Chapter 801 - 540: Hydra’s Final Hideout

Chapter 801: Chapter 540: Hydra’s Final Hideout

Mage Morpheus spoke, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible disdain.

He pointed at the calm, black surface of the lake.

Illuminated by the intense light, Raylo finally noticed that a faint, almost transparent Energy Film indeed shrouded the lake.

It constantly rippled like water, distorting the light passing through it.

This Barrier was far less magnificent and vast than the spatial barrier of the Divine Spirit ruins above; it even appeared somewhat crude.

"Heh."

Mage Morpheus couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

"Compared to the one above, this Barrier is nothing more than a child’s doodle."

His tone brimmed with the absolute confidence of an expert in his Domain.

"It seems my guess was right," Mage Delin looked at the Snake Egg and spoke slowly. "The Nine-headed Demon Serpent Hydra likely stumbled upon these ruins of the Ancient Divine Spirits by accident.

"It’s quite clever. It used the ruins’ original Barrier—the one that gave even us trouble—as a sanctuary to evade pursuit."

Mage Delin paused, shifting his gaze to the crude Barrier over the lake.

"As for this one... it must have set this up itself to protect its nest.

"That explains why it’s so incredibly crude."

"Indeed," Mage Morpheus nodded in agreement. "A Magical Beast, even at the Catastrophe Level, could only comprehend the Law of Space so deeply. Being able to mimic the original and cobble this thing together proves it has at least a little talent."

He rolled his wrists, producing a sharp CRACK.

"Watch me break it."

With that, he didn’t even bother bringing out his silver Space Magic Ball as he had before.

He simply raised his right hand and pointed casually at the air above the lake.

A slender thread of silver light flashed from his fingertip and vanished in an instant.

POP!

A soft sound echoed, like a bursting bubble.

The Energy Film shrouding the entire black lake twisted violently before quietly dissolving into nothingness, much like a punctured soap bubble.

The entire process took less than a dozen seconds.

Raylo’s eyelids twitched at the sight. He thought, "Is this the power of a Legendary Level Space Mage?

"It’s too easy.

"And far too domineering."

"Alright, the path is clear."

Mage Morpheus clapped his hands, as if he had merely swatted a fly.

He tapped his toe lightly against the ground.

HUM!

A seven-colored Rainbow Bridge forged from Spatial Energy materialized beneath their feet out of thin air. It spanned hundreds of meters, one end anchoring to the shore while the other landed precisely on the edge of Lake Heart Island.

The Rainbow Bridge emanated a soft glow, as sturdy and solid as physical matter.

"Let’s go."

Mage Morpheus was the first to step onto it.

Mages Delin and Wendel followed closely behind him.

Raylo took a deep breath and followed the three Legendary Mages onto the peculiar Spatial Energy Rainbow Bridge.

Beneath his feet flowed a river of seven-colored light, while to his sides lay the bottomless, ink-black water of the lake.

The four walked across the Rainbow Bridge, making their way toward the massive Snake Egg at the center of Lake Heart Island.

Complete silence enveloped them.

The only sound was the faint hum of the Rainbow Bridge beneath their feet.

However, just as they reached the center of the Rainbow Bridge, the tranquil surface of the black lake suddenly began to bubble.

BUBBLE... BUBBLE...

A thick, putrid stench, accompanied by a bone-chilling cold, rose from the depths of the water.

A moment later, the entire lake began to churn violently!

It was as if an ancient Giant Beast, having slumbered beneath the water for a millennium, was finally awakening!

"Something’s coming," Mage Wendel growled. He had already ignited a ball of dark red Lava Energy in his palm.

Mage Delin also halted, starlight swirling around him as he prepared to strike at a moment’s notice.

Only Mage Morpheus remained perfectly calm.

He even turned back and waved a hand at the others.

"Don’t panic," he said. "I’ll handle whatever is down there.

"You three continue to the island and deal with that Snake Egg!"

Before he could even finish his sentence—

SPLASH!

A massive splash echoed!

The water to the left of the Rainbow Bridge exploded upward!

Accompanied by a towering spray of inky water, a monstrous, terrifyingly large head lunged out of the lake!

It was a massive serpent’s head!

Its body was entirely covered in pitch-black scales, their edges gleaming with a cold, metallic luster.

A pair of scarlet, slit-like pupils—each the size of a millstone and brimming with tyrannical, maddened bloodlust—locked tightly onto the four figures on the Rainbow Bridge.

The beast opened its gaping maw, baring Poison Fangs as sharp as jagged blades, and spewed a torrent of foul, acrid black venomous mist directly at them!

Catastrophe Level!

The sheer oppressive aura radiating from this single head alone was enough to make Raylo’s breath catch in his throat.

He thought, "This is absolutely a Catastrophe Level Magical Beast!

"It must be one of Hydra’s offspring, left behind to guard its rebirth egg."

"Courting death," Mage Morpheus sneered. Watching the hideous head lunge at them, he levitated into the air, hovering above the Rainbow Bridge until he was perfectly level with the giant serpent.

He reached out a hand.

The familiar silver Space Magic Ball reappeared in his palm.

The Magic Ball flashed brilliantly.

"Space."

Mage Morpheus’s voice echoed throughout the cavernous space.

"Imprisonment."

In the very next second, the inky-black Demon Serpent—which had been charging at them with the force of a thunderbolt—froze abruptly in mid-air!

The surrounding dozens of meters of space seemingly transformed into a block of transparent amber.

The serpent’s head remained locked in its roaring posture. The splashing black water of the lake hung suspended in mid-air, and even the venomous mist it spewed had completely stopped expanding.

That Catastrophe Level black Demon Serpent, along with the space surrounding it, was forcefully frozen in place, utterly paralyzed.

The Spatial Energy Rainbow Bridge wasn’t particularly long. Soon enough, Raylo and the other two Mages successfully set foot on Lake Heart Island.

The island’s surface was composed of damp, freezing black rock.

The putrid stench and freezing chill in the air were at least ten times thicker than they had been on the shore.

Standing right in front of them was the ultimate objective of their expedition:

The massive Snake Egg.

It sat silently in the exact center of the island.

Up close, the visual impact it delivered was far more intense than from a distance.

The surface of the Snake Egg wasn’t smooth. Instead, it was covered in bizarre, dark patterns that resembled the natural veins of rock.

These markings intertwined to form faint, grotesque serpentine shapes, creating the illusion of countless tiny snakes writhing across the shell’s surface.

The entire Snake Egg pulsed with a faint energy fluctuation, rhythmically matching the breathing of a slumbering creature.

It emanated an ancient, fiercely primal aura.

This was the rebirth egg of the Nine-headed Demon Serpent Hydra.

"What an incredibly dense Essence of Life..." Mage Wendel muttered, a hint of awe flashing in his eyes as he stared at the colossal egg.

Mage Delin stepped forward.

Stopping right in front of it, he reached out his right hand and pressed it gently against the freezing shell.

He closed his eyes.

Rings of soft starlight rippled outward from his palm like waves on the surface of a pond, slowly seeping into the Snake Egg.

Raylo and Mage Wendel kept quiet so as not to disturb him, waiting silently off to the side.

Time slowly ticked by.

Out over the lake, Mage Morpheus remained hovering in place, sustaining his Space Imprisonment over the Catastrophe Level Demon Serpent.

After about two minutes, Mage Delin slowly opened his eyes.

"There is no mistake," he declared. "Hydra’s soul origin is inside!

"It’s extremely weak—like a dying candle about to flicker out—but it is definitely in there."

Mage Wendel nodded in understanding.

"It’s using this egg to absorb Power," Wendel said. "It’s attempting some kind of... unorthodox rebirth."

"Exactly!"

Mage Delin nodded firmly.

"The egg itself is a life vessel, forged from its final remnants of Power and the sacrifices of countless others of its kind. Once it hatches, its soul will take control of the new body. Although its strength will plummet, it will still have a chance to make a comeback."

"Then this is simple!" At those words, Mage Wendel’s spirit surged. Without a moment’s hesitation, he raised his hand again. "We destroy it! We eliminate the threat once and for all!"

This time, the Lava Energy in his palm was even more blistering than before. Its dark red glow illuminated half his face in a furious crimson.

The moment Mage Delin gave the word, he would reduce this vile Snake Egg—and the slumbering soul within it—to absolute ashes!