Chapter 664: He is close
In the Sacred Divine Land, the air was saturated with dark energy as sounds of battles echoed all around. It had been this way ever since many people emerged from the lost treasure tomb through the portal.
The sky was veiled in dark clouds, and even the divine and spiritual energy in the land was becoming tainted as a shroud of dark energy spread throughout.
Inside a forest, a man in a grey outfit with golden scales adorning his exposed skin paused on one of the trees as he swiftly scanned his surroundings.
"I'm unsure whether to feel relieved for finally getting out of that tomb or worried about my life because the people with me are being hunted by the dark side..."
Asher muttered quietly with a wry chuckle and glanced at the little phoenix that had just landed on his shoulder.
"This land is growing increasingly dangerous... Bia, are you certain you can detect Kyle's presence nearby?"
Bia nodded confidently. Ever since Kyle removed the barrier he had placed on their connection in the tomb, she could feel his presence without a doubt.
-"He's close. I can feel his presence."
Asher shifted his gaze towards another tree where a man was sitting.
"Regius, what about the rest? Have they successfully located Jian?"
The elven man glanced into the distance and noticed several demons approaching their location.
"I need to reach out to them to confirm, but I am confident they have, as Alec can track Jian's location through the mark he placed on him. Hopefully, Jian is safe... because knowing his luck, I wouldn't be surprised if he lost an arm or something in the tomb."
He aimed his fingers at the few demons who had arrived in their location and were flying a short distance from them.
Asher eyed the demons closely, quickly gauged their power, then asked Regius to stay put and vanished from sight.
Regius watched as the half-dragon maneuvered within his shadow, moving at a speed too swift for him to track with his eyes, stealthily drew his sword, and swiftly cut down all the demons.
The elven man praised his strength, and Asher reveled in the admiration. They had effortlessly dealt with all foes they met along the way, all thanks to Asher.
At that moment, Yue's solemn voice sounded from behind them.
"Don't you think we should continue moving and locate Kyle as soon as possible? Let's not waste time any longer."
Asher and Regius glanced at the two women sitting on a tree in the distance. Yue and Mia had been so quiet that the pair almost overlooked them.
Nox sided with Yue.
"Yes! We must hurriedly locate Kyle! I don't want that human to get hurt!"
Bia whipped her head toward the lynx circling Yue with narrowed eyes.
-"When did you start caring about him?"
Nox wanted to scoff but refrained. His life held more significance.
"He's not bad. Just a bit intimidating."
Bia rolled her eyes and started floating towards where she could sense Kyle. Asher and the others promptly trailed after her. They came across a couple of folks from the dark side on the path, but the half-dragon swiftly and silently dealt with them. An hour later, as they moved amidst the trees, they spotted an area ahead blanketed in ice.
Bia stopped as everyone watched the ice that was slowly spreading, threatening to engulf everything in its wake.
-"He is here..."
The phoenix mumbled and without hesitation went into the frozen trees.
Asher reached out to touch the ice but quickly withdrew his hand when he sensed the cold seeping through it.
"Ah... I believed as a supreme rank, ice and fire wouldn't affect me anymore. How did Kyle create such powerful ice? Did he use his blue flames? No, it's different. Wait, is it safe for us to advance in this area-!"
He glanced at the other individuals accompanying him, only to notice that they had already ventured into the area.
"It appears I am the only one worried..."
With a sigh, he trailed behind Regius, Yue, Mia, and the two beasts.
After they arrived in the Sacred Divine Land, they easily found each other thanks to Bia and Nox, who were in their massive forms.
However, for some reason, many demon and dark race individuals started attacking and eliminating those who emerged from the massive portal. Consequently, they had to take cover for a brief period, only to hear rumors that the nature's favorite, also known as Kyle, and all his companions were being hunted by the dark side.
Only after the area around them was somewhat cleared of the demons and dark race people, did they split into two groups; one went to search for Jian, while the others accompanied Bia to locate Kyle.
Asher glanced at the ice surrounding him. Strangely, even though it was very cold to the touch, the ice didn't harm him and the others in front of him.
He paused when he sensed a few demons nearing the area and quickly instructed the others ahead of him to pause for a while until he dealt with the demons.
But his eyes widened when he saw the fate of the divine rank demons who had just set foot on the shimmering ice carpet.
The ice around the demons surged forth, causing them cry out as it began to engulf their bodies at lightning speed. The demons caught in the ice tried to escape, but within moments, they were transformed into ice sculptures. The remaining demons fled after witnessing the
chilling scene.
"What the...."
Asher gazed at the ice sculptures but was startled when they dispersed into particles before him. He wiped his sweaty forehead.
"Is it truly safe for us to move forward? Why do I suddenly have this unsettling feeling that it might not be safe anymore...?"
He sheathed his sword and swiftly joined the others as they moved forward.
Bia had already disappeared into the distance, and now they were merely tracking her
presence.
After a minutes, they finally arrived at a small clearing encircled by the frozen trees. The ground below was smooth and shining because of the ice, and Asher spotted Bia floating
above a bloodied figure.