Talent Skill Book: Ice Element Control!

Xiao Wen flicked his long sword, creating a few flourishes in the air before thrusting it towards the Frost Crocodile Dragon's tail.

He wouldn't be foolish enough to try and hit a rock with an egg.

The moment the sword struck, its vibration frequency increased by dozens of times.

The vibrating blade pulled the surrounding air currents towards its center, forming a small spiral vortex. This vortex altered the sword's trajectory, not as a thrust, but as if it were a magnet, clinging tightly to the Frost Crocodile Dragon's tail. A few wisps of lightning, like delicate chains, could even be seen wrapping around the opponent's tail at the tip of the sword.

Observing this scene, Xiao Wen's smile grew wider. "It's done."

He pulled his arm back, using the Frost Crocodile Dragon's recoil force to quickly rush onto its back. Simultaneously, the lightning at the sword's tip vanished at a visible speed.

Sheathing the Sword of Lightning, Xiao Wen brought his sword down repeatedly, stabbing directly into the Frost Crocodile Dragon's back, inflicting damage.

Health -730.

Health -730.

Damage numbers appeared on the Frost Crocodile Dragon's back, its health bar visibly decreasing. When Xiao Wen delivered the final blow, the Frost Crocodile Dragon's health completely depleted. It fell to the ground, its body gradually sinking into the ice.

Player Experience +36242.

Xiao Wen glanced at his significantly increased experience bar and then refocused on where the Frost Crocodile Dragon had died. A small blue light orb was suspended above the ground.

Besides that, there was also a cyan book.

"What is this..."

Xiao Wen narrowed his eyes, walked over, and picked up the book.

[Ice Element Control] - Talent Skill Book

Class: Mage, Magic Warrior

Level: 15

Bonus: Ice Element Affinity Talent +10%

Description: A book containing a trace of the Frost Crocodile Dragon's power, capable of increasing the user's affinity with ice elements.

"It seems I've obtained something incredible. If I were to show this to those three guys, Bing Xue, they'd probably go crazy, right?"

Picking up the talent skill book and tossing it into his backpack, Xiao Wen felt that this trip was worth it.

Even if he got nothing after gathering the remaining nine offerings, it would still be worth it!

Just Ice Element Control alone was enough to drive the three Ice Kings mad, or rather, to drive all mages and magic warriors who followed the path of ice into a frenzy.

"I really didn't expect that the second offering would drop such a good item. It seems my favored goddess of luck hasn't abandoned me yet."

Xiao Wen smacked his lips before turning his attention to the second blue light orb.

[Offering Two]

Sacrificial Material

Rarity: None

Level: None

Description: Rumored to be one of the offerings used to sacrifice to the phantom beast Dream Eater. It escaped for unknown reasons. If all nine offerings can be gathered in the depths of the Dream Eater's Forbidden Ground, there may be unexpected rewards.

Apart from the color, its description was no different from Offering One.

Xiao Wen didn't dwell on it and continued to await the next battle.

The third stage was a forest scene. Xiao Wen's opponent was a Tree Python coiled on a tree trunk, also a projection of a powerful monster. Its level was 15, not much different from the Frost Crocodile Dragon and the Cyclops before. Xiao Wen had to exert considerable effort to defeat it.

The fourth stage was a lava zone...

The fifth stage... the sixth stage...

When Xiao Wen severed the head of a Golden Leopard, he had successfully cleared the eighth stage.

His level had also directly jumped from eight to nine, just one step away from reaching level ten.

Rising three levels in a single day, from level six to nine, was a rapid leveling speed that even the Four Emperors couldn't match.

Even Xiao Wen himself hadn't expected it.

Fortunately, he had entered this strange Nightmare Forbidden Ground and encountered eight powerful level 15 elite monsters along the way.

Although the strength of these eight elite monsters was not significantly different, the experience gained from each elite monster was greater than the last. By the time Xiao Wen defeated the offering of the eighth stage, the experience he had gained had reached over fifty thousand, equivalent to nearly a hundred monsters of the same level for others.

"Ninth stage. I'm getting more and more curious about what the Nightmare Forbidden Ground looks like after this final stage," Xiao Wen murmured, looking at the eight light orbs in his backpack.

He lowered his gaze to the Sword of Lightning in his hand. The previously solid blade had become ethereal, as if it might dissipate at any moment.

Xiao Wen knew this was a sign that the energy within the Magic Card was gradually being depleted after continuous battles.

"Looks like I need to hurry and deal with the last offering before the Sword of Lightning disappears."

Light flashed, and a white mist reappeared from the ground, enveloping the surroundings.

When the mist dispersed, Xiao Wen suddenly found himself in a dark world. After a long while, a faint light gradually appeared in the darkness. Vaguely, he could see pale white skeletons scattered on the dark red earth. The land was desolate, without even a single wild blade of grass, only endless red soil. Occasionally, a few vultures could be seen in the sky, screeching as they flew down to land on the pale white bones.

"Could the offering for the ninth stage be these vultures?"

Xiao Wen looked at the vulture, wanting to check its information, but there was no reaction at all. This made Xiao Wen even more confused.

He cautiously surveyed his surroundings, looked at the vulture not far away, and slowly approached. Seeing that the distance was about right, he picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at the vulture.

The stone stirred, but it passed directly through the vulture's body, creating a ripple.

A phantom?

The ninth level of the Dream Eater's Forbidden Ground was a sealed stone cave. Around the cave, oil lamps made from rendered corpse oil were lit. On the ground was a massive formation with strange runes, and standing in the center of the formation was none other than Xiao Wen!

However, the current Xiao Wen stood rooted to the spot, his eyes vacant, clearly trapped in an illusion and unable to break free.

"Heh heh... Human! Old Dream has waited so long, and finally, a human has arrived! Heh heh heh... It really didn't take Old Dream's trap here. Now I can finally leave this godforsaken place."

At the end of the stone cave, a mass of black mist drifted over. Within the dense black mist, two scarlet lights flickered.

It was the offering for the ninth level, and the favorite offering of the phantom beast, the Dream Eater – the Nightmare!

It possessed no powerful offensive capabilities, but it could use illusions to confuse enemies, making them forget everything, just like Xiao Wen's current state.

The Nightmare drifted in front of Xiao Wen, letting out a moan of enjoyment. "Mmm... the scent of a living person. I haven't smelled it in so long. I can't eat it, I must resist. I'm counting on this little cutie to take me out. This damned Dream Eater, dying itself and dragging us all down with it!"

"But it doesn't matter, Old Dream can finally leave this godforsaken place."

With a sigh of emotion, the Nightmare plunged itself towards Xiao Wen.

Ding!

In an instant, the Millennium Puzzle on Xiao Wen's chest emitted a brilliant light, illuminating the entire stone cave.