Chapter 225: Early Warning

"Zhang Cheng..."

Kelinda's anxious voice rang in his ears, her beautiful face filled with worry as she hurried to Zhang Cheng's side and helped up him where he sat collapsed on the ground. "Are you all right?"

Zhang Cheng shook his head, signaling that he was fine, but his pale complexion betrayed him. That pressure just now was too terrifying; even with the pendant's protection, he still felt the Qi and blood surging within him, his internal organs feeling as though they had been crushed.

"What was that thing?" Kelinda followed Zhang Cheng's gaze toward the depths of the universe, her delicate brows furrowing tightly. "I sensed an evil aura."

Zhang Cheng took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "I don't know, but that aura is extremely powerful, and... it seems to have set its sights on me."

"Set its sights on you?" Kelinda's expression changed. "Why?"

Zhang Cheng shook his head; he didn't know why either. He looked at the pendant in his hand that emitted a warm, gentle glow, his heart filled with confusion. This pendant had been given to him by a mysterious old man when he was on Lan Xing, said to be able to protect him from all manner of forces in the universe.

Could it be because of this pendant? Zhang Cheng speculated in his heart, but he didn't dare to be certain.

"Careful!" Kelinda suddenly cried out in a low voice, pulling Zhang Cheng behind her.

A cold, sinister aura approached silently; before Zhang Cheng could even react, a hair-raising sensation rose from the depths of his heart.

"Who's there?!" Kelinda shouted sharply, a mass of black flame condensing in her hand, illuminating the surrounding void.

A blurry figure slowly appeared, its features indistinguishable—only a pair of crimson eyes could be seen, flashing with an icy light.

"Evil creature..." Zhang Cheng's pupils shrank abruptly. From those crimson eyes, he felt pure malice—without a trace of reason, only an endless lust for slaughter.

"Roar—"

The evil creature let out an ear-splitting roar, opened its bloody maw, and lunged at Zhang Cheng and Kelinda.

"Courting death!" Kelinda snorted coldly. The black flame in her hand instantly transformed into a fire dragon, colliding head-on with the evil creature.

At the same time, not far from Zhang Cheng and Kelinda, a blood-red figure was hidden within a meteor belt, coldly watching everything unfold.

"Hmph, to think there is such a thing..." The hidden expert of the Blood Night Demon Family sensed that evil aura, a trace of wariness flashing through his eyes. "It seems the plan will need some changes..."

He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to continue forward. He wanted to see exactly what thing dared to interfere with his plan!

Just then, an aged voice suddenly rang beside his ear: "Young man, do not act impulsively. That thing is not something you can deal with..."

The hidden expert of the Blood Night Demon Family whipped around, but saw only empty void. Yet in his heart, towering waves surged, because he sensed that the voice had sounded right beside his ear, as though the speaker were right next to him!

"Who... are you?!" he asked in alarm.

However, the only answer he received was endless silence...

Zhang Cheng sensed that evil aura drawing closer and closer. He stopped his exploration of the Mysterious Power, knowing he had to deal with the crisis before him first.

"Kelinda, careful!" Zhang Cheng shoved Kelinda aside and charged toward the evil creature himself.

"Zhang Cheng!" Kelinda cried out in alarm, wanting to stop him, but it was already too late.

"Boom—"

With a tremendous crash, Zhang Cheng's figure was engulfed by the evil creature...

Just then, a blue figure appeared at Zhang Cheng's side. He wore a blue robe, his gaze burning like torches, and a vast aura radiated from him, as though he were a deity from ancient times.

"Careful, this evil creature is not simple..." the Blue Star Guardian said in a low voice. He began to cast a probing spell, wanting to understand the evil creature's specifics, but the spell had no sooner touched the evil creature than it was like a stone sinking into the sea, vanishing without a trace... The Blue Star Guardian frowned tightly; this evil creature was trickier than he had imagined, able to neutralize his probing spell so effortlessly. He said in a low voice, "Careful, this thing's origins are likely not simple. My spell is actually unable to probe its true nature."

Zhang Cheng's heart tightened at these words. Even the Blue Star Guardian was so wary; it seemed the enemy they had encountered this time was no small matter. He gripped the longsword in his hand and stared with resolute eyes at the evil creature before him whose features he could not make out.

Seeing this, Kelinda was frantic with worry. She knew her own strength was limited and she could not help much; she could only silently pray in her heart for Zhang Cheng's safety. She suddenly seemed to remember something, pulled out an exquisite box from her bosom, and handed it to Zhang Cheng: "Zhang Cheng, take these energy stones. I hope they can help you."

Zhang Cheng took the box and opened it to see over a dozen stones lying quietly inside, each emitting a faint glow. These stones came in various colors, but without exception, they all contained extremely pure energy. He knew these had all been painstakingly collected by Kelinda during this time, to help him increase his strength.

"Kelinda, thank you." Warmth filled Zhang Cheng's heart. He understood Kelinda's intentions, but he could not accept these stones. He shook his head and said, "These stones are too precious. Keep them for yourself; I can't take them."

"Now is not the time to talk about that!" Kelinda said urgently. "These stones may be precious, but none of them are more important than your safety. Take them. I hope you can return safely."

Looking at Kelinda's resolute eyes, Zhang Cheng knew he could not refuse. He nodded solemnly and put the box away. He understood that now was not the time for sentiment; only by increasing his strength as quickly as possible could he protect himself and protect Kelinda.

He took a deep breath, circulating the energy within his body to its utmost. The longsword in his hand let out a clear ring, as though cheering him on. His gaze was like lightning, fixed intently on the evil creature before him, waiting for the optimal moment to strike.

Just then, an aged and familiar voice suddenly rang in Zhang Cheng's mind: "Child, be careful. This thing is not simple..."

Zhang Cheng's heart jolted. He was all too familiar with this voice—it was the very same mysterious old man who had given him the pendant back on Lan Xing. Why would he suddenly appear here? Could he have also come to the depths of the universe?

Before he could think it through, the mysterious old man continued: "This evil creature was drawn here by the unsealing of the Mysterious Power. It is extremely powerful..."

Zhang Cheng's heart sank, and a foreboding premonition surged up in him. Before he could ask in detail, the voice abruptly stopped, as though it had never existed at all...

The mysterious old man's voice was like a stone sinking into the sea, leaving Zhang Cheng with nothing but endless confusion and unease. What exactly were the origins of this evil creature? What was the unsealing of the Mysterious Power? That old man seemed to know a great deal, yet stopped at just a hint, which made him all the more restless.

"Roar—!"

An ear-splitting roar interrupted Zhang Cheng's thoughts. The mass of black mist churned violently as a colossal creature slowly emerged from within. Its body was enormous, like a small mountain, covered entirely in pitch-black scales, exuding a nauseating stench of rot. A pair of crimson giant eyes, like two blood lanterns, coldly fixed on Zhang Cheng and the others.

"What kind of monster is this?!" The Blue Star Guardian's expression was grave. He had never seen such a terrifying creature; the suffocating pressure alone was enough to make his heart palpitate.

"Careful!" Zhang Cheng shouted. The monster had already opened its bloody maw, and a torrent of black flame spewed forth, heading straight for Zhang Cheng and the others.

"Water Screen Heavenly Splendor!" The Blue Star Guardian reacted swiftly, forming hand seals as a massive water screen appeared out of thin air, blocking in front of everyone.

The black flame struck the water screen with a sizzling sound. The water screen churned violently, giving off billowing steam, yet stubbornly resisted the flame's assault.

"What formidable defense!" Zhang Cheng marveled inwardly. The Blue Star Guardian's strength was indeed unfathomable.

"Don't celebrate too soon!" the Blue Star Guardian said through gritted teeth. "This monster's flame is corrosive. My water screen won't hold for long."

The words had barely fallen when scorched holes appeared one after another on the water screen, on the verge of collapsing.

"I'll help you!" Seeing this, Zhang Cheng immediately swung his longsword, sending out streak after streak of fierce sword Qi that howled forth, slashing toward the black flame.

The sword Qi collided with the flame, erupting in bursts of booming sounds, temporarily easing the pressure on the water screen. However, the monster seemed to sense Zhang Cheng's intent. A trace of mockery flashed through its crimson giant eyes as it violently whipped its head, and the black flame instantly transformed into countless fire snakes, surging forth to blanket the sky and earth.

"This is bad!" Zhang Cheng's heart sank. Such a dense attack was impossible to dodge entirely.

"Golden Bell Shield!" At the critical moment, the Blue Star Guardian acted again. A golden light shield enveloped everyone, blocking all the fire snakes.

However, this Golden Bell Shield was not omnipotent either. Under the fire snakes' sustained assault, its glow gradually dimmed, on the verge of shattering...

"I'll hold it off; you two seize the chance to attack!" Zhang Cheng decided then and there. He knew this couldn't go on; he had to take the initiative and find this monster's weakness. With that, he charged recklessly toward the colossal creature...

"Zhang Cheng, are you crazy?!" Kelinda cried out in alarm, wanting to stop him, but it was already too late.

Zhang Cheng's figure instantly disappeared beneath the monster's shadow...

Zhang Cheng's figure darted like lightning between the monster's claws and fangs. He pushed his speed to the absolute limit; every evasion was perilously close. Each of the monster's attacks carried earth-shattering force—even a glancing touch would be enough to kill.

"Damn it, this monster's speed and strength are both too strong!" Zhang Cheng thought to himself in anxiety. He had been searching for the monster's weakness, but the creature was covered head to toe in hard scales—there was simply no opening to exploit.

"Roar—!" The monster seemed to have been enraged by Zhang Cheng. It let out an earth-shaking roar, its attacks growing ever more ferocious, as if the surrounding space itself were about to be torn apart.

"Zhang Cheng, be careful!" Kelinda's voice was full of worry. She clenched her hands tightly, her beautiful eyes fixed on Zhang Cheng's figure, praying in her heart that he would be safe and sound.

"I'm fine!" Zhang Cheng called back, a note of resolve shining through his voice. He took a deep breath, driving the power within his body to its absolute limit, and the longsword in his hand erupted with dazzling radiance.

"Star Sword Art, Heaven-Breaking Form!" Zhang Cheng roared. The ferocious sword qi shot straight into the clouds, transforming into a massive pillar of light that slammed viciously into the monster's chest.

"Boom—!"

With a tremendous bang, light radiated in all directions. The powerful shockwave reduced every tree in the vicinity to splinters, leaving an enormous crater in the ground.

"Did it work?" Kelinda and the others felt a surge of hope, their eyes locked on the center of the explosion.

However, the next moment, their faces turned exceedingly grim.

They saw the monster still standing tall. Though a deep sword scar had appeared on its chest, not a single drop of blood flowed. Instead, it was enveloped by a layer of black mist that healed the wound rapidly.

"What?!" Zhang Cheng's pupils shrank sharply. His strongest attack had failed to harm this monster in the slightest—the creature's defensive power was simply too terrifying!

"Roar—!" The monster let out a furious roar, its massive crimson eyes filled with anger and killing intent. It suddenly opened its gaping maw, and an even more powerful blast of black flame surged forth like a volcanic eruption, devouring everything in its vicinity.

"This is bad!" The Blue Star Guardian's expression changed drastically. The power of this flame was many times greater than before—their defensive array could not withstand it at all!

"Dodge, quickly!" the Blue Star Guardian shouted. The golden light barrier flared brilliantly, enveloping everyone within it, and transformed into a streak of light fleeing toward the distance.

However, the black flame pursued relentlessly like a parasite burrowing into bone, its speed astonishing. The golden light barrier trembled violently, cracks beginning to spread across its surface, on the verge of shattering...

"We can't go on like this—we'll be caught!" Kelinda said anxiously.

"Damn it, what is the origin of this monster? How could it possess such terrifying power?!" the Blue Star Guardian said through gritted teeth. He had never encountered such a powerful enemy, and his heart was filled with a sense of helplessness.

Just then, Zhang Cheng suddenly spoke up: "I know how to deal with it!"

Everyone froze at his words, their eyes turning in unison toward Zhang Cheng.

"You know how to deal with it? Really?" Kelinda asked in delighted surprise.

Zhang Cheng nodded and said with firm resolve: "Trust me!"

The Blue Star Guardian gave Zhang Cheng a deep look and said in a low voice: "Alright, I trust you!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhang Cheng tossed the longsword in his hand into the air, his hands rapidly forming hand seals, his lips murmuring incantations...