Duncan looked around at the new region he had arrived in with vague amusement on his lips.
After gaining as much as he could from the garden region, Duncan decided not to try his luck by entering the intent domain in that region. He knew clearly that his cultivation in the way of the sword hadn't reached a point where he could walk across that intent domain and emerge intact.
So, without wasting any time, he backtracked his way and chose a different direction to walk through the region that filled him with despondence. By now, he was beginning to gain some insight into the topography that filled the entire Ancient Battlefield.
The Ancient Battlefield was filled with leftover intents and domains that were caused during the war in that time eons ago. When those powerhouses battled, they had thrown around various intents and domains in this region causing the entire region to be filled with them.
What makes the region dangerous is that these intent domains will attack anyone who enters them. The despondency he encountered was something of a byproduct of an attack left behind by a powerhouse. It was the same with the intent domain he had gained enlightenment from in that beautiful garden.
These attacks have literally changed the landscape and are still influencing the atmosphere around it. Such a place was both a treasure trove and a dangerous minefield to navigate through.
Unless one has their own domain to counter these intent domains, they will be eradicated without any mercy. And the intent domains in these regions are varied. If a cultivator had a defensive domain, he would be able to withstand the assault of a sword domain or an attack domain. However, it might not be the case with other domains that influence the soul and mind like the one he entered first.
This also made it hard for a single person to navigate the region easily.
Domains are things that only transformational experts are skilled in. So, by logic, anyone with a Golden Hall cultivation can walk inside the Ancient Battlefield and have a chance to emerge alive.
But, the problem is that not every Golden Hall expert could wield a domain. Only when they reach the Golden Core realm will they be able to control their domains easily to defend.
Even though Duncan had already learned how to create a sword domain, it didn't mean he would be able to use it effectively. The same logic applied to Golden Hall cultivators as well. Thus, normally Golden Hall cultivators didn't step into this region.
Only when a person has understood and created their own domain will they be able to step in here. Even then, it will not be a guarantee for them to remain alive due to the varying types of domains available in the Ancient Battlefield.
And this was only the edge of the Ancient Battlefield.
Duncan didn't know what kind of phenomena and things he would get to witness inside the Ancient Battlefield as he traveled further. He was both excited and apprehensive about it.
Even though he obtained huge benefits by encountering the sword garden, he also almost lost his life while dealing with the region he first entered. Even while making his way back, Duncan didn't have it easy.
He had to constantly combat the despondency creeping into his heart and soul. Even with prior experience, it wasn't an easy task to accomplish. Duncan felt that when he stepped out of this Ancient Battlefield, he would have both his horizons widened and his knowledge enriched.
As for the thought of dying inside here, Duncan didn't give it much importance. He understood clearly that this Ancient Battlefield would be his test through fire. If he dies, then that's it. If not, then he would become stronger than he was before.
Now that he was inside this region, thinking about dying was pointless.
The only thing he could do now was to take on things that came one by one and manage to stay alive. Even if this experience leaves him with a broken body, he will need to crawl out of here alive to have any chance of a future.
But, that didn't mean everything was a loss.
Just like how he had gained great benefits in the sword garden, he might come across other opportunities as well. Who knows, he might find some ancient treasure or legacy to make his cultivation path smoother.
This Ancient Battlefield was dangerous, but it was also rewarding.
*****
The new region Duncan entered boasted scorching heat. It was filled with a burning sensation that even created a burning sensation in Duncan's soul. Duncan couldn't help but marvel at the penetrating power of this new domain.
The heat was so unbearable that he even felt his soul burning. It was as if he was present inside a lava mountain. Looking around, he could see molten rocks and lava spread out across the entire landscape causing him to feel a bit thirsty just after stepping into the region.
Duncan didn't know what awaited him in this domain. So, he didn't recklessly trek through the region. The first domain he encountered affected his soul and mind. The next one was a sword domain. This one, looked as if it was formed of a fiery fire intent.
Duncan didn't want to take chances.
After understanding the danger level of these domains, Duncan decided to be as careful as possible while trekking through them. If he found any dangerous domains like the sword garden, then he would take a detour after gaining as much as possible from it.
At least, that was his plan at this moment.
His plans might change as his cultivation and power increases in here. But, Duncan didn't think he would be able to obtain enough power to walk through these domains unhindered. His current cultivation was way too low for such stuff to occur.
Squinting his eyes, Duncan looked into the distance and found the entire area covered in magma that emitted burning heat. Duncan groaned as he realized that trekking through this region would be incredibly difficult.
He really didn't like the fact that he had to get through this region that stretched for who knows how long. Still, it was still undetermined yet to see if he was walking through this region or turning around.
Duncan picked a rock from nearby and chucked it directly into the region. The previous lessons from interacting with the sword garden let him know that it would be unwise to assume there aren't any immediate dangers just because a place looked peaceful.
This region was already looking dangerous compared to the two regions he had been to earlier, so Duncan wasn't letting down his guard anytime soon. He decided to check first before deciding on crossing this region.
The rock he chucked into the region didn't meet any untimely demise. It bounced through the magma terrain causing lava to splash across the place. Duncan frowned as he saw that the area where the lava splashed was eroding quickly.
Looking at the stone, he saw that it was mostly intact.
Duncan took a deep breath and let out a huge sigh. It was clear that while the region was still dangerous, the physical damage was highest only when the lava was touched. Otherwise, the region looked somewhat navigable.
Duncan then concentrated hard on the surroundings while keeping track of the kind of emotions he felt. He looked for any kind of influence on his emotions in the atmosphere. Luckily, he didn't find any as well.
However, this didn't reassure Duncan.
Duncan was like a man who got a snake bite at this moment. He was afraid of anything that even remotely looked like a snake. He kept searching for hidden dangers for several minutes before ultimately coming to the decision that this region was navigable.
"Well, it looks like there wouldn't be any hidden dangers here," Duncan mumbled aloud and looked around furtively hoping to catch some kind of hidden danger. "Then, I guess I shall walk through here."
Duncan hesitantly took the first step into the region feeling out the atmosphere carefully, while still being ready to backpedal. When nothing happened, Duncan's heart soared a bit and he took the next step confidently.
Duncan took a few more steps before coming to a stop. He looked around the region that was emanating a kind of noxious smell and frowned slightly. Even after checking for some time, Duncan didn't find any hidden threats.
Duncan jumped slightly and bounced in the place a few more times testing the terrain as well. He didn't want to walk through the region, only for the land to collapse under his feet and send him to a fiery death. After checking that the land under his feet was stable as well, Duncan finally smiled slightly.
"That's it, I guess," Duncan chuckled and began walking through the region boldly.
*****
On the other end of the magma terrain, a grizzled old man stepped foot inside looking around at the surrounding terrain with vigilance in his heart. His clothes were scorched, his face looked bloody, and one of his arms hung limply to the side. But, there was a mad determination emitting from his eyes.
He looked at the magma terrain and mumbled under his breath.
"I hope I find that demonspawn in this region at least. The last few regions have been a bust. But, it doesn't matter. I will find him even if he goes to the end of this world. Even if he is dead, I want to see the remains of his body to be sure of it…"
