Mystic Eyes: My Eyes Steal the Laws of Cultivation Chapter 368: Five Days (3)

"Are you absolutely certain?" another leader inquired, his voice laced with disbelief.

"Completely positive?"

"Completely positive." The young man responded swiftly, gesturing towards the companions behind him.

"We all witnessed the beast. And we felt the draconic pressure mentioned in ancient legends, that feeling of a superior entity observing and judging you."

The leaders promptly turned their gaze to the other survivors from the same party. One by one, the disciples quickly affirmed with nods.

Confirming the sighting.

It was real.

For a moment, even the four leaders were rendered speechless.

Their eyes met, exchanging unspoken messages.

A Five-Horned Lava Lizard.

An ancient beast. A creature considered nearly extinct, even within the Inner Area of the Great Volcano.

Its draconic lineage imbued every part of its being with immense value.

Scales capable of withstanding strikes from formidable cultivators. Bones as hard as refined steel, perfect for crafting weapons of the highest caliber. Blood brimming with vital essence.

And the beast core, the nexus of its power, a Qi stone meticulously condensed over centuries of cultivation.

Every component was a priceless treasure.

Avarice immediately sparked in the eyes of all the leaders.

Even the tomb of Ming Hai was momentarily set aside.

"Lead us there at once," one of the leaders commanded, his voice resolute. It was not a request, but an order.

The young man nodded eagerly.

He then began to move through the Intermediate Area, charting the course back towards the location where they had encountered the beast.

Instantly, all the assembled groups fell into formation behind him.

The entire atmosphere had undergone a complete transformation.

Previously, frustration had permeated the ranks. The exploration had seemed fruitless, the mood steeped in defeat.

Now, excitement surged through everyone.

Simply beholding such a rare beast was an incredible event in itself. It was widely known that the Five-Horned Lava Lizard was so exceedingly rare that few living individuals had ever laid eyes upon one, and even among those fortunate few, most had only glimpsed it from a distance while fleeing in sheer panic.

Moreover, with the presence of the four leaders, cultivators at the Spiritual Awakening stage, no one considered the lizard to pose any genuine threat.

In their collective minds, the beast was likely already as good as vanquished.

And so, hundreds of cultivators began their advance through the Intermediate Area, setting their sights on the direction from which the Five-Horned Lava Lizard had last been sighted.

Pan Zheng walked amidst the throng, his thoughts troubled.

...

Meanwhile, within the confines of a small cave concealed amongst the volcanic rocks...

Kyrian remained in a deep slumber.

His body had practically entered a state of complete shutdown during these preceding days. The gradual process of healing continued, mending tissue by tissue, cell by cell.

Although Kyrian possessed formidable strength for his current realm, capable of confronting and overcoming adversaries at the peak of Core Formation, his physical form still harbored an unavoidable limitation.

He was, after all, still mortal.

His cultivation did not directly fortify his physique in the same way it did for conventional cultivators. Most cultivators, upon ascending through different realms, would experience transformations in their bodies, leading to harder bones, stronger muscles, and more resilient skin.

Kyrian did not share this benefit.

His ultimate power had perpetually resided within his eyes.

Certainly, with each advancement in his realm, his eyes released a flow of energy that contributed to the gradual strengthening of his body, a secondary effect, a mere byproduct of his true abilities.

However, this was far from sufficient to transform Kyrian into an individual specialized in endurance or regeneration.

His recovery process was not exceptionally rapid.

Especially this time.

The draconic fire unleashed by the lizard had been exceedingly perilous. Even with the protective ice barriers shielding a significant portion of his body, some flames had managed to breach his defenses during moments of vulnerability.

The burns necessitated nearly three full days to heal completely.

Now, only faint pink marks remained where charred flesh had once been evident.

But that was not his most grievous injury.

The true issue stemmed from the ice.

That peculiar ice lingering within his body after he had employed the translucent blue aura in the climactic moments of the battle.

It was a cold far more profound than that of ordinary ice. Its essence was different. Kyrian could not even fully grasp its nature.

Even after five days had elapsed, minute traces of that energy still persisted, dispersed throughout his bones, muscles, and blood. Like fragments of frost, they proved impossible to expunge.

Kyrian remained uncertain whether this constituted permanent damage, something that would remain with him eternally, or if it would eventually dissipate on its own.

For the present, he had resigned himself to ignoring it.

...

Then, at long last...

On the morning of the sixth day, Kyrian's fingers began to move infinitesimally.

First, the pinky finger of his right hand. Then the ring finger. Subsequently, the middle finger. One by one, his fingers contracted, as if testing their continued functionality.

His eyes fluttered open.

The profound darkness of the cave was mirrored within his gaze.

For a few fleeting seconds, Kyrian remained perfectly still.

Silent. Attuned to his own physical being.

The burns had vanished entirely. The skin on his arms and chest was once again flawless, bearing no scars.

The soreness in his muscles had significantly faded, leaving only a residual fatigue, as if they had been overexerted and were not yet fully recovered.

However, the internal cold persisted. It was weaker, more dispersed, but still present.

Kyrian's brow furrowed slightly.

He still couldn't manage that lingering energy within him. He was unable to guide it, expel it, or utilize it in any capacity.

This was because it didn't appear to be mere ice.

And his body, still frail and in the early stages of the Core Formation Realm, was simply incapable of enduring it completely.

Even so...

The discomfort no longer plagued him as intensely as it had before.

Moreover, his Qi had finally returned to its full state after the extended period of recuperation. Both cores pulsed gently, brimming with revitalized vigor.

That was the most crucial element.

Kyrian exhaled slowly before rising to his feet.

His initial movements were tentative, his muscles protesting the strain after days of inactivity.

He stretched his arms overhead, hearing a soft crackle from his spine.

Considering the dire state he was in upon arriving here, unconscious, wounded, scorched, and partially frozen, this recovery was more than sufficient.

He was finally prepared to depart.

And continue his pursuit of Ming Hai’s tomb.

Kyrian moved towards the cave's entrance, where he had erected the barrier of ice. He placed his hand against it.

The ice fractured and shattered, its fragments vanishing into the warm air.

The volcano's intense heat slammed into him like a physical force.

Kyrian stepped out into the open.

His eyes rapidly adjusted to the external brilliance, and he scanned his surroundings.

What met his gaze, however, was unexpected.

Silhouettes on the horizon. Numerous silhouettes.

They were advancing towards him. People. A multitude of people.

Kyrian's frown deepened.

He could guess who they might be, yet he was perplexed as to why they were headed specifically to this area.

But his awareness caught something else.

An orange flame hovered in the sky above the approaching individuals.

The very same flame that had previously observed him.

Kyrian's eyes narrowed.

The flame flickered.

Then it vanished.

The group of people pressed onward, heading directly for Kyrian.