Chapter 441 - 438: An Unexpected Message

Chapter 441: Chapter 438: An Unexpected Message

The Three-second Fire flared, and the lizards’ tongues instantly snapped back as they shrieked in pain.

Breaking free, Feng Hao had no time to think. He executed a Shadow Assault followed by a Rapid Shadow Slash, flashing past them and unleashing a flurry of crazed slashes with his Su Mu Dagger.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

A blur of black energy swept past, kicking up a stream of damage numbers. Combined with the terrifying output of the Three-second Fire, he quickly finished off several of the lizards.

At the same time, Feng Hao seized the opportunity to use his Crystal Eye on one of the larger lizards:

[Swamp Poison Lizard] (Taiji Spirit Beast)

Level: 21-Star

Qi Blood: 274,353 / 390,500

Vitality: 351

Strength: 3,730

Defense: 4,852

Speed: 1,425

Claw and Fang Damage: 207

Scale Armor: 42 (Shadow Resistance: 26, Poison Resistance: 60)

’Damn, a single 21-star Spirit Beast is this strong? No wonder everyone says the Sixth Secret Realm is dangerous,’ Feng Hao marveled to himself.

Seeing a dozen or so lizards pouncing at him, Feng Hao felt not an ounce of fear. ’Are you kidding me? With my current combat power, I’m not afraid of these things, especially with Three-second Fire backing me up.’

Leaping into the air, he used a two-part Shadow Assault to break through the lizards’ encirclement. Then, with a backhanded throw, he unleashed the [Poisonous Chain], binding three of the creatures together.

The Divine Spirit Dagger in his main hand swept across in a horizontal slash. He aimed [Dark Moon Massacre] straight at the lizards’ vulnerable abdomens, following up immediately with [Moon Wheel Dance].

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Monitored by his Crystal Eye, a rapid-fire series of damage numbers erupted above the three lizards’ heads. Combined with the fierce flames from Three-second Fire, he easily slew them.

In just a few minutes, only six of the dozen-plus Swamp Poison Lizards were left.

Against the last six lizards, all with low health, there was no need to waste the Su Mu Dagger on them. The Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms would be more than enough, and it was a good chance to increase his proficiency with the skill.

"Arrogant Dragon’s Remorse!"

"Flying Dragon in the Heavens—!"

"Hah! And another—Hidden Dragon, Do Not Act!"

...

After a CRACKLING flurry of brutal strikes, all six Swamp Poison Lizards fell before the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms.

However, just as he was about to collect the lizards’ spirit essences, the surrounding mire suddenly began to boil. A moment later, a gigantic, loach-like monster burst out and shot toward Feng Hao, diving at him headfirst.

Feng Hao’s face fell. He hurriedly activated Shadow Assault to dodge far away, only to see the loach monster plunge into the muddy ground and erupt from the earth directly beneath his feet.

The terrifying force launched Feng Hao into the air. The creature’s layered, sawtooth-like maw was right below him, about to swallow him whole.

’You want a bite? Fine, I’ll give you something to chew on!’

Cursing under his breath, Feng Hao quickly threw his Poisonous Chain, wrapping it around a nearby gnarled, massive tree. As he swung away, he tossed out an enhanced version of Three-second Fire—[Shadow Sparks]—with a flick of his wrist. It flew straight and true, landing perfectly inside the loach monster’s cavernous maw.

BANG!

The flame exploded inside the loach monster’s mouth, dealing off-the-charts damage and blasting it straight back into the mire.

On the other end of his swing, as Feng Hao landed on a tree branch using the Poisonous Chain, he was greeted by a large, dark green serpent coiled around the limb, its tongue flicking out at him.

"Holy shit, what is this hellhole!" Feng Hao’s face went pale as he hastily leaped from the branch.

The moment Feng Hao moved, the giant dark green python lunged, its massive jaws opening wide in a ferocious, terrifying attack.

At the same time, as Feng Hao fell, seven or eight more loach monsters erupted from the swamp below, swarming toward him like a school of piranhas in a feeding frenzy.

For a moment, he was caught between the loach monsters below and the lunging python from above. Feng Hao really felt like crying.

At the critical moment, inspiration struck. Feng Hao activated [Shadow Assault] in mid-air, hurtling more than a hundred meters away, and then used the last of his Magic Power to enter [Shadow Stealth].

The effect of Shadow Stealth proved to be remarkable; both the loach monsters and the giant dark green python instantly lost their target.

The unfortunate python was dragged down into the mire by the seven or eight loach monsters and torn to innumerable shreds.

Not far away, Feng Hao hid in a thick patch of weeds, watching the scene unfold in horror and feeling a wave of relief.

’Dammit, this place is cursed. Coming here alone is a death sentence!’

Still shaken, Feng Hao quickly swallowed a Great Rejuvenation Pill to recover. He then stayed put and cautiously contacted Solos through his Listening Stone.

The situation on Earth was the same as ever: the major camps were rivals, but they were united against any external threats.

With Feng Hao’s aid, the European Camp and the Huaxia Camp had begun to develop rapidly, their overall strength increasing by leaps and bounds.

What really left Feng Hao speechless, however, was the news about their levels. Solos himself had actually broken through to the Sixth Order. And from the sound of it, most Earth Mages had reached the Fifth Order, with the strongest among them, Dream Dragon Immortal, nearing the Seventh Order.

They say comparisons are odious, and right now, Feng Hao—also from Earth—felt a strong urge to just bang his head against a wall until he died.

Feng Hao had a few theories as to why the Earth Mages were leveling up so quickly.

First, the effect of the Life Creation Pills was undeniable.

Second, Earth had only recently been integrated by the Origin Law and was in the initial stages of a [Magic Energy Outburst]. The ambient concentration of magic energy was many times higher than in the Ancient Cang Realm, which massively accelerated the leveling speed of the Earth Mages.

Furthermore, due to the monster invasion, the Earth Mages were constantly living on the brink of life and death, a pressure that also accelerated their evolution.

It could all be summed up in a single sentence: Earth was developing at lightning speed, forging a new order for an age of magic!

After ending the call, Feng Hao felt a sense of relief. No matter what, the progress of his home world was good news.

Perhaps by the time he returned, Earth would have fully integrated into a civilization of magic.

’I’ve been chatting long enough. Time to head back.’

He opened his eyes. His Qi Blood and Magic Power had both recovered to healthy levels. He looked out over the gloomy, tranquil swamp.

But Feng Hao knew that all sorts of dangers lurked beneath that serene surface.

After weighing his options, Feng Hao decided to give up on the spirit essences from the lizards. He had no choice; this damned place was just too treacherous.

Just as Feng Hao prepared to activate his Secret Realm Mark and leave, an unexpected Divine Sense fluctuation came from his Listening Stone. It was Sirlius, the man he had befriended back in the Fifth Secret Realm.

"Brother Feng! Brother Feng, I finally reached you!" Sirlius exclaimed excitedly.

Feng Hao replied, confused. "What’s up? Did you need something, Brother Xilu?"

"It’s nothing major, really," Sirlius said with a light chuckle. "The [Root-Seeking Ceremony] is coming up, right? Well, your buddy here had to pull every string he could, but I finally managed to get on the team heading to the Bloodline Planet. In other words, I’ll be able to come find you in the Ancient Cang Realm soon!"

"..." Feng Hao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "Isn’t the Root-Seeking Ceremony still a year away?"

Sirlius explained, "The universe is huge, and the Ancient Cang Realm is so far away. Of course we have to set off early."

"Right," Feng Hao chuckled. "Contact me when you get here. I guarantee I’ll treat you well."

"Of course! My friend, I’m coming specifically for you," Sirlius teased, then suddenly lowered his voice. "Oh, by the way, Brother Feng, my older sister somehow heard about this and is insisting on coming with me. So, uh... you’d better brace yourself."