Qian Ye’s gaze fell once more upon the insect cocoons and eggs, transformed from the underground insects. The ferocity of these subterranean creatures left a profound impression on Qian Ye. Even before their evolution, their bites and assaults could injure a werewolf count. Now, with their newfound evolution, who knew how much more fearsome they would become? He stored the insect eggs in Andua’s Space and made room for one of the cocoons. When he left the underground, there would undoubtedly be many who would show keen interest in these strange insects.
Having secured his spoils, Qian Ye recollected the events leading up to his loss of consciousness. Vaguely, he recalled that it was once again the Black Tome which had drawn copious amounts of essence blood at a critical moment, saving him from a violent demise. In his memory, it seemed as if the Black Tome had generated a new page.
He summoned the Black Tome and carefully turned the pages. Indeed, the first page now bore an inscription: Chapter Two, Remembered.
As he flipped to the next page, a new page emerged before him, suffused with a deep red hue, faintly glowing with a golden light. Its color was inexplicably soft and pure, emanating the purest essence of blood. This page contained not just essence blood, but the most top-tier variety. In terms of volume, it roughly equaled the amount of essence blood that Qian Ye’s body could store.
With a thought, a drop of essence blood floated out from the page, falling into his blood core, where it was slowly transformed into his own power.
This page, “Remembered,” could store a vast amount of essence blood, which was refined during the storage process. Such high-purity essence blood no longer required further refinement by the Mystical Chapter; it could be directly burned in the blood core, transforming into Golden Blood. In battle, this “Remembered” page effectively doubled Qian Ye’s blood energy, greatly enhancing his endurance.
The massive rhinoceros was truly a mobile treasure trove. However, such a bountiful harvest came with significant risk. If not for Qian Ye’s self-destructive resolve, opting for a suicidal all-out combat, he would have had no way to deal with the rhinoceros. At best, he might have injured it, but at the cost of his own life. Under normal circumstances, Qian Ye should have chosen to flee rather than fight.
Now, Qian Ye had reaped a rich reward, yet his journey was far from over. He looked deeper into the drake’s lair, a glint flashing in his eyes. Since he had come this far, and with his combat prowess greatly enhanced, it was only natural to thoroughly explore the drake’s lair and see what the legendary drake’s blood was like.
Perhaps, he might even encounter Qing Yue again by chance.
The fierce battle between Qian Ye and the massive rhinoceros was a spectacle that Spider Emperor’s forces could not ignore. Yet, due to its overwhelming nature, they avoided the battleground as much as possible.
No one wanted to face such a terrifying beast, especially with a sea of strange insects and numerous rock crystal crocodiles around. Only a lone warrior like Qian Ye, who could single-handedly neutralize the insects and crocodiles, could turn the tide, though they became a burden in the end.
With the lingering aura of the deceased rhinoceros, other beasts of similar rank would keep their distance. Only when the rhinoceros’s aura completely dissipated, and they were certain the area had become unclaimed, would they venture near to claim it.
In the vast, labyrinthine underground, Qian Ye naturally could not discern direction. However, his keen senses, guided by the residual ripples of the drake’s will, allowed him to pinpoint the core of the drake’s lair. Moving in that direction, he was sure to find it.
On his way, Qian Ye discovered two more flesh altars and several sites of past battles. From the traces left behind, it seemed to be a conflict between the Spider Emperor, the Moonlight White Devil, and the drake’s forces. The battles were not large-scale, and the most formidable beasts they encountered were rock crystal crocodiles.
It was evident that the strong members of the Spider Emperor’s side fought with restraint and skill, relying on superior combat techniques and coordination to slay the underground beasts without employing excessive force, thus avoiding the drake’s attention.
If not for the werewolf count’s unrestricted use of primeval force during the battle, drawing the drake’s notice, the massive rhinoceros would never have appeared.
There were no more signs of Qing Yue’s battles, indicating she successfully navigated the underground, avoiding conflicts.
A full day had passed since Qian Ye first entered the dungeon. Whether Qing Yue or the Spider Emperor, their progress should have been far ahead, but the signs they left suggested a slow, almost glacial pace.
As they drew closer to the drake’s heart, the dangers multiplied. A single encounter with a marquess-level beast like the rhinoceros could obliterate an entire unit.
After walking for half a day, Qian Ye suddenly halted, his gaze fixed on a nearby stone pillar. Hidden within a natural crevice was a well-concealed trap, primarily designed for alerting.
Standing before the stone pillar, Qian Ye smirked. This was likely a warning trap set by the Spider Emperor and the Moonlight White Devil. The presence of a warning rather than a lethal trap indicated that someone was nearby, or perhaps a crucial site, such as a flesh altar, was being guarded.
Taking in the surrounding terrain, Qian Ye quickly planted several primordial force grenades at key positions. Once done, he returned to the stone pillar and triggered the alarm.
A loud boom echoed, followed by a shrill, piercing sound that carried for miles in the silent underground.
In moments, faint footsteps resounded, and a dozen elite warriors sealed off the exits. Then, a haughty, slightly smug voice rang out, “Finally, we’ve caught you, Gao Hu War Maiden. Your cunning is truly commendable!”
Gao Hu War Maiden? Qian Ye immediately thought of Qing Yue. It seemed her status in the Gao Hu tribe was even higher than he imagined. In this warlike people, a war maiden might be akin to a saint in other clans.
However, the trap meant for Qing Yue instead ensnared Qian Ye.
A pale, slender man stepped into the cavern. Though dressed youthfully, his face betrayed the ravages of time and excess. Nonetheless, his strength was formidable, a fifteenth-level primeval force wielder, exceptional even in the Neutral Lands. In the drake’s lair, where power could not be fully unleashed, this was the optimal level. Any higher, and it would hinder effectiveness.
The Gao Hu tribe did have seventeenth-level experts, but Qing Yue only brought two fifteenth-level elders, whose contributions in battle were minimal.
Scanning the cave, the man saw no sign of Qing Yue or the Gao Hu elders, only Qian Ye. Stunned, he asked, “Where is that little wench Qing Yue? Where did she go?”
“I don’t know.”
The man’s expression darkened, and he sneered, “So you think you can act tough? We’ll see if you can maintain your defiance when I get my hands on you.”
Another figure approached, saying, “Isn’t this Zhao Ye? Someone saw him leave Southern Azure City with Qing Yue.”
“Zhao Ye!” The pale man’s face contorted, his eyes bloodshot. “You are Zhao Ye?”
“It’s me,” Qian Ye replied calmly.
“Good, very good! So you’re the one who killed four hundred iron puppet soldiers in Lian Gang City. But that’s nothing. The iron puppets belong to the Moonlight White Devil, not to me. However, you also killed Gray Shadow!”
The assassin who could shift between solid and shadowy forms did not die by Qian Ye’s hand. But now, Qian Ye knew the mysterious woman that night was likely Night Pupil. Only her Holy Mountain realm could execute such a masterful assassination with limited power.
“It was me,” Qian Ye said coldly. What Night Pupil killed, he considered his kill.
“Good, very good, excellent! Do you know who Gray Shadow was to me?”
Qian Ye laughed, “I have no interest in who you are, let alone the so-called relationship between you and Gray Shadow!”
“Good, good!” The man’s face turned livid, and he raised his right hand, making a throat-slitting gesture. When his hand reached the end of the motion, he would strike. Moving slowly was to savor Qian Ye’s fear, and if he could thrash about, it would be even better.
True to form, Qian Ye did not back down. He drew a weak, almost laughable fourth-level pistol and fired at the corner.
The gunshot caused the man a slight dizziness, quickly passing. He sneered, “Impressive that you can make me dizzy. But this is just a fourth-level gun. No matter how enhanced, its power is limited. I doubt it could even scratch my skin…”
His words were interrupted by a sudden explosion, followed by a series of blasts. The shockwaves from the confined space amplified the power of the primordial force grenades, rebounding off the walls and increasing the force exponentially!
The horrifying explosion swept through the cavern, destroying the supporting columns and sending debris flying. Each shard was like a cannonball, inflicting severe injuries even on high-level warriors.
The man staggered in the blast, his primordial force aura flickering, his robe shredding like butterflies. His protective shield shattered repeatedly, each time weaker than the last.
The storm and flames lasted an eternity before finally subsiding. The man, battered and bruised, lowered his arms, only to see two primordial force grenades rolling towards him, stopping at his feet.
“No!!” His agonized scream was cut short as he was launched into the air, crashing into the cavern ceiling before falling heavily.
The dust gradually settled, and Qian Ye, crouched and anchored by the Eastern Peak, stood up, shaking off the dirt. He flexed his body, walked over to the man, and prodded him with the Eastern Peak.
The man lay motionless, his life already extinguished. Blasted by over twenty primordial force grenades, he had exhausted his primordial force, unable to defend against the final two, ending as a corpse.
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