Chapter 83: Beyond the City: The Dragon Beast of the River

(PS: Two more chapters to come)

After stepping out of the city, Fang Shi achieved this only on his fourth surge in his previous life.

By then, humanity had already become the dominant power in the surrounding regions.

Once legendary powerhouses appeared, the most dangerous creatures were largely wiped out.

After all, creatures from the other world were infinite in number.

But the other world was also boundless.

Legendary creatures were rare even in the other world; encountering one that crossed a spatial passage was extremely unlikely.

Moreover, by that time, with highly mobile spells like teleportation in widespread use,

when a legendary creature occasionally emerged from a spatial passage,

It was almost always hunted down by human powerhouses.

Its soul turned into experience points; its flesh and bones became prime materials for forging.

Every single cell of its body was fully exploited—truly left with not a single intact part.

Only in the distant, uninhabited wilderness did living legendary creatures still exist.

These were regions beyond human reach, teeming with countless terrifying creatures.

It was said some forbidden zones harbored ancient evils capable of rivaling deities.

Fang Shi’s main purpose for this journey was to reach the treasure site he had discovered in his previous life.

That was also the place where he had raised his Perception to 18 points.

After raising his attribute points to 18, self-training became drastically inefficient—except through fortune.

Though improvement was still possible, it would take years of effort.

Such a pace was unbearable to Fang Shi.

In the apocalypse, danger was ever-present; in the end, only individual power mattered.

Anyone who hadn’t reached legendary status was essentially cannon fodder.

So Fang Shi had to level up as quickly as possible.

He didn’t know whether this treasure site would open at this point in time.

But he had to try anyway.

After all, this treasure site originally existed on Blue Star.

It had simply gone unnoticed until now, its potential hidden.

Fang Shi estimated that even with his Perception already at 21 points,

entering the treasure site would still easily raise it by one or two more points.

Even one point would take years of grueling effort.

Blue Star’s ecology had changed utterly.

In the wild, trees towered like those in a primeval forest.

It was as if humanity had never developed the land at all.

There were no paths—only beast trails.

Vines, weeds, and branches intertwined, forcing humans to use tools to clear a way forward.

Fang Shi was experienced, with ample survival skills in the wild.

He was too lazy to walk on the ground; instead, he climbed straight up tree trunks.

He moved constantly through the forest, pausing only to slay first-tier predators before continuing onward.

During this time, no pack attacks occurred.

Powerful beasts, sensing Fang Shi’s aura, generally avoided him on their own.

Beasts had their territories; each had its own domain, and as long as one didn’t invade,

even if merely passing through, the territory’s owner would never seek trouble.

Many believed that in the desolate wilds, it was simply survival of the fittest.

Big fish ate small fish; small fish ate shrimp.

If you were weaker, you’d be annihilated without a trace.

But this was utterly wrong: survival of the fittest was only half the truth—the other half was “adaptation to survive.”

Carnivorous beasts, when encountering other creatures, did not kill indiscriminately.

First, they considered whether their stomachs were empty.

If not hungry, they were very unlikely to act.

This was the survival strategy of carnivorous beasts.

The number of creatures any region could sustain was limited.

Indiscriminate killing caused severe food waste, eventually leading to starvation.

Or rather, those beasts that killed excessively had long since been eliminated by evolution.

Either they starved to death, or were wiped out during migration by stronger predators.

In short, the carnivorous beasts still alive today were mostly the type that didn’t move unless fed.

As long as you didn’t provoke them, even if you passed right before them, they’d generally ignore you.

Moreover, carnivorous beasts also assessed the strength of their opponents.

If the opponent posed a threat to them,

they were very unlikely to attack.

Beast life was precarious, never secure.

Any injury could lead to deadly challenges.

One misstep could mean sudden death.

They preferred hunting creatures that posed no threat and were familiar and common.

Anything unknown meant lethal danger.

This instinct was etched into their bloodline.

Beasts that violated these two principles had long been eliminated by nature’s cruelty.

Vanished into the vast river of history.

Thus, Fang Shi was actually safer walking in the wild than inside the city.

After all, no beast was so foolish as to form an army and launch a suicidal assault on a single person.

And as long as he stayed cautious on the outskirts and didn’t venture too deeply into the uninhabited zones,

he’d rarely encounter second- or third-tier predators.

…

“Where exactly is it?” Fang Shi muttered.

He had been searching in the wild for three days and nights.

Unfortunately, he found nothing.

The treasure site he sought was a cemetery; before leaving Ancheng, he had specifically asked someone to draw a map.

But due to Blue Star’s expansion, everything had changed drastically.

Most importantly, the cemetery’s location was different from what it had been after the fourth surge.

Fang Shi could no longer rely on memory to find it.

He could only determine its location through analysis and deduction.

But the primeval forest was too complex; towering trees blocked nearly everything from view.

Even when Fang Shi climbed high to look afar, he could barely locate the place.

The only consolation was that the beasts he’d killed these past two days had pushed his experience bar more than halfway.

“If I still can’t find it in this direction, I’ll have to go deeper.”

Blue Star’s expansion was utterly unpredictable.

This forced Fang Shi to search an enormous area.

Combined with tree obstructions, even ten meters away, he could easily miss his target if he wasn’t careful.

Fang Shi pressed forward, passing through a thicket—and suddenly, the view opened up.

Ahead lay a vast lake, its waters clear and shimmering, waves gently rolling.

In the distance, he could faintly see the remains of a human-built dam.

It was a reservoir, once a water supply point for Ancheng before the apocalypse.

Now, however, it had become a haven for monsters.

Dense with aquatic monsters, they had long since displaced the original ecosystem.

Fang Shi’s spirits lifted: finding the reservoir meant the cemetery couldn’t be far.

The cemetery’s location was chosen with care: according to feng shui, the most basic requirement was to be backed by mountains and bordered by water.

Mountains represented support, ensuring the family’s prosperity; water symbolized wealth, flowing endlessly.

This reservoir had cut off upstream water resources, and some believed it had “diverted wealth” into its own domain.

Fang Shi felt excitement: close, close—the Yigao Cemetery was nearby.

Fang Shi was excited—almost there, almost there, Yigao Mausoleum was nearby.

No, that's not right!

Fang Shi looked again more carefully and saw a tiny black dot far across the reservoir.

With his sharp eyesight, he recognized it as an ancient-style palace.

It was also one of the entrances to the mausoleum complex.

As long as he crossed the reservoir, he could enter the Yigao mausoleum complex.

The previous two terrain shifts had limited effect on the mausoleum complex.

It had not drifted far from the reservoir.

But Fang Shi quickly frowned.

This reservoir seemed difficult to cross.

Along the shore ahead, a group of River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts had gathered.

They clustered in small groups, playing and frolicking along the bank.

As previously mentioned, beasts generally do not attack unless they are hungry or threatened.

But this does not apply to intelligent beings—intelligent beings have a form of entertainment: hunting.

They care not if food is wasted; instead, they derive spiritual satisfaction from the sheer number of prey.

River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts are beasts, but their ancestors were not.

These creatures, descended from the Black Dragon, have smooth skin, flowing wings, and broad fins.

They are capable of gliding through both sky and river.

Except for lacking forelimbs, they resemble dragons almost perfectly.

River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts inherited the Black Dragon’s cunning and cruelty—even when well-fed.

They delight in tormenting, tracking, attacking, and harassing passing creatures for sport.

Moreover, since they prefer carrion, even with their bloodlust, they waste little food.

Thus, River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts are considered a scourge across vast freshwater basins.

Generally, such creatures self-extinguish once they reach nature’s carrying capacity.

But alas, their ancestors, the Black Dragons, never knew restraint.

Even if exterminated, they would simply breed another brood.

Fang Shi was troubled—the biological rank of River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts was low.

Most had not even reached the First Rank.

The problem was they were amphibious, cunning, and cautious.

If they lost on land, they retreated into the water.

Then, using the water’s advantage, they launched counterattacks.

Fang Shi’s goal was to cross the reservoir, making conflict with the River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts unavoidable.

If mishandled, he could easily be defeated by a trivial threat.

Therefore, Fang Shi decided to walk along the riverbank and see if there was a way around.

…

Two hours later, Fang Shi returned to his original position.

Neither upstream nor downstream showed signs of River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts.

But the threat was not necessarily reduced.

After the Expansion of Heaven and Earth, this riverbed had widened considerably.

What was once a modest stream had become more treacherous than the Yangtze or Yellow River.

The current roared, waves crashed violently against the broken cliff faces.

Only here, by the reservoir, might human presence have once existed.

The impact of the Great Transformation had been minimal—this was the most stable and calm location.

Fang Shi was extremely cautious—he examined both upstream and downstream.

Though he saw no obvious monsters, he still refused to enter the water.

Generally, in such turbulent rivers, aquatic creatures should be scarce.

But that was before the Collapse; after the Collapse, interdimensional creatures possessed terrifying survival abilities.

Even molten lava harbored powerful lifeforms—what was a little current?

If he were attacked by some dangerous creature while crossing, the trouble would be immense.

After careful thought, only the reservoir’s edge seemed safest.

First, the water here flowed steadily; second, since River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts lived here,

given their tyrannical nature, all other creatures would long ago have been killed or driven away.

This meant that if Fang Shi could eliminate the River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts, he could cross safely.

Boom!

Fang Shi leapt down—thought and action were one; he never hesitated.

The Earth Dragon Sword unsheathed, flashing like lightning toward the River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts.

Seeing Fang Shi charge, the dragon beasts showed no fear.

They held this territory and established dominance

through sheer numbers and unity.

Even powerful First-Rank creatures, seeing over a hundred dragon beasts surging forward,

instinctively retreated—even if they could kill dozens, they would pay with their own lives.

It was simply not worth it.

Moreover, there were First-Rank River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts among them; they squinted

lazily as their subordinates charged, initiating another round of bullying.

This arrogant human would die at their hands.

In the past, before arriving in this world,

they had often tormented the elves living nearby.

Those delicate, tender creatures tasted even better than fish.

Unfortunately, one day a spatial portal appeared in their territory.

Driven by curiosity, they entered one by one.

It was a place lacking in primal energy—fresh, but otherwise useless.

Disappointed, the dragon beasts prepared to return—only to find the portal had vanished.

With no way back, they were forced to survive here.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The River-Dwelling Dragon Beast swarm filled the sky.

Wings beat, and in moments they were within ten meters of Fang Shi.

Plop! Plop! Plop!

Clusters of green-black, viscous slime shot from their mouths toward Fang Shi.

This was the River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts’ corrosive slime—highly corrosive and extremely adhesive.

Creatures stuck in it suffered corrosion damage while their movement was impeded.

Bai He Sword Art!

Crane Dances the Heavens!

As the corrosive slime neared him, Fang Shi immediately cast his technique.

He transformed into a gale, dodging the slime and soaring toward the airborne dragon beasts.

He could not avoid it—even as wind, he would still suffer elemental damage.

Corrosive slime was a form of elemental damage.

The wind cut like blades; the sword’s edge possessed devastating killing power.

Each burst sent several River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts plummeting from the sky.

This shocking turn threw the swarm into chaos.

They scattered rapidly; the First-Rank River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts by the reservoir widened their eyes.

In their sense of smell, Fang Shi’s aura was among the dragon beasts.

Wherever he moved, dragon beasts there died.

This enraged the First-Rank beasts—they flapped their wings and surged toward Fang Shi’s aura.

Corrosive slime poured forth without exception—faster, fiercer, more powerful.

Most First-Rank creatures could not withstand it.

But Fang Shi was not most creatures—his reaction speed was too fast.

He instantly dodged the slime and leapt upward.

As he neared the First-Rank River-Dwelling Dragon Beast, the Bai He Sword Art ended, revealing his form.

His sword swept—decapitating the First-Rank dragon beast before him.

Blood arced through the air; the morale of the dragon beast swarm collapsed instantly.

All surviving dragon beasts retreated into the water, swimming deep into the reservoir.

Even after Fang Shi resumed his human form, they dared not attack again.

Like a stray dog without a home.

But Fang Shi knew this was not over; it would begin when he entered the water.

It would bring about a fierce retaliation from the River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts.

At that time, another fierce battle would unfold.