Chapter 400

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Yu Zhangsheng

Yu Zhangsheng's gaze was cold; his palm lightly patted the demonic beast's forehead, and the beast was instantly knocked flying into the range of the White Bone Tower, falling to the ground in a seated position.

"Yoyoyo!!"

The terror in this demonic beast's eyes reached its peak at this moment; it neighed uneasily, and just as it struggled to stand up and run out, it saw clusters of eerie green ghost fire suddenly flicker, sweeping toward the beast to annihilate it; the beast's cries abruptly ceased.

In merely three breaths' time, as the ghost fire swayed and dissipated once more, this deer-shaped demonic beast had turned into a white skeleton; its flesh and blood had vanished without a trace — unimaginable, for just moments before, this beast was still alive, jumping about chaotically.

The eerie green ghost fire swayed, rippling as it flowed with a strange aura, dim and cold, narrating horror.

Seeing this, Yu Zhangsheng's gaze condensed, and the group of disciples frowned.

Although this demonic beast was only Second Rank, it was only a hair's breadth from Third Rank; with such strength, it actually managed to persist for less than three breaths before this eerie ghost fire before its life was thoroughly extinguished.

One can imagine — if they stepped inside, their end would absolutely be no better.

Yu Zhangsheng frowned; his figure flickered and vanished, and when he reappeared, he once again held a crocodile-shaped demonic beast in his hand; disregarding its struggles, he threw it into the White Bone Tower's range.

"Roar roar roar!!"

The crocodile spirit beast struggled, its eyes revealing terror, as if it had encountered some great horror; its body trembled violently.

"Flicker!!"

In the next instant, on the nearest White Bone Tower, three clusters of ghost fire swayed and instantly attached themselves to the crocodile spirit beast; the beast's miserable screams rang out, yet it did not last long — merely ten breaths' time — before it thoroughly fell silent; its whole body covered in flames, when it appeared again, it likewise remained only a white skeleton.

"Flames that specifically erode the fleshly body... and power absolutely peerless..."

Yu Zhangsheng knitted his brows, some wariness rising in his heart; he carefully observed the White Bone Tower, a gloomy light flashing in his eyes.

This crocodile spirit beast's cultivation was somewhat stronger than the deer-shaped spirit beast above, having reached the Third Rank level; therefore, the time it persisted was also longer.

Thinking thus, Yu Zhangsheng once again raised his head and carefully observed the White Bone Tower in detail.

Ten White Bone Towers in total; the tower bodies were snow-white, arranged in an overall circular formation; around each White Bone Tower floated three clusters of human-head-sized ghost fire, slowly burning, emitting a blue-green gloomy glow.

And at the very center, embraced by the nine White Bone Towers, stood the tallest White Bone Tower; akin to stars cupping the moon, it bore the most ghost fire — six clusters.

And the Luoya Token was located at the very spire of this White Bone Tower, emitting a gentle light.

Ten White Bone Towers in total, thirty-three clusters of ghost fire encircling them, forming a strange image that made one's heart turn cold.

"Although the number of ghost fires is somewhat many, there is ultimately a limit..."

Yu Zhangsheng lowered his brows; amid deep thought, he exhaled a long breath of turbid qi; a hint of conflicted color appeared in his eyes, before finally transforming into a trace of resolve.

"The Luoya Token — if I hadn't encountered it, fine; but since I have, to give up like this would be too regrettable."

"However, these White Bones are perilous; this matter requires long-term planning."

Yu Zhangsheng pondered inwardly; an idea forming in his heart, he glanced back at this place once more, waved his hand, and walked toward elsewhere, saying in a deep voice: "Let's go, first detour around here, go to other places first."

The crowd was astonished, but recalling that terrifying ghost fire, no one voiced an opinion; they silently nodded. Seeing that even Yu Zhangsheng with such strength did not act rashly, they dared not act recklessly either, silently following behind Yu Zhangsheng.

"Changsheng, just giving up like this?"

Li Minghan couldn't help but step forward, asking Yu Zhangsheng in a low voice.

Yu Zhangsheng was silent, shook his head, revealed a faint smile to Li Minghan, waved his hand and shrugged, saying: "If I don't give up, what else can I do? You saw the ghost fire's power too; rashly entering is courting death."

Li Minghan froze, his complexion somewhat conflicted, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, his tone carrying a trace of unwillingness: "But that's the Luoya Token — First Class Military Merit, plus two hundred thousand military merit points."

To speak truthfully, Li Minghan was very tempted, but he also knew that with his strength, entering would be nine deaths and one life.

Yu Zhangsheng revealed a meaningful smile: "It's fine, just wait a bit; we must prepare first before making plans. Since we know where it is, what follows becomes much simpler."

"What belongs to us, no one can snatch away; don't be anxious."

Yu Zhangsheng spoke with emotion, patting Li Minghan's shoulder, his words weighty with earnestness.

Li Minghan was astonished, looking at Yu Zhangsheng, his face somewhat bewildered, nodding as if half-understanding.

"Let's go, first go get your spirit beast contracted; according to what you said, it shouldn't be far."

Yu Zhangsheng smiled faintly, spoke thus, lowered his head and lightly picked up a clump of mud from beside his foot, poking it once.

Damp and moist, still carrying a trace of swamp qi; the air also permeated with a faint layer of water vapor.

According to Li Minghan's words, if the intelligence had no error, the Myriad Poison Sub-Dragon should be living in the swamp nearby.

Hearing Yu Zhangsheng actively bring this up, Li Minghan's expression instantly blanked, then he grew somewhat excited; the matter of the Luoya Token was also temporarily suppressed; he chuckled, poked his palm, and actively led the way forward.

This journey took half a day; Yu Zhangsheng did not walk fast, stopping and starting along the way, converging his aura; from time to time his figure would flicker, occasionally leaving the group to seize one spirit beast after another — yet he did not kill them, instead choosing to temporarily detain them, then using pills and poison to knock them unconscious.

"Done, caught another spirit beast, Second Rank Peak, not bad."

Yu Zhangsheng clapped his hands, holding a Resentful Bird; familiarly using poison to render it unconscious and unable to resist, he then placed it into his storage bag.

Ordinary storage bags cannot hold living bodies; however, the storage bag Yu Zhangsheng used was taken from Li Minghan — according to Li Minghan, this is a storage bag specially used by their Myriad Beast Tower for transporting spirit beasts.

The space inside has undergone special treatment, its value not low; it can be used to store spirit beasts for a short time without letting them die; its value is not low, and now it has been given to Yu Zhangsheng.

"Changsheng, what are you... collecting so many spirit beasts for?"

Watching Yu Zhangsheng's actions, Li Minghan couldn't help but curiously ask in a muffled voice, his eyes doubtful.

"This... just take it as useful." Yu Zhangsheng smiled faintly, offering no further explanation.

"Oh." Li Minghan nodded hesitantly, raised his head to glance at Yu Zhangsheng, as if harboring a guess.

"You adjust your state well; if my guess is correct, the Myriad Poison Sub-Dragon you spoke of... should be arriving soon."

Yu Zhangsheng's divine sense stirred, and he spoke thus to Li Minghan; as the group continued deeper, the place they were now in had already become a stretch of marshland.

Weeds grew thickly all around, flourishing, swaying in bizarre shapes; the mud underfoot was vacuous, loose and crumbling; moreover, dark undercurrents and water pits surged, presenting a pitch-black color.

Water vapor permeated the four directions, mixed with a bloody stench; and the surroundings, compared to before, had grown considerably quieter.

Yu Zhangsheng knew in his heart — this indicated a powerful existence nearby, therefore forming a deterrence that made the remaining spirit beasts consciously withdraw from this zone.

More importantly, from the Chi Lian Purgatory Dragon's warning, Yu Zhangsheng sensed a faint Dragon Might existing all around.

This was the reason for his certainty.

For the next half hour, along the way Yu Zhangsheng did not encounter a single trace of a Demonic Beast; the group merely trod lightly on the Deep Marsh, and as the surrounding water vapor deepened and the wild grass grew lush, the entire Deep Marsh became terrifyingly silent.

Only the group's breathing sounds were exceptionally obvious.

And this made Yu Zhangsheng even more certain of his judgment; Li Minghan had clearly noticed this point as well, and the anticipation in his eyes grew even stronger.

Until they had almost reached the very center of this Deep Marsh, the Yu Zhangsheng walking at the very front finally halted his steps, observing the surroundings with a face full of suspicion.

Divine Sense unreservedly released to observe the surroundings; he lightly waved a hand backward, and instantly each disciple's complexion turned grave, spontaneously forming a circle, vigilant toward all directions.

"Something's off, be careful."

Yu Zhangsheng softly reminded them; his Divine Thought stirred slightly, and here he sensed a faint sense of crisis, and moreover the Dragon Might in this place was the most concentrated.

For a moment the air seemed to freeze; the crowd looked at each other in dismay, and the next moment, a sudden change erupted!

"Boom—!"

The surrounding waters exploded, transforming into ten torrents that rose sky-high, and within the ten torrents, ten massive figures flapped their wings, soaring aloft and emitting terrifying might; in an instant the sky darkened, and vast Dragon Might turned into a flood pressing down.

"As expected, it's the Ten Thousand Poison Sub-Dragon!"

Yu Zhangsheng's eyes brightened; he stared dead at the most massive and most oppressive of the ten figures, deliberately pausing slightly.

Within the ten torrents, at the very center of the clustered protection, was precisely the target Yu Zhangsheng and the others sought — the Ten Thousand Poison Sub-Dragon!

Its whole body covered in pitch-black dragon scales, presenting a triangular cone shape, flashing cold light, looking impregnable; its body slender, fully dozens of zhang long; dragon head with lowered eyes, a pitch-black dragon horn winding and coiling, presenting a dark red color; four claws on its belly.

At this moment, roaring with mouth wide open, it revealed ferocious fangs curving inward; its pupils reddish, carrying a bloodthirsty gleam; in the middle, a pair of massive black flesh wings piercing heaven and earth unfurled, casting large shadows, and moreover dense Poison Mist surged around its body; wherever it passed, the air sizzled.

Overall features, distinct from the Chi Lian Purgatory Dragon, bearing a few points of a Western Dragon's appearance; however its cultivation base was even deeper than the Chi Lian Purgatory Dragon by a few points, having reached Third Rank Late Stage.

The moment it appeared it immediately became the center of attention; in Li Minghan's eyes excitement surged even more, pointing at the Ten Thousand Poison Sub-Dragon he could barely speak coherently.

"Yes, it's him, it's him, it's exactly him, the Ten Thousand Poison Sub-Dragon!"

As for the remaining nine Spirit Beasts at its side, they were automatically ignored by him; the remaining nine Spirit Beasts, possessing dragon forms, bodies pitch-black, physiques smaller than the Ten Thousand Poison Sub-Dragon by more than a circle; their bodies moreover had no Dragon Might spreading, covered in a layer of thin scales; heads exceptionally bulky, no horns, only two thick bumps on the forehead, therefore looking extremely uncoordinated.

Their overall appearance looked more like giant winged lizards, a look of following the Ten Thousand Poison Sub-Dragon as leader; eyes turbid and lacking intelligence.

Precisely the Ten Thousand Poison Sub-Dragon's vassal beasts, Poison Dragon Lizards. In this explosive emergence, six of them were around Third Rank Early Stage, the remaining three merely Second Rank Peak, still a bit short of Third Rank.

Naturally they were ignored by Yu Zhangsheng.

"Legend says the Ten Thousand Poison Sub-Dragon's poison, if accumulated long-term in an organism's body, has a certain probability of causing mutation and transformation in that organism, and hypnotizing it into becoming its own vassal beast; looking at this, it's indeed true!"

Yu Zhangsheng lightly exhaled a breath; with a wave of his sleeve, the Chi Lian Purgatory Dragon, Golden-Winged Great Peng, Cai Xing Deer, and Xuan Turtle emerged at his side, simultaneously erupting with heaven-shaking, earth-moving might.

"You entangle these Poison Dragon Lizards; Ming Han, follow me, let's go welcome your Spirit Beast!"

Yu Zhangsheng turned and said in a deep voice; as his words fell, Li Minghan's eyes brightened, the other disciples had no objections, nodded, and actively charged toward the nine Poison Dragon Lizards.

This group of disciples, though currently led by Yu Zhangsheng, were numerous and powerful, and among them Golden Core Cultivators were not few; even those not Golden Core each had killer moves; united, Yu Zhangsheng was not worried they couldn't handle these Poison Dragon Lizards, at most Third Rank Early Stage.

And with his own Spirit Beasts flanking on the side as backup, it could also prevent any mishap; moreover, the Abyss Journey was a tempering for them, so naturally he couldn't protect them from everything; this kind of risk they could handle themselves, naturally he'd let them face it as much as possible.

"Go!"

Seeing this, Yu Zhangsheng nodded at Li Minghan, then his body stomped fiercely, Fleshly Power erupted, transforming into a peerless Long Spear, in an instant charging at the Ten Thousand Poison Sub-Dragon.

Li Minghan took a deep breath, suppressed the palpitations in his heart; with a wave of his sleeve the Chi Shan Sub-Dragon emerged, instantly he stepped onto the Chi Shan Sub-Dragon's back, following Yu Zhangsheng, whistling forth.

Yu Zhangsheng looked back, sensing a strange aura, and gave Li Minghan a surprised glance; the other's Chi Shan Sub-Dragon, after a long time unseen, its aura had grown much more profound, more possessed of Dragon Might, and its cultivation base had unknowingly reached Third Rank Early Stage.

To Yu Zhangsheng's feeling, its bloodline degree, though differing from the Chi Lian Purgatory Dragon, wasn't by much; obviously, for this Spirit Beast, Li Minghan had invested no small amount of resources.

"Ang ang ang!!"

The Ten Thousand Poison Sub-Dragon flew into a rage; its blood-red dragon eyes flashed with cruel cold light; as it roared a giant wind whistled, and moreover soaring Dragon Might poured down without reservation, transforming into an invisible sky-covering giant wave pressing down on the two.

"Dragon Might? This level of extent is still not enough!"

Yu Zhangsheng gave a muffled grunt, unmoved; the Chi Lian Purgatory Dragon, coiling, likewise unwilling to lag behind, its dragon body emitting a layer of faint white light, opened its mouth and let out a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering roar, transforming into rolling thunderous sound crashing forth! (Chapter End)