"All right, let's look for some treasures and humans to rob."
Ken and the ladies started climbing the volcanic mountain carefully. Most of the mountains in the region were in a state of persistent effusion, meaning they steadily released a flow of magma without erupting in gushes and violence.
Diana could generate a small wind by releasing a steady flow of Wind Qi from her core, keeping the poisonous air away.
On this trip, Diana's job was to keep their presence concealed while Ken used Blood Sense to notice incoming dangers like humans or beasts. With his new stage, the technique's radius increased to a kilometer, but it was still in the Small Success mastery realm since his former training method didn't help him improve his mastery.
"It's a shame we don't have Henry with us, he is the best treasure-detector we could ask for."
The three spent a few hours on the mountain, and they started getting sick of the view. It was hot, smelly, and the poisonous air consumed Diana's Qi constantly, irritating her further.
·?θm There were mainly fifth-rank beasts since most of the fourth-rank ones had a hard time surviving in this environment. Furthermore, they didn't find any enemies there, showing how unpopular the region was.
"Ahm, should we give up and go to the forest? I feel like we're wasting our time here without Henry."
Jane asked after being denied from fighting yet another beast because of the beast's higher rank.
"We're already here. Four Seasons Sect is specialized in elemental Qi, so it should be a popular site for those cultivating Fire Qi. We just need more patience; it's only been 4 hours since we got here."
The girls grumbled but followed Ken regardless. They hunted the few fourth-rank beasts Ken found and evaded the stronger ones. Every now and then Ken would give a signal to Diana that they were safe, and she'd try to use the wind to find secret entrances.
"Hey, I can sense a few humans, but it feels like they're inside the mountain as if they entered through the magma. Try seeing if you can find an entrance."
Ken stopped the group when he noticed the presence of 5 humans. His technique could go beyond solid matter, but it'd be hard for him to find secret entrances. Diana, in contrast, couldn't sense beyond solid matter but was better at finding tunnels.
"I found it, it's 800 meters to the north. There's a lava fall on the mountainside, and it hides the entrance. What are their ranks?"
"They have 4 disciples at the fourth stage and one at the fifth stage. We can try to take some of them out by surprise before the Nascent Soul cultivator can intervene."
"No, it's too risky."
"There's nothing risky about it. By the rules of war, the fifth-stage guy can't prevent us from taking the discipleship tokens if we kill them. We just won't enjoy their wealth."
"What if he doesn't abide by the rules?"
"He must, he will risk dying otherwise. Here, take Concealment Pills."
He brought out his Concealment Pills and distributed a few to the girls. They felt uncomfortable following Ken's instructions, but Ken already left toward the lava fall Diana had pointed at before.
"Well, how do we survive the magma? It might be better to head back."
Diana said worriedly, but Ken just took out a pill that his subordinates would recognize easily. It was the Chill Pill, which helped them fight the poison that kept trying to burn their hearts.
"Those are Chill Pills; they can keep your bodies cold even in hot places."
Ken planned to use it to keep their bodies cold and fight off the endless heat of the place.
"Why didn't you take those out earlier if you had them?"
Diana hissed at him and instantly swallowed one without hesitation, letting out a sigh of relief as soon as she felt the chill invading her cells. Her hair stuck to her face because of her sweat, and she felt uncomfortable in her robes. She already opened them as much as she could.
"I don't have an endless supply of them, so I preferred keeping them for when it really matters."
"Finally we can fight some enemies. But even I think it will be a bad idea to continue the fight if the Nascent Soul cultivator stands in our way."
Jane voiced her opinion while the three prepared to enter the tunnel behind the lava fall. She handed everyone a fourth-rank defense talisman to protect them while they enter the cave.
The talismans took effect as soon as the magma was about to hit their bodies, creating a dome of Qi above their heads and deflecting the incoming magma. It lasted less than a second, and the three were already inside.
"All right, let's wait here for when they come back outside and ambush them."
Inside the volcanic mountain, a dark tunnel stretched before them. The air was heavy with the scent of sulfur, the rough walls bore the marks of past eruptions, and the temperature rose in the deeper parts.
They heard faint rumbling echoing in the distance and saw drips of moisture hinting at hidden springs deeper inside.
-----------
"They're coming back. Prepare yourselves."
The three took their places and Diana aimed her bow. She boosted the arrow with Wind Qi, ready to propel it forward at an extreme speed to kill an unsuspecting enemy.
"Which one is at the fifth stage?"
"The one in the middle. In three they will come from the turn 120 meters away. 1… 2… 3!"
Diana was surprised to find out that Ken sensed them while she didn't sense anything. It meant they could bypass her technique, but not Ken's. She let the air out of her lungs and released the arrow.
Ken was quite confident of his Concealment Pills. They were all concocted with his self-invented Heaven-grade concoction techniques, allowing them to bring forth much stronger effects.
The arrow flew at high speed, piercing through the eye of a female disciple that walked with a pout on her face, a remnant of a recent argument.
"Eve, no! I will avenge you even if I get killed for it!"
Foll𝑜w current novℯls on fre𝒆web(n)ovel.co(m)