The multicolored miasma hung over the deathly still swamp like a venomous veil. The stench of decay seeped into his nostrils, making him dizzy and nauseous. Within those bottomless mud pits, it seemed as though countless hungry eyes lurked, staring fixedly at the uninvited visitor on the shore.
His mount, Huaihuai, uneasily pawed at the clouds beneath its hooves, letting out frightened whimpers and refusing to take another step no matter what.
Sitting on Huaihuai's back, Li Wuyang's scalp tingled as well. This place was obviously a high-level monster zone, not somewhere his beginner account should be!
"Stay calm, stay calm!" He soothed Huaihuai while cheering himself on. "I'm the Primordial Dao Child, immune to all magic! Mere poisonous miasma... probably won't poison me to death, right?"
He tried taking a deep breath.
A rush of sweetly fishy miasma entered his lungs, instantly making his stomach churn and his head spin.
"...All right, I'm immune to physical attacks, but magical attacks seem a little iffy?" Li Wuyang hurriedly held his breath, on the verge of tears. Did this "Immunity to All Magic" have selective tastes? Or did poisonous miasma count as environmental damage rather than "magic"?
Just as he hesitated between turning around and fleeing or gritting his teeth and searching for a path along the swamp's edge—
Splash!
A nearby mud pit suddenly exploded, sending murky water and bones flying in every direction! A giant python as thick as a water barrel, covered in dull scales and with a disgusting fleshy tumor on its head, shot half its body out of the swamp. Its icy vertical pupils instantly locked onto Li Wuyang and Huaihuai!
The giant python opened its blood-filled maw. Fetid saliva dripped down, corroding the mud with a sizzling sound as it released a deep, threatening hiss. A savage demonic aura far fiercer than the Lightning Deer's surged straight at them!
"Mother of—!" Li Wuyang shrieked in terror, nearly tumbling off Huaihuai's back.
Huaihuai was even more frightened. It reared up with a neigh, spun around, and tried to run!
But the swamp python was faster. Its massive body burst from the mud with terrifying force like a black bolt of lightning, its huge jaws opening as it lunged to devour Li Wuyang!
It was so fast that there was no time to react!
The shadow of death descended in an instant!
Li Wuyang's mind went blank, leaving only instinct. Almost with his eyes closed, he wildly swung the broken axe in his hand and shouted reflexively, "Get lost! My dad is the Primordial Great Dao!!"
His voice cracked from fear, making him sound ridiculous.
Yet the instant he shouted those words—
A sudden change occurred!
Deep within his sea of consciousness, the Primordial Great Dao Imprint, which had been quietly floating there all along, suddenly lit up with an almost imperceptible trace of purple radiance!
It had not activated on its own. Rather, it seemed as if... that declaration of "My dad is the Primordial Great Dao" had somehow triggered an incredibly faint resonance?
At the same time, the seemingly battered axe in his hand flashed with a fleeting glimmer of chaotic light along its blade as that purple radiance flowed over it! A boundless, tyrannical supreme intent that stood above all things spread outward like a pebble dropped into a still lake. Though faint, its ripples were unmistakable!
The savage swamp python's icy vertical pupils shrank to pinpoints the instant they met the faint light on the axe!
An ultimate terror originating from the deepest layers of its life, from the depths of its oldest inherited memories, washed over its entire body like icy water! It was the fear of World Creation, of supreme power that judged the life and death of all things!
Its incomparably swift pounce froze stiffly in midair! Its enormous body even twisted into a comical pose from sheer momentum.
Thud!
With a muffled crash, it actually... fell straight into the mud several meters in front of Li Wuyang, splashing muck everywhere.
Yet it seemed utterly unaware of this. It merely buried its enormous head deep in the mud, its huge body trembling uncontrollably. It did not dare make another sound, as though it had encountered its most terrifying natural enemy.
Li Wuyang, who had been prepared either to close his eyes and await death or lose half his life to a bite: "???"
Huaihuai, which had already run several steps away: "Huai???"
Still shaken, Li Wuyang opened his eyes and stared at the bizarre scene before him.
The giant python that had just looked so vicious and eager to eat him was now sprawled in the mud like a loach, shaking like a sieve and not even daring to glance at him.
Subconsciously, he waved the axe in his hand again.
The giant python shook even harder, even letting out a faint, nearly pleading whimper.
Li Wuyang froze. He looked at the axe, then at the giant python, then recalled what he had shouted in his panic just now...
An absurd thought emerged.
Could it be... that the title of "Primordial Dao Child," combined with the "World Creation" aura carried by this axe, had some special effect on prehistoric creatures? Or perhaps... intimidation?
He cautiously tried asking the giant python, "Are you... afraid of me?"
The python could not speak. It only buried its head deeper, trembling even more violently.
Li Wuyang's eyes gradually brightened.
It seemed... he had discovered an incredible way to use this?
His courage grew slightly. Clearing his throat, he tried to make his voice sound imposing, though it still trembled a little. "Since you're afraid of me, then... why haven't you retreated? You're blocking my path!"
As if granted a pardon, the swamp python actually struggled to shift its trembling body aside, clumsily clearing a path along one side of the swamp while still not daring to raise its head.
Li Wuyang was ecstatic!
It really worked!
He forcefully suppressed his excitement and patted the still-trembling Huaihuai. "Let's go, Huaihuai. It's fine now!"
Huaihuai was doubtful, but after sensing that the terrifying demonic aura had indeed vanished, it cautiously carried Li Wuyang through the path the python had made and quickly ran past it.
Only after they had run far away, and the dreadful swamp and bizarre giant python could no longer be seen when he looked back, did Li Wuyang finally let out a long breath and realize his back was covered in another layer of cold sweat.
"That scared me to death..." He patted his chest. "But... this title of 'dad' seems even more useful than I imagined?"
He seemed to have figured out the proper way to throw his weight around in the prehistoric world.
But before he could celebrate for long, a new problem arose.
Huaihuai traveled on clouds at a decent speed, but... its sense of direction seemed to be a problem.
Or rather, the prehistoric land was simply too vast. There were no roads at all.
"Huaihuai, this way! That's the swamp from earlier!"
"Huaihuai! Wrong! This way! Why did you circle back again?"
"My heavens, are you directionally challenged, Huaihuai?!"
After passing the same strangely shaped crooked-necked tree three times in a row, Li Wuyang finally confirmed in despair—his mount, the Cloud-Riding Unicorn Huaihuai, was utterly hopeless at directions!
Just as he considered getting down and walking himself, Huaihuai suddenly stopped again. Facing a dense thicket ahead to the left, it let out a wary yet curious "Huaihuai."
"What is it now?" Li Wuyang looked over vigilantly, gripping his axe. "Another venomous snake or giant python?"
The bushes rustled.
But this time, what emerged was not some savage beast.
It was a... palm-sized, fluffy, round little creature with darting eyes, hugging a pinecone-like nut larger than itself that gave off a faint spiritual glow. A... squirrel?
The squirrel seemed startled upon seeing Li Wuyang and Huaihuai, but it did not immediately run away. Instead, it tilted its head and sniffed with its tiny nose, looking especially closely at Li Wuyang a few times. The wariness in its little eyes slowly turned into... curiosity? There was even a trace of... longing?
Seeing how adorable it was, Li Wuyang relaxed. Then his gaze fell upon the glowing pinecone it was holding.
He was hungry again.
He tried to show what he thought was a friendly smile and pointed at the pinecone. "Little fellow, this... looks pretty tasty. Are we destined by fate?"
The squirrel seemed to understand him. Its little eyes turned, and it actually hugged the large pinecone as it hopped over to Li Wuyang's feet. Then it stood upright and held the pinecone out toward him.
Li Wuyang: "???"
Had this good fortune... progressed to the point where little animals voluntarily paid protection fees?
He subconsciously reached out and accepted the heavy pinecone brimming with spiritual energy.
The instant his fingers touched it—
Whoosh!
A streak of gold flashed past!
He felt his hand lighten, and the glowing pinecone instantly vanished!
Looking closely, he saw that the little squirrel had snatched the pinecone back at lightning speed. Then, with its other tiny paw moving too fast for the eye to follow, it swept past Li Wuyang's waist—where he had tucked a small piece of Lingzhi Mushroom into his clothes after eating it earlier, intending to save it as a snack!
Having succeeded, the little squirrel transformed into a golden bolt of lightning and shot back into the bushes, disappearing without a trace in an instant. Only a smug little "squeak squeak" lingered in the air.
Li Wuyang remained frozen in his outstretched pose, staring blankly.
The pinecone in his hand was gone, and so was the piece of Lingzhi Mushroom at his waist.
He had... been robbed by a squirrel?!
What happened to good fortune?! What happened to voluntarily handing things over?!
Primordial Father! Does your "Destined by Fate" have some kind of bug?! How could there be reverse destiny too?!
"Squeak squeak squeak! (Thanks for your patronage, big dummy!)"
From deep within the bushes came a faint sound like that, filled with cunning delight.
Li Wuyang: "..."
Huaihuai: "Huai???"
Before you continue