The changes in the Misty Forest were certainly not good news for the human race. The dark races, with their superior resistance to poisons, and the demonic descendants imbued with fiendish energy, who were almost impervious to toxins, had a clear advantage, especially in the unique natural environment of the forest. The humans were clearly at a disadvantage.
Qian Ye took another look at the small snake, which was entirely purple, even the uneven color variations matched the purple base. As it slithered on the ground, it was nearly undetectable; at least, Qian Ye, distracted as he was, did not notice it.
This creature was not among the species recorded from the previous explorations. Searching his memory, Qian Ye could not find any similar or identical creatures, indicating it was a new creation of the Misty Forest. So tiny was this snake that dozens, if not hundreds, could be bred in a single cell. It was not impossible for a giant tree to produce tens of thousands of them.
Qian Ye casually crushed the snake and threw it to the ground, watching it get devoured by the purple substance, feeling a growing unease in his heart.
The wound on his arm required no treatment; once the venom left his body, it closed automatically, healing in the blink of an eye. In terms of physical recovery, his bloodline, infused with the Burning Gold Blood, outclassed the ordinary human body.
Glancing at his arm, Qian Ye’s heart suddenly jolted, “Poison? Wait a minute!”
Thinking about poison, Qian Ye suddenly recalled something else and turned to the giant tree behind him. He drew his military knife and cut a slit in the trunk, from which tree sap immediately flowed.
The sap was clear and transparent, like pure water. Qian Ye scooped some into his hands and drank it, immediately tasting a faint bitterness, somewhat reminiscent of almonds, but with a sweet and fresh aroma amidst the bitterness.
As the sap entered his stomach, threads of primal force slowly spread throughout his body, gradually absorbed by the vortex of primal force, bringing a sense of indescribable comfort.
After a few mouthfuls, the cut on the tree trunk healed by itself. But the amount of primal force contained in those few mouthfuls was equivalent to the effect of a strong stimulant. This meant that drinking a few flasks of the sap could provide the same benefits as a full night of cultivation.
Apart from its special geographical location on the floating continent, the Misty Forest held another significant value: the sap of the monstrous trees was akin to diluted source liquid, which could be directly absorbed.
However, after sampling and analyzing the sap, the Imperial Military Research Laboratory found that it contained a trace amount of chronic toxin. Although the content was low, it needed to accumulate to a certain level before becoming lethal. Under the current medical conditions, neither the Evernight nor the Dawn faction had a specific antidote.
Experiments showed that the primal force of human powerhouses below the level of a Divine General could not eliminate this toxin, and the effective rank of the dark force from the Evernight faction was still unknown. This experimental result implied that if ordinary people drank the sap, the toxin would accumulate in their bodies, and once it took effect, it would be fatal.
To crack an unknown toxin was no easy task. Perhaps the Li family, confident in their own medicinal research, believed they could decipher this toxin, making the entire Misty Forest an endless treasure trove of source liquid.
But Qian Ye did not need to worry about the toxin in the sap. He could feel that once the sap entered his stomach, the dispersed primal force met the Burning Gold Blood, igniting countless minuscule sparks, purifying the incoming primal force while neutralizing the toxic components.
For safety, Qian Ye made another cut in the giant tree’s trunk, collecting the sap in a flask. As the cut sealed, he repeated the process until the flask was full. Drinking it all, the purifying effect of the Burning Gold Blood became more pronounced, removing all impurities and leaving only the pure primal force.
Repeating this several times, the giant tree’s healing speed increased, and it began to vibrate slightly, showing signs of awakening. Qian Ye knew the sap loss had reached the tree’s tolerance limit, and any further draining would trigger a response from hundreds, if not thousands, of beasts.
But if this tree was not suitable, there were plenty of others. Looking up, Qian Ye saw an endless expanse of giant trees, each one a potential source of immense replenishment.
This was no ordinary tonic.
An hour later, Qian Ye’s primal force was fully restored, and he set off. This time, he chose to head back. The dark powerhouse capable of commanding four Shadow Guardians was too dangerous. Now that the issue of primal force recovery was resolved, Qian Ye had no intention of letting the enemy leave the Misty Forest unscathed.
In the Misty Forest, Eiden transformed into a shadow, silently moving through the trees, sometimes passing under them, sometimes floating over branches. Not far away, two dark forces were advancing rapidly, one of which had been ambushed by Qian Ye earlier. Despite the heavy losses, it was reorganized and headed towards its destination, while Eiden continued to move around, playing the role of the hunter.
Qian Ye did not appear again, and the other force had only one-third of the journey left, yet Eiden’s mood did not improve.
The death of the four Shadow Guardians weighed heavily on his mind. How could Eiden’s well-aimed shot, which hit a vital spot, fail to kill Qian Ye, who instead killed his four capable subordinates? Even in the Evernight faction, Eiden was confident that his shot could injure a Dark Marquis.
If the Empire sent a Marquis-level powerhouse to hunt in the Misty Forest, it would be bad news. However, Marquis-level powerhouses, regardless of the faction, were prominent figures whose movements were closely monitored. Even the exceptionally powerful Count-level elites had records. Eiden could not think of a possible identity for Qian Ye.
Feeling doubtful and somewhat uneasy, Eiden continued to guard the army. For a moment, he even considered sending a message to summon the clan’s strong forces.
But he lost four Shadow Guardians and could not provide detailed information about the enemy. Competition within the noble demon families was fierce. Eiden, with his pure bloodline and strong talent, had received the Void Essence, elevating his status in the Abyss of Darkness. He was seen as a figure who could become a Marquis without hindrance, but along with the power and resources came more rivals and enemies.
As he walked, Eiden suddenly stopped. In front of him, a transparent thread had appeared, just a step away. It was a strand from a spider demon, but a single strand was ineffective for capturing prey.
Yet, the trap was not what it seemed.
Suddenly switching from high-speed movement to complete stillness, Eiden’s form inevitably fluctuated, revealing a trace of his presence.
“Bad!” Eiden’s senses heightened, and his hair stood on end!
A flash of light pierced the air, a high-speed sniper bullet, the silver body and the glowing strands indicating it was a Demolishing Secret Silver Bullet with special abilities.
Caught off guard, Eiden could not dodge in time. In a rush, he twisted his body, a short gun appearing in his hand. Without aiming, he fired a shot in the direction of the incoming bullet.
The sniper bullet arrived instantly, and Eiden grunted, a streak of blood blooming on his shoulder. He was thrown backward, crashing several meters away.
Bearing the intense pain, he rolled behind a giant tree, sprayed a potion on his wound, and the bleeding stopped. He then re-entered his stealth state and rushed out from behind the tree.
The Misty Forest remained silent, as if nothing had happened, except for the faint echo of the gunshot. A few kilometers away, the two forces, unaware, continued their rapid march.
Gritting his teeth, Eiden ghosted towards the direction of the attack, soon finding Qian Ye’s original ambush position. A small patch of the substance was still wriggling, indicating his counterattack had not missed and the enemy had bled.
“Is he injured?” Eiden’s eyes flashed with sharpness, “Good, let’s see who can outlast the other!”
Eiden cautiously examined the surroundings of the ambush point, finding nothing. Not disappointed, he sped up to catch up with the main force.
This force was preparing for a group operation, carrying many special supplies, including recovery potions for Viscounts and above, and specially trained medical personnel. An hour later, after receiving treatment, Eiden left the force and began to roam and search, resuming his role as the hunter.
In the Misty Forest, the Empire had only a few scattered strongholds, no mobile bases, and the area was close to the dark race control zone, with no supply points nearby. Qian Ye, working alone, had no team or partners, unlike Eiden, who had an entire army. Yet, this obvious advantage did not make Eiden feel any more at ease.
The two attacks, led by Qian Ye and Eiden, clearly indicated that in the restrictive environment of the Misty Forest, both their concealment and lethality were evenly matched. Neither could kill the other, so exchanging injuries became a viable strategy. Though risky, Eiden was not one to fear risks.
Deep in the Misty Forest, Qian Ye was certain he had lost Eiden and stopped to rest. He finally had time to treat the gunshot wound on his shoulder.
Removing the shoulder armor, he extracted a black-gray bullet. Instead of discarding it, he placed it in a radiation-proof box and stored it.
The bullet still contained Black Titanium, and in a considerable amount. Anything with Black Titanium was expensive. Qian Ye planned to take it back; this amount of Black Titanium could be exchanged for several Secret Silver Bullets or a new Blazing Sun Bullet.
After treating the wound, Qian Ye shook his head with a wry smile.
The result of killing four Shadow Guardians seemed to make the ambush even more cautious. The extremely defensive armor was one thing, but the luxurious weapon was another. Being pierced by a Level 7 sniper rifle was within normal range, but now even a casual short gun could penetrate a Qilong. What level was that? Perhaps Level 8.
This confirmed Qian Ye’s guess about the dark powerhouse, who was at least a Count, and possibly a stronger-than-normal elite. Sadly, even when injured, the opponent did not fully reveal themselves, and the Empire’s current intelligence did not extend to this level, leaving Qian Ye clueless about the identity of his foe.
The Black Titanium in the bullets was particularly vexing, like spraying boxes of gold coins. Even with his vampiric constitution, Qian Ye found it unpleasant. Any other human warrior would have been finished long ago.
Qian Ye finally experienced the extravagance of the noble demon families, surpassing even the Song Clan, reputedly the wealthiest in the Empire. The Song Clan’s young masters, despite their wealth, could not handle a Level 7 or Level 8 weapon, as firing one would drain them completely.
But encountering such an enemy was anything but pleasant.
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