Two hours later, Damien finally reopened his eyes. With the help of his mana circuits, he was able to rapidly refill his mana capacity, fueling his regeneration and recovering from his injuries.
His skin had been scanned and burned by his own lightning previously in his quick bid to close his wounds, but the scars left behind in their wake were nothing major, so he didn't fret too much.
In actuality, he didn't mind the scars. It reminded him of the old days when he was weak and helpless in the dungeon. Back then, his body was riddled with scars head to toe, and he was even missing an arm.
Over time as his regeneration skill continuously evolved, his scars faded and left his skin pristine again, but it would've been a lie to say he didn't miss them.
Battle scars were mementos. They were proof of struggle. They held a slight bit of sentimental value in his heart.
Shaking off useless thoughts, he surveilled the interior of the cave once more to check on Ruyue and Zara. The former was still in deep meditation, but the wounds on her body didn't seem bad anymore. She would be healed soon.
As for Zara, she was dutifully watching the cave entrance for any potential threats. They hadn't been in this ecosystem for long, so it was unknown whether the cave had an owner.
Damien decided to think about their future plans as he waited for Ruyue to heal. Taking the escape talisman out of his subspace, he injected a trace of mana into it to see if he could get a reaction.
However, to his chagrin, it was still unsuccessful.
'Well, I guess I shouldn't have expected much. Even if we're out of the spatial locking formation, it doesn't mean we're in a better situation.'
Logically speaking, it'd be more of a surprise if the talisman was actually able to properly carry out its function. The 3000 Beast Mountain Range had been a danger zone for thousands of years, and in that time it was only natural that countless cultivators would have entered to try their luck.
If such things as escape talismans were functioning within the mountain range, the stories and rumors surrounding it wouldn't be nearly as overblown. Cultivators were beings prone to danger, but they equally feared death.
Nobody wanted to die a meaningless death before they were able to flesh out their potential.
So it wasn't uncommon for a cultivator to carry around talismans or other escape treasures on their persons. The degree and quality of treasure would obviously differ, but it was impossible to think that nobody with a treasure able to teleport them back outside the mountain range would have come to the danger zone.
"The Myriad Illusion Veil must have some sort of property preventing long-distance spatial travel," Ruyue commented. At some point while Damien was thinking, she must've finished recuperating.
And it wasn't difficult to guess his thoughts after seeing the talisman in his hand.
"Mm, that's the only explanation. Perhaps the spatial locking formation was only necessary on the outskirts of the jungle, where the veil isn't as powerful."
"Most likely, we had already left the effects of the formation while fleeing, but we didn't notice it."
"If that's the case, the question remains as to what the ethereal wall we passed through before arriving in the mountain range was."
If they had already left the formation, then the wall they had assumed was the edge of the formation was an entirely different mechanism.
Was it another formation? If so, it was of a terrifyingly large scale. Whatever that wall was, it was easy to infer that it was the reason the Myriad Illusion Veil didn't encroach upon the true 3000 Beast Mountain Range.
"An easy way out was never viable, huh," Damien muttered in resignation.
"It doesn't matter. I, for one, refuse to spend the rest of my life secluded in this mountain range." Ruyue responded. Her tone was firm, leaving no room for questioning.
Damien nodded in agreement. "No matter how beautiful this place is, it isn't somewhere I'm willing to spend the entirety of my life."
Damien was someone who yearned to explore the universe and see the myriad worlds it held. There was no way he'd disagree with Ruyue.
"The convention was cut short after a month by those idiotic self-righteous inquisitors, so we have roughly 8 months left before the secret realm opens. Leaving aside 2 months for travel, we have 6 months to find a way to escape."
"No, there's no need for that," Ruyue interjected, "the location of the secret realm is common knowledge to those within the sects. And with your ability, you should be able to teleport us there as long as you know the location, right?"
Noticing the hint of provocation in her tone, Damien grinned. "Of course. There's no way something as easy as that is outside of my capabilities."
"Then it's settled. Have you tried using the messaging talisman to contact Master yet?"
"Ah…" Truthfully, Damien had completely forgotten about it. The escape talisman was the more valuable of the bunch, so he placed more importance on that one.
Taking out the second talisman, Damien injected his mana. Surprisingly, he elicited a positive response.
The talisman crackled and alarmed as if it was having trouble operating, but in the end, a startled voice was projected through it, albeit slightly jarred by interference.
"Damien? I didn't expect you to contact me this early."
"Master, the situation isn't good. I don't think this talisman will last long so allow me to speak before anything else."
Damien didn't waste any time. He immediately summarized the events leading up to this point, from the month they spent at the convention to the chase that left them stranded.
"What?! Those Eclipsing Shadow Sect bastards dared?! Alright, I've heard your story. I'll arrive there in a few weeks and take you both out of that damn danger zone!"
"Wait."
Damien looked at Ruyue in surprise. She had let him take the reins for so long that he didn't actually expect her to speak at this time. Still, he didn't really mind it, handing her the talisman and allowing her to say her piece.
"Ruyue?"
"It's me, Master. I know it might be presumptuous of me to ask, but please allow us time to figure things out for ourselves before you charge in here."
Damien's eyes widened in shock as he looked at her, noticing her staring back at him. Her eyes were filled with a sort of conviction he'd never seen from her before.
"Can I ask why?" Tian Yang replied. His voice was oddly calm, unlike what one would expect from someone who had just heard something so absurd.
"The reason is simple. As it is now, we are too weak."
Damien furrowed his brows at the overarching statement, but in the end, he couldn't help but agree. Indeed, they were far too weak in the grand scheme of things.
If they had been besieged by those cloaked figures in any other circumstance, without the outside help from the veil and other natural factors, it was unknown whether they would have been able to escape relatively unharmed as they did.
"The 3000 Beast Mountain Range is an incredibly dangerous zone, I'm aware of that, but such a zone is precisely what we need to foster our growth. This environment is perfect for practical combat experience and continuous leveling.
"I may be cutting it close, but allow us 7 months to do as we please within the mountain range. If we haven't contacted you after the allotted time, you can take it as failure on our part and come save us.
"I have never asked for too much or been too willful since you started training me, but just this once I'd like to truly experience the harshness and cruelty of reality. I want to temper myself in flames and be reborn as a being with true strength."
Tian Yang was silent for an entire minute before responding.
"Okay. I can sense your determination even through the talisman. I would be a fool of a master to refuse you. All who desire strength must test themselves in true combat, and it's the one thing I've refrained from allowing you all these years.
"Perhaps it's my old age getting to me, making me so overprotective. Since you've spoken as such, I'm sure that both of you are in agreement. Just remember, if I don't receive any update after 7 months, I will charge in there without hesitation and drag the two of you out, whether you like it or not."
The talisman erupted in sparks once again as it died out, leaving the conversation unfinished. Luckily, they had been able to convey what they wanted and get a positive response.
Damien had been silently listening to the conversation between master and disciple. Although he also counted as Tian Yang's disciple, he never placed emphasis on such formalities. It could be said that the bond between the two was still relatively weak.
However, it was different for Ruyue. She had been more or less raised by Tian Yang for many years, and their bond was clear as day. From Tian Yang's tone, he could even infer that their connection was borderline familial.
He saw no reason to interject in such a relationship or conversation. Besides, he agreed with everything she said. This was indeed a perfect environment for continuous leveling, and it might even grant him a new trait if he was lucky.
Unlike her, he had already been tempered by countless battles, but he still had things he needed to improve. If not his strength, his mind needed heavy improvement.
He has always been a brute. He accepted that and truly had no way to deny it. He was the kind of person who charged with overwhelming force and achieved domineering victory.
But recent times told him this wasn't enough. He needed to learn how to use his wits and be clever in battle. He needed to learn how to strategize.
These 7 months, they would be his first step on that path.
