The magical markings and curses on his body receded like a tide, disappearing beneath his skin without a trace.
The terrifying cracks on his skin began to slowly heal under the nourishment of the World Tree Heart Fragment and the life force of the Chaos Green Lotus.
An indescribable, complex aura emanated from his body—the tyrannical and malevolent power of the Primordial Demon Fiend Power, the profound and vast power of the stars, and the boundless vitality of the World Tree. The three intertwined, creating an unpredictable and mysterious aura!
His cultivation level quietly broke through the bottleneck during this near-death experience!
Mid-stage of the Eighth Level of the Martial Master Realm is not far off!
"Call..."
Xiao Han exhaled a long breath of stale air, which carried a faint fishy, sweet, and burnt smell, and opened his eyes.
Those eyes regained their usual calm, but now held a chilling depth.
He looked down at his hands; his skin was still fair, but it had a subtle, jade-like luster, and his strength was more abundant than ever before.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have successfully guided the initial fusion of the dual demonic influences, obtaining the prototype of the "Beginner Demon Fiend Battle Body" (current activation level 10%).]
[Ding! The Chaos Green Lotus Martial Soul and the Eternal Night Void Emperor Martial Soul have undergone unknown mutations under extreme conditions. Please explore the specific effects yourself.]
[Ding! Host's cultivation has advanced to the peak of the early stage of the Eighth Level of the Martial Master Realm, just one step away from the middle stage.]
The system notifications sounded one after another, and Xiao Han's lips curled into a relieved smile.
You won the bet!
He raised his head, activated his [Void-Piercing Divine Eyes] to its fullest extent, and gazed at the end of this black swamp.
Piercing through layers of poisonous miasma, the ancient silhouette of a towering, towering pagoda, reaching to the heavens and the earth, stands there, sometimes visible, sometimes hidden, exuding an indescribable sense of vastness and solitude.
"The Heaven-Piercing Tower..." Xiao Han murmured to himself, a surge of longing and determination welling up in his heart.
However, before his smile could fully bloom, it suddenly froze.
He could clearly sense that the two temporarily dormant demonic powers within his body had not truly disappeared.
These are two bombs whose fuses have been lit, but their detonation time has been temporarily suppressed, and they could erupt into an even more violent crisis at any moment.
What made his heart sink even more was that, just as he merged with the demonic power and his aura fluctuated violently, several powerful and evil auras, carrying the ferocity of a prehistoric beast awakening, were rapidly approaching his location from the depths of this desolate swamp, filled with intense malice!
The trouble has only just begun.
Several malevolent auras at the Martial Emperor Realm, like a persistent carbuncle, rapidly approached from the depths of the swamp.
Despite his body recovering from the excruciating pain, Xiao Han dared not delay for a moment. He discerned the blurry location of the Heaven-Piercing Tower's afterimage and immediately used the "A Step to the Ends of the Earth, Far Away" technique, transforming his figure into a faint shadow and fleeing towards that unknown land of hope.
"Call out!"
As his figure swept across the black swamp filled with poisonous miasma, Xiao Han quickly sensed something was different.
After initially merging the two demonic powers, he became exceptionally perceptive of the surrounding shadows and negative energy, feeling as if he were in his element, experiencing unparalleled joy.
Under these circumstances, "A Step to the Ends of the Earth" becomes even more unpredictable and its pace quickens.
However, the cost is also obvious. Each trip consumes far more physical strength than before, clearly indicating that something is being overdrawn.
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
After traveling only a few miles, the foul-smelling swamp below suddenly exploded, and seven or eight monsters, all black in color, resembling giant salamanders, and covered with sharp, barbed teeth, burst out of the water!
Their eyes gleamed with a hungry red light; they were the "Rotten Marsh Lurkers." Each one exuded the ferocious aura of a peak Martial Grandmaster Realm, their thirst for the flesh and blood of living beings almost tangible.
"Perfect timing!" Xiao Han's eyes narrowed, and the newly formed "Demon Fiend Starforce" within his body, a mixture of demonic energy and stellar power, began to stir.
Instead of retreating, he advanced, and before the lurking men could surround him, he suddenly unleashed a punch from a distance!
"Boom!"
The fist whistled, carrying wisps of visible black arcs of electricity and dim starlight, exuding an aura even more eerie and domineering than the previous "Annihilation Divine Fist".
The first Rotten Marsh Lurker didn't even have time to screech before it was struck head-on by this force. Its tough black scales shattered inch by inch, and its massive body was crushed by an invisible force, exploding into a bloody mess of pieces!
The initial effects of the [Beginner Demon Fiend Battle Body] prototype were beginning to show, and Xiao Han could clearly feel that his strength, speed, and even wound healing ability had significantly improved.
However, the cost was equally staggering.
Each time this newborn power is activated, it's like detonating the two forcibly suppressed demonic energies within the body.
A searing pain, like being burned alive, suddenly struck him, constantly reminding him how dangerous the source of this power was.
"Roar!"
The remaining Rotten Marsh Lurkers, witnessing their companions' gruesome deaths, showed no sign of retreat. Instead, the intense stench of blood ignited their ferocity, and they roared as they charged forward, becoming even more frenzied.
But when they actually rushed close, the mixed aura emanating from Xiao Han —containing the savagery of Primordial Demon Fiend Power, the vastness of stellar power, and strangely mixed with the boundless vitality of the World Tree —severely impacted their ferocious instincts.
The monsters' offensive faltered for a moment.
A kind of chaos and hesitation originating from the depths of their souls slowed their bloodthirsty movements for a moment.
The momentary chaos was fleeting; bloodthirsty instincts regained their grip, and the creature roared as it launched an even more ferocious attack.
Xiao Han let out a cold snort.
His figure darted rapidly among the Rotten Marsh Lurker, leaving only blurry afterimages in his wake.
The "Annihilation Divine Fist" is infused with the newly born "Demon Fiend Starforce," unleashing punch after punch.
Every strike landed with pinpoint accuracy on the monster's vital points.
Each strike unleashed deadly destructive power.
These monsters, which had previously been fearless and ferocious, were now incredibly fragile under his control, exploding into a shower of blood.
Just as Xiao Han was about to completely wipe out this group of Rotten Marsh Lurkers, a sudden change occurred!
The black mud beneath his feet began to churn violently without warning.
A terrifying pressure far Martial Grandmaster Realm of a Martial Grandmaster descended like a tangible mountain, almost suffocating him!
"Splash--!"
The sound of water was deafening.
A colossal black shadow, over ten zhang tall, slowly rose from the churning mud, obscuring the hazy light above.
The outline of that thing resembled a giant toad magnified countless times and standing upright.
Its jet-black skin was covered with countless ugly, swollen pustules that constantly oozed foul-smelling mucus.
At its head, two eerie green flames burned silently, emitting a chilling, sinister light.
What alarmed Xiao Han even more was the evil aura emanating from the monster he had secretly named "Swamp Lord".
That fluctuation was strangely similar to the aura of the "Primordial Demon Finger Soul-Splitting Curse Seal" on his left ankle!
Yet they are not entirely the same; they seem to have originated from the same source, but each has been contaminated and mutated to different degrees.
The Swamp Lord's two eerie green flames were fixed on Xiao Han.
Its enormous mouth, filled with fangs, slowly opened and closed, emitting a hoarse, low, yet perfectly enunciated human language:
"Not bad power... and that familiar yet unfamiliar aura..."
"You are one of us."
"Similar?"
Xiao Han's brows furrowed instantly, and a strong sense of crisis exploded from the bottom of his heart.
This guy can talk?!
"That's right."
The Swamp Lord grinned, its massive jaws revealing a mouthful of jagged, sharp fangs that gleamed menacingly in the eerie green firelight.
"Can you feel it? The great power within you is calling out with thirst!"
Join us! Join this Black Marsh Abyss! Together we shall serve the 'Great Sleeping Lord' who is about to awaken from his eternal slumber!
"I can promise you that I will help you completely control that unruly gift within you, making you... stronger!"