Deep in the third layer.
Overhead, the oppressive rock ceiling had given way to a stretch filled with glowing, dark-red ore.
The low rumbling grew clearer and clearer.
Every few minutes, the ground gave a slight tremor, accompanied by a panting sound like bellows being pumped.
"Something's wrong. That noise is too loud."
Wang Tie lowered his voice, squeezing the hilt of his knife until it creaked.
He'd been in this line of work for a long time and had an almost bestial instinct for danger.
"Lin Feng, we're probably not far from that 'source.' Should we find somewhere to hide first?"
Lin Feng said nothing. He was staring at a puddle of slime beneath his feet.
The slime was pale yellow, clinging to the edge of a rock and sizzling as it gave off white smoke. It had eaten little pits into the hard ore.
He lifted a bit of slime with the tip of his knife and held it beneath his nose.
A strong stench of rotting flesh shot straight to his head.
"This is a secretion produced when an Exotic Beast lays eggs."
Lin Feng had always done well in his general studies. This kind of knowledge wasn't difficult for him.
He stood and looked toward a cliff ahead.
"If I'm not mistaken, there should be a huge nest up ahead."
"Those abnormal fluctuations are being caused by that big guy."
Li Ming's face went deathly pale.
"Brother Lin, aren't Exotic Beasts at their most savage when they're laying eggs? If we go over there now, aren't we just delivering ourselves on a platter?"
Lin Feng glanced at him.
"They are savage during the egg-laying period, but that's also when they're at their weakest."
"If you want to grow stronger, you have to seek wealth amid danger."
Lin Feng's words left Li Ming silent.
He remembered the days he'd been bullied at school, and the loan sharks his family owed.
If he didn't grow stronger, his life would stay just like this.
"I'm going with you."
Li Ming gritted his teeth. His voice trembled, but his eyes were more resolute than ever.
The three of them continued cautiously onward.
They rounded the cliff, and the sight before them made all three draw in a sharp breath.
It was a vast basin.
At its center lay countless Exotic Beast bones, piled into a small mountain more than ten meters high.
And atop Bone Mountain, a gigantic beast, dark red from head to toe, lay sprawled.
It looked like a lizard several times larger than normal, its back covered in densely packed bone spikes. Each spike resembled a burning torch.
The beast's belly rose and fell rhythmically. With every rise and fall, a visible red ripple spread outward.
This was the "abnormal fluctuation" Zhao Tianxiong had mentioned.
"A Red Flame Earth Lizard..."
Wang Tie's voice trembled badly.
"This thing is E-Rank when it reaches adulthood. Judging by its size, it's at least Martial Artist Rank 2."
"Lin Feng, let's retreat. This isn't something we can handle."
Wang Tie was genuinely afraid now.
The gap between a Martial Disciple and a Martial Artist was huge, but the difference between a Rank 1 and Rank 2 Martial Artist was just as great.
What's more, this was an Exotic Beast, born with a powerful physique.
Lin Feng stared at the Red Flame Earth Lizard. The long blade in his hand gave a faint hum.
The qi and blood in his body were surging wildly, resonating with the blade.
[Detected E-Rank Exotic Beast: Red Flame Earth Lizard (Weakened State)] [Slaying it will grant a large number of Martial Path Points. First E-Rank Exotic Beast kill may also drop a Martial Technique]
"Martial Technique?"
Lin Feng's heart jolted.
This stuff was incredibly rare. It was usually passed down only by martial arts families, martial arts universities, or the military.
Most of what circulated on the market was common exercise routines or incomplete, unorthodox methods. Practice them for too long, and you could easily cripple yourself.
The few decent Martial Techniques out there came with sky-high prices—ordinary families could forget about ever getting their hands on them.
"I didn't expect an E-Rank Exotic Beast to drop one of these."
Lin Feng licked his lips, a fiery glint in his eyes.
He knew this was the greatest opportunity he'd encountered so far.
If he could kill this Earth Lizard, his strength would undergo a qualitative leap.
"Wang, take Li Ming and retreat behind that cliff."
Keeping his eyes on the Earth Lizard, Lin Feng walked forward without looking back.
"Are you crazy? You're going to fight it alone?"
Wang Tie's eyes widened in disbelief.
"I'm not crazy."
Lin Feng rolled his neck, producing a series of cracking sounds.
"It's in its weakened period right now."
"This is our best chance. We can't let it slip by."
"If it reaches maturity, none of us will make it out."
Wang Tie was about to argue, but Lin Feng's cold gaze stopped him.
He knew no one could change Lin Feng's mind once he'd made a decision.
"Fine. Be careful. If things start looking bad, run. Don't try to tough it out."
Wang Tie pulled Li Ming along, crouching as they retreated behind the cliff.
Li Ming looked back at Lin Feng, his eyes filled with worry and admiration.
Once the two had reached a safe spot, Lin Feng slowly breathed out a mouthful of stale air.
He reached out and touched the blade, feeling its cold surface.
[Steel of the Blade: 75/500]
He'd killed plenty of little monsters along the way, and the stacks had built up to a considerable level.
It still hadn't reached the 150-stack Armor Piercing effect, but at 50 stacks, the armor-breaking effect had already doubled his attack speed.
Without another thought, Lin Feng moved.
He didn't try to sneak up on it. Instead, he kicked off the rock with all his might.
His body turned into a black blur as he charged straight toward Bone Mountain in the middle of the basin.
Though the Red Flame Earth Lizard was weakened, its senses were still sharp.
It snapped open its dark-gold vertical pupils, a low growl rumbling in its throat.
Whoosh!
A thick plume of fire burst from its mouth, instantly turning the ground in front of Lin Feng into scorched earth.
Lin Feng twisted in midair and narrowly dodged the flames.
Using Bone Mountain to propel himself, he leaped up, his long blade tracing an arc through the air.
"First strike!"
Lin Feng shouted under his breath and brought his blade down hard on the Earth Lizard's back.
Clang!
Sparks flew everywhere.
The thick, dark-red scales actually stopped Lin Feng's full-force blow.
But the armor-breaking effect still took hold.
A fine crack appeared in the scales, and a thread of dark-red blood seeped through it.
The Earth Lizard cried out in pain, letting loose an angry hiss.
Its thick, pillar-like tail suddenly swept sideways.
The wind howled, sending countless bone fragments flying.
Lin Feng didn't dare block it head-on. He tapped a foot against its scales and drifted backward.
Boom!
Its tail struck Bone Mountain, knocking down half of the mound of white bones.
"What strength."
Lin Feng landed on a rock some distance away, his hand on the blade tingling slightly.
The Earth Lizard's defense and strength far exceeded his expectations.
But he didn't retreat. His eyes burned even brighter.
"Again!"
Lin Feng charged once more.
This time, he stopped hacking at its back. Instead, he used his nimble footwork to circle its belly and limbs.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Every blow landed precisely in the gaps between its scales.
Each strike caused only minor damage, but as the blows piled up, more and more wounds appeared on the Earth Lizard.
It was utterly enraged by the human buzzing around it like a fly.
The Earth Lizard struggled to rise, but the stabbing pain in its belly made it collapse again.
It was in the critical stage of laying its eggs.
Lin Feng seized that instant.
He leaped up, stepped onto the Earth Lizard's huge head, and held his blade in a reverse grip.
"Break!"
He poured all the spiritual energy in his body into the tip of the blade and drove it viciously into the Earth Lizard's dark-gold vertical pupil.
Squelch!
Blood splattered all over Lin Feng.
The Earth Lizard let out a scream of unbearable agony, and the entire Rift shuddered violently with it.
Behind the cliff, Wang Tie and Li Ming watched, their eyes nearly popping out of their heads.
"Th-this is something a person can do?"
Wang Tie muttered to himself. His knife had fallen to the ground, and he hadn't even noticed.
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