The moment the battle began, it felt as if the ocean had overturned, a sky-covering surge of Spiritual Energy fluctuations came rushing towards them, washing over everyone’s senses.
The fire seemed to be driven by an invisible wind, twisting into various shapes.
The encampment where Rod was located was about 20,000 yards away from Storm Pass, but even at such a distance, one could see the soaring Spiritual Energy radiance and the extending mist of light beneath it—
That was Trolian’s mightiest battle cluster, a legion crowned with the name "Core".
And before them stood Storm Pass, towering within the Black Fog.
It was a colossal castle, situated in the largest gorge of the Dead Ash Mountain Range, guarding the passage from Gray Soil Continent to Dead Soil Continent.
It stood 1,700 yards tall, created from the Spiritualized bones of giants, one of the magnificent constructs from the era of Gods.
With the destruction of the Starry Kingdom, it had fallen into darkness for over fifteen hundred years.
The pass, built of death, teemed with the terrifying Undead giants, enslaved giants impaled with massive chains and steel spikes, giant corpses reanimated by the Black Fog, wailing giant spirits that had died in agony, and the giant foremen who used their Spirits to control the work slaves.
A myriad of grievances, hatred, and death converged at this pass, forming an enormous sinkhole.
Heavier things gathered more Black Fog, and during those dark and gloomy millennia, these dreadful Undead underwent unimaginable changes within the corrosion of the Black Fog, evolving into something even more unfathomable.
The mightiest Trolian from six hundred years ago had broken their lance at Storm Pass and never recovered.
For the six hundred years that followed, no human dared challenge it again.
Humans were once again before the Storm Pass, ready to tear down the shadows of the past and break the curse of fate with their own hands.
Rod couldn’t see the specific details of the battle, but with his Eye of the Soul activated, he could see more details than others.
Through the vision of the Eye of the Soul, the endless Spiritual Energy fluctuations were like a torrential downpour. Countless transparent ripples spread out, converging into an impact that appeared infinitely colossal to others.
Within that towering darkness, those deeply profound beings too were awakened by the massive disturbance, emitting low and prolonged waves of Spiritual Energy.
The Spiritual Energy of humans was different from that of monsters. Humans’ Spiritual Energy was active and bright, like dancing sunlight, while the monsters’ was profound and murky, carrying a breath of despair. The Spiritual Energy fluctuations they triggered were also distinct.
Ordinary people found it hard to distinguish, but to Rod, it was like second nature, and he could easily identify them.
For instance, that brightest beam of Spiritual Energy was Luo Weiya’s, the Fire Son. His Spiritual Energy was wild, restless, strong, and full of explosive power. The core was fiery red, enveloped by an endless massive white light—the gathered Spiritual Energy of the entire Core legion, controlled by the Fire Son using the Resonance Plate.
Under his will, all the Spiritual Energy was infused with explosive power, and with every strike he made, the burst of Spiritual Energy fluctuated as high as a mountain.
Beneath him, numerous large and small fluctuations of Spiritual Energy densely layered upon everything indicated the warriors within the Core legion.
If Rod chose to join the legion, he would be one of the countless rings.
Indeed, the Core legion was incredibly grand, a remarkable creation of humanity, Trolian’s mightiest trump card, but it was not suited for him.
The might of Storm Pass also exceeded his imagination. The monstrous Spiritual Energy fluctuations stirred by those profound monsters were like boulders smashing into swamps, creating heavy ripples. They were slow yet weighty.
Countless such heavy ripples emanated, covering most of the human Spiritual Energy patterns.
But the Fire Son, Luo Weiya, was not the least bit frightened. With his exceptionally strong Spiritual Energy, he plunged into that towering darkness, like an enraged Giant Dragon. The trailing mist of light followed suit, resembling the body of the Dragon.
Soon, the entire Core legion entered Storm Pass.
The battle reached a fever pitch, with Spiritual Energy fluctuations becoming more frequent and massive, spreading far and wide until the end of darkness.
Let’s hope everything goes well.
Rod thought to himself, turning westward to gaze into the distance.
The deep and dense Black Fog greatly limited his vision, leaving him with less than five hundred yards of sight.
All that met his eyes was profound darkness.
For the moment, he saw no monsters, nor could he see the distant Soul Devouring King Castle.
But Rod could faintly sense something stirring deep within the darkness.
Anna approached, pinning a Red Tear Stone brooch on his chest, before hanging a lantern emanating a faint light to his belt.
"Essential for battle, don’t forget it."
Anna then went around, fastening the Red Tear Stone brooches and lanterns to everyone, including herself.
Curious, Kashan fiddled with her brooch and asked, "What if it falls off?"
Anna glanced at her, "Is this your first real battle?"
Kashan’s face flushed instantly, "Of course not, I’ve killed countless monsters!"
But her voice quickly softened, "Though it was within the academy."
Rod looked at her approvingly, not exaggerating one’s abilities was a basic requirement of every warrior. Kashan had always stayed inside the academy, her experience limited to covert branch missions to the Safe Zone at most, far from real combat.
Nevertheless, she remembered the principle well, which was commendable.
Anna looked at her enviously, "Your first real battle is on such an intense battlefield? You’re really lucky."