The early Profound realm Qi warrior was examining the patterns carved on the mountain’s surface wholeheartedly in an attempt to derive enlightenment from it.
He was originally rather displeased to be disturbed, but after he turned around and discovered that it was a woman with a steaming hot body and fine looks, he swallowed the words he was about to say.
Immediately afterwards, he saw Mu Biqiong, who was wearing a veil, but her curvaceous and graceful posture indicated that she was also a beauty.
Finally, a smile appeared on his face as he answered, “Deriving enlightenment of Dao.”
“Deriving enlightenment of Dao?” Yin Yanan then examined the numerous strange patterns on the mountain’s surface. “You’re not telling me that those messy patterns carry some kind of profound truths, are you?”
“That’s right,” the man said with all seriousness. “For thousands of years, many have come and derived profound enlightenment from them. Humans have derived incredible spiritual incantations from them, while outsiders have derived powerful bloodline magics from them. So people call this place the Dao Enlightenment Rock. Of course, very few of those who come here can actually derive profound enlightenment. The vast majority return empty-handed.”
“How did those patterns come to form?” Yin Yanan asked.
The man shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ve only heard people talking about this place for many years, and thus came to try my luck.”
With these words, he asked, “Where are you lot from?”
“The Domain of Heaven Boundaries.” Yin Yanan came out with the truth.
“The Domain of Heaven Boundaries?” The man shook his head again. “Never heard of it. What domain are your most powerful experts at?”
“The peak of the Void domain,” Yin Yanan answered.
A shred of disdain appeared in the man’s eyes as he said, “The peak of the Void domain... So that means your domain is only an elementary-grade human domain. Only people with outstanding talent have a chance at deriving enlightenment from these profound patterns.”
The meaning behind his words was that Yin Yanan and her friends didn’t fall into this category.
Without getting angry, Yin Yanan continued to chat with him to obtain more information.
As she did, Nie Tian and Mu Biqiong stayed behind and glanced around with bored expressions.
Soon, Nie Tian noticed that, judging by the way they were dressed, the Qi warriors here were all from different sects.
All of them seemed to be at the Worldly or Profound realm. He didn’t see anyone truly powerful.
The cyan-brown mountain peak was only about a thousand meters high. Strange patterns could be seen on its surface from different angles, so the Qi warriors of unknown origins were scattered around the mountain peaks.
They would also move from place to place to observe the mountain peak from different directions.
All that could be seen surrounding the mountain peak was hard, barren land. There was no gra.s.s, trees, or any signs of spirit beasts or insects living in the vicinity.
The spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth in this place was so faint that it was negligible.
While Yin Yanan still talked to the man, Nie Tian withdrew his gaze from his surroundings, but focused on the curious patterns on the mountain’s surface.
After observing them for a while, he examined them with his soul awareness, but still failed to find anything noteworthy.
At this moment, he couldn’t help but think of his senior martial brother, Duan s.h.i.+hu. He a.s.sumed that if Duan s.h.i.+hu were here, given his attainments in magical symbols, perhaps he would be able to derive some enlightenment from these seemingly disorderly lines.
By comparison, he knew nothing about spell formations, spiritual maps, or magical symbols.
After some time, he decided not to waste more time on them, and thus said to Yin Yanan in a low, urging voice, “There’s nothing to see here. Let’s get out of here now.”
“Not yet,” Yin Yanan said. “Let’s observe for a bit longer.”
Then, Yin Yanan and Mu Biqiong joined the others in observing the mountain’s surface with wide eyes. Their gazes constantly s.h.i.+fted among the mysterious lines as they tried to derive incantations or profound knowledge from the peculiar patterns.
Nie Tian grew increasingly bored.
After his experience with the Heavenly Witchcraft Sect disciples, he was convinced that there was no peace or harmony in the Shatter Battlefield, even among humans.
It was a bit strange that these Qi warriors from different sects were actually deriving enlightenment in peace.
Hours pa.s.sed...
Nie Tian overheard the Qi warriors’ conversations, and learn that some of them were from the same domain, and knew each other.
The domain they were from seemed to be more advanced than the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries, since they seemed to have Saint domain experts in their sects.
They had also come to the Shatter Battlefield, accompanied by their seniors. It was just that their seniors had marched deep into the Shatter Battlefield and left them to explore the outermost ring.
Some of them had already been in the Shatter Battlefield for three years. However, some of them had had a productive trip, while other had gained absolutely nothing.
Four more hours pa.s.sed...
To his surprise, Nie Tian discovered that the Frost Blood Python, which was coiled by Yin Yanan’s feet, suddenly had a bright light s.h.i.+ne in the depths of its eyes.
The Frost Blood Python had one eye as clear as ice, while the other was dark-red like blood.
It seemed to have inherited that dark-red eye from its Blood Stripe Python bloodline. At this moment, blood strands started to appear within that eye.
Numerous blood strands soon built up within that eye.
Wisps of soul power that contained an ancient spirit beast’s aura shot out of it as the Frost Blood Python stared unblinkingly at the mountain’s surface, where lines interwove in a disorderly fas.h.i.+on.
Wisps of soul power seemed to infuse into those lines, turning them as red as blood.
Yin Yanan jerked awake. She took a look at the Frost Blood Python, and then laid her eyes on the lines in the mountain’s surface it was gazing at. Her bright eyes lit up.
She hadn’t expected that the Frost Blood Python would have discovered something from the peculiar lines in the mountain’s surface when she hadn’t derived the slightest enlightenment from them.
The anomaly with the Frost Blood Python attracted the attention of and surprised the Qi warriors that were gathered in this place.
They cast their gazes in her direction one after another.
The man who had been talking to Yin Yanan couldn’t help but ask, “What grade is your Frost Python at?”
Like Fang Yingying from the Heavenly Witchcraft Sect, he also a.s.sumed that the Frost Blood Python was just a regular Frost Python, which was commonly seen in many domains.
Normally speaking, Frost Pythons were born as second grade spirit beasts, and it would take a long time for them to grow and build up strength.
Since they started so low, it was almost impossible for them to advance to the seventh or eighth grade.
The most powerful Frost Python he had ever heard of had been at the seventh grade.
Meanwhile, the strength of a sixth grade Frost Python would only be equal to that of a Profound realm human cultivator, which wasn’t very impressive.
Because of this, he hadn’t paid special attention to Yin Yanan, this foreign Qi warrior who had a Frost Python as her pet spirit beast.
The fact that a commonly seen Frost Python actually managed to derive enlightenment from the profound lines on the mountain’s surface took them by surprise.
Smiling, Yin Yanan answered casually, “The sixth grade.”
The man didn’t seem surprised by her answer. Looking somewhat envious, he said, “Since it actually derived enlightenment from the lines on the mountain’s surface, it’ll have a great chance at entering the seventh grade in the future. A seventh grade Frost Python is gonna be a strong force. You’re quite lucky to have it.”
Yin Yanan was very immodest as she said, “Yeah, I’ve always been lucky.”
“Unfortunately, even if it enters the seventh grade, a Frost Python’s intelligence still won’t be remarkable,” the man said, looking rather pitiful. “If it possessed remarkable intelligence that allowed you to communicate with it at a soul level, then you’d be able to ask it how it managed to derive enlightenment from the peculiar lines on the mountain’s surface.”
Yin Yanan smiled at at him, not saying a word.
What happened to the Frost Python seemed to provoke the other Qi warriors.
They became even more concentrated as they examined the lines on the mountain’s surface with their soul awarenesses, hoping to discover their secrets, and derive profound spiritual incantations and enlightenment regarding cultivation like the rumors had promised.
However, Nie Tian didn’t. Instead, he sat and practiced cultivation by himself at the foot of the mountain peak.
After an unknown period of time, Nie Tian awoke from his cultivation.
His eyebrows slowly furrowed as he turned his head to look around.
His unique bloodline allowed him to shrewdly discover that three strands of suppressed flesh auras were lurking in the vicinity.
Judging from their fluctuations, they didn’t belong to humans.
Moments later, the wind carried faint death Qi, phantasm Qi, and demon Qi to the mountain valley.
Even though other Qi warriors also noticed the special Qi in the air, they didn’t attach any importance to the change.
Unlike other places, many regions in the Shatter Battlefield were wreathed in phantasm Qi or demon Qi, and it was normal for them to flow from place to place.
Soon, Death Qi, phantasm Qi, and demon Qi pervaded the mountain valley.
The Qi warriors gathered here were clearly unadapted to them, so one after another they formed spiritual power wards around themselves to ward off the outsider Qi.
Nie Tian grew uneasy as he said in a low voice, “Trouble is coming.”
Mu Biqiong and Yin Yanan’s eyes snapped open.
“Something is wrong,” Nie Tian said, his face grim. “I sense three strands of hidden auras in the vicinity, and they’re not human.”
Yin Yanan let out a cold harrumph. “Do we need to be afraid?”
Obviously, she was secure in the knowledge that she had the eighth grade Frost Blood Python as her strong backing.
Furthermore, since the Frost Blood Python was still focused on deriving enlightenment from the peculiar lines on the mountain’s surface, she wouldn’t leave even if she sensed a threat.
“I’m just saying that we need to be careful,” Nie Tian said, looking calm and composed.
Yin Yanan seemed completely unconcerned as she said, “Okay. Let’s see what kind of trouble they’re going to give us.”
Mu Biqiong from the Bliss Mountain Sect also stood in place and didn’t show the slightest intention of leaving.
Similarly, she had strong confidence in the demonic plant inside of her, and didn’t think the three lurkers were any kind of threat to her.
On the other side of the mountain peak, a middle Worldly realm Qi warrior, who was at the same realm as Nie Tian, sprang to his feet and cursed, “d.a.m.n it. How come the phantasm Qi and demon Qi are growing denser and denser in the air? I can’t stay in this d.a.m.ned place anymore. I’m out of here.”
It was very consuming to keep spiritual power wards up for a long time.
He needed to leave and find another place to recover his strength. Otherwise, he would only become weaker and weaker.
A few other Worldly realm Qi warriors rose to their feet after him, their faces grim.
They all found their spiritual power consumption too great to afford.
Just as they were about to leave, they shot Nie Tian a glance, and were flabbergasted.
Nie Tian was at the same realm as they were, yet he hadn’t formed a spiritual power ward to protect himself.
Nie Tian was the only one who was exposed in the phantasm Qi, demon Qi, and death Qi.
“I have a special tool on me,” Nie Tian explained, smiling.
He had long since grown used to the extreme environment in the Realm of Split Void. He actually developed the ability to close up his pores to stop the outsider Qi from entering his unearthly tough body.
This was something even Yin Yanan couldn’t do.
Even though the Worldly realm cultivators still found it incredible after hearing Nie Tian’s explanation, they didn’t intend to pursue the matter, and thus scattered again.
A few minutes later...
“If there are no mishaps, those who left are probably dead by now,” Nie Tian said in a low voice.