“These rumors are quite worrying if true,” a youth clad in a purple robe with celestial designs mentioned to the youths around him, who also wore the same type of robe. They were all seated in a dense forest, sitting on makeshift logs as they discussed recent discussions that had been brewing within the Jade Dragon Empire lands.
“We have no confirmation of the rumors,” another replied, slightly dismissive of the so-called rumors. “All we know is that some bodies have been found, most of them mutilated beyond recognition. It’s most likely different sects fighting for the treasures in this final area, and trying to cover their tracks by making it look like their victims were mauled by beasts.”
“But there are no beasts in this final area,” another replied, dismissive of the second’s opinion.
“Then how do you explain the deaths?” the second youth barked back. “The rumor that foreign powers have invaded is unfounded, and to be frank, quite impossible. Do you think our Alliance Elder’s would just let enemy youths waltz into the land without stopping them?”
“No, I don’t,” the third youth replied.
“Then do you think they just magically appeared here?” the second youth asked..
“No.”
“Then there’s no other explanation,” the second youth concluded, as if his word was final.
“I’ll set out and discover the truth,” a youth who had yet to speak spoke up. He had a bald head, and a rosary bead necklace around his neck.
“Brother Ainsel? What do you mean?” the second youth asked. In the Heaven Scrying Sect, the members referred to each other as ‘Brother’.
Anisel’s calm gaze shifted amongst his fellow Heaven Scrying Sect members, and settled on the second youth who had been quite adamant about his theory.
“You’re most likely right, brother Dumao,” Ainsel replied to the second youth, “it is most likely fighting amongst Honorable Alliance members, but this rumor is too dangerous to be left unconfirmed. If it is as the rumors say, no matter how unlikely, we need to spread word to the rest of the Honorable Alliance youths as soon as possible.”
“And if the rumors are true,” the second youth asked, his tone of caution clear with warning.
“Then I will most likely perish in search of the truth,” Ainsel replied calmly, “but as a brother of the Heaven Scrying Sect, it is our duty to verify the truth of things, no matter how dangerous.”
The group fell silent, before the second youth nodded his head at Ainsel.
“Good luck, and let us hope that I am right,” he said to Ainsel.
Ainsel nodded his head, and shared gazes with his fellow brothers for a moment before leaving the area in search of the truth. The others shared silent gazes with each other, hoping that their second brother was right.
…
Ainsel held a crystal ball in his hand, which flared with a profound light as he peered deeply into it. After staring into the crystal for some time, his gaze and direction shifted, as if he was being guided by something. He repeated this process over a dozen times during the next two days, wandering around the final Jade Dragon Empire trial lands in search of the truth. His journey carried him over mountains, through valleys and rivers, and eventually to a secluded valley surrounded by a small circling of mountains.
The valley was quite picturesque, with waterfalls cascading down several of the nearby mountains, splashing the valley with a refreshing mist and slicking the verdurous trees with a dewy sheen. However, instead of becoming relaxed within the valley of paradise, Ainsel’s gaze narrowed as he stared down at a scene of carnage several miles away.
Near the bank of the crystal blue river that meandered through the valley, a spot was stained red with blood. Several human corpses laid strewn about, most of them no longer intact. Standing amidst the pile of mutilated corpses was a creature, whose skin was grayish black, like charcoal.
A row of spiked bones jutted out from the creature’s spine, while two bat-like wings were folded behind its back. In its right hand was an arm of one of the dead corpses, several bite marks taken out of it.
‘The Monster Race!’ Ainsel exclaimed internally, confirming the rumors once and for all. The monster race consisted of many different types of bizarre looking creatures, but the most powerful type amongst them all was the King-Variant. The King-Variant of the monster race had bat-like wings, colorful eyes, and skin ranging from gray to black. The more dense the bloodline, the blacker the skin.
The creature in the valley was a dark gray, indicating that it had relatively pure blood, and was a genius amongst the race. Its cultivation was in the Late Heaven Tribulation realm, and the natural aura it was emanating definitely belonged to a genius of the Monster Race.
A jade object appeared in Ainsel’s hand, and he immediately relayed his findings to the other jade pieces controlled by his sect brothers. After relaying the information, Anisel put away the jade piece, and his eyes narrowed as the creature in the valley below suddenly vanished from sight.
Che!
A sharp sound pierced from behind Ainsel, whose aura flared out powerfully as he dashed to the side. A blackened hand with razor sharp claws pierced by with the narrowest of margins, almost taking his life with a single swipe.
“You shouldn’t spy on others. Didn’t you know that’s considered rude?” a chilling voice sounded out before Ainsel as he gazed at the creature. It had somehow managed to spot him despite his caution and distance, indicating that its senses were beyond sharp.
“It’s also rude to kill others, but that doesn’t seem to be stopping you,” Ainsel replied calmly.
“Oh? Are you not going to run in fear?” the monster asked curiously, as it was the first time someone stood their ground before it. However, Ainsel was also the most powerful youth it had fought since arriving, as his cultivation was now in the Late Heaven Tribulation Realm, the same as the creatures.
“What is there to fear?” Ainsel replied calmly, as if death itself meant nothing to him.
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