Mystic Eyes: My Eyes Steal the Laws of Cultivation

Chapter 72: Verdant Sword Sect Test (2)

The fall had ended. The surrounding glow that had protected him vanished completely, and the plaque disappeared. It was only for a single use.

Kyrian stepped onto the forest floor, the heat was even more suffocating now within the trees than when he had been in the vast clearing.

The air was somewhat dry, Kyrian took a deep breath as the air around his body was cooled by his intent.

”It seems it will be a bit complicated to use ice in this place...” Kyrian murmured, feeling the environment.

He raised his gaze. Ahead, the Red Mountain rose in the distance like a slumbering titan.

The distant roar of beasts echoed in different directions, creating a constant symphony of predators and battles.

The forest, which should have been tranquil, was truly noisier than usual in this place.

Kyrian remained still in the spot where he had landed for a moment, allowing his mind to replay the images his eyes had recorded while he fell.

The specific points where there had been some movement or a high concentration of Qi. He had seen small and large patches shifting, beasts that were guarding something.

That could indicate they were protecting the Ash Fruits or something else entirely.

Kyrian then decided and set off in silence toward the nearest place. He ran, not too slowly, not too quickly.

But he ignored all the beasts along the way. As soon as he spotted one, his steps circled around it.

The test was not about hunting beasts, so he would not waste time with that now.

The surrounding air remained permanently cold, contrasting with the dry, hot air nearby. Kyrian was spending a minimal amount of Qi constantly for that.

Though he knew that if much time passed it would become a heavy expense, Kyrian didn’t care, he truly disliked this heat.

So, he decided he would use his Qi to refresh himself while he hunted the fruits without wasting time on the beasts.

After less than half an hour, he reached the first point he had memorized. There, the green trees gave way to a large tree with black leaves.

The smell of burning was strong, and the ground seemed charred. Between twisted roots on the ground, steam rose slowly.

As Kyrian observed, suddenly a roar came from the shadows at his side.

Kyrian immediately realized what it was. A large red boar with black tusks. Its red eyes burned with fury upon seeing someone near its territory.

The boar prepared itself, dragging its hooves across the scorched ground. Its snout released steaming breath in rage. And then it charged brutally toward Kyrian.

Kyrian, on the other hand, didn’t want to waste time. At the last instant, he drew the sword at his waist. The cold of the sword shone as his Qi was sent into it. A thin, icy layer of frost formed on the blade.

And with a nimble step, Kyrian dodged to the side.

The blade scratched the beast’s thick hide, leaving a deep cut. The boar screamed in pain and hatred, turning again to attack him. But Kyrian was already before the charred tree.

He crouched and pushed aside some burnt roots until he found what he came for. He dug in his hands and pulled out the Ash Fruit. It was cold to the touch, despite the heat around the place and on the ground. Truly strange.

Kyrian calmly stored it in his ring without looking back.

The boar was blinded by rage, seeing Kyrian stealing the fruits right in front of it. It slammed its tusks into the ground, scattering embers. It wanted to attack again, but upon feeling the pain in its body and the cold energy of the cut, it didn’t dare.

It only snorted, its red eyes fixed on the thief.

Kyrian then stood, cleaned his clothes and his sword before the boar, which grew more and more irritated.

Then he continued on his way, leaving the beast behind.

The second point wasn’t far. He moved toward an area where the ground was more moist and sticky. The smell was different, and it seemed a little fresher.

Kyrian noticed it was a shallow swamp. He saw the air there was more humid. This was perfect. There were still trees everywhere, he followed until where he remembered.

He walked without stopping, his eyes scanning the banks until he found it. In the middle of a rotting trunk lay another Ash Fruit.

But the spot where it was was truly strange. Kyrian looked carefully, then realized.

’Heh, so that’s why.’ He thought as he approached with a slight smile.

Beneath the rotting trunk, buried in the mud, Kyrian saw two eyes staring deeply at him.

If it were someone with poor vision or distracted, they certainly wouldn’t see that snake camouflaged, waiting for its prey to grab the fruit just above.

But Kyrian didn’t care about it. He went to the trunk and raised his hand, taking the fruit and putting it into his ring.

The snake lifted its head at the same moment, fangs dripping venom, and lunged toward his leg.

Kyrian simply raised his hand. The area around the serpent froze suddenly, forming a crust of ice that halted the beast’s strike.

Kyrian then simply cut off the snake’s head with his sword, finishing the beast.

Kyrian then moved on, giving no further attention to the swamp. The slightly more comfortable place in the forest for him was left behind.

The third location was deeper in the forest. The trees there were thick, their trunks twisted.

The heat grew even more intense, Kyrian slightly increased the flow of ice surrounding his body to remain comfortable.

A low roar echoed even before he reached the exact spot. Before him, a clearing with reddish rocks took shape.

At the center was a creature resembling a giant lizard, with spiked plates glowing in incandescent hues.

The Ash Fruit was among the rocks, close to the creature. In fact, there were three fruits. It was truly a good offer for Kyrian.

But there was a problem. Kyrian could feel the pressure the beast exuded. Unlike the boar, which had strength comparable to his, and the serpent, which was slightly stronger, the lizard before him... was far superior.

”A beast with strength at the initial Qi Liberation realm...”

The lizard raised its head, its forked tongue flickering slightly. It noticed Kyrian as he got too close. It shifted its spikes, screeching like metal scraping.

Kyrian did not rush, moving step by step. The cold air swirled around his body.

When the lizard lunged, he raised the sword with both hands and deflected the strike to the side, striking the blade’s edge against the hard plates and leaving only a superficial mark.

The beast’s strength pushed him back, but that was exactly what he wanted. The beast had moved away from the fruits.

The space ahead was free. And then, with a swift movement, Kyrian ran, reached the fruits, and stored them. The lizard roared but could not move.

Kyrian immediately froze half of its body using an immense amount of Qi.

The lizard panted with rage, trying to move but unable. Kyrian then saw steam rising around the beast. The ice would melt soon. So, he decided to leave quickly.

He turned and left the lizard roaring behind.

Now, Kyrian already had five fruits in hand. He walked more calmly.

The air was hot, but the cold that constantly emanated around his body left a faint trail of frost among the leaves.

He adjusted his breathing, keeping Qi consumption to the minimum possible.

Kyrian thought it wasn’t difficult to obtain the fruits, just time-consuming. He also thought about his strength.

Kyrian could say he was invincible in the Qi Accumulation realm. And against those at the beginning of the Qi Liberation realm, if he truly wanted to fight, he didn’t see himself losing, even if it meant spending much of his Qi.

But he still needed to truly test it. Against this beast, it had been easy, as it had underestimated him. He didn’t know how he would fare fighting another cultivator in that realm. But he wasn’t afraid. In fact, he was eager.

He wanted to test his strength, but he knew that in this environment and during the test, it wasn’t the wisest thing to do.

The distant roars of other beasts echoed, but Kyrian was in no hurry. Night was falling, and he thought it would be the best time to hunt. At night, the place would probably grow colder.

With attentive eyes, he moved toward the next point in his mind while thinking.

”Yanyu... I believe she will be fine. Her strength has improved a lot... but her being with the fox truly worries me.”

”The little fox was showing signs of waking up soon...”

”I will collect enough Ash Fruits to be comfortably in first place, and then I will look for her.” Kyrian decided, advancing toward the next fruit.