Chapter 131: Domain Training

Jin Puxian was unexpectedly reprimanded and tortured by Qimu through telepathy afterward. Qimu warned him not to harass Huo Ye again, claiming that Huo Ye was his target and they must not startle the prey.

Although Jin Puxian, having been parasitized by Qimu, possessed the raw strength to utterly crush the body Qimu was currently inhabiting, he knew better than to resist. Qimu’s parasite could cause him to drop dead instantly, and he was well aware that if he killed Qimu’s host, he might simply be targeted as the next vessel. Thus, he dared not rebel.

Within the Star training grounds, thick fog now billowed, obscuring everything in sight. Jiang Feng had unleashed his Domain-type ability, leaving the members of Star groping blindly through the mist, struggling to find a way to navigate freely within the domain.

Jiang Feng’s "Deep Clouds, Unknown Destination" was still a work in progress, but under Eddie’s guidance over the past few days, its glaring flaws had been largely corrected. By altering the flow of his energy, he could achieve much more. Now, his clouds were not merely for perception or visual obstruction; by sensing the positions of his opponents, he could manipulate air resistance and pressure to hinder their movements. The mist could even condense into blades, capable of simple attacks, though their power remained limited.

Furthermore, the trick Huo Ye had previously used—locating people through sound within the fog—would no longer work. The current "Deep Clouds, Unknown Destination" was Jiang Feng’s domain in the truest sense, a complete sensory vacuum.

The challenge for the members of Star was to learn how to coordinate within this ability. Among the eight members, only Huo Ye and Jiang Feng possessed Domain-type abilities. Huo Ye’s "Greedy Wolf Hunting Ground," perfected by Eddie over many years, could clearly distinguish between allies and enemies, exerting mental pressure on foes to force them into making mistakes.

The "Deep Clouds, Unknown Destination," however, was different. It consisted of actual, physical clouds that indiscriminately blocked all senses. To coordinate within it, the team had to adapt and master the necessary techniques.

Rellimi held a dozen pairs of glasses, swapping them one after another, seemingly attempting to use technology to pierce through Jiang Feng’s ability. Alas, whether it was infrared, X-rays, or vibration sensing, none could bypass the dense, white mist. It was ridiculous—was Jiang Feng’s ability meant to sabotage his own teammates?

During the last exam, if the domain hadn't been incomplete and Huo Ye hadn't been present, several people might have been killed by the Calamities on the spot.

The others were stumbling blindly through the mist, occasionally bumping into walls. Luo Jiajia, stomping her feet in frustration, finally lost her patience and hurled an energy ball into the void. A shrill cry of "Ouch!" echoed back—oops, she had hit someone.

But at this moment, Luo Jiajia didn't care. She was nearly moved to tears. Although Jiang Feng’s ability was limited to the training ground, the way the fog obscured everything, making it impossible to see the boundaries, was terrifying. What is the source of human fear? Is it death? Bloodshed? Those are merely appearances; the true danger to humanity lies in the unknown.

Clinging to the sound of the scream like a lifeline, Luo Jiajia lunged toward the source. She grabbed an arm—it was firm and muscular, the skin radiating a heat like the summer sun, yet it brought her an overwhelming sense of relief.

A voice remarked, "Huh? It’s you. Something just hit me; did you see what it was?" It was Lu Dingyuan, Little Six.

Luo Jiajia, not about to admit it was her, immediately denied, "I don't know, I didn't see anything."

"Oh, I see." With that, Lu Dingyuan began to walk away, seemingly having no intention of looking after her.

"Hey! Senior, what are you doing? I can't see anything here, don't leave me behind!"

Huo Ye walked alone through the fog. His pace was deliberate, as if he were consciously controlling his muscles to slow his movements, waiting two full seconds after lifting his foot to set it down.

As the person most familiar with Domain-type abilities, he understood that a domain meant spreading one's energy to alter the rules of a specific space. Anyone capable of comprehending or learning such a skill must, at the very least, have the capacity to rewrite the rules. In that sense, Jiang Feng was a genius.

Therefore, to break or coordinate within a domain, one had to grasp its inner rules. One had to use their own energy to sense Jiang Feng’s energy flow, find its patterns, and then establish a connection. Once connected, that space would become part of his own sensory range as well.

Eddie and Huo Ye had explained this to everyone beforehand, but how to actually communicate with the energy was a matter of individual insight. Yet, one thing was certain: if they could understand the rules within Jiang Feng’s domain, their chances of developing their own domains in the future would increase significantly, as it meant they understood what it truly meant to rewrite the rules.

It had been five days since Huo Ye was discharged from the hospital, and five days since they began this training. Today, Huo Ye finally grasped some of the patterns of the "Deep Clouds, Unknown Destination." He could now perceive a two-meter radius around himself, and then... he found Shangguan Yudie.

Huo Ye broke into a cold sweat. *Young lady, you focus on your own enlightenment; I’m heading out.*

However, no matter how Huo Ye tried to evade her, Shangguan Yudie seemed to head straight for him. Had she found him? Eventually, Huo Ye gave up on resisting—it wasn't right to keep hiding, especially if they didn't count their fifteen-minute chase.

Sensing Huo Ye had stopped, Shangguan Yudie reached out without a second thought. She intended to grab his arm, but since he wasn't yet in her line of sight, she ended up pinching the soft flesh at his waist with all her might.

"Gah!" Huo Ye let out a sharp cry, instinctively swatting her hand away. Good heavens, that hurt!

The skin at the human waist is incredibly sensitive to both pain and itching. Shangguan Yudie had long nails, and since she had intended to grab him to keep him from running, the strength behind that pinch was considerable. Huo Ye experienced a level of agony he never dreamed he would feel outside of combat.

Because there was no actual wound, his self-healing ability didn't trigger. Huo Ye suffered for a full thirty seconds before he recovered. Shangguan Yudie decided she should run—after doing something like that, there was no way she could keep holding onto Brother Xiao Ye’s arm. Of all the thirty-six stratagems, running away was the best!

But just as she turned, she heard Huo Ye’s voice drift through the mist: "Xiao Yu, don't you dare run!"

Shangguan Yudie’s hair stood on end, her back stiffening like a cat caught stealing a treat and scolded by its owner. *Damn it, Brother Xiao Ye knew it was me.*

She walked to Huo Ye’s side, not daring to utter a word.

Huo Ye rubbed his waist and asked, "Did you find me using your individual ability, or have you already grasped the rules here?"

He felt there were only two possibilities; otherwise, it would mean her sensory range far exceeded his own!

"Individual ability," Shangguan Yudie replied. "I couldn't see, so I missed." She was defending her earlier mishap.

Huo Ye let out a satisfied sigh of relief. As expected, he was still the fastest learner in the team. That’s what a leader should be like! He felt quite smug, hands on his hips.

Sensing Huo Ye’s smugness, Shangguan Yudie thought, *Heh, your emotions are truly hard to understand. Maybe you should put your mask back on; feeling your emotional waves is giving me a headache.*

Seeing the disdain in her eyes, Huo Ye remembered she could sense his thoughts. He quickly suppressed his smug expression and said seriously, "I have grasped some of the rules here. Let me explain them to you."

Shangguan Yudie nodded, and Huo Ye began to explain.