Chapter 26: The vast chasm

Outside the dome,

Ning Jian raised an eyebrow as he looked at the score tablet .

"Looks like someone has been making good progress" he said with a smile.

Although they didn't have runes of high enough level to project live images , they can still sense how many people were there when a battle happened .

Lu Jing might not look very impressive and is not very noticeable in this group because of Ning Rong's and Wang Mie's talent but he is a total monster .

He have crazy instincts , when it comes to close combat he is an unparalleled genius .

"He actually killed a mid level body tempering realm monstrous beast , he must have mastered initial stage sword concept." Ning jian thought with a smile on his face.

Without the initial stage sword concept , he could have still held his own due to his combat instincts and high level qi control he has.

And Ning Jian understood him enough to know Lu Jing doesn't like to use his unique ability as that makes the fight unfair in his eyes unless it's life and death situation.

Oh your clan has already gathered 3 points , they must have fought a mid level beast or small group low level ones" elder Lin said , detailed info of their respective clan's wasn't shared between the two.

Formation was there to prevent cheating and ensure safety. But Ning Jian has enough attainments in this field to bypass that .

But there was no need to do something like that yet.

"Your clan isn't doing too bad either elder Lin , they were able to gain 1 point in a short amount of time," Ning Jian praised.

Elder Lin seemed happy as well "Two of my little brats fought a low level beast and defeated it what about yours? " He asked.

"Nothing fancy here either, quite similar to yours" Ning Jian replied vaguely .

.......

In the northern direction,

I felt a surge of excitement. I wanted to fight some beasts and see how it goes. I had sparred against Rong countless times but never against a beast.

They are vastly different from humans. Unlike humans of the same level, beasts have extremely powerful bodies and usually possess abilities based on their species. They can't comprehend concepts like humans, at least in the early stages, due to their lack of intelligence.

As for their capabilities at higher levels, I have no idea, nor have I found any books on the subject.

"Feng, look! There are some disturbances in the qi over there. Should we check it out?" Ning Rong said, her voice tinged with impatience.

She must be itching to punch something.

We moved cautiously towards the source of the disturbance, Ning Rong using her stealth technique, which she had mastered to an intermediate level along with the rest of her techniques. I had cast a peak-level concealing formation around us when we left the camp, ensuring we stayed hidden.

As we approached, we saw two clan members of the Lin clan struggling against a low-level Body Tempering bear-like beast. They were putting up a valiant effort, but the beast's raw power was overwhelming them. Fortunately, they hadn't discovered us due to our stealth skills.

"I think we should help them," Ning Rong whispered, her eyes filled with determination.

I sighed inwardly. She was always eager to jump into the fray, especially when someone needed help. It made me wonder if giving her the morals of my world was a good decision. But there was no point in dwelling on it now.

"Rong, think rationally," I said softly. "They are our opponents in this competition. Morals should be kept for when the time and people are right."

She frowned, clearly torn. "But they’re in trouble."

I sighed again. "I get that, but we can't afford to be too soft-hearted. We need to focus on our goal and they will not die anyway."

After a moment, she nodded, her expression resolute. "You're right. I need to be more strategic."

"Good. Now let’s keep moving," I said, relieved she had agreed. This moral compass of hers was admirable but often misplaced in this cutthroat world.

We continued to watch from our hidden position as the Lin clan members struggled. The bear-like beast roared and lunged, its powerful claws swiping through the air. One of the Lin clan members narrowly dodged, while the other stumbled back, clearly exhausted.

Rong bit her lip, her fists clenching. "They’re really in trouble."

"Yes, but it was their choice ," I reminded her. "Just like we did. Sometimes, you have to let people fight their own battles."

She nodded again, though I could see the internal struggle in her eyes. Despite her fierce exterior, she had a kind heart. It was one of the things I admired about her, even if it could be a liability in this world.

As we moved away, I couldn't help but chuckle. "You know, Rong, if you keep this up, you might actually become a hero."

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She shot me a glare. "Shut up, Feng. I’m still going to punch something."

I grinned. "I wouldn't expect anything less from someone so violent."

As we ventured further, we stumbled upon a small clearing. In the middle stood a trio of flaming apes. These beasts were notorious for their fiery temper and formidable strength.

There was one mid-level Body Tempering ape, significantly larger and more intimidating, flanked by two low-level ones. Their fur flickered with embers, and the air around them shimmered with heat.

Ning Rong’s eyes lit up. "Perfect. Three of them, two of us. Let’s take them down!"

I said trying to keep my voice low. "And let's not forget, these are flaming apes. They're not exactly easy targets."

She rolled her eyes. "Details, details. We can handle them."

I sighed, knowing there was no stopping her once she had that look in her eyes. We had to be strategic about this. Charging in blindly would only get us killed.

"Okay, but we need a plan. I'll set up a formation to trap them. You focus on the mid-level one. It's the biggest threat. I'll take the smaller ones."

"Got it," she said, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

We moved silently into position, using the trees for cover. I began to weave a formation, my hands moving in intricate patterns as I manipulated the qi around us.

I can't create a grade 2 formation or else these monstrous beasts will notice the anomaly and even for the grade 1 formation I am creating it's only a matter of time before they sense it , so I have to be quick.

The air shimmered as the formation took shape, creating a mist barrier that would muddle their senses both physical and qi based and also make them dizzy and sleepy, causing the apes to lose their numbers advantage and give us the upper hand.

It's the same formation I used against Ning Rong in our battle , she was able to counter it because she had human knowledge but that's not the case for these apes.

Ning Rong waited for my signal, her muscles tense and ready to spring into action. I finished the formation and nodded at her.

Beasts were confused about the situation and were feeling dizzy and sleepy.

She launched herself out of hiding, her fists glowing with qi as she charged at the mid-level ape.

The beast roared in surprise, swinging a massive, flaming fist at her. She ducked under the blow and landed a punch on its side, flames bursting from the impact. The ape staggered back and coughing, clearly not expecting such a strong attack.

I created three fireball runes using my fire concept as canvas and this is my limit for now, these are highest number of mid level runes I can maintain without them dispersing with my initial level fire concept.

Fireballs darted out from my hiding spot, targeting the two smaller apes. Their reactions a bit late due to the effect of my formation, they roared ,their flaming bodies creating an intimidating sight. I focused my qi into controlling the attack, focusing at the first one.

It tried to counter with its fiery claws, but I exploded the first fireball right before it made contact disorienting the beast , it reeled back from the impact , and other beast tried to stop the other one but got the same treatment, sending it sprawling.

The mid level ape sensed me, it tries to lunge in my direction but was unable to. Ning Rong suddenly produced a sword out of nowhere and slashed at its arm, drawing a line of blood. The ape howled in pain, its fury only intensifying. It swung wildly, but its attacks were sloppy while her qi control was impeccable even scary .

she dodged and weaved, her movements fluid as she wore it down.

Ning Rong was holding her own against the mid-level ape, her movements a blur as she dodged its powerful blows. She withdrew her sword back changing the rythme again as she landed a series of rapid punches, each one igniting small explosions of flame. The ape roared, its rage evident, but she was relentless.

I glanced over and saw the first smaller ape recovering, its eyes locked onto me with murderous intent. I gripped my sword tighter, my heart racing .

The ape charged at me . I took a deep breath, my mind focusing on the last fireball . The ape was a lot more wary of it now and tried to actively avoid it . The weaker beasts were affected a lot more by my mist formation that directly affected the soul. That's why were moving completely based on their instincts.

The moment the flaming ape entered the range, I activated my formation. An intricate triangular pattern of glowing runes sprang to life around the beast, shimmering with a vibrant, fiery energy.

The ape, sensing the sudden shift in its surroundings, snarled and tried to back away, but it was too late. The formation snapped shut, trapping it within its luminous walls.

Inside the formation, the fireball rune that I had placed began to pulsate with an intense heat, growing brighter and more volatile by the second.

The flaming ape's eyes widened in fear and confusion as it realized it was trapped and couldn't use qi to protect it's body from the fireball.

It roared, a sound filled with both fury and desperation, and lunged at the nearest wall of the formation, its flaming claws raking against the barrier. But the it held firm, it's energy humming with an unyielding strength.

Then, with a sudden, deafening bang, the fireball rune detonated. The explosion was a brilliant flash of orange and red, a searing burst of flame that filled the confines of the triangular formation.

The heat was immense, a scorching wave that seemed to consume everything within its reach. The flaming ape's roar was cut off abruptly as the fire engulfed it, the force of the blast sending it sprawling to the ground.

For a moment, the clearing was bathed in an eerie, fiery glow, the aftermath of the explosion casting flickering shadows among the trees. When the flames finally subsided, the formation's glow dimmed and faded, revealing the aftermath of the blast.

The flaming ape lay still on the ground, its once fearsome form now charred and lifeless. The explosion had left it scorched and blackened, smoke rising in thin wisps from its singed fur.

Ning Rong sidestepped the mid level ape's attack and moved her arm in a downward arc but her attack was way off and quite a bit away from her target but then something flickered into existence once again and she brought her sword down in a powerful arc, cleaving into its shoulder.

It screeched in pain, flames flaring from the wound. The ape lunged at her, and she barely managed to dodge its claws, feeling the heat singe her skin.

"Rong, watch out!" I called out, but she was already moving.

she spun around and delivered a swift kick to the second ape's knee, making it stumble. With a quick slash, she cut across its chest, the blade biting deep. It fell back, struggling to rise.

Ning Rong had the mid-level ape on the defensive. Her relentless assault left it with little room to counterattack.

She retrieved her sword once more as she ducked a flaming punch and delivered a powerful uppercut that sent it reeling.

"Nice one, Rong!" I shouted. Her qi control is truly amazing the way she shifts her qi from one technique to another while also shifting it from one body part to another and also shifting it between different tools is something even I will find difficult to do.

That's despite me having so much experience in qi control due to my runes and formations.

The ape lunged at her again, but this time she was ready. she sidestepped its attack and drove her sword through its heart. It let out a final screech before collapsing in a heap.

The last ape, seeing its companions fall, roared in fury and charged at me with renewed vigour. I met its charge with my sword formation I can only control two formations at one time so I had to disperse my triangular formation before producing a more powerful sword formation than the one I used against Rong.

The ape was struggling with my mist and was enraged by it.

So it directly clashed with my qi swords instead of easily dodging them our attacks, it clashed in a shower of sparks. Precise sword strikes were wearing it down bit by bit.

Finally, with a powerful thrust, I drove one of my qi sword through its chest. It let out a gurgling roar and fell to the ground, its flames flickering out.

I turned to see Ning Rong standing over the defeated mid-level ape, her chest heaving with exertion. She had done it.

"Well done, Rong," I said, walking over to her.