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墨書 Inktalez
Xunuo furrowed his brows in deep thought for a long time before suddenly recalling something: how Bai Wuxi managed to enter this place. Given Bai Wuxi's Yin Spirit Root constitution, he should be severely restricted here. Fire Attribute artifacts would not unleash their full power against him, so he must have employed a method of counteracting with Yin against Yang.
Xunuo then thought of his own Heavenly Shadow Spike. If that was the case, this top-tier Yin Attribute Artifact should have a similar effect. With this in mind, Xunuo clapped his storage bag, and the Six Heavenly Shadow Darts appeared around him. Channeling his mana, the Six Heavenly Shadow Darts flashed with dark light, releasing a Chill of Darkness that instantly expelled the surrounding heat waves by several feet, extinguishing the flames conjured by the fire elemental energy on the ground and causing the temperature around him to drop sharply.
Knowing that this method was feasible brought joy to Xunuo's heart as he strode toward the Rift Valley. According to the map, reaching the Rift Valley from here would require passing through several areas inhabited by beasts. Although the owner of the map and book shop had conspired against Xunuo, the map he sold was genuinely worth its price. Following it closely, Xunuo encountered almost no unexpected events along the way. The only time he was ambushed was by an Earthfire Lizard, which likely had relocated unexpectedly.
Xunuo calculated that if he were to circumvent all these beasts, it would take more than double the time. While he didn't mind spending extra time, he worried about his defensive measures holding up under Fire Poison for too long.
He marked two areas that he absolutely needed to avoid; both were infested with pack-dwelling beasts. One area was particularly dangerous, home to over ten Third-Grade Monsters known as Fire Thorn Bats. Xunuo figured that confronting them would either lead to death or a desperate escape. The other five perilous spots contained either a few Third-Grade Monsters or small groups of First or Second-Level Monsters. For these locations, Xunuo decided to charge through.
Summoning the Six Heavenly Shadow Darts significantly alleviated the invasion of Fire Poison, but it drained a considerable amount of mana. Therefore, when he encountered the first group of First-Level Monsters called Fireline Worms, he refrained from deploying his artifact and instead unleashed countless Wind Blade Spells that rained down upon them.
These Fireline Worms had extremely poor defenses; their greatest ability was to absorb the local Fire Poison. Upon contact with a host, they could instantly invade the body and release Fire Poison to corrode their victim. At that point, they were unafraid of being sliced into countless pieces; nourished by flesh and blood, being cut apart simply meant splitting into thousands of Fireline Worms.
Understanding the danger posed by these Demonic Insects, Xunuo naturally did not allow them to approach him. Despite their overwhelming numbers, they remained isolated over ten feet away under the relentless assault of his Wind Blade Spells. Moreover, without access to flesh for sustenance, any Fireline Worm cut in half would suffer significant vitality loss; even if they managed to reconstitute themselves and survive, their Realm would plummet drastically.
Half an hour later, the ground was littered with the corpses of Fireline Worms, staining the area a deep crimson. Cold sweat dripped down Xunuo's back as he glanced at the sea of insect bodies; instead of continuing on his way, he chose to sit cross-legged and recover his mana. This prolonged battle had taken a heavy toll on him.
In past battles, Xunuo always sought ways to conclude fights in the shortest possible time; long battles were typically conducted with assistance from formations. This encounter marked one of Xunuo's longest fights yet; fortunately, Wind Blade Spell consumed relatively little mana; otherwise, it was uncertain whether he could have endured until its conclusion. Holding a spirit stone in each hand, Xunuo meditated for a full hour before replenishing his mana completely. He then proceeded according to plan.
On his journey over the next few days, Xunuo encountered several waves of beasts; however, all were indicated on his map, allowing him to eliminate them without incident and press onward.
Five days later, Xunuo arrived at the edge of a purplish-red grassland. He was now close to the hiding place of Firebane Grass. He paused here partly because the map indicated that ahead lay a group of Second-Level Fireblade Wolves. These beasts possessed a signature ability: they could unleash Fire Blades to harm others. Even First-Level Fireblade Wolves had this capability; Second-Level ones could cast Fire Blade Spells that could rival artifacts in power. Moreover, these creatures had exceptionally strong defenses; typical spells would struggle to injure them, and even artifacts would find it challenging to defeat them quickly—killing them would be even more difficult.
However, the real reason Xunuo had come to this place was not out of fear of the beast, but because there were already signs of Fire Fiend Power encroaching. Xunuo understood that this was due to the fact that the Heavenly Shadow Spike was not a true Defensive Artifact. Its ability to repel Fire Poison was based on the materials it was made from. Since Heavenly Shadow Spike itself was not a genuine Defensive Artifact, its defensive capabilities were inherently lacking. Moreover, summoning the Six Heavenly Shadow Darts simultaneously took a significant toll on Xunuo's mana.
After much contemplation, Xunuo decided to summon the Blue Flame Shield. Whether or not it would draw the opponent in was left to fate. At worst, there would be a battle, but for the time being, Xunuo felt somewhat confident that the enemy would not arrive quickly.
As soon as Xunuo summoned the Blue Flame Shield, the Fire Fiend Power was instantly repelled, and even the Thunderproof Armored Shell momentarily regained its original form. Feeling reassured, Xunuo put away the Heavenly Shadow Spike and headed towards the Crimson Grassland.
According to the map, this area of Crimson Grassland was one of the larger patches of vegetation within this Mountain Valley, stretching all the way to a nearby entrance. The group of Fireblade Wolves occupying this area were fierce but few in number—only about four or five. Xunuo believed that if he used all his means, it should not be difficult to end the battle quickly. Given the ferocity of these beasts, Xunuo did not dare to think about prolonged combat, so he held two spirit stones tightly in hand, ready to maintain his mana at full capacity.
After traveling for half a day without encountering any signs of the Fireblade Wolves, unease began to creep into Xunuo's mind. For someone like him, who excelled at calculating others' moves, being outmaneuvered was his greatest fear. Thus, upon spotting a several dozen-foot-high Earth Hill ahead, he decided to climb up for a better view and assess the current situation.
The hill was small and gentle in slope but stood out starkly in this grassy expanse, offering excellent visibility. Not far down from one side of the slope lay a mire covering several acres; however, it was filled with red-hot lava that bubbled and occasionally released purplish-red bubbles—much hotter than the surrounding crimson grassland. In the distance on the other side lay a patch of brown shrubs. With his Divine Sense fully activated, Xunuo scanned for any signs of the Fireblade Wolves.
Moments later, he suddenly felt alarmed and pulled out a Great Illusion Concealment Talisman, slapping it onto himself as he froze in place, watching intently into the distance. A red line appeared on the horizon, quickly transforming into a mass of red clouds that flew toward him at an alarming speed. As he observed these clouds, his Divine Sense retreated into his Sea of Consciousness, ensuring no trace of his presence leaked out.
When they passed over the thicket, he finally saw clearly: it was a swarm of Fire Cloud Bats. A shiver ran through his lips—this was serious.
The Fire Cloud Bat was a gregarious beast that rarely surpassed level three; even second-grade ones were uncommon. However, each swarm would have a single leader known as the Fire Cloud Demon King, which would definitely be a Third-Grade Monster. These beasts were territorial and would do everything in their power to eliminate intruders within their domain. The Fire Cloud Bats, in particular, would relentlessly pursue anyone who entered their territory until they were killed.
Moreover, these creatures were incredibly fast and could rival typical Flying Artifacts. Their fire-based spells were highly offensive. While their defense might be weak, their speed and aerial advantage compensated for this flaw. Therefore, instead of fleeing, Xunuo hoped that this group of bats would merely pass by.
Typically, when beasts occupy an area, they do not easily change locations; this place also did not seem suitable for habitation by Fire Cloud Bats. Thus, Xunuo believed there was a high likelihood that they were just passing through. There was no need to take risks by fleeing and drawing attention.
As the swarm of Fire Cloud Bats drew closer, first came their leader—the Fire Cloud Bat King. It radiated flames and led its group at the forefront with wings spanning nearly ten feet long—twice as large as those of its fellow bats behind it. The ugly and fierce face of the Fire Cloud Bat King featured two bulging black eyes resembling copper bells and sharp teeth that gleamed like saw blades under light.
The group of Fire Cloud Bats swiftly flew close to Xunuo, neither passing by as Xunuo had expected nor coming directly toward him. Instead, they dove toward the Lava Swamp. When they reached a certain height above the Lava Swamp, the Fire Cloud Bat King let out a piercing scream, and a massive fireball shot forth, striking the Lava Swamp. Following this, the swarm of bats behind the Fire Cloud Bat King unleashed a barrage of fireballs, instantly causing the Lava Swamp to boil violently. After releasing their fireballs, the Fire Cloud Bats soared into the air, spiraled around, and then dove down once more.
At that moment, the boiling Lava Swamp suddenly shook violently, and something dark leaped out from within the lava, emitting a strange croak. The sound was not only extremely unpleasant but also bizarre; upon reaching Xunuo's ears, it gave him an unsettling feeling as if his Divine Sense was spiraling out of control. Startled, Xunuo quickly steadied his mind. When he looked at the creature again, his eyes revealed a look of horror.
Xunuo had encountered sound wave attacks before, but an attack on his Divine Sense was something that truly frightened him. Such an assault was the hardest to defend against; even a momentary lapse in concentration during the rapidly changing battle could lead to fatal consequences.
Just as Xunuo feared, after that strange croak, dozens of Fire Cloud Bats diving down plummeted directly into the Magma Swamp, instantly swallowed by the rolling lava. The dense barrage of fireballs that struck this Black Monster seemed to have little effect on it. The creature lay atop the Lava Swamp, coldly gazing at the Fire Cloud Bats in the air. As Xunuo focused on this creature, beads of sweat began to trickle down his forehead.
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