Chapter 253: Fourth Layer
Black dust filled the whole place, making Eliana to look around with confusion.
However, her confusion only lasted for a second because the next moment her eyes widened, and understood Zane's aim.
Before her in the black dust, she was able to see as the air trembled visibly, making the dust to move toward another direction.
"Like this, we will be able to tell which direction is safe and which is not.", told Zane calmly and after staying silent for a small while, he pointed to the right.
"Just like there. It seems there is no wind barrier there."
Flying there where no wind blades were present, Zane waved his hand, and once again, shot a few more black balls forward.
*BAM!*
Just like the last time, black dust filled the whole area, showing the two experts a small path forward.
"It seems this will be the right path.", said Zane, and without saying anything else he started to fly forward.
However, the next moment he fired his power to fill the area with black dust, Zane and Eliana noticed that the path suddenly split into two.
"So it's a maze?", asked Zane quietly and decided to toward the left, but after he fired another time, that path to split into two.
"Interesting."
***
While the two experts were trying to figure out which path led toward the next Temple, until then Greg was sitting in the Energy Chamber with a trembling and sweating body.
Just like any time, his body looked like he just swam in the lake outside, while his body trembled because of the intense pain he was feeling.
So far, he had formed 6 connections, but just those six connections alone lasted close to a day for him.
The closer he got to break into the Mind Grade, the Soul Tempering process became harsher.
In the beginning, Greg only felt small pain like needles piercing into his muscles, then like someone cut his body from the inside.
However, the pain became even stronger than ever, and it was like someone inside his body was twisting, cutting, repairing his bones and flesh, and re-doing that process from the beginning once again.
And because of the unbearable pain, there were occasions when Greg needed to redo his attempts.
There was even a time when he needed only one final push to create the connection but failed because he didn't concentrate enough and the pain took over his body.
That made him quite mad.
"I only need 3 more, and I will be able to form the Fourth Layer.", thought Greg with clenched teeth, as he moved the Fourth Flow's layer toward the closest point on the Fifth Flow.
Bit by bit, the layer moved toward the connection point, and finally, after a whole 10 minutes, which felt eternal torture for Greg, he succeeded.
"Aghh... Finally! 2 more to go!", thought Greg, but looking at his body, stood up slowly and said, "But before I can continue, I need a small rest. My body feels totally exhausted."
As he said that, he walked out to the roof, where he always did and sat down.
Looking around the place, Greg noticed as Russ and Wayne were exploring the place, while Joe and the two girls were fighting against each other, visibly refining and practicing their skills.
However, compared to the huge free space here, Greg felt that they definitely needed more people if they wanted to create their own Clan here.
Or at least if they wanted to create the feeling that they have their very own Clan.
However, as he was watching his surroundings in silence, suddenly Greg frowned and looked up.
There, he could see several crystals making the whole place to be filled with light, while in the very middle, he was able to see a wide gap, revealing the clear sky outside.
Greg and the others have already figured out that the sight they were seeing was only an illusion, and there was no real wide gap or hole on Skyfall Mountain.
So the reason why Greg raised his head was not because of that but felt several presences appear above his head then vanish the next second.
"Did I just imagined it?", thought Greg, but after examining his surroundings once again and finding nothing out of ordinary, he frowned.
"Maybe I truly did.", thought Greg and after resting for a while more, he stood up.
Walking back, he continued his cultivation, without caring about anything else.
Hours went by, and after several attempts later, Greg finally formed his Fourth Layer.
Just like previously, a terrifying power broke out from his body, but thanks to his demon mask, no great damage happened to the building.
After the similar sight that always happened, after he created a Layer, Greg sighed with relief and thought, "Finally. Only 5 more left, plus the final connection."
And just as he said that he stood up and started to walk out to get fresh air, but halted suddenly.
Yet again, he frowned and thought, "This again. This time I'm sure about it."
Instantly, he ran out of the building and activated his Silver Wolf's Prey Sense.
However, the moment he did, his eyes widened with shock.
As he was looking around him in silence and widened eyes, until then, Russ, Wayne, and his friend appeared on his side.
"It seems we have been surrounded.", said Russ calmly as he looked at Greg calmly.
"Yeah, I see that. There are at least a thousand of them.", said Greg as he saw the several dim lights through the walls.
Luckily, each of them was only on the Ascender rank, while there were very few on the Calamity rank, so Greg relaxed a bit.
"Who are they?", asked Greg as he looked in another direction.
"I checked it and it's the Dia Family.", replied Russ instantly.
Knowing that among them, Russ was the only one who was able to teleport freely, Greg nodded and glanced at Joe.
Seeing his expressionless face, he turned to the side and looked at a huge white light that was shining through the stone walls greater than any lights he has seen so far.
"An individual on the God rank. That must be Joe's father", thought Greg, as he noticed two more lights.
Maybe they shone not as greatly as the first one, but they were still powerful. Greg knew that those two were from Scott and Henry, however.
"Did they find the entrance inside?", asked Greg as he glanced at Russ.
"Not yet.", answered Russ, making Greg to sigh with relief.
"Then that is good. Do you think they will be able to find a way in?", asked Greg.
Thinking for a small while and the possibilities, Russ shook his head and said, "If they don't have a person who has powerful tracking ability, I don't think so."
As Greg heard this glanced at Joe, and waited for his reply. Because Joe knew the Dia Family the best, he knew more if the Dia Family had a great tracker or not.
And just as he believed, Joe answered calmly.
"My father has several people with the ability to track down individuals, but I can't think about any who would be able to find the entrance."
"That's good to hear.", said Greg, however, Joe started talking once again.
"But, I know one person who should be able to enter this place even without finding the entrance."
The moment they heard this, the 5 turned surprised.
"Who?", asked Mila from the side instantly.
Glancing at her, Joe replied calmly, "A person who protected me when I was still young. He is a terrifying assassin and is capable to kill anyone by surprise."
"His name is Shadow."
When they heard the name Shadow, everyone turned silent, and only after a small while later did Mila turn to look at Joe and ask, "And what is his Guardian's power? Is it associated with the element of shadow?"
However, Joe just simply shook his head and wanted to reply, but just before he could have, a figure appeared behind Mila with a dagger in hand.
"Watch out!", shouted Joe instantly, but before he or Mila could have reacted at all, the figure moved first.
*Swish!*
With a great speed that was hardly followable, the figure slashed toward Mila's neck, but just before the weapon could have touched her skin, a fist appeared from the side.
*BAM!*
Like Thor's hammer falling from the sky, Greg's punched the man in the face, making his whole body to fly away like a cannonball.
"!?"
Everything happened so fast and unexpectedly, that not even Russ and Wayne were able to react, while on Mila's forehead, huge drops of sweat appeared.
"Are you okay?", asked Emma instantly, ready to use her healing power if she saw even the slightest sign of blood or a fatal injury.
"I... Am fine.", said Mila after calming her heartbeat down, and glanced at Greg.
"Thanks."
However, Greg didn't say anything but looked toward the direction in silence he punched the man.
"Luckily, the air threads in the air were able to warn me just in time. If it weren't for those, I would have been late for sure!", thought Greg as he thanked his First Flow's help once again.