Chapter 516: Battle Line (1/2)

[V6C46 – Sorrow of a Silent Parting]

That fierce beast contained—within its body of a mere hundred kilograms—an amount of blood several times that of other land beasts. The sanguine liquid poured continuously into Qianye’s abdomen, whereafter it was absorbed by his body in its blood-boil state and transformed into abundant blood energy. The energy converged into his blood core which then pumped out strands of auric flame blood.

In the blink of an eye, not a drop of blood was left for him to absorb. Only then did he manage to restrain his severe bloodthirst.

Qianye tossed the withered beast corpse to the side. That violent and primitive suction of blood also served to vent the depression in his chest. He stood in a momentary daze before checking his injuries once more.

His injuries had healed several times faster during the blood-boil state. New granulation tissue was growing rapidly on that terrifying wound he had carved on his chest, and the defect had mostly closed up. He fished out a roll of bandage from Andruil’s Mysterious Realm and bound up his wound, then moved his arm around to confirm that his movements weren’t being affected.

The black titanium in his body had dwindled and lost the ability to spread after what remained of it was mutually consumed by the auric flame blood. However, a stubborn portion still remained within his body and would need to be cleared away gradually, but it was just a matter of time.

The price was a complete expenditure of his blood energy, but sources of blood energy were everywhere in this world of hidden dangers. Qianye also discovered that the Book of Darkness and Wings of Inception seemed to possess intelligence. They would restrict their absorption of blood energy when his body was in danger and refrain from competing with the blood core. This meant that he could refill his blood energy stores after killing a couple of wild beast hordes.

Qianye noticed the Wings of Inception while inspecting his body—this sentient, potential Grand Magnum was flapping its wings at this moment. The two fully-formed feathers upon it were vivid and life-like down to its fine barbs.

Soon, Qianye had finished dressing his wound. He then clothed himself properly and put all kinds of equipment in easily reachable pockets before leaving his temporary shelter.

The caverns within the mountain opened up in all directions like a giant maze, and enemies could appear from any direction. Even Eden with his Unshrouding Eye had long since withdrawn his pride as he advanced slowly and with due vigilance.

They were merely exploring a segment of spine left behind by a void colossus who had died countless years ago. The void colossus’ entire skeleton was surely beyond the limits of one’s vision if even a single segment of its spine was so big. It might’ve been as big as a complete void landmass when it was alive. How majestic an entity was this?

The remnant will left behind by the colossus was even able to suppress countless experts. If the void colossus was a mammoth, the people of the two factions weren’t even ants. Perhaps everyone added together would barely be equal to one of the ant’s limbs.

Just a corner about the truth of this world was already so shocking. The geniuses of the two factions found, to their shock, that the power they worshipped, strove, and yearned for was nothing before this void colossus.

Eden felt as though he had returned to being a rookie. He was just as cautious and indecisive back when he had just made his debut on the battlefield.

A black shadow suddenly flickered past the end of the tunnel, but there was nothing there when he glanced over with the Unshrouding Eye.

Eden gestured toward Nighteye and whispered, “Wait for my signal. Shoot to kill as soon as I designate the target, no matter what it is.”

However, that which Eden received was not Nighteye’s reply but a cold gun muzzle instead. The sniper rifle in Nighteye’s hand was pressed against the back of Eden’s head, its trigger half drawn. A single tremble of her finger would result in a blast.

A head-shot at such a close distance would kill Eden in a single shot regardless of the type of origin bullet. Even the absence of a physical bullet wouldn’t change the outcome.

“What are you doing?!” Eden was frozen with extreme shock.

“Do not attempt to order me around next time. I will kill you if this happens again!” Nighteye spoke word by word. Her undisguised killing intent made it clear that she wasn’t joking at all.

Eden simply couldn’t make sense of the matter. “This isn’t ordering you, it’s cooperation! Haven’t we always worked together like this since entering Giant’s Repose? We’ll only get far by cooperating in what each of us do best. Don’t forget, those imperial experts aren’t the only ones, Sky Demon’s avatars are here, too!”

“Do not attempt to command me,” Nighteye repeated once more.

“Fine, fine, I get it.” Eden raised his hand and said with a wry laugh. He already understood Nighteye’s temper. This contemplating lady was, in fact, extremely obstinate. There was surely no more room for negotiation on something she had repeated twice.

Nighteye slowly lowered her sniper rifle.

As the two began their advance once more, an enraged Eden kicked the cave wall and mumbled, “Now, how are we going to fight this battle?”