Ambush

Even after leaving the Southern Wasteland Beast City, the scorching, untamed atmosphere did not diminish; instead, it grew even stronger as the three approached the Meteor Beast Mountain Range.

The air seemed to freeze, filled with a strong earthy smell, the stench of rotting plants, and a faint, pungent odor of Magical Beasts.

Looking ahead, one sees the outline of a vast mountain range stretching endlessly, seemingly connecting heaven and earth.

The mountain was not the usual emerald green, but rather presented an eerie color scheme of dark red, pitch black and ghastly green. The vegetation consisted mostly of strange trees and poisonous vines with grotesque shapes and vibrant colors, inspiring fear in those who looked upon them.

The mountains are shrouded in a hazy, miasma-like fog year-round, with the occasional shadow of a huge Flying Magical Beast sweeping through them, emitting a piercing scream.

This is the Meteor Beast Mountain Range, one of the most notorious dangerous places in the Southern Region.

"Such a strong Sectarian Qi."

Xiong Zhan took a deep breath, the Ancient Dragon Bear bloodline within him stirring slightly, a mixture of wariness and excitement at returning to a similar ancient environment.

Zi Yan wrinkled her little nose and snorted, "The smell is awful, but... the energy inside is quite violent, perfect for fighting!"

Lin Ming's gaze swept across the outer edge of the mountain range, and his Soul Power spread forward like invisible tentacles. He immediately sensed countless auras of varying strengths, filled with wildness and hostility, lurking in the dense forests and mountain streams.

From low-level Poisonous Insect that are merely equivalent to Dou Zhe level to ferocious magical Magical Beasts that exude the aura of Dou Wang and Dou Emperor, they appear one after another.

"Stay close to me and don't stray too far from the range of my soul's perception," Lin Ming said in a deep voice, taking the lead into the colorful yet deadly primeval jungle.

As soon as we entered, the light dimmed.

Towering ancient trees blocked out the sun, their branches twisted like Ghost Claw. Underfoot was a thick layer of humus, accumulated over countless years, soft and spongy with a squelching sound as you stepped on it, occasionally startling colorful Poisonous Insect that would dart out.

"Hiss!"

A venomous green snake disguised as a withered vine attacked Zi Yan from the side like lightning. Its fangs gleamed with an eerie light, and its speed was astonishing, enough to bite through the Protective Dou Qi of Dou King Expert.

However, Zi Yan didn't even look. She casually grabbed the snake and precisely pinched its vital spot. With a slight force, she snapped the snake in two with a soft "plop" sound and tossed it aside.

She clapped her hands and muttered, "So weak, yet they dare to ambush me."

Lin Ming was already used to this; the bloodline of the Primordial Void Dragon had a natural suppression effect on these low-level Magical Beasts.

Following the route he had planned in his mind, a faint Spatial Fluctuations emanated from his body. This was not for traveling, but rather to cleverly distort the surrounding light and aura, causing some low-level Magical Beasts that acted on instinct to subconsciously ignore their presence, saving him a lot of trouble.

But as they went deeper, the Magical Beasts they encountered became increasingly powerful.

"Roar!"

A deafening roar rang out, the bushes ahead collapsed, and a gigantic rhinoceros, as large as a small mountain, covered in crimson scales and with a single horn on its head, charged out.

Its eyes were bloodshot, and scorching white vapor spewed from its nostrils. Its aura had reached the Peak Sixth Tier, equivalent to a peak human Peak Dou Emperor.

"It's Crimson Flame Rhinoceros. It has thick hide and incredible strength, but its single horn is a good material for refining weapons." As the Beast King of the Pill Realm, Xiong Zhan was exceptionally knowledgeable about Magical Beasts. Since this Crimson Flame Rhinoceros was courting death, Xiong Zhan casually volunteered, "Sect Master, let me handle this!"

Lin Ming nodded in agreement.

To deal with this Magical Beasts that even Dou Zong hadn't reached, Xiong Zhan didn't even need to transform into his beast form. His muscles suddenly bulged, a faint dark golden luster appeared on his skin, and a primordial, ferocious aura erupted.

He pushed off the ground with both feet and shot out like a cannonball, without dodging or avoiding, his fist slamming straight into the head of the Crimson Flame Rhinoceros!

"Bang!"

The dull thud was like the beating of a drum. The shockwave exploded from the point of contact between the fist and the rhinoceros horn, making the surrounding ancient trees tremble.

The Crimson Flame Rhinoceros let out a painful howl, its massive body shattered by Xiong Zhan's punch, blood splattering everywhere.

The Crimson Flame Rhinoceros was utterly powerless to retaliate, only able to let out mournful howls, and fine cracks appeared on its hard horn. Finally, Xiong Zhan delivered a fierce uppercut, striking its jaw hard.

"Snap!"

A sickening cracking sound rang out as the massive body of the Crimson Flame Rhinoceros was violently thrown several feet off the ground before crashing to the ground, twitching a few times before falling silent.

Xiong Zhan flicked the blood off his fist and grinned, "You've got thick skin."

Lin Ming waved his hand and collected the Crimson Flame Rhinoceros's corpse. A Peak Sixth Tier Magical Beasts, its entire body was a treasure trove, worth a fortune. "Well done. Keep going."

The three continued deeper into the swamp, encountering several more attacks along the way. There were swarms of highly poisonous leeches hidden in the swamp, alluring demonic flowers that released hallucinogenic pollen, and packs of Blood Wolf with sharp fangs...

However, these dangers were all resolved one by one by Lin Ming's powerful Soul Perception and the three's formidable strength.

Lin Ming didn't even lift a finger; Zi Yan and Xiong Zhan mostly took care of the minor characters themselves. However, Lin Ming wasn't really interested in these minor figures, so he just let them be.

Several days later, they had ventured thousands of miles into the Meteor Beast Mountain Range, where the environment had become even harsher.

The miasma here is so dense that it is visible to the naked eye, and it is multicolored and contains a strong toxicity. Even Dou Emperor Expert would suffer from stagnant Dou Qi and festering flesh if he inhaled too much. Pale white Beast Bone and decaying weapon remnants can be seen on the ground from time to time, silently telling the story of the danger of this place.

As dark purple flames rose from Lin Ming's body, the Poisonous Miasma was kept at bay. Zi Yan and Xiong Zhan also circulated their Dou Qi to resist it.

"According to the map and intelligence, we are approaching 'Black Wind Ravine'. Only after passing through there will we truly enter the inner area of the Meteor Beast Mountain Range."

Lin Ming unfolded a Leather Map, on which were marked information provided by the Xu Family and the man in black robes.

"Black Wind Ravine is perpetually swept by Bone-Eroding Black Wind, which carries a strange energy that can erode Dou Qi and the soul. Moreover, it is inhabited by a gregarious Magical Beasts called 'Shadow Bat,' which is extremely troublesome."

Sure enough, after traveling for less than half an hour, a sound like the wailing of ten thousand ghosts came from ahead.

A massive, bottomless ravine, hundreds of feet wide, stretched out before us. Black Mist churned within it, and Gale Wind of black wind howled and whistled through it like sharp blades, carving the rocks on either side into countless holes.

"This is it." Lin Ming's gaze narrowed slightly as he sensed the eerie corrosive power contained within the Black Wind, which was somewhat similar to the Soul Erosion Wind in the Barbarian Race Land. He spoke calmly.

"Should we just fly there?" Zi Yan asked.

"No." Lin Ming shook his head.

"There is a natural Restriction above Black Wind Ravine. Flying there will attract even more violent Black Wind to kill you, and you will easily become a sitting duck for the 'Shadow Bat'. The only passage is those ancient Iron Chain Bridge at the bottom of the ravine."

Lin Ming pointed to the churning Black Mist below, where he could vaguely see several thick, rusty black iron chains spanning the mountain stream, swaying in the gale and emitting a chilling creaking sound.

Just as they were preparing to search for the entrance to the Iron Chain Bridge, Lin Ming's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he shouted in a low voice, "Watch out!"

Before the words were even finished, three streaks of dark light suddenly shot out from behind a huge rock on the side! The dark lights were incredibly fast, carrying a piercing shriek, and aimed straight for the vital points of Lin Ming, Zi Yan, and Xiong Zhan!

The dark light was not a physical arrow, but a highly condensed Dark Element Energy with strong corrosive and soul-penetrating power.

Sneak attack!

Moreover, the person who made the move was extremely powerful; each of those three dark lights was enough to severely injure or even kill Dou Zong!

Lin Ming snorted coldly, without dodging. With a flick of his sleeve, the space in front of him rippled like water.

The three beams of dark light, powerful enough to pierce gold and shatter stone, shot into the rippling space, but their speed decreased drastically, as if they were mud oxen entering the sea. They were then distorted and shot past the three people's bodies into the rock wall behind them.

"Puff puff puff!" Three bottomless holes instantly appeared on the rock wall, with a hissing sound of corrosion coming from the edges.

"Space Power? You've got some skill." A chilling voice rang out.

Five figures emerged from behind the rocks.

The leader was an old man dressed in black robes with a withered face. He held a cane with a Snake Head Cane, had a sinister look in his eyes, and his aura had reached the Peak Three-Star Dou Venerate.

Behind him were four people: one at the Peak Dou Ancestor, one Eight-Star Dou Ancestor, and the last two were both Seven-Star Dou Ancestor. These people all had unfriendly expressions and carried a strong Blood Fiend Qi, clearly indicating that they were desperate criminals who had been living on the edge of death in the Meteor Beast Mountain Range.

"The Old Man Black Snake?" Lin Ming recognized the man based on the information provided by the man in black robes.

He is a notorious villain active on the outskirts of the Meteor Beast Mountain Range. He is ruthless, skilled in ambush and poison, and is said to be connected with the infamous "Black Fiend Stronghold" in the Southern Region.

"Since you recognize me, then obediently hand over your Storage Ring and that little girl..."

The Old Man Black Snake's gaze swept greedily over Zi Yan. "The bloodline aura on her is very special. Offering her to the mountain lord will surely be a great achievement!"

He clearly recognized the extraordinary nature of Zi Yan's bloodline, but he didn't identify it as Primordial Void Dragon, assuming it was some rare ancient bloodline.

"You're asking for death!" Zi Yan's face turned cold; being treated like merchandise instantly enraged her.

Xiong Zhan also stepped forward, his fierce aura locking onto his opponent, and he unleashed his Dou Venerate- level pressure without reservation.

The Old Man Black Snake sensed Xiong Zhan's aura, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes, but he remained calm, coldly sneering, "So there's a Dou Venerate here. No wonder you dared to venture so deep. However, with just the three of you, one of you is still a burden..."

He glanced at Zi Yan, who was only Dou Zong, and said, "Be sensible, or you might still have a whole corpse."

Lin Ming remained expressionless, his gaze sweeping over the five men as if they were a group of dead men.

"The Black Fiend Stronghold's reach is quite extensive. However, you've chosen the wrong target."

"Arrogant! Attack! Leave this Dou Venerate Big Man to me, you guys deal with this brat and that Little Girl. Remember, the Little Girl has to be alive."

With a shout from the Old Man Black Snake, he slammed his Snake Head Cane to the ground, and a dark green Poison Mist spread out as if it were alive, instantly covering an area of a hundred feet in radius. The grass and trees that touched it withered and died as it enveloped Xiong Zhan.

At the same time, the several Dou Zong behind him turned into afterimages and attacked Lin Ming and Zi Yan.