Exile (VIII)

Nine months later.

Dust and sand raged, obscuring everything completely. Now and then, one or two enormous stones streaked through the high sky at unimaginable speed, vanishing in a flash as they flew into the distance without a trace.

Amid such harsh weather on the surface of the Abyss Continent, Green and the Seven-Colored Rooster walked slowly against the wind, allowing shards of sand and stone that could nearly flay human skin to batter their bodies.

This sort of cultivation was also a passive body-tempering method for abyssal creatures. Knight Willpower Academy used it often, and its effects were remarkably pronounced.

Cluck, cluck, cluck!

Suddenly, the Seven-Colored Rooster, walking slightly behind Green, gave a cry. Green stopped and turned around, only to find that the Seven-Colored Rooster had already vanished from the sand behind him.

"Hmm? A quicksand vortex?"

All kinds of harsh climates ravaged the abyssal surface. In such sandy terrain, sand vortices were often concealed beneath the ground, possessing unimaginable suction. Any creature passing over them could be dragged into the depths underground in an instant and buried alive. They were terrifying indeed.

With a flash over his shoulder, Green summoned Little Eight from the Dimension Gap. He gestured for Little Eight to wait here, while he strode toward where the Seven-Colored Rooster had just been.

Bang!

A huge cloud of sand erupted from the ground just then, mixed with foul-smelling green blood. The Seven-Colored Rooster leaped out of the sand.

"It was a sandworm, though one this big is really quite rare."

The Seven-Colored Rooster shook off the fluid clinging to its body. Its feathers possessed highly unusual properties, easily flinging away the sticky sandworm juices.

"Damn it, if nothing's wrong, I'm going back to sleep. Hah..."

Little Eight unwillingly stretched. This kind of terrible weather truly