Chapter 1386: Just Accept Reality and Die
Soon afterward, the man-dog-lizard creatures emerged from several different directions, baring their fangs as they pressed in on the group.
The monsters seemed to have suddenly appeared out of nothing. There had clearly been nothing there a moment before, and yet now, there were monsters everywhere. It really could make one’s scalp go numb.
Yun Jianyue swallowed with difficulty, cursing, “d.a.m.n brat, if I end up getting eaten by these creatures, I won’t let you go even if I have to turn into a ghost.”
Yan Xuehen’s face paled as well. She instinctively leaned toward Zu An, as if only then would she feel a bit more at ease.
Meanwhile, Yu Yanluo was calmer than the others, because she was the least affected by the resentment energy around them. She thought to herself that she had to protect the rest of the group properly.
Just then, the black monsters noticed them. They pounced toward the group with a roar.
However, Zu An brought out the Yin Yang Swords, slicing up the black monsters charging at them. He didn’t use the Tai’e Sword because it had been damaged by the Sun Slaying Bow, and he was worried that it would become more damaged if he used it in a fight. Furthermore, he was worried that the Fiend Emperor would become interested in it, as it was something that could fend off a divine weapon. It would be really troublesome if it got stolen. Furthermore, Mi Li was residing inside it too.
Sure enough, the Fiend Emperor’s attention was drawn to the weapons Zu An used. Aren’t those the Ocean races’ Yin Yang Swords? Looks like this kid’s relationship with the Ocean races runs quite deep.
As the glorious Fiend Emperor, however, a heaven-grade weapon wasn’t enough to make him feel anything. What he paid more attention to were the weapons of the other women.
Sect Master Yun’s Crescent Ring was as domineering as expected, and its movements were unpredictable and difficult to defend against.
Sect Master Yan’s Flying Snow Sword engulfed the world in an icy chill. It matched her Snowflake Sword skill extremely well.
The Medusa Queen’s World Painting was something rumored to have been made by the human world’s Royal Academy’s libationer. Even though it was less powerful than the other two, it wasn’t outcla.s.sed in any other way. It was rumored that the libationer was incredibly profound, and that his cultivation even approached Zhao Han’s. The Fiend Emperor had previously felt some disdain toward him, but now, it seemed that such a thing could actually be true.
Two earth immortals in the human world wouldn’t be good for our fiend races.
However, he didn’t have the luxury to think about those things anymore, because there were just too many of the black monsters. Many of them saw the Fiend Emperor’s party of three, and charged at them too.
“You’re courting death!” The Fiend Emperor sneered. He didn’t move, but a wave of golden flames scattered outward, instantly burning all the approaching black monsters to ashes.
However, the monsters didn’t seem to feel fear at all. A new batch charged forth as soon as one went down, their expressions even more malicious than the last. Perhaps because they sensed that the Fiend Emperor’s side was stronger, however, many of the creatures went over to Zu An’s side.
Zu An took the chance to grab the women’s hands, calling out, “Run!”
He grabbed them and ran frantically toward the mountains. However, even though there were fewer black monsters, they still rushed forth endlessly. As such, he took out the Nine Cauldron and let out the White Lotus Flame. That flame was the loot he had picked up from Ban Ka; he hadn’t expected it to be of use so quickly.
Inside the Nine Cauldron was a small fire that resembled a cute, lovely budding lotus. However, as soon as it was released, it turned into an overwhelming disaster! Countless lotuses rose and blossomed. The black monsters that approached were instantly burned until there was nothing left.
“So that kid actually had something so excellent.” the Fiend Emperor muttered in surprise. At the same time, he recalled the cold case that had recently happened in the capital. The Black Teeth race had been looking for the killer everywhere, and yet this brat was actually the culprit after all!
It’s a good thing I placed that Puppet Curse on him. All of these treasures are going to be mine later.
Even though there were many black monsters attacking, it wasn’t a big deal for the Fiend Emperor at all, because they were easy to deal with. The only thing he had to worry about was that strange resentment energy. As he didn’t have much time left, he didn’t want to lose any bit of life force.
The Fiend Emperor’s attention was drawn by the dazzling White Lotus Flame, but Zu An noticed an abnormality after he took out the Nine Cauldron. It had begun trembling unnaturally. Zu An seemed to grasp something simple yet profound, but it was too mysterious. He didn’t have time to comprehend it at the moment.
Then, the Nine Cauldron shook more and more intensely, making Zu An worry that the White Lotus Flame was too powerful and that the Nine Cauldron wouldn’t be able to handle it.
The Fiend Emperor also sensed something. He turned around, looking toward the endless mountain range. Within the depths of the mountain range, far in the distance, an ancient coffin trembled slightly. A pair of eyes seemed to have slowly opened in the sky.
“Father emperor, what’s wrong?” the Golden Crow Crown Prince asked after seeing his father become absentminded. The black creatures were rushing at them like an ocean tide, so he had no choice but to guard against them alongside Wu Liang. If they were struck by the monsters in any way, black energy lingered around the wounds. Fortunately, he had the Golden Crow Sacred Fire to protect him; furthermore, they hadn’t entered the area, which was why they hadn’t gotten infected by the resentment. He had no idea how the fatty was doing so, but Wu Liang was actually able to defend against the corrosion of the black monsters too.
“It’s nothing,” the Fiend Emperor said, retracting his gaze. However, he was actually trembling a bit inwardly.
What was that feeling just then? Why was there such a powerful being present, one that made even him feel extreme danger? The feeling of danger was even greater than when he faced Zhao Han! He thought, How is that possible?!
The aura had only manifested for an instant before dispersing. Even the Fiend Emperor started to wonder whether it was just an illusion. After all, he was already close to heaven and man deterioration. It wasn’t strange for him to be hallucinating. He shook his head. He felt that the Unknown Region was too strange, and that he had to be careful above all else.
He was about to s.n.a.t.c.h back Zu An and the others when an earth-shaking roar came from the mountaintop. Then, a ma.s.sive figure leaped down from above! It arrived in front of Zu An and the others almost instantly. Perhaps because he and the Fiend Emperor had killed too many of the black creatures, the lord of the monsters had appeared.
The monster’s body was several dozen zhang long. Its face was like a man’s, but also like an ape’s. Sinister teeth filled its mouth, and it had two large tusks that resembled a wild boar’s. Its body resembled that of a tiger, covered all over with yellow and black stripes. Its face and body were covered in long fur, and the black energy surrounding its entire body was extremely dense.
“The resentment is ridiculously strong!” Yun Jianyue exclaimed, jumping in fright. She had already really been p.i.s.sed off and ready to unleash a slaughter, but compared to the resentment, it seemed like nothing in comparison.
Yu Yanluo cried out in alarm, “Do… Do you guys feel something weird?” As the monster approached them, even she felt a wave of weakness, as if her life force had begun slipping away. The black scales were starting to appear on her wrist now too!
Yan Xuehen screamed, noticing that the black scales had begun spreading far more quickly. There were even some black scales around her neck. Seeing that Zu An was about to turn around to look at her, she instinctively raised her sleeves to block her neck, crying out, “Don’t look!”
Zu An didn’t have the time to worry about all of that, because there was a terrifying pressure coming from the giant beast in front of him. He exclaimed, “From its aura, this creature seems to be at the earth immortal rank!”
“Judging from the way this creature looks, it greatly resembles one of the Four Perils from the ancient records, the Taowu[1],” Mi Li said in an extremely grave tone.
“Does it have any weak points?” Zu An quickly asked. His powerful will made him refuse to give up.
However, Mi Li immediately doused him in cold water. “There’s too big of a difference in strength between the two of you. On top of that, you’ve been corroded by the resentment and you’re practically half-dead…” After a pause, she continued, “There’s nothing you can do. Just accept reality and die.”
Zu An was speechless. He had thought that she would have some incredible advice after her pause, but in the end, she had actually said that.
He quickly looked back and shouted, “Fiend Emperor, do you still want us to scout the way? You don’t want us to die this early here, right?”
The Fiend Emperor ignored his clear pleas for rescue and said indifferently, “Right, this is a good chance for all of you to test its strength.”
The beast that had suddenly appeared was just too strong, to the point that even the Fiend Emperor felt a bit threatened. As such, he planned to use Zu An to test it out first and see if it had any special skills. That way, when he fought it, he could avoid many dangers ahead of time.
1. The Four Perils are four malevolent beings that existed in Chinese mythology, and the antagonistic counterparts of the Four Benevolent Animals. They are described as the Hundun, a yellow-winged creature of chaos with six legs and no face; the Qiongqi, a monstrous creature that eats people; the Taowu, a reckless, stubborn creature; and the Taotie, a gluttonous beast. ☜
?