Suppressing the doubts in her heart, Luo Wei followed in Troy's footsteps, heading deeper into the Magic Beast Mountains.

The widest part of the Magic Beast Mountains spans over three hundred kilometers. They still needed to travel at least a hundred kilometers eastward to reach the area where large magical beasts appeared.

"We've been walking for so long, why haven't we seen many people?" Theodore looked around curiously. "During our training this year, we'd encounter a team or two every few kilometers. How come we haven't met anyone today?"

Luo Wei replied, "Maybe there are fewer people in winter."

"Plus, the teleportation array is connected to the magic array of the Magic Beast Mountains, which sends people to different places," Laura added.

Hol looked up, "The weather's not good today. It looks like it's going to rain."

Luo Wei pulled her cloak tighter. "I hope not. I don't want to climb mountains in the rain."

The further they went, the taller the vegetation around them grew. Towering ancient trees blocked out the sky, leaving the forest dim.

Rotting tree roots were covered with writhing black segmented worms. Vividly colored birds flitted between branches, while tall face-like flowers dangled their heads, using sticky nectar to attract forest flies and venomous bees.

Theodore accidentally stepped on a thumb-sized centipede larva, and suddenly a half-human-tall centipede emerged from the decaying grass, its sharp poisonous fangs biting into his thigh.

"Swish—"

A long sword pierced the centipede's body, pinning it to the ground.

"Theodore!"

"Theodore, are you okay?"

Concerned, the group gathered around him.

Two dark red venomous fangs hung from Theodore's leg, with foul-smelling yellow mucus seeping through his thin linen pants. Hol and Laura helped him sit on a fallen spruce trunk.

Troy cut off the centipede's head with a single stroke, wiped the dirt and mucus from his sword with a handful of leaves, and quickly approached Theodore.

Theodore had already removed the fangs, leaving two holes in his pants and a wet patch of centipede venom.

Troy raised his sword, "Corpse Rot Centipedes are highly poisonous and can cause your entire body to fester. Hold still, I'll help you by cutting off your leg."

He was about to swing his sword when Theodore turned pale with fright, "No, no, no, big brother, I'm fine, don't cut me!"

Troy was unusually serious, "It seems the poison has already numbed your body. We must amputate quickly, or it will spread throughout your body."

"I'm really okay," Theodore was sweating bullets. He hurriedly ripped his pants to expose the wound, "I'm not poisoned, look!"

On his bronze-colored thigh were two round bite marks, but the skin wasn't even broken.

Troy's eyes showed a hint of doubt, "This Corpse Rot Centipede's fangs—"

"Weren't sharp!" Theodore quickly interjected, "This Corpse Rot Centipede was old. Look, it's so old its teeth fell out, couldn't even bite through my tender skin."

Troy gave him a look of wanting to say more but ultimately held back, "Your, uh... your black leg here isn't exactly tender."

It was obvious how thick his skin was. The venomous fangs of a Corpse Rot Centipede could pierce iron, and he had dulled them.

However, knowing that Theodore wasn't poisoned, Troy abandoned the idea of treating his leg.

"The further we go, the more magical beasts there will be. Everyone, be careful and stay behind me."

The group continued onward, poor Theodore wearing a flared pant leg on one side, his long leg hairs dancing in the cold wind.

Those leg hairs were originally warts on his true form, which turned into long, thin sweat hairs in human form.

After traveling another dozen kilometers east, they began to encounter various uniquely shaped magical plants.

Hol discovered several Snake Staff Herbs in a mountain stream, a low-tier magical plant used to brew insect-repelling potions, worth a silver coin per plant. He was overjoyed, grabbing a burlap sack and rushing down.

"Watch out for poisonous insects!" Troy shouted.

What did a lich care about poisonous insects?

But Hol still appreciated Troy's concern, grabbing the sack and jumping into the ravine, wading towards the Snake Staff Herbs.

Theodore and Laura also found some magical plants and squatted in the grass to dig them up.

Luo Wei sat on a hillside, and Troy stood guard behind her with his sword.

After more than twenty minutes, the three finished gathering the magical plants and climbed back up with their bags.

"Luo Wei, didn't you gather any magical plants?" Laura asked, seeing both Luo Wei and Troy empty-handed, looking puzzled.

"Not gathering magical plants?" Theodore turned to Luo Wei, "Then what are you here for, training? Low-level magic apprentices aren't supposed to train yet, right?"

Hol was also curious, "Aren't you here to find magical materials?"

"No," Luo Wei shook her head, "I'm here to find Spiritwood."

"But," Laura said worriedly, "Spiritwood grows in the deepest parts of the Magic Beast Mountains, where high-tier magical beasts abound. Usually, only Magisters dare venture there. It would be very dangerous for you."

The classification of magical beasts is quite rough, with only three levels: low, medium, and high. But a mature high-tier magical beast is incredibly powerful, so much so that even a Magister might struggle against it.

Theodore also shook his head, "I wouldn't dare go that deep. You'd better not go."

"You're just starting to learn magic. Once inside, you might not even be able to handle a newborn magical beast cub. You'd be better off collecting low-tier magical plants or looking for magical beast eggs outside!"

Luo Wei immediately glared at Troy, gritting her teeth, "You never told me any of this!"

Troy looked innocent, "I thought you knew."

Besides, he did mention that Spiritwood grows in valleys rich in magical elements, where there are many magical beasts, making it difficult to harvest.

"So what do we do now? Can we still go in to find Spiritwood?" Luo Wei asked angrily.

"We can," Troy said honestly, "I've been in seven or eight times."

Theodore, Laura, and Hol were shocked, looking at Troy in disbelief, "You, you wouldn't be..."

Troy nodded, "A Magic Swordsman, intermediate level."

"Intermediate Magic Swordsman!"

The three widened their eyes, their faces full of disbelief. He was so young, dressed so plainly, yet he was an intermediate Magic Swordsman!

The levels of swordsmen are the same as those of magicians, with eight levels: low, medium, high-level swordsman, low, medium, high-level Magic Swordsman, then Great Magic Swordsman, and Holy Magic Swordsman.

Moreover, leveling up as a swordsman is much harder than as a magician. At the same level, a Magic Swordsman is much stronger than a Magister, given their faster speed and greater lethality in close combat, whereas magicians need a long time to chant spells.

There are fewer than a hundred Magic Swordsmen on the Western Continent, fewer than fifty intermediate ones, and advanced Magic Swordsmen are even rarer.

The group's gaze at Troy was tinged with admiration. As a Magic Swordsman, he dressed so modestly; he must be a man of noble character. No wonder even a Griffin was willing to be his mount!

But on second thought, such a powerful swordsman was Luo Wei's guard. Wow, Luo Wei must be amazing too!

The three were envious to the point of tears, resolving to cling tightly to Luo Wei's substantial backing.

Laura gathered her courage and nervously approached Luo Wei, "Luo Wei, I know a place where a thousand-year-old Spiritwood grows."