Just as Shi Qingyun and Yu Tian entered the Starfall Mountain Range, dense, profound runes faintly surfaced on the towering mountains and enormous rocks.
Blood-red light flickered among those runes, releasing a primordial, sacred aura.
A pulse also reverberated between the towering mountains and enormous rocks, sweeping over the entire Starfall Mountain Range like a gentle breeze.
High in the heavens, runes leaped out of the void and linked together, forming strange patterns of the Dao that branded themselves into empty space.
Those ancient runes flickered in and out of sight, as though they had formed directly from the void-or had existed there since ages past and were only now being awakened.
Chapter 41: Beast tide
As Shi Qingyun and Yu Tian continued onward, they gained a deeper understanding of the Starfall Mountain Range's dangers, forcing them to slow down and deal cautiously with everything here.
Along the trails the ferocious beasts had taken, fallen trees, shattered rocks, and stark white bones lay everywhere, telling the story of what had happened on this road.
The remains of all sorts of ferocious beasts lay scattered across the battle sites, displaying the law of the strong devouring the weak in all its brutal glory.
By now, Yu Tian had begun following cautiously behind Shi Qingyun. Naturally, he had seen the stark white bones along the way too, and he could no longer count how many ferocious beasts had fallen.
Strangely, although the traces of battle suggested that the fighting had happened only recently, the flesh and blood of those ferocious beasts had vanished without a trace.
Only white bones remained. Nothing else had been left behind, as though something had devoured it all, leaving Yu Tian deeply unsettled.
He was like a bird startled by the twang of a bowstring now, finding a little sense of safety only when he stayed behind Shi Qingyun.
Shi Qingyun had naturally noticed the strange condition of those beasts as well, and immediately connected it to the Blood Pool that could devour the flesh and blood of living creatures.
The two were strikingly similar, but along the way, Shi Qingyun had not detected any blood essence or divine radiance being drawn away.
For the moment, he set the matter aside and continued forward, ready to meet soldiers with generals and stem floods with earth.
While the two were still walking, Shi Qingyun suddenly sensed something amiss. Runes instantly surrounded him and Yu Tian.
Before Yu Tian could react, a shield formed from runes appeared in front of them.
Divine power was gathering in Shi Qingyun's hands.
Shi Qingyun's reaction startled Yu Tian too. Thinking an enemy had arrived, he hastily pulled a precious artifact gleaming with golden light from his cave heaven.
He hurried several steps toward Shi Qingyun, almost pressing against him as he asked:
"What's wrong? What happened?"
Shi Qingyun ignored his question. A moment earlier, within the range of his perception, the essence of heaven and earth around them had suddenly fluctuated over a wide area.
The disturbance had been faint, but he had still caught it. Moreover, something he could neither identify nor describe seemed to have appeared in the air.
Had his perception not been so outrageously keen, he might never have noticed such a tiny change.
Yet after waiting a while, he found that nothing else happened, nor could he discover anything wrong.
Shi Qingyun felt that the Starfall Mountain Range was becoming increasingly uncanny, and a sense of danger welled up in his heart.
He dismissed the shield in front of him, calmed his agitated blood, and said to Yu Tian:
"Let's go. Everything's fine now."
Hearing Shi Qingyun say that everything was fine eased some of Yu Tian's worry. Then he noticed how close he was standing to Shi Qingyun and hurriedly backed away several steps.
He seemed a little embarrassed. At the slightest rustle of wind or grass, he crowded against Shi Qingyun, leaving himself none of the dignity befitting a prodigy of the Rain King Mansion. Desperate to salvage his pride, he declared:
"If there's any danger later, just call me. I won't hesitate to climb a mountain of blades or plunge into a sea of fire."
As though remembering something, he patted his chest and added:
"I definitely won't hold you back."
Shi Qingyun had no idea how he could deliver those words with such lofty solemnity. He merely gave a casual "Mm" and paid him no further attention.
That was already enough to satisfy Yu Tian. When Shi Qingyun had first rescued him, his ruthless decisiveness in killing had led Yu Tian to believe he was cold and aloof. He had even worried that Shi Qingyun might casually dispose of him too.
But over the course of their journey, Yu Tian had discovered that Shi Qingyun was quite easy to get along with. At least he did not lord over others like those other prodigies, which was why Yu Tian dared speak to him that way.
Walking ahead, Shi Qingyun naturally could not hear Yu Tian's thoughts. He was currently searching for a route to the center of the Starfall Mountain Range.
Jagged rocks and lingering mist made it feel as though they were walking in circles through the Starfall Mountain Range.
Moreover, the mist drifting before them seemed to suppress investigative methods such as spiritual sense. Even Shi Qingyun's perception could not extend very far.
Thus, Shi Qingyun wanted to fly high into the air to find a route and survey their surroundings.
But as soon as he rose into the air, chains flew spiraling out from the towering stone pillars and coiled toward him.
He also discovered that the higher he flew, the heavier the invisible pressure bearing down on him became.
"Looks like flight is forbidden here!"
Shi Qingyun plopped down on an enormous rock and was still considering what to do when vibrations suddenly reached his ears. Rumbles rolled toward them from afar.
Shi Qingyun hurriedly stood up and gave Yu Tian, who was sprawled over the rock panting, a kick along the way.
Hadn't this fellow only run a little? How had he ended up like this? Where was that spirit of climbing mountains of blades and plunging into seas of fire?
Had Yu Tian known what Shi Qingyun was thinking, he would surely have stamped his feet in outrage. You kept bounding into the sky without once considering how exhausting it was to chase you on the ground!
Each leap carried you hundreds of meters. I nearly lost you! You scared me into using every last scrap of strength I had, and now you won't even let me rest?
A trace of resentment appeared in his eyes as he looked at Shi Qingyun. But upon seeing the grave look in Shi Qingyun's eyes, he immediately perked up and scrambled to his feet.
Just then, a rumbling tremor swept through the ground, followed closely by footsteps as dense as falling rain.
Yu Tian had only just stood up when the ground beneath him grew unsteady, nearly sending him sprawling.
The terrifying pressure coming from afar made his scalp prickle. Without another word, all four of his cave heavens manifested at once.
The next instant, he shot away as though his feet had been greased.
Shi Qingyun stared blankly at the dust kicked up before him, then quickly snapped out of it.
Runes flashed beneath his feet as he used the Eight Directions Step and swiftly followed.
At the same time, he cursed inwardly. That damned bastard claimed he would climb mountains of blades and plunge into seas of fire for me.
But the moment danger appeared, he ran faster than anyone! Worse still, he didn't even call out to me. How could someone with such an honest face act so deviously?
The Eight Directions Step seemed to carry him along the very boundary between Yin and Yang as he swiftly chased after Yu Tian.
Chapter 42: Entering the core
Shi Qingyun's figure flickered among the enormous trees, elusive as a phantom, while Yu Tian struggled to keep up behind him.
That was already the result of Shi Qingyun holding back somewhat. Otherwise, Yu Tian probably would not even have been able to see him.
Although Yu Tian had abandoned all fair play and fled first, Shi Qingyun had still caught up to him quickly with the Eight Directions Step.
Thinking of what had happened earlier, Shi Qingyun had initially wanted to leave him behind, but after some consideration, he abandoned that idea.
After all, Yu Tian had pulled him back when he had nearly dissolved into the Dao. He could hardly let him die here.
Besides, he was not a petty person. He would reluctantly forgive him this once.
Trailing behind, Yu Tian panted as he watched Shi Qingyun ahead. He immediately recalled being run ragged before, and he was certain this fellow was taking revenge on him.
Whenever he fell slightly behind, Shi Qingyun would stay just ahead of him, forcing him to chase with all his strength. Once again, he was being run ragged the whole way.
Yu Tian thought bitterly to himself, If it weren't for his strength, I'd settle this with him once and for all. All I did was forget to call out when I ran. How petty!
I was only a little too nervous at the time. I'm actually very dependable.
Focused on fleeing, Shi Qingyun naturally had no idea that Yu Tian was grumbling about him inwardly. He merely assumed he was moving too fast.
Although Shi Qingyun intended to bring Yu Tian along, the moment things went wrong, he would certainly accelerate and escape. As for Yu Tian, he could only wait until he grew stronger and then return to avenge him.
Behind him, Yu Tian's cave heavens were almost bursting with the essence of heaven and earth. Who knew what he would have thought had he learned of Shi Qingyun's intentions?
Their figures flickered through the forest, but as time passed, their speed still proved slightly slower than the beast tide's.
Gradually, the ferocious beasts surged up behind them like floodwaters. Amid thunderous rumbles that shook the earth and mountains, the dust they stirred up battered Shi Qingyun and Yu Tian.
The two kept dodging among the ferocious beasts. By now, they could both see that these beasts were in a violent frenzy, as though something had provoked them.
Blood-red color was clearly visible in the beasts' eyes. They panted heavily, their powerful snorts repeatedly buffeting the hems of the two men's clothes.
The moment they spotted Shi Qingyun and Yu Tian, they attacked like creatures gone mad. Hooves gleaming with cold light struck the ground, whipping up fierce gusts.
Seeing that the beasts had lost all reason, the two wasted no words. They immediately channeled their divine power and charged at the beasts attacking them.
An enormous ferocious beast froze in place, then slowly split in half down the middle, blood pouring out like a waterfall.
Blood scattered through the air like raindrops, revealing Yu Tian resting beside the fallen beast.
Along the route the two had taken, beast corpses lay strewn in every direction, their blood gathering into streams.
The beast tide had already swept them a long distance, and they had been forced to fight the beasts throughout. Shi Qingyun knew they could not continue like this.
He flung the fan in his hand forward. Spinning at tremendous speed, it pierced straight through a beast that was about to attack.
Retrieving his fan, he used the Eight Directions Step to reach Yu Tian's side. Covering one another, they continued running forward.
Even Shi Qingyun found the endless onslaught of beasts somewhat difficult to handle, especially since he did not know whether any beasts beyond the Cave Heaven Realm lurked among them.
Every moment the two remained within the beast tide could therefore bring danger.
"Stay close to me in a moment. Don't blame me if you slip up and die."
Shi Qingyun turned his head and warned Yu Tian, his face utterly serious.
Even without Shi Qingyun's warning, Yu Tian understood the urgency of their situation. He nodded firmly to show that he would stay close.
Seeing Yu Tian's response, Shi Qingyun began moving without hesitation.
He stamped hard against the ground and leaped into the air, swiftly thrusting out a foot to tap a Flame Devil Bull racing past him.
Like a stone dropped into water, ripples spread across the Flame Devil Bull's entire body, and the tremendous force made the bull cry out.
Borrowing the recoil to hang in midair, Shi Qingyun unleashed his perception to its fullest, watching for beasts that might charge over at any moment.
He rapidly channeled his divine power, and brilliant golden light blazed from his hands as the Sun and Moon Seal appeared once more. The next instant, the divine power and essence within him streamed along his arms into the seal.
The power of the Sun and Moon Seal in his hands immediately surged, and the ferocious beasts instinctively avoided the area.
But Shi Qingyun did not stop there. In the next instant, he slowly began bringing the Sun and Moon Seals in his hands together, pressing his palms toward one another.
An enormous black-and-white diagram of the Dao appeared before him, sending ripples through the space ahead.
Before you continue