Early the next morning, the morning mist had yet to fully disperse from the entrance of Kyoto University of Science and Technology.
Fang Yan appeared at the school gate on time, carrying a bulging backpack and holding the Ink Ice Spear. Chu Feng was already waiting there. He wore a lightweight combat uniform, carried a longsword on his back, and had several grenades and a bottle of emergency spray hanging from his waist.
"Are you all ready?" Fang Yan asked.
"Of course!" Chu Feng patted his backpack. "I brought enough rations, water, insect repellent, and some detoxifying medicine. The miasma and venomous insects in the Misty Forest are notorious."
Fang Yan nodded. "I brought some targeted supplies too. I also exchanged for a Mist Detection Talisman from the system. It can disperse mist within a certain range and detect nearby dangers."
Just then, a military off-road vehicle drove over, with Su Wan in the driver's seat. She poked her head out and said, "Get in. I'll take you to the entrance of the Misty Forest. On the way, I'll brief you on a few precautions."
The two got into the vehicle, and it drove toward the outskirts of the city.
"The Misty Forest got its name because a special kind of miasma has filled it year-round, forming a dense fog. This fog not only blocks your vision but can also cause hallucinations. Breathing in too much of it can even damage your meridians." Su Wan drove while explaining. "You must stay alert at all times and avoid inhaling too much miasma. If you feel anything wrong, take a Detoxification Pill immediately."
"We understand," Fang Yan and Chu Feng said in unison.
"According to the intelligence, that Misty Giant Python has incredibly tough scales. Ordinary firearms can't hurt it at all. It can also control the mist, appearing and vanishing without a trace, which makes it extremely difficult to deal with." Su Wan continued, "The two of you must coordinate well. Fang Yan, your Ink Ice Spear excels at piercing armor. Chu Feng, your swordsmanship is agile and can keep it occupied. Remember, safety comes first. If you truly can't defeat it, retreat immediately. Don't try to show off."
"Don't worry, Teacher Su. We know our limits," Fang Yan said.
After driving for about an hour, the off-road vehicle finally reached the entrance of the Misty Forest. The fog here was extremely dense, with visibility under five meters. A faint, fishy stench permeated the air.
"All right, I'll take you no farther." Su Wan stopped the vehicle. "These are the communicators the school prepared for you. If you encounter danger, contact the school immediately. Good luck."
"Thank you, Teacher Su."
The two got out and headed into the depths of the Misty Forest. The moment they entered, a cold, damp breeze swept over them. The trees around them had all grown into strange shapes, and thick moss hung from their branches.
"This place is really eerie." Chu Feng couldn't help saying, "The visibility is terrible."
Fang Yan took out the Mist Detection Talisman and infused it with a trace of internal energy. The talisman immediately emitted a faint white light, dispersing much of the mist within ten meters of them.
"This is much better." Fang Yan said, "Let's be careful and move forward slowly."
The two proceeded cautiously through the forest, vigilantly observing their surroundings. The forest was incredibly quiet. Apart from their footsteps and breathing, they couldn't hear any other sound. That silence only made them even more tense.
After walking for more than half an hour, Fang Yan suddenly stopped and lowered his voice. "Be careful. There's movement ahead."
Chu Feng immediately tightened his grip on the longsword and looked in the direction Fang Yan indicated. In the mist ahead, a huge shadow could vaguely be seen moving slowly.
"Is that the Misty Giant Python?" Chu Feng asked quietly.
Fang Yan shook his head. "I'm not sure, but judging by its size, it should be a large mutated beast. Let's hide first and see what happens."
The two immediately hid behind a large tree, holding their breaths as they watched the shadow.
The shadow drew closer and closer. Gradually, they saw its true form. It was a massive wild boar covered in black bristles, with exposed tusks that made it look extremely ferocious. Its strength was roughly at the late Martial Warrior stage.
"So it's just a wild boar." Chu Feng let out a sigh of relief. "It gave me quite a scare."
Fang Yan, however, frowned. "No, something's wrong with this wild boar. Its eyes are very dull, as if something is controlling it."
The moment Fang Yan finished speaking, the wild boar suddenly charged toward them at tremendous speed.
"Look out!"
Fang Yan gave a low shout and charged forward with the Ink Ice Spear in hand. He thrust once, piercing the wild boar precisely through the eye.
"Pfft!"
Blood sprayed out. The wild boar let out a howl of pain, staggered, and collapsed to the ground.
Yet at that moment, something even stranger happened. A wisp of black mist suddenly rose from the dead wild boar, then rapidly dissipated into the air.
"What is this...?" Chu Feng stared at the scene in astonishment.
Fang Yan's expression turned solemn. "It seems the mutated beasts in the Misty Forest have all been affected by the miasma of that Misty Giant Python, making them violent and aggressive. We have to find it as soon as possible. Otherwise, more mutated beasts will be affected."
Chu Feng nodded. "Yeah. Let's hurry."
The two continued forward. Along the way, they encountered quite a few mutated beasts affected by the miasma—wolves, bears, and even some unfamiliar venomous insects. However, relying on their strength, they dealt with them one after another.
As they went deeper into the forest, the mist grew denser and the surrounding miasma heavier. Fang Yan and Chu Feng had no choice but to take a Detoxification Pill at regular intervals to resist the miasma's erosion.
"Something's wrong. It seems we've been walking in circles." Chu Feng suddenly said, "Look, I think we've seen that tree before."
Fang Yan looked up and, sure enough, there was a mark he had left earlier on the large tree ahead.
"The mist is playing tricks on us." Fang Yan's expression changed. "This mist doesn't just obstruct our vision. It can also disrupt our sense of direction."
He immediately took out the Mist Detection Talisman and infused it with internal energy again. The talisman's light grew much brighter, dispersing the mist across a wider area.
"Stay close to me. Don't get separated," Fang Yan said.
At that moment, an intense sense of danger suddenly surged through him. Before Fang Yan had time to think, he shoved Chu Feng beside him away.
"Look out!"
"Rumble!"
A huge black shadow shot out from the mist beside them and slammed heavily into the ground, making the earth tremble.
When the dust cleared, a gigantic python appeared before them. Its body was as thick as a barrel, and it was at least twenty meters long. Its scales were dark gray, covered in fine patterns. A pair of icy, vertical pupils stared fixedly at Fang Yan and Chu Feng. Its forked tongue flicked from its mouth, giving off a nauseating, fishy stench.
"Misty Giant Python!" Chu Feng's face paled as he tightened his grip on the longsword.
The Misty Giant Python let out a low roar, violently whipped its body, and lashed its tail toward Fang Yan.
Fang Yan's eyes sharpened as he held the Ink Ice Spear horizontally before him.
"Clang!"
The python's tail slammed into the Ink Ice Spear. The tremendous force sent Fang Yan stumbling back several steps, leaving his arm numb.
What incredible strength! Fang Yan thought, inwardly shocked.
Chu Feng seized the opportunity, leaped into the air, and thrust his longsword toward the python's vulnerable spot seven inches behind its head.
"Ding!"
The longsword struck the python's scales with a crisp clang and was actually deflected, leaving behind only a shallow mark.
"Its scales are too tough!" Chu Feng cried out.
The Misty Giant Python was enraged by Chu Feng. It opened its enormous jaws and sprayed a cloud of black miasma toward him.
"Watch out for the miasma!" Fang Yan shouted. He immediately circulated the Ice Soul Art. A frigid aura surged from the Ink Ice Spear, forming an ice wall before Chu Feng.
The black miasma crashed into the ice wall with a sizzling sound, instantly melting part of it.
"Chu Feng, use your fire-attributed internal energy!" Fang Yan shouted. "Fire can counteract the miasma!"
Chu Feng immediately understood. He circulated the fire-attributed internal energy within his body, and raging flames ignited along his longsword. He charged at the python once more and stabbed toward its eye.
This time, carrying flames, the longsword finally broke through the python's scale defense and pierced into its eye.
"Roar!"
The Misty Giant Python let out a shrill, agonized scream and began thrashing violently. The surrounding trees were smashed into several pieces by its body.
Fang Yan seized the opportunity, leaped into the air, and poured all his internal energy into the Ink Ice Spear.
Ice Dragon Roar—Modified!
A massive phantom ice dragon roared from the spearhead, carrying a bone-chilling cold as it slammed into the python's vulnerable spot seven inches behind its head.
"Crack!"
With a crisp sound, the python's scales shattered. The phantom ice dragon burrowed into its body.
The Misty Giant Python's body suddenly stiffened, then crashed heavily to the ground and stopped moving. Thick layers of ice rapidly formed over its body.
[Ping! Congratulations, Host, on slaying the mid-stage Martial Master mutated beast, Misty Giant Python. You have obtained Experience Points, 1,000 points, and a randomly dropped item: 'Python Gallbladder' x1!]
The system's notification rang out. Fang Yan and Chu Feng both let out sighs of relief and slumped to the ground.
"We finally dealt with it." Chu Feng wiped the sweat from his forehead. "That python was unbelievably powerful. We almost died here."
Fang Yan nodded, stood up, and walked over to the python's corpse. He took out the python's gallbladder. It was dark green and gave off a rich medicinal fragrance.
"This python gallbladder is a treasure. It can not only increase internal energy but also strengthen resistance to miasma," Fang Yan said.
Just then, the mist behind them suddenly began to disperse, and sunlight shone through the gaps between the leaves.
"The mist is clearing." Chu Feng looked on in surprise.
Fang Yan gazed around and said, "The Misty Giant Python must have died, so the mist it controlled dissipated with it. Let's rest here and recover our internal energy before contacting Teacher Su."
"All right."
The two sat on the ground and began circulating their internal energy to recover. After the fierce battle, they had both expended quite a lot of energy.
After resting for about an hour, their internal energy had mostly recovered. Fang Yan took out the communicator and contacted Su Wan.
"Teacher Su, we successfully slew the Misty Giant Python. The mist has also dispersed."
"That's wonderful!" Su Wan's excited voice came through the communicator. "You did an excellent job! I'll send a vehicle to pick you up right away."
After ending the call, Fang Yan and Chu Feng exchanged smiles, their eyes filled with joy. Although this mission had been fraught with danger, they had ultimately completed it successfully. Moreover, their strength had improved greatly through the battle.
"We'll be getting quite a few rewards when we return this time," Chu Feng said with a grin.
Fang Yan nodded. "That's right. But this is only the beginning. We'll encounter even stronger enemies in the future. We must constantly improve our strength if we want to survive in this world."
Chu Feng deeply agreed. "Exactly. Once we get back, I'll cultivate a new Cultivation Technique and strive to break through to the mid-stage Martial Master realm as soon as possible."
The two sat where they were, waiting for the vehicle Su Wan had sent. Sunlight spilled across their bodies, warm and comfortable. They knew that a new adventure was waiting for them.
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