Poison Dragon Marsh—
This deathly land was shrouded in poisonous miasma, filled with swarms of buzzing giant mosquitoes and Mud Pool Mushrooms constantly releasing toxic fumes. Mud Marsh Giant Crabs prowled between the pools, claws bared as they searched for prey. Then there were the enormous Predatory Worms that appeared and vanished without warning, dragging any creature that came close into the mud to devour it.
Not to mention Ink Scale, the terrifying poisonous dragon said to lurk deep within the swamp.
This place was practically forbidden territory for humans. Few dared set foot here.
Yet at this very moment, a pioneering team of nearly a hundred people was advancing toward the heart of the marsh.
The entire group had split into squads, spreading out to form a massive arc-shaped search formation.
Zhao Qingyun, the leader of the team, stood at its center, directing his subordinates.
"Squad One, move a little farther right. Spread out and expand the search area."
"Squad Three, you're too far ahead."
"Squad Four, deal with that Mud Marsh Giant Crab over there, quickly. Don't let it disrupt our formation."
"Stay sharp, all of you. We're here to slay a dragon. Once the fight starts, you follow my orders. Anyone who dares disobey... heh. You all know the consequences."
Zhao Qingyun swept his gaze over the foggy, miasma-filled marsh, but there was still no sign of the poisonous dragon. He could not help growing anxious, though the treacherous terrain kept him on high alert.
With Swift Travel Art activated, the muddy ground beneath his feet did not affect his speed. Still, seeing his subordinates trudging through the muck with unsteady steps made him frown.
Swamp terrain greatly reduced players' movement speed. Positioning and running were both affected. This damned terrain was truly unsuitable for a Boss Battle.
But the Vile Swamp Poisonous Dragon was the only evil dragon whose whereabouts the Azure Dragon Society currently knew. If they wanted to slay a dragon and found a nation, they had to start with it.
Several guilds in the game were now attempting to found their own nations. The Azure Dragon Society could not fall behind.
At last, they reached the center of the swamp.
"Send out the bait," he said to a subordinate beside him.
Several low-level players on horseback were immediately sent out. They raced about cheerfully to the left and right ahead of the team, causing a tremendous commotion in the mud pools, while everyone else tensed up and prepared for battle.
Suddenly, muddy water churned in the distance. Some enormous creature was rapidly approaching beneath the surface.
"It's here!" a watchful Hunter shouted.
Everyone stared fixedly in the direction of the moving waves. One of the low-level players on horseback was swiftly caught up to—
Boom! A Black Flood Dragon thirty to forty meters long burst into the sky, clamped its jaws around the rider, and swallowed both man and horse whole.
In that instant, Zhao Qingyun clearly saw the monster's name.
Vile Swamp Poisonous Dragon: Level 68.
Zhao Qingyun frowned. It was not the poisonous dragon, but a poisonous flood dragon? What the hell...
Though there was only one word's difference, flood dragons and true dragons were worlds apart in strength and prestige. A dragon head was an item needed for the nation-founding quest. To establish a nation, they had to kill an evil dragon and take its head as proof of the guild's strength... while a poisonous flood dragon was merely an ordinary boss.
What the hell was the intelligence team doing? How could they get something like this wrong?
Though the intelligence was wrong, it was still a boss. Besides, the poisonous flood dragon was a monster—it would not let them go just because they had mistaken its identity.
"Attack!" Zhao Qingyun gritted out.
A dense rain of arrows immediately flew toward it. Considering how difficult it was to maneuver in the marsh, sixty or seventy of their nearly one hundred people had brought bows and crossbows. All were equipped with Cold Iron Arrows, capable of piercing even a flood dragon's scales.
The dense arrow rain struck the Black Flood Dragon's massive body, instantly bristling it with arrows. The Black Flood Dragon let out a pained roar and spewed Poison Dragon Breath. Green poisonous mist spread wildly through the swamp, poisoning every player within its reach.
"Daoists, dispel it!" Zhao Qingyun immediately ordered.
"Got it!" a teammate beside him replied at once.
Though they had brought nearly a hundred people for this expedition, the only ones who truly counted as Azure Dragon Society Core Members were the three to five Magic Class players around Zhao Qingyun.
In the game Old Earth, Magic Classes were extremely rare. One had to encounter certain Serendipitous Encounters or complete exceptionally difficult hidden quests to change into one. Ordinary players could not even come into contact with them and could only play physical classes such as Swordswomen, Swordsmen, Martial Generals, and martial monks.
As the saying went, those with mana bars were the bosses. Magic Classes often possessed tremendous power that ordinary classes simply did not have.
Now, in the face of the poisonous mist, that power was immediately on display.
"Four Symbols Five Elements, Six Harmonies Swift Wind, Wind Master Rain Granny, heed my command—Summoning Gale! By the law, be swift!" the Daoist chanted as he cast his spell.
A fierce gale suddenly rose from flat ground, rapidly blowing away the poisonous mist hanging over the team.
The poisonous flood dragon was intelligent as well. It immediately locked onto the spellcasting Daoist, roared, and pounced. Its massive body brought terrifying pressure, and players scattered wherever it passed.
A Martial General tried to block it head-on, only to be sent flying. He was as helpless as a goat colliding with a truck. When he fell into the muddy water, a giant worm suddenly burst out beside him and dragged him into the depths of the swamp.
Zhao Qingyun, however, did not panic. Against a boss of this level, he had naturally prepared a professional tank.
"Divine General, take the boss!" Zhao Qingyun ordered again.
A Martial General clad in heavy armor immediately stepped before the others. He wore the Golden Mysterious Light Armor and wielded the Crescent Moon Demon Slayer Blade. One look was enough to tell that he was a high-end player.
Dharma Appearance Golden Body!
Tiangang Battle Qi!
Celestial God Possession!
Three buffs activated in an instant. Dazzling divine light burst from the Martial General's body, storm-like currents whirled around him, and his physique swelled several times over in a flash, transforming him into a giant four to five meters tall.
He forcibly stopped the Black Flood Dragon's charge.
Boom! The Martial General staggered back a few steps before steadying himself.
"Haha, die, you bastard!" He swung his great blade, unleashing Divine Weapon Binding Qi Slash. Divine power gathered into a crescent-shaped wave of force that shattered the Black Flood Dragon's scales, spraying blood everywhere and forcing it to twist its body backward.
The corner of Zhao Qingyun's mouth lifted slightly in satisfaction, and someone beside him promptly offered some flattery.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, badass. No wonder President Zhao thought we could slay a dragon. You've even raised a Divine General—what overwhelming presence!"
Zhao Qingyun did not even need to look to know it was Liu Qiang. He had never much liked this guy sent over by the company. Even when Liu Qiang said something nice, it came out sounding strange. It was clearly praise, yet somehow always sounded smug and irritating.
He ignored him and continued giving orders with a stern face.
"A Miao, go!"
"Got it!" A teammate wearing the Five Colors Feather Coat suddenly let out an eagle's cry. In an instant, feathers and wings sprouted from his body, transforming him into a Golden Winged Great Peng with a wingspan of seven or eight meters.
Demonic art—Golden Peng Transformation!
The Great Peng soared into the sky, circled once, then dove down at the Black Flood Dragon from above. The Black Flood Dragon was focused on fighting the Divine General and was caught off guard when the Great Peng pounced on its face, pecking out one of its eyes and instantly robbing it of half its vision.
The Divine General seized the opportunity to unleash another Ultimate Skill, cleaving the Black Flood Dragon into the mud pool and leaving it unable to get back up for a long while.
"Kitchen Knife Squad, get in there!"
Dozens of Swordswomen, Rangers, martial monks, and Flying Thieves who had long been waiting in formation tossed aside their bows and crossbows and rushed forward together. Weapons in hand, they pounced on the Black Flood Dragon, raining blades, fists, and kicks upon it.
Its vision impaired and its body badly wounded, the Black Flood Dragon was completely unable to withstand the fierce melee assault. It could only twist its huge body in vain and spew poisonous mist in every direction, only for it to be continuously dispelled by the Daoists.
The battle lasted five minutes. After suffering only a few casualties, the Black Flood Dragon's health was gradually depleted.
Seeing that this Boss Battle was about to end smoothly, Zhao Qingyun relaxed slightly. Not bad. They had not obtained a dragon head, but they had gained something at least.
Rumble!
A clap of thunder suddenly interrupted Zhao Qingyun's thoughts. When he looked up, he discovered that night had somehow fallen. Thick clouds covered the sky, glowing with an eerie green light, while the air was filled with a suffocating aura of killing intent.
Goosebumps rose all over Zhao Qingyun's body.
Something terrifying was awakening.
The water level in the swamp beneath their feet began rising rapidly, instantly submerging their knees.
The water rippled, and in the next second—
Boom! A muddy wave spiraled into the sky. Above its crest, a giant black dragon seventy or eighty meters long coiled through the air and let out an enraged roar. Lightning flashed across the sky behind it, illuminating its dark dragon scales until they gleamed as though it had become one with the heavens.
Ink Scale (Vile Swamp Poisonous Dragon): Level 96!
Fuck! There really was a dragon!
Zhao Qingyun was not delighted but horrified. He had never expected a true dragon's presence to be so overwhelming. That terrifying aura, carrying the power of heaven and earth, had completely crushed his fighting spirit from the moment it appeared. And it was Level 96.
"Boss, do we still fight?" the Daoist beside him asked in terror.
"Fight my ass! Get us out of here!"
Before he finished speaking, poisonous rain already poured down from the sky.
This time, it could not even be dispelled.
Every one of Zhao Qingyun's subordinates was poisoned. Some pulled out antidote pills and swallowed them frantically. Others healed themselves while fleeing toward the edge of the battlefield.
Others charged at the black dragon without regard for their lives, hoping to make one desperate final stand.
The Daoist hurriedly began chanting and casting.
"Six Ding Six Jia, heed my command. Celestial Master Escape Technique, vanish without a trace across ten thousand miles. Swift Travel Formation—by the law, be swift!"
A massive white magic formation appeared beneath their feet, enclosing Zhao Qingyun and several Core Members within it.
"Everyone retreat! Get into the formation, now!" Zhao Qingyun shouted. Players nearby immediately rushed toward the Swift Travel Formation, terrified of being even a step too late.
Liu Qiang had rushed to Zhao Qingyun's side at the first opportunity. More and more players retreated into the formation, but the poisonous dragon soon noticed it.
With a Dragon Roar, the enormous waves beneath its body surged toward the formation like a tsunami.
"Go!"
"But there are still a lot of people who haven't gotten in!"
Zhao Qingyun snorted coldly. "They're just cannon fodder. Forget them!"
Whoosh. A flash of white light shone, and everyone within the formation vanished from the spot in an instant. Only the ordinary members who had not yet reacted remained, struggling and screaming in the poisonous rain as the poisonous dragon slaughtered them freely amid the waves.