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Xiao Xue and Lu Piao glanced at each other, tightly holding hands. Their hearts still pounded from the terrifying encounter with the Netherlamp Behemoth. After calming her nerves, Xiao Xue said, "Just now, a huge airborne creature appeared in the sky. It looked like a strange fish with wings and had sharp claws that spat out thread-like substances. It trapped the Netherlamp Behemoth and took it away."
"I've never seen such a huge demon beast before. Heavens! It was the size of at least half of Glory City!" Lu Piao exclaimed exaggerating a bit, still unable to comprehend what he had just witnessed.
Cao Wang, breathing heavily, quickly composed himself and stood behind Nie Li like a proper servant. Unlike the others, only Nie Li and Xiao Ning'er remained calm. Perhaps only the two of them possessed the strength and wit to escape if the airborne beast had turned on them.
"Nie Li, do you know what kind of demon beast that was?" Du Ze asked with a frown.
Nie Li shook his head. "In this world, there are too many unknowns. I am far from understanding all the mysteries."
The group slowly calmed down after narrowly escaping disaster. Although fear lingered in their hearts, there was also a strange excitement. They had come face-to-face with creatures that most people in Glory City couldn't even imagine — the terrifying Scarlet Ghosts, the Netherlamp Behemoth, and now this mysterious airborne beast.
Xiao Ning'er turned to Nie Li. "Where are we heading next?"
Nie Li's eyes narrowed as he scanned the surroundings. "We need to find the twenty-three Stones of Light to activate the teleportation array and return to Glory City."
"Lets see if we can get close to any human or intelligent civilization here. We might need their help to find what we need," Nie Li added, though he knew it was wishful thinking.
After walking for a distance, they observed faint lights flickering on the mountainside.
"It couldn't be the Netherlamp Behemoth again, right?" Lu Piao's face turned pale.
"It's not the Netherlamp Behemoth," Nie Li replied, activating his Abyssal Regal Lion eyes. "It looks like... the lights of a village."
In this bizarre realm filled with terrifying creatures, the idea of finding a village seemed surreal. Yet, Nie Li couldn't ignore the possibility.
"We'll head in that direction," Nie Li decided.
The group moved forward, their footsteps cautious as they traversed the eerie wilderness. Though the lights seemed nearby, the reality was that the distance stretched far into the darkness.
Nie Li and Xiao Ning'er walked at the front of the group, the tension between them easing as they left the battlefield.
"We'll be fine. I promise I'll find a way to get us back," Nie Li reassured her.
Xiao Ning'er smiled faintly. "I know."
After a brief silence, she added, "Isn't this quite the adventure? We're wandering through unknown lands, facing terrifying beasts. It's like a story from ancient legends."
Nie Li smirked and leaned in closer, whispering, "It's a bit romantic too, isn't it?"
Xiao Ning'er's face flushed. "How can you find this depressing place romantic?"
"Because... anywhere with you feels that way," Nie Li said with a smile.
Xiao Ning'er turned her head, blushing deeply.
Suddenly, Cao Wang, who had been silently observing, spoke, "Master, those little red beasts are nearby."
Nie Li already sensed them through his A.I. Chip detection. The Scarlet Ghosts were approaching again, their eerie red eyes flickering in the darkness.
"Xiao Ning'er, roast them. We can't waste time on these bottom feeders," Nie Li ordered. Only someone like him would call silver rank beasts bottom feeders.
Nie Li and bunch continued towards the depth of the wilderness. After a while, a lot Scarlet Ghosts gathered once again. There are at least a few hundred of them and the numbers are still accumulating.
"Damn they are persistent." Du Ze's face turned slightly solemn, again holding his sword.
"I think this place is their hunting grounds. Since we've been moving around in their territory, they have been able to get ahold of our scents and gather their comrades." Nie Li said.
Xiao Ning'er stepped forward, her palm gathering intense lightning energy. She threw her thunder attack into the crowd of Scarlet Ghosts and it instantly exploded. (Image)
Boom!
A massive thunderstorm erupted, surging through the Scarlet Ghost horde. Hundreds of them were instantly incinerated, their charred remains falling to the ground.
The sheer destructive power left everyone stunned.
Lu Piao gulped. "What... what rank is she again?"
Nie Li smirked as he and Xiao Ning'er exchanged glances. No one would believe that she had advanced from the middle of Gold rank to Black Gold rank in just one month.
But there was no time to celebrate. The deeper they ventured into the wilderness realm, the greater the dangers that awaited them.
"We keep moving," Nie Li commanded.
But suddenly, something A. I. Chip found something.
[Ding! Anomaly detected.]
Nie Li's eyes narrowed as he turned his gaze toward the center of the charred pile of Scarlet Ghost corpses. Among the mangled bodies, a faint luster flickered within the darkness. A tiny, pea-sized object was partially buried beneath the ash and blood.
"Cao Wang, retrieve that item for me," Nie Li ordered.
Cao Wang, ever the loyal and obedient servant, stepped forward without hesitation. He navigated through the grotesque scene of charred, twisted bodies and crushed bones. With each step, the squelching sound of flesh beneath his boots echoed faintly in the eerie silence.
Reaching the source of the faint glow, Cao Wang crouched down and carefully picked up the object. It was covered in a layer of blackened blood and ash. From his spatial ring, he pulled out a clean cloth and meticulously wiped the object. (Image)
When the filth was cleared, a deep crimson, crystalline object revealed itself, pulsing faintly with an ominous light. Cao Wang respectfully walked back and presented it to Nie Li with both hands.
Nie Li took the item, his eyes flashing with curiosity. The moment the Blood Crystal made contact with his palm, the A.I. Chip immediately scanned and began cross-referencing it with the vast database Nie Li had accumulated across his lifetime. (Image)
[Analyzing... Blood Crystal detected. Rarity: Extremely rare. Function: Enhances demon beast growth and allows rank elevation. Additional function: Refined for cultivation enhancement and soul force amplification. High compatibility with Legend rank Demon Spiritualists.]
A flicker of excitement passed through Nie Li's eyes.
"What is it?" Du Ze asked, along with the rest of the group, who had gathered around with curiosity.
Nie Li exhaled slowly and said, "This is a Blood Crystal."
Everyone looked at each other confused, clearly they have never heard of it.
Nie Li continued, "Blood Crystals are extremely strange ores. When swallowed and refined by demon beasts, they generate an endless surge of power and can forcefully increase their rank. Furthermore, if a Blood Crystal is sealed within the body of a low-grade demon beast, it can accelerate their growth unnaturally. However, the side effect is that the beast becomes incredibly brutal and aggressive."
"No wonder the Scarlet Ghosts here are so insane..." Lu Piao muttered.
Du Ze frowned. "If the Blood Crystals are the cause of their madness, then shouldn't we have found more of these among the hundreds of Scarlet Ghosts we've killed?"
Nie Li nodded thoughtfully. "That's precisely the strange part. Out of hundreds of Scarlet Ghosts, only one had a Blood Crystal. There could be two possibilities: either the Blood Crystal was planted in the original generation of Scarlet Ghosts and they multiplied over time, or it could be that only certain Scarlet Ghosts evolve to possess it. I don't have enough information to be certain."
The group fell into silence as they digested this information.
Nie Li tightened his grip on the Blood Crystal, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Regardless of how it came to be, this is an incredible find. Blood Crystals are rare even among Legend rank Demon Spiritualists. If we can refine it and remove the impurities, it can greatly enhance our cultivation and soul force."
"Even a Legend rank expert would fight over this…" Du Ze murmured in awe.
Nie Li smirked. "And now, we have one in our hands."
Xiao Ning'er glanced around at the desolate wilderness and asked, "If this realm contains such treasures, could there be more hidden within the depths of this place?"
Nie Li's eyes flickered with ambition. "Most likely. This realm hides ancient secrets. We've only scratched the surface."
The group exchanged glances. Their earlier fear had now been replaced with a sense of excitement.
Nie Li tucked the Blood Crystal into his spatial ring and turned toward the distant lights on the hillside.
"Let's keep moving. There's more to uncover here than just Blood Crystals. "
With that, the group pressed forward, their steps heavier with caution yet burning with anticipation for what lay ahead.