161: Chapter 160 The Gluttonous Beast Breaks Free! The Ragged Robe: You Must Get Me Out of Here Alive

Lin Feng walked toward the depths of the desert at a steady pace.

That black mass floated on his shoulder, very light, like a feather, but it was very uneasy, trembling constantly.

It wasn't afraid of the cold; it was afraid of *that* thing.

Lin Feng could feel it shaking, like a leaf blown down by the wind.

"Are you afraid?" he asked.

The black mass went silent for a second. "Afraid. I've been afraid for ten thousand years."

Lin Feng didn't speak and continued walking.

The sand beneath his feet changed from grayish-white to black, not stained by ink, but scorched by something.

Charred and cracked, it crackled underfoot like stepping on bone ash.

The air grew hotter, not from the sun, but from heat surging up from underground, as if someone had lit a fire beneath.

The wind changed too; the wind from the west carried sand, but the wind surging up from underground carried the scent of sulfur, like someone was boiling a pot of sulfur down there.

Lin Feng pulled up his collar, but it couldn't block the smell—pungent and stinging to the eyes.

He squinted, looking into the distance.

That black mountain was getting closer.

It was tall and massive, like a crouching giant beast.

The black smoke atop the mountain grew thicker and more viscous, like ink, like asphalt, like congealed blood.

The red light within the black smoke flashed faster and faster, beat by beat, like a heartbeat, like a drumbeat, like someone ringing a bell.

The black mass trembled even more violently. "The Seal... is about to break..."

Lin Feng quickened his pace.

The sand beneath his feet grew blacker and hotter; he could feel it even through his soles.

He walked for about ten minutes and reached the foot of the mountain.

The mountain was so high that he couldn't see the top when looking up, only black smoke and red light.

The mountain was steep, almost vertical, with no path.

But he didn't need a path.

He unfurled his Wind Wings and flew up.

The black mass followed closely behind him like a shadow.

The wind was strong, blowing him off balance, but he steadied himself and continued flying upward.

Halfway up the mountain, the mountain body suddenly cracked open.

It wasn't an earthquake; it cracked from the inside, like a chick pecking through an eggshell.

The crack was wide, at least ten meters, extending from the foot of the mountain all the way to the peak.

Black smoke surged from the crack, thick and viscous, carrying the scent of sulfur and blood.

The smoke soared into the sky, covering half of it.

Red light shone through the crack, bright and piercing, as if someone had lit a lamp below.

The black mass screamed. "It's coming out!"

Just as the words fell, the entire mountain exploded.

It didn't crack slowly; it exploded, like a bomb detonating inside the mountain.

Rubble flew everywhere, black smoke filled the air, and red light was blinding.

Lin Feng was sent flying by the shockwave, tumbling a dozen times in the air before steadying himself.

He hovered in mid-air, looking at the mountain.

The mountain was gone, leaving only a massive crater.

The crater was deep, at least a hundred meters, and at the bottom was black lava, bubbling and frothing.

In the center of the lava, there was something.

It was huge, at least ten meters tall and twenty meters long.

It was shaped like a sheep, but ten thousand times larger.

It had horns on its head, curved like a ram's, but a hundred times thicker.

Its eyes were blood-red, like two burning fires.

Its mouth was enormous, splitting from its left ear to its right, filled with dense rows of teeth like saw blades.

Its body was black, like charcoal, like ink, like congealed blood.

It had scales on its body, piece by piece, like armor.

Its tail was long, like a snake or a whip, with a barbed tip that glinted coldly.

Standing in the center of the lava, it roared toward the sky. "ROAR—!!!"

That sound shook the entire Secret Realm.

The sky shook, the earth shook, and the air shook.

Lin Feng's eardrums pained, his heart pounded, and his blood boiled.

He steadied himself and looked at the thing.

Taotie.

An ancient Vicious Beast that ate everything.

It ate mountains, water, earth, and sky.

Once it finished eating everything else, it would even eat itself.

It was never full, always eating, always hungry.

[Taotie (legendary grade)]

[Rank: 80]

[health points: 50,000,000]

[attack power: ???]

[Defense: ???]

[Skills: ???]

[Description: An ancient Vicious Beast, the Incarnation of greed. Sealed for ten thousand years, it has just broken the Seal and is in a weakened state. At its peak, it is enough to destroy a civilization.]

Lin Feng looked at the description and gasped.

Fifty million health, level eighty, legendary grade.

If it's this terrifying in a weakened state, what would it be like at its peak?

He didn't dare to imagine.

But he had no way back; behind him was the Secret Realm exit, outside the Secret Realm was the Kunlun Mountains, outside the Kunlun Mountains was the East Sea, and beyond the East Sea was his home.

He could not retreat.

Taotie lowered its head, its blood-red eyes staring at him.

That gaze wasn't one of anger or resentment; it was hunger.

It was hungry, hungry for ten thousand years.

It wanted to eat, to eat everything.

It opened its mouth, which was as large as a cave, an abyss, a black hole.

A suction force surged from its mouth, strong like a tornado, a tsunami, or the sky falling.

The surrounding rubble, sand, black smoke, and lava were all sucked into its mouth.

Lin Feng was also caught in the suction, flying toward that mouth against his will.

"Void Walk!"

He instantly disappeared and reappeared a hundred meters away.

The suction was still there, but much weaker.

He steadied himself, gasping for air.

The black mass floated beside him, also panting—it had no lungs, but it was panting.

"It... it's too strong..." its voice trembled.

Lin Feng didn't speak and took the Breathing Soil out of the wanxiang ring.

Xiao Jin was still on the Breathing Soil, happily munching on half a golden Spirit Stone.

Seeing Lin Feng, it raised its head and squeaked.

Lin Feng stroked its head. "Xiao Jin, hide inside first. Come out later."

Xiao Jin paused, tilting its head to look at him, its compound eyes full of confusion.

It didn't understand why it had to hide, but it listened to Lin Feng.

It let go of the Spirit Stone and jumped into Lin Feng's palm.

Lin Feng put it and the Breathing Soil into the wanxiang ring, placing them in the safest spot.

The black mass looked at him. "You... you put that bug away?"

"It's not a bug, its name is Xiao Jin," Lin Feng said. "It's my partner."

The black mass fell silent.

It looked at Lin Feng for a long time.

Then it spoke. "You... you're really good to it."

Lin Feng didn't speak, drawing the dragon slaying sword and the azure thunder sword.

With both swords in hand, golden light and azure lightning intertwined, illuminating the entire sky.

He took a deep breath and charged toward Taotie.

The black mass shouted from behind. "You're crazy! You can't beat it!"

Lin Feng ignored it, rushing in front of Taotie and striking with both swords.

The dragon slaying sword slashed toward Taotie's neck, and the azure thunder sword stabbed toward its eye.

Let the battle begin!