Amaya didn't seem to be satiated with Nero's answer, and asked another question, "Where do you come from?"
"Why the questions? You don't need to know anything about me, so why are you bothering me?" Nero snapped.
"….."
Amaya was about to reply when her words got stuck in her throat. She didn't need to know any of these things about Nero. Maybe it was the deep sense of mystery she felt around him, or maybe the fact that he singlehandedly destroyed a force that even her Gandor kingdom couldn't contend with, and acted like nothing out of the ordinary happened.
From the time that Nero destroyed the Black Dragon mountain, she had never seen him try to recover his wounds or show any sign of exhaustion. All he did was search for directions on how to leave this forest. After that, he came back and they quickly headed East. In all these things that happened, Nero had never paused to rest or take some pills to recover, instead, he always taunted her on how unstable her cultivation was and the effects those recovery pills would have if they weren't fully refined.
There was also the aura of arrogance that mingled with the very air he breathed. He cared so little about her well-being and outrightly denied coming to her rescue. All these left a deep impression on her like he had an all-powerful background that she couldn't see through. Seeming inquisitive by nature, Amaya couldn't just let this go. She was about to ask another question when Nero's voice interrupted.
"I come from deep in the mountains. I was in seclusion for some time, and I finally came out not so long ago."
Nero's reply was straight to the point and hurried like he was irritated to answer her question. His reply was a basic charade that he put up to stop Amaya from asking any more questions.
Amaya on her end could read the meaning behind his reply and didn't pry any further. Even if his reply was a lie, the point was that he had answered her question, and no further question will be entertained. They quickly broke into an awkward silence that lasted for many hours.
…
Evening came and the usual dark forest became increasingly darker by the second. Nero and Amaya had been walking for many hours. Amaya took in heavy breaths as she gasped for air, she appeared exhausted. Nero on the other hand didn't show any sign of slowing down; in this dark forest, his green eyes glowed with a vibrant light that could be seen through the many layers of darkness that shrouded this forest. He turned back to see the exhausted Amaya gasping for air.
The air here was misty and heavy in the lungs. If one was to venture into this forest, they had to prepare for many unlikely events that could hinder their progress. For a Divine Sea Realm martial artist, it wouldn't be hard to survive in this forest, but Amaya's foundation was unstable and she was in a weakened state. Doing the things she'd normally do weighed heavily on her.
"We'll stay here for the night." Nero said. It was already late, and any further movement was futile. Although he didn't look it, the fact was that Nero too had consumed a lot of Qi in his battle with Saburo so he had to rest.
"I'll advise you to find a tree and sleep there. The beasts in this forest aren't so friendly." Nero warned while scanning for a tree to lay down on for the night.
"Not that you'll be safe there, but you might not die so quickly."
"Your words aren't so comforting. If you have nothing nice to say then don't say anything at all." Amaya quickly scolded.
"I can't lie to make you comfortable. Anyway, it's your choice." Nero shook his head and jumped on a tree. He laid on the broad branches and very quickly, he fell asleep.
Amaya too had to find her means. She climbed a tree and lay on the branches. Many thoughts of how she was kidnapped flooded her mind as she lay down. The torture she had to bear and the continuous realization that she had no hope of leaving her cage were deeply engraved In her subconscious. And when it seemed like all hope was lost, she encountered a strange arrogant young man who was ferociously stronger than many people she knew. Thinking this, her eyes slowly got heavy, and in no time she fell asleep. For martial artists, sleeping wasn't necessary, but some people liked the luxury.
The night passed slowly, second by second. Suddenly, something unusual happened. Nero started to twist and turn, he seemed so uneasy in his sleep. His body was glowing, and a violent Qi like a ravaging thunderstorm was going berserk in his body. Unable to bear it any longer, he woke up.
"Not good!" When Nero saw the abnormal changes in his body, his face slightly changed.
Very quickly, he started to revolve his spirit Qi creating a very strong suppressive force. When the suppressive force collided with the berserk Qi in his body, it released an explosive force within his body that almost tore through his skin.
Nero's face was slightly distorted from the pain. His face dripped heavily with sweat as his veins bulged through his skin. This painful process went on for a while before finally settling down. Nero's expression had also improved.
"I should be more careful in the future. I can't let things get out of hand again." Nero continuously grumbled, but he was relieved at the same time.
This violent Qi was a result of cultivating the unique technique… Dark Domain! Dark Domain is a technique unique only to Nero. When Nero releases this domain, it instantaneously covers a wide range while swallowing it in many layers of thick dark mist. However, Nero hasn't used this technique after he fought with the martial artists of the Eternal Realm and was gravely injured in the process… at least up until now.
In Nero's fight with Saburo, when his aura burst out from his body, it pushed back the air around him creating a vacuum. This vacuum is the Dark Domain! At least the Dark Domain in its basic form. If even the tiniest Qi falls within this vacuum, it is instantly integrated into Nero's body without giving a chance to be refined. It greatly increases his combat strength by many leaps, which was why even at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment Realm, he was still able to keep up with Saburo a Mid-stage Grand cultivation Realm expert.