By the time they reached the rocky mountains, both Ye Jiao and Qi Huan were dead tired. They were unable to count just how many rank 3 beasts that they had to defeat along the way. If not because their master gave them Eon Energy Pills, they wouldn’t be able to replenish their Eon Energy in time for the next battle.
"I can see why this place is hell for other people," Ye Jiao said bitterly. It was truly hell even for them because of the number of beasts that they had to face.
"Yes," Qi Huan nodded.
"But I’m surprised that your killing intent grows so quickly."
"It grows every time I kill a beast or a person," Qi Huan explained. "After all, it’s not really a skill, but more like my intent."
"Intent?"
"It’s a bit hard to explain, but if you want to know, it’s related to one’s path."
Ye Jiao blinked her eyes a few times. She still didn’t fully understand what her senior brother meant, but she knew that killing intent was not something one could obtain just like that. She had killed a lot of beasts and people from her mission, but she didn’t have any killing intent.
Qi Huan looked over to Ye Jiao. "Even you have killing intent."
"Wait, I do? How come I can’t sense it?"
"You can’t, but I can see it around you," Qi Huan smiled. "It’s faint, but the more you kill, the sharper your aura will be. If you’re able to control it and make it your own, it’ll be your killing intent."
Listening to Qi Huan’s explanation, Ye Jiao was feeling a bit confused. She couldn’t really feel any differences in her surroundings after killing. If there was anything that changed, it would be the fact that she no longer has any hesitation to kill. There was no longer any doubt or even uncertainty when she moved forward to kill someone.
"You’ll understand in time," Qi Huan raised his hand and patted Ye Jiao’s head. "You’re still a kid, so you don’t have to understand it right away."
"You’re just 2 years older!"
"But I’m still older."
"Hey," Qin Zheng called out. "Have you finished recovering your Eon Energy? It’s time to continue the journey."
"Yes, we have."
The two of them stood up and walked to the place where Qin Zheng and Zhan Jing were standing. Originally, Qi Huan wanted to ask Qin Zheng to help, but he realized that it would be a foolish move. After all, it was specified that he should have dealt with the beasts’ alone.
It was only due to the consideration of his rank that Ye Jiao followed suit and helped him, but every killing move would belong to Qi Huan.
"Let’s climb up."
"Yes, Master."
The four of them started walking. Compared to the forest, there was barely any beast’s presence. It was as if the beasts were avoiding this mountain and were unwilling to get close at all.
"This place is strange," Qi Huan spoke out as he continued to walk forward.
"Yes. There’s no beast around. Also, it seems as if their presence was wiped out around this area."
"You can even sense something like that?"
"From the Eon Energy," Ye Jiao grinned. The warm Eon Energy around her helped her to sense the difference in the atmosphere inside the forest and the mountain. It was hard to explain, but she knew that the presence of the beast didn’t exist in this mountain.
Qin Zheng looked over to Ye Jiao curiously. "It seems that you have quite a special type of Eon Energy."
"Huh? Special?"
"Even I couldn’t sense something like that," Qin Zheng admitted directly.
Ye Jiao’s eyes widened in disbelief. Not far from them, Zhan Jing was also listening to their conversation. Originally, he thought that Ye Jiao’s insane sense that she had occasionally was due to the fact that her talent was S. But from the way Qin Zheng said it, he didn’t have the same level as hers.
"But you have a keener sense than me," she pointed out in an accusing tone.
"That’s pure sense observation through visual, hearing, and also the movements on the air. I don’t have the ability to sense them through Eon Energy in my surroundings," Qin Zheng said. "I can tell their composition faintly after I reach rank 3, but I won’t be able to know whether they belong to a beast or plant or human being."
Ye Jiao tilted her head. They felt different for her, which allowed her to know that. However, she still couldn’t do it all the time, so if one at higher rank sneaked out to her, she might not be able to detect them.
"That’s weird. I thought that you detected them through Eon Energy?"
"Maybe in the higher rank. I don’t know either."
"I thought you know everything since you seem to be very knowledgeable."
Qin Zheng shook his head. He pointed to the front as he changed the conversation. "I know why the beasts avoided this area."
"Why?"
"There’s a barrier over there, around 100 meters from us."
Both Qi Huan and Ye Jiao looked to the front. They frowned as they couldn’t see anything from there. There was nothing but rocks around them.
"I can’t see anything," Ye Jiao looked over to Qin Zheng. "Are you telling the truth?"
"Yes."
As they were traveling at high speed, they had reached the destination area that Qin Zheng mentioned. In fact, as they couldn’t see it, they charged through to the barrier that he mentioned.
Ye Jiao could feel that she was pushed back by a faint layer of cool Eon Energy. It seemed like a wall made of water was blocking her way, preventing her from getting inside. As she dashed through, the wall broke and Ye Jiao could see a completely different view compared to the rock mountain that she had seen just now.
In front of her, a flat ground was present. Several meters away from her position, a staircase heading down was located on a circle hole in the middle. She couldn’t see where it directed to, but she knew that it must be heading straight to the center of the mountain.
"That’s cool," Ye Jiao muttered.
Qin Zheng was standing not far from her as his hand touched the barrier, which looked like he was touching air. "It’s an array that protects everything inside this place."
"If it’s a protection array, how did we get in?" Qi Huan asked. The moment he touched the barrier, he slowed down his speed and nearly stumbled on the ground. Looking at the relaxed Qin Zheng, he didn’t understand how he could stay calm in front of this magnificent array.
"It’s an array that protects this place from beasts and maybe higher ranked Eon Energy Master," Qin Zheng flicked a glance at Zhan Jing. "But rank 4 is not included in the list."
"You’re looking at me as if you’re hoping that I’ll die, young man."
"Wouldn’t it be better...?" Qin Zheng didn’t continue his words as he realized that there were still two other people around them. It was not the time for him to talk about serious matters with Zhan Jing. "Anyway, if you want to gain the treasures and inheritance, it’ll be better to get inside."
"Right," Ye Jiao replied.
"Let’s go."