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墨書 Inktalez
If there were still forests on Earth referred to as "primal," then the forests here could be called "ancestral" forests.
Towering trees, thicker than a house, reached so high that their crowns were lost from sight, growing almost in a tangle. Unknown vines, shrubs, and weeds took root and sprouted on these giant trees, twisting into an incredible ecosystem that made it difficult for a group of explorers to move forward.
Although officially known as the Geological Exploration Team, this expedition team of over one thousand people had the most complex and bizarre combination. Among the five hundred formal members, you could find experts from nearly every discipline on Earth, while the slightly more than half of the security team held the record for the highest density of criminals globally.
Fang Lin Kong, as the captain of the First Guard Brigade, had recently given up trying to restrain his subordinates and was considering whether he should leave the team and venture out into the world alone.
He had the capability to do so.
Zhou Qingzhe had yet to master the secrets of Gouli Heaven's Tome and could only open a passage for a brief moment. Liexiezi could only pilot the Ancient Star Shuttle for a few minutes before dropping off Exploration Team members along with a large supply, necessitating an immediate return to Earth. Once the Ancient Star Shuttle returned, these explorers would essentially be abandoned on Gouli Continent.
Fang Lin Kong's sole mission was to gather all the medicinal herbs according to Liexiezi's formula. Following the main group was meaningless to him.
The war initiated by the Demon Hunting Team ended with a resounding victory for the International Demon Alliance. After Arlen Xuding Si issued Divine Punishment, he went missing on the battlefield. Of the twenty-three Elders in the Elder Council, seven were killed in action, eleven were captured, and only five managed to break through. The twelve divine envoys of the Enforcement Council were completely wiped out; they served as the backbone force covering for the retreating remnants of the Demon Hunting Team. This battle saw over twenty thousand Blood Cross Knights deployed alongside six thousand mid-level Enforcers from the Enforcement Council and five thousand combat mages from the Original Sin Tribunal. Ultimately, the Blood Cross Knights betrayed their comrades mid-battle and withdrew most of their main forces. Of those six thousand mid-level Enforcers and five thousand combat mages, fewer than two thousand escaped…
Since its establishment, the Demon Hunting Team had never faced such a significant blow. This battle was dubbed Heavenly Demon Slayer.
Liexiezi replaced Arlen Xuding Si as a new member of Kyo Kusanagi. Furthermore, Liexiezi also took over Yuan Qian Kun's position as the fifth Executive Chairman of the International Demon Alliance. The defeat of the Demon Hunting Team sparked intense turmoil internationally; relations between human practitioners and demons had never been so tense. It seemed that an all-out war could erupt at any moment…
However, everything on Earth was no longer relevant to Fang Lin Kong and his group.
"Yin Yang Grass, Seven-Leaf Dragon Saliva, sixteen pieces of premium crystal, Yellow Crystal, Purple Jade Firestone, Ocean Stone, Azure Sunstone, Black Diamond Sand…"
Fang Lin Kong rummaged through his backpack and pulled out the recipe for the elixir that Liexiezi had given him. He muttered to himself, "Are these things really used for alchemy? They look more like materials for smelting ores. Over a hundred types of herbs, and Celestial Stone needs hundreds of kilograms. Moreover, they all seem inedible..."
One of his subordinates approached Fang Lin Kong and said, "Captain! We won't be able to reach our target today. Can we rest for a few hours? Everyone is extremely fatigued right now. If something happens, it will be difficult to enter combat mode immediately! Encountering enemies in this state would be disastrous!"
Fang Lin Kong scoffed and replied, "What good does it do to ask me? I'm not the mastermind behind this operation. That damned centaur is as stubborn as a rock in a latrine; what else can I do?"
Several members of the First Guard Brigade gathered around, chattering to Fang Lin Kong, "Lord Banma is stubborn, and only Captain Huan Huo has the standing to persuade him. Even the other four captains want to know your thoughts."
Fang Lin Kong sneered at their flattery. Originally, Liexiezi was supposed to lead the team, but after claiming he had sustained severe internal injuries in the battle against Arlen Xuding Si, he couldn't participate in this mission. The other three executing Chairmen had pressing matters and could not attend either. The other International Demon Alliance officials were not capable enough to take on this heavy burden, so Banma, the acting Chairman of the African division of the International Demon Alliance, was temporarily pushed into this position.
Banma was one of the ancient divine beasts from over ten thousand years ago, resembling the centaurs from Western mythology. After transforming into human form, his skin was a mix of black and white, tall and imposing, with long hair tied into a ponytail and dressed in a somewhat worn cowboy outfit that gave him an artistic flair.
If you were fortunate enough to chat with Lord Banma, you would find that his calm demeanor and disdain were accompanied by an extraordinary intelligence that exuded an indescribable charm. However, Banma also had some peculiar habits that most people could not understand; stubbornness had become his most obvious trait.
Originally, the Nine-Headed Bug named Yamata no Orochi was responsible for the Geological Exploration Team. Banma took over as Chief of the Guard from Liexiezi. However, how could a mere subordinate from Japan dare to speak out against Lord Banma? Thus, Banma's personal will replaced the collective will of this strange team; here, Banma's orders were absolute.
Fang Lin Kong's low rank was even beneath that of the Nine-Headed Bug; he originally had no right to speak. However, during the campaign against the Demon Hunting Team, Fang Lin Kong had stood out with his remarkable strength that was evident to all. Consequently, many members of the guard looked up to him.
With a few grunts, Fang Lin Kong mumbled incoherently; he had no intention of dealing with Banma!
Seeing Fang Lin Kong's demeanor, several team members exchanged glances and fell silent. In truth, they were all elite members selected from the International Demon Alliance; enduring some hardship on their journey wouldn't faze them. However, Banma showed no consideration for their feelings and seemed intent on pushing through this dense primeval forest at full speed. Given the vast expanse of this ancient forest, it was entirely impossible to break through without a month of relentless travel.
Making everyone run for a month was simply too grueling.
Moreover, this mission involved mapping Gou Li World and exploring mineral deposits on Gouli Continent—tasks that required extremely labor-intensive ground work. For safety reasons, flying in the sky would attract attention from unknown powerful entities on Gouli Continent; thus, they could only rely on their legs instead of using spells to fly!
The style of Banma was something that these modern demons, accustomed to the comforts of high technology on Earth, simply could not accept.
Fang Lin Kong gathered his strength and leaped into the air. In that moment, he observed the positions of his team. "My First Guard Brigade is at the back, third in line. The Fourth Guard Brigade is on the flanks. The Second Guard Brigade is mixed in with the Geological Exploration Team, while the Fifth Guard Brigade, under that stubborn old leader, is charging ahead!"
"Hmm! How did that old stubborn one with black and white fur get so far ahead?"
Fang Lin Kong was not mistaken; Banma was at the very front of the group. Noticing that Fang Lin Kong's First Guard Brigade had fallen too far behind—over a hundred kilometers—Banma felt a surge of frustration.
"Huan Huo! I want to know why your First Guard Brigade is moving so slowly!"
Fang Lin Kong shrugged at Banma's sudden questioning and replied nonchalantly, "We haven't fallen behind by thousands of kilometers; this is already a significant effort. To increase our speed further, we need more advanced transportation or a more effective way to move. Relying on running alone, are you not asking for too much if you're still unsatisfied with this speed?"
Wow!
Just moments ago, the members of the First Guard Brigade who had been urging Fang Lin Kong to confront Banma now stepped back several dozen meters, feeling it was still not safe enough. Fang Lin Kong was actually arguing back with one of the five chairmen of the International Demon Alliance, and he did so with such confidence that it frightened the demons around him.
"It seems Lord Banma has quite a temper! Fang Lin Kong is definitely in trouble!"
One member of the First Guard Brigade confidently assessed the situation to his companion, while Yuan Tiankong, who had been eavesdropping, merely smiled and nodded, showing no interest in continuing this trivial conversation.
Banma confronted Fang Lin Kong's excuses without showing any anger.
He gently adjusted a ring on his finger and said slowly, "Do you think we should slow down and take a break?"
Fang Lin Kong nodded in agreement and replied, "That's exactly what I mean; it's just that your pace is too fast for me to keep up. I only suggested this!"
Banma laughed in anger, saying repeatedly, "Good! Good! Indeed, you have extraordinary courage to not fear my power. It is a great honor for the International Demon Alliance to have a rising star like you..."
Fang Lin Kong was spouting nonsense, but he was well aware of Banma's strength as the Chairman of the African branch of the International Demon Alliance. If it came to blows, he would only have the option to flee; victory was out of the question. However, yielding to him was even less likely.
Fang Lin Kong was also wary of Banma suddenly attacking him. Therefore, the Taiyin Soul Piercer and the Innate Sword Artifact forged from the Haotian Divine Sword were both infused with demonic energy, ready to strike at any moment. His expression appeared quite serious, and he accepted Banma's praise with a sense of pride, boldly declaring, "If Lord Banma wishes to retire and enjoy life, with my outstanding character and ambition, I would certainly be one of the candidates for the next Chairman of the International Demon Alliance. My usual performance may be a bit lacking, but I wouldn't mind if you praised me a little more!"
Finally provoked by Fang Lin Kong's words, Banma's anger flared. He extended his fingers and unleashed the Thunderclaw of the King of Beasts, sending crackling electricity toward Fang Lin Kong's shoulder. Although it was just a simple grab, in the hands of this Elder with over a million units of demonic power, even a light touch could turn anyone to ashes.
"Martial arts? That's exactly my favorite! Watch my Haotian Divine Art, first technique: True Fire of the Rabbit!"
The Haotian Divine Art and Mystic Transformation of the Nine Heavens were on par with each other; both were intricate techniques that combined magic and martial arts. They encompassed everything from basic Xian Dao martial arts to breaking through voids. Ever since the awakening of the Haotian Divine Sword, Fang Lin Kong had inexplicably gained an extraordinary martial skill. This time, he intended to test its power against Banma.
Fang Lin Kong turned his hand over, igniting a strange flame in his palm. The flame was almost completely transparent yet appeared pure and crystalline, shimmering without any heat.
Banma, being an experienced practitioner, did not rashly attempt to grab Fang Lin Kong's flame created with demonic energy. Instead, he exhaled forcefully and released a small Thunderbolt Demon Energy Bomb.
Although this Thunderbolt Demon Energy Bomb was small in size, its contained energy could easily demolish a skyscraper. Especially at such a short distance, it had enough power to melt steel into liquid form.
Fang Lin Kong had never used Haotian Divine Art in battle before and did not dare to underestimate it. He activated True Fire of the Rabbit; within mere centimeters, it flickered unpredictably and traced out a symbol representing the essence of sun and moon. He aimed to concentrate his power for a direct confrontation.
When the Thunderbolt Demon Energy Bomb made contact with True Fire of the Rabbit, there was no explosive clash as they had both anticipated. Generally speaking, two different types of unstable energies colliding would result in such an outcome.
True Fire of the Rabbit was composed of highly pure fire energy. Banma's Thunderbolt Demon Energy Bomb exceeded Fang Lin Kong's True Fire of the Rabbit in energy intensity by more than double; however, it fell short in terms of energy purity. Thus, without any warning, upon contact with True Fire of the Rabbit, Banma's Thunderbolt Demon Energy Bomb rapidly melted away as if it were a snowball tossed into a fire.
"What an unusual energy!"
Banma took a sharp breath, thinking to himself, "Thank goodness I didn't recklessly reach out with my hands; otherwise, my protective energy might not withstand such a domineering demonic fire! Who is this young man?"
In Africa, Banma held his ground and showed no regard for Zhou Qingzhe. He had been loyal to Yuan Qian Kun, but due to Ice King's ambiguous attitude and his own self-assessment that he couldn't compete with Zhou Qingzhe and Zhang Rongying, he refrained from launching an attack against them. This time, however, the temptation of Gouli Heaven's Tome was too great; the fate of the demon race rested on this one move. Without Yuan Qian Kun, he had no choice but to rely on Zhou Qingzhe to take charge. Of course, Zhou Qingzhe would not reveal all his secrets; Banma was unaware of Fang Lin Kong's true identity.
"Great! This is just fantastic! What an exhilarating technique!"
Discovering that True Fire of the Rabbit had such remarkable qualities filled Fang Lin Kong with immense joy. This energy was unlike anything he had ever encountered—demonic energy or otherwise. It was even more domineering and pure than Azure Fire Divine Flame and Black Flame. Moreover, if it weren't for his cultivation of Haotian Divine Art, he wouldn't have been able to replicate this power at all. This peculiarity was something he had never seen before.
"Great destructive power, rapid accumulation of energy; aside from its inability to transform into other types of energy or be simulated, it truly has no drawbacks! Hmm! I misspoke; it seems I still can't use this power to control magical artifacts..."
The fact that True Fire could incinerate everything in the world was both endearing and infuriating.
Banma made a futile attempt and wrapped his index finger around a vine from an ancient tree nearby. With his surging demonic power, it instantly transformed into a spear, unleashing countless spear flowers and filling the air with spear shadows. However, no matter how exquisite Banma's spear techniques were, they could not be unleashed under the terrifying power of True Fire of the Rabbit. As soon as the Vine Spear made contact with True Fire of the Rabbit, half an inch of its length was burned away. If not for Banma's immense demonic power far exceeding Fang Lin Kong's, which protected most of the spear's length, the Vine Spear wouldn't have even had a chance to move.
Nevertheless, Banma's choice of weapon was special. The vine measured over twenty meters in length, with plenty more to spare. He didn't want to overpower his opponent, so he didn't elevate his demonic power too high. The Vine Spear danced in his hand as he engaged Fang Lin Kong in battle.
The other demons watching from the sidelines were astonished to see Fang Lin Kong actually holding his own against Lord Banma, one of the five chairmen of the International Demon Alliance. They were captivated by the unfolding duel and even a group of opportunists began placing bets through secret frequencies on their detectors. After all, Fang Lin Kong was still inexperienced; the odds reached twenty-eight to one against him, clearly indicating that almost no one believed in his chances...
(To be continued)
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