“With my current capability, at most one hour,” Qin Ruqing replied, noticing Tang Zifeng’s tight-lipped worry and disapproval. She smiled inwardly and added, “Moreover, this ability can also avoid certain types of harm.”

She turned to Feng Qinxue, “Director, could you strike me once?”

Upon hearing this, Feng Qinxue immediately formed a sword blade with her fingertips.

Before launching it, she warned, “This sword blade can cut through all things. If the commander gets injured…”

“I’ll hold you accountable,” Qin Ruqing responded with a smile.

Feng Qinxue’s wind blade was launched with calm precision, seemingly ordinary but actually guided by rules, emitting a clear sound as it cut through the air.

Old ancestor Feng atop the mountain nodded secretly.

Feng Qinxue’s strike was executed without any hesitation.

Just as the sword blade was about to hit Qin Ruqing, her figure dispersed into light smoke.

The sword blade swept through the smoke, which did not dissipate.

Everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Tang Zifeng’s tense features visibly relaxed as his dark eyes met Qin Ruqing’s.

Qin Ruqing’s smiling gaze passed over him and addressed everyone, “Although this ability has its weaknesses and cannot avoid all damage, for the purpose of reconnaissance, it should be sufficient to ensure my safe return.”

Soldiers aboard the flying vessels couldn’t help but cheer with enthusiasm.

“Commander, invincible in battle!”

“Commander, invincible in battle!”

“…”

In the end, all the soldiers aboard the flying vessels joined in the chant, their spirits greatly uplifted.

Qin Ruqing exchanged glances with Feng Qinxue and Fifth Sheng.

This was the second reason she chose to announce this—to boost morale and inspire confidence.

As she displayed her abilities, her prestige increased significantly, and she finally gained everyone’s approval to explore Tianxing Mountain at night.

Although she could have snuck in alone, it wouldn’t have had the same effect.

The flying vessel’s lights illuminated, gathering around Qin Ruqing like stars around the moon.

“Everyone, I’m off,” she said in a tone neither high nor low, but with a clear presence in some people’s ears and hearts.

Everyone watched her as her figure transformed into wisps of smoke, eventually becoming completely transparent and vanishing.

The invisible gaze followed the route from memory and stopped at the foot of Tianxing Mountain.

It was coiled around a towering ancient tree, rustling the leaves with a soft whisper.

The guards were much more stringent than last time.

It was nighttime, and from the elevated view, at least five patrol teams could be seen patrolling.

The patrols were spread out in different directions and moved continuously, leaving almost no blind spots around the mountain foot.

If the base was like this, the area near the Blood Pool would be even more heavily guarded.

This meant that sneaking past the patrols would be nearly impossible.

One would have to either forcefully charge in or come up with a meticulous plan.

A breeze swept through, but the patrolling soldiers remained oblivious.

The patrol leader, however, didn’t need to move constantly.

Stationed at the lookout tower, he yawned widely from the breeze and drowsiness.

In his half-asleep state, he still urged the soldiers below, “Stay alert!”

From the narrow path up the mountain, there was the first barrier.

The invisible sight assessed it and found that it was not a highly advanced and powerful barrier but a standard protective one.

It was not to be feared.

Proceeding forward, the mountain wind blew through the many steps, arriving at the entrance of the Blood Pool cave.

Here was the second barrier.

Qin Ruqing remembered clearly that when she participated in the selection at the foot of Tianxing Mountain, beasts chosen by the mysterious staff would bear a Beast Head Mark.

Only beasts marked with the Beast Head Mark could pass through the barrier and enter the cave smoothly.

The gentle wind swirled around the barrier but failed to pass through.

Ordinary barriers use breath to differentiate passersby, but breath can be disguised.

This barrier, however, seemed to involve a higher level of consideration.

What is the fundamental difference between humans and beasts?

There are many differences: bloodlines, bones, meridians, and body structure.

But these are superficial.

Qin Ruqing understood that the root difference lies in the source laws.

The narrow chance left by the Great Dao gave birth to beasts and the Beast Realm, meaning that true beasts and humans are not products of the same world.

Different origins.

Thus, to pass through this barrier, one must undergo the Beast Realm’s origin assessment.

The gentle wind dispersed and then gathered again.

The black beetles on the cave walls moved their antennae curiously, sensing the strange airflow.

This time, the wind did not hesitate and passed through.

If anyone in this world could pass through the examination of the two realms’ origins without obstruction, it should be Qin Ruqing.

Well… even Fifth Lingyu with his chaotic body reduced to half, half, and half again wouldn’t be able to.

The interior of the cave looked much the same as when she visited before.

The lighting was dim, with a wall lamp every six meters, occasionally flickering, making the cave feel eerily quiet at night.

The wind’s “sight” was not affected by day or night.

Qin Ruqing observed the Blood Pool and found that the blood in the pool was much thinner than before.

Thinner did not refer to the color but the energy contained within.

The Blood Pool was more like a winding underground river.

The last time she came, she did not explore the end of this “river.” This time, Qin Ruqing decided to investigate.

The wind moved forward again.

She was unsure how long she had traveled when the view suddenly opened up.

It was as if she had reached a sky terrace, but Tianxing Mountain had no terraces; this should be the mountain’s summit.

Qin Ruqing felt an energy a hundred or a thousand times thicker and more violent than before, almost pressing her down, causing the wind to stagnate.

Her vision was also blurry, unable to “see” anything.

This was unreasonable since she was not using her eyes but a higher level of spiritual sight.

Her inability to see meant there was special protection here.

The third barrier.

Qin Ruqing murmured to herself.

And there was something within the barrier.

Qin Ruqing was deeply troubled.

Her exploration tonight was not without gains but did not uncover the Beast Race’s most profound secrets.

Being forced to return with only this information was unsatisfactory.

This elemental divine power was not something she could use constantly.

Each use required a significant amount of rule power.

Recovering from tonight’s use would take her at least ten days or even half a month.

Would she have to wait until the next time?

But next time, she would still face this barrier.

The wind lightly swirled.

Qin Ruqing hesitated because she sensed the barrier’s peculiarity.

In the presence of this barrier, she felt as though she was being “watched.”

Qin Ruqing’s survival instincts told her that she could not forcefully break through this barrier.

Even if she were to use elemental transformation, it would surely expose her presence.

Should she just leave?

Qin Ruqing weighed the risks and costs in her mind.

As she floated closer, nearly touching the barrier, she comforted herself, “Since I’m here,” and then dove in.

In just one second, Qin Ruqing saw a scene she would never forget for the rest of her life:

A dimly red world, a massive Blood Pool with thick, volcanic-like blood, dark red to almost black, bubbling quietly.

Six bronze beast heads, grotesque in shape, gaped with exposed fangs, pouring streams of blood like a fountain into the pool, silently and eerily.

On the raised circular platform at the center of the pool lay a beast corpse.

The beast had symbols of authority: horns a meter long, with numerous eyes of different sizes all over its head.

The largest eye was closed, while the others were open, with stark white pupils and crimson spiderweb-like veins.

Most frightening were the eyes, bulging with unwillingness and resentment.

The crimson world was eerily silent, but a sudden sound of flowing water filled the moment with a massive sense of danger.

Qin Ruqing wanted to run until a pair of enormous, crazed eyes emerged from the Blood Pool.

The eyes, red and white, spun rapidly in a strange manner, finally locking onto a corner of the void.

Qin Ruqing was paralyzed, unable to move.

She felt those eyes seeming to sneer, as a bloody, disfigured hand emerged from the pool, dripping with blood, slowly reaching out into the void.

Invisible rules were pulled, and something exploded with a thunderous crash, vanishing without a trace.

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