Having learned from previous encounters with the hunting team, Du Yu and the others didn't stop for any Demonic Plants or Demon Beasts they encountered along the way.

The long path through the desolate mountain shrank rapidly under the Dust Spirit Deer's hooves.

The group hurried to the foot of the towering North Mountain. Seeing the winding mountain path spiraling upwards, the trio dismounted from the deer.

According to the rules, from this point on, they couldn't use the power of their Demon Pets to climb the mountain.

Riding on the Dust Spirit Deer naturally counted as a violation.

Moreover, if they wanted to use Demon Pets in battle after reaching the summit, they needed to summon the Demon Pets here in advance.

Only those Demon Pets that climbed to the peak with their own ability could participate in the second stage of the trial.

Regarding this, Lin Shiwei had specifically asked the clerk, Qi Shanshan, about the rules concerning the Imprisoned Race within Demon Tamers' bodies.

Qi Shanshan's response was clear: the Imprisoned Race are Companion Beasts and, strictly speaking, they are a part of the Demon Tamer's body.

Therefore, the Thousand Blade Mountain Book House would not impose any requirements on the Imprisoned Race; Demon Tamers could use them as they wished.

With Qi Shanshan clarifying the rules, Lin Shiwei and Li Mengnan's climb would become significantly easier.

Because they would at least have two extra hands!

Li Mengnan spoke up: "Let's summon our pets. Second young master, what will you use?"

Du Yu didn't hesitate: "Full deployment!"

"Good!" Li Mengnan nodded immediately. She knew well how powerful Du Yu's team of Demon Pets was, fearing that Du Yu might refrain from summoning other Demon Pets while training Little Tai Sui.

With the Demon Breath surging on Du Yu's forehead, Xiaoyan, Tai Sui, and Little You Ying made their appearance.

Over there, Li Mengnan also summoned Wind Witch and Fire LuLu.

Unfortunately, Yiren wasn't present, or else, with the Electric Soul Imprisonment within the girl, her team would also be quite intimidating.

Lin Shiwei opted for a combination of Flame Soul Imprisonment, Rose Three Spirits, and Bai Lu.

Du Yu glanced over and said to Li Mengnan, "Mengnan, explain the rules to the Demon Pets, no mutual assistance allowed."

"Oh." Li Mengnan clapped her hands obediently, "Everyone come over, I'll tell you... huh? Wait!

I'm the boss; why are you telling me to do the work?"

Du Yu: "You are beautiful, kind-hearted, and have a sweet voice, so of course, you should do it."

"That's true~" Li Mengnan smiled joyfully, almost fooled by Prince Du, happily explaining the rules to the Demon Pets.

Du Yu sidled up to Lin Shiwei: "Is Wooden Stump not promoted to Heavenly Level yet?"

Lin Shiwei shook her head: "It's already at the Peak Earth Level, almost there."

The Ancient Pine Tower Lin Family, whenever possible, would typically choose Wood and Fire Dual Cultivation.

If Rose Spirit was the Lin Family's first hallmark, then Wooden Stump (Heaven Returning Wood) was the second.

The family had a dedicated place for cultivating Demon Pets, carefully selecting high-potential younglings for family members to contract with.

If it weren't for Du Yu's unexpected interference, giving Lin Shiwei the chance to contract the Dust Spirit Deer, the girl would have long since brought Heavenly Level Wooden Stump into battle.

Heavenly Level Wooden Stump already had the ability to create a Heaven-Returning Tree Cocoon, a great safety assurance for Demon Tamers and Demon Pets alike.

No worries, though. Even if Lin Shiwei's Wooden Stump isn't ready to appear, Du Yu's Little Tai Sui can produce Hollow Bamboo Shoots.

"Let's go!" Li Mengnan shouted.

Du Yu turned his head and saw the little guys readying themselves eager to go.

Especially Fire LuLu and Little Tai Sui, the pig and bear were competing again.

One going "yiyiyiyi," the other "lulululu," who knows what they were bickering about.

Whether or not they were being rude was unclear, but it definitely wasn't anything nice.

"Let's go!" Du Yu waved his hand grandly and climbed the mountain path with the Demon Pets along the mountain wall.

The road to the summit bore marks of human construction.

Although there were no steps, the ground was relatively smooth, just at a steep angle.

So much so that Fire LuLu and Little Tai Sui shifted from walking upright to moving on all fours.

Li Mengnan looked up: "Going up and up in circles, who knows how long we'll be looping?"

Du Yu also looked up, guessing Li Mengnan's thoughts.

This path spiraled around the mountain, forming a helix.

Which meant that if they clung to the mountain wall and climbed vertically, they would eventually find the next loop of the mountain path.

A kind of shortcut, if you will.

Lin Shiwei leaned on the Demon Soldier Spear like a crutch: "We have a long climb, Mengnan, don't rush."

"Mmm-mmm-mmm~"

"Mmm-mmm-mmm~" Little You Ying and Wind Witch played and frolicked in joy.

Climb the mountain?

What mountain climb, I can fly!

If it weren't for the master slowing us down, we'd already be at the summit....

"Snap!"

Above the group's heads, a small hole suddenly broke open in the mountain wall, and a pangolin-like Demon Beast poked its head out.

Earth Element Demon Beast · Golden Scale Armor!

"Zzz!" The Golden Scale Armor let out a strange cry, perhaps feeling proud after piercing through the mountain.

In an instant, all the Demon Beasts looked up at the little creature.

"Lu!"

"Yi!"

"U-ugh~!"

The Golden Scale Armor immediately froze!

It blinked its small eyes, looking at the pile of Demon Beasts below, feeling that its protective armor wasn't sufficient!

It immediately curled into a "Golden Scale Ball," quietly rolling back into its tiny hole.

"Ha-ha." Watching this, Du Yu chuckled quietly.

He gazed at the diverse and imposing Demon Pet squad, indeed feeling a sense of villainy surrounding them?

The mountain path spiraled upward, as the group climbed higher and higher, the road became narrower and narrower.

By the time they reached mid-mountain, the path built against the mountain wall was less than two meters wide!

Below, lay what seemed like a bottomless abyss.

"Stay close to the wall, watch your step." Somehow, Lin Shiwei had already moved to the front of the group.

This was clearly not a tourist boardwalk, no one would have erected a railing here.

Li Mengnan pressed her shoulder against the mountain wall, looking below, the desolate Otherworld was in full view: "It's kind of beautiful."

Du Yu nodded gently; even now, he still didn't know whether this place was naturally formed or artificially carved.

Regardless, the stone peaks that stood vertically under the murky sky resembled a series of rusted sharp blades.

From above, the view brought an overwhelming sense of oppression.

Du Yu had yet to witness a sea of fire, but this "Sword Mountain," he had seen with his own eyes.

Above, Lin Shiwei's voice came again: "Du Yu."

"Huh?"

Lin Shiwei: "There's no more road, it seems we've reached mid-mountain."

"Hmm..." Du Yu frowned slightly, using both hands and feet, he stepped forward.

"Careful, careful." Du Yu passed by several Demon Pets, having only walked a dozen or so meters. Due to the narrow path, he had to step over the heads of the Demon Pets.

Lin Shiwei stood at the forefront, just barely enough room for two feet to step.

Ahead was an irregular mountain wall formed by natural conditions.

Beneath, a bottomless abyss.

Below, there were also stone peaks rising from the ground, appearing like sharp blades awaiting the fall of any creatures.

The scene was extremely horrifying, yet awe-inspiring!

For ordinary people, and even for this group of capable Demon Tamers like Du Yu, their legs felt somewhat weak...

Lin Shiwei slightly turned around, Du Yu instinctively reached out to protect her by her side.

"It's okay." Lin Shiwei said softly, looking upwards, "We've reached the end, we can only climb."

"Okay." Du Yu looked up, seeing the uneven mountain wall, clearly showing traces of previous Demon Tamers who had climbed.

Lin Shiwei placed the Demon Soldier Spear behind her, a Flaming Sharp Claw extended from her back, steadily gripping the Demon Soldier Spear.

She glanced at the row of Demon Pets beside her and said, "From here to the mountain top, there's about a kilometer left, no more road.

Don't think reaching the top is easy, our cultivation has just begun. We can't help each other; everything depends on yourselves!"

The little ones all nodded.

From the expressions of the Demon Pets, Lin Shiwei did not see any signs of fear.

She was very satisfied in her heart, no longer speaking, but communicated through the contract to Bai Lu: "Please protect everyone."

"Nai~"

Bai Lu, with Bai Yujing, lightly leaped, flying over Lin Shiwei's head, firmly standing on a protruding rock.

Although the girl spoke harshly, secretly, she still had Bai Lu protect everyone.

"Go!" Lin Shiwei leaped up, climbing several meters up the mountain wall.

She gripped a hole with one hand, hanging with one arm, looking down: "Follow."

"Um!" Rose Three Spirits extended a Flower Vine, the tip as sharp as a thorn, piercing shallowly into the mountain wall, climbing up rapidly.

Du Yu: "Xiaoyan, go, Continuous Fire Tail."

"Ying~" Xiaoyan lightly leaped onto Du Yu's shoulder, licking his face with her pink little tongue, then extended her long tail forward.

The big fiery red tail quickly expanded, pointed at both ends and bulging in the middle, resembling a huge olive!

Her tail tip pierced into the mountain wall, and it was angled downward on purpose, leaving a climbing grip.

Xiaoyan's movements were slow but exceptionally firm, the three tails rotated in piercing, the four legs clinging tightly to the wall, using the tail's strength to climb up, also leaving Du Yu a series of circular holes.

Du Yu gazed upward, smiling slightly: "No need to leave me grips, Xiaoyan, I can't rely on you... uh."

Does it count as a violation to follow in the footsteps of those before?

It shouldn't, right? After all, all over this mountain wall were the footprints of predecessors.

A true violation would be riding the Dust Spirit Deer directly up, or being wrapped and pulled up by the Rose Three Spirits' vines?

Du Yu was a bit unsure, he turned to look at Tai Sui: "Go!"

"Ying~" Little Tai Sui raised both paws, each holding a piece of Hollow Bamboo, piercing into the mountain wall and climbing up.

Fire LuLu refused to be outdone, following closely behind.

However, compared to the other Demon Pets, it was much rougher, forcibly shoving the hooves into the mountain wall, causing a landslide of rubble and sand.

"Hey, ease up, slow down!" Li Mengnan called out loudly.

"Lu..." Fire LuLu immediately eased its actions considerably.

"Let's go, Mengnan." Du Yu said softly, raising his hand, reaching into the hole Xiaoyan left.

The tail purposefully angled downward and left for Du Yu a perfect hook curve.

She's really, I'm moved to tears...

Du Yu felt warmth in his heart, climbing up slowly.

A full kilometer!

This indeed was a terrifying journey of trial.

Testing both human and Demon Pet's will, courage, physical strength, endurance, total amount of Demon Breath, and control over Demon Skill, etc...

Below, everyone faced a bottomless abyss, not to mention the stone peaks within the abyss resembling blades!

Such a perilous environment naturally brought great pressure to everyone!

Any living being able to climb this kilometer and successfully reach the peak would surely grow in some way!

"Um! Um! Um!" Little You Ying waved a torch, sprinkling sparks, forming a cheerleading squad with the Wind Witch, cheering everyone on.

Alright, Little You Ying and the Wind Witch, along with the two relaxed Dust Spirit Deer beside them, didn't seem to feel any pressure at all...

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