Escape into the Light, Quest Complete
Rumble!!!
The earth shook violently, Candle Dragon roared in agony, its echoes reverberating endlessly. It twisted its immeasurably terrifying body, smashing against the rock wall and cracking it open with huge fissures. Each fissure spread outwards with several smaller cracks, densely packed and moving at incredible speed, tightly gripping the Flying Carpet behind it.
The angle of the Bronze Divine Tree's tilt became increasingly obvious, and the surrounding rocks also showed signs of collapsing. Russell, sweating profusely, avoided the tilting tree and darted to the open passageway, soaring upwards.
Without the obstruction of lush foliage, the Flying Carpet's speed increased dramatically once again. The strong wind forced Russell to kneel on the ground, frantically channeling Magic Power to maintain the Flying Carpet's high-speed movement.
A tiny firefly-like light appeared in the sky, startling Russell: "Close your eyes, we're almost at the exit."
"Roar roar roar————"
Suddenly, the Candle Dragon sprang from the darkness, its scales shattered, its body covered in blood and filth, a pitiful sight. Its gaping maw opened wide, ready to swallow the Flying Carpet whole. Russell felt a chill run down his spine; he couldn't describe how big that mouth was. Its dark red, ferocious snout was filled with hollow, Venom fangs, the smallest of which was larger than the Flying Carpet.
Russell was about to use his Character Card to deliver a blow when suddenly, the Candle Dragon's body stiffened and froze in place, as if its tail had been pulled by something.
"Roar roar roar————"
Candle Dragon was unwilling to accept this, and was dragged away by the Dog Pack. He roared in anger as his figure fell into the darkness.
Whoosh!
A burst of light erupted as the Flying Carpet burst forth from the sinkhole, soaring straight into the clouds.
Having not seen natural light for so long, the sudden return to sunlight caused a burning pain in his retina, even with his eyes closed. Russell circulated his Magic Power, and the pain vanished, replaced by a cool sensation before his eyes. He slowly reduced his flight speed, and at the same time, the system notification sounded in his ears.
[Bite]
[Host has completed the World Quest, found the true exit, and escaped to safety. Mission rewards are now being calculated.]
[Bite]
[Rewards are as follows: 8 points of Free Attribute Points, 30,000 Wealth Points, and 3 chances to Lottery Draw.]
[Bite]
[The host has completed the World Quest. You may end the world process immediately or remain in this world for a maximum of 24 hours. Please make your decision as soon as possible.]
"Stay for 24 hours!"
Russell felt the system was too rigid, always asking a question. Although he rarely managed to stay for 24 hours and never cared whether he had successfully stayed, when had he ever said no?
Whether you succeed or not is one thing, whether you do it or not is another! And whether you persist and for how long you do it is an even more important thing!
"Success! The main god has indicated that the mission is 3/3 complete and the last ruin has been explored."
Having narrowly escaped death, Ying Yingying and the others wept with joy. During the final sprint, they had been lying prone, unaware that the Flying Carpet had almost been swallowed whole by the Candle Dragon. So, their tears of joy were because the experienced Old Driver hadn't crashed, sparing their lives.
The Flying Carpet slowly descended, Russell looked around. He saw undulating mountains and lush trees, which, from a distance, resembled a giant dragon soaring through the clouds. Their location was precisely at the dragon's eye.
"Mount Li?"
Ying Yingying was a little unsure. If it really was that auspicious place like Mount Li, there should be at least several winding mountain roads, not to mention a cluster of buildings built against the mountain. But she couldn't see anything when she looked around.
Lush and verdant, a breathtakingly beautiful pristine natural landscape!
Where they were didn't matter, and Ying Yingying didn't think about it too much. The mission was complete; it was time to return to the Main God Space. This Team Battle had been fraught with ups and downs, with one crisis after another. They all wanted to rest for a while.
"Jason, how can I contact you back in the Main God Space?" Ying Yingying was still unwilling to give up and wanted to bring her 'best friend' into the team.
"You guys go back first, I'll wait a little longer..." Russell said, gazing affectionately at the collapsed and buried pit entrance. "I want to wait for the Dog Pack, say goodbye to them before I leave."
Has it turned into a dog again?
Ying Yingying muttered to herself, then stuffed a magic stone into Russell's hand. "This magic stone can contact me and also indicate my location. If there is an opportunity next time, I look forward to cooperating with you again."
Russell accepted the Philosopher's Stone: "We might be enemies next time we meet. Aren't you afraid of revealing your location?"
"It's okay, you're a good person!"
Russell: "..."
The girls bid farewell to Russell one after another. Duan Xinlan steps with teary eyes as she disappeared into the pillar of light.
After confirming that no one was around, Russell took out two tridents from his Space Ring —or rather, a trident with three prongs and a trident without prongs.
Inputting Magic Power, Russell brought Ψ and | closer together. It was unclear whether it was Russell's own Magic Power or the trident itself representing the ocean. A hazy blue mist rose, scattering specks of light that dyed half the sky a blue curtain of light, with ripples flowing and the faint sound of waves could be heard.
The appearance of this precious treasure caused strange phenomena in the heavens and earth. Russell secretly thought that things were not good. If he had known that the commotion would be so great, he would have chosen a more secluded place.
I'm a little panicked. I'm carrying a valuable treasure, and I feel like there's someone crouching in the bushes!
"You're overthinking it. There shouldn't be anyone here in this desolate wilderness..."
The light screen dimmed, Russell felt a lightness in his hand. Looking down, he saw that the two tridents had merged into one, but...
"Why is it still just a stick? Where's the fork?"
Russell was so angry that his liver hurt. The two tridents were fused together. Three plus zero does not equal three. It would be good if it equaled one. Why is it still bare with no trident?
"Fellow Daoist, may I have the chance to examine the divine object you possess?"
A cold voice came from behind him. Russell gasped and silently turned around to see a middle-aged man.
The man was tall and imposing, but unlike Russell's imposing stature, he was taller than 1.8 meters.
His features were sharply defined, with deep, dark pupils beneath two sword-like eyebrows, exuding a cold, aloof, and imposing aura. Simply put, he was a man of exceptional talent and charisma, but his unsmiling demeanor and overwhelming presence made him seem unapproachable.
Russell's lips twitched. A person suddenly appearing in the middle of nowhere, standing silently behind him, was definitely not a good person.
"Fellow Daoist, may I have a look?" the man asked again.
You say you can look at it, but what if you don't return it?
Russell rolled his eyes. What era are we living in? Why are they still using such an old trick?
Putting himself in the man's shoes, he could imagine the scene after lending it out: the man holding the trident, examining it with admiration, and then saying, "This is the shoehorn I lost many years ago. I never thought it would be returned to its rightful owner today!"
Wait, what did he just call himself again?
"Fellow Daoist..."
The man frowned, a hint of anger in his eyes, and before he could finish speaking, Russell vanished from his sight.
"..."
The atmosphere was somewhat awkward. The man coughed lightly, flicked his sleeves, and was about to leave when suddenly something unusual happened. His double pupils lit up, and he looked at the sinkhole with great interest through layers of space.
"What a big dog! I wonder who owns it..."
"No, I saw it. It must be ownerless..."
"No, that's not right. It's clearly my beloved dog from when I was a child. I never thought I'd find it again today!"