smiled and replied, “Of course I will go that way.” He had already made his decision. Afraid? Of course he was somewhat afraid, but not enough to avoid the path. In his mind, within every hardship, there was opportunity.

“Good, young man!” the man said, thinking the youth before him had chosen another road. But then he realized what Han Nian meant and was stunned, shaking his head.

He spoke again, “According to circulating rumors, that mountain is the source of all dangers. There are many evil spirits and high-level Spirit Beasts living there.”

Hearing that, his earlier confidence diminished by half. If he took that route, he would arrive faster, but the risk was losing his life. Han Nian also thought that if he took the merchants’ route, it would take much longer to reach Pandan Wangi City. There was also a high chance of encountering bandits, which likewise carried the risk of death.

“Sigh. There’s no better choice than going through Death Mountain,” he muttered. Both paths carried the same risk, so he might as well take the shortest one. Who knew—perhaps there would be some luck, even if only a little.

“Thank you for the explanation, Uncle. I will still take that path.” He bowed, offering a respectful salute with his fist clasped before him.

“Since you’ve made your decision, I won’t stop you. But you must be careful.”

Han Nian nodded, then stepped forward with conviction in his heart that he would survive.

In the evening, when the sun was no longer visible, Han Nian finally arrived at the foot of Death Mountain.

He took out a short knife and gathered dry wood to prepare for spending the night there. There was no way he would dare cross the mountain in pitch darkness. Human vision was very limited at night, not to mention the presence of predators.

Morning sunlight pierced through the leaves, dazzling Han Nian’s eyes as he lay inside a cloth tied to a tree branch. This was to avoid crawling creatures.

From behind the cloth, he looked at Death Mountain, still shrouded in thick morning mist. “I can definitely do this.”

Han Nian took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. “Fiuuuh!”

He jumped down from the cloth and rolled it back into a bundle. After that, he entered Death Mountain. Fresh air filled his lungs, and a gentle breeze blew as if there were no danger at all.

He kept walking, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. The deeper he went, the colder the air became, until he felt slightly short of breath and quickly fatigued.

The trees inside grew larger and larger, making it difficult for sunlight to penetrate. Even though it was still morning, it felt as if the sun was about to set.

He eventually stopped after walking for quite some time. He had deliberately done so, even though his Spiritual Energy had not decreased at all, since he had only been using his physical strength the entire time.

Actually, he was worried about using his Spiritual Energy. He feared that if danger appeared, he would not be able to escape, which was why he had avoided using it from the beginning.

A few moments later, his instincts sensed danger. His intuition told him that an extraordinary gaze was currently watching him.

Immediately, Spiritual Energy began circulating around his body, preparing him to flee.

Roar!

Suddenly, from behind the trees, several Blue Spirit Wolves emerged. About five Spirit Wolves surrounded Han Nian. Although they were still young and only First-Level Spirit Beasts, their strength had already reached Bronze Level, Four Stars.

One of the Blue Spirit Wolves lunged at Han Nian, leaping with claws ready to tear him apart. Han Nian instinctively dodged the attack, but he was not fast enough to avoid it completely. His arm was injured by the claws.

Slash!

Han Nian rose and ran using all the Spiritual Energy he possessed, ignoring the bleeding wound. The Blue Spirit Wolves chased after him.

Crash!

Crash!

Two or three claws struck his back, and fangs bit into his shoulder. Han Nian rolled across the ground, struggling to survive their encirclement. He kicked one of them and managed to break free. His clothes were already tattered, no longer fit to wear. Blood splattered across the ground. He clenched his teeth, enduring the pain while continuing to run without losing his will to live.

After about twenty minutes of running nonstop, Han Nian suddenly halted. He had reached the end of the path—truly the end this time. When he turned around, the young wolves had already caught up. They prepared to devour him, making him their next meal.

Now there were two choices, both equally fatal. If he faced the wolves, he would be continuously tortured by their claws. If he jumped off the cliff, he might also die. He saw a river below, but it was extremely high and far away. There was a great chance he would die as well.

Grrraaa! The young wolves walked forward slowly, as if understanding that their prey had no options left.

But Han Nian muttered in his heart, “Rather than die in torment, it’s better to die in one swift end.”

Whoosh!

Without thinking any further, he jumped into the abyss while closing his eyes, unable to bear watching death come to claim him.