Unexpectedly, the eagle journeyed for three days straight. During this time, apart from occasionally spotting small isolated islands in the sea, they never caught sight of any vast coastal landmass in the distance. According to the system's recorded trajectory, they were flying straight ahead, not circling within a single stretch of ocean.
If flying at the speed of the eagle was comparable to piloting a small civilian aircraft, they could have circumnavigated the globe in the same time frame. However, on this planet, they were still traversing over a stretch of ocean. It wasn't until now that Haoyun truly felt the vastness of the Elven planet.
(Some might ask: "Given they were flying on the eagle for so long, how did they manage necessities like food and restroom breaks without landing? Especially restroom breaks?" Scratching his head, the author responded: "Don't ask me; Haoyun can readjust his excretion cycle based on his physical strength. The cycle between excretions for the Light Elves is as lengthy as their lifespan. As for Dao Lao, being a priest with a holy body, it's reasonable to assume he only intakes and doesn't excrete, much like a mythical beast.")
The bored Haoyun attempted to converse with the Light Elves accompanying him several times, but they were typically aloof. So, after a few brief exchanges, Haoyun stopped bothering them and remained silent.
"Haoyun? Haoyun! Don't fall asleep! We're arriving!" Dao Lao's voice suddenly echoed in Haoyun's mind.
Due to his initial concern about falling into traps set by Elenia, Haoyun never let his guard down, nor could he relax enough to sleep during the first few days of the eagle journey. However, after confirming that the Light Elves wouldn't harm him during the flight, fatigue finally overwhelmed him, and he dozed off in the spacious seat.
Haoyun slept deeply and comfortably, so when he heard Dao Lao's call, he groaned unwillingly. Stretching lazily and yawning, he rubbed his eyes before sitting up. However, still groggy, he exclaimed when he saw the scene before him, "What the heck is this place? Have we arrived in hell?"
Having slept for half a day, it was only now that Haoyun noticed the azure sky had been replaced by dense clouds. Amidst these clouds, there were frequent flashes of crimson light of unknown origin, akin to blood flowing silently within the clouds, sending shivers down Haoyun's spine.
After flying for a while amidst this eerie phenomenon, the eagle squadron suddenly descended to a height near sea level and continued flying. It was then that Haoyun and Dao Lao finally saw the end of this oceanic expanse ahead. It was shrouded in mist and darkness, with towering cliffs reaching nearly a hundred meters high, extending along the coastline, obscuring their view of the coastline's end.
These cliffs reminded Haoyun of the cliff where they first appeared, but unlike that one, these were barren, devoid of any vegetation. Perhaps due to stronger sea winds, these cliffs had become extremely smooth, forming countless sharp ridges.
"Ugh, this gloomy weather and desolate, seemingly perilous land truly resemble the dark magical world!" Haoyun couldn't help but exclaim with some trepidation.
"Yes. It seems Elenia and Serwinf were not lying. This place indeed feels like a den of danger. We must be extra cautious once we arrive," Dao Lao agreed, issuing a warning.
"Understood," Haoyun responded. Meanwhile, he quickly observed the seemingly apocalyptic landscape ahead and took in deep breaths of the icy sea breeze, ensuring his mind remained alert and calm.
As the eagle gradually approached the looming cliffs ahead and slowed its speed noticeably, the soldier piloting the eagle in front suddenly spoke with an indifferent tone, "My lords, we are approaching the territory of the Dark Elf tribe. We will drop you off at the edge of the Giant Stone Forest. Rest assured, this is a secret landing point for our Light Elf tribe, so it's very safe."
As soon as the soldier finished speaking, Haoyun, who was about to ask where the Giant Stone Forest was, saw the eagle beneath him suddenly soar upward, reaching a height parallel to the top of the cliff. Then, Haoyun saw a vast desert extending beyond the cliffs into the inland, with various giant stones haphazardly strewn across it. These stones stretched endlessly, resembling a forest made of angular rocks, awe-inspiring yet eerie.
"It's fortunate we arrived under the cover of night. On a better day, we wouldn't have made it here without alerting the Dark Elves' patrol," Haoyun remarked, relieved that he didn't notice any signs of Dark Elf activity within his range of vision.
"Night? My lords, due to the perpetual shroud of dark magic energy over the Dark Elf territory, there's no distinction between day and night here. It's always under such a sky," the soldier controlling the eagle to find the landing point replied with the same cold tone.
"Oh, I see. Well, that's actually better for us. It will facilitate our movements," Haoyun responded with an understanding nod.
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"Yes," the soldier replied briefly once more.
Once the soldiers successfully directed the eagles to land smoothly among the sharp giant stones, one of them pointed ahead and said to Haoyun and Dao Lao, "Alright, my lords. Just keep going straight ahead, and you'll enter the heartland of the Dark Elf tribe. Once you reach there, you'll definitely see a towering black tower piercing the sky. That tower is the Blackstone Castle. Please remember, our eagle squad will come here regularly every three days. If you wish to return to Mist Town, please wait for us here on time. Good luck, my lords."
After saying this, several Light Elf soldiers jumped back onto the backs of the eagles without saying another word. Then, the four eagles flapped their huge wings and ran towards the cliff's edge. When they reached the edge, they spread their wings and dove down towards the abyss below, quickly flying off into the distance at a height close to the sea surface. In no time, the four eagles disappeared into the cloudy horizon.
The strange stones in the Stone Forest ranged from several meters to tens of meters high, each with unique shapes. But regardless of their appearances, they all shared the common feature of having sharp edges, giving off a sense of danger that one could be cut if they accidentally touched them.
Although Haoyun and Dao Lao were still very close to the sea, the damp and cold sea breeze did not alleviate the dryness of the air in the stone forest. As a result, every breath Haoyun took felt like inhaling flames, causing a burning sensation from his nostrils to his lungs. However, it was precisely this feeling that made Haoyun understand why the territory of the Dark Elf tribe was not suitable for plant growth.
Meanwhile, faced with the stark contrast between the natural environments of the Dark Elf tribe's territory and the Light Elf tribe's territory, Haoyun felt as if he had stepped onto another planet.
Because they had traversed the vastness of the Elven planet on their way here and knew that their current location was only the border zone of the Dark Elf tribe, Haoyun and Dao Lao were well aware that even if they knew the approximate direction of Blackstone Castle, it might take a long time to reach there.
"Why do I feel like we've been duped? Where on earth is this place that even birds refuse to drop their droppings? The territory of the Dark Elf tribe is so vast that we'll be exhausted before we even reach halfway if we keep walking like this!" Haoyun, clad in smelly and uncomfortable zombie armor, couldn't help but complain after walking for a while.
Dao Lao wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Don't worry, we need to find a secluded hiding place first and then take the time to plan our next move."
It was evident that Dao Lao was also uncomfortable with his heavy helmet. However, having been caught off guard by Elenia and her companions last time due to carelessness, Dao Lao naturally didn't dare to be negligent this time. Therefore, he immediately signaled for Haoyun, who was resting against a giant stone, to follow. At the same time, he reminded Haoyun not to make any movements inconsistent with the behavior of zombie soldiers to avoid their disguise being exposed prematurely by the Dark Elves.
"Ugh! Just mentioning it makes me angry! It wasn't until later that I realized, even if we couldn't disguise ourselves as Dark Elves, we shouldn't have disguised ourselves as zombie soldiers, right? Think about it, how could two zombie soldiers like us patrol here without Dark Elf guidance? According to Elenia's previous descriptions, it seems that the zombie soldiers created by the Dark Elves aren't that intelligent yet, right? That Serwinf, he must be playing us!" Haoyun said angrily.
Dao Lao comforted him, "I've thought about what you said too. However, I don't think Serwinf is intentionally deceiving us. Perhaps, for us, this is indeed the best disguise method. However, Serwinf didn't tell us the specific reason."
Haoyun remained skeptical of his own opinion and continued to grumble as he followed Dao Lao through the stone forest for a while before saying, "Well! We can't continue advancing purely on foot. Otherwise, we might as well occasionally use the movement assist function to speed up our pace!"
Dao Lao explained that although they could occasionally use the movement duplication function to speed up their pace, with Haoyun's current physical strength, he would still experience insufficient mental energy supply after using it several times due to slow mental energy recovery. In such a case, Haoyun would have to promote mental energy recovery through resting in place. As a result, not only would they offset some of the distance provided by Haoyun's use of the movement assist function, but it would also leave him unable to effectively deal with potential dangers due to insufficient mental energy. Therefore, overall, Dao Lao did not agree with using the movement assist function to improve their travel efficiency.
"No problem. If my mental energy doesn't recover, I can always buy some HaHa Pure Water from the mall!" Haoyun said nonchalantly.
"Cut it out! With those two steel coins in your pocket, how many bottles of pure water can you buy? Besides, unless absolutely necessary, remember not to waste that kind of pure water. Because, HaHa Pure Water is a crucial item that ensures your mental energy has sufficient endurance when facing strong enemies. So, don't casually buy pure water. Always keep your best steel for the blade," Dao Lao reminded.
Then, Dao Lao rolled his eyes and said unenthusiastically, "Anyway, let me make it clear. If you squander all your assets, don't come to me for a loan later! I don't even have enough divine shield coins for my own expenses!"
Haoyun looked disdainfully at Dao Lao and said, "Bah! I'm not interested in your few stinky coins! Oh? But speaking of which, I've been employed for so long? It's about time they pay me, isn't it?"
"It's still early, still early," Dao Lao waved his hand and said, "According to the newly promulgated regulations in the Divine Realm, not only has the probationary period without pay for new recruits been adjusted to three months, but also the salary calculation rules for new recruits have been changed to pay one month in advance and hold three months as a deposit. In other words, once you've completed the three-month probationary period, you'll start receiving your salary from the fourth month onwards. However, during the first three months of officially starting work, the salary you're entitled to will be withheld as a deposit in the Personnel Department. So, accurately speaking, you'll only start receiving your monthly salary from the seventh month after officially joining the Divine Realm."