One-Eyed Monster

The Heaven and Earth Bind laid down by the Alchemy Workshop at Dawn Peak on Guru Mountain had, after all, played a definite role. Although this Alchemy Array hadn’t managed to capture everyone on the mountain, it still allowed Milo to arrive just when Joela and the others needed help. From this point alone, this Alchemy Array had already played a considerable part.

Milo narrowed his eyes. These past few days, he had been quickening his pace. Deep down, he knew this mountain indeed held what he sought.

The Alchemy Workshop hadn’t dispatched Golden Seats members like this for a long time. This time, including Kuyi Tulan, the Alchemy Workshop had sent out seven Golden Seats members. This level of deployment hadn’t been seen since the last National Defense War.

Milo couldn’t clearly articulate his feelings at that moment. Ever since he saw Dastan, his emotions had been complex.

I shouldn’t have fought Dastan, he thought. But if I hadn’t, Joela and the others would have been defeated. Once they were defeated, the Heaven and Earth Bind Array covering the entire mountain would be implicated. Then, even the slightest change could affect Chief Tulan’s overall plan.

So, for the sake of the Alchemy Workshop, he had resolutely chosen to act.

Dastan’s final, desperate strike had still taken Milo by surprise. He could never understand where Dastan’s anger came from.

However, the matter was over. He had already escorted Dastan and the others to the foot of the mountain. The only regret was that Wizard Reed hadn’t been moving with Dastan’s group when they were captured.

That mysterious Dark Wizard had originally ascended the mountain with him. But later, when Milo rushed to assist Joela and the others, he had temporarily separated from Reed. By the time he went up the mountain again, the Dark Wizard was long gone. Even the Heaven and Earth Bind Array couldn’t find any trace of Reed himself.

Milo was not a decision-maker; he couldn’t judge these events unfolding before him. He thought such matters could only be given a clear direction if handed over to Chief Kuyi Tulan.

So, he used his Exchange Beast to transmit the information at the first opportunity. Then, he himself, along with Joela and Brad, continued to hurry up the mountain.

Because the Heaven and Earth Bind Array told him that the few who had escaped from his grasp were currently rushing towards the mountaintop.

Should I be happy or sad right now? Milo wondered. When he saw Dastan, he was already convinced that the Great Mentor was also on this mountain. Although I can’t say who was right or wrong regarding what happened fifteen years ago, the Great Mentor’s act of releasing the twenty warriors imprisoned in the Alchemy Workshop’s experimentation field indeed slowed the Alchemy Workshop’s progress.

I can’t distinguish who is right and who is wrong, Milo thought. I only know that the Alchemy Workshop is the Great Mentor’s lifeblood and must be maintained. At the same time, Kuyi Tulan has surpassed any previous Chief Alchemist; his vision is exceptional, unmatched by anyone.

But if I were asked whom I would support between the Great Mentor and Kuyi Tulan, I would definitely be caught in a dilemma, unable to decide.

One was his respected teacher, who had transformed him from an Alchemy Servant into a Golden Seat member, turning the impossible into possible. His feelings for Master Guzan were incomparable to any other.

And the other was his partner. In the days of advancing with the Alchemy Workshop, this partner had shown superhuman insight. Every step he took brought qualitative change to the Alchemy Workshop; his every word and action maintained the Alchemy Workshop.

Respected teacher and partner—who is also my junior brother, Milo mused. I simply don’t know which side to stand on. However, I’ve always had this viewpoint deep inside: the Mentor is older, Kuyi Tulan is young. Sometimes, older people can only see what’s right before their eyes.

Milo collected his thoughts. There were still many things he needed to consider. I know I’m not good at this, but at such a critical juncture, I have no choice but to think.

The sky suddenly darkened, looking like a precursor to a blizzard in the dead of winter. The air was filled with cold, without a shred of warmth.

Through the Spirit Vision of his Exchange Beast, Milo noticed something unusual at the mountaintop. Something humanoid was rushing madly towards the summit. That Spirit Power felt somewhat like Wizard Reed’s.

”Lord Milo,” Pedro, beside him, voiced his concern, ”it looks like severe cold is about to arrive. Once it snows, we might be trapped on this mountain.”

Milo replied, ”I know. But do we have any other choice?”

Pedro continued, ”Once heavy snow seals the mountain, we...”

”I understand your concern,” Milo said. ”But the Great Mentor is here. Are you willing to give up the search and go down the mountain now?” He didn’t use his status to pressure others; he wasn’t good at that. He merely voiced the hope in his heart, a hope that would somewhat sway the others’ choices.

Just as Milo thought, Pedro fell silent. The Great Mentor was close at hand; giving up at this point was simply unjustifiable.

After all, the purpose of them, the Golden Seats members, coming out was to find the Great Mentor. Now that the Great Mentor was right before their eyes, how could there be any reason to retreat?

Milo looked at the three people around him. None showed any intention of retreating. Especially Brad, who was usually taciturn, now had shining eyes, as if he had seen some new hope.

It could only be said that Grand Master Guzan was still deeply cherished in the Alchemy Workshop. Everyone in the Alchemy Workshop placed the Great Mentor at the highest position in their hearts. Even though Grand Master Guzan had been missing for so many years, they had never given up searching.

Milo was very gratified. Although the Great Mentor had disappeared for fifteen years, his influence hadn’t diminished in the slightest. These people’s reverence for the Great Mentor remained as strong as ever.

Brushing the dust off their clothes, they had to continue accelerating their pace. This mountain was like a labyrinth; they could never find an exit, and unexpected incidents occurred from time to time.

Milo also found it very strange. Why could those Exchange Beasts go deep into the mountains, but those Treasure Hunters couldn’t? And those Exchange Beasts that went deep into the mountains often inexplicably vanished. Even those that returned could hardly bring back any information about the route.

It was as if those Exchange Beasts had been tampered with, losing their original purpose...

”Senior Milo, the Chief’s Mail Bird has arrived,” Joela reminded Milo respectfully.

”What’s the message on the Mail Bird?” Milo asked, too lazy to look himself.

”The Chief wants us to hurry to the mountaintop, saying that ’the door’ is on the summit.” Joela didn’t understand what this sentence meant; he felt it might be some kind of code from the Chief to Milo.

Milo was also astonished. A ’door’? What does that mean?

Joela confirmed, ”Yes. The message is very short, just telling us to hurry to the mountaintop.”

Milo was lost in thought. He didn’t understand what this ’door’ meant, but he trusted Kuyi Tulan. Kuyi Tulan must have obtained a lot of information at the foot of the mountain these past few days. This information is the guide for our actions.

Milo recalled the time he and Wizard Reed ascended the mountain. There were also two clumsy Treasure Hunters who claimed to be familiar with every corner of Guru Mountain.

It was precisely because of those two guides that Milo and his group hadn’t taken any detours. However, those two fellows had now been driven down the mountain by Pedro.

Speaking of which, those two fellows couldn’t be entirely blamed. Wizard Reed was a cunning fellow to begin with.

Wizard Reed’s disappearance didn’t have much to do with those two. This was entirely due to their own group’s carelessness.

Milo knew Pedro’s intention in driving those two down the mountain. He just didn’t want innocent people to be drawn into this dispute of the Alchemy Workshop.

Unfortunately, Milo hadn’t seen Kuyi Tulan’s view on Wizard Reed’s disappearance. It seemed Chief Tulan wasn’t concerned about Wizard Reed’s whereabouts.

Milo looked up; they were not far from the summit.

Whatever that ’door’ is, we should go up and take a look first. Perhaps we’ll learn the secret of the door once we get there.

Besides, his Exchange Beast told him that atop the summit, there were also old adversaries they had fought before.