Wuuuu—
Above the near-shore sea surface, an immense expanse of boundless nether mist suddenly surged upward, blotting out the sky as it rolled outward, shrouding several kilometers in every direction.
Within the depths of the black fog, a massive, winding Snake Monarch corpse came back to life, stirring chaos in the ocean. It churned up mountain-crushing waves that surged outward layer upon layer. Its entire body straightened upright, its majestic silhouette looming faintly into view.
Hiss—roar!!
The Snake Monarch raised its head and let out a sky-shaking howl. The terrifying sound spread across a hundred li, startling countless sea demons, who fled in panic in all directions, scattering like a swarm and plunging the surrounding seas into dead silence.
Moreover, cities along the southern African coastline also heard this roar, like a bolt of thunder from a clear sky.
The city rulers turned pale, breathing rapidly as they shouted, "It's a Monarch-level sea demon—sound the Blood-Red Alarm immediately!"
On a nameless beach, Lu Jun gazed up at the overwhelming might of the Serpent Undead Lord and could not help but reveal a satisfied smile.
The Great-Monarch corpse had been kept intact through the constant replenishment of vitality from the Life element, and after being washed by the immense nether aura of the Death element and tempered by the Pharaoh's Spring, it had fallen into undeath yet still retained Great-Monarch-level combat power.
This far exceeded Lu Jun's expectations.
An Basic-tier Death element producing super-tier-level combat power—one Great-Monarch was enough to rival a dual-element super-tier mage possessing Transcendent Force, inexplicably vaulting the Death element into the top three among the eight elements in terms of combat strength.
But upon second thought, with so many conditions stacked together, failing to produce a Great-Monarch would have been unreasonable.
"From now on, you'll be called the Nether Serpent Undead Lord."
His eyes flickered as he transmitted the message through their blood contract with his mind.
Roar!
From within the black fog, the enormous Nether Serpent Undead Lord revealed a pair of glowing snake pupils. Vast soul-flames ignited, like two cold, sinister moons, radiating intelligent light as it let out a low growl in response.
Lu Jun carefully observed the hard snake scales covering the Nether Serpent Undead Lord. Within the pitch-black surface, faint strands of ghostly blue nether runes were engraved, flowing with the serpent's breathing like rippling water, containing formidable power.
Seeing this, he fell into thought—these nether runes were the key factor that allowed the Nether Serpent Undead Lord to squeeze into Great Monarch-level combat strength.
"A super-tier additional effect—[King of Dead Remains], is it?"
He murmured inwardly. There was no need to mention the Death element's Calamity Talent, Death Sovereign; the super-tier awakening additional effect [King of Dead Remains] was equally formidable.
Its effect was as absurd as the Life element's All Things Revival, applying to both Necromantic Revival and Soul Summon. Each time an undead was awakened, there was a chance to gain additional attribute abilities, with a guaranteed baseline of the [Fortified] attribute.
If one were lucky—one in ten thousand—an undead with Emperor-level potential could be revived!
Simply put, King of Dead Remains was like drawing from a gacha pool; every undead awakening carried a chance of pulling an SSR.
Even an ordinary skull, at Servant level, could potentially possess human intelligence, speak aloud, or even have extraordinary talent, cultivating magic in the form of death—its peak template comparable to Khufu himself.
The Nether Serpent Undead Lord had been lucky enough to roll the [Nine Nether Serpent] talent, barely preserving its Monarch-level strength from when it was alive upon being reborn as an undead.
Lu Jun shook his head, knowing he had been lucky this time. With a bit of assistance from the Death Emblem magic tool, refining another Monarch corpse would definitely result in a drop in power.
Even so, the additional effect of King of Dead Remains was still extraordinary. The weakest Fortified attribute, when applied to zombies, skeletons, or specters, granted defense surpassing others of the same tier, making them high-quality products.
In the future, merely selling large quantities of premium skeletons to other necromancers would be enough to earn him a fortune.
"Come back!"
At this moment, Lu Jun sensed unusual activity from the nearby cities and hurriedly transmitted the order to the Nether Serpent Undead Lord.
Beneath the massive black serpent, a grand and imposing blood diagram emerged. Dense killing aura surged skyward as deathly nether energy coiled around the heavens, blotting out the sun.
In the next instant, the terrifying Nether Serpent Undead Lord vanished within the surging blood light, returning to its exclusive undead space to slumber. Its winding body coiled layer upon layer, forming a pitch-black serpent mountain.
Beside him, his elder sister Lu Mei opened her eyes and smiled gently. "All done?"
Over these days, she had watched her younger brother tinker with the Life and Death elements, and the many things that transcended the conventional framework of magic left her clicking her tongue in amazement.
Especially after Lu Mei heard that regularly being bathed in the Life element's Healing Light could beautify one's appearance, extend lifespan, nourish the skin, and even grant a permanent talent at an extremely small probability, she immediately pestered Lu Jun day and night to undergo the cleansing.
Likewise, she had no objections to Lu Jun using the Death element to refine undead—strength was the ultimate truth.
"That's right. Time is of the essence—we should leave first."
Lu Jun nodded in agreement. The two erased all traces and quietly headed toward the Cape of Good Hope Magic Association in Africa.
On the way, Lu Jun unexpectedly noticed a phenomenon. Across Africa's unique vast, withered yellow grasslands, venomous snakes slithered everywhere, and poisonous scorpions ran rampant.
Although they were scattered far apart and concealed by waist-high weeds, making them seem inconspicuous, if one looked down from high above, they would discover the land covered in dense, twisted patches—brilliantly colored and writhing.
The sight was incomparably shocking, as if endless snakes and scorpions were migrating, splashing across the ground like a painting, forming crooked, tadpole-like symbols.
Lu Jun frowned and said, "The snake and scorpion tribes are far too active. Not to mention ordinary people—even a team of High-Tier mages would find it impossible to move an inch in the wilderness."
Fortunately, they were flying in the sky, avoiding the dangers on the ground.
His elder sister Lu Mei relied on High-Tier Wind Element magic and the Eightfold Wind Silk to fly long distances. Behind her, six pure white wings fluttered lightly, her graceful figure wrapped in multicolored silks dancing through the air.
Meanwhile, Lu Jun's eyes flickered with silver radiance. An invisible force lifted him as he floated in midair. From time to time, silver light flashed as he used Space Element Telekinesis to soar. With a Spiritual Realm of the Heavenly Tier, his endurance was exceptionally long-lasting.
Lu Jun was deliberately training his Space-Time Elements. Among the eight elements he possessed, setting aside the newly awakened Death and Life Elements for now, among the six "old veterans," the weakest were the Space Element and Metal Element—both only at High-Tier Level 2.
Before long, the two caught up with Jun Yaojin and regrouped at the Cape of Good Hope.
A massive azure silhouette appeared at the far end of their vision. It seemed to connect heaven and earth themselves. Only after approaching a little closer could they see clearly that it was an incomparably gigantic vine, its canopy like clouds, as though propping up the sky—an Immortal Vine!
The Cape of Good Hope Magic Association was built upon this sky-piercing vine. Houses were constructed along its enormous branches and leaves, with most concentrated around the root system, layer upon layer, densely packed.
The tip extended straight into the clouds, its height impossible to discern.
Beyond the vine that blotted out the sky lay an endless expanse of deep blue ocean. The Immortal Vine was rooted on a seaside cliff, making it appear even more aloof and towering.
Lu Jun sucked in a breath of cold air. The Immortal Vine was the very foundation of the Cape of Good Hope Magic Association. It did not possess many functions—only extreme sturdiness and sealing abilities. Using it as the basis for city defenses was truly impregnable.
In his youth, Khufu had once borrowed a section of the Immortal Vine to permanently seal an unparalleled enemy, the Evil Child. (Original text)
Within the shade of the Immortal Vine, on the bustling city streets, the three met again.
Jun Yaojin smiled brightly and said, "Well? Impressive, isn't it?"
Hearing this, Lu Jun nodded with a smile. "Indeed. I've heard that the Immortal Vine itself is equivalent to a Plant Element Emperor. I wonder how it came to obey the orders of the Cape of Good Hope Magic Association."
He found it quite astonishing, full of exotic flair. The original work did not mention the Cape of Good Hope Association in much detail.
"Who knows? Each of the world's eight top-tier powers has an unfathomable foundation."
Jun Yaojin shook her head and casually tossed two magic tools to Lu Jun. "Here—your Star Ocean Magic Tool and the Star Ocean Control Device. The former is rented, the latter cost two billion."
The siblings each accepted them, overjoyed.
Recalling the massive outbreak of snakes and scorpions across the African continent, which had almost cut off contact between major cities, Lu Jun could not help but ask what had happened.
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