The elder said nothing. His gaze toward Kyrian remained one of disdain, or perhaps it was simply the stubbornness of an old man who did not like to admit he was wrong about soone.
But Kyrian noticed that the elder took a little longer in his calculations before giving the next order.
"Continue." The elder ordered, turning forward.
They moved on.
...
During the following hours, they faced more encounters.
A swarm of Aerial Fire Fish, strange creatures that flew low, with translucent bodies filled with liquid flas, attacked from above, spitting jets of concentrated fire. The group had to scatter to avoid the bombardnt.
A pair of Igneous Stone Gorillas guarded the entrance to a small cave. The creatures were enormous, with arms as thick as tree trunks and fists capable of crushing rock. The elder faced one while Pan Zheng and two other disciples distracted the second.
And a carnivorous plant called Hellflower nearly burned two disciples to death. Its petals, when shaken, exploded into a shower of incandescent sparks that could pierce unprepared Qi barriers. Kyrian froze the flas of one of those explosions with a glance, creating a curtain of vapor that protected the group’s flank.
It was the first ti he acted directly in defense of the others, not because he cared about them, but because the explosion would have hit him as well.
Kyrian acted two more tis during that period.
The first froze the flas of a dual attack from two Fire Fish targeting the right flank. His ice neutralized the fire midair, creating a cloud of vapor that temporarily blinded the beasts.
The second created a temporary ice barrier, a thin but resilient wall that allowed the group to cross an area of unstable ground that released jets of superheated steam at random intervals.
The barrier blocked two consecutive bursts before dissipating, enough ti for everyone to pass.
Each ti he used his Qi, the contrast between the extre cold and the volcano’s heat created clouds of white vapor that rose dramatically into the air, like small clouds being born out of nothing.
The weaker mbers of the group looked at Kyrian with a mixture of gratitude and reverence. The stronger ones showed cautious respect.
Even those who had doubted him at the beginning started to reconsider.
...
After nearly six hours of constant progress, with occasional fights and brief pauses to recover Qi, the group finally reached the edge of the Interdiate Area.
No announcent was needed. Anyone could feel the difference.
The heat increased several tis in intensity. It was no longer a heat felt only on the skin, it was a heat that burned from within, that made the lungs ache with every breath, that caused the eyes to water from sheer environntal aggression.
The air seed to burn the lungs. Each breath brought not only oxygen but also particles of hot ash and gases that irritated the respiratory system.
Wide fissures in the ground released toxic and corrosive vapor, a dense white gas that made the skin tingle even through Qi barriers. Kyrian felt his ice barrier working harder to neutralize the corrosive effect.
Everyone, except Kyrian and the elder, activated full defenses. Flaming Qi shields enveloped their bodies, visibly consuming more energy. So were already showing signs of fatigue, slumped shoulders, heavy breathing, and unfocused eyes.
Thick ash began to fall from the sky like black snow. It was not the fine ash of the Outer Area that dispersed easily. These were larger, heavier fragnts that struck the Qi barriers with small crackling sounds.
Visibility dropped to less than thirty ters ahead.
The hot wind carried the distant sound of rocks cracking under extre heat, dry, irregular snaps, and the low roar of larger beasts, much larger than those they had faced so far.
The elder stopped at the invisible line that seed to separate the two areas.
He turned to the group. His expression was grave, devoid of the relaxed authority he had shown before.
"From here on, the exploration becos serious." He said, his voice carrying a severity that made it clear he was not joking.
"Maintain formation. Do not stray for any reason. Any sign of a tomb or ancient structure, no matter how insignificant it may seem, report it imdiately."
The disciples nodded, faces tense.
Pan Zheng, who stood beside Kyrian, seed to hesitate for a mont. He looked at his companions, then at the elder, then at Kyrian.
"Kyrian..." he began, his voice low.
"Would you be able to share so of your ice Qi with us from here on? Things are going to get more complicated, and..."
He did not finish the sentence. His eyes asked for help, but his mouth could not fully articulate the request.
Perhaps out of embarrassnt for asking help from soone they had hired. Perhaps out of fear that Kyrian would refuse.
Kyrian looked at the group.
The disciples were already using the full extent of their strength to maintain their Qi barriers. Sweat stread down their faces in steady lines. So trembled slightly, not from fear, but from exhaustion.
Then he looked at Pan Zheng again.
The young man in the scarlet robe seed genuinely uneasy. It was not just fear of the danger ahead. It was genuine concern for his companions. He wanted to protect them, even knowing he did not have the strength to do so.
From all the conversation they had during the run, from the stories Pan Zheng told, from the respect he showed even when he didn’t have to, and from a personality Kyrian sowhat approved of, he decided to help.
Without warning, his eyes shone.
The sky-blue of his irises, along with the white of his snowflake-shaped pupils, intensified. A cold energy spread in all directions around Kyrian, not like a violent wave, but like a smooth, controlled tide.
The cold mist enveloped the entire group.
Where it passed, the extre heat retreated. The air, once suffocating, beca breathable. The ash falling from the sky seed to lose part of its temperature, striking the Qi barriers with less force.
White vapor rose from everywhere, from the disciples’ skin, from their clothes, from the ground beneath their feet. It was the clash between Kyrian’s cold and the volcano’s heat, transford into clouds rising toward the hazy sky.
The disciples sighed in relief. So closed their eyes for a mont, enjoying the coolness. Others looked at Kyrian with evident gratitude, a few even gave subtle bows.
"Thank you." Said Pan Zheng, his voice full of sincerity.
"Truly, thank you."
Kyrian did not respond.
He simply continued walking, his ice energy pulsing gently, creating a zone of comfort that would protect the group as they crossed the Interdiate Area.
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