In this vast and desolate world, the earth was a mixture of dirt and gravel, with short, resilient grass, each blade sharp as a knife.
Qian Ye stepped out of the white mist, his feet landing on the grass. He lifted his foot, only to see the blades spring back to their original position, leaving a faint crease on the leaves.
He bent down, plucking a small blade of grass and rolling it between his fingers, forming a tight ball. Though the action seemed effortless, Qian Ye had exerted considerable force; the grass here was incredibly tough, almost like armor.
The distant mountains gave a sense of emptiness, their outlines barely visible. Qian Ye squinted, surveying his surroundings. One thing he knew for certain was that he had never been to a place like this before, nor seen such scenery.
This was certainly not a place blessed by the heavens.
Yet, there was an eerie, surreal quality to this world, as if everything he saw was a mirage. The grass, for instance, defied logic—there was no grass like this in the records of the Evernight or Dawn factions. It was more akin to a spring steel plate.
Under the influence of origin power, the world adhered to certain rules. Although slight variations could occur, the fundamental nature remained constant. Here, the grass was so tough that no creature could eat it, making the foundation of an ecosystem seem impossible.
As he pondered this, ripples suddenly spread across the distant mountains. The once-real landscape transformed into a painting. From the center of the ripples, a dozen monstrous beasts emerged, roaring and charging towards Qian Ye.
Qian Ye stood still, his Eastern Peak sword planted beside him. With casual ease, he reached out, gently pinching the necks of the beasts, rendering them unconscious. In moments, a circle of fallen monsters surrounded him. Their attacks and defenses were unusual, but once he understood them, they were easily dispatched.
After dealing with the beasts, Qian Ye glanced at the now-peaceful mountains and strode forward. As he walked, the mountains appeared much closer. A few more steps, and they were right before him.
Qian Ye reached out to touch the scenery, feeling as if his hand dipped into water, cold and strange. Yet, amidst the cold, there was a burning heat, as if fire simmered within the water.
For Qian Ye, the burn was insignificant, but what surprised him was the presence of a strong Dawn origin power. The world beyond the curtain seemed rich in Dawn origin power. If not for the strange, chilling power, it might have been suitable for humans.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his hand, bitten by something. The bite was powerful, the teeth piercing his skin and embedding in his bone. If not for his hardened body, his hand might have been torn off.
Qian Ye clenched his fingers, grabbing the beast’s mouth and pulling it through the curtain. It was a monster the size of a wild horse, with a disproportionately developed jaw and teeth that gleamed with a dark silver. It clung to Qian Ye’s hand, thrashing wildly, trying to tear off a chunk of flesh.
Qian Ye pinned it down with his foot, drew his Eastern Peak, and impaled it to the ground. Even with a sword through its chest, it struggled, unaffected. He then took his Blood Sucker blade, plunged it into its neck, and drove the origin power, siphoning the blood into his body. The beast’s struggle weakened, and soon, it lay still.
The vampire’s ability to drain blood was lethal to most living creatures, and these beasts were no exception.
This horse-like beast was larger and stronger than the previous ones. While the others would have difficulty harming Qian Ye, this one could leave marks on his bones, suggesting it could pierce even a level 5 or 6 war armor.
Qian Ye pulled out his Blood Sucker, examining the now-shriveled corpse. It provided some essence, more than a typical beast, but less than the creatures in the great vortex. The blood contained a lot of foreign origin power, which was poisonous to dark races. Only a starving vampire would touch such blood.
Fortunately, Qian Ye had the Song Ancient Scroll, which allowed him to extract even the tiniest trace of dark origin power.
He flexed his right hand, using his blood energy to heal the wound. Without waiting for it to fully close, he strode through the curtain.
A true world unfolded before Qian Ye.
Here, there were real mountains and valleys, covered in rocks and thorns. The air was humid, but the ground was dry and weathered. The only plants were thorns and cacti, adapted to extreme aridity.
But Qian Ye had no time to observe. As he emerged, several horse-like beasts charged at him. Their speed and power were astonishing, but they lacked intelligence. Qian Ye sliced through them with his Eastern Peak, dispatching them swiftly.
Though he didn’t know their vital points, slicing them apart was enough to ensure their demise.
As the brief battle ended, the valley below stirred. The ground seemed to come alive, writhing and undulating. Qian Ye peered closely and gasped.
What he had thought were rocks and dead trees began to move, revealing limbs and heads. The massive valley was filled with at least hundreds of thousands of beasts!
These beasts formed distinct groups, each resting in formations. Qian Ye recognized the two types he had encountered, along with several new species.
Combined, these formations created an unimaginably large army.
Qian Ye’s mind flashed: “This is a military camp!”
How could these mindless beasts form an army? Then he remembered the countless spider troops in the Evernight Spider Clan, directed by a commander who communicated with them, turning them into fearless warriors.
Commander!
Qian Ye felt a chill as a cold, wet, and searing consciousness settled on him. He was plunged into a cycle of ice and fire, unbearable.
Even Qian Ye, with his strength, struggled to resist, indicating the terror of the consciousness’ owner.
Qian Ye looked up, his gaze fixed on the far end of the valley. There, a high platform spewed white mist, making it appear and disappear. On a stone chair at the center sat a humanoid figure. It opened its eyes, fixing its gaze on Qian Ye through empty sockets.
In Qian Ye’s mind, a voice rang out, though he had never heard such a language, he understood: “Outsider!”
The voice belonged to the humanoid on the platform, which rose, revealing six arms!
With a high-pitched scream, the beasts in the valley erupted. The first group of beasts Qian Ye had encountered leapt into the air, soaring over the others, and charged at him!
Qian Ye was startled. Though he could handle these beasts, there were tens of thousands. And there were other bizarre beasts, plus the commander.
Though he assessed the situation, Qian Ye did not retreat. He calmly raised his Eastern Peak, ready to fight. He wanted to observe the mysterious beast army’s tactics.
As the thousands of beasts lunged, they hit an invisible barrier, falling dizzy and confused. Only a few dozen managed to pass through, heading towards Qian Ye.
Qian Ye’s domain activated, pulling the beasts to the ground, and his Eastern Peak danced, exploding their heads.
Another type of larger beast, emerging from the ground, was also stopped by the barrier. Fiercer and more aggressive, they battered against it. Two found a weak spot, squeezing out half their bodies. They roared, straining, but their bodies shattered, scattering into pieces.
Their death only incited the others, who attacked the barrier more fiercely.
The six-armed figure on the platform let out another long cry, and the beasts fell silent, their eyes filled with hatred, fixated on Qian Ye.
The six-armed figure stared at Qian Ye, its voice echoing in his mind: “The gate… cannot be stopped… you… have nowhere to escape.”
Qian Ye turned, seeing a similar high platform behind him, with white mist pouring from the stone fissures, forming a wall. From here, the mist formed a giant column, reaching from the earth to the sky.
Was this the gate?
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