Ballock's eyes widened. "Tell me, how do you wield the spiritual sense, which only Bronze Realm experts and above can use?" he asked, his voice trembling with a mix of awe and ecstasy.
He asked only because he knew Blood would never hesitate to teach him if it were a skill. After all, it was a Bronze Realm ability.
Even when Blood had shattered the dummy's head, Ballock still refused to believe he was in the Bronze Realm—if he had been, Ballock believed he would have been the first to know.
"Hehe! Sorry, I didn't know either, not until we entered the forest." Blood replied, retracting the sense before spreading it again to the very peak.
The aura expanded—ten meters, then twenty—until it finally stopped at a fifty‑meter radius.
"It covers fifty meters around me. Isn't that the same range as a Bronze Realm cultivator?" Blood asked, genuinely puzzled by the phenomenon.
"It seems that blood‑like energy truly worked wonders on you." Ballock said in a calm tone, though a little disappointed he couldn't learn the ability.
"I heard only peak Bronze Realm experts could reach such coverage, and yet you've done it while still in the Iron Realm. Wouldn't those experts kill themselves if they learned of this?" he added.
"Yeah, they probably would." Blood admitted earnestly.
Ballock: "__"
Spiritual sense was an innate, active ability awakened the instant a cultivator stepped into the Bronze Realm. It was like an advanced surveillance sense, scanning the environment for details that might otherwise be overlooked.
Of course, some things could still escape its detection.
Blood had not told Ballock about the Blood Book yet, nor did he intend to. He could not simply recount tales of its mysteries, not while he was in the midst of a self‑issued mission.
Unlocking that world was of utmost importance.
The moment Blood spread his spiritual sense; he detected a beast within his range.
He carefully analyzed the beast and recognized it as a Blue‑Fang Toad crouching in the grass. It had clearly noticed their presence and lay in wait, poised for a sudden strike.
Blood was stunned and quickly alerted Ballock with a subtle gesture but feigned ignorance, edging closer to the beast; from that distance, his strike might not land with precision.
The beast remained unaware it had been detected, still crouched low as it waited for the perfect moment to strike.
At exactly ten meters, the beast suddenly lashed out, its tongue snapping forward with startling speed.
Ballock was startled by the beast's sudden burst. Having only recently advanced to the sixth stage of the Iron Realm, he could not clearly follow its movements.
He gripped his weapon firmly as his expression grew solemn.
Blood remained unperturbed. To him, the beast seemed sluggish; its movements were laid bare before his eyes.
With a sudden bound, the beast hurled itself at Blood. But Ballock moved in a flash, intercepting its charge and slashing fiercely across its body.
Blood‑like veins swept outward, coiling around the beast and binding its body.
The Blue‑Fang Toad felt the sting of the blood‑veined blade and swiftly adjusted its speed, narrowly evading the strike.
Landing on the wet grass, it spat a jet of liquid that reached Ballock in an instant.
Ballock was astonished that his strike could be evaded so effortlessly. Tensed, he swung his sword, trying to cleave the beast in two.
However, the beast did not relent; it continued to spit the strange liquid, corroding his blade and eating it away before his very eyes. Its edge was consumed by the corrosive tide.
The beast attacked again, this time with a blue hue glowing from its forelimb. It suddenly became even faster and lunged straight at Ballock, its maw opening, as though to swallow him whole.
Blue‑fang Toads were solitary creatures that preferred close‑range combat. Only when cornered did they resort to long‑range attacks.
Mid‑air, the beast lashed out with its forelimb, blue energy surging toward Ballock. The strike was too fast for him to evade.
Though his short sword was corroded, he slashed it nonetheless, disrupting the torrent of energy. Yet not all of it was dispelled—the remnants still swept toward him.
Blood suddenly moved. He had already foreseen the outcome of this second clash. To him, the beast's energy was child's play.
His hand swept forth, dispelling the surge of power, before closing around the beast's head. Suspended mid‑air, it dangled helplessly in his grip, as though caught by a hook.
Ballock didn't wait—at once, he drove the thin tip of his sword into its left eye.
"Grrroaaak…"
The beast's agonized cry echoed through the region.
The Blue‑Fang Toad was a stage-7 beast of the Iron Realm, one that could have remained at that stage for months or even years.
Ballock had only recently advanced to the sixth stage and still needed practice to stabilize his energy. His last strike had done nothing but ignite the beast's fury.
The blood‑veined energy seemed to have an effect he did not yet understand; he had seen the fear in the beast's eyes moments before. The beast was clearly afraid of it.
Blood shook his head at Ballock's ruthlessness. Was that really necessary?
With brutal force he hurled the bloodied beast to the ground, his foot pressing down to hold it fast.
"Tell me, is that an angelic way of killing beasts?" Ballock retorted at Blood's finishing blow.
Blood could only sigh.
They watched as the beast writhed on the ground, its blood soaking the grass.
A familiar ding rang in Blood's mind.
[Iron Realm Stage-7 Blue‑Fang Toad killed]
[500 Exp Obtained]
[Mutation Exp: 110/1000]
With the beast dead, Blood's expression curved into a smug grin—much to Ballock's irritation.
"You're turning this into a competition, aren't you?" Ballock snaped. "Fine, you're on your own for now. Let's see how many beasts you can kill—and how long that smile lasts." he said, storming off through the grass.
Blood immediately raised his hands to explain, but the dude was already gone. He could only sigh ruefully, shaking his head.
He shrugged; his thoughts soon returned to the glowing notification. Why am I receiving 500 Exp this time, when the previous stage‑six cobra gave me 600? he pondered.
Blood assumed it might be tied to his cultivation increase.
His eyes widened suddenly; he had nearly forgotten his furious companion.
He dashed after Ballock, following his trail deeper into the forest.
Blood was determined to complete his self‑quest along the way.
___
Balin and his entourage had not been in good spirits since their encounter with the Whip Princess a month earlier.
Their lives had grown troublesome ever since, for the princess would not release them so easily, and they were forced to pay the price for the decapitated inn.
The charge itself meant little to Balin—he had the Shaffa Clan behind him—but the princess had also placed an ultimatum: she would not collect their crystals.
Energy crystals were as common as water to the great clans and tribes, traded daily like coin. At first, they believed the matter would be settled quickly, until her outrageous demand reached their ears.
From that day onward, their lives had been anything but pleasant.
"Once we find the last item in the Blue‑Fang Toad territory, we can finally rest and hold our heads high." one of the mercenaries said, his voice weary as he trudged at a sluggish pace.
"Never thought the Whip Princess could be so ruthless, turning us into her errand boys." muttered another man bitterly. His scarred face bore the marks of countless battles.
He was Gabon, the right hand of their leader, Hamizz.
They had heard countless tales of the Whip Princess, yet none of them imagined she could be so formidable, so foreboding…