[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-monsters-are-coming":3,"chapter-the-monsters-are-coming-monsters-are-coming-chapter-96":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Monsters Are Coming",{"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},2249945,4069,"Chapter 96: Space Plaza: Serpent Ancestor Trial","monsters-are-coming-chapter-96",96,"\u003Cp>【Challenger Notification (Full Channel): The game will undergo a major 1.6 update. The following features will be unlocked in this update:】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poster: Guidance (Official)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Content:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon completion of this update, a new facility—the Transport Plaza—will be opened in the East District of Emperor Tomb Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facility Description: Players may use the plaza to perform inter-zone teleportation, rapidly reaching any teleport node already connected to Emperor Tomb Village…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the game notification popped up, Emperor Tomb Village trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>East District.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above the pile of architectural debris, a twisted black hole appeared, absorbing all the ruins; the ground then surfaced with rapidly assembling white tiles, glowing blue spiritual runes tracing across them, swiftly outlining their patterns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the center, two deep-blue stone pillars, covered in orderly runes, rose from the earth; a twisted, rotating black dot emerged at their center, expanding visibly until its edge neared the pillars, as if locked by invisible force, halting further growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pitch-black vortex surged violently, countless colorful specks rising within, like a boiling pool, dyeing the spatial vortex in vibrant hues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The newly assembled plaza tiles ignited from the edges, their glow traveling along the spiritual rune paths toward the center from eight directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the central node connected with the spiritual runes, the two pillars sealing the spatial vortex ignited in crimson flames, and the colorful vortex at the center stabilized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour earlier, Qi Sheng, watching from behind the scenes, received a connection from Yanming Gang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Learning that the spatial teleport array at Misty Coast had been fully installed, he decisively activated the update and broadcast the news to players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the spatial teleport array generated, it consumed sacrificial power every second to maintain operation; he needed to shift this steady expenditure onto the players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More importantly, opening Misty Coast would grant players access to more spiritual resources for gathering—and potentially more primal monsters to contain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the update notification popped up, the player forum exploded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All players discussed the spatial teleport array and related information about Misty Coast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When players within Emperor Tomb Village uploaded photos of the Transport Plaza to the forum and regional voice channels, discussion Redu  surged again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout this period, players continuously spent five sacrificial power points to cross the spatial teleport array and arrive at Misty Coast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene that unfolded before them made arriving players even suspect they had entered the wrong game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to Emperor Tomb Mountain Range, Misty Coast’s aesthetic felt like an entirely different world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperor Tomb Mountain Range’s environment was saturated with dark elements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Piles of corpses, broken weapons scattered everywhere, grotesque black Black Tide evil spirits, the dark red evil moon hanging in the sky, twisted, decaying plants… these elements combined to make Emperor Tomb Mountain Range’s environment feel especially oppressive and chilling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Misty Coast’s environment was completely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bright sunlight, blue skies, refreshing sea breezes, endless white sandy beaches, air infused with the fragrance of spiritual fruits… these elements wove together into a breathtakingly beautiful setting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a white sand crab spat bubbles, its two large claws raised, scuttling sideways across the ground before the teleport array.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even native monsters appeared exceptionally cute to arriving players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the regional voice channel filled with players’ exclamations:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Holy shit, holy shit, we must’ve entered the wrong game—this place is weird!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stunned—I thought this was a post-apocalyptic scene covered in black Black Tide? How come the air here is sweet? Even the energy density in the air is noticeably higher. Let me take two more breaths to compare it with Emperor Tomb Mountain Range’s air.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Speechless—when I entered the space channel and saw the Misty Coast teleport option, I mentally pictured a scene: the sea under the evil moon, thick and ink-like, a ghostly ancient ship bobbing on the waves, tattered flags snapping in the gloomy wind, countless ghostly shadows drifting and wailing across the sea… gazing toward the horizon, dark clouds gathered, thunder roaring, each lightning flash revealing countless black tentacles stretching toward the sky, vanishing instantly, with a terrifying low moan echoing from the deep sea… but the actual scene left me dumbfounded—I almost thought the map loaded wrong. The contrast is enormous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As a fisherman, the moment I saw ‘coast,’ I knew I had to come. Turns out I came right—hahaha, upgraded to sea angler.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Guys, look at the horizon—could that be the evil moon scene?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn, the evil moon is hanging over the sea! Looks like this is a map before the apocalypse—we might witness firsthand how the evil moon covers this new map.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forum screenshots updated constantly, drawing massive numbers of players to Misty Coast via the teleport array.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially players on the fishing growth path, who all crossed the spatial teleport array to find fishing spots and activate sea fishing Cultivation Mode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The debut of the new map also ignited many players’ curiosity for exploration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This included the Exploration Faction players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of their core gaming goals was to discover breathtaking scenery and learn about the history and culture of different regions in the game world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Misty Coast’s environment captivated them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As players scattered to explore, the map’s bestiary function updated rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>New plants, monsters, spiritual resources, and other data were continuously recorded; the fog lifted, and the map’s clear zones expanded outward during this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combat inevitably followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though monsters near the coast were not as cruel or bloodthirsty as evil spirits or insect clans, many possessed strong territorial instincts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Players’ reckless exploration drew fierce attacks from nearby coastal monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Sheng, through real-time statistics, observed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among players who traveled to Misty Coast, nearly one-third had already been killed during exploration—and the number continued to rise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before opening the teleport, Qi Sheng conducted regional sampling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He discovered that Misty Coast’s hunting intensity was the exact opposite of Emperor Tomb Mountain Range’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Emperor Tomb Mountain Range, black Black Tide and insect Black Tide were characterized by massive numbers but low individual combat strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Misty Coast had no evil spirits or black Black Tide; its resident monsters were characterized by high individual combat strength but low density—even colonial monsters were far less numerous than black Black Tide or insect Black Tide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was foreseeable that opening the new map would inevitably spark a surge in star vein build updates to adapt to the new combat environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for the main battlefield, Qi Sheng would still center development on Emperor Tomb Mountain Range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once players became familiar with the new map, they would realize that Emperor Tomb Mountain Range remained the superior choice for rapid growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though fierce, insect Black Tide and black Black Tide were excellent hunting targets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hunting at Misty Coast required exploration and searching; in Emperor Tomb Mountain Range, black Black Tide and insect Black Tide surged right at your doorstep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether for evolution points or sacrificial power, Emperor Tomb Mountain Range yielded far greater returns than Misty Coast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially for major guilds seeking growth, Emperor Tomb Mountain Range was their ideal choice; solo players, however, would lean toward developing at Misty Coast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the initial opening phase, enthusiasm for exploring the new map continued to climb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two days later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A player posted a thread that attracted significant attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the post, the player described accidentally discovering an ancient temple while exploring the dense rainforest behind the coast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Assuming it was an easter egg scene, the player boldly entered to explore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found the temple filled with traps, suggesting hidden quests or easter egg treasures; the poster hoped more players would join the exploration to search for hidden treasures within the temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The post included numerous scene screenshots, sparking heated discussion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It also attracted many interested players who followed the coordinates in the post to enter the temple and attempt to overcome the traps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this stage, the thread’s Redu  was still low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until a player discovered a mural inside the temple; after Guidance’s analysis and translation, the text revealed this passage:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Only potential warriors who complete the trial may receive the Serpent Ancestor’s blessing. The thorny challenge demands fearless hearts and unyielding wills, crossing countless trials; upon reaching the trial’s peak, the Serpent Ancestor’s power awakens, granting the warrior the glory he deserves.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This translated message conveyed two meanings to players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One: The temple’s trap trials were a hidden easter egg quest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two: Players who completed the easter egg challenge would receive wealth bestowed by the Serpent Ancestor—possibly a substantial sacrificial power reward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When this screenshot was exposed on the forum, it instantly drew massive player participation in the challenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperor Tomb Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After his resurrection cooldown ended, Ding Yu’s figure appeared on the Resurrection Plaza.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Imitating popular videos, he attempted to perform assassination art amid insect Black Tide—resulting in a miserable failure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tried five times; each time, during the instant of switching bodies, he failed to precisely time the insect warriors’ attack frequency and was overwhelmed and devoured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Man, this is so hard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After his fifth failure, Ding Yu completely abandoned any further attempts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He realized that replicating the dazzling performance in the videos required long, grueling training—far beyond what ordinary players could casually copy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, he walked toward the Transport Plaza in the East District of Emperor Tomb Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During his resurrection cooldown, he had seen many players on the forum heading to Misty Coast to challenge the temple trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After watching several challenge videos, he developed strong interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The temple trial felt to him like a level-clearing Cultivation Mode in an adventure game, featuring traps, puzzles, and other challenges—no player had yet succeeded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Curious, he arrived at Emperor Tomb Village’s Transport Plaza.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ground was paved with white jade, etched with complex spiritual rune paths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the center stood a towering teleport gate, its core a swirling, twisted colorful vortex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw players constantly entering the plaza, attempting to pass through the gate to Misty Coast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the crowd, he advanced to the gate and stepped directly inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, a teleport option popped up before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Challenger Notification: Entering the Spatial Teleport Channel—please select destination】:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>1. Misty Coast (Cost: 5 sacrificial power points)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although labeled a teleport option, only one destination was currently selectable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the right of the option was a miniature top-down map of the teleportable location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From within, one could see a white sandy beach connecting to the azure sea, and behind it, a lush, verdant rainforest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using his consciousness to touch the “Colorful Mist Coast” option, a colorful corridor assembled like stacked blocks before him, stretching endlessly toward its end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A powerful suction force immediately surged forth, dragging him forward at speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the suction vanished, he found himself standing at the spatial teleportation node of the Colorful Mist Coast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air here carried a faint sweetness; not far away, a group of players were roasting creatures resembling crabs over a bonfire, laughing and chatting, exuding the relaxed air of vacationers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He summoned the map function, and the panorama unfurled before his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the upper-right corner, it displayed: Map Exploration Progress: 1.84%.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vast regions remained shrouded in mist, untouched by players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He magnified the map with his consciousness and located the site marked by forum players; above it was a miniature temple icon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, he turned and headed toward the marked location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moving through the rainforest, there were no man-made paths; towering ancient trees grew nearby, their trunks covered in Cengcengdiedie  moss and vines. The deeper he went, the more the sunlight could barely pierce the dense canopy, casting dappled, interwoven shadows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air was filled with the fresh scent of soil and vegetation, occasionally mingled with the faint fragrance of fruit trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could also hear the constant chorus of insect chirps and bird calls, along with occasional low, rumbling beast roars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After crossing a crystal-clear stream, Ding Yu arrived at his destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The temple’s main structure was built from crimson boulders, its entrance entwined with vines and ferns, appearing ancient beyond measure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Curious, Ding Yu followed the scattered footprints left by players and entered the temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the end of a straight corridor, the light dimmed, with only a few beams piercing through cracks in the ceiling. The interior space was vast; atop a central stone altar stood a three-meter-tall statue of the Snake Ancestor, carved from dark stone, shaped as a serpent-tailed, human-headed monster coiled upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though ancient, the scales on the monster’s body remained clearly visible, glimmering with a Youguang  in the dimness, as if ready to writhe at any moment, radiating vitality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the stone slab beneath the statue, an intricate script was inscribed, many characters now blurred beyond recognition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Focusing his gaze, the analysis information surfaced in Ding Yu’s mind:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【...I have pleaded countless times to the Great Divine Creator Di Zhao for salvation, longing for the True God’s return—yet what I received was the world’s decay and all life withering... I was wrong... but I refuse to give up... My clan’s warriors, I shall continue leading you against the Black Black Tide until my life ends.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through this text, Ding Yu recalled the information provided during the analysis of the Dark Cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, too, a powerful warrior who worshipped Di Zhao had perished in battle against the Black Black Tide, leaving behind only an unyielding corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, even in the age of Di Zhao’s disappearance, countless warriors had not surrendered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Snake Ancestor was clearly one of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The inscribed text on the slab seemed to stir emotion, allowing Ding Yu to feel the Snake Ancestor’s resentment, fury, defiance, and resolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Circling past the Snake Ancestor statue and the blurred spirit-pattern array beside it, Ding Yu pressed deeper into the temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, he reached the first trial challenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before him stretched a bottomless cliff; floating stones hovered in midair, leading to a distant platform. Players must step upon these floating stones to advance—any misstep would send them tumbling into the endless abyss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the starting point, several players lingered hesitantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others attempted to leap forward, but the floating stones were tiny; players lost balance mid-jump and plunged into the abyss, their screams fading into distance until their souls returned to Emperor Tomb Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After carefully observing the arrangement of the broken stones, Ding Yu simulated a viable path with his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After repeatedly verifying its feasibility, he chose to initiate the challenge directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he stepped onto the first floating stone, he sensed something wrong—an invisible suction seemed to rise from the black abyss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the leap, his body lurched downward violently, nearly sending him tumbling into the chasm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He scanned the second stone ahead and leapt again, landing on his toes, using the momentum to initiate a series of continuous jumps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, he crossed the floating stone path and reached the second platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, too, stood a Snake Ancestor statue; beneath it, a stone tablet bore a single line of text:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only warriors with unyielding will may receive the Snake Ancestor’s blessed power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking ahead, a narrow, winding corridor stretched before him, flanked by cold stone walls embedded with energy stones emitting faint glows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Observing, he noticed that as players advanced, metallic spikes would suddenly shoot from holes in the walls, coated in Molvse  venom, or energy spikes would erupt from the ground—any player struck by these spikes dissolved into black mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corridor contained both energy and physical damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This trial clearly tested the challenger’s observational judgment and reaction under sudden threat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To pass this trial, one must advance while guarding against dangers approaching from all four directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before initiating the challenge, Ding Yu stood aside with other players, observing those already attempting the trial, analyzing how to successfully pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, voices in the local voice channel buzzed with chatter:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Next one, get in line already! What are you all standing around for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why don’t you go first? Why should I go?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Snake Ancestor said only warriors with unyielding will may pass the trial. Your cowardly observation displeases him—he demands you act immediately, or else the statue will revive and whip you with its tail.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sss, another brother got skewered through the heart—just watching hurts. I’m done.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve watched for half an hour—the trap triggers are completely random, no pattern at all. This is too much for reaction speed! I’m a magic user—my mind reacts, but my body can’t keep up!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What can you do? Soul returns to Emperor Tomb Village. Lock yourself in the dark room for an hour.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the players actively attempting the trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those standing aside mostly hesitated, caught between fear of traps and unwillingness to miss the trial rewards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After brief observation, Ding Yu shook his head in disappointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the players in the local channel described, this narrow, winding corridor offered no way to predict trap trigger times—they were entirely random.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If so, further observation was meaningless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Yu decided to initiate the challenge now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arriving at the starting point, just as he prepared to enter the trap corridor, a challenge prompt echoed in his mind:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Challenge Prompt (Local): Congratulations, player “Da Tie,” you have completed the Snake Ancestor Trial and received the Snake Ancestor’s Blessing: 1400 Sacrificial Power (converted).】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guide Prompt: Remaining trial reward claims: 5432 times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guide Prompt 2: All players who complete the trial will have their information scanned and recorded by the Snake Ancestor’s lingering will—challenge cannot be repeated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sudden announcement caused a stir among the players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had not expected the trial reward to have a limited number of claims, with each player eligible for only one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, completion notifications began to sound in succession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The game names of Veteran Corps members appeared one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2946,"2026-06-19T09:20:35.554Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","29ed204b9adf034a1ccfcbcd9a6a1d092c12b7f9610b9aa0969e31c8a5138fb9","monsters-are-coming-chapter-97","monsters-are-coming-chapter-95",393,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmonsters-are-coming-cover.jpg"]