The Thorne of Destiny-Chapter 88: Vyre in the Mountains

After breaking through the illusion in his mind, Adrian found himself on his knees on the floor of the maze, with tears streaming down his face.

However, before he could even move, a head-splitting pain pierced through his mind. The pain was so intense that he could only clutch his head and scream in agony.

He had only felt pain like this once before. That was when he was receiving the inheritance from the Blood Star. The difference was, this time, this pain came from something different.

Adrian didn’t know it, but his forceful method of destroying the illusion was very dangerous. The illusions he experienced occurred inside his sea of consciousness, where his soul resides.

Any sort of injury to the soul could have killed him, or worse, turned him into a vegetable. In fact, if any other person had gone through the same thing Adrian had just experienced, they would have probably already been done for.

Usually, one would dispel an illusion by destroying the formation causing it, not shattering the illusion itself. Adrian was still too weak, so he couldn’t even view his own sea of consciousness.

If he could, he would have witnessed it trembling while the illusion was shattered. The pain he was currently experiencing was the consequence of that.

His body collapsed onto the ground as he fainted from the intense pain. Adrian didn’t know it, but he was extremely lucky. Part of the reason why he wasn’t dead or turned into a vegetable was due to the strength of his soul.

Unlike a normal sixth-level Foundation Establishment realm cultivator, Adrian’s soul was far more robust. It was far stronger than his current cultivation level.

If his soul were to be compared to that of a Golden core realm cultivator in the initial stage, he wouldn’t lose. And now, with the recent ’exercise’ it had just gone through, it was bound to become stronger.

By how much was something that Adrian had to find out by himself another day.

******

Outside the mountain range, at the entrance of the Misty Mountains, a group of individuals could be seen gathered around. There weren’t many, barely reaching twenty individuals.

However, the aura emanating from them was something that couldn’t be ignored. From their attire, one could tell they weren’t ordinary individuals. Their clothes were luxurious, not something ordinary individuals would wear.

In front of them stood three individuals, a man and two women. The man had long, grey hair and wrinkles on his face, denoting his advanced age.

One of the women was a mature older woman who carried herself with grace and poise. The wrinkles around her eyes did not diminish her prestige, but rather seemed to elevate it.

The last woman was different from the other two. Her face was youthful and elegant, contrasting sharply with that of the two beside her.

Her purple hair shone under the sunlight, complementing her beauty even more. Anyone who received her sharp eyes and cold gaze would feel like they were unworthy of even looking at her directly.

The makeshift market that was usually bustling at the entrance of the Mist Mountain was quiet today. The crowd, seeing this group of individuals, didn’t dare to make any noise.

Even as most of them didn’t recognise them, they knew they weren’t to be messed with. Most of the people here were rogue cultivators.

In order to survive in this world, without any backing, one had to be smart. Also, some of the veteran cultivators here recognised the old man standing with the two women.

That was the City Lord of Stonehold City, Gabriel Richards. They were wondering what such a man from such a noble background was doing here.

The few astute ones among them also noticed that he was standing a step behind the two women.

What did that imply? That meant that the two women were of a much higher standing than him. Even if they couldn’t recognise them, it wasn’t hard to tell who they were.

As whispers began to stir among the quieter corners of the crowd, none dared to speak above a murmur. Their eyes were fixed on the trio at the forefront, particularly on the younger woman whose purple hair shimmered like molten amethyst in the sunlight.

For her to be able to stand beside two people who were emanating such powerful auras, she definitely wasn’t ordinary.

"Young miss, are you sure you don’t want me to send any more guards with you?" It was City Lord Richards who asked this question.

Because of the status of his guests, he personally escorted them here. He even wanted to send them with more warriors, but was declined.

He wasn’t doing all of this out of the kindness of his heart. He wasn’t such a benevolent individual. He was simply trying to ensure his own safety.

If something were to happen to the young mistress of the House of Vyre while under his jurisdiction, his head would definitely fly.

"Like I said before, City Lord Richards, we are fine. Too many people would just slow us down." Belladonna replied, not even turning to look at him.

"Alright, I wish you good luck." City Lord Richards said with a sigh, finally giving up on trying to keep her safe.

’Well, it’s not like she’ll actually be in danger.’ He thought while shooting a quick glance towards Elder Glenda.

With little fanfare, Bella and a small group of cultivators from her family, only amounting to about ten individuals, including Elder Glenda, set out into the mist.

This part of the outer region had already been extensively explored, so there wasn’t much more for them to find. However, there was a part of the outer region that was rarely explored.

An unofficial danger zone in the outer regions. This was a place that people actively avoided, but now, it was the destination of this group.

They travelled for about a day, hunting various beasts along the way. The warriors around took care of the beast in quick fashion, making sure they didn’t waste time.

City Lord Richards had already told them the fastest route to get to their destination, so it wasn’t hard for them to make it.

No one spoke as they passed the boundary marker, an old tree that resembles a pillar overgrown with moss. As soon as they passed through the tree, the atmosphere here shifted immediately. The air thickened, not just with fog but with tension.

Every breath tasted faintly of iron and crushed flowers. The trees twisted unnaturally, their leaves varying from violet to bruised black. Some glistened with dew that hissed when it touched the ground.

"We’re finally here," Bella said quietly.

"The Hollow Vein."

The hollow vein was a section of the Misty Mountain that was different from the rest. A poisonous valley stretched out like a wound in the land, pulsing with color and corruption.

The air was thick and humid, laced with invisible toxins that clung to the skin and made every breath a calculated risk. A faint green mist coiled just above the ground, drifting in unnatural patterns, as if guided by a will of its own.

Strangely, the green mist didn’t mix with the normal white mist present in the Misty Mountain. The two colored mist seemed strangely beautiful in a deadly way.

Deeper in the valley, farther into the valley, the green mist accumulated even more, until it was the only one present.

"Circulate your Qi constantly," Elder Glenda instructed. "Don’t let the mist settle in your lungs."

The group adjusted quickly, consuming various detoxifying pills and potions. Many of them had been trained for environments like this, but no amount of preparation made the region safe.

Notably, Bella and Elder Glenda didn’t bother taking any pills, as if the environment didn’t affect them.

The vegetation here was unlike anything the group had seen, even the most seasoned among them. The trees were tall, their bark dark as obsidian.

They had been exposed to the toxic atmosphere here and they had evolved in order to survive. Their leaves, whatever few were left, were dry and brittle.

One of the cultivators in the group paused beneath one. He reached up, attempting to pluck one of them. Belladonna’s voice cut through the stillness."Don’t touch it."

He froze. He looked closer, and what he saw spooked him. On the leaf was a drop of sap that flowed down it, dropping on the ground.

He didn’t know what it was, but if he had touched it carelessly, he could have forfeited his life that easily.

Above them, vines twisted like serpents from the branches, some visibly reacting to the group’s passing beneath them.

All the warriors were alert now, the warning from Belladonna having woken them up from their stupor.

Even if they were still in the outer regions, they could still lose their lives easily due to a simple mistake. They hadn’t encountered any magical beasts yet, which made them even more nervous.