[{"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-83":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},2312465,4518,"Chapter 83: Beyond the City: The Dragon Beast of the River","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-83",83,"\u003Cp>(PS: Two more chapters to come)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After stepping out of the city, Fang Shi achieved this only on his fourth surge in his previous life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By then, humanity had already become the dominant power in the surrounding regions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once legendary powerhouses appeared, the most dangerous creatures were largely wiped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, creatures from the other world were infinite in number.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the other world was also boundless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Legendary creatures were rare even in the other world; encountering one that crossed a spatial passage was extremely unlikely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, by that time, with highly mobile spells like teleportation in widespread use,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>when a legendary creature occasionally emerged from a spatial passage,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was almost always hunted down by human powerhouses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its soul turned into experience points; its flesh and bones became prime materials for forging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every single cell of its body was fully exploited—truly left with not a single intact part.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only in the distant, uninhabited wilderness did living legendary creatures still exist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were regions beyond human reach, teeming with countless terrifying creatures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was said some forbidden zones harbored ancient evils capable of rivaling deities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi’s main purpose for this journey was to reach the treasure site he had discovered in his previous life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was also the place where he had raised his Perception to 18 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After raising his attribute points to 18, self-training became drastically inefficient—except through fortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though improvement was still possible, it would take years of effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a pace was unbearable to Fang Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the apocalypse, danger was ever-present; in the end, only individual power mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone who hadn’t reached legendary status was essentially cannon fodder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Fang Shi had to level up as quickly as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know whether this treasure site would open at this point in time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had to try anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, this treasure site originally existed on Blue Star.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had simply gone unnoticed until now, its potential hidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi estimated that even with his Perception already at 21 points,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>entering the treasure site would still easily raise it by one or two more points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even one point would take years of grueling effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue Star’s ecology had changed utterly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the wild, trees towered like those in a primeval forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if humanity had never developed the land at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no paths—only beast trails.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vines, weeds, and branches intertwined, forcing humans to use tools to clear a way forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi was experienced, with ample survival skills in the wild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was too lazy to walk on the ground; instead, he climbed straight up tree trunks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He moved constantly through the forest, pausing only to slay first-tier predators before continuing onward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this time, no pack attacks occurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Powerful beasts, sensing Fang Shi’s aura, generally avoided him on their own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beasts had their territories; each had its own domain, and as long as one didn’t invade,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>even if merely passing through, the territory’s owner would never seek trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many believed that in the desolate wilds, it was simply survival of the fittest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Big fish ate small fish; small fish ate shrimp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you were weaker, you’d be annihilated without a trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this was utterly wrong: survival of the fittest was only half the truth—the other half was “adaptation to survive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carnivorous beasts, when encountering other creatures, did not kill indiscriminately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, they considered whether their stomachs were empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not hungry, they were very unlikely to act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the survival strategy of carnivorous beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The number of creatures any region could sustain was limited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indiscriminate killing caused severe food waste, eventually leading to starvation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, those beasts that killed excessively had long since been eliminated by evolution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either they starved to death, or were wiped out during migration by stronger predators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, the carnivorous beasts still alive today were mostly the type that didn’t move unless fed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as you didn’t provoke them, even if you passed right before them, they’d generally ignore you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, carnivorous beasts also assessed the strength of their opponents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the opponent posed a threat to them,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>they were very unlikely to attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beast life was precarious, never secure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any injury could lead to deadly challenges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One misstep could mean sudden death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They preferred hunting creatures that posed no threat and were familiar and common.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anything unknown meant lethal danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This instinct was etched into their bloodline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beasts that violated these two principles had long been eliminated by nature’s cruelty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vanished into the vast river of history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Fang Shi was actually safer walking in the wild than inside the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, no beast was so foolish as to form an army and launch a suicidal assault on a single person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as long as he stayed cautious on the outskirts and didn’t venture too deeply into the uninhabited zones,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he’d rarely encounter second- or third-tier predators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where exactly is it?” Fang Shi muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been searching in the wild for three days and nights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, he found nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The treasure site he sought was a cemetery; before leaving Ancheng, he had specifically asked someone to draw a map.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But due to Blue Star’s expansion, everything had changed drastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most importantly, the cemetery’s location was different from what it had been after the fourth surge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi could no longer rely on memory to find it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could only determine its location through analysis and deduction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the primeval forest was too complex; towering trees blocked nearly everything from view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when Fang Shi climbed high to look afar, he could barely locate the place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only consolation was that the beasts he’d killed these past two days had pushed his experience bar more than halfway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I still can’t find it in this direction, I’ll have to go deeper.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue Star’s expansion was utterly unpredictable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This forced Fang Shi to search an enormous area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combined with tree obstructions, even ten meters away, he could easily miss his target if he wasn’t careful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi pressed forward, passing through a thicket—and suddenly, the view opened up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ahead lay a vast lake, its waters clear and shimmering, waves gently rolling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the distance, he could faintly see the remains of a human-built dam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a reservoir, once a water supply point for Ancheng before the apocalypse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, however, it had become a haven for monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dense with aquatic monsters, they had long since displaced the original ecosystem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi’s spirits lifted: finding the reservoir meant the cemetery couldn’t be far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mountains represented support, ensuring the family’s prosperity; water symbolized wealth, flowing endlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This reservoir had cut off upstream water resources, and some believed it had “diverted wealth” into its own domain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi felt excitement: close, close—the Yigao Cemetery was nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi was excited—almost there, almost there, Yigao Mausoleum was nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, that's not right!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi looked again more carefully and saw a tiny black dot far across the reservoir.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his sharp eyesight, he recognized it as an ancient-style palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was also one of the entrances to the mausoleum complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as he crossed the reservoir, he could enter the Yigao mausoleum complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The previous two terrain shifts had limited effect on the mausoleum complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had not drifted far from the reservoir.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Fang Shi quickly frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This reservoir seemed difficult to cross.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the shore ahead, a group of River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts had gathered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They clustered in small groups, playing and frolicking along the bank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As previously mentioned, beasts generally do not attack unless they are hungry or threatened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this does not apply to intelligent beings—intelligent beings have a form of entertainment: hunting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They care not if food is wasted; instead, they derive spiritual satisfaction from the sheer number of prey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts are beasts, but their ancestors were not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These creatures, descended from the Black Dragon, have smooth skin, flowing wings, and broad fins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They are capable of gliding through both sky and river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except for lacking forelimbs, they resemble dragons almost perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts inherited the Black Dragon’s cunning and cruelty—even when well-fed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They delight in tormenting, tracking, attacking, and harassing passing creatures for sport.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, since they prefer carrion, even with their bloodlust, they waste little food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts are considered a scourge across vast freshwater basins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Generally, such creatures self-extinguish once they reach nature’s carrying capacity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But alas, their ancestors, the Black Dragons, never knew restraint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if exterminated, they would simply breed another brood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi was troubled—the biological rank of River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts was low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most had not even reached the First Rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem was they were amphibious, cunning, and cautious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they lost on land, they retreated into the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, using the water’s advantage, they launched counterattacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi’s goal was to cross the reservoir, making conflict with the River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts unavoidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If mishandled, he could easily be defeated by a trivial threat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, Fang Shi decided to walk along the riverbank and see if there was a way around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two hours later, Fang Shi returned to his original position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither upstream nor downstream showed signs of River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the threat was not necessarily reduced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Expansion of Heaven and Earth, this riverbed had widened considerably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was once a modest stream had become more treacherous than the Yangtze or Yellow River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current roared, waves crashed violently against the broken cliff faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only here, by the reservoir, might human presence have once existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The impact of the Great Transformation had been minimal—this was the most stable and calm location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi was extremely cautious—he examined both upstream and downstream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he saw no obvious monsters, he still refused to enter the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Generally, in such turbulent rivers, aquatic creatures should be scarce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that was before the Collapse; after the Collapse, interdimensional creatures possessed terrifying survival abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even molten lava harbored powerful lifeforms—what was a little current?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he were attacked by some dangerous creature while crossing, the trouble would be immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After careful thought, only the reservoir’s edge seemed safest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the water here flowed steadily; second, since River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts lived here,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>given their tyrannical nature, all other creatures would long ago have been killed or driven away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant that if Fang Shi could eliminate the River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts, he could cross safely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Shi leapt down—thought and action were one; he never hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Earth Dragon Sword unsheathed, flashing like lightning toward the River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Fang Shi charge, the dragon beasts showed no fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They held this territory and established dominance\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>through sheer numbers and unity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even powerful First-Rank creatures, seeing over a hundred dragon beasts surging forward,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>instinctively retreated—even if they could kill dozens, they would pay with their own lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was simply not worth it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, there were First-Rank River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts among them; they squinted\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>lazily as their subordinates charged, initiating another round of bullying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This arrogant human would die at their hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, before arriving in this world,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>they had often tormented the elves living nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those delicate, tender creatures tasted even better than fish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, one day a spatial portal appeared in their territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Driven by curiosity, they entered one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a place lacking in primal energy—fresh, but otherwise useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disappointed, the dragon beasts prepared to return—only to find the portal had vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With no way back, they were forced to survive here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The River-Dwelling Dragon Beast swarm filled the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wings beat, and in moments they were within ten meters of Fang Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plop! Plop! Plop!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clusters of green-black, viscous slime shot from their mouths toward Fang Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts’ corrosive slime—highly corrosive and extremely adhesive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creatures stuck in it suffered corrosion damage while their movement was impeded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai He Sword Art!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crane Dances the Heavens!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the corrosive slime neared him, Fang Shi immediately cast his technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He transformed into a gale, dodging the slime and soaring toward the airborne dragon beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could not avoid it—even as wind, he would still suffer elemental damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corrosive slime was a form of elemental damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind cut like blades; the sword’s edge possessed devastating killing power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each burst sent several River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts plummeting from the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This shocking turn threw the swarm into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They scattered rapidly; the First-Rank River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts by the reservoir widened their eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In their sense of smell, Fang Shi’s aura was among the dragon beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wherever he moved, dragon beasts there died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This enraged the First-Rank beasts—they flapped their wings and surged toward Fang Shi’s aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corrosive slime poured forth without exception—faster, fiercer, more powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most First-Rank creatures could not withstand it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Fang Shi was not most creatures—his reaction speed was too fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He instantly dodged the slime and leapt upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he neared the First-Rank River-Dwelling Dragon Beast, the Bai He Sword Art ended, revealing his form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His sword swept—decapitating the First-Rank dragon beast before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood arced through the air; the morale of the dragon beast swarm collapsed instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All surviving dragon beasts retreated into the water, swimming deep into the reservoir.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after Fang Shi resumed his human form, they dared not attack again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a stray dog without a home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Fang Shi knew this was not over; it would begin when he entered the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would bring about a fierce retaliation from the River-Dwelling Dragon Beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, another fierce battle would unfold.\u003C\u002Fp>",2292,"2026-06-20T12:43:33.559Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","f61f3ee3c2b4e54b1a1d71bd200db79464579e6add1f7aac422b5deff2816a61","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-84","starting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-chapter-82",109,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarting-from-the-apocalypse-i-alone-severed-ete-cover.jpg"]