Chapter 382 - 174: Tier Nine Desperate Plight (2)

He tried a few more.

Without exception, they all crumbled.

These Weapons must have been at least Elite Soldier Level in their time, perhaps even higher.

But even the finest Weapons cannot withstand the erosion of countless millennia.

Liang Cheng shook his head and stopped wasting his energy.

He bypassed the grand hall and continued onward.

After another mile, a much larger plaza opened up before him.

This must have once been the city’s center.

The surrounding collapsed Towers, the shattered plaza, the dried-up riverbed, and the ruined great hall at the center still hinted at the city’s former splendor.

Traces of battle were everywhere.

Outside the great hall, a stone stele was the most striking feature.

The stele was a hundred feet tall and badly damaged, with only the bottom half still standing.

Its surface was covered in cracks, as if it had been struck by some terrifying power.

Liang Cheng’s eyes narrowed.

’Those patterns on the stele...’

He quickened his pace, coming to a stop before the stele.

He tilted his head back to look.

The broken stele was densely carved with intricate patterns and Runes. Most were too blurred to make out, but a small portion was still legible.

The patterns crisscrossed, and the longer Liang Cheng stared at them, the more familiar they seemed.

He took the fragments of cowhide paper from his Storage Pouch, pieced them together, and spread them out.

Then, he froze.

The markings on the cowhide paper were a perfect match for a section of the patterns on the stele!

He looked up at the stele, down at the cowhide paper, then up at the stele again.

But it was only a small section that matched.

There were far more patterns on the stele than on the cowhide paper.

Liang Cheng’s brow furrowed.

’He had always thought he was close to collecting all the pieces of cowhide paper. But now it seemed the stele itself was incomplete.’

’And the markings on the cowhide paper were just a rubbing taken from a portion of the stele!’

He circled the stele, observing it carefully.

The lower half of the stele was relatively intact, but the top half was almost completely destroyed.

The patterns extended from the base up to the break, where they stopped abruptly.

’In other words, the cowhide paper he held was only a rubbing from the stele’s lower half.’

’The patterns on the top half were gone forever.’

Liang Cheng stood before the stele in silence for a long time.

He reached out, lightly tracing the stele’s surface.

The stone was cool to the touch, exuding an ancient aura.

Just then—

VMM!

The stele trembled slightly, and a faint light began to glow from its surface!

BOOM!

A vast, primordial aura washed over him!

Countless images flashed through his mind.

Sky-blotting Fierce Beasts, human powerhouses standing defiantly in the air, earth-shattering collisions, a world stained red with blood...

The images vanished as quickly as they came.

Liang Cheng took a deep breath. Just as he was about to pull his hand away, suddenly—

ROAR!!!

An earth-shattering roar echoed from the depths of the gray mist!

Liang Cheng’s expression changed as he whipped his head around!

The gray mist was churning.

Within the mist, pairs of crimson eyes began to glow.

One.

Ten.

A hundred.

A thousand!

They were all Fierce Beasts!

Tier Seven!

Tier Eight!

And auras even more terrifying!

Right now, they were all staring at Liang Cheng!

Staring at the living person who had suddenly appeared in this barren wasteland!

Liang Cheng’s heart pounded.

’The scent of a living person.’

’I’ve been here for so long without any trouble.’

’But that wisp of my Divine Sense entering the stele just now must have been like kicking a hornet’s nest, startling everything here!’

ROAR—!!!

The first Fierce Beast charged out of the gray mist!

A Tier Seven Cyan Wolf, as massive as a small mountain, its cavernous maw snapping straight for his head!

Liang Cheng’s Zhenxian Saber flashed from its sheath!

The light of the blade flashed like snow!

PFFT!!!

The Cyan Wolf was cleaved in two, from head to tail!

Blood sprayed into the air!

With a mere thought from Liang Cheng, the Cyan Wolf Demon Core tumbled to the ground!

Liang Cheng crushed it underfoot. His Crossing the Sea True Intent spun wildly, and the Demon Core fragments transformed into pure energy that surged into his body. This was no time to be picky!

A Tier Seven Demon Core was no longer enough to cause a violent reaction in his body, but with a horde of Demon Beasts upon him, he had to seize every ounce of power he could!

But now, more Fierce Beasts were swarming toward him!

Three!

Five!

Ten!

Liang Cheng’s Crossing the Sea True Intent activated automatically as he charged forward instead of retreating, slashing out with his saber!

Blade Intent, fully unleashed!

A thousand-foot phantom Battle Saber materialized above his head. It swung down, and the two Tier Eight Fierce Beasts at the forefront were simultaneously cleaved in two at the waist!

He tossed the Tier Eight Demon Cores directly into his Storage Pouch. The other Demon Cores that fell, he crushed underfoot and absorbed instantly!

BOOM!!!

Before he could even catch his breath, more Fierce Beasts charged, heedless of death.

Twenty!

Fifty!

The Fierce Beasts poured out of the gray mist like an endless tide!

Tier Seven and Tier Eight, an inexhaustible flood of them!

Liang Cheng, drenched in blood, kept his blade moving without pause!

One slash!

Three dead!

One slash!

Five down!

One slash!

Seven beheaded!

He stored the Tier Eight Demon Cores in his Storage Pouch, while continuously absorbing the fragments of any Demon Cores below Tier Eight. His Crossing the Sea True Intent spun madly—Refining, absorbing, and fighting on!

Just then, a Tier Eight Profound Ice Python lunged from the side, its cavernous maw aiming for his neck!

Without even turning his head, Liang Cheng threw a backhand punch!

His Fist Intent erupted. The power of the punch exploded out from inside the python’s mouth, bursting from the back of its skull. The Profound Ice Python’s body convulsed and collapsed, dousing him in its freezing blood!

Before Liang Cheng could catch his breath, three Earth-Split Bears lunged at him simultaneously!

BOOM!

One swiped down with a massive paw!

Another’s jaws snapped toward his head!

And the third slammed into him from the side!

Instead of retreating, Liang Cheng advanced, taking a single step forward!

Blade Intent!

A slash met the descending paw!

Fist Intent!

A punch blasted toward the snapping jaws!

Sword Intent!

And a beam of Sword Qi shot toward the one charging from the side!

Three Intents unleashed at once!

SPLAT!!!

The first Earth-Split Bear’s massive paw was severed cleanly at the wrist!

It howled in agony and stumbled back, but before it could take three steps, a second slash descended, sending its head flying!

BOOM!!!

The second Earth-Split Bear’s jaws were shattered by the punch!