Inside a detached villa in Peak District, Hua Xia City, Hua Xia District.
A dignified-looking middle-aged man radiating a powerful aura roared grimly, "Chen Hao is actually dead! An Advanced Battle Emperor was pierced through with a single strike, and even an R1-level Black Gold Combat Suit couldn't stop it?"
The middle-aged man was blazing with fury, and the red wineglass in his hand cracked under his grip.
Who exactly had dared attack in Jiang Yue Villa District and even kill Battle Emperor Chen Hao? With such strength, it had to be a Battle God who had made a move! "Please calm down, my lord. According to the message Battle Emperor Chen Hao sent out, this person concealed his strength. On the surface, he was only at the Heavenly Soldier-level, but his true strength may have already reached the High-level War Venerable or even Battle God level," said a White Robe Man beside him.
The White Robe Man paused. "The Li Family's five-trillion-Ten Thousand Stars Coin wanted notice was also issued because the son of Battle God Li Chengtian died in the Wilderness Area. According to the reports, after investigating, they discovered that the killer had also concealed his strength, using the appearance of a Heavenly Soldier-level warrior to kill."
"Go on." The middle-aged man spoke with deeply furrowed brows.
The White Robe Man reached out and brought up the Martial Artist Competition information, pointing at it as he said, "These two matters have caused quite a stir in our circle. Since both incidents involved someone acting as a Heavenly Soldier-level warrior, that person may have participated in this competition as well. We can investigate from there. Perhaps we'll discover something."
"Mm, that makes sense. Go handle it!" the middle-aged man ordered.
"Yes, my lord."
Wilderness Area, the central region of 249 Area.
Chen Tian was leisurely making his way deeper inside.
Five days had already passed since the competition began. Fang Hao, ranked first on the points leaderboard, had already surpassed ten thousand points. Chen Tian paid it no mind and continued searching for monsters above Rank B.
After walking for several days, he finally arrived at the center of 249 Area. Chen Tian glanced around a few times and immediately realized that a warning line had been set up here. Touching it would trigger an alarm, preventing Rank B monsters from entering the competition grounds.
"They say all Rank B and above monsters have been cleared out, but in reality, they haven't even entered the deeper areas." Chen Tian smiled. After all, 249 Area was enormous. In terms of the old cities, it was equivalent to a first-tier city! Going deeper beyond 249 Area meant entering the deepest reaches of the entire Wilderness Area.
Even top-tier Battle Venerable-level warriors might not be able to retreat from here unscathed!
Chen Tian then waved a hand to temporarily block the signal and stepped into the depths.
After entering the deeper area, Chen Tian clearly sensed the difference between this place and the outside. The pungent stench of blood filled his entire mind, while the surrounding environment gave off an indescribably desolate feeling. The leaves were blackened, the buildings ancient and ruined, and what flowed along the cracks in the stones was no longer rainwater, but blood.
A little farther ahead, a long saber appeared before him, half-buried in the yellow earth and covered in rust. Beside it, a pile of stark white, jumbled bones on the grass was horrifying to behold. Only the monster skull with two sharp bone horns could be identified; the rest had long since fused with the corpses of dead warriors.
"The atmosphere here is really oppressive. No wonder they restricted the competition area to the central region. If that bunch of little shrimp came in here, forget about whether they'd dare hunt monsters—they'd be scared half to death."
Chen Tian looked around, his eyes studying the two ruined buildings before him. He then walked to the center and scattered red liquid there. Once he was done, he leaped onto the rooftop.
"There are traces left behind by a Shadow Serpent that was active here just now. That means it should be nearby." Chen Tian thought, "Scattering the blood of its favorite prey here will make it mistake the prey for something wounded. When that happens..."
Chen Tian activated the scanner, sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, and quietly waited for his prey to come knocking.
Shadow Serpents and Sky-Supporting Apes were usually mortal enemies. Adult Shadow Serpents liked hunting Sky-Supporting Apes for food, while Sky-Supporting Apes were naturally mischievous and liked treating Shadow Serpents as tree-vine whips, playing with them until they were tortured to death.
Coincidentally, both monsters were gregarious species. They only fought when they happened to encounter each other while searching for food.
"Hiss, hiss—"
Chen Tian suddenly opened his eyes. He rose and looked toward the southwest, where trees and ruined buildings were collapsing one after another.
"Well, well. In the end, you still couldn't hold back!"
Ding! The mission target has appeared. Host, kill it immediately!
Chen Tian smiled. He hadn't expected to lure the Shadow Serpent out so easily. It seemed that the Sky-Supporting Ape's blood was truly a fatal temptation to the Shadow Serpent.
"Hiss—"
A killing intent rushed toward him. The Shadow Serpent arrived amid thick clouds of dust, its sharp eyes radiating icy killing intent. It then climbed onto another building and coiled around it several times.
"This Shadow Serpent is different from the ones I've seen before. The black scales covering its body actually contain a trace of dragon might. Its degenerated limbs have already developed feelers, and a silver horn has grown from the top of its head. Is it mutated?"
Chen Tian was slightly surprised. He had killed many Rank A Shadow Serpents and encountered a few mutations, but this was the first time he had seen one like this.
"Whether this is a sign that you're about to evolve into Rank S or some kind of sudden mutation, you're still going to die today!"
Without another word, blue patterns reappeared across Chen Tian's body. He took out his battle halberd and let out a cold laugh.
"Heh!"
Chen Tian strode forward and charged over at lightning speed, sweeping his blade across the Shadow Serpent's head.
Caught off guard by Chen Tian's ambush, the Shadow Serpent had no time to defend itself and was knocked down by a single strike. An enraged roar burst from its serpent mouth!
Seizing this opening, Chen Tian attacked again. He gave the Shadow Serpent no time to make another move, splitting into several clones that hacked toward it in unison.
"Swish! Swish!"
The Shadow Serpent twisted and struggled, constantly lashing out with its tail.
Chen Tian's attacks were ferocious. Perhaps sensing that it was no match for the man before it, the Shadow Serpent swept its tail across the area before turning and fleeing.
"Pretty clever! As expected of a Rank A monster—you've even developed your own consciousness."
The little trick was useless against Chen Tian. He erupted through the air and charged toward the Shadow Serpent, his speed breaking through the sound barrier in that instant.
Chen Tian enlarged the battle halberd, took aim at the Shadow Serpent, and hurled it with all his strength. "Boom!"
The enlarged battle halberd struck its mark, embedding itself in the Shadow Serpent's tail.
"Roar! Roar!"
The Shadow Serpent's enraged roars carried a trace of dragon's cry. The immense pain in its body made it utterly furious! "Well, well! It really is about to transform into a dragon!"
Chen Tian stared at the Shadow Serpent, his heart shaken!
This was his first time encountering a monster on the verge of transforming into a dragon. Although it was still a monster, it was enough to leave anyone astonished.
Chen Tian no longer gave the Shadow Serpent any chance to escape. He recalled the battle halberd, blue lightning spilling from it as its might became overwhelming.
"Swish!"
A single slash swept through, and the Shadow Serpent's head fell. Dead!
Ding! Congratulations, Host, on killing the Rank A Shadow Serpent Obtained reward: 5,000 years of cultivation Ding! Host, would you like to use the 5,000 years of cultivation? 1. Use 2. Store
"Store!"
Ding! The cultivation remaining in the Host's Cultivation Pool: 149,188
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