Chapter Fifty-One: The Art of the Eagle Eye

When they first entered the mountain range, Li Xingyu already sensed something unusual about Fire Rain in his backpack. Its restlessness and occasional low whimpers revealed its fear and anxiety. At first, Li Xingyu released a trace of his own aura to cover the backpack, and once Fire Rain felt that familiar, comforting presence, it gradually calmed down. However, not long after everyone became alert, as they ventured deeper into the mountains, each of them began to feel an invisible pressure enveloping them. Gradually, they all released their own auras to counteract this pressure.

As a result, their pace slowed somewhat. Although Li Xingyu also felt the pressure, it was still bearable for him. To avoid drawing too much attention, he restrained his strength, releasing only the aura of someone at the peak of the Innate Realm. Among the group, Li Xingyu appeared the most at ease; he was the last to circulate his energy to resist the pressure. This surprised the others a little and made them realize that Mu Chenhua’s praise for Li Xingyu’s cultivation when he introduced him was not exaggerated—they themselves had underestimated his strength. Still, they could accept this, though they were astonished that someone so young possessed such profound cultivation. It meant that, besides being extremely gifted, he was either backed by a powerful force that had nurtured him, or he was extraordinarily fortunate and had encountered rare opportunities. Elder Qin from the Qin family’s branch, however, pondered another possibility. After a brief surge of envy, he could only sigh deeply to himself and say nothing more.

At the same time, everyone understood why Mu Chenhua had chosen someone like Li Xingyu, who likely had little connection to the Mu clan and might not even be from the Divine Gift Empire. Having someone who might be the strongest among them greatly increased their chances of success and safety. If Li Xingyu ever tried to monopolize the benefits, the other seven could join forces against him—unless he and Mu Chenhua were in collusion, which might pose some trouble. Though they had known Mu Chenhua for years and the Mu clan had a stellar reputation within the Divine Gift Empire, these were all seasoned adventurers and maintained a subtle wariness. Thus, within the group, a tacit alliance of six formed, with Li Xingyu and Mu Chenhua somewhat apart. Li Xingyu sensed this undercurrent, and Mu Chenhua was also keenly aware, but he made no attempt to explain—sometimes the more one explains, the more suspicion arises. He wasn’t concerned; as long as he acted with caution, the six would not make a move against him or Li Xingyu, and he had no such intentions, so he remained quite composed.

After Li Xingyu began circulating his energy to resist the pressure, they traveled a while longer. Aside from the mounting pressure, they encountered no danger or signs of other creatures in the mountains. Li Xingyu had already speculated that few creatures roamed these mountains, and before they set out, it had been said that the area was sparsely populated with wildlife, and those that did exist rarely appeared. But if one were to encounter any, it would be troublesome indeed. Any creature capable of surviving under such invisible pressure was bound to be formidable, with strength at least comparable to an advanced Innate Realm expert. There were even rumors of creatures surpassing that level, though since no one who had encountered them survived, such tales were only inferred from the scenes of slain experts and remained unconfirmed.

After traveling further, the group stopped to rest in a clearing backed by a cliff. They needed to replenish their strength with food and meditate for a bit. Li Xingyu did not require meditation, so he sat down, took out some dry rations and water, and began to eat. He let Fire Rain out of the backpack and tossed it a piece of dried meat. Fire Rain emerged, warily surveying its surroundings. Li Xingyu could clearly see its intense fear and confusion, but upon seeing him, it relaxed, stretched its plump body, and settled beside him to gnaw on the meat.

Suddenly, Fire Rain stopped chewing, glanced into the distance, and its fur bristled as it pressed trembling against Li Xingyu. Startled, Li Xingyu stood up and looked into the distance; however, his spiritual sense could only extend about fifty meters, so, unable to see anything with the naked eye, he employed the Hawk Eye Technique. Unlike spiritual sense, Hawk Eye could see twice as far as the eye could, but it was blocked by obstacles. Along with the Dizziness Technique and Object Manipulation, which could be cultivated at the Spiritual Focus stage, Li Xingyu had begun to master these methods after his breakthrough. Except for Object Manipulation, which could only control his flying sword in simple motions due to lack of advanced sword techniques, he could apply the other spells quite proficiently.

Using Hawk Eye, Li Xingyu vaguely saw two fierce beasts battling in the distance. Judging by their attacks, he estimated that both were at the peak of the Innate Realm—perhaps even stronger than he had been before advancing to the Spiritual Focus stage. This discovery made him silently grateful for his caution when he first arrived on Naster. The rumors were true; if he had rashly ventured into the mountains before his seclusion, even with a laser gun, he might not have escaped unscathed from such powerful beasts. The mountain range’s mysteries surely went beyond the existence of these formidable creatures—there must be even more unknowns lurking within.

Noticing Fire Rain’s agitation and Li Xingyu’s actions, the others stood up and looked toward the same direction. Focusing their true essence, they too faintly sensed the distant commotion, though not as clearly as Li Xingyu. Afterward, they kept vigilant and began discussing their options. Li Xingyu spoke up: “I sense that two extremely formidable beasts are fighting over there, directly ahead of our path. Do you think we should detour, or wait until they leave before proceeding?”

No one was surprised by Fire Rain’s alertness—beasts were always keenly sensitive to the presence of other powerful creatures and sources of danger, and all knew that the beasts of the Divine Gift Mountains were deeply fearful for good reason. However, Li Xingyu’s precise perception made them regard him with renewed respect. After listening to him, no one doubted his words. They were astonished for a moment, then began to discuss his suggestion. In the end, they agreed to wait for an hour; if the two fierce beasts remained, they would make a slight detour past them. Seeing Li Xingyu had no objection, everyone sat down again, some to meditate, others to eat. Conversation dwindled; under the dual pressure of the invisible force and the two beasts, everyone remained highly vigilant.

Though seated, each kept their senses tightly focused on the distant disturbance. Li Xingyu dispelled Hawk Eye and instead enhanced his own perception while sitting on the ground, meditating and reflecting on what he had just seen. He had not shared all of his observations—partly because they were not crucial to the group’s decision, and partly because he did not wish to reveal too much of his own capabilities. If he described the appearance of the two distant beasts, it would be hard to explain and might arouse suspicion.

What Li Xingyu actually saw was that one of the distant beasts resembled a rhinoceros—huge and bulky, with such formidable hide that its opponent’s attacks barely harmed it. The other creature looked somewhat like a wolf, but several times larger. Though it was nearly half the size of the rhino-like beast, it was extremely fast, making it difficult to land a hit.

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