Reaching the Summit!

"Enough with the nonsense!"

Hearing Jin Shi's explanation, Xiao Yi Xian looked extremely impatient. If Jin Shi had not kept such a humble attitude while speaking, Xiao Yi Xian would likely have lost her temper long ago.

"Yan Ran, Han Yue, Little Silver, let's head straight to the summit and see if they dare stop us!" Xiao Yi Xian turned around, no longer bothering with Jin Shi, and prepared to lead the group toward the mountaintop.

Seeing this, both Jin Gu and Jin Shi hesitated greatly, struggling inwardly over whether they should intervene and stop them.

"Clan Chief, these young ladies are unruly and show no reverence. They most likely come from a powerful faction. If we offend them, it may be even more troublesome than offending the factions we previously made agreements with," Jin Gu said to Jin Shi warily.

"I thought of that as well. This group must have an extremely powerful backer. They know full well of our strength, yet they still show us so little regard!" Jin Shi nodded.

"Then... what about the checkpoint?" Jin Gu asked casually.

"As for the checkpoint, proceed as usual. At least then we'll have an explanation for those factions," Jin Shi said after pondering for a moment.

After saying that, Jin Shi looked at Xiao Yi Xian's group, who had already stepped onto the stone stairs, and called out loudly in warning, "Ladies, above lies the Rat Tide Sonic Formation set up by our clan. The more of you go up at once, the stronger the formation will become! If you can break through this formation, you may reach the summit!"

After Jin Shi's words rang out, Xiao Yi Xian and the others merely paused slightly before continuing up the stone stairs.

The densely packed Gold Devouring Rats around the stone stairs immediately opened their eyes, their fur standing on end. Powerful sound waves silently emerged, causing the energy of heaven and earth in the area to rapidly begin fluctuating.

At the same time, as those terrifying sound waves swept toward them, Little Silver swiftly formed several hand seals. Immediately afterward, invisible energy barriers appeared around Han Yue and Nalan Yanran.

The rapidly gathering, ear-piercing sound waves finally descended like a storm, surging toward Xiao Yi Xian's group in a vast tide.

Yet when those massive sound waves came within half a foot of their bodies, they seemed to slam into an iron wall, setting off countless explosions in the air.

Xiao Yi Xian and the others, however, seemed entirely unaffected. They continued forward steadily without slowing in the slightest.

"The power of space!"

"Someone among them can actually wield the power of space so terrifyingly!"

Sensing the energy fluctuations around them, Jin Shi spoke in disbelief. Even he could not achieve such a feat.

When the tidal energy of the Heavenly Eye Mountain Range gathered, unless one was a native like them, most outsiders above the Three-star Dou Zong level would trigger a backlash from the tidal energy of heaven and earth upon entering. However, if one could use the power of space to conceal one's aura, it was possible to completely isolate one's presence. Those capable of doing so were all ancient monsters who had cultivated at the Dou Zong level for countless years; some even needed to reach the Dou Zun Realm to accomplish it.

Yet Little Silver could not only conceal her own aura, but also provide such powerful protection to the others. No wonder Jin Shi reacted so strongly.

"Fortunately, we didn't make a move earlier and cause any further conflict!" A trace of relief appeared on Jin Shi's aged face.

On the long stone stairs, Xiao Yi Xian's group continued onward slowly. The overwhelming sound waves, almost tangible in substance, filled nearly every inch of space around the stairs. Yet Han Yue, Nalan Yanran, and the Purple Demon Vulture could not hear even the slightest sound, as though they had entered a silent world.

Before long, they left the sight of Jin Shi, Jin Gu, and the others halfway up the mountain and arrived at the summit. Seeing that their sound waves had no effect on these people, the giant golden rats on the stone stairs had long since closed their eyes and gone back to rest.

The summit of Heavenly Eye Mountain was extremely vast, filled with hollows and jagged rocks. Xiao Yi Xian's group stopped atop a flat stone platform carved out of an enormous boulder. However, although they had reached the summit, they did not see the so-called Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool.

Standing there, they could look up and see the immensely dense fluctuations of the energy tide in the sky. The faintly spreading pressure of that energy made the hearts of the three aside from Little Silver and Xiao Yi Xian involuntarily grow cold.

The five-colored energy tide spread outward in wave after wave, its spectacle incomparably magnificent.

Just as they were looking around, the sound of rushing wind came from the stone stairs below. It was the sleazy old man, Jin Gu, who had followed them up.

"Ladies, the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool lies deep within the summit. Please rest there for a while. When the energy reaches its peak, this old man will bring two juniors from my clan, as well as the three people from other factions who won their slots, over here!" Arriving before Xiao Yi Xian's group, Jin Gu kept an extremely humble posture and spoke in a reporting tone.

"Alright, I understand."

Xiao Yi Xian responded to Jin Gu, then waved her hand, signaling for him not to follow them any further.

"Alright!"

Though his reminder received such a cold response, Jin Gu did not show any displeasure. Instead, he quickly turned and left.

After Jin Gu departed, Xiao Yi Xian's group braved the energy tide overhead and swiftly moved through the strange rock formations. Guided by their senses for the flow of energy, they slowly climbed a high slope seven or eight minutes later. The sight before them immediately made Nalan Yanran and Han Yue draw in sharp breaths.

Before them was an extremely broad crater. Threads of scorching smoke laced with Fire Poison continuously billowed out. At the center of the crater lay a small pool several zhang wide. At present, there was very little water within it, and only a faint red glow could be seen, like magma.

"Yan Ran, although the energy within this blood pool is abundant, your cultivation has not yet reached the Dou Emperor realm. When you enter the blood pool later, even if you take medicinal pills, you must know your limits!" Xiao Yi Xian glanced at the energy-filled blood pool and was the first to warn Nalan Yanran. After all, among those present, her cultivation was the weakest, so the depth she could descend to would naturally be limited.

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Sister. Yan Ran will be careful!" Nalan Yanran replied with a smile. Her cultivation had already reached the peak of the Dou Wang level. If she could properly absorb the blood pool's energy, she might soon advance into the Dou Emperor realm.

"Little Silver, since Master once said that there is a spatial barrier set up by the Gold Devouring Rat clan at the bottom of this Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool, help me enter it later! Then come out and look after Han Yue, Yan Ran, and A Zi."

(End of Chapter)