Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Single-Eyed Black Snake, a first-level creature, possesses a trace amount of venom that can cause itching, fever, and fainting in those bitten. For individuals with weak resistance, it could even lead to death.
"Just that simple! No wonder it's a first-level creature; no one pays it any mind!"
Fang Lin Kong flipped through the Monster Compendium and discovered that this peculiar black snake held no value. After discarding the corpse, the three of them continued on their way.
The classification in the Monster Compendium differs from that of Demon Hunter. It is divided into one hundred levels based solely on the strength of demonic power, with any creature surpassing the top-tier monster standard categorized as exceeding limits.
However, the compendium only records monsters up to level ninety-eight; higher levels lack definitive documentation. Although some entries suggest certain monsters might belong to higher tiers, there is no conclusive evidence. Thus, they are marked as for reference only.
The higher the monster's level, the greater its intelligence. Although there is a significant distinction between monsters and demons, they are essentially a type of life form. Demons understand cultivation and possess higher intelligence, often integrating into human society. Before their cultivation, demons were merely ridden by beasts or monsters.
Once these life forms, regarded as animals, successfully cultivate and attain higher intelligence, they become part of the demon category.
The difference between monsters and demons lies in whether they possess the wisdom to understand cultivation, not in their strength.
The forest was littered with traces of candidates' slaughter, but as Fang Lin Kong and his companions ventured deeper, they finally encountered a scene they least wanted to see: a candidate was being strangled to death by the branches of a Tree Demon, while nearby lay the remnants of another Tree Demon, violently reduced to splinters. Its massive body was shattered into pieces, with broken branches scattered everywhere.
The candidates engaged in battle seemed to face even more tenacious foes; they had no time to retrieve their fallen comrades' bodies and hurriedly pursued their enemies.
Upon witnessing this scene, Lin Yu couldn't help but vomit. Ye Lisha suppressed her reaction to the gruesome sight and quietly encouraged Lin Yu to pull herself together. Fang Lin Kong carefully prodded at the remaining branches of the Tree Demon with his staff, sensing that its presence had not yet fully dissipated.
Understanding the importance of rapidly increasing their strength, Fang Lin Kong said to Lin Yu and Ye Lisha: "It's so dangerous here. Since we came together, I don't want any of us to suffer such misfortune. The power of this Tree Demon hasn't vanished yet; if you can absorb some of it, do so. No matter what, gaining more strength gives us a better chance at survival."
Listening to Fang Lin Kong, Lin Yu covered her mouth with one hand and immediately sat cross-legged. After taking several deep breaths, she formed hand seals and began her cultivation. Ye Lisha glanced at Fang Lin Kong, smiling as she remarked: "This little girl is quite strong. To be honest, although I didn't show it, I was probably even more terrified than she was just now!"
Fang Lin Kong simply smiled and said, "You should practice a bit too; I'll guard over you."
Ye Lisha gave Fang Lin Kong a deep look, then closed her beautiful eyes and quietly began to meditate.
Fang Lin Kong observed the two girls. Lin Yu was practicing one of the strongest martial arts of the Kunlun Celestial Path, the Eight-Nine Yuan Skill. It was said that reaching its highest level would allow one to rival the physical divine realm of a Transcendent Immortal. The pursuit was for the unity of spirit and flesh, resulting in formidable combat power. Lin Yu was fortunate to have gained the favor of an elder from Kunlun, who had exceptionally taught her this skill.
Ye Lisha was using the standard Three Yuan Extreme Sitting from Kunlun. Indeed, Kunlun possessed many secretive and exceptional spells. However, due to the high qualifications required for practitioners, it was difficult to master them. Moreover, the more profound and intricate the techniques, the harder they were to cultivate. Thus, although Ye Lisha's Three Yuan Extreme Sitting was several levels below the Eight-Nine Yuan Skill, her strength surpassed that of Lin Yu.
As the two girls meditated, Fang Lin Kong remained vigilant, scanning their surroundings to protect them while also engaging in his own thoughts. The essence of the Nine Heavens Primordial Demon Flame lay somewhere between a magical artifact and energy. It was elusive and difficult to grasp. However, Fang Lin Kong had been fortunate enough to have his third Yuan Shen forcibly shattered by a Future Seer and merged with the Nine Heavens Primordial Demon Flame. Therefore, he understood this artifact's intricacies very well.
The core of the Four Treasures of the Demon Gate consisted of the strongest curses from the Demon Abyss. To utilize them without suffering from their backlash required mastery over mental power and a deep understanding of the nature of curses.
Fang Lin Kong's desire to create his own Nine Heavens Primordial Demon Flame was unrealistic. Not only did he lack the powerful energy needed to produce the core curse, but the Nine Heavens Primordial Demon Flame also absorbed countless souls' Yuan Shen, making its original source untraceable. However, if he lowered his expectations just a bit, creating a simplified copy with higher life energy absorption efficiency wouldn't be too difficult.
At this level of treasure like the Four Treasures of the Demon Gate, it was likely that those who originally cast the curses were monsters at the godly level, released at the cost of their lives. Fang Lin Kong neither possessed such strength nor such determination. Thus, he merely used a simple greed curse to form a small core energy and embedded it using a magic circle he learned from the Great Freedom Heaven Realm Seven Treasures Banner.
After accomplishing these two simple tasks, Fang Lin Kong felt his limbs grow weak and exhausted all his energy. The energy he absorbed from the Single-Eyed Black Snake was so meager that even an ordinary person contained more spiritual energy than him by dozens of times. Fortunately, Fang Lin Kong's skills in Plant Control were derived from his future self; his methods were exquisite and his energy utilization efficiency unparalleled in the world. This enabled him to barely complete this seemingly impossible refinement.
As Fang Lin Kong wiped away sweat from his forehead after finishing his refining method, a pale flame flickered uncertainly in his dantian, as if it could be extinguished by external forces at any moment.
At this time, Lin Yu and Ye Lisha were still meditating since it was their first time practicing in this world; they took longer and had not yet risen. After a while, as they gradually felt strength returning to their limbs, Fang Lin Kong became more spirited.
He walked around and noticed that dusk was settling in. He couldn't help but curse himself for lacking experience. He had prepared nothing before coming out; now even if he hurried back, by the time he reached the ancient castle it would already be dawn. For now, he could only spend the night in the forest.
Without necessary equipment, spending a night in the forest was always a dangerous act.
This world differed slightly from Earth; when dusk fell into twilight, it did not continue darkening further. The forest seemed eerily silent as if all birds and beasts had gone extinct. After gathering some branches, Fang Lin Kong started a fire.
Fortunately, although he did not smoke, he was a typical Zippo enthusiast, carrying a classic kerosene lighter with him.
Lin Yu and Ye Lisha awakened from their meditative states after the campfire was lit. Lin Yu seemed to return to his original strong and resolute self. After stretching his limbs, he suddenly slammed his palm against a nearby tree. The force of this strike was extraordinary; the tall tree, which could be embraced by a person, shook violently from Lin Yu's blow. By the firelight, Fang Lin Kong saw a deep palm print on the trunk, at least an inch thick.
He was overjoyed and said to Lin Yu, "Lin Yu! Have you suddenly regained your powers? How did you do it?"
Before Lin Yu could respond, Ye Lisha took over the question.
"Lin Yu hasn't regained his powers; otherwise, this tree would have been snapped in half by this violent woman instead of just shaking a bit. Fang Lin Kong, you should also try cultivating. I’ve noticed that a night of cultivation here is roughly equivalent to about a month of training on Earth. That’s why Lin Yu has such strength."
"Hey! A day equals a month! Twelve days is about a year! Does that mean we only need three or four months to equal ten years of power? Then achieving perfection isn't so difficult!"
As Fang Lin Kong was celebrating this realization, Ye Lisha brought up an obstacle he hadn’t considered.
"Actually, after killing magical beasts here, the energy they release will be absorbed by those nearby. However, frequently absorbing this impure demonic energy can lead to adverse reactions. While I can't be sure what the consequences will be, I certainly don't want to find myself in an uncontrollable situation."
Lin Yu nodded in agreement with Ye Lisha's assessment and said to Fang Lin Kong, "Fang Lin Kong, why don't you try cultivating as well? We can protect you while you do it!"
Fang Lin Kong chuckled and avoided the topic. He had experience absorbing the power of Liexiezi and converting energy was not an issue for him. He would never pass up such an opportunity.
The three of them sat by the fire discussing their future choices. Ye Lisha and Lin Yu strongly advocated returning to the castle to cultivate until they had sufficient strength before venturing out to complete their mission. However, Fang Lin Kong had a different perspective.
"Your ideas are prudent, but based on your earlier performance, I suspect you’ve never seen bloodshed before or killed any demons?"
Seeing both of them nodding in agreement with his observation, Fang Lin Kong continued, "Then I understand why the Demon Hunter exam chooses such a dangerous and bloody topic. Demon Hunters will face many dangers in the future; most demons they kill are habitual offenders with numerous crimes. Without sufficient practical training, even if one is powerful, carelessness can easily lead to death. There should be a strong barrier here!"
Fang Lin Kong pointed decisively at the blank area on the map in the Monster Compendium and said, "This barrier prevents powerful magical beasts from entering and keeps examinees from leaving. This way, we can hone our combat skills in a relatively safe environment through real battles. You can see from the map that powerful magical beasts are located in more remote areas. It would take us about two or three months of walking just to reach there. Therefore, I believe we should return to the castle—not to focus solely on cultivation but to gather supplies needed for our long journey and find Wen Yi and the others. We can set off together while honing our combat abilities along the way and looking for opportunities to complete our mission."
Hearing Fang Lin Kong's words, Ye Lisha took a closer look at the Monster Compendium and frowned as she said, "The five beasts I need to eliminate are a level sixty Demon Tiger, a level fifty-five Ice Falcon, a level fifty-four Red-tailed Hawk, a level forty-four Ice Thunder Bat Dragon, and a level thirty-nine Red Ant. In terms of location, these beasts are scattered in different areas; it would take more than a year to circle around. I agree with Fang Lin Kong; we should travel while training to save time."
Lin Yu naturally had no objections. The three of them chatted and discussed but dared not sleep until the sky began to brighten.
Originally planning to return to the ancient castle after dawn, the trio unexpectedly encountered an attack. The attackers were level twelve creatures from the Monster Compendium: Flame-Tailed Wolves. These beasts were vicious and brutal, often attacking in packs, but their individual attack power was not particularly strong. The only headache was that these creatures behaved similarly to their Earth counterparts, preferring to move in groups.
Fang Lin Kong was the first to notice the appearance of the Flame-Tailed Wolves. Initially, he thought little of it. With one swift strike, he knocked down a small red-tailed wolf that was preparing to ambush him. The pale white flames within him sensed the energy fluctuations for the first time, flaring up like flames doused with a ladle of boiling oil.
If Fang Lin Kong had absorbed only one percent of the energy from the Single-Eyed Black Snake during his first encounter, he now found himself absorbing energy at least twenty times more efficiently than before.
The size of the Flame-Tailed Wolves was not much larger than that of popular pet dogs like Peking Lion Dogs. Their fluffy tails were even cuter than those of squirrels. With light gray or silvery fur accented by slightly red or deep red tails, they appeared quite small and adorable.
However, once the first Flame-Tailed Wolf was killed, hundreds of others that had gathered around roared in anger, causing Lin Yu—who had been complaining about Fang Lin Kong's reckless slaughter of cute animals—to abandon any thoughts of defending them.
"These little wolves look pretty angry!"
While Fang Lin Kong still had the leisure to ponder such trivial matters, Ye Lisha had already gripped her pistol tightly and fired several quick shots, taking down four or five Flame-Tailed Wolves. After witnessing their companions being killed, the remaining Flame-Tailed Wolves revealed their ferocious nature, baring their sharp teeth and charging forward.
After dealing with the first one, Fang Lin Kong no longer underestimated these seemingly small wolves. The speed and strength of the Flame-Tailed Wolves far surpassed that of the Single-Eyed Black Snake. Moreover, their fiery red tails were not just for show; when enraged, these little beasts could unleash bursts of flames from their tails as they attacked, making them formidable weapons.
Fortunately for Lin Yu and Ye Lisha, their recent training had restored some of their strength. They faced the onslaught of the Flame-Tailed Wolves together—one in front and one behind—forming a simple yet effective coordination. Lin Yu's swordsmanship was suited for close combat while Ye Lisha covered any gaps in his defense. Meanwhile, Fang Lin Kong realized that he could not adequately protect Ye Lisha—who was ill-suited for close combat—so he charged into the pack of wolves instead, attempting to draw most of them away to relieve pressure on Ye Lisha and Lin Yu.
With each Flame-Tailed Wolf he killed, Fang Lin Kong felt warm energy flowing into him. Despite being scratched and bitten by the wolves and suffering burns from several fiery tails that singed his clothes, he grew more courageous with each battle. His staff swept through the air as he swiftly took down seventeen or eighteen Flame-Tailed Wolves in no time.
While Fang Lin Kong's side was faring well in battle, Lin Yu began to struggle. Ye Lisha had only one hundred energy bullets left and was rapidly running out. Although Lin Yu had just regained some strength, the intense fighting drained her stamina significantly. It seemed that the Flame-Tailed Wolves sensed their weakness and charged at them recklessly.
"If this continues," Fang Lin Kong thought desperately, "even if I manage to kill all these beasts, Lin Yu and Ye Lisha will be bitten to death! I have no choice but to use my ultimate move!"
Fang Lin Kong had absorbed the energy of over twenty Flame-Tailed Wolves, and within him, a faint aura of spiritual energy had begun to gather. It was just enough to unleash a low-level Spell.
"There's no way to kill so many wolves; it seems I can only use a defensive Spell," he thought.
In the midst of his busy thoughts, Fang Lin Kong formed a hand seal. His understanding of Spells was not very profound, but he managed to channel the spiritual energy and set up a curse-like fear barrier, releasing it towards Lin Yu and Ye Lisha.
The Flame-Tailed Wolves, with their low intelligence, were immediately affected by the fear barrier. Their attacks slowed down, and they began to retreat. With the pressure alleviated, Lin Yu and Ye Lisha finally had a moment to catch their breath.
Ye Lisha shouted a warning to Fang Lin Kong, "Fang Lin Kong! Be careful! According to the Monster Compendium, the Flame-Tailed Wolf is a timid creature that rarely takes the initiative to attack other beings. It seems there is some force controlling them..."
Fang Lin Kong heard Ye Lisha's words but paid little attention. He only swung his staff with even more ferocity than before.
"What can I do about other monsters? I should focus on killing a few more small wolves to absorb more power and adapt as needed!"
With this thought in mind, Fang Lin Kong became even more ruthless in his attacks.
What he didn't know was that lurking in the shadows, a beast had been watching them closely—the mastermind behind this assault. In the Monster Compendium, this level twenty-four beast was known as the Eerie Dark Phantom, a powerful creature skilled in mental manipulation.
Fang Lin Kong and his companions were in deep trouble...
(To be continued)
Comment 0 Comment Count