174: With a single step, an overwhelming pressure descended!

Deep within the Black Mountain Forest Area.

The light was dim, and the air was so thick it felt as if it had solidified.

The towering ancient trees had taken on extremely eerie forms, their trunks twisted and gnarled like giant pythons in their death throes.

The bark was covered in a layer of dark purple moss that emitted a faint phosphorescence and a nauseating stench of decay.

The ground was no longer soil, but a soft, elastic, dark red fungal carpet that writhed slightly like a living thing.

Stepping on it produced a faint "squelch" as viscous, corrosive fluids seeped out.

The further they went, the clearer and more powerful that Evil Energy fluctuation became.

It was like a massive, slowly pulsing heart; with every beat, it triggered mutations in the surrounding environment.

It emitted whispers that clouded the mind and a sense of pure, tyrannical will.

"Snap!"

A Special Agent accidentally stepped on a piece of dead wood half-buried under the fungal carpet, the sound ringing out jarringly in the deathly silence.

Everyone's hearts tightened, and they instinctively gripped their weapons, warily scanning their surroundings.

However, Chen Nian, walking at the front, seemed completely oblivious to the hair-raising environment.

His pace remained steady, and his expression was relaxed.

He even had the leisure to examine the twisted trees and writhing fungal carpet as if he were visiting a poorly designed horror theme park.

"Special... Special Commissioner Chen,"

Zhao Tiefeng couldn't help but lower his voice, his tone carrying an unmistakable tension.

"The level of contamination here far exceeds our estimates. The energy readings are terrifyingly high; we're likely very close to the 'Core'."

"According to the descriptions from the team members who escaped, any further and we'll enter the direct alert range of those High-level Evil Spirits. They..."

Before he could finish, Chen Nian casually waved his hand, interrupting him.

"No matter."

His voice was flat, yet it carried an air of absolute confidence.

"It's better if they all come out together; it saves me the trouble of finding them one by one."

No sooner had he spoken, as if to confirm Zhao Tiefeng's fears and respond to Chen Nian's invitation—

"Buzz—!!!"

A terrifyingly powerful pressure, a mix of icy killing intent and frenzied faith.

Like a physical tsunami, it suddenly erupted from the depths of the dense forest ahead, slamming down upon everyone!

"Ugh!"

"Such powerful pressure!"

Zhao Tiefeng and the Special Agents behind him groaned in unison, feeling as if an invisible mountain had come crashing down.

Their breathing suddenly became difficult, and the circulation of their spiritual energy grew sluggish!

Their protective Magical Artifacts automatically activated instantly, emitting various colored lights.

Yet they flickered unsteadily under that terrifying pressure, like candles in the wind.

Just then, a young team member pointed toward the woods on both sides and cried out, "Look over there!"

Everyone followed the sound and saw that in the shadows on both sides of their path.

At some point, a large number of Demonic Evils of various forms had already gathered!

They were hidden behind twisted trees, crouching in eerie bushes, or hanging upside down from vines that emitted a ghostly glow.

The blood-red eyes of these Demonic Evils shimmered with bloodlust in the gloom, staring fixedly at the intruders.

Suppressed low growls escaped their mouths, and their claws scraped against the ground or tree trunks, making "shasha" or "creak" sounds that were spine-chilling.

The members of the Spiritual Energy Bureau team felt their scalps tingle instantly, and they formed a defensive circle back-to-back.

Being watched by such a number of Demonic Evils at such close range, that instinctual fear almost broke through the dam of their reason.

Just then, a team member noticed something strange: "They... why aren't they moving?"

Zhao Tiefeng's palms were also sweating.

But he noticed that while the greedy and murderous gazes of all the Demonic Evils swept over them.

They eventually focused on the figure at the very front with a deeper, unmistakable terror.

Clearly.

They were afraid!

They were afraid of Chen Nian!

However, it didn't end there.

Just then—

Over a dozen figures emitting heart-palpitating energy fluctuations slowly stepped out from the shadows, blocking the way.

Their strength was formidable; even the weakest was at the Peak of the Fifth Order.

The breath of the leading few had even reached the Sixth Order!

Clearly, these were the elite guards of this demon nest, true High-level Evil Spirits!

Leading them was a Lizard Fiend nearly three meters tall, covered in pitch-black bone armor and wielding a giant axe burning with ghostly green flames.

Its gaze swept over the Spiritual Energy Bureau members who were ready for battle, finally landing on Chen Nian at the front.

A hint of surprise flashed in its cold vertical pupils, which then turned into extreme contempt and fury.

"A human?"

It let out a raspy, grating roar, its voice carrying unbelievable mockery.

"A group of human ants actually made it here? What were those useless trash outside doing?!"

However, the Lizard Commander didn't care much.

He gave a sinister laugh, his massive axe blade pointing at Chen Nian, his voice full of cruel amusement:

"Fine, it's a good time to have a snack on you things who don't know the meaning of death!"

"Kill them! Cut off their heads and hang them outside the Holy Nest, so all who dare to peek know their fate!"

"Roar—!"

The High-level Evil Spirits behind it all let out a bloodthirsty roar.

The Evil Energy around them surged as they turned into afterimages, pouncing like ghosts!

Their speed was incredibly fast, their coordination seamless, and their attack angles tricky and ruthless—far beyond what the scattered mobs on the outskirts could offer!

Sharp Bone Scythes tore through the air with shrill screeches, ghostly green Evil Fireballs crashed down like meteors, and invisible mental shocks struck like poisonous stings, heading straight for everyone's Sea of Consciousness!

For a moment, all sorts of lethal attacks enveloped Chen Nian and the Spiritual Energy Bureau members behind him like a violent storm!

"Form the Formation! Defend!" Zhao Tiefeng's pupils shrank as he roared hoarsely.

The spiritual energy in his body erupted without reservation as he tried to prop up a combined shield.

The other Special Agents also gritted their teeth, pouring their spiritual power into the defensive Formation.

Lights of various colors intertwined, forming a massive barrier.

However, under the combined assault of those High-level Evil Spirits, this barrier appeared so insignificant!

Despair appeared on everyone's faces.

However, just then.

Chen Nian, at the very center of the storm, moved.

Facing that overwhelming and terrifying attack, which was enough to shred an elite squad in an instant.

Not only was there no trace of gravity on his face, but a hint of contempt appeared instead?

"That's it?"

He calmly spat out those two words.

Then, under the gaze of the Demonic Evils' hideous faces and the horrified looks of the Spiritual Energy Bureau members.

Chen Nian simply, seemingly casually, lifted his right foot and lightly stepped down.

"Thump—!"

A dull sound, as if striking a giant drum, suddenly rang out!

Centered on the foot Chen Nian stepped down with, an invisible yet majestic and vast terrifying pressure—as if it could suppress the Myriad Worlds of the Heavens—erupted outward!

Wherever that terrifying pressure passed, time and space seemed to freeze instantly!

The High-level Evil Spirits pouncing at terrifying speeds suddenly froze!

The hideous expressions on their faces froze instantly, and their bloodthirsty pupils were filled with shock and disbelief!

They felt as if they were trapped in amber billions of feet deep; everything around them had become viscous, heavy, and immovable!

Even their attacks.

Whether it was the space-tearing Bone Scythes, the whistling Evil Fireballs, or the invisible mental shocks... all attacks were directly shattered before this absolute power!

The entire scene was eerie to the extreme!

That group of Demonic Evils, who had been exuding ferocious power just a second ago.

Now, they all remained in various attacking or charging stances, frozen in place, unable to move!

"This... what kind of power is this?!"

"A monster... this guy is the real monster!"

"Just the pressure alone is pinning me down. What power is this?!"

"What a terrifying human. Have humans actually become this powerful?"

For a moment, the Demonic Evils let out cries of shock, the horror and fear in their eyes impossible to hide!

"This... this is...?!"

Zhao Tiefeng and all the Spiritual Energy Bureau Special Agents were also dumbfounded.

Looking at this scene beyond their imagination, their brains completely stalled.

What happened?

Special Commissioner Chen just stepped on the ground?

And then, these Demonic Evils, powerful enough to drive them to despair, were all frozen in place?!

What kind of inconceivable power was this?!

However, Chen Nian paid no heed to their shock and fear.

His gaze swept over the Demonic Evils pinned down by the pressure, a contemptuous curve tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"So arrogant, I thought you'd be more impressive."

"In the end, you're just a bunch of trash!"

"Now, you can die!"