Duncan felt the atmosphere shift the moment he entered the boundary of the Ancient Battlefield.
Even though he was prepared for this phenomenon after reading the accounts in the sect, Duncan couldn't help but shiver as he felt the atmosphere change. It was decidedly unnerving to experience such a vast change within a single step.
An eerie silence engulfed the region, cutting off the sounds from outside of the region. The setting sun wasn't visible anymore. The temperature dropped drastically as well. With the change in the atmosphere, it almost felt as if the Ancient Battlefield was completely separated from the outer world.
It felt as if the Ancient Battlefield was a separate entity from the outer world. It kind of made it hard for Duncan to breathe for a moment. Duncan breathed deeply and looked around.
He knew that there was no going back after entering the Ancient Battlefield. Since he had stepped foot in here, he knew the biggest challenge for him currently was to navigate this treacherous terrain filled with powers that were beyond his imagination.
Looking back, Duncan was stunned to find that the wilderness that surrounded the Ancient Battlefield had vanished. There was only a hazy mist engulfing the region behind him. It exuded a pressure that Duncan didn't dare to test out.
Duncan was unaware of the exit points that appeared randomly in the Ancient Battlefield. Such information was never recorded in the sect annals. What the sect annals mostly talked about was the varying dangers of the terrain in the region and the experience of the seniors. He hadn't researched much thinking that he wouldn't be stepping into this place for a long time to come.
Duncan frowned seeing that the way back was blocked. He didn't really like the feeling of being trapped. It made him uneasy. Duncan began to realize that perhaps he had very little knowledge regarding the Ancient Battlefield and he may have gotten into waters that were way above his head.
Seeing that the way behind was blocked, Duncan realized that the only way for him to proceed was in the front. Duncan turned his eyes towards the front and examined the terrain.
The terrain looked similar to the wilderness outside, but the sand grains were far more coarser and very rugged. There weren't any plants or animals in sight. Even grass couldn't be seen. It looked akin to a desert, only if the desert was made of grains and not sand.
Wherever he looked, Duncan felt a feeling of desolation engulfing the area. It almost suffocated him. Considering his narrow escape from the Golden Hall experts who were chasing after him, the mood only affected him much more than it usually did.
"Just standing in this place is already affecting my mood," Duncan mumbled to himself and looked around warily. "The desolate feeling I could feel in the surroundings is starting to creep into my heart as well."
Duncan shook his head and began to move. He hoped that by keeping his body moving, he would be free from the desolate feeling at least in his heart. But, the reality was very different from what he expected.
Duncan could feel the sense of desolation he felt only become more and more prominent as he made his way inwards. Even his thoughts were beginning to turn slightly desolate at this juncture causing his heart to become a little listless.
Duncan increased his speed in a bid to escape the feeling of desolation that was creeping into him. He wanted to get out of this region before he would become completely listless. He could feel the influence of the atmosphere affecting his thoughts and heart more and more as time passed.
*****
The old man stepped into the Ancient Battlefield with a serious expression on his face.
The next moment he felt scorching heat engulf him. He immediately circulated his qi to regulate his body temperature. Yet, the heat seared him despite his precautions. The old man frowned slightly and looked behind him.
As he expected, a hazy mist covered the region behind him. Seeing it he couldn't help but sigh. Even though he knew that the boundary existed, it was still something to experience personally like this.
The old man tried to move backward and out of the Ancient Battlefield.
The next moment, he felt a pressure pushing him away from the mist. The moment his body made contact with the mist, he was blasted backward. The old man rolled around and got up from the ground. He coughed slightly emitting some blood. It was clear that he had been slightly injured internally while testing the barrier.
"It was a good thing that I wasn't too forceful. If not, I don't know what I state I would be in," the old man mumbled taking a few medicine pills from his space ring and popping them into his mouth. "Now that the legends have been confirmed, it is time to hunt down that rat that killed my grandson. After killing him, I can search for a breakthrough here."
The old man looked around and found himself in a region that was filled with rocks and boulders. The scorching heat that was shining down on the rocks only made it even more unbearable.
Grimacing a little, the old man scoured the region for Duncan's presence. However, after a few minutes, he began to frown. No matter how he searched, he couldn't find any trace of Duncan. Even his spirit consciousness wasn't able to notice any trace of Duncan.
"Sigh," the old man frowned, "It is as I expected. I was worried this might happen. There is no trace of that rat. I clearly entered from the same location he did, but he is nowhere to be found here. It looks like a minor teleporting formation is engulfing the battlefield as well. But, I didn't feel any teleportation around me though…"
The old man frowned unable to make heads or tails of the situation he was present in. But, one thing was clear to him. Teleportation or not, the region he entered and the region that his prey entered were clearly different. That left only one thing to do.
"It looks like I need to hunt him down in here as well," the old man said a little sullenly and looked up at the bright sun that was shining down on him. "From dusk to midday. From wilderness to rocky terrain. The Ancient Battlefield surely lives up to its mysterious nature."
"But, it doesn't matter. Even if I have to scour the entire battlefield, I will find that rat and kill him. Xin-er you don't need to worry. Grandpa will avenge you. As long as he carries around the palm sword I gave you, I will be able to find him no matter where he goes."
The old man declared to himself and started traversing the rocky terrain with determined strides.
*****
Some distance away from the Ancient Battlefield…
"Young Master, what are we supposed to do right now?" one of Han Shindong's subordinates asked him anxiously.
Han Shindong frowned slightly hearing that question. Even he was a little unsure of what their next actions should be. Even though he had left the vicinity of the Ancient Battlefield along with the other sect representatives and Envoy Ming, he felt as if he was cheated out somehow.
Thus, after being separated from the sect representatives, he gathered his subordinates and advisors to discuss about Duncan. Being asked so directly what their next step was, he didn't have a proper answer.
"Forget about following him into the Ancient Battlefield. You all saw how many Golden Hall experts wanted to kill that person. However, only one dared to enter the Ancient Battlefield after him. And too because he had some unresolvable grudges with that person," Elder Long said in a no-nonsense tone causing everyone to nod along.
"What does it say? It means, even Golden Hall cultivators are afraid of that place. I am not an exception to that either. I too am afraid of stepping in there before I reach the Nascent Soul realm. If you plan to follow him into the Ancient Battlefield, you will only be courting death with your cultivation, hmph!" Elder Long ended his speech with a harrumph causing everyone to sheepishly look away.
While the others let out a relieved sigh, Han Shindong alone looked a little reluctant. His thoughts kept circling around the possibility of Duncan obtaining some treasure in the Grotto Heaven.
After Duncan had entered the Ancient Battlefield boldly, this thought had only strengthened. He didn't think Duncan would dare to enter the Ancient Battlefield without any insurance to ensure his survival.
Considering the level of danger that the Ancient Battlefield boasted, Han Shindong felt the possibility of Duncan relying on a treasure to survive that place was far higher than the other options he had considered prior.
And this evoked his greed more than anything.
Any treasure that could help people navigate a treacherous land like the Ancient Battlefield will be rare and powerful. Considering Duncan's actions after exiting the Grotto Heaven and the way he repeatedly defied the odds to emerge victorious, Han Shindong felt that the only possibility was a treasure in his hands.
Elder Long watched the struggle on Han Shindong's face and understood what he was thinking. They were the only two in their group to be aware of the possibility of Duncan possessing a valuable treasure.
"Young Master," Elder Long called causing Han Shindong to look up. "I understand your thoughts. But, the Ancient Battlefield is very dangerous. None of us are strong enough to enter there."
Elder Long paused and shot a meaningful look at Han Shindong. Han Shindong's mind quickly deciphered that look. While it wasn't impossible to hunt Duncan in the Ancient Battlefield, it meant asking for help from his clan.
However, if he did that, the suspicion regarding the treasure couldn't be hidden. He needed to provide a valid reason for the clan to provide help. In that case, on whose hands the treasure would end up ultimately will not be in his hands.
As soon as he realized that, Han Shindong's face became dignified.
"I understand," Han Shindong nodded at Elder Long. "I will try to see if my Elder Brother is willing to help. If not, let's wait for him to emerge out of the Ancient Battlefield and go after him later."
Elder Long nodded in an approving manner. Young Master Han had grown up a lot in recent times. He was beginning to witness it very clearly. Earlier, Young Master Han would only be concerned about the treasure and wouldn't think much about the complications in acquiring it. Now, he was beginning to think a little ahead and plan for it. It showed his maturity.
"I will get my hands on that treasure one way or another," Han Shindong mumbled and gestured for his subordinates to move out.
