Outside of the cave, far from the commotion, the horses that Elizabeth and her group used to get to the mountains were huddled together, sleeping soundly under the trees. Snow continued to fall, but the horses did not seem to mind. They were comfy and warm. Above them, Elder Unvo was perched on a tree branch. Despite being significantly larger, and thus heavier, than a normal bird, the branch he was on did not creak or bend at all. Whether this was because the tree was stronger than it appeared, or because Elder Unvo had exceptional physical control was unknown. Like the horses, the wind and snow did not bother him much. He simply closed his wings, and rested there, unmoving. However, he did not fall asleep. His thoughts were flowing rapidly.
"A natural formation…" he muttered to himself.
The Mordrigan Peaks was a natural formation called the One Summit Three Kings. It had the theoretical ability to nurture Rank 3 Beast Kings. A Rank 3 King! This was a powerhouse even in the world beyond humanity. In the greater world, Rank 3 Kings could hold their heads up high. With their great strength, they could traverse the wilderness. They were respected and feared everywhere they went! Of course, there were legendary Rank 4 Emperors and mythical Rank 5 Gods above them, but… Rank 4 Emperors were too rare and mighty. They were usually indifferent about mortal affairs and information about them was nearly nonexistent. Even when the Featherwind Sect was in its heyday, it was far from having the qualifications to see a Rank 4 Emperor, much less meet with one. An emperor would not meet with peasants that easily! As for those mythical Rank 5 Gods… To be honest, Elder Unvo had never heard of one. Maybe they did not exist, or maybe he was too weak to know about them.
In the absence of Rank 4 Emperors and Rank 5 Gods though, a Rank 3 King actually had great influence and deterrence. This meant that a natural formation that could nurture Rank 3 Beast Kings had unbelievable potential! Anyone who managed it could have an army of Rank 3 Beast King powerhouses! They could roam the world unhindered! In theory, anyways, but the truth was not that simple. Beast Kings had exceptional intelligence and wisdom, comparable to a young adult, so taming one was both challenging and dangerous. It required special skills and attention.
Every Beast King was different too. Some were timid, others were courageous. Some were fast, others were steady. The innumerable variations made training, nurturing, and feeding these beasts infinitely complicated. Not to mention, the time and resources required for a Rank 3 Beast King to be born… Although the idea sounded good, the initial costs and risks were high. This was why the One Summit Three Kings natural formation, despite having the ability to nurture Rank 3 Beast Kings, was not considered that valuable compared to other natural formations of the same rarity.
Back then, the Featherwind Sect occupied an area roughly equal to the Zino Kingdom's territory and in it were three natural formations. Soft Metal Valley Bowl was a round valley shaped like a bowl that produced precious ores and metals. The most common ores were copper, iron, silver, and gold. These were Mortal Grade ores and had low value. However, once in a while, it could also produce Noble Grade ores like Blue Ocean Copper, White Lightning Iron, Triple Black Silver, or even the rare Gentle Flowing Gold! Gentle Flowing Gold was a Greater Noble Grade metal that could freely morph and transform, while preserving its strength. It was used to forge the special armor that Elder Unvo and the Featherwind Sect used.
Their second natural formation was a Jade Heavy Water River. This was a unique river that had multiple layers of water flowing in it. At the very top was normal, ordinary clear water, but the deeper one went, the water would turn green like jade. From the Clear Jade Water to Faint Jade Water to Dark Jade Water to Spring Jade Water… The different types would occupy their own depths, creating a colorful distribution of green water. The rarest Spring Jade Water was so dark green that it was almost black. It resided at the bottom of the river and was an Intermediate Noble Grade treasure. Harvesting the jade water was a difficult but rewarding task. Selling it was a guaranteed profit.
The final natural formation was called an Illusion Demon Smoke Cloud. Unlike the previous two natural formations, this one did not produce any resources. Instead, it was a special type of fog that would beguile anyone that wandered into it. People would see demons appear out of thin air. These demons would be a manifestation of the person's greatest fears. It could be a person, an object, or even an abstract concept. Only by successfully confronting these demons and conquering their fears would people escape the beguiling fog. It was a form of tempering, and punishment. The Featherwind Sect used it to train their disciples or torment their prisoners. It had excellent effect.
Soft Metal Valley Bowl produces metal ores that could be turned into equipment. Jade Heavy Water River created jade water which had a high selling price. Illusion Demon Smoke Cloud trained disciples and nurtured talents. They covered equipment, money, and training respectively. Although they were more common than the One Summit Three Kings natural formation, they had lower costs and higher returns. They were the pillars of the Featherwind Sect! The only thing that had greater value was the Lesser Monarch Grade artifact, the Featherwind Pearl. Still, if the Zino Kingdom could properly utilize a natural formation, whatever it may be, it could elevate the kingdom's strength. So, Elder Unvo was confused why it went undiscovered until now. Humanity was really… ignorant! He sighed. If the Featherwind Sect could use it instead…
Setting aside his thoughts, he did what he was supposed to. A thin spear of Martial Energy manifested in the air. Externalizing Martial Energy like a spell, it was a simple task for him, someone who was once a Half-Rank 3 King. He gave it instructions, passed his message along, and shot it towards Firecast. The spear quickly vanished in the horizon. It would reach Elder Argo and inform him about what happened here. Elizabeth was one thing, but the existence of a natural formation was too important to ignore. They needed to change their plans. He could have sent a message to Protector Avin as well, but after thinking, he ultimately chose not to. It was better to leave the Rank 3 Kings in the dark for now. That way, the Featherwind Sect would have the initiative.
Next, he set his gaze on the four mountains, a hint of excitement growing in his eyes. What kind of treasures were hidden here? Treasures were essentially clumps of World Energy, and since this was a natural formation, it had a higher concentration of World Energy. This was why the Featherwind Sect's Soft Metal Valley Bowl and Jade Heavy Water River could produce resources. Although One Summit Three Kings was more suited for beast rearing, there was no reason it could not produce treasures too. Furthermore, this place was untouched. Treasures could birth and grow for who knows how long! Mortal Grade treasures were useless to him. Only Noble Grade treasures could enter his eyes. As for Monarch Grade… he would be bragging about it for years! He was very expectant. His inner nature as a treasure hunter was fully roused! He had to find all the treasures before Elizabeth or the Rank 3 Kings caught on!
There was the problem of running into a Rank 3 Beast King though. Even if he combined all his strategy and wit, facing a Beast King would be very dangerous. There was a chance he could lose his life! As the human saying goes, birds die for food while people die for wealth. Though in this case, he was also a bird. Of course, he would not let his greed blind him. He kept a steady mind. Therefore, he employed a different strategy. Calling out with a mystical martial technique, hundreds of animals answered his summons and appeared. There were rabbits, squirrels, deer, crows, eagles, and many other small creatures. The horses under the tree watched curiously as these animals assembled before them. It was a very unusual sight.