Chapter One: The Humanoid Tyrannosaurus Grace Foster

The wind was a bit cold.

Gray and hazy, mixed with goose-feather snow blanketing the sky.

William Reed was running at full speed across the deeply snow-covered Heavenly Ridge Plateau. The thin air and harsh weather only accelerated the depletion of his stamina and battle energy. The Lei family’s famous movement technique, “Thunderbolt Flash,” was supposed to be known for its ferocity and swiftness. When mastered to its peak, one would remain still until moving like a sudden thunderclap, leaving no trace on the snow, so fast that those with lesser skill couldn’t even catch a glimpse.

Yet at this moment, William Reed was leaving a string of footprints, each nearly an inch deep, in the thick snow. Not only that, but the prints varied in depth—some deep, some shallow. It was clear just how desperate William Reed was now.

The heavy snow seemed to have eased a little.

The scenery ahead suddenly became clearer and more open. Looking far into the distance, one could see a massive, majestic mountain range, like a divine dragon lying across the land.

The Heavenly Ridge Mountains cut across the continent, stretching north to south for tens of thousands of miles, splitting the land in two. Its branches were many, the terrain steep and perilous, filled with countless deadly pools and evil valleys. Even those who had mastered battle energy dared not enter the mountains lightly.

But now, that natural barrier which others dared not approach was William Reed’s only hope for survival. Having offended someone he shouldn’t have, and to escape his pursuers, his only chance was to run into the Heavenly Ridge Mountains and risk crossing through, hoping to find a sliver of life. After all, no matter how powerful the Grand Chancellor of the Tianlan Empire was, he couldn’t issue a wanted order to the other side of the Heavenly Ridge Mountains.

Although he could already see the outline of the mountains, William Reed knew he was still at least a hundred li from the edge. If his treasured steed, Wuhen, were still alive, it would take just over an hour to reach. If his battle energy were at its peak, he might not even need an hour if he went all out. If—life doesn’t have that many ifs.

At this moment, William Reed’s beloved horse was long dead, and his battle energy was nearly exhausted. On top of that, three months of fleeing for his life had left him utterly drained. Especially just a day ago, when he had managed to counterattack and kill one of his pursuers, the Soul-Slaying Hand Henry Carter, he had suffered serious internal injuries.

The Soul-Slaying Hand Henry Carter, captain of the third squad of the Tianlan Empire’s Free Mercenary Corps, a mid-bronze rank warrior. Not only was his battle energy powerful and domineering, but he was also notoriously cruel and brutal. Prisoners who fell into his hands alive would have been better off dead. The reason William Reed was able to kill him was, first, because his own battle energy had repeatedly broken through under constant pursuit, also reaching mid-bronze rank, though he had been suppressing it to mislead the enemy. Second, the timing, location, and people were all in his favor—the opportunity was perfect. If William Reed and Henry Carter had fought fairly, the odds would have been fifty-fifty. Even so, William Reed paid a heavy price. Now, his battle energy was scattered and sluggish, clearly indicating serious injuries.

“Sigh!”

William Reed let out a heavy sigh, his already pale face growing even paler.

“Clang~” The long sword, Iceflame, with a crystal-clear, faint blue sheen, was drawn. Unfortunately, this once-precious sword was now covered in scars and nicks.

After months of fierce battles, his high-quality rhino-hide armor, with no chance for repair or cleaning, was now covered in knife marks and barely wearable.

All of this made the once-dashing and elegant Ninth Young Master of the Lei family look utterly defeated and worn out.

Yet, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. Months of life on the run had made him, though only twenty, much more seasoned. The once slightly youthful face was now replaced by a gaze that was weathered and resolute. His thin face had lost some of its softness and gained a touch of rugged maturity. After half a year away from home, his cultivation, which had been stuck at bronze beginner level, had broken through several times in a short period, advancing to mid-bronze.

Taking several deep breaths, he steadied his battle energy.

Iceflame pointed into the empty space ahead, and his slightly hunched figure suddenly exuded a sharp killing intent, like a fierce tiger ready to pounce.

“Bang!”

Suddenly, the snow on the flat ground exploded, and three figures shot out from the smooth, untouched snow, forming a triangle to block William Reed’s path.

“Giggle, as expected of the Lei family’s Ninth Young Master—your senses are so sharp. I, Grace, greet you~”

A crisp, silvery, and slightly flirtatious woman’s voice rang out.