Elder Wei was not in a rush, saying, “No need to be hasty. This place is suspended in the void; he can’t escape. Let’s rest first and recover before we continue our exploration.”
Everyone agreed without objection and sat quietly to rest. After a brief respite, Elder Wei, Carol, and others set off towards the mountain peak, while Adolphus stayed behind with a few warriors to guard the colossal gate, in case the insect tide suddenly appeared.
Compared to the perils of the underground world, this isolated island was not only picturesque but also eerily quiet, so much so that it felt unsettling. When the heartbeat that shook the entire island resounded again, even the seasoned warriors were startled into gasps.
Elder Wei, however, wore a smile on his face, saying, “It seems that it is indeed here.”
“Can you still not tell us what it is?” Carol asked.
“You’ll know when we get there,” Elder Wei remained tight-lipped.
Carol gave a cold smile and did not press further, following the group silently.
The group soon reached the edge of the forest and continued towards the mountain peak. Elder Wei walked at a steady pace, seemingly in no hurry to explore. Surprisingly, Carol also stopped flying and began walking on the ground, following obediently.
Although neither Elder Wei nor Carol explained, Kemal understood from their behavior that flying was not a good idea. If these two figures, both at the Divine General level, chose to walk, it would be foolish for him to fly.
At this moment, Qian Ye had already reached the foot of the mountain peak. Looking up, he found the mountain steeper and taller than it appeared, its summit completely hidden in the clouds, at least a thousand meters high.
The space on this island was peculiar, defying many natural laws. In both the forest and the mountain peak, Qian Ye sensed signs of spatial distortion. However, the knowledge of spatial structures was too profound for him to comprehend. Even most Divine Generals only had a rudimentary understanding.
The anomalies on the island did not seem natural but rather man-made. If someone indeed arranged this, the methods used were truly astonishing.
As Qian Ye approached the peak, the scenery before him suddenly changed. On the previously sheer cliff, a winding mountain path appeared, leading straight up into the clouds.
Similar to the colossal gate, although Qian Ye had only taken a step forward, he was now in a different space. When the mountain path appeared, the entire peak expanded, more than ten times its original size.
This anomaly made Qian Ye hesitate. The dangers atop the peak were unknown, but they would surely be beyond his current capabilities to handle.
In such complete ignorance, this was a reckless gamble. The best course of action was to let Elder Wei and Carol lead the way, but with no place to hide at the foot of the peak and the swaying treetops in the forest indicating that Elder Wei and the others were close, turning back would likely result in capture. Carol’s combat prowess was formidable, and Elder Wei’s methods were unpredictable. With the unknown number of ancient seals in his pocket, turning back was a dead end.
Qian Ye gritted his teeth and stepped onto the mountain path. The Imperial Military Department had a deep grudge against him, and whatever they sought, Qian Ye intended to seize.
As he stepped onto the first step, the scene before him changed again. The top of the path, dozens of meters above, was shrouded in dense fog. The fog here, similar to that of the Eastern Sea, had a strong shielding effect on perception. Qian Ye’s senses could only penetrate about ten meters, and beyond that, everything was a blur.
Standing on the mountain path, Qian Ye clearly sensed the immense life force emanating from the peak. It was not due to the strength of his perception, but the sheer enormity of the life force, which spanned over ten thousand meters, nearly obscuring the sky. If it were a vast ocean, Qian Ye’s life force would be a mere pond. The heartbeat that shook the island came from the peak.
After a moment of hesitation, Qian Ye began to ascend. If the creature at the peak was the legendary Earth Dragon, Qian Ye would neither be able to defeat it nor escape. Having come this far, his only hope lay in the Earth Dragon ignoring him, allowing him to wait for Elder Wei and Carol to arrive. No matter how overconfident the Earth Dragon was, it would not allow Divine Generals to approach easily.
Elder Wei’s methods were mysterious, but Carol was brimming with electrical fire, making concealment impossible. Even if they had a way to hide, Qian Ye would launch a surprise attack, forcing them into action. If the Earth Dragon awoke, it was clear whom it would focus on between the Divine Generals and Qian Ye.
As he climbed, Qian Ye noticed a slight increase in the weight of his body. Alarmed, he examined himself and found that under the influence of the terrifying life energy at the peak, his own vitality was instinctively shrinking, like a small beast cowering before a predator. Under such suppression, his flesh would gradually die. If he could not resist, death was inevitable.
Climbing a few more steps, the pressure became more pronounced, and Qian Ye had to accelerate his blood core’s pulse to maintain his vitality, preventing it from withering under the oppressive force. He was somewhat shocked, having only ascended a dozen steps, a mere few meters. How much greater would the pressure be near the summit?
However, Elder Wei and the others had already left the forest and reached the foot of the peak. Retreating was no longer an option. Gritting his teeth, Qian Ye continued to climb.
“There he is! He’s up there!” Carol, with her sharp eyes, spotted Qian Ye. At this moment, Qian Ye was climbing the peak, only dozens of meters from the ground.
For a Divine General, this distance was within reach. Carol lashed out with her whip, and the electric fire transformed into serpents, shooting towards Qian Ye. Halfway up the mountain, Qian Ye had no place to dodge, and the only way out was to jump down and deliver himself to Carol.
Qian Ye turned to see several electric serpents flying towards him and was alarmed. Gritting his teeth, he drew Dongyue, preparing to meet Carol’s attack head-on. Carol had been injured in the battle with the Rock Crystal Crocodile, significantly reducing her power, and Qian Ye saw an opportunity.
Mid-flight, the electric serpents twisted, then scattered in bizarre trajectories, striking the mountain. Strangely, one serpent hit directly where Qian Ye was standing, shattering the rock, but after the dust settled, the path remained undamaged.
Qian Ye was stunned, recalling the two instances of spatial changes he had felt earlier. From the moment he stepped onto the peak, they must have been in different spaces. Realizing this, he felt a sense of relief and quickened his pace, continuing to climb.
Frustrated by the missed attack, Carol fumed, “I refuse to believe I can’t handle you, little whelp!”
She concentrated her electric fire into her whip, extending it ten meters, creating a formidable sight.
Elder Wei suddenly said, “Wait, there’s something unusual about the space here. We are not in the same space as him, or there is some difference. Don’t waste your Origin Power. If we’re not in the same space, we can’t hit him.”
“Not in the same space?” Carol was surprised. The wonders of space manipulation surpassed the Divine General level. Although she was a Divine General, the barren and desolate nature of the Neutral Grounds could not compare to the long-standing heritage of the Empire. Her knowledge in this area was far less than Elder Wei’s.
“So what do we do now? Let him go?”
Elder Wei squinted, watching Qian Ye climb higher, and said, “We will go up as well. Once we catch up to him, we can take him down naturally.”
“Well, what are we waiting for?!” Carol growled, impatient. But even in her urgency, having experienced the strange spatial phenomena, she dared not act rashly, deferring to Elder Wei’s orders. The danger here was unparalleled, and without Elder Wei, the Rock Crystal Crocodile alone could be fatal.
Elder Wei watched Qian Ye until he rounded the peak and disappeared from view, then said, “We can go up now.”
Carol bit back her questions and followed Elder Wei up the mountain. The change in space twice made her face serious, replacing her former arrogance with gravity. If the means on this peak were indeed man-made, the creator’s abilities were earth-shattering, capable of crushing her with a mere flick of a finger.
After a few steps, Elder Wei explained, “As I expected, the peak’s layout is half natural and half artificial, with a level of craftsmanship that is truly marvelous. We are still not in the same space as Qian Ye, meaning even if we pass him, we cannot act.”
Carol was flabbergasted, “Then what do we do?”
Elder Wei smiled faintly, “The danger lies in the fact that there is no going back. If we retreat, we may encounter multiple layers of space. If we are lucky, we might find a way out, but if not, we could be trapped forever. Therefore, the only way out is to keep going up.”
“But what is up there?” Carol looked at the peak, a hint of anxiety in her eyes. As she ascended, she felt the terrifying life force emanating from the summit.
“Of course, the Earth Dragon.”
“Earth Dragon?! Are we going to our deaths?” Carol was aghast. She had only come to hunt Qian Ye and perhaps obtain a drop of the Earth Dragon’s blood. She would never think herself capable of challenging the Earth Dragon. Such a void beast was lethal just to approach.
“We are not going to our deaths. Perhaps it was a death trap originally, but the layout has turned it into a chance. There are benefits to reaching the peak.” Elder Wei chuckled, “I did not come here to die.”
“Exactly what benefits? If you don’t tell me, I won’t move.” Carol lost her patience.
“The greatest benefit is useful for the Empire’s dominance, but for you, it’s not particularly useful. So whether you know or not, it makes no difference. You’ll understand when you see it. Of course, if you help me obtain that item, the Imperial Military Department will not fail to reward you. The Empire, though vast, always seeks talent. With your cultivation, Lady Carol, it would not be difficult to gain a fiefdom and a noble title.”
The words “fiefdom and noble title” deeply enticed Carol. However, she still had reservations, saying, “Doesn’t that mean I would be under the Empire’s command? I live freely in the Frost Thunder Temple, why should I be bound?”
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