The next day, Dan Feng and the other two once again set out on the road toward the Asura Kingdom.
The Shirone Kingdom had given them a unique experience, which also made Dan Feng and Roxy start to look forward to what the Asura Kingdom would be like.
However, not long after leaving the city, the three of them fell into a dilemma.
There were two routes to the Asura Kingdom. The first was to head straight to the Red Dragon's Lower Jaw and then pass directly through the mountain range in the middle.
This was undoubtedly the fastest route, but it was also the riskiest choice.
After all, this path might lead to encounters with S-rank monsters: Red Dragons.
Even worse, Red Dragons were pack creatures. Even running into a lone one would be extremely difficult for Dan Feng and the others to defeat with their current strength.
Red Dragons could not only fly but also wield powerful fire magic.
For warriors, this was simply a nightmare—humans had no way to fight Red Dragons in the air. If they encountered one, only a powerful magician might have a chance to deal with it.
In comparison, the second route was relatively safer.
They would first head to the Conflict Zone and then cross the mountains to reach the Asura Kingdom.
However, the problem with this route was that the Conflict Zone was in a state of constant war. Dan Feng and the others might end up caught up in the fighting.
The good news was that the probability of encountering a Red Dragon while crossing the mountains was relatively low.
So the key issue was whether they would happen to arrive right when a war broke out.
After Dan Feng explained all this information to the other two, all three fell into deep thought.
They carefully weighed the pros and cons of both routes, considering which one was the most suitable for them.
Dan Feng leaned more toward the first route, because most people passed through the Red Dragon's Lower Jaw, and the chance of encountering a Red Dragon was very low—though not zero.
Roxy, as someone who had been an adventurer for over ten years, was already very familiar with the rumors about Red Dragons.
It was the same as how everyone knew about the Superd race.
In fact, almost all adventurers had heard the legend of the world's strongest monster: the Red Dragon.
It was said that a single adult Red Dragon had strength comparable to an S-rank adventurer.
Because of this, Roxy was filled with curiosity about what a real Red Dragon looked like, but at the same time, she felt deep fear toward it—afraid that one careless moment could cost her life.
This conflicting feeling left her in a dilemma: should she go and see for herself, or choose to take the detour?
Etrill seemed relatively carefree. She respected Dan Feng and Roxy's decision.
After all, she was just someone traveling along with them and didn't have much say in choosing the path.
After careful consideration, they ultimately decided to pass through the Red Dragon's Lower Jaw.
Although this route was full of danger, it was the fastest way to reach Asura Kingdom territory.
With the route decided, the three of them officially set off on their journey to the Asura Kingdom.
This stretch wasn't easy, because from the Shirone Kingdom to the Red Dragon's Lower Jaw, there were almost no places to rest along the way.
To prepare for any possible situations, Dan Feng had deliberately bought large quantities of food and other daily necessities this time.
His thinking was simple: if they could hunt game during the journey, that would be ideal. If luck wasn't on their side and they couldn't catch anything, they would have to rely on the purchased jerky and other preserved foods to fill their stomachs.
If they moved fast enough, they might only need a few short days to reach Asura Kingdom territory.
Time passed day by day like this.
One day, they came across a B-rank bear-type monster.
This was a real pleasant surprise. The bear was not only huge but also had delicious meat—especially those bear paws, which were simply heavenly.
Paired with some seasonings, the flavor left Dan Feng and the others savoring it endlessly.
So they enjoyed several hearty meals from it.
After a period of trekking, they finally arrived safely at the Red Dragon's Lower Jaw.
This was a place perpetually covered in ice and snow, extremely cold.
Fortunately, Dan Feng had known about the conditions here in advance and had specifically told Roxy and the others to buy thicker clothing—to withstand the bitter cold in the Red Dragon's Lower Jaw.
When Roxy stood at the foot of the mountain and looked up at the towering peak piercing into the clouds, a sense of awe surged in her heart.
This was definitely the tallest mountain range she had ever seen.
Even standing at the base without having truly set foot on the range, she could clearly feel the biting cold and the wild howling of the wind.
"Let's go. Once we cross here, we'll reach the Usur territory in the Asura Kingdom." Dan Feng said to the two of them, then led them slowly into the Red Dragon's Lower Jaw.
As they moved through this area, massive creatures occasionally flew overhead.
There was no doubt—they were Red Dragons.
But in this frozen, snowy environment, the flying Red Dragons couldn't detect them.
Roxy watched a Red Dragon that had just flown past overhead, her heart filled with shock.
Her first time seeing a legendary creature! This really was quite novel.
If she had the ability to hunt one, it would cause a huge stir across the Central Continent.
But for now, they could only hope the Red Dragons wouldn't notice them.
Not long after, they reached the section that required climbing.
This was the obligatory path for many people heading to Asura Kingdom territory—and the key point for crossing the Red Dragon's Lower Jaw.
Dan Feng stopped, turned back to look at Roxy and Etrill, and asked with concern, "Do you two need to rest for a bit?"
As a bard, Etrill's stamina naturally couldn't compare to that of adventurers like Dan Feng and Roxy.
She had already been on the Red Dragon's Lower Jaw for quite a while without any breaks, and by now she was utterly exhausted and out of energy.
Seeing this, Dan Feng immediately cast Earth Fortress magic. A sturdy earthen fortress rose instantly from the ground, enveloping the three of them tightly.
This fortress could not only block the invading cold wind but also provide them with a relatively warm place to rest.
Once inside the fortress, Dan Feng quickly lit a bonfire. The roaring flames drove away the chill, warming the entire space.
Then, using fire magic combined with Roxy's water magic, they had hot water too.
There was still jerky in their packs to eat, and heating it made the taste even better.
The three sat around the fire, enjoying the hot water and food while feeling the temperature gradually rise inside the fortress.
In this cozy atmosphere, their bodies slowly regained some strength.
Dan Feng decided to take a short nap first. Once Roxy and Etrill's stamina had fully recovered, they would continue climbing upward.
After all, the road ahead was still long and would require plenty of energy to complete.
Seeing this, Roxy and Etrill also closed their eyes to rest. A bit more rest would leave them more energized for the climb.
If everything went smoothly, they would only need a few more hours to reach Asura Kingdom territory.