174: Revisiting the Great Swamp

Yunmeng Great Marsh, the outer area near the inner ring.

This area was already far from the relatively familiar Flower Burial Plain and Qianjiao Cliff's direct influence.

The water grew deeper, and a faint, perennial grayish-green miasma permeated the air. Ordinary plants struggled to survive, with only various grotesque vines, ferns, and brightly colored fungi, adapted to the poisonous miasma and humidity, growing in clusters among the jagged black rocks and decaying mud.

The boundary between water and swamp became blurred, with countless large and small puddles, streams, and underground rivers crisscrossing, forming a labyrinthine water network.

A relatively prominent black Peak, resembling the spine of a giant beast, stood isolated in the center of a relatively open, murky water body.

Gao De stood at this moment on a protruding giant rock at the Peak, his figure that of a normal person, hands clasped behind his back.

His re-forged purple scale earth-shaking armor had retracted all its brilliance, appearing like the most inconspicuous dark rock. The Hidden Scale Concealing Scenery Divine Ability naturally circulated, integrating him with the mountain Peak, the miasma, and the dim sky.

His dragon eyes narrowed slightly, Purple Lightning light quietly flowing deep within his pupils. His gaze, like invisible ripples, slowly and carefully scanned the complex environment spanning dozens of miles below.

His Divine Sense, like the most delicate tentacles, cautiously probed into the depths of the marsh and the dense miasma, sensing the flow of Spiritual Qi, the pulse of life, and... that faint, possibly existing, unique “fishy-sweet” scent belonging to Dragon-Blooded Creatures.

Green Edge and eight carefully selected Demon Soldiers, equally skilled in stealth, were dispersed at key points around the mountain Peak. Relying on the terrain and environment, they set up a small-range alert and concealment barrier.

They were like immovable rocks, silent, with only their sharp gazes occasionally sweeping over their assigned areas.

Gao De’s purpose for this deep foray was clear.

On one hand, it was to test his actual combat strength and adaptability after breaking through to Third Order Late Stage, re-forging his Magic Treasure, and mastering new Divine Abilities. On the other hand, it was also to take advantage of the window period where various factions' attention was drawn by the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the abnormal movements in the Sunken Abyss Sea Eye, temporarily leaving them no time for other matters. He would continue to hunt Dragon-Blooded Creatures that had become unusually active in the Yunmeng Marsh due to the previous “Source Blood Restlessness,” accumulating Bloodline foundation and advancing towards a higher concentration.

“Northeast direction, fifteen miles away, that deep pool surrounded by blood-colored reeds...” Gao De’s Divine Sense captured an unusual fluctuation.

The pool water appeared calm, with rotten plants and animal bones floating on the surface, utterly devoid of life.

But deep beneath the pool, a faint, hot, violent, and slightly earthy Dragon Qi, an aura of dormancy, was subtly emanating. Its intensity was roughly at Third Order Middle Stage Peak, with signs of a Breakthrough to Late Stage.

“It seems like... a ‘Ground Fire Earth Dragon’ that has long been dormant in the marsh mud, absorbing telluric fire and miasma for its mutation?” Gao De judged based on the aura.

Such creatures typically possess formidable defenses, terrifying strength, and potent toxicity. They excel at lurking and ambushing but have relatively low intelligence and may be somewhat clumsy in their movements.

“Perfect, let's test the sharpness of the new halberd and the armor-breaking power of the Violet Extreme Thunder Strike.” Gao De's thoughts stirred slightly, and his figure, like a falling leaf, silently drifted down from the Peak, without creating a ripple or a sound of wind, and stealthily moved towards the blood-colored reed pool.

He didn't call Green Edge and the others. For this level of prey, he intended to deal with it alone, which would be faster and more convenient.

Green Edge and the others saw their lord's figure flicker and disappear, immediately understanding that the hunt had begun. They raised the alert level to maximum and, with tacit understanding, adjusted the barrier to more thoroughly conceal any Spiritual Qi fluctuations that might arise from the battle.

Gao De, like a ghost in the marsh, easily avoided several natural miasma traps and lurking swamp predators along the way, silently approaching the deep pool.

He stopped a hundred feet from the edge of the pool, hiding behind a cluster of tall, pungent Ghost Face Mushrooms.

He did not rashly enter the poisonous water.

Against a lurking opponent, luring it out of the water or forcing it to reveal itself is often more advantageous than diving into its home territory.

With a thought, Gao De's right claw clenched in the air, a wisp of pure Purple Lightning Thunder Aura condensed and compressed in his palm, yet it did not emit strong energy fluctuations.

He shaped it into a fist-sized “Thunder Core” containing terrifying thunder power, then lightly flicked it.

The Thunder Core silently shot beneath the surface of the deep pool's edge, not directly hitting the bottom, but diving to a depth of about ten zhang before suddenly collapsing and exploding inwards!

“Boom!”

A muffled roar, like an earth tremor, came from underwater! It wasn't a massive explosion, but a violent shockwave produced by the instantaneous release of highly condensed thunder aura!

The entire surface of the deep pool suddenly bulged upwards, then collapsed, forming a brief vortex. Countless mud and humus were churned up, and the pool water became murky.

The terrifying shockwave penetrated directly to the bottom of the pool, violently impacting the dormant creature!

“Roar——!!!”

A roar filled with pain and fury erupted from the bottom of the pool, and the murky water boiled and churned! Immediately after, a colossal creature burst out of the water!

It was a monstrous creature, over twenty zhang long, covered in thick, dark red carapace, resembling a combination of a giant centipede and an earth Dragon!

Its head was flat, its mouthparts like a giant pulverizer, filled with black and yellow alternating sharp teeth. On either side of its head were a pair of short, stubby protrusions burning with dark red flames, resembling atrophied dragon horns.

Hundreds of pairs of thick, short abdominal feet covered its sides, their tips sharp and glinting with metallic coldness.

Hot steam and a foul-smelling poisonous mist emanated from its body, and faint, magma-like dark red light flowed between the cracks in its carapace.

It was indeed the “Ground Fire Earth Dragon”!

It was clearly quite shaken by the surprise attack from within its

“home turf” just now. Several tiny cracks even appeared on its carapace, and dark red bodily fluid seeped out, further igniting its ferocity.

The flames on its atrophied dragon horns suddenly intensified, and its head rotated, instantly locking onto the direction of Gao De's hiding place—although Gao De's concealment was excellent, the source of the Thunder Core still exposed his general location.

“Hiss... Human Race? Or... Yao Race?” The Ground Fire Earth Dragon emitted indistinct mental fluctuations, full of violence and greed. “Disturbing my slumber... die!”

Its massive body suddenly arched, then shot out like a crimson lightning bolt, with astonishing speed, carrying hot poisonous waves and a foul wind. Its gaping maw opened wide, lunging directly at Gao De! Wherever it passed, the swamp water evaporated, and vegetation instantly withered!

“Good timing!” Gao De did not dodge, his eyes blazing with Purple Lightning! Facing this powerful, direct lunge, he could just test the defense and rebound capabilities of the re-forged Violet Thunder Reversing Mountain Armor!

He let out a low roar, his body sinking slightly. He clenched his fist and punched forward. A dark purple light flashed across his armor, and a thick Purple Lightning Aura shield, solid as a mountain, instantly appeared. On the surface of the shield, faint illusions of tortoise shells and Dragon scales intertwined, and intricate golden rebound thunder patterns flickered!

“Clang——!!!”

A deafening roar, like a giant bell striking a mountain, erupted! The Ground Fire Earth Dragon's massive maw fiercely bit down on the Purple Lightning Aura shield! The violent force caused the ground beneath Gao De's feet to suddenly collapse, splashing mud and water, but his figure remained as steady as a rock, not retreating a single step!

Even more astonishingly, the golden rebound thunder patterns on the shield suddenly lit up, and a fierce thunder aura, no weaker than the incoming force, mixed with the Violet Thunder Reversing Mountain Armor's unique “rebound” Dao charm, rebounded violently along the Earth Dragon's teeth and head!

“Ouch!” The Earth Dragon let out a cry of pain, its head jolted backward. Several of its sharpest teeth even developed tiny cracks, and the dark red flames were momentarily scattered! The rebounding Purple Lightning Thunder Aura even shot into its mouth, bringing a burst of numbness and searing pain!

“The defense and rebound effects are good.” Gao De praised inwardly, but his actions did not stop.

Seizing the moment when the Earth Dragon's head was thrown back and its guard was slightly open, his long-prepared right claw shot out fiercely! The thunder fang formation-breaking halberd, already in his hand, transformed into a purple-gold streak of light tearing through space!

“Violet Extreme Thunder Strike——Piercing Kill!”

No fancy Moves, just extreme speed and penetration!

At the tip of the halberd, a point of extremely condensed purplish-black thunder light spun and compressed wildly, carrying the unique “Heavenly Punishment and Evil-Breaking” true meaning of the Violet Extreme Thunder Strike Divine Ability, as well as the halberd's own “Sky-Rending” sharpness attribute. With a speed beyond Divine Sense's capture, it pierced with unparalleled precision towards the Ground Fire Earth Dragon's throat, an area below its head where the carapace was relatively weaker and had just been affected by the rebound force!

The Ground Fire Earth Dragon sensed the fatal danger, but it was too late to retract its head. It could only frantically twist its body and spit out a viscous, scorching “Ground Fire Poison Saliva” containing potent toxins, attempting to obstruct.

However, the Violet Extreme Thunder Strike was too fast, its power too concentrated!

Before the poison saliva could fully erupt, the purplish-black thunder light halberd tip had already reached its body!

“Puff——!!!”

A soft sound, yet it carried the teeth-grating noise of carapace tearing and flesh, sinews, and bones shattering!

The highly condensed Violet Extreme Thunder Strike, like a hot knife through butter, effortlessly pierced through the Ground Fire Earth Dragon's thick carapace and tough muscles in its neck, leaving a bowl-sized, charred and smooth-edged, bottomless blood hole!

Violent Purple Lightning Thunder Aura wildly erupted and raged within the wound, destroying all vitality!

“Hiss-Aargh——!!!”

The Ground Fire Earth Dragon let out an unprecedentedly shrill shriek, its massive body thrashing and rolling wildly, churning the surrounding swamp upside down.

The intense pain and severe injury drove it completely mad. The magma-like light in the cracks of its carapace surged, as if it was about to unleash some kind of innate Divine Ability that would result in mutual destruction.

How could Gao De give it a chance?

Having struck successfully, he did not linger. His figure retreated like a ghost, while his left hand made a grasping motion in the air. Several Suppressing Prison Thunder Chains, already prepared, appeared out of thin air, like living purple vipers, swiftly coiling around the Earth Dragon's injured neck wound and spreading to its other joints!

The suppressing and paralyzing power carried by the thunder chains further restricted the Earth Dragon's frantic movements and the convergence of its Demonic Power.

Immediately after, he switched the halberd to his left hand, and his right claw traced in the air. Several dragon slaying bone penetrating nails, as fine as ox hair, shot out, accurately striking deep into the Earth Dragon's wound and other weakly defended areas like its eye sockets, where the contained Geng Metal Thunder Fiend and potent poison erupted a second time!

At the same time, with a thought, the Heaven-Confusing Illusionary Mist quietly spread, not covering a large area, but precisely interfering with the Earth Dragon's already chaotic perception due to intense pain, making it difficult to pinpoint Gao De's exact location and accurately judge its surroundings, making its struggles appear even more blind and powerless.

The battle, from start to finish, lasted only a few dozen breaths.

Gao De combined his newly acquired offensive Divine Ability, Violet Extreme Thunder Strike, his re-forged innate Magic Treasure, and his existing crowd control and auxiliary methods, all flowing smoothly without any delay.

Facing this Third Order Middle Stage Peak Yao Beast with its thick skin, tough flesh, and terrifying strength, he displayed overwhelming power and efficient hunting skills.

The Ground Fire Earth Dragon's struggles grew weaker and weaker. Finally, its massive body crashed heavily into the murky swamp, splashing towering mud waves, and its aura rapidly extinguished.

Gao De stepped forward, devouring its soul essence and the hot, violent Bloodline Power mixed with telluric fire and Earth Dragon Qi. A scorching and thick energy surged into his body, rapidly refined by the Purple Heaven Dragon Transformation Art.

“Bloodline concentration increased by about 1.7%... Physical Body strength, especially resistance to fire and toxins, seems to have slightly enhanced. Although this Earth Dragon Bloodline isn't pure, it's a practical supplement.” Gao De felt the changes with satisfaction.

He quickly cleaned the battlefield, took the most valuable Materials from the Earth Dragon's body, and sank the remaining remnants into the depths of the swamp.

Just as he was about to signal Green Edge and the others to withdraw, his gaze inadvertently swept towards the deep pool where the Earth Dragon had initially emerged.

The area around the pool was a mess due to the battle, but at this moment, in the churned mud of the Dragon's lair at the bottom of the pool, a faint, dark golden glint, different from the surroundings, seemed to flash by.

Gao De's heart stirred. He grabbed from a distance, and Demonic Power rolled up the object, breaking through the water surface and flying into his hand.

It felt slightly heavy in his hand. It was a palm-sized, irregularly shaped, dark golden fragment, neither entirely gold nor entirely stone.

The fragment's surface was covered with intricate, ancient patterns, somewhat resembling script, and also part of a totem. Its fractured edges were uneven, emitting an extremely faint, yet exceptionally ancient and vast aura. Within that aura... a hint of extremely subtle Dragon might was faintly present, somewhat similar to the aura emanating from the Sunken Abyss Sea Eye, yet more subdued and mottled.

“This is...” Gao De meticulously examined the fragment, his brows slightly furrowed.

This was definitely not something belonging to the Ground Fire Earth Dragon itself. It seemed more like a remnant of some ancient artifact or structure, how the Earth Dragon acquired it was unknown, perhaps it merely picked it up as a shiny trinket to adorn its nest.

Upon careful sensing, it seemed to also have some effect in enhancing Dragon Clan Bloodline Power, though it felt very slow, likely requiring at least a hundred years to show significant results.

While it was barely better than nothing for Gao De, for long-lived Dragon-species Yao Beasts, it would be a treasure. He could take it back to cultivate his subordinates.

He put away the fragment and did not linger further.

“Withdraw.”

With that command, Gao De rendezvoused with Green Edge and the others, quickly leaving the area and once again disappearing into the deeper, denser mists and waters of the Yunmeng Great Marsh.

The hunt continued, and so did the gains.

And that ancient fragment, obtained by chance, silently embedded itself in Gao De's heart like a question mark.

In the depths of the Yunmeng Great Marsh, beyond the active Dragon-Blooded Creatures, more unknown ancient secrets seemed to be slumbering.