‘Hm, I can feel my Qi flowing much more easily,’ Yao Lian calmed herself, slowly allowing her mind to become one with Qi. She let her eyelids flutter before opening them fully, feeling that the flow of Qi inside her body was much easier now.
‘?!’
But in her line of sight, the first thing she saw was a black robe fluttering as her pupils slowly moved upward in a straight line to meet two amber ones looking down at her, as she inquired, “What are you doing?”
“Just observing your breathing technique,” Ryuk calmly answered as he slowly retreated.
[All peeping toms utter the same excuse when they get caught (~￣³￣)~]
He had already observed the way it was mentioned in the book and the difference with which Yao Lian was practicing. He understood that the book’s technique had a different effect on different physiques.
Naturally, in these few days, he had also tried to use those breathing techniques. Given that they were reserved for the son of destiny, it was possible for them to have a very high level of proficiency.
However, it turned out they didn’t have much effect on Ryuk’s body, and now, seeing Yao Lian, it was clear that most likely that breathing technique was based on one’s physique.
It was most likely that it would provide an overwhelming result if practiced by Liu Wei, though right now, he was half-dead.
Using Esme’s illusion, he was able to sneak Liu Wei onto the ship without any need for bloodshed. Even Yao Lian had directly started practicing her breathing technique without realizing that Liu Wei was also on board.
“…I see.” Yao Lian clenched her fist as she slowly stood from her place, collecting her robe as she observed the sky, noting that they were soon going to arrive at the border of Upper Town. She then averted her gaze from Young Master Rui Ke, not wanting to hear his words, and moved in the opposite direction to him before taking a seat on a nearby barrel.
[What will she do if she sees that pig sleeping just beside her? (￣ヘ￣;)]
Ryuk turned towards Esme before approaching her, leaving behind Yao Lian, who, unaware, was seated near a barrel, while just a few hands away from her, Liu Wei’s unconscious body was lying covered in an illusion, making him invisible to her.
Soon enough, the ship finally crossed a large mountain range, passing through a few mountain peaks before finally revealing a long dimensional gate that was glimmering intensely.
The land beneath stretched to a certain expanse, providing space for more than a thousand people. But for now, it appeared to be empty, with hardly one or two people standing near the entrance as they were entering.
“Y-YOUNG MASTER!”
‘….’ Ryuk was able to clearly hear the scream coming from below, specifically from those four people who had followed him here without falling in the middle somewhere, as the ship slowly started to land on the empty land where other ships were also present with a few individuals on board.
“This is the border of Upper Town. Seeing it empty, it seems we are the last to arrive.” With her hands folded and eyes closed, Yao Lian informed. She communicated with Ryuk and Esme as the ship initiated its landing, lowering all four of them down, including Bone Breaker and the trio of numbers with horses, until it gradually came to a halt.
[Host, the use of Rakshasa Technique is detected.]
Suddenly, the system chimed in and informed of the use of a particular technique on the blood-stained ground leading towards the portal.
In the middle of the ground, a broken big axe was buried, with still fresh blood dripping from it. The axe seemed completely broken, with its blade shattered and scattered around the place, carrying the presence of metallic stench, but no dead bodies were to be seen.
Normally, it was barren land with rocks above what was once a flattened mountain, with a dense cloud-like portal simmering in front that a few individuals were entering. Following it, Ryuk and Esme slowly descended from the ship.
‘Is it Lucas?’ Ryuk recalled the name of the individual who practiced this technique which Ryuk had slightly learned in Ardoros in hopes of controlling the body double of Lucas Devereaux for his battle with Drishti. He felt there was definitely a chance that guy would be present here, causing him to order, ‘Use the Insignia and detect the presence of flagbearers nearby.’
Ryuk knew well that if he commanded a search for the Devereaux bloodline nearby, it would most likely cause the system to detect all the Devereaux members who had accompanied him, including Drishti, since it cannot particularly filter them with flag bearers.
So he directly ordered the use of the insignia provided to him when he became a flag bearer.
Naturally, using his ability, he was able to turn off his insignia, making him invisible and undetectable to other flag bearers. However, while doing so, since the insignia was within his own body, the system was able to analyze it.
[Analyzing the Insignia.]
[Using the Detection feature.]
[Detection Initiation.]
One after another, different voices came from the system as it started to use one of the features of the insignia provided to all the flag bearers.
[No one detected nearby.]
‘….’ Upon hearing that there were no flag bearers nearby, Ryuk narrowed his gaze as his eyes settled on the ground in front of him.
Observing it, it was clear that a fight had occurred here.
Given how the broken ground seemed to bear the marks of the axe, which was finally buried in the same ground, he could easily guess that there was only a single person in the battle who kept moving, while the other remained still.
Simply put, this was a one-sided battle, added to that by the clear size and weight he could feel from that axe, which was approximately one and a half tons. It was clear that whoever carried it was strong enough to swing it at will.
Given the axe marks across the ground, someone strong enough to oppose such an individual without even moving from their place was hardly believable, considering the strength of individuals Ryuk had seen so far.
‘Are you sure there are no flag bearers here?’ Ryuk once again inquired, standing in place while Yao Lian also descended from the ship. As others, including Bone Breaker and his sidekicks with three horses, slowly moved towards him with their crawling bodies, appearing to have gotten paralyzed due to the special transportation they had received.
[Yes, Host, according to the detection of the Insignia, there is no flag bearer here.]
‘And what if they had turned their insignia off?’ Ryuk slowly took a step forward, moving towards the axe, with his hands folded behind him and his eyes of deep amber fixed on the ground, which bore the marks of struggle with traces of feet grazing the hard stone, small craters scattered across the land, and finally a broken axe in the middle.
[Host, it’s impossible since the body treats it as a part of the skin.]
The system clearly informed that the insignia was present like a tattoo on the skin, where the body instinctively provided mana or energy, similar to blood, to that part. This made it impossible to turn off the insignia unless one cut off their hands.
