NOVEL NEXT Chapter 420: Exalted Rank
Orion merely tilted his head slightly, returning her gaze calmly. "I'm just letting them do what they're best at. After all, rushing headfirst into unknown dangers suits their nature perfectly."
Myra's smile widened slightly, her gaze filled with intrigue, "Interesting. I'll be sure to remember you."
Saying no more, she too gracefully dashed into the darkness, her slender figure swiftly vanishing like a shadow.
As Myra's figure disappeared, Elias turned toward Orion, lips twitching, "I didn't know you also knew how to scheme."
Orion shook his head calmly, a subtle smirk on his lips, "Scheme? This barely qualifies as one. Just simple child's play. But enough talking, let's move. They've given us a safe path, it's foolish not to take advantage of it."
Rina giggled softly, clearly impressed by Orion's casual cunning. Fiora looked at Orion proudly, saying to Rina, 'Master really does plan ahead. He's becoming more and more like an old demon.'
Elias, though still shaking his head in mild disbelief, quickly fell into step alongside the group as they moved cautiously yet decisively into the depths of the mysterious chamber.
Inside, the surroundings quickly shifted. The tunnel grew darker, illuminated only by faint, glowing runes etched into the stone walls, casting eerie shadows upon their faces.
The air felt heavier, carrying a faint scent of blood and a lingering aura of fierce battles. It was clear that the path ahead had already been swept clean by the aggressive advance of the previous groups.
Littering the passage were the mangled remains of serpent-like mana beasts. These creatures ranged from Tier 8 to Tier 9, their corpses brutally scattered across the floor, walls scarred and bloodstained.
Orion carefully observed the battle scars, nodding inwardly, impressed at the strength of the Beastkin who had rushed ahead. The battles here had clearly been fierce and unrelenting.
Elias muttered with undisguised admiration, "You really got those arrogant fellows to clear the way for us… impressive."
Orion chuckled softly, "Sometimes brute strength is better utilized as a shield than a spear."
Nyss, walking alongside Orion, softly whispered, "I didn't think you would be so strategic, being a swordsman. They are rather headstrong most of the time and don't scheme."
Orion gave her a playful sidelong glance, the corner of his mouth curving upward, "Swordsmanship is merely one path I excel at. It was never my goal. If I can be stronger with another path then I don't mind abandoning it. And this keeps things interesting."
She laughed gently at his response. Probably only Orion could be so excellent at Swordsmanship and still be so willing to abandon that path.
The group moved quickly yet vigilantly through the passage, occasionally encountering wounded or weakened beasts struggling to recover from previous engagements.
These creatures were quickly dispatched by Orion and his companions without difficulty, further solidifying their understanding of Orion's clever decision to allow others to clear the way.
After what felt like half an hour of continuous movement, the winding tunnel finally began to brighten visibly, signaling an approaching exit.
At the far end, a soft, white light shimmered warmly, filling the group with anticipation and curiosity.
Arya, her eyes sparkling with excitement, quickly pointed forward, "Look! We're almost at the end!"
Emilia narrowed her eyes cautiously, "Let's remain careful. We don't know what's on the other side."
Sylvia, maintaining her usual quiet composure, nodded in agreement, tightening her grip on her weapon, ready for anything.
Orion took a deep breath, sensing the familiar resonance from earlier growing increasingly intense.
His heartbeat quickened slightly, anticipation and excitement stirring within him. He felt an intuition; whatever awaited them beyond this tunnel was connected deeply to his bloodlines, but he didn't know what it was.
"Everyone, be careful next. It can be a beast beyond Tier 9 as well. We can't be sure to escape if the situation is bad."
Orion cautiously stepped forward, leading his group into the glowing white light. As soon as they crossed into the illuminated space, their surroundings dramatically shifted.
It felt as if they'd stepped into an entirely different world, one dominated by chaotic spatial fluctuations that distorted the environment like ripples on water.
The vast expanse before them was immense, an enormous open arena-like cavern with walls adorned by gigantic, pulsating runes.
High above, the ceiling shimmered ethereally, illuminating everything below in pale, silvery-white radiance. Spatial distortions littered the landscape, bending light and reality in mesmerizing ways.
Before Orion and his companions had a chance to fully process the bizarre scene, the distant sound of explosive clashes, desperate screams, and violent curses grabbed their attention.
Their gazes collectively shifted toward the source, quickly identifying the fierce conflict unfolding ahead.
Far in the distance, the Beastkin geniuses and the human cultivators they'd allowed to pass earlier were engaged in a frantic, desperate battle against a massive serpentine creature.
Its enormous body stretched dozens of meters, armored with obsidian scales shimmering ominously with a metallic sheen.
Its eyes glowed menacingly, blazing with raw, primal ferocity. Every movement from the beast unleashed devastating spatial distortions, slicing through air and ground alike.
The Beastkin geniuses, Rokar, Kazran, Bragor, and Myra, alongside the three human Tier 9 experts, were clearly outmatched.
They wielded their family's life-saving treasures desperately, releasing brilliant defensive and offensive techniques in rapid succession, but it was barely enough to stay alive.
Each attack they unleashed was effortlessly deflected or ignored by the colossal creature, their proud techniques looking pitifully ineffective.
Bragor's enraged roar echoed across the battlefield, his voice filled with desperation and panic. "Fuck! This is an Exalted Grade Beast! We can't fight this!"
The moment Orion heard the word "Exalted," his expression turned unprecedentedly grim. His heart instantly tightened, recognizing the magnitude of danger they faced.
Exalted Grade was a cultivation stage beyond Tier 9, a realm inhabited only by powerful beings revered as nearly top-tier existences throughout the Zorathal continent.
Because it was not easy to reach Exalted Tier, even if they were not top-tier existences in kingdoms, let alone empires, they were treated with respect. Facing such a beast here was nothing short of disastrous.
Without hesitation, Orion's voice boomed urgently through the chaotic environment, "Run back! Now!"
The group immediately reacted, turning sharply to retreat. But as they looked behind them, their hearts instantly sank; the glowing wall they'd entered through had disappeared entirely, replaced by a mountain wall.
The only escape they'd known had been utterly sealed.
Arya's eyes widened, panic flickering briefly across her usually composed face, "The exit, it's gone!"
Nyss quickly scanned the surroundings, anxiety evident in her voice, "Where do we go now? Is there even another way out?"
Orion swiftly assessed their increasingly grim situation, his sharp eyes quickly seeking a solution.
At that moment, amidst the swirling spatial fluctuations, he spotted a faint glimmering portal at the center of the enormous cavern, only two meters tall, shimmering gently as though teasingly offering salvation. It was their only visible route of escape.
His thoughts raced rapidly, piecing together critical details. The enormous serpentine monster, dozens of meters long, could never pass through a two-meter-tall portal.
That explained why it was trapped here, guarding this domain like an imprisoned guardian.
Scanning the cavern further, Orion briefly glimpsed treasures scattered near the far edge of the battlefield, an ancient-looking book radiating dense energy, an enormous egg pulsating with life nearly two meters in height, and several other alluring artifacts.