Chapter 124 [Jacob's Ladder of Evil!]
Charred corpses were piled layer upon layer across the ground, and the air was thick with a nauseating smell of burnt flesh. Chu Qingtian waved his hand in front of his nose and curled his lip.
"The Thousand-Pound Ant colony is just this? It doesn't seem like much."
Ma Xiaotao, acting as the primary attacker, glanced at him with a half-smile. "Not much? Then next time we encounter a Thousand-Pound Ant colony, you'll handle it alone?"
Chu Qingtian gave a sheepish laugh and pulled back his head, falling silent.
The group rested in place for a few minutes. Zhang Lexuan looked toward Gongyang Mo and Lin Xuan, her expression turning serious.
"While we have time, tell us your requirements for your Soul Rings. Having a plan in mind will help us act decisively when we encounter a suitable one."
Gongyang Mo thought for a moment, a look of contemplation appearing on his delicate face.
"Something for speed or defense, I suppose. As for the age... around thirty thousand years should be about right."
The group nodded. This request wasn't unreasonable; for Gongyang Mo's talent, it was just about perfect.
Then, everyone's gaze fell on Lin Xuan. Han Ruoruo, Ma Xiaotao, and Chu Qingtian still remembered that last time, Lin Xuan's fourth Soul Ring came from a fifty-thousand-year-old Ghost Tiger.
One must realize that the seventh Soul Ring of an ordinary Soul Saint is only around thirty thousand years, yet Lin Xuan's fourth Soul Ring had already far exceeded that age.
Lin Xuan pondered for a moment before speaking calmly, "Darkness attribute. For the age... seventy thousand to eighty thousand years."
The group fell silent. Chu Qingtian's eyelids twitched, and he couldn't help but exclaim.
"My goodness... seventy thousand years? I don't even know if I'll ever be able to absorb a seventy-thousand-year Soul Ring in this lifetime... Is the gap between people really sometimes larger than the gap between a human and a pig?"
The way he looked at Lin Xuan was as if he were looking at a monster. However, no one questioned whether Lin Xuan could absorb a seventy-thousand-year Soul Ring.
Since he said he could absorb it, he definitely could.
After finishing their rest, the group set off again toward the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest. However, they walked for several consecutive hours until the sun began to sink in the west, yet they didn't encounter any Soul Beast that met Lin Xuan's or Gongyang Mo's requirements.
The setting sun dyed the entire forest in shades of golden red. Light filtered through the layered leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground.
Zhang Lexuan checked the sky and stopped her pace.
"Rest in place. Everyone, eat something."
Everyone found a spot to sit down and took out their dry rations and water skins. Chu Qingtian chewed on his rations, speaking indistinctly.
"Speaking of which, Lin Xuan, just hearing about your performance in the Soul Master Competition gets my blood pumping. Especially that plan you made to deliberately show weakness... Tsk tsk tsk... You're really something when it comes to messing with people's heads."
Lin Xuan smiled and didn't say much.
Han Ruoruo sat on a tree root nearby, her gaze drifting toward Lin Xuan from time to time with a gentle smile in her eyes.
Zhang Lexuan sat beside her, followed her gaze, and with the corners of her mouth slightly turned up, leaned into her ear and whispered something.
The tips of Han Ruoruo's ears turned slightly red, and she gave her a gentle push.
Ma Xiaotao leaned against a tree trunk alone, chewing on rations. Her eyes would occasionally dart toward Lin Xuan and then quickly move away, looking as if she wanted to say something but didn't know where to start.
Gongyang Mo, on the other hand, stared at Lin Xuan without any concealment. His peach blossom eyes were full of admiration, making Lin Xuan feel a bit uncomfortable.
Just then, a large shadow suddenly swept across the ground.
Everyone's eyes narrowed, and they looked up at the sky in unison.
In the afterglow of the setting sun, a Soul Beast shaped like a falcon flashed by, flying rapidly into the distance.
Its wings were a deep dark gold, shimmering with a metallic luster under the sunset. Its wingspan was a full seven or eight meters wide, and the wingtips were as sharp as knives.
It was incredibly fast, passing over everyone's heads in the blink of an eye.
Han Ruoruo's eyes immediately lit up, and she blurted out,
"It's a Dark Golden Sky-Rending Eagle!"
"Dark Golden Sky-Rending Eagle?" Chu Qingtian asked in confusion.
"Yes!" Han Ruoruo introduced rapidly. "An exotic variant among golden eagle-type Soul Beasts. Its speed is among the top of all avian Soul Beasts. What's even rarer is that it also possesses significant defensive power! Look at its wingspan..."
She pointed at the receding black shadow in the sky. "Around thirty thousand years, I'm absolutely certain!"
Gongyang Mo's eyes instantly brightened. Speed, defense, thirty thousand years... didn't this perfectly match his requirements?
Zhang Lexuan looked at Gongyang Mo. "This one then?"
Gongyang Mo nodded without hesitation. "This one!"
Zhang Lexuan looked at the others. "Does anyone have any objections?"
Lin Xuan shook his head, and Chu Qingtian and Ma Xiaotao also expressed no objections.
"In that case, let's move!"
Before Zhang Lexuan's voice even faded, everyone simultaneously erupted with Soul Power, chasing after that black shadow!
In the sky, as if sensing danger, the Dark Golden Sky-Rending Eagle suddenly turned its head. A pair of extremely sharp golden pupils instantly locked onto the figures approaching from the forest.
Golden light swirled in its eyes, and it had no intention of stopping to fight. It spread its wings, suddenly accelerated, changed direction, and flew rapidly toward the south!
Its speed was astonishingly fast, pulling away from the group in the blink of an eye.
"Thinking of running?"
Behind Lin Xuan, the purple-black wings of Shikigami: Nue suddenly unfurled!
Golden electric snakes coiled and crackled on the wings. He exerted force with his feet, and his entire being turned into a streak of light, soaring into the sky!
He only left one sentence behind to drift in the wind: "I'll catch up first! You guys hurry and follow!"
Watching Lin Xuan's receding back, Elder Song, hidden in the shadows, couldn't help but feel a headache. Protecting this group of youngsters was already worrying enough for her.
Now they were splitting into two groups? How was she supposed to handle this?
Follow him? Then what about Zhang Lexuan and the others?
Not follow? If something happened to Lin Xuan... she was certain Elder Mu would personally tear her apart.
After thinking it over, Elder Song gritted her teeth and flickered, disappearing from her spot.
She followed Lin Xuan, but not entirely.
Elder Song positioned herself so that she was always between Lin Xuan and Zhang Lexuan's group. No matter who had a problem, she could arrive immediately.
A thousand meters up in the sky.
At this height, the low-hanging clouds were within reach.
Under the tint of the sunset, the clouds turned into a brilliant rose-gold, as if a god had overturned a palette, dyeing the entire World in dreamlike colors.
Lin Xuan turned into a golden meteor, flashing through those magnificent clouds and leaving a long trail across the sea of clouds.
Ahead, the Dark Golden Sky-Rending Eagle suddenly pulled up, flying rapidly in front.
It was fleeing, and Lin Xuan was chasing behind.
One person and one beast, just like that, headed toward the setting sun, facing the radiance, and began a pursuit tens of thousands of feet in the air.
The speed of the Dark Golden Sky-Rending Eagle was indeed amazing. It would sometimes climb, sometimes dive, and sometimes make sharp turns, each change of direction as fluid as a dance.
Those dark gold wings shimmered under the sunset, breathtakingly beautiful.
Lin Xuan's speed was not slow either. Golden lightning surged wildly around him, pushing him to give chase at an incredible speed.
But the Dark Golden Sky-Rending Eagle was truly an aerial hunter; it never allowed him to get close.
Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes. If just chasing wasn't enough, then he'd add some spice.
He twisted his hands in front of him, and countless golden lightning snakes compressed and condensed wildly in his palms, letting out a piercing hum.
The lightning turned into a physical form in his hands, compressed into a dazzling golden arrow.
Then, Lin Xuan pulled back his hands, using his arms as a bow, and shot that lightning arrow toward the Dark Golden Sky-Rending Eagle ahead!
The arrow tore through the air, letting out a sharp howl like a bolt of golden lightning, aiming straight for that dark gold figure!
The Dark Golden Sky-Rending Eagle suddenly flipped! The arrow grazed past its wing and exploded into a ball of golden light within the clouds.
It turned its head, a flash of human-like annoyance appearing in its golden pupils.
Then it spread its wings, and over a dozen dark gold feathers detached from its body, shooting toward Lin Xuan like sharp swords!
Those feathers were harder than steel and incredibly fast, leaving behind a dozen dark gold afterimages in the air!
Lin Xuan twisted his body, dodging all the feathers, but when he looked up again, the Dark Golden Sky-Rending Eagle was diving sharply downward!
Its speed was astonishing, like a dark gold meteor plunging toward the ground!
Lin Xuan frowned and followed closely behind.
At the same time, relying on his amazing vision, he saw the situation below clearly. It was a vast black swamp.
The swamp stretched as far as the eye could see, its surface gleaming with an eerie oil-like sheen. The surrounding small hills were also black and barren, with bare rocks exposed as if they had been scorched by fire.
Compared to the lush green forest around it, this swamp was like a festering ulcer on the body of the Star Dou Great Forest.
As the distance closed and they approached the swamp, an extremely foul stench hit him—a mixture of rot, death, and decay that was nauseating.
Meanwhile, in the forest below, with Elder Song's help, Zhang Lexuan and her party had already arrived at the edge of this swamp.
After spotting Zhang Lexuan's group, the Dark Golden Sky-Rending Eagle had already descended rapidly to a height of less than a hundred meters from the ground.
"What is it trying to do? Is it crashing?" Chu Qingtian asked in confusion.
In the next moment, the Dark Golden Sky-Rending Eagle suddenly spread its wings, halting its descent, and then flapped its wings violently!
A powerful air current crashed down from beneath its wings, slamming hard into that dark swamp!
"Boom—!"
Foul black mud was stirred up, splashing in all directions like a rainstorm!
Zhang Lexuan immediately acted. Bright moonlight appeared before her, turning into a light shield that blocked all the filth.
But Gongyang Mo suddenly cried out, "Look!"
Everyone followed his gaze and saw that among the splashed mud, besides the foul sludge, there were also skeletons after skeletons!
There were human skulls, ribs, finger bones... and also the skeletons of various Soul Beasts, some still with remnants of fur and scales.
Those white bones were scattered in the mud, numbering at least a hundred!
Seeing this scene, everyone's expressions couldn't help but darken.
How could they not understand now? This filthy swamp had a master, and the age of the Soul Beast entrenched here was likely not low!
From this, it could be inferred that this Dark Golden Sky-Rending Eagle wasn't fleeing for its life at all—it had deliberately led them here!
It wanted to use the terrifying existence in the swamp to wipe out its pursuers so it could escape!
"Cunning beast!" Gongyang Mo's face looked terrible, and his tone was grim. His delicate face was now full of coldness.
Just then, a figure suddenly appeared behind everyone.
Elder Song!
She waved her hand, and a Wind was born out of thin air, carrying Zhang Lexuan and the others back over a hundred meters in an instant!
At the same time, her voice rang in everyone's ears. "Be careful, a big guy is coming out."
Before her voice even faded, the center of that black swamp suddenly exploded! Mud soared into the sky like a black fountain, splashing dozens of meters high!
A massive black shadow drilled out from within, charging straight toward the sky! Its speed was astonishing!
How could the Dark Golden Sky-Rending Eagle, which was just about to accelerate its climb, possibly react in time?
It had just managed to steady itself and hadn't even had time to spread its wings when that black shadow bit down!
"Crack—!"
The sound of bones shattering was exceptionally clear in the silent twilight.
The last ray of the setting sun shone upon the black shadow, revealing its true form.
It was actually a giant black snake, at least a hundred meters long!
Its scales were dull and lusterless, yet gave off a heavy sense of indestructibility. A row of deep purple spikes ran down its back from its head to its tail, each one as sharp as a sword.
Its head was triangular, and its bloody maw was filled with dense fangs. Its twin snake pupils were blood-red, and within those vertical slits, it seemed as if a sea of blood was condensing—cold, cruel, and devoid of emotion.
It hovered in mid-air just like that, holding the still-struggling Dark Golden Sky-Rending Eagle in its mouth.
The Dark Golden Sky-Rending Eagle fluttered desperately, its wings flapping frantically, but it could not break free from that steel-like bite.
Then, the giant snake exerted a little force.
"Crunch."
The Dark Golden Sky-Rending Eagle's struggles came to an abrupt halt. Blood dripped from the corners of the giant snake's mouth, falling into the black swamp below and splashing into blood-colored ripples.
Immediately following that, the giant snake plummeted downward. The Dark Golden Sky-Rending Eagle smashed onto the swamp and rolled into the forest.
Accompanied by the sound of gurgling bubbles, the giant snake emerged from the swamp once more. It lowered its head, looking down at Zhang Lexuan's group with its blood-red snake eyes.
"Tsk, I really don't know whether to say we're lucky or unlucky," Elder Song shook her head. After glancing at Lin Xuan, who was safe and sound in the sky, she spoke to everyone via mental transmission,
"No need to be nervous, this is just an eighty-thousand-year Abyssal Underworld Snake."
"Eighty thousand years? Abyssal Underworld Snake?"
"Elder Song is right, this indeed is an Abyssal Underworld Snake," Han Ruoruo stepped forward, joining Zhang Lexuan to shield everyone behind them while introducing the creature,
"The Abyssal Underworld Snake is a powerful snake-type Soul Beast possessing the darkness and poison attributes. It loves living in swamps and its toxicity is terrifying, ranking among the top of all snake Soul Beasts. Furthermore, because it possesses the darkness attribute, it is exceptionally skilled at concealment and ambushes, making it a nightmare for countless ordinary Soul Beasts."
"So that's how it is."
Everyone nodded, understanding what Elder Song meant by being lucky.
The Abyssal Underworld Snake before them perfectly met Lin Xuan's requirements in terms of both attribute and age.
Looking at it this way, that Dark Golden Sky-Rending Eagle was truly a good guy; not only did it deliver itself to their doorstep, it even led them to find the Soul Beast Lin Xuan needed.
In the end, they didn't even need to take action themselves; the eagle had been beaten half to death by the Abyssal Underworld Snake, and they only needed Gongyang Mo to deliver the finishing blow.
"Man, you're too kind, bro!" Chu Qingtian gave a thumbs-up toward the heavily injured and dying Dark Golden Sky-Rending Eagle nearby.
"Alright, prepare for battle. Unless it is absolutely necessary, this old woman will not intervene."
After Elder Song glanced at the Abyssal Underworld Snake currently confronting Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo, she waved her hand, using Soul Power to wrap around the half-dead Dark Golden Sky-Rending Eagle and Gongyang Mo as they retreated toward the woods behind them.
Above the swamp, monstrous waves surged.
Zhang Lexuan's gaze sharpened. A massive silver moon suddenly manifested behind her, shedding a pure and bright radiance that formed a sharp contrast with the churning black sea of poison below.
Beneath her feet, eight Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, and red—emerged together, shining brilliantly!
The seventh Soul Ring lit up!
"Silver Moon in the Sky!"
As Zhang Lexuan's shout fell, the silver moon behind her underwent a burst of blinding radiance. Its original crescent shape was completely filled out, transforming into a full moon.
The silver moon expanded rapidly against the wind, its astonishing pressure rising wave after wave like a tide, stirring up a terrifying storm in this World!
At the same time, Han Ruoruo also took action.
Her eighth Soul Ring suddenly ignited, and a piercing golden light erupted from her body. Her entire being seemed to transform into an unsheathed divine sword.
"Eighth Soul skills—Golden Ascension!"
A beam of golden light shot into the sky, condensed to the extreme, as if it could carve a hole in the heavens. Wherever the Huangjin Rope passed, the air was torn apart, letting out a sharp, whistling scream!
Ma Xiaotao followed closely behind.
Phoenix wings snapped open, and crimson Phoenix Flame surged frantically around her body.
The sixth Soul Ring lit up, and she turned into a streak of crimson light, charging straight into the clouds!
"Sixth Soul skills—Phoenix Cloud-Piercing Strike!"
That streak of crimson light traced a graceful arc in mid-air and then dove down, aiming straight for the Abyssal Underworld Snake's head!
Three attacks descended simultaneously!
The Abyssal Underworld Snake opened its bloody maw and let out a blood-curdling hiss. The sound was sharp and ear-piercing, as if it could penetrate the soul.
The next moment, a black torrent erupted from its large mouth!
That was no ordinary flow of water, but venom condensed from lethal poison! Everywhere it passed, even the air was corroded, making "sizzling" sounds, and space itself seemed to distort!
The black torrent collided violently with the silver moonlight, the golden light, and the crimson flames!
"BOOM—!!!"
An earth-shattering explosion erupted over the swamp!
Venom splashed everywhere, moonlight shattered, golden light dissipated, and flames were extinguished!
The two sides were actually evenly matched!
A flash of ferocity crossed the Abyssal Underworld Snake's blood-red eyes. Its massive body thrashed in the swamp, each sweep of its tail kicking up monstrous waves.
It would dive into the swamp one moment and suddenly lunge out the next, using its venomous fangs and the spikes on its tail to attack frantically.
Zhang Lexuan and the other two were not to be outdone.
The silver moon rotated behind her, the light it shed forming screens that blocked all the venom. Every time she struck, it carried the coldness and sharpness of moonlight.
Han Ruoruo's Huangjin Rope galloped across the battlefield, specifically targeting the Abyssal Underworld Snake's vital seven-inch spot and its eyes, forcing the giant snake to distract itself to evade.
Ma Xiaotao circled in the air, her Phoenix Flame diving down again and again, scorching the Abyssal Underworld Snake's scales and leaving behind charred marks.
The battle lasted for a full fifteen minutes.
The three people and the snake fought from the east of the swamp to the west, and from the south to the north. Wherever they went, trees collapsed, rocks shattered, venom splashed, and firelight soared!
Finally, the Abyssal Underworld Snake's ferocity was fully ignited!
It looked up and let out a sharp hiss, the killing intent in its blood-red eyes almost condensing into substance!
Then, it plunged headfirst into the swamp!
"What is it trying to do?" Chu Qingtian asked with a frown from a distance.
As soon as he finished speaking, ripples suddenly appeared on the swamp.
The ripples spread from the center to the surroundings, becoming more intense and frequent. The originally foul stench now gained a hint of eerie, sweet fishiness.
Zhang Lexuan's expression changed, and she immediately called out a warning,
"It's poison gas! Everyone, be careful!"
She retreated rapidly, while at the same time, moonlight fell to protect everyone behind her.
The next moment, the ripples became even more violent.
Eventually, the entire viscous swamp actually began to heave like flowing water, kicking up waves of black sludge!
"Boom—!"
The Abyssal Underworld Snake burst out from the swamp once again!
Along with its hiss, all the purple spikes on its back glowed with an eerie purple light. The light grew brighter and more piercing, as if something was brewing within them.
Then, it activated its innate Soul skills!
Nether Poisonous Swamp!
The vast swamp now acted like a tsunami, its giant waves surging frantically in all directions!
Wherever it passed, nothing remained!
Whether it was trees or rocks, the moment they touched the poisonous waves, they were completely corroded away, turning into a wisp of green smoke!
At the same time, the surrounding light suddenly dimmed. The sun had already set, leaving only the last sliver of twilight on the horizon.
Now, shrouded by the Abyssal Underworld Snake's darkness attribute, it was practically pitch black!
Even more terrifying was that within this darkness, even Spiritual Power was obstructed!
Chu Qingtian's face turned slightly pale. "This... how do we fight this?"
Zhang Lexuan's brow furrowed, and she was just about to go all out when Han Ruoruo suddenly smiled.
She reached out to stop Zhang Lexuan and pointed above her head. "Don't forget, Lin Xuan hasn't made a move yet."
Zhang Lexuan was momentarily stunned, then looked up at the sky. It was pitch black there and she couldn't see anything, but she knew that person was right there.
"Believe it or not," Han Ruoruo's smile became more apparent, "he must be charging up a big move right now."
Zhang Lexuan paused for a moment, then smiled and shook her head.
Hearing this, the tension on Chu Qingtian's face instantly dissipated. He plopped down on the ground, simply refusing to get up.
"Alright then, let's just wait and watch the show."
In the sky, Lin Xuan floated in mid-air, his entire body bathed in a brilliant golden radiance.
That radiance emanated from within him, growing brighter and more intense, as if a sun was slowly rising inside him. His eyes were also dyed a pure, brilliant gold.
He just calmly watched the churning sea of poison below, watched the giant snake running rampant, and watched the endlessly spreading darkness.
There was no ripple of emotion in his eyes.
Then, he moved.
From his right leg, an even more brilliant golden light suddenly erupted! That was the power of the hundred-thousand-year holy radiance blazing sun left leg bone!
Lin Xuan extended his hands, palms down, aiming at the swamp below and at the Abyssal Underworld Snake.
In the next moment, a crimson-gold formation appeared in his hands.
The formation was ancient and profound, its edges engraved with solar patterns, and at its center was a constantly rotating point of light. As soon as it appeared, it expanded rapidly against the wind.
Ten meters.
Fifty meters.
One hundred meters.
The hundred-meter-diameter crimson-gold formation rotated slowly in the night sky, like a divine seal in the palm of a god!
holy radiance blazing sun left leg bone, Soul Bone ability—Blazing Sun Radiance Array!
This was an amplification array that could magnify light and fire attribute attacks.
Any light or fire attribute attack, after being enhanced by this formation, would have its power increased several times over!
Lin Xuan's hands gave a gentle push. At the center of the formation, the rotating point of light suddenly froze, and then an extremely blinding radiance emerged in the night sky!
That light was so pure, so blazing, and so holy, it seemed to condense the essence of all the light in the World!
A pillar of light fifty meters in diameter erupted from the center of the formation!
It pierced through the darkness, dispelled the gloom, and slammed directly onto the swamp below! It slammed onto the Abyssal Underworld Snake!
The moment the light pillar fell, the darkness was dispelled! The snake venom was decomposed! Everything under this radiance was like snow meeting a scorching sun, completely purified!
"Jacob's Ladder!"
The Abyssal Underworld Snake let out a shrill hiss. Its body struggled frantically within the light pillar, but it could not break free at all.
That radiance bound it as if it were physical, scorching its scales inch by inch and melting its flesh inch by inch.
The poison it was so proud of was utterly powerless before that light; the darkness it relied on for survival was even more of a sham before that radiance.
This was Ultimate Light.
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