landbeastnovel Chapter 113 Middle Level of the Secret Realm
Chapter 113 Middle Level of the Secret Realm
Lin Chen walked slightly behind the middle of the group, his steps steady and his breathing even. The Star Martial Core in his dantian was slowly rotating, neither too fast nor too slow, like an engine tuned to its optimal state. After all twelve meridians were opened, the flow of Star Power was nearly twice as fast as before the breakthrough, like a wide river, unobstructed and uninterrupted, flowing freely. His perception range had also more than doubled; nothing within a hundred feet could escape his ears—the babbling of a distant stream, the rustling of a small beast darting through the bushes on the left hillside, the faint cracking sound of a weathered rock about to fall off the right cliff—all were crystal clear.
More importantly, his perception of evil auras became incredibly acute. The feeling was hard to describe—not something he could smell or hear, but an instinctive unease, like someone watching you from the shadows, like a cold hand crawling across your skin.
"Advance steadily, accumulate combat strength, and avoid unnecessary melees." His voice was not loud, but very steady. "The objective remains the same: reach the core area and obtain the Star Essence Liquid. Investigate the evil race's strongholds along the way and collect evidence of collusion between the Qin family and the evil race."
The moment the five stepped into the middle level of the secret realm, the surrounding environment seemed to be twisted by an invisible hand, and suddenly changed.
The ancient, towering trees surrounding the city were still there, but the color of their leaves was off. They weren't the vibrant emerald green of the surrounding area, but a dull, grayish-green, as if coated with a thin layer of ash, with faint black spots visible on the leaves. A faint, lingering stench of decay filled the air, not strong, but persistent, as if something was rotting somewhere unseen. Inhaling the air, there was spiritual energy, but mixed with malevolent forces, like a few drops of ink in a glass of water. It wouldn't kill, but each time one circulated their inner energy, they felt a resistance—like walking in water, with significantly greater resistance than usual.
The sky overhead was heavy with thick, dark gray clouds that seemed almost within reach. No sunlight penetrated; only a dull, blurry light enveloped the entire mountain forest in a dark gray filter. The distant mountain peaks were indistinct, like blurred brushstrokes in a traditional Chinese ink painting, making it difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion.
rustling --
A faint sound came from the bushes on the left. It wasn't the rustling of grass in the wind, but footsteps, the rhythmic, careful sound of claws stepping on fallen leaves. Not just one, but a group.
Leng Feng suddenly stopped.
He didn't speak, didn't turn around, and didn't make any unnecessary movements. But his sword was already drawn, the sound of its blade cutting through the air soft and quick, like a whistle suppressed to a whisper. A sharp aura of energy burst forth from the tip of the blade, firmly locking onto the bushes.
"A pack of ferocious beasts." His voice was low, but everyone could hear him clearly. "A fourth-tier bone-rotting wolf. There are no fewer than ten of them. They are skilled at group attacks, and their fangs are infused with a slow-acting putrefactive poison. They specifically target and gnaw at true qi shields."
The bushes suddenly burst open.
A dozen or so large, grayish-black wolves sprang out. They were a size larger than the wild boars on the perimeter, their fur rough and dull gray, like withered tree bark. Their eyes were scarlet, like a dozen will-o'-the-wisps in the dim forest. Their tusks protruded from the corners of their mouths, gleaming with a dark yellow sheen, and were covered in sticky saliva that dripped onto the ground, instantly turning the grass black and withering.
They didn't rush at the group, but instead circled around the five people, their steps light and cautious. Their scarlet eyes were fixed on their prey, and they emitted low, continuous growls from their throats. The sounds weren't loud, but they made one's chest feel tight, as if countless needles were pricking it.
"Everyone perform your duties and finish this quickly. Leave no trace of life," Lin Chen ordered in a deep voice.
The formation changed in a fraction of a second.
Leng Feng charged head-on. He crashed into the wolf pack like a cannonball, unleashing his Breaking Formation Blade Technique, and slashed at the face of the foremost wolf. The wolf didn't even have time to howl before its skull shattered, its body flying backward, knocking down two of its companions behind it. He single-handedly blocked the frontal assault; his tantalizing protective aura was as solid as a rock, leaving only white marks on the wolf's claws. One wolf bit his scabbard, but he didn't even look, punching the wolf in the nose with his left hand. The wolf howled, released its grip, and tucked its tail between its legs, retreating.
Su Muyue's Demon-Trapping Killing Array landed the same moment Leng Feng charged out. Silver array patterns spread out from beneath her feet, like a giant spider web, enveloping the entire battlefield. Wherever the array patterns passed, the rotten bone wolves' feet seemed to be stuck, their movement speed drastically reduced. More importantly, the array patterns continuously suppressed the evil and corrupting power on the ferocious beasts—the black mist emanating from the wolves evaporated with a hissing sound upon contact with the array patterns, greatly diminishing the wolves' regenerative abilities.
Chu Fan pressed his palms to the ground, layering a confusion array on top of the trapping array. The fluctuations of the array patterns invaded the bone-rotting wolves' sensory system, causing them to misjudge the situation—some pounced on their companions, some circled in place, and some rushed towards empty directions. The formation of the dozen or so well-trained pack beasts completely collapsed.
Su Ling'er stood in the center of the formation, precisely throwing the Evil-Slaying Pill. The pill arced through the air, landing accurately among the wolves. The yang flames exploded, scorching the evil poison from the wolves' bodies. Those wolves touched by the flames let out shrill screams, and the stench of burnt fur mixed with decay filled the air, making one want to vomit.
Lin Chen moved freely within the array domain.
The Starry Sky Sword Technique unfolded, the sword blade wreathed in shimmering starlight. Each strike landed precisely on the vital points of a rotting bone wolf's head. The sword tip pierced through the ear, slicing downwards into the skull. The moment the sword was withdrawn, starlight erupted, completely dispelling the lingering malevolent energy within the corpse. No excess sword energy leaked out, not a single sliver of starlight wasted; each strike was the most concise and deadly blow.