[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete":3,"chapter-starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-35":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Starting from the Apocalypse, I Alone Severed Eternity",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2312417,4518,"Chapter 35: False Illusion: Shi Long Tuer Si","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-35",35,"\u003Cp>The palace doors swung open, and the members of the Giant Scorpion Band hurried to the sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pade and Harris followed right behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bandits weren’t fools—this door opening on its own was clearly suspicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they didn’t move fast, they’d be the first to die if something went wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the doors were too wide; even after everyone had moved aside, they could still see inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive creature, eighteen meters long, crouched on the raised platform within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It resembled a lizard, with a long, serpentine neck, and its head alone stood one meter tall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except for its neck, its entire body was covered in gray-brown stone-like clusters, layered and stacked like rock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked exactly like a stone carving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This… is… the… baby… dragon… you… mentioned?!” Pade’s voice trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On paper, a one-meter-tall head didn’t seem that big.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But imagine a head reaching halfway up your waist—and longer than your entire height.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One open mouth and it could swallow you whole. How could such a creature not terrify you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harris was shaking too; he had never seen anything so enormous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially when it crouched atop the platform, it resembled a temple deity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… didn’t know… they… said… it was… a… baby… dragon…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rest of the bandits were worse—shaking legs were the least of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some were dripping urine down their pants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To hell with the baby dragon!” Pade shouted, briefly dispelling his fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to flee—what did it matter if the intruder was a high-rank cultivator? Was this dragon any less deadly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kill a dragon? What dragon? Could you even survive one of its claws?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One swipe and it could crush an entire building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shhh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi suddenly appeared before Pade, blocking his path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where are you going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, Pade suddenly found courage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get out of my way! If we don’t run now, we’re all dead!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shhh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steel sword flashed like lightning. Pade felt a chill on his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He instinctively reached up to touch it—and felt only stubble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His head wrap had vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Calmer now?” Fang Shi said coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, yes, much calmer!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pade hurried to reply—he couldn’t believe he’d just dared to offend this man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could a dragon kill him? Could this man not?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get these people organized and attack the dragon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What?! Pade was stunned—this was a death sentence!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, they had to run now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He subtly reached for the knife at his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi saw it all and said calmly, “Still not calm enough?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pade gave a bitter laugh. “My lord, you must give us a chance. This dragon is enormous—even you couldn’t defeat it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph. You’re all fools. Can’t even recognize a phantom. Do you really think this dragon is that big?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phantom? Hearing Fang Shi’s words, Pade froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What… what was going on?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi sneered again. “You’re ignorant. Don’t you know dragons have dragon aura?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The older and stronger the dragon, the more powerful its aura.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This dragon looks imposing—but its aura is worthless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It can’t even shake my spirit. Besides, I carry a family heirloom that can pierce illusions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The creature lying on the platform is just a tiny baby dragon—it’s trying to scare you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pade suddenly understood. No wonder he’d felt something off earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had dozens of men under him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he be this cowardly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fear was natural—but not to the point of trembling so badly he could barely walk, needing to shout to shake it off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh. You don’t even know how to handle a dragon, yet you dare hunt one? How brazen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now calm, Pade didn’t mind Fang Shi’s mockery—he bowed and pleaded, “My lord, could I borrow your heirloom?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not that I distrust you—but my men are too foolish. Without proof, they won’t listen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi scoffed. “Your bloodline is too low to use such an artifact.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Pade could ask further, Fang Shi added, “But exposing this baby dragon’s trick is simple. Watch.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi pulled out a prepared shortbow and shot an arrow at the towering dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arrow flew slowly—not even near the bow’s maximum speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically, the dragon shouldn’t even bother—it couldn’t pierce its scales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet as the arrow neared, the crouching dragon tilted its head and exhaled a breath toward it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The breath was grayish-brown. Upon contact, the arrow instantly slowed, as if frozen, then dropped straight down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This…” Pade didn’t understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of the others understood either. Such a slow arrow could be dodged by anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was Fang Shi’s point? Tickling the dragon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most thought Fang Shi had lost his mind—instead of fleeing, he was provoking the dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they could move, they’d have fled the crypt long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t rush.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi calmly shot two more arrows, both blocked by the dragon’s breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This seemed to anger the dragon. It rose from its crouch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its neck lifted eight meters high—like a three-story building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It spread its twenty-meter wings and roared into the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Roar!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone present trembled violently, as if seized by a fever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pade, who had just escaped the dragon’s aura, felt his hands shaking again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“M…y…lord… w…what…do…we…do…now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was beginning to suspect Fang Shi was lying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi ignored him. Unaffected by the aura, he drew his shortbow again, smoothly as flowing water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You felt the dragon aura.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your will resisted it. For a time, you will be immune to its effects.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He fired two arrows at once—the first slightly slower, the second slightly faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the first arrow neared the dragon’s breath, the second caught up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It struck the first arrow, deflecting its path away from the breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first arrow then plunged straight into the dragon’s body, the fletching vanishing inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you see that?” Fang Shi turned to Pade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pade stared in disbelief. “Could a shortbow pierce the dragon’s scales? And why isn’t it bleeding?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi replied calmly, “Don’t you understand yet? An illusion is an illusion. This dragon is tiny—the arrow went right through.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Technically, you should’ve had some resistance to the dragon aura.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But seeing such a massive form triggered your instinctive fear—and your will failed the test.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words answered Pade’s doubts—and confirmed the dragon was an illusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anger flared in him. “I understand, my lord. I’ll rally the men and attack the dragon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ran to the center of the hall and shouted to the bandits: “Brothers! Don’t be fooled—this is just a baby dragon!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, following Fang Shi’s method, Pade exposed the dragon’s illusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he lacked Fang Shi’s skill—but the bandits were many. Each threw something, making verification easier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi watched, a faint smile appearing on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, he had seen through the baby dragon’s trick the moment it appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One reason was the dragon aura. The other was the dungeon key.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dungeon key’s restriction meant he could never face an enemy stronger than level five.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could a mature dragon possibly appear?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi had recognized it: a Shi Long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The adult Shi Long’s biological rank was at least Level 16.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was Third-Rank power—far beyond Fang Shi’s current state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Fang Shi in his previous life would have been one-shot by a Level 16 adult Shi Long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he faced such an enemy now, he might as well kill himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He might even get another rebirth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So this might be an illusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though some illusions could manifest as truly real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this exceeded the secret realm key’s limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To prevent the dragon’s aura from driving these cannon fodder insane,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi decided to expose the dragon’s true nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He first fired a single arrow, exploiting the Shi Long’s fear of exposure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He depleted the Shi Long’s breath attacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Shi Long grew angry, he employed techniques from rapid-fire arrows, shooting arrows into the illusion’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These pathetic techniques would earn nothing but sneers from any Ranger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they were enough for this situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gentleman avoids standing beneath a crumbling wall; better to let the bandit gang charge ahead than face the dragon alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the Shi Long’s deception was revealed, under his command, the bandit gang would dare fight the dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pade’s demonstration still held weight—he reassembled the Giant Scorpion Bandits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One by one, they abandoned honor, launching arrows from a distance at the Shi Long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those without bows grabbed any thrown objects and hurled them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Shi Long was no fool; it saw the humans’ actions and knew its ruse had been uncovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It dropped the illusion, revealing a sphere one meter in diameter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn! How dare you insult the Great King of Earth and Mountains, Turs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I will kill you all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A low, childish voice echoed as the sphere stretched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A miniature Shi Long appeared, identical to the adult form—but smaller.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only its head was disproportionately large: a true baby dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah! It’s really a baby dragon!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shoot! Shoot! Kill it fast!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fuck! A baby dragon dares to act this way and make me look like an idiot!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Curses erupted from the bandit gang—they didn’t care about the baby dragon’s threats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They felt humiliated: terrified into wetting their pants by a creature the size of a calf? What a joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turs was furious—these weak ranged weapons couldn’t pierce its scales. Where did these people get the courage to think they could kill it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bandits realized the problem too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turs never dodged; arrows struck its scales with thuds, but none penetrated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Pade’s orders, the bandits began advancing toward Turs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They decided to defeat the dragon in close combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, fine. Since you’re so insane, I won’t hold back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turs’s eyes flickered with pain as it spat out a ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After muttering a phrase in Dragon Tongue,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four earth-yellow lights appeared within the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, nearly five-meter-tall earth elementals rose from the lights.\u003C\u002Fp>",1627,"2026-06-20T12:43:33.559Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","10d7485b161c5d84fc79a9bf1bc06b00228e03fa2586f8a3c0ee2c49e67946cb","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-36","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-34",109,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-cover.jpg"]