Chapter 68. Killing Intent Backlash

In the southern part of the Lapis Kingdom, there exists a famous landmark known as the Southern mountain ranges. Countless mines and excavation sites were present here as crystals and many famous gemstones could be found here. However, all these benefits did not come without danger. Magic beasts roamed the mountain ranges with weak beasts that had strength of a manipulation realm living on the bottom while the stronger ones resided on the top with strength of up to emission realm. With their fearsome numbers, people did not easily dare to roam these mountains without proper preparation and guards. Nevertheless, hiking on these mountains was near impossible for regular people as some peaks rose to about 4 kilometers above sea level. And along with that, they consisted of nearly vertical slopes along with slippery wet dew that collected into puddles from the snow that had melted as it slid down from the top of the towering majestic mountain.

The tallest point of the southern mountains was a majestic peak that was called Ketumati. It was so tall that it penetrated through the calm white cloud and it's peak could not be seen from ground level. No one had ever explored here before from fear of beasts and due to the oxygen availability in the air at this height so they could only come up with stories and legends about it.

As we go above the dense calming white clouds the mysteriously enshroud the unexplored mountain, a mesmerizing scene appears. You would expect to see a mountain peak that was shockingly cold but instead there was a little utopia laying on a beautiful almost flat surface. Plantlife flourished here as the aromatic essence of countless herbs filled the air giving the atmosphere of a healthy and natural environment. A little glowing crystal clear pond was located in the middle of a small area of land, and inside the pond were a school of vibrant coloured fishes that energetically swam through the pond causing calm ripples.

A beautiful middle-aged maiden laid inside the small shallow pond. Her clothed body waist down was soaked in the water and her hands relaxingly stretched out and laid against the rocks that circled the pond preventing the water from escaping. Her beautiful enchanting hazel eyes opened and she looked towards a pink blooming cherry blossom tree that stood close to the edge. Her attention was fixed on a man that was sitting down right beside the grand tree, his breathing was slow and focused. His body calm just like the wind yet his body seemed rooted to the ground like an immovable mountain as the abundant spiritual energy in the mountain top spiralled and flowed encircled him as he absorbed them.

Boom!

The previously calm spiritual energy suddenly exploded into a loud resounding boom. "Leo!" the woman immediately called out in worry. But the man remained silent and did not respond. With her worried reaching a peak, the girl could no longer stop her worry and immediately got up and started walking towards him.

However, she was immediately stopped in her tracks as killing intent suddenly exploded from within the man and a thick devilish dark red aura was radiated from the man.

"Leo!" she immediately screamed out again as she desperately tried to get the man's attention.

Responding to the girl's voice, the killing intent slowly began to mysteriously dissipate into the air and was suddenly erased and the man suddenly fell to the grass-filled ground with a loud thud.

"Leo!" she called out as she hurriedly ran to the man who laid on the ground lifelessly.

She immediately propped him up onto his back and checked on his status and gave a deep sigh of relief when she found out that although there were countless cuts with blood slowly flowing out, there was no fatal injury with his body.

It did not take long for the man to wake up as he began coughing up mouthfuls of blood in a few minutes. Leo opened his clear golden brown eyes to see Wenella giving him a relief smile.

"Thank you... My energy suddenly exploded. If you hadn't screamed then I would have been lost for a while longer. Thanks," Leo guiltily apologized.

Wenella shook her head and she curiously asked, "What was that? What happened? Is it related to your disease that you told Lex?"

Leo nodded, "I think so. You were really eavesdropping on our conversation eh?"

"Tell me about it. You only told Lex, let me hear the whole story," Wenella insisted, forcing Leo to tell her.

"Ok ok. I suffer from a disease called Heaven's wrath disease. I don't know what it is and how to cure it but it is directly linked to my energy right now," Leo spoke as he suddenly realized something, "Ah! That must be it. The time is closing in."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Aurora asked confusedly.

"Due to my sickness, I will suffer a killing intent tribulation every once in a while until it is cured. This must be a warning that the tribulation is near..." Leo explained with a slight hint of fear.

Shock came upon Wenella's face as she slowly pieced together the puzzle. The greater the power, the greater the weight that must be carried.

"What happened?" she asked anxiously.

"I was in a complete world of darkness, if it wasn't for you then I probably would've taken a long time to escape from that place," Leo slowly replied as he thanked her.

"I see. Were you planning to keep it hidden from me the whole time?"

"Haha. Forgive me for not telling you earlier but I did not intend to hide it from you. I was just waiting for you to ask me..." Leo explained guiltily as he got himself up on his feet and walked to the edge of the mountain.

"A week has passed. Going by horse would've been better but wouldn't get to see such fantastic sights like this," Leo spoke out as he watched the sun and how the gradient of the sky slowly darkened as it travelled from the horizon to the vast space above their heads.

"We should arrive soon but we are going to need more than just ourselves to be able to heal my disciple," Wenella spoke as she raised her main concern. Her disciple was in a brain dead state and their plan was to just recklessly charge into the one place where they chances of deaths were highest. Who wouldn't doubt or question Leo?

"Don't worry. If we find an alternative route then we will go for it," Leo suggested.

"I only said to go to the Capital because I couldn't think of anything else at the time..."

"Haha! Fine!" Wenella laughed as she had her thought confirmed. Staying with this boy had brought quite a pleasant enjoyment and she began to see him as an adult and not as as child.

To be honest, nothing about Leo looked like a child. His height was slightly shorted than the average height of men in the kingdom and his thoughts were like a grown man's so it was no doubt that Wenella would subconsciously take him seriously. She probably would have thought that Leo was man if he didn't tell them his age when they first met.