Elder Wei’s face was grim as he took out an envelope, hesitated for a moment, and then put it back into his chest. He watched as Qian Ye strode away, disappearing deeper into the mountain path.
“Let’s go. The longer we stay here, the more power we’ll consume,” Elder Wei said calmly and continued climbing.
“Why didn’t you act just now?” The moment the envelope appeared, it gave Carol a sharp, painful sensation. This was a godly general’s intuition of danger, indicating that the ancient envelope contained something with a lethal threat to her. And by the look of Elder Wei, he had planned to act on the mountain path, which meant that the contents of the envelope could break through spatial restrictions.
This was terrifying. It meant that even if one were to traverse through the void, they would still be unable to escape this method’s pursuit. For someone who had just entered the realm of a godly general, such a method was akin to a death warrant, almost guaranteed to cause severe injuries. Even for Carol, she couldn’t afford to be careless; a slight misstep could result in grave injuries. In her current injured state, she might even be killed with a single blow.
Seeing Carol’s wary expression, Elder Wei smiled and said, “Because I wasn’t sure. This is my final measure. Unfortunately, even when the Great King who set up this Path of Heart Inquiry became a Celestial King, the person who bestowed this method wasn’t confident in dealing with it. I just calculated, and if I were to use it, there’d only be a thirty percent chance of hitting Qian Ye. With such a low probability, it’s better not to take the risk. After all, we’ll meet him at the peak anyway.”
Carol nodded and continued climbing. However, the lightning and fire around her visibly increased, a clear sign of her subconscious alertness. Elder Wei did not point it out and followed her, continuing up the peak.
After another two rounds, they were not far from the peak. The gray rain had transformed from fine threads into dense drops, pelting Carol’s heavy box. Each drop made her hand tremble slightly. The page pasted on the box emitted a golden light, shielding it from the rain, but the light was gradually weakening.
Qian Ye continued to lead the way, but his speed inevitably slowed down. The gray rain had turned into a downpour, and despite the energy granules from the Dawn’s Enlightenment grinding away, most of the rain fell, nearly overwhelming Qian Ye.
The rain had already turned into a deluge. It was obvious that the final few rounds before reaching the peak would be even more intense. Without any special means, even a godly general would find it hard to make the final step.
Elder Wei finally sighed and said, “It seems he will stop here. Although the gray rain is less of a test for him than for us, he is not a godly general, and his energy is limited. He’s done well to have come this far, beyond my expectations. It seems the inheritance left by the Great King has been obtained by him. If he survives, he might inherit some of the Great King’s legacy. It’s a pity he met me.”
Carol didn’t look at Qian Ye, remaining silent as she continued upward. After a few more steps, Qian Ye was ultimately overwhelmed by the gray rain and stopped. On this Path of Heart Inquiry, once one stopped, there was no hope of reaching the peak.
“What about the last round? I doubt I can make it. What should we do?” Carol asked. She had been injured earlier, and now she was burdened with the heavy box, making it even more difficult. If she were in full strength, she would naturally be able to reach the peak.
Elder Wei replied, “No worries, I have a way to ensure our safe ascent.”
At this point, Carol had no choice but to trust Elder Wei. She remained silent, focusing on the path ahead, trying to minimize her energy consumption. Even though Elder Wei said he could ensure their ascent, if her energy was depleted after reaching the peak, wouldn’t she be at the mercy of others? With Carol’s experience, she wouldn’t easily place herself in such a dangerous situation.
For some reason, she suddenly thought of Qian Ye. She knew very well that the conflict between Juan and Qian Ye was mostly Juan’s fault. Relying on Carol as his sister and being highly valued by the Mask, Juan acted almost without restraint. Apart from godly generals, there was no woman Juan dared not pursue and no man he dared not kill.
But no matter what, those thoughts were useless now. If Qian Ye couldn’t reach the peak, he would surely become a skeleton on the summit. Due to the spatial barriers, even if she wanted to retrieve his body, she wouldn’t be able to find his remains.
At that moment, she suddenly felt a disturbance behind her, and Elder Wei let out a surprised cry!
Carol quickly turned around and saw Qian Ye spread wings of light, rise into the air, and fly toward the peak!
He was flying!
On the Path of Heart Inquiry, multiple layers of spatial barriers existed, including overhead. Flying would increase the pressure dramatically, and breaking through the spatial barriers was required to ascend. Let alone resisting the gray rain, how many could even break through the void? Therefore, even someone as strong as Carol, and with as many means as Elder Wei, chose to climb the mountain path honestly.
But now, Qian Ye was attempting to fly to the peak. Was he making a desperate move or had he gone mad?!
Before Carol and Elder Wei could recover from their shock, Qian Ye’s figure flickered continuously, appearing higher each time. In a flash, Qian Ye’s figure appeared and disappeared, and after several flashes, he reached the peak and vanished.
“What is this!?” Carol finally cried out in shock.
Elder Wei’s face was as dark as if water could drip from it. Despite his extensive knowledge, he could not recognize the divine technique of void flashing. This secret art had been extinct for many years since the disappearance of the Black Wing Monarch. Those fortunate enough to witness it were often of the same level as the Black Wing Monarch, and Elder Wei was far from that.
After a moment of stunned silence, Elder Wei said, “I… don’t know. But it’s certain that he has reached the peak and is still alive. There’s no time to lose. I’ll use my final measure, and we must quickly ascend. As for the energy consumption, it’s unavoidable.”
Elder Wei took out an ancient book from his chest. Most of its pages were dim and devoid of power, with only a few pages at the end still glowing. But Elder Wei didn’t open the book; instead, he threw it into the air. The ancient scroll grew upon contact with the wind, transforming into a massive book several meters high, sheltering them from the gray rain. For a moment, the pressure on Carol and Elder Wei was relieved.
Raindrops pelted the ancient scroll, making a crackling sound and creating a misty rain. The layer of golden light on the scroll fluctuated and eventually faded. Whenever the golden light disappeared, the raindrops directly hit the scroll, causing the pages to dissolve. In moments, the cover and back of the ancient scroll were soaked, with damage spreading and expanding.
A golden light rose from Elder Wei’s hand and shot onto the scroll, restoring its glow. However, the light quickly dimmed under the onslaught of the gray rain, and it seemed it wouldn’t last much longer.
“Hurry, this book won’t hold up for long,” Elder Wei said, quickening his pace and soon passing Carol, running towards the peak.
Carol’s heart tightened, and she closely followed Elder Wei. The ancient scroll was limited in size, and if she lagged behind, she would be drenched by the gray rain.
As they ascended, the raindrops became denser, and the scroll’s consumption increased. Elder Wei had to slow down to catch his breath. After three layers, the last two pages of the ancient scroll were finally shattered by the deluge. Elder Wei’s cheeks trembled as he tossed out another ancient scroll, showing great pain.
These scrolls were different from the chapters of saints sealed in envelopes. They could be infused with energy and used repeatedly, making them more valuable than ordinary saint chapters. Only the unopened chapter that could severely injure a godly general could compare to these two scrolls.
Now, to pass the final layers of the Path of Heart Inquiry, Elder Wei had to consecutively throw out scrolls. Each damaged scroll was a significant loss. Judging by the increasing intensity of the gray rain, the second scroll might not be enough, and he would need to use a third. Otherwise, forcing through the last round of the mountain path was possible, but they would be soaked and severely injured. Don’t forget that Qian Ye was at the peak, and his condition was unknown. Elder Wei preferred to lose scrolls rather than risk his life on luck.
Behind him, Carol’s eyes flickered. Watching Elder Wei continuously expend his treasures, some thoughts she had suppressed began to surface. Elder Wei’s personal strength was not outstanding, and his energy was weaker than Carol’s. His true power lay in these scrolls and the chapters of saints. With these, Elder Wei could employ various mysterious techniques. The Rock Crystal Crocodile and the Beast County Insect Tide’s paper strength far exceeded their team, but if Elder Wei went all out, he could counter and annihilate them. That was his true strength.
However, without the scrolls and saint chapters, Elder Wei would become a toothless tiger, looking frightening but actually weak. Carol could kill him with a simple, ordinary attack.
Carol couldn’t help but imagine: if she attacked while ascending, could she kill Elder Wei? What else did he carry? At least, there should be plenty of Earth Dragon Blood. What was inside the heavy box? He wouldn’t discard it despite the cost, meaning its contents were extremely crucial. Finally, what could make a person like Elder Wei travel so far and risk his life?
These questions made Carol’s thoughts change, and her perspective shifted. For example, Elder Wei’s figure now seemed fragile, with his vital spot at the back exposed. Even if he wore soft armor under his robe, it likely wouldn’t withstand a lightning whip attack. Even if he wasn’t afraid of electricity, his old bones would be shattered by the energy.
Elder Wei seemed to sense something, slowing his pace slightly, and the vulnerability at his back disappeared. He didn’t turn around but said indifferently, “Being enfeoffed as a marquis in the Empire is a century-old foundation, not something to be compared with temporary gains.”
Carol’s heart jolted, and she snapped back to reality, reigning in her gaze. But Elder Wei’s pace never quickened again.
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