One slash

021

At that moment.

Only a few minutes had passed since Jiang Fu met Shi Jiu and was chased by the Silver Moon Wolf.

"I hope this hasn't attracted too many mutated beasts."

Jiang Fu lowered his body.

He hurried toward where the Black Giant Python had been.

The girl in his arms was light and supple, as soft and warm as a bundle of cotton.

Aside from making his heart race.

She caused him no other trouble.

Jiang Fu moved quickly.

In moments, he was back where the Giant Python had been.

Not much time had passed.

The scent of blood had yet to spread fully.

And this little valley lay on the edge of the Wilderness Area.

There weren't many high-rank mutated beasts around.

At the moment, only a scattering of tier 1 mutated beasts had gathered here.

As for tier 2 mutated beasts...

At the very edge of Jiang Fu's Spirit Power perception.

A feline mutated beast was strolling away.

Its eyes even held a trace of disdain.

Clearly, it had realized the Giant Python was poisonous.

Eating it would be fatal.

Jiang Fu breathed a small sigh of relief.

Still, I can't let my guard down... if those tier 1 mutated beasts swarm me, I won't be able to handle them either.

Jiang Fu approached cautiously.

Finally.

He stopped about thirty meters from the Giant Python.

Only then.

Did he finally get a clear look at the entire snake.

Its body was pitch-black, with a metallic sheen.

And on top of its head...

There was a jet-black growth that looked like a crown.

It was small, perched atop its head.

Its color was close to that of the head beneath it.

Without a careful look, it was easy to miss.

A crown?

Jiang Fu froze for a moment.

A python with a crown?

Was this thing really a python?

Or had it mutated into another species?

Jiang Fu had heard of snakes with rooster combs or horns.

But a crown...

Using his Spirit Power, Jiang Fu carefully examined the top of the Giant Python's head.

It really was a crown.

Only three inches across.

It had sharply defined edges and was studded with things that resembled black gems.

It looked like an exquisitely crafted work of art.

"It really isn't an ordinary python!"

Jiang Fu hesitated no longer.

"Storage Badge's effective range multiplied by ten, duration: one second."

"Store!"

Whoosh!

The next instant.

The Giant Python's body, over ten meters long, was instantly pulled into the Space Badge.

It was piled together with the Silver Moon Wolf's corpse.

In an instant.

The previously empty space inside the Storage Badge.

Became rather cramped.

Jiang Fu looked at the two enormous corpses.

He couldn't help grinning.

With these two corpses, he had the means to get his Vitality Pills!

Jiang Fu was excited.

But he still kept his cool.

After putting away the Giant Python's corpse, he swiftly withdrew.

At the same time.

The dozen or so tier 1 mutated beasts nearby, which had been surrounding the Giant Python.

Suddenly saw it disappear.

They immediately went berserk.

Furious roars erupted from their mouths.

Just as Jiang Fu was about to retreat silently.

His expression changed.

His speed shot to its limit in an instant.

He had no idea what lay ahead.

But whatever it was, he had to run!

A terrifying, savage presence abruptly spread from beneath the earth.

Accompanied by a chilling aura, it rapidly seeped into the area covered by Jiang Fu's Spirit Power.

Then.

The ground began to tremble, and jagged cracks appeared across its surface.

Something seemed to be burrowing up from underground!

Jiang Fu didn't know what it was.

But he knew it was definitely not something he could afford to provoke!

Wasn't the edge of the Wilderness Area supposed to be free of powerful mutated beasts... no!

It's not that the mutated beasts are powerful. I'm just too weak!

Jiang Fu kept his emotions steady and his mind clear.

He analyzed the possibilities.

In the end, he pinned the blame on himself.

The mutated beasts aren't too strong. I'm too weak!

Shi Jiu was a girl about his age.

Yet she could hunt down a Giant Python alone.

Just to kill one little Silver Moon Wolf.

He had needed both tactics and Multiply by Ten.

Jiang Fu gritted his teeth.

"What else can I multiply by ten... right, explosive power!"

"Explosive power multiplied by ten, duration: an hour and a half!"

Whoosh!

The next instant.

Jiang Fu's body abruptly accelerated.

The scenery around him all but blurred into afterimages.

Explosive power multiplied by ten!

It multiplied the power released by ten.

Rather than making his body release ten times as much power.

So it placed no strain on Jiang Fu's body.

It was just like the earlier Speed multiplied by ten.

It multiplied the speed produced by ten.

Rather than pushing his body beyond its limits to achieve ten-fold speed.

However.

Jiang Fu did not let his guard down.

He kept sprinting for his life.

Whatever was underground had yet to enter the range of his Spirit Power.

But Jiang Fu could clearly feel that terrifying pressure.

The thing had probably locked onto him.

Boom—

Just then.

With a tremendous crash.

The ground burst open.

The entire little valley shuddered violently.

A savage, terrifying presence almost became a raging gale.

It swept out in every direction.

Countless mutated beasts scattered and fled.

Rumble—

The ground behind him rumbled.

It sounded as though some enormous reptile was racing across the earth.

Rapidly closing in on Jiang Fu.

But!

Within the hundred-meter-diameter area covered by Jiang Fu's Spirit Power, there was still no sign of that colossal creature.

As a result, the second System Screen never appeared.

Yet his instincts told him.

That colossal creature was practically right behind him!

Jiang Fu gritted his teeth.

His legs all but blurred into afterimages as he sprinted through the little valley.

Suddenly.

Shi Jiu's slightly sleepy voice reached Jiang Fu's ears.

"Lend me your knife."

"Huh?"

"Withdraw your Spirit Power from the knife. If I force it away from you, you'll get hurt."

"Okay!"

The Battle Knife enhanced by Multiply by Ten.

Had been hovering close to the ground under the control of Jiang Fu's Spirit Power.

Keeping pace beside him.

At Shi Jiu's words.

He immediately withdrew the Spirit Power attached to the knife without the slightest hesitation.

The very next instant.

Humm—

A piercing ring of steel resounded between heaven and earth.

The Black Battle Knife, originally only three feet long.

Suddenly erupted with a black blade of light over ten meters long.

As though teleporting.

It instantly shot beyond the range of Jiang Fu's Spirit Power.

Then.

Bam!!!

A muffled thud.

It was followed by a shrill, agonized scream.

The terrifying pressure behind them quickly dissipated.

The enormous creature—Jiang Fu had not even gotten a clear look at what it was—

burrowed back underground as though fleeing for its life.

Then.

The Battle Knife slowly drifted back.

It dropped limply onto the backpack on Jiang Fu's back.

Shi Jiu's face was pressed against Jiang Fu's chest.

She yawned and said in a muffled voice, "That was the last of my psychokinesis."

"Now, whatever you want to do to me, I can't fight back..."

Jiang Fu: "..."

He looked down.

The girl in his arms was pale.

Her clear black-and-white eyes were filled with exhaustion as she gazed listlessly up at him.

Jiang Fu said nothing.

Nor did he stop.

Instead, he kept sprinting.

Before long, he was out of the valley.

...That thing had only been wounded, not killed.

Jiang Fu did not dare linger in the valley.

That was no ordinary valley!

It was a king... a valley that could produce Abyss Fruit!

Meanwhile.

Somewhere outside the valley.

Brother Hu and the other three sensed the tremendous upheaval within the valley.

They were just as terrified.

"Something really is wrong with that valley!"

"There must be a powerful mutated beast hiding in there... maybe even a realm beast!"

"Huh?! Jiang Fu! That's Jiang Fu! He's out!"

"...Wait! How is he so fast? He's getting faster and faster!"

"A spiritual fruit! It has to be a spiritual fruit... after him!"

At once.

The four martial artists threw caution to the wind.

They gave chase in the direction Jiang Fu had disappeared.

He kept sprinting for another ten minutes.

Only then did Jiang Fu slowly come to a stop.

By now.

Even with his quasi-martial artist physique, he felt exhausted.

He found a large tree and set Shi Jiu down beneath it.

Then he plopped down beside her.

Next, he reached out.

Under Shi Jiu's bewildered gaze.

He unzipped her school uniform.