novelraw Chapter 358: The Guardian
Chapter 358: The Guardian
The mist surrounding Su Zhan grew increasingly dense.
A feeling of heart palpitations assaulted him without warning.
It was an absolute suppression stemming from a difference in life level, a trembling that came from the very depths of his soul.
The gray-white mist around him began to boil violently.
Su Zhan abruptly halted his steps. The scales covering his body instantly stood on end, and the Flame of Destruction autonomously circulated, forming a thin layer of dark red fiery clothing over his skin.
He suddenly looked up, gazing in the direction his senses were frantically warning him about.
In the distance, the originally merely dense gray-white mist was now being permeated and devoured by a deeper, ink-green color.
That ink-green mass was slowly undulating.
As the ink-green area drew closer.
Su Zhan finally saw clearly what it was.It was a moving mountain range.
No, it wasn't a mountain range, but the... back of a creature?
Its size was beyond Su Zhan's imagination. Just the part of it revealed within the range of his perception was over a kilometer in height, and its width stretched beyond sight!
Its epidermis had the rough, rock-like texture of ink-green stone, covered with massive pores that continuously spewed thick, ink-green poisonous miasma, dyeing the surrounding mist the same color.
Some strange vines emitting Special-risk level fluctuations parasitized the massive torso like symbionts.
As it moved.
The earth groaned silently.
It had no obvious head or limbs.
Or perhaps...
Su Zhan's perception range simply couldn't encompass its complete form, making it impossible to discern its full shape.
Calamity-level!
And definitely not one that had just entered that level. The thickness and terror of its aura far exceeded his imagination.
Merely by existing there, the natural force field it radiated made the space around him viscous, slowing his movements by several degrees.
"Abyssal Demon Mountain..."
Su Zhan had only seen this name in the Mist Creatures introductory class at the Vermilion Bird Academy, and... it was listed under the Calamity-level category.
Escape!
He had to escape immediately!
All thoughts of hunting, all thoughts of breaking through, became laughable jokes in the face of such an absolute disparity in strength.
Su Zhan didn't dare entertain any notion of attacking this Calamity-level existence.
That would be no different from suicide.
Yet trouble still found him.
Several blood-red vine-like creatures parasitizing its surface grew agitated.
Each of these vines was as thick as a bucket, its surface covered with suckers and sharp barbs, emitting Special-risk level energy fluctuations.
They suddenly shot out from the surface of the Abyssal Demon Mountain, lashing towards Su Zhan from different angles in a murderous assault.
He couldn't take them head-on!
Even more, he couldn't risk triggering a large-scale battle here and alerting the main body!
Su Zhan's eyes narrowed, his figure leaving several afterimages in its original spot.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
The blood-red vines struck empty air, tearing deep trenches in the ground, corrosive mucus splattering everywhere.
Su Zhan narrowly avoided the first wave of attacks, but the vines, as if possessing life, flexibly changed direction in mid-air and attacked again.
They seemed to have locked onto Su Zhan, their attacks growing fiercer with each wave.
Su Zhan fought while retreating, his fists covered with the Flame of Destruction, parrying the vines' lashes.
He didn't dare use large-scale killing moves, fearing excessive energy fluctuations would draw the attention of the Abyssal Demon Mountain's main body. He could only defend and evade at the minimum cost.
The vines' attack range was enormous, and they clung tenaciously, seeming endless.
From beginning to end, the massive Abyssal Demon Mountain continued moving forward at its slow, constant pace. It showed no reaction whatsoever to the battle occurring on its body, not even a hint of pause.
It was as if the fight between Su Zhan and these parasitic vines was merely microorganisms crawling on its skin squabbling amongst themselves, utterly unworthy of its attention.
He couldn't afford to be entangled any longer!
Gritting his teeth, Su Zhan, the moment he parried a fierce stab from one vine, suddenly spread the fleshy wings on his back.
The wings beat violently, propelling his figure skyward.
Yet the vines seemed to possess an infinite extension ability, relentlessly pursuing, winding towards Su Zhan in the air.
"Boom!"
Su Zhan transformed into a streak of dark red light, evading the vines chasing behind him while fleeing desperately towards a direction far from the Abyssal Demon Mountain without looking back.
Only after flying an unknown distance did the suffocating pressure behind him gradually weaken.
The few pursuing blood-red vines also seemed to have reached their limit, reluctantly retracting.
Only then did Su Zhan dare to slightly reduce his speed, looking back with lingering fear.
The Abyssal Demon Mountain had long since disappeared into the depths of the dense mist.
Su Zhan hovered in mid-air, breathing heavily.
It wasn't physical exhaustion, but the relaxation after extreme mental tension.
This was a Calamity-level being...
And definitely not an ordinary one at that.
Even its symbionts were this troublesome.
As for the main body, it wouldn't even deign to glance at him.
Su Zhan descended from the air.
Below was a boundless crystal forest.
Countless massive crystals rose from the ground, piercing into the mist above, their tops unseen.
These crystals displayed various colors.
Dark blue, deep purple, dark red, ink-green...
They stood silently, emitting powerful energy fluctuations.
The entire forest was deathly silent, yet it gave off an intensely dangerous feeling.
And within this strange crystal forest, on a relatively flat clearing.
Su Zhan sensed a pulse of pure life force that stood out starkly against the surrounding environment.
He immediately suppressed all his aura and stealthily approached.
In the center of the clearing, the soil was dark golden.
A small tree, about half a person's height, its entire body carved from what seemed like the finest white jade, grew quietly there.
The tree bore only a single fruit.
The fruit was about the size of a fist, shaped like a peach yet not quite a peach. Its surface flowed with dreamlike, iridescent light, and within, something like a nebula seemed to slowly rotate.
A refreshing, extraordinary fragrance faintly wafted over.
Merely catching a whiff.
Su Zhan felt the circulation of spiritual energy within his body smooth out slightly.
He immediately recognized this thing.
He had once seen related pictures and descriptions in the academy's top-secret archives.
Reforge Fruit, a legendary treasure of heaven and earth said to revive the dead and regenerate flesh and bone!
No matter how severe the injury, even if one's foundation was damaged, meridians shattered, or soul wounded, as long as a single breath remained, consuming this fruit could instantly restore one to perfect health. Moreover, it provided an opportunity to rebuild one's foundation, reaching even greater heights!
Su Zhan's heart pounded violently.
His gaze instantly shifted away from the Reforge Fruit, scanning the surroundings warily.
For such a heavenly treasure, there must be a powerful guardian.