Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
**Chapter Seven: The Legendary Era**
**Part One: Fateful Challenge**
Whoosh! A small beast, entirely golden and possessing six tails, was lifted by a beam of Azure Light. Its limbs struggled helplessly, unable to change its fate.
Three Unicorn Dragons galloped past, with the rider on top being the proud Fang Lin Kong. He had already captured four Task Beasts, and capturing this level forty-six Phantom Tail Fox would allow him to apply for the exam and complete his quest.
Wen Yi and Chen Mingbin looked enviously at the Azure Light shot out by Fang Lin Kong as they urged their Unicorn Dragons closer to him.
“Fang Lin Kong! Don’t forget your brothers while you’re basking in glory! Our mission isn’t complete yet! Aren’t you going to help us?”
Fang Lin Kong completely ignored Wen Yi's complaints and replied, “I didn’t come unprepared! I even gave each of you a sealing artifact. You’ve collected quite a few magical beasts along the way, haven’t you? If you haven’t encountered your own Task Beast, how can you blame me?”
Wen Yi grumbled, “The sealing artifacts you gave can only seal fifteen magical beasts. I can’t collect many powerful ones because I have to leave space for the Task Beasts. It’s really frustrating. If only you could give me two more!”
Chen Mingbin remained silent as usual. Just then, another Phantom Tail Fox appeared. With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a yellow light that enveloped the Phantom Tail Fox, which was then captured. A golden fox totem instantly appeared on the peculiar bracelet on his wrist. In addition to this fox totem, seven other magical beast images faintly emerged on the bracelet.
“I’ve caught a Phantom Tail Fox too. Besides this beast, I still need an Azure Rhino. Wen Yi, you’ve only caught two Task Beasts, right? You need to step up your game!”
“You guys are driving me crazy!”
Leading the way on his Unicorn Dragon, Wen Yi began to feel determined.
After circling around and capturing Task Beasts, Fang Lin Kong, Wen Yi, and Chen Mingbin contacted their Seeking Demon Bug. Ye Lisha and her companion were not far away; Fang Lin Kong signaled for Wen Yi and Chen Mingbin to head over and join them.
Although Fang Lin Kong was no longer with them, Ye Lisha and Lin Yu had received help from the White Dragon and had already captured several Task Beasts. However, since the White Dragon had left, they hadn’t heard from Fang Lin Kong again, which left them quite worried.
Fang Lin Kong did not command the Seeking Demon Bug to perform any strange actions, so the two girls were unaware that she had returned. After several days of tracking, Lin Yu found a nest of the Thousand-Legged Crawling Beast and was lying in wait outside. The two were idly discussing recent events.
"It seems that the number of missing candidates has been increasing lately; many people have suddenly disappeared. Do you think it's because the magical beasts have become more powerful?" Lin Yu asked.
Ye Lisha hesitated for a moment before replying, "I don't think it's that the magical beasts are too strong, but rather that some candidates have serious issues. The duel we witnessed between those two candidates last time was probably not a coincidence! I've heard that every year there are some inexplicable disappearances during the exams, and I'm worried that some candidates may not have such simple intentions!"
Lin Yu whispered, "Could they be attacking each other?"
Ye Lisha replied with some certainty, "I think that's likely. What happened to Fang Lin Kong? There's been no news from Wen Yi or Chen Mingbin either. If we had managed to unite back then, things would have been much better."
Lin Yu wrinkled her delicate nose and scoffed, "That Wen Yi with his bad temper really thinks he's something special. Our Kunlun Celestial Path brothers are far stronger than them, yet none of us act so arrogant!"
Ye Lisha couldn't help but chuckle. "Wen Yi is quite amusing; I heard he and Fang Lin Kong obtained the Gouli Heaven's Tome together, but their abilities differ greatly."
Just as Lin Yu was about to ask about the Gouli Heaven's Tome, a rustling sound interrupted them, prompting both girls to instinctively close their mouths.
A peculiar creature resembling a longhorn beetle with a body length like a centipede emerged from a massive pit in the ground.
"So this is how gigantic the Thousand-Legged Crawling Beast is; no wonder it is rated as a Level Fifty-Eight magical beast," Lin Yu remarked.
Lin Yu and Ye Lisha had already set up the Thousand Shadow Web formation on the ground. They exchanged glances and shouted in unison. Countless black shadow tendrils shot out from the ground, tightly binding the Thousand-Legged Crawling Beast. Ye Lisha poured all her energy into supporting the spell of Thousand Shadow Web while Lin Yu leaped high into the air and forcefully stomped down with her right foot.
Lin Yu's mastery of the Eight-Nine Yuan Skill had reached a level where her body was as tough as steel; this strike could create a dent even in a rock of similar size. Although the shell of the Thousand-Legged Crawling Beast was sturdy, it could not withstand Lin Yu's kick, resulting in a deep indentation on its head.
However, such an impact was not enough to render the Thousand-Legged Crawling Beast incapable of fighting back. In pain, it raised its head towards the sky and let out a loud roar, its massive body thrashing violently as it attempted to break free from the bindings of the Thousand Shadow Web.
Ye Lisha's magical power had reached its limit, and sweat began to bead on her forehead. Seeing that her attack had not incapacitated the Thousand-Legged Crawling Beast, Lin Yu unleashed another series of powerful kicks. Girls naturally feared insects, and even Lin Yu was no exception. The fact that she dared to kick at the Thousand-Legged Crawling Beast was already pushing her limits; there was no way she could bring herself to strike it with her hands. This hesitation caused Lin Yu to hold back on some intricate techniques and prevented her from launching full-force attacks.
The Thousand-Legged Crawling Beast's shell cracked under Lin Yu's kick, but he was too afraid to strike the area where brain matter was oozing out. Instead, he carefully chose clean spots to land his blows, unable to deliver a more devastating hit.
Ye Lisha complained about Lin Yu's obsession with cleanliness at such a critical moment, yet she couldn't bring herself to urge him to attack the more grotesque areas. The Thousand-Legged Crawling Beast was incredibly resilient; if this continued, the battle would inevitably drag on for a long time.
If Lin Yu and Ye Lisha could understand the roars of the Thousand-Legged Crawling Beast, they would realize that those sounds were not meaningless syllables but cries for help. Just moments ago, as they crawled out of the beast's lair, a faint echo of a roar responded. Lin Yu was ready to wield his palm like a blade and strike down the filthy creature, but then he heard Ye Lisha shout, "Lin Yu! Run!"
Trusting Ye Lisha's judgment, he broke free from the entanglement with the beast. When he turned back, even this usually bold girl felt a chill run down her spine. From that very hole, countless Thousand-Legged Crawling Beasts emerged in a continuous stream. The first one let out a strange roar and charged toward them.
"We need to run!"
Ye Lisha saw Lin Yu already moving and quickly turned to flee. As a disciple of Kunlun who specialized in physical techniques, Lin Yu was much faster than her, who leaned more towards spellcasting. Ye Lisha certainly wasn't foolish enough to wait for him.
Without Ye Lisha's restraint, the Thousand Shadow Web held for only an instant before being broken free by the injured Thousand-Legged Crawling Beast. Following that, hundreds of these beasts surged across the forest floor, chasing after the fleeing girl with deafening roars.
A small golden insect flew above this rare spectacle. Its amber eyes transmitted what it saw back to its master. Fang Lin Kong closed his eyes for a moment and severed his connection with Wutu Zhenluo. With a smile, he said, "Brothers! Our chance to be heroes has arrived! Strike your coolest poses; we’re off!"
Beside him, Chen Mingbin and Wen Yi knew Fang Lin Kong had sent out Seeking Demon Bugs but had no idea he intended to lead them in ambushing the army of hundreds of Thousand-Legged Crawling Beasts. They all shouted in unison as they rode their Unicorn Dragons into action.
The Thousand-Legged Crawling Beast was nearly twice the level of the Unicorn Dragon; even now, Chen Mingbin or Wen Yi would struggle to win in a one-on-one fight. The size of a Thousand-Legged Crawling Beast was likely larger than any known terrestrial animal on Earth, dwarfing even the long-extinct Argentinosaurus. Anyone confronted with such a colossal creature would feel enough psychological pressure to tremble.
Thus, when the three rode their Unicorn Dragons and spotted Lin Yu and Ye Lisha in the distance, Wen Yi and Chen Mingbin forgot all about their heroic rescue jokes and cool poses. Their mouths hung open in shock, eyes wide enough to pop out of their sockets; they looked utterly ridiculous.
As Ye Lisha struggled to keep running on the brink of exhaustion, three knights on Unicorn Dragons suddenly appeared ahead. Naturally, she immediately sought their help and sprinted toward them.
When Lin Yu and Ye Lisha saw Fang Lin Kong laughing uncontrollably alongside an uncharacteristically flustered Chen Mingbin and Wen Yi, they couldn't contain their joy and shouted loudly, "Fang Lin Kong! Help us! The Thousand-Legged Crawling Beasts behind us are formidable; you need to be careful!"
Wen Yi and Chen Mingbin hurriedly urged their Unicorn Dragons forward to meet them, while Fang Lin Kong remained steadfastly still. Once Lin Yu and Ye Lisha mounted behind Chen Mingbin and Wen Yi respectively, they urged Fang Lin Kong to escape quickly.
Confident and carefree, the Arrogant Youth waved his hand, signaling them to step aside. In the astonished gaze of the four, he raised his hand, emitting a dim yellow halo. As the halo was unleashed, it instantly expanded dozens of times, floating in mid-air like a gateway to another realm.
The Thousand-Legged Crawling Beasts surged forward, but as they approached, they were pulled into the air by an unmatched force emanating from the yellow halo. One after another, they vanished into the center of the halo. The intelligence of the Thousand-Legged Crawling Beasts was quite low; they did not retreat even when the last one was collected by Fang Lin Kong.
After gathering hundreds of Thousand-Legged Crawling Beasts, Fang Lin Kong waved his hand to retract the yellow halo and turned around with a smile. Remembering how Fang Lin Kong had instructed them to pose earlier, Chen Mingbin and Wen Yi couldn't help but curse him silently in their hearts.
"With such abilities, he didn't even tell us. Now he looks incredibly suave while we were just scared out of our wits and utterly embarrassed. That mischievous nature of his hasn't changed at all!"
Lin Yu saw how easily Fang Lin Kong had resolved the crisis and felt a surge of joy. "Fang Lin Kong, did you fulfill White Dragon's request? No wonder it suddenly disappeared earlier!"
Seizing the opportunity, Fang Lin Kong spun an elaborate tale about his experiences, claiming encounters with Ancient God Chaos and fortuitous meetings with Ancient Immortal Dan Xiaozu. Azure Deity Sage, Divine Beast and Celestial Bird, and the dual energies of azure and gold were woven into his narrative. What was already a peculiar adventure became even more convoluted and exciting in his words, leaving Chen Mingbin and Wen Yi regretting that they hadn't had such opportunities.
Hearing that Fang Lin Kong not only regained his strength but also advanced significantly in power, Ye Lisha lazily remarked, "In that case, I can't be bothered to continue this exam. Fang Lin Kong, why don't you help me and Lin Yu catch a few Task Beasts? It will save us some effort."
Wen Yi immediately applauded in agreement. "Fang Lin Kong, you worried us while reaping all these benefits for yourself. You definitely have to help out with this little task!"
Feigning anger, Fang Lin Kong replied, "When have you ever worried about me? You and Chen Mingbin didn't even know I was risking my life on this adventure!"
Lin Yu quickly chimed in, urging Fang Lin Kong to capture the magical beasts. The girl had endured quite a bit over the past couple of days to complete their mission; if someone could take over for her, why not?
Under pressure from the four, Fang Lin Kong spread his hands and said, "Then you all can head back to the castle and wait for me! I'll catch up shortly."
Lin Yu cheered and called for Chen Mingbin to hurry back. However, Ye Lisha suddenly interjected, "Fang Lin Kong! Since you say you've subdued quite a few sealed beasts, why not give us a couple of mounts? I really don't want to ride that clumsy dragon with anyone else. It's too bumpy!"
Fang Lin Kong flipped over and jumped down from the Unicorn Dragon. With a flick of his hand, two colorful exotic beasts dashed out from beneath him. These two creatures were ones Fang Lin Kong had collected from Golden Radiance; although they weren't as magnificent as the Golden Feathered Dragon Sparrow prized by Dan Xiazi, they were still impressive in their own right. Their forms were agile—neither quite deer nor horse—and were named Yellow Camel. As they trotted on their four hooves, clouds of mist billowed around them as if they could leap off the ground.
Ye Lisha initially intended to squeeze a favor out of him but was taken aback by Fang Lin Kong's extraordinary beasts. Overjoyed at first sight, she pushed past Wen Yi's sturdy frame and dismounted from the Unicorn Dragon. Lin Yu also cheered happily as she leaped down and each took hold of a Yellow Camel, affectionately stroking them.
Wen Yi watched with keen interest, about to speak up. However, as Fang Lin Kong unleashed the Yellow Camel, he immediately leaped into the air, using a Teleportation spell to soar away.
Fang Lin Kong had lost all curiosity about this space. He wanted to finish quickly and leave as soon as possible. The Wutu Zhenluo he released was not only searching for Lin Yu and Ye Lisha but also tasked with locating the Task Beasts. This allowed him to easily gather his Task Beasts on the way to reunite with Lin Yu and the others.
Now that he was no longer burdened by Wen Yi and the others, Fang Lin Kong didn't need to move on the ground. He maneuvered through the air with Teleportation, spotting the magical beasts he needed without needing to land; a flash of yellow light was enough to collect them from midair.
Lin Yu and Ye Lisha, along with Wen Yi and Chen Mingbin, were still short of Task Beasts, only having eight Nine-Headed beasts in total. After spending a few hours, Fang Lin Kong had already gathered enough. However, after counting his Task Beasts, he did not rush back to the castle but instead hovered quietly above a vast lake.
"I know you've been following me for a long time; just say what you want!"
Fang Lin Kong's expression remained unchanged, but his calm voice resonated far and wide. The sound waves caused the air around him to distort, revealing a golden-haired youth hidden within the atmosphere. Caught off guard, Dinaus looked astonished. His invisibility had been easily pierced, and Fang Lin Kong had dispelled it with a mere gesture. This made the talented youth from the Flame Lion Family begin to doubt his judgment of Fang Lin Kong.
Like all proud youths, Dinaus believed that Fang Lin Kong could be his rival but was confident that victory would ultimately belong to him. He hadn't intended to challenge Fang Lin Kong in this constrained space; he had merely followed to observe his confirmed enemy's details. However, since they were now face-to-face under these circumstances, Dinaus wouldn't panic.
He bowed deeply before introducing himself and his family confidently: "I am Dinaus. I believe there is no one else in this world worthy of being my opponent besides you. Although the location and timing aren't perfect, I still hope you will accept my challenge!"
Fang Lin Kong watched Dinaus's performance as if it were an old European film, then raised a hand in a gesture of indifference. He had no idea what the Flame Lion Family was or where Dinaus's arrogance stemmed from. He simply replied, "There are too many extraordinary people in this world for you to hold such an outdated notion. What do you mean by saying no one else is worthy of being your opponent? After you challenge Kyo Kusanagi, come back and talk to me! Right now, I'm not interested in playing along!"
Dinaus began to ignite with golden flames; his handsome face was filled with calmness and coldness.
"Kyo Kusanagi may be formidable, but I believe that one day I will step into that realm as well. While I am confident, I am not arrogant. Compared to these predecessors, I still lack time to hone my strength. How about we have a competition to see who first steps into the realm of Divine Extremity?"
"Hmph! You make it sound so easy. There are only eight people on Earth who have comprehended the mysteries of Divine Extremity! Those thousands of years of cultivation—do you think it's so easy to surpass?" Although Fang Lin Kong had experienced many adventures, he remained ignorant of the mysteries of Divine Extremity. However, he knew that stepping into that realm required more than just confidence and strength. If understanding Divine Extremity were so simple, Zhou Qingzhe and Zhang Rongying wouldn't be so thoroughly suppressed by Yuan Qian Kun; even if they rebelled, they would still seek help.
Dinaus gradually increased his power; his spiritual pressure surged higher and higher until Fang Lin Kong finally sensed something amiss. He began to scrutinize this unfamiliar youth seriously. When he first entered the examination area, one of those four spiritual pressures felt identical to Dinaus's current aura. Moreover, their power seemed quite similar.
"Could this person also have comprehended the mysteries of spatial laws?" Fang Lin Kong thought in astonishment.
However, he soon realized he was mistaken. If Dinaus could break the boundaries of space and gain support from his own power, combined with the energy absorbed in this space, he should have become stronger, not remain at a level comparable to their first meeting.
"Have you found a way to quickly return to your original level?"
Fang Lin Kong's probing question was immediately answered.
"That's right! I believe you are someone who can find the answer as well; otherwise, you would be on the ground like everyone else, not up in the sky!"
Fang Lin Kong chuckled, not intending to correct Dinaus's misunderstanding. At the same time, he marveled at Dinaus's insight. Having received the memories of the White Dragon, he understood how brilliant it was for Dinaus to find a way to restore his level. Although he was still a step away from comprehending the laws of space, if Dinaus could rely on his understanding to grasp the mysteries of space, it would only be a matter of time before he stepped onto the path of Divine Extremity.
Seeing Fang Lin Kong lost in thought, Dinaus retracted the golden flames surrounding him and said, "In this space battle, although our powers have been restored, we are not in optimal fighting condition. I believe you also wish for us to fight with all our strength in the real world."
Fang Lin Kong thought to himself, "If we start fighting now, I could definitely make you regret it. However, if I reveal my treasures, I might lose some secrets. Better to wait for another opportunity!"
He nodded slightly at Dinaus, and suddenly activated Teleportation, soaring toward the direction of the castle. Dinaus watched as Fang Lin Kong departed, beads of sweat forming in his palm.
"Perhaps our conflict will stretch across centuries..."
Yet it would be many years later that Dinaus would realize how far off his judgment had been. Fang Lin Kong had never shared the same world as him... and at that moment, Fang Lin Kong had long forgotten about what Dinaus considered a crucial invitation for their decisive battle...
(To be continued)
Comment 0 Comment Count