"Earth Python Lord's Gallbladder. If I remembered correctly, this was a relatively precious alchemy ingredient. Among the material rarity rankings published by 'Phantom God,' this thing could rank in the top ten during the early stages. However, its exact use had not been revealed."
Xiao Wen muttered as information Phantom God had released long ago surfaced in his mind.
Other than those two items catching Xiao Wen's attention somewhat, the rest were merely decent green-grade equipment around level 15. If placed on the market, they would probably spark a scramble, but they meant nothing to Xiao Wen.
It could not be helped. The Duel Disk and Millennium Puzzle were far too picky. If it was not purple equipment, they would not even deign to assimilate and seal it.
Even Xiao Wen's tastes had been spoiled by them. If it was not purple equipment, he could not be bothered to look at it.
However, Xiao Wen's gaze landed on another cluster of purple light. It was a level 15 purple-grade accessory gifted by the system.
Ding! Would you like to open the purple-grade accessory gift box?
Open!
Failed to open. Player level insufficient. Please open after reaching level 15.
Xiao Wen's mouth twitched, and his face darkened. Ignoring the purple-grade accessory, he continued sorting through the other spoils.
After clearing up the loot, Xiao Wen did not linger. Under Nightmare's protection, he hurried out of the swamp.
As one of the five Lord-class BOSSes in Nightmare Forest, the Earth Python Lord's death would inevitably draw the attention of the other four BOSSes. If those fellows swarmed over, or if they attracted that suspected emperor-class Blood Moon Demon Wolf, even Xiao Wen's scalp would go numb.
Once Nightmare could no longer conceal them, the only outcome left for him would probably be a free trip back to the village.
By then, more than half the equipment in his backpack would likely be dropped.
That was not an outcome Xiao Wen wanted.
Therefore, after collecting the spoils, Xiao Wen immediately withdrew without pausing for even a moment.
Almost as soon as Xiao Wen had retreated less than a mile from the swamp, three terrifying auras erupted from three directions and surged toward the swamp. They belonged to the other three Lord-class BOSSes controlled by the Blood Moon Demon Wolf.
Behind those three Lord-class BOSSes, an even deeper, more unfathomable aura faintly erupted. It belonged to the Blood Moon Demon Wolf.
Awooo!
With a wolf's howl, clusters of dark clouds instantly gathered in the bright sky above Nightmare Forest. Layer upon layer of clouds blanketed the heavens.
At the same time, a crescent-shaped blood moon rose above its head, hanging high in the sky as a sinister will erupted in an instant.
The moment the blood moon hung in the sky, a dark-red shockwave spread outward from the Blood Moon Demon Wolf.
The shockwave spread incredibly fast. Every monster swept by it froze in place like a statue, just as Xiao Wen had seen the first time, without the slightest movement.
In just a few breaths, it caught up to Xiao Wen.
The instant Nightmare sensed the shockwave, it cried out in alarm, terrified to the extreme.
"M-Master... we're... finished..."
Xiao Wen calmly looked at the Millennium Puzzle on his chest. "It's fine. Keep up your mental concealment. We're about to rush out of the core area."
Nightmare felt utterly miserable.
We're about to die, and you're still thinking about charging out?
Can you really withstand the mental control of a monster comparable to the emperor class?
Just as that thought arose in Nightmare's mind, the shockwave swept over them. Nightmare felt an incomparably evil and violent will within it, making its entire body tremble uncontrollably.
At that very moment, the long-silent Millennium Puzzle burst into light. Brilliant golden radiance surged forth, shattering the incoming shockwave completely.
Nightmare trembled all over. In that instant, its terror reached the extreme.
The moment the Millennium Puzzle lit up, it clearly sensed that this was the very power that had sealed it back then.
This power was stronger than that of the Blood Moon Demon Wolf, on a far higher level, like something sacred standing above the nine heavens.
Yet within that seemingly holy power lurked a trace of strange, unfathomable energy that left one unable to grasp it.
"M-Master... this..."
Nightmare stammered, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long while.
Xiao Wen did not answer. Instead, he ran outward with all his strength. Under the dual protection of the Millennium Puzzle and Nightmare, Xiao Wen finally dashed out of Nightmare Forest an hour later.
The moment he rushed out of Nightmare Forest, the sight of the pale green grass around him and the occasional white egrets gliding across the horizon gave him a peculiar sense of leisure.
"Phew... I'm finally out. That Blood Moon Demon Wolf is far too terrifying. I still can't kill it on my own," Xiao Wen murmured.
Just from that spreading shockwave alone, one could see the gulf between the Blood Moon Demon Wolf and the Earth Python Lord. It was like the difference between heaven and earth.
Having left Nightmare Forest, Xiao Wen had taken only two steps forward when his eyes narrowed. A scorching sense of danger came from his right. Looking up, he saw three fireballs flying toward him one after another.
"An ambush?"
Xiao Wen narrowed his eyes. His feet shifted as he turned sideways and stepped half a pace back. From that position, he could just avoid the fireballs flying straight past him.
But were those fireballs really flying straight at him?
Just as the fireballs brushed past Xiao Wen, the ones that had already flown beyond him suddenly rose and turned toward the center of his back, charging at him several times faster than before!
"So fast!"
Xiao Wen's face twitched, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes. Though startled, he remained calm. His five fingers curled into a fist, and he punched the empty ground before him.
The point where his fist struck abruptly collapsed into a vacuum. The incoming fireballs were pulled off course by the force, crashing into the ground and exploding into countless scattering sparks.
When the flames dispersed, only a charred crater remained on the ground.
However, just as Xiao Wen dealt with the fireballs, a clear bird cry rang out. Three firebirds flapped their wings as they flew over, seeming to possess a measure of intelligence in their eyes.
Xiao Wen's expression instantly darkened. Using a card, he summoned Nightmare and wrapped it around himself. Like putting on an invisibility cloak, he vanished in an instant.
As Xiao Wen disappeared, the three firebirds instantly lost their target. They flapped in midair, not knowing where to attack.
Several hundred meters away, a tall man stood on the ground. A fiery red longsword was planted beside him. As his hands moved, flames danced around his fingers, and a faint scene of the three firebirds attacking Xiao Wen appeared before him.
This man was none other than one of the Four Emperors of the Nine Provinces gaming world, the Fire Emperor, Flame Emperor!
"He vanished!"
Flame Emperor frowned as he watched Xiao Wen suddenly disappear, surprise flashing through his eyes.
It was truly rare for someone to vanish before him without even drawing his notice.
Beside Flame Emperor stood Feng Luoqing, holding a longsword in both arms.
"You messed it up, didn't you? I said I'd make the move, but you insisted on doing it yourself. And now? You blew it! Flame Emperor, one of the Four Emperors, and you can't even keep an eye on one person."
Feng Luoqing curled his lips, his words carrying a hint of disdain.
"Enough, you lunatic. Stop talking about me. What about you? You saw that battle just now. Do you think it was..."
Before Flame Emperor could finish speaking, it was as though someone had violently shoved him. His body pitched forward, and just as he was about to fall face-first onto the ground, he quickly extended one arm and jabbed a finger into the ground, steadying himself.
"Who? Who the hell ambushed me?"
Before you continue