163: Chapter 163 Re-entering the Mountains

"I wonder what you mean, my lord?"

Lida didn't answer, but instead looked at Nie Ning with some confusion.

According to Nie Ning's usual habits, he wouldn't look for him unless there was something important; he didn't even bother coming to The Federation.

Even the various reports of The Federation were mostly reviewed and organized by him.

Of course, Nie Ning was very responsible at critical moments; at least his handling of the Corruptor and the young master from the Royal Capital was admirable.

"You've been at the branch for a few years now. With your current points, you're still quite far from exchanging for a promotion potion, right?"

Nie Ning smiled. Without waiting for Lida to speak, he continued.

"Do me a favor—it's not a difficult task—and I can make up for the points you're lacking."

Points were part of The Federation's internal resource exchange system.

Relying only on the resources distributed normally was no different from receiving handouts for beggars.

Points were mainly obtained by dealing with Corruptors, or through a fixed monthly amount based on position and strength.

Points could be exchanged for many things, including promotion potions.

There were potions below the second rank, which seemed good, but a second-rank potion was not that easy to exchange for.

Not to mention the number of points required; someone could simply dismiss you by saying there were no potions left. This was why Nie Ning had risked his own promotion.

Because while wizards weren't exactly numerous, they weren't rare either; without some capability, one had no chance of obtaining it.

Meanwhile, others held your lifeline and could treat you like a beast of burden.

However, he was already a Second Ring Wizard and held some weight now. As long as no one interfered, exchanging for a first-rank potion wouldn't be a major issue.

"I wonder what you need me to do, my lord?"

After hearing Nie Ning's words, Lida instinctively thought it wasn't anything good, so he didn't agree immediately.

Wizards followed equivalent exchange, but that was only when their strengths were equal. After all, one of the privileges of the powerful was being able to act without restraint!

If one became powerful but still lived like an ordinary person, what was the point of cultivation? They might as well go home and farm.

"Two things. First, if I leave one day, you must guard Ska City in my stead after you promote to a wizard."

"The second thing isn't difficult either. I want you to go on a business trip for me, taking some items to trade for magic crystals with wizards in nearby cities."

After Nie Ning finished, Lida couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

'It doesn't seem that hard...'

Guarding a city on someone's behalf was a wizarding tradition in the Wilbes Republic.

Many wizards who were desperate to leave would basically do this, like Ms. Aotili.

Of course, without sufficient strength, leaving wasn't necessarily better than staying.

As for the second task, if the trade items were of high value, thinking carefully, he might not be able to handle it; otherwise, he might end up being silenced to cover up a robbery.

However, compared to advancing to a Official Wizard, this matter seemed simpler. After all, this was a promotion opportunity that others couldn't get even if they begged for it.

"My lord, guarding this place is no problem, but as for the trade, if something goes wrong, it might cause trouble for you."

Lida said with some hesitation.

If the trade failed, even if he luckily survived, he would likely face Nie Ning's wrath. This part was indeed difficult to handle.

"Don't worry. You prepare for your promotion first, then help me with the trade later."

Nie Ning waved his hand and said with a smile.

Normally, with his strength, just hearing his name would be enough for others; anyone who dared to play tricks was likely tired of living.

However, to avoid those who didn't fear death, he should indeed be a bit cautious to avoid delaying his own affairs.

Hearing this, Lida's eyes lit up, but a look of worry soon appeared on his face.

Promotion wasn't that easy; otherwise, there wouldn't be so many wizards who died in frustration.

Nie Ning saw this, stepped forward, and patted Lida on the shoulder.

"Keep a good mindset. It's just promoting to a First-Ring Wizard; the difficulty isn't as great as you think. I'll help you when the time comes."

After all, since his Five-Attribute Fusion was successful, the advancement difficulty for an ordinary wizard shouldn't be that ridiculous.

The most important thing was the mindset; moving forward with indomitable will was a wizard's creed.

"Thank you, my lord."

Lida said gratefully with a bow.

"Work hard. In the future, it's not impossible to advance to the Second Ring or even the Third Ring."

At this moment, Nie Ning was like a charlatan, fooling people with ease.

After fooling Lida, Nie Ning returned directly to the Wizard Tower to continue preparing the items needed for his next entry into the Teleportation Array.

...

Three days later, at night.

Nie Ning couldn't wait to return to those mountains again.

However, he didn't go out immediately but began to cultivate nearby.

The mysterious pressure here had a great impact on his strength; he had to adapt to the environment first.

As time passed, Nie Ning's adaptation speed grew faster. In just about three hours, the pressure was almost gone.

Nie Ning stood up and stretched his limbs, his joints making a "crackling" sound.

"Comfortable!"

Clenching his fists, Nie Ning felt he had mostly recovered.

Unlike before, because he had fainted last time, it was already daytime when he woke up.

But today didn't take much time, so it was still nighttime.

Nie Ning walked out of the cave and looked up at the sky.

The bright moon hung high in the sky, and the stars across the heavens were linked together.

A breeze blew, and fireflies in the forest flickered with dim light. From time to time, birds and beasts streaked across the night sky. The entire forest appeared exceptionally beautiful under the moonlight.

"Sooner or later, I'll build a villa here. Then I can sit and watch the landscape change and the stars move. Just thinking about it is great."

Nie Ning was drawn to the forest's scenery and couldn't help but take a deep breath, feeling his tense state of mind relax.

Without much delay, Nie Ning activated his Strange Beast Body and then plunged into the forest.

After some searching, before long, a second-rank Fengyuan Ape sleeping under a tree caught Nie Ning's attention.

The Fengyuan Ape was a type of strange beast much larger than the silverback gorillas from his previous life.

It was about three and a half meters tall, with a burly and sturdy build; its arms alone were as thick as Nie Ning's waist.

Its upper body strength was extremely powerful, capable of producing ten thousand catties of force with a punch. Even stones were no different from sand before it.

'Today, I'll start with you!'

A cold glint flashed in Nie Ning's amber eyes.

The Fengyuan Ape seemed to sense the killing intent and suddenly woke from its deep sleep, turning its head to warily observe its surroundings.

Just then, a blade of lightning light split through the branches, slashing straight toward the Fengyuan Ape's head.

'Roar!'

Seeing this, the Fengyuan Ape let out a roar and slammed its fists onto the ground. The resulting shockwave shattered the Lightning Edge Blade.

Nie Ning's eyes widened; he didn't expect this gorilla's reaction speed to be so fast.

'As expected, different living environments lead to differences in combat power.'

By now, the gorilla had locked onto Nie Ning's direction. It leaped high, raising its arms over its head, and swung its fists down toward Nie Ning's position.

Ice Wings unfolded behind Nie Ning as he quickly shifted left to avoid the attack, but he was still sent flying by the shockwave from the Fengyuan Ape's strike on the ground.

...