57: Blood Day

Observing from the spiritual plane versus seeing in the physical world offers a completely different experience.

As the elephant herd stampeded, the lead Thunder Elephant swung its head, and dazzling electric arcs flashed around its incredibly thick tusks. Its extraordinary ability activated, and bolts of lightning roared down ahead.

One of the people running in front was unable to dodge in time, and their body couldn't withstand an attack of that level. In an instant, they were reduced to cinders.

The elephant herd thundered and roared past.

The deafening rumble still echoed from afar, even after they disappeared from sight.

Qin Jin's gaze swept towards where they had vanished.

“Extraordinary creatures.”

“Is their original habitat here, or… did extraordinary creatures migrate here because the Star God was born?”

“It seems the journey ahead might still encounter interceptions from extraordinary creatures.”

With a flicker of thought in his eyes, Qin Jin stepped forward, leaping from the high slope to the ground.

“Let's go.”

Behind him.

The two quickly followed.

The three continued to delve deeper, actively hunting energy constructs.

After destroying another construct and sensing the core power integrating into his body, Qin Jin's gaze shifted to Yu Sheng and Jiang Panxia, and he asked, “When you killed the constructs, did you sense any power surging into your bodies?”

Within the Forbidden Zone, the number of constructs was extremely high.

They had also participated in battles and killed constructs.

Hearing Qin Jin's question, Yu Sheng and Jiang Panxia both shook their heads.

Qin Jin pondered, then said in a deep voice, “Yu Sheng, gather your life energy.”

“Alright.”

Yu Sheng was a little puzzled, but he didn't hesitate. As his Breathing Method circulated, a faint glow appeared in his palm, and life energy manifested.

Qin Jin's mental power spread out, making contact with the life energy to perceive it.

For Qin Jin, who now possessed the [Researcher] profession, this was already second nature.

As his mental power perceived and analyzed, Qin Jin's gaze narrowed slightly.

He discovered the core power that had integrated into their bodies after the constructs exploded.

However…

This wasn't Yu Sheng and Jiang Panxia hiding anything from him.

This power was extremely faint and very subtle. Martial Artists whose mental index hadn't reached a certain standard and whose perception was insufficient couldn't detect it at all; they simply hadn't noticed it.

“The amount of this power in their bodies is extremely small.”

“Is this generated based on the quality and quantity of constructs killed?”

“If that's the case, even with insufficient perception, if enough are killed, the accumulation will eventually allow them to notice the changes in themselves.”

His gaze shifted, and Qin Jin's eyes suddenly looked towards the distance, towards the Thunder God Tree.

“This looks more like a pre-set rule.”

In Qin Jin's mind, he recalled Chu Tianyi's last words.

“Do not use the same method to face different gods.”

“Is this an instinctive behavior of the gods, a rule that already existed in this Forbidden Zone, or some other factor?”

He slowly exhaled and looked at Yu Sheng: “Stop.”

Yu Sheng obeyed.

“Jing Ge, what's wrong?”

“I found some issues.”

Qin Jin didn't hide anything, explaining the situation, and finally said, “Currently, we can't determine what this core power affects. Let's continue on.”

Upon hearing this.

Yu Sheng hesitated for a moment, then said seriously, “Jing Ge, if that's the case, then when we face constructs next, Jiang Panxia and I will weaken them, and you can deliver the final blow.”

“That way, you'll conserve more energy.”

Beside him.

Although Jiang Panxia didn't speak, she also looked at Qin Jin, her eyes tacitly agreeing with Yu Sheng's idea.

They carried elixirs that could restore their own energy, but no one knew what else they might encounter in this Forbidden Zone.

If this core power affected their subsequent progress, it was naturally best to concentrate it on Qin Jin.

After truly entering this Forbidden Zone, they were teammates who relied on each other for survival; they needed to maximize every advantage.

“No need for now.”

Qin Jin shook his head: “Let's wait until we confirm its specific effect before making a decision.”

“Understood.”

After their discussion, the three continued their journey.

…

Eastern part of the Forbidden Zone.

On a high slope, Corona Squad stopped.

The leader removed his hood, revealing a pale man's face. His gaze swept towards the Thunder God Tree in the distant sky, then he took off the backpack from his back and retrieved nine metal pillars, each about a few feet long, from inside.

The pillars were about the thickness of a bowl, with somewhat eerie patterns engraved on them. The man's face showed reverence as he inserted each metal pillar into the ground in a specific manner.

In the distance.

Many of the teams that had been following Corona Squad had dwindled.

Twilight Society had contacted many factions, but ultimately, these squads were competitors among the Heavenly Selections.

Everyone came for the Heavenly Selections, and if they were to make a move against Corona Squad, and someone else seized the opportunity, it would be counterproductive.

Those who still chose to follow now were teams who didn't prioritize the faint chance of becoming a Heavenly Selection and were more interested in obtaining the rewards from Twilight Society through this opportunity.

At this moment.

Seeing Corona Squad's brazen actions, someone in the back changed expression slightly and shouted loudly, “This is the Star God Forbidden Zone! What are you Corona Sect doing?!”

Among the four major evolution paths, if one were to talk about mysterious methods, none surpassed the Esoteric Sect.

“How can the directives of the revered god be known by you mere mortals?”

Among the three, the tallest figure turned back, tore off his cloak with a tug of his right hand, revealing his true appearance.

His face was ordinary, with several vertical lines on his brow. His demeanor was fierce, and he wore a tight-fitting suit underneath, revealing his robust physique. His palms pressed together, moving constantly, and a faint glow appeared around him.

That was a sign of life energy circulating rapidly.

“You've followed long enough.”

His gaze swept over the rear, looking at the various squads that kept their distance and were wary of each other: “No matter why you followed, now, I give you two choices.”

“Either get lost.”

“Or die here!”

On the high slope behind him.

With the nine metal pillars inserted, the pale man cut his palm, and blood dripped, carrying life energy, into the metal pillars.

As the blood mingled, the patterns on the nine metal pillars simultaneously glowed faintly. The light converged in mid-air, appearing blood-red and extremely dim, but it ultimately coalesced into the shape of a sun.

It was a blood-red sun.

The sun flickered on and off, appearing as if it were blinking, observing and recording the distant area.

This power was not restricted by the Forbidden Zone, because it was not the use of other divine powers, but the pure application of life energy—to be precise, it was the consumption of a Martial Artist's life essence!

It was at this moment.

Behind them.

Seeing this scene unfold, someone's expression turned stern, and he shouted, “Everyone, even if not for Twilight Society's reward, we cannot sit idly by while other gods cause trouble in the Forbidden Zone!”

“The Star God is crucial to the future of our Mining Star.”

As he finished speaking, voices of agreement immediately arose.

The tall man from Corona Sect sneered and shouted, “Hesitate no longer, fight if you want to fight!”

After his shout, he actually took the initiative to attack, without the slightest fear.

A bloody battle thus erupted!

The other person from Corona Sect also participated, while only the pale man remained in place.

Time passed.

Approximately half an hour later.

The tall man strode back.

He reeked of blood, his clothes soaked in it, whether his own or an enemy's, and blood seeped onto the ground as he walked.