The Swamp Lord's grating voice scraped through the polluted air. Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Han's mind went blank, and something cold pierced through him.
"The Call of the Abyss..."
The cold words exploded in his mind, irresistible, directly opening up two paths.
One option is to bow down to the creature in this swamp, in exchange for so-called "protection," to explore the secrets of this so-called "Sleeping Lord," but the price is clear— the Heaven-Piercing Tower will likely regard him as a mortal enemy. The other option is to stubbornly refuse, and from then on, be at odds with this black swamp to the death, but the road ahead will only become more difficult, and every step could lead to utter destruction.
Serve? Xiao Han let out a short, choked sound. To beg and fawn over some cowardly creature? He'd rather fight this Swamp Lord to the death right now. He wanted to smash that damned control panel, let alone this.
"Excuse me," he said flatly, each word dripping with coldness, "I have no interest in being someone's dog."
"You madman—you're courting death!" The Swamp Lord erupted in utter fury, its massive, mountain-like body trembling violently, the surrounding swamp churning. Dark green, malevolent energy surged forth from its body, its stench overwhelming. "How dare you desecrate the 'demon's' gift! Since you insist on being an enemy of greatness, then rot here, becoming the putrid mud of the black swamp!"
The roar shook the air. Its bottomless maw suddenly split open, and a thick, ink-like, foul-smelling liquid shot into the sky, exploding and turning into a torrential downpour of black rain that pelted down upon everything. Every drop of rain exuded a putrid stench that could seep into the very bones, and the power contained within seemed capable of twisting and destroying any living thing.
Xiao Han lightly touched the mud with his toes, unleashing the full power of his "Close at Hand, A Step to the Ends of the Earth" movement technique. His figure weaved through the gaps in the inky, foul rain, teetering on the brink of disaster. This filthy black rain, carrying a pungent stench, was similar to the source of the shadow power within him, yet filled with violence and depravity; even a single drop would cause trouble. Behind him, a phantom of a blue lotus silently bloomed, its flowing, soft blue light barely creating a patch of pure land, stubbornly resisting the erosion of the filth. However, each time a wisp of dark green evil energy was dispelled by the lotus's light, the halo dimmed slightly. With each purification, the lotus trembled, clearly at a high price.
The battle instantly became intense. The Swamp Lord launched a ferocious offensive; each slam of its slimy giant claws stirred up vast swamps, transforming them into countless grotesque mud tentacles that coiled around Xiao Han from all directions, attempting to drag him into the abyss of filth. The filthy rain poured down incessantly from above, its corrosive power constantly seeping in. Xiao Han struggled to defend himself amidst the dense web of attacks, facing perilous situations, his clothes already showing signs of corrosion.
Suddenly, an unexpected change occurred! Deep within Xiao Han's body, the "Primordial Demon Finger Soul-Splitting Curse Seal," which had always been dormant, and the "Primordial Demon Fiend Qi" residing in his back, upon touching a drop of filthy rain, suddenly developed an intense greed for that evil energy, erupting with an uncontrollable desire and frenzy. They then began to uncontrollably and frantically devour this foreign, destructive evil energy!
"Ugh--!" An uncontrollable groan of pain escaped Xiao Han's throat. The violent power, far exceeding his current limit, raged wildly and relentlessly through his limbs and bones.
His pupils were instantly engulfed in blood, and beneath his skin, hideous black and red demonic patterns writhed and spread like living things. His power surged in a distorted way, and at the same time, his clear consciousness was being rapidly devoured by this evil power, slowly sinking into depravity.
A flicker of surprise crossed the Swamp Lord's murky, eerie green eyes, quickly transforming into undisguised greed and drool. "So that's how it is... This 'seed' of yours is even more... delicious than I expected! Heh heh, once I capture you alive, I'll study you thoroughly, inside and out!"
Xiao Han's consciousness teetered on the brink of collapse, his soul feeling as if pierced by countless sharp needles, every inch of his flesh howling in agony. However, in the instant the Swamp Lord was distracted by greed, a madness and determination, as if determined to destroy everything, suddenly erupted from his blood-stained eyes. This uncontrollable evil power... since it could not be suppressed, then it would be released completely, used to deliver a thunderous blow!
"Demon--Star--Destroy--Strike!" A hoarse roar was forced out from between Xiao Han's teeth, each word laced with the stench of blood. He poured the uncontrollable Demon Fiend Starforce within his body, which had surged from devouring filth, along with a wisp of void power from the Eternal Night King Martial Soul activated in a desperate gamble, into his right fist! In an instant, on his fist, profound demonic energy and dim starlight collided, twisted, and compressed violently, finally condensing into a high-speed rotating energy singularity that spewed destructive lightning!
"Die--!" With a punch burning with life and madness, carrying an unparalleled will to destroy, Xiao Han's figure transformed into a streak of blood-red lightning that tore through the darkness, rushing straight towards the Swamp Lord, which was slightly stunned by the sudden change in his aura. His target was its mountain-like head!
Boom! A deafening roar, like the collapse of the heavens and the splitting of the earth, exploded above the swamp! The incredibly violent energy surge swept across the area like a raging torrent, tearing away the mud within a radius of a hundred feet, sending sludge flying into the sky. The Swamp Lord's mountain-like head was blasted open by this desperate attack, leaving a bottomless, bloody hole! Dark green, foul-smelling blood mixed with pale bone fragments sprayed out like a torrential rain!
"Ha... Impossible... You... ant..." The Swamp Lord roared like a broken bellows, every syllable filled with pain and disbelief. The colossal creature staggered, its massive body shaking violently, the evil aura around it receding like a tide, its aura decaying at an alarming rate. Its pair of eerie green eyes were fixed on Xiao Han, resentment and horror almost solidifying into a tangible form.
With a single, decisive strike, Xiao Han teetered on the brink of collapse like a kite with a broken string. Blood soaked his clothes, and the uncontrolled demonic power within him gnawed at his meridians and mind like a leech. The excruciating pain made his vision blur, and he almost collapsed to the ground. But he gritted his teeth, relying on his last shred of willpower to hold on, his icy gaze piercing through the blood mist, fixing on the heavily wounded Swamp Lord.
"You'll regret this... you lowly ant..." Knowing his fate was sealed, the Swamp Lord's massive body slowly sank into the churning mud. His venomous curses, like the spitting tongue of a viper, echoed in the air, "When the 'Great Sleeping Lord' descends... that will be your end! And... the Heaven-Piercing Tower... hehehe... that place is far more interesting than this black swamp... just wait... you'll all just have to wait..."
The sludge drowned out its final roar, and deep within the swamp, the suffocating, malevolent aura vanished completely.
Xiao Han dared not be careless in the slightest. He quickly swallowed a healing pill, identified the direction, and once again fled towards the afterimage of the Heaven-Piercing Tower. He could clearly feel that the two demonic forces in his body, after absorbing the filthy energy of the Swamp Lord, seemed to have become more "active" and "hungry," like two ferocious beasts that could never be satisfied, lurking in his body.
Ahead, the towering, colossal tower's afterimage still seemed impossibly distant, and the surrounding aura of danger seemed to grow stronger with his approach. His path was long and fraught with peril.
The stench and deathly silence of the black swamp were left behind by Xiao Han. The faint light of the Heaven-Piercing Ancient Token, like a candle flickering in the wind, guided him. After traveling for an unknown amount of time, a broken Starry Sky Ancient Road finally appeared ahead. Unlike the filth of the swamp, this place retained pure and rich star power. As soon as he stepped in, Xiao Han felt the starlight condensed in his body by the Star Body-Tempering Technique tremble slightly. Even the temporary seal formed by the Star Iron Mother on his left ankle seemed to have stabilized a little.
At the entrance to the ancient path, a broken stone tablet, half-buried in the scorched earth, stands silently, inscribed with ancient characters. "Rules for Guiding Those Outside the Heaven-Piercing Tower: Only those possessing the 'Star Guide' and who have passed through the 'Purification Corridor' may step onto the true Path to Heaven."
Xiao Han looked down at the six-pointed star-shaped token in his hand; this was the "Star Guide." He took a deep breath and stepped onto the cracked ancient path. The starry murals on both sides seemed to come alive, their light and shadows shifting, depicting the magnificent scene of countless races and powerful figures in the primordial era, all worshipping the Heaven-Piercing Tower. The scene shifted, and demons descended from the heavens, stars fell like rain, and countless powerful beings fought a bloody and tragic battle, stirring Xiao Han's heart.