The Watergloom was a savage aquatic exotic beast. Its cylindrical body was similar to a python’s, but it was completely different from a snake.
This Watergloom was a thousand meters long, and just the part exposed outside of the water was four to five hundred meters! Ten adult men holding hands while falling in a line would not be enough to match the thickness of its waist.
Its dark silver skin and mouth shaped like six petals would leave one confused, for it appeared as if the Watergloom did not have a head!
Its head was a mouth similar to that of a Coelenterata, the six petals bursting apart to reveal a mouth packed with white teeth. Any creature caught in this bloody maw would not easily escape.
“This Watergloom seems to be several thousand years old. Its body isn’t bad, and it’s probably formed a perfect Winterwarmth Pearl on its head,” Phantom said.
Xia Fei asked, “A Winterwarmth Pearl? The same Winterwarmth Pearl that has a gentle nature and can be used to adjust the environment or be used in medicine?”
Phantom replied, “Exactly that one. A perfect Winterwarmth Pearl when placed in a room not only can ensure that it feels like spring in all four seasons of the year, it can even ensure that the humidity remains at a suitable level. Even more valuable is that it releases a faint fragrance. Humans or other lifeforms that spend a long time around the Winterwarmth Pearl will gradually absorb its medicinal properties and become immune to poison. It is extremely beneficial to the healthiness of one’s body and in increasing one’s rank.
“Using the pearl directly as a drug is definitely the inferior choice. Normally, the higher the rank of a drug, the fiercer its medicinal effect, and it will deal a certain amount of damage to the body, but the Winterwarmth Pearl has a gentle nature, and it’s ideal to use it over the long term. Rather than taking it as a drug, it’s far better to place it in a room and allow it to release its medicinal effects slowly.
“A single Winterwarmth Pearl can persist for one hundred years without weakening. What’s more worthwhile, long-term steady improvement of the body or just eating the drug in one go? The answer is obvious.”
Xia Fei nodded. “I see how it is. If I get this pearl, I’ll place it in my room and let it release its medicinal effect.”
Saying this, Xia Fei glanced at Furball. This fellow was still staring at Hezar with clenched teeth, apparently deaf to the fact that Xia Fei had said he was going to use the Winterwarmth Pearl as a display item.
In truth, what Furball hated was the odor that had accumulated around Hezar from killing countless exotic beasts. This was an innate reaction, discomfort that Furball felt as soon as he smelled this odor, not because Furball wanted to take revenge for its kind. In reality, Furball did not care about the deaths of these exotic beasts. If Xia Fei were the one who had killed these exotic beasts, Furball would not even bat an eye.
Perhaps because it had sensed that there was nowhere to run, the Watergloom let out a piercing screech which made the earth and forest shudder and the river waters beat against the shore.
Hezar stood on the shore and heartily laughed. He apparently did not regard this Watergloom as much of a threat.
The Watergloom curled its body back, and it seemed to be trembling in fear! Hezar was surprised by this. The Watergloom truly was no match for it, but normally, when a exotic beast had its back to a wall, it would become frenzied and put its all into one last fight. There was no reason for it to be so afraid, was there?
In the distant forest, Xia Fei slapped Furball. “You rascal! What are you scaring the Watergloom for? I’m waiting for it to fight to the death with Hezar so that I can observe his ability!”
Furball spit out his tongue and innocently shook his head. Xia Fei had always treated him so roughly, and Furball was so used to it that he no longer felt anything.
If an outsider had witnessed this, they would have been so astonished that their jaw would have dropped to the ground. This was the mighty holy beast, Shatterstar! If a bystander saw Xia Fei slapping Furball around, they would be getting on their knees as soon as they could. Even if they had been given a thousand times the boldness, they would have never had the guts to strike against an elite beast! This was utterly suicidal!
The Watergloom sensed a powerful pressure from the distance, and exotic beasts like it had an innate fear of Furball’s kingly aura, so it could not help but tremble in fear.
Once Furball stopped looking, the Watergloom returned somewhat to normal, but the lingering fear left its eyes still rather unfocused.
Hezar had no idea that there was an elite beast behind him and still thought that the Watergloom was afraid of him.
His hand made an arc through the air; upon which, a black rope, as thin as a fishing line, appeared in it. At its top was a sharp chestnut-shaped spike. The rope was about one thousand meters long and tied around a golden cylinder.
“It’s your misfortune to meet me today! Come, come, come! Let me suck you dry of your essence blood!”
The Watergloom felt an immense threat, and it stared fearfully at the object in Hezar’s hand.
“Awoooo!”
The Watergloom let out a roar and a red pillar of water gushed out of its mouth! Like a sharp blade, it thrust at Hezar’s chest.
Hezar made no attempt to dodge it, puffing up his chest and taking the attack directly!
And then something incredible happened! When the water pillar was ten meters from Hezar, it rapidly decelerated! That explosive attack suddenly became limp and weak!
Splash!
The red river water splashed to the earth. It was as if it had encountered some invisible wall about five meters from Hezar’s body.
The giant Watergloom panted as it slowly backed away. Only by trying its hardest did it not collapse on the spot.
“Did you see that? That’s the energy drain ability!” Phantom sternly said.
Xia Fei nodded. “That ability truly is formidable. The moment the Watergloom’s attack got close to Hezar, it seemed to enter a black hole, all of the energy being drawn into Hezar’s body. It seems that all energy attacks are completely ineffective against Hezar.”
Phantom added, “That’s not all. I was able to see clearly that the Watergloom’s water pillar was a classical example of an energy attack mixed with a physical attack. The physical attack was the basis while energy added speed and power. It possesses formidable killing power.
“When the Watergloom’s attack was fifty meters from Hezar, it passed through his first defensive barrier. The shooting speed and energy of the water pillar was swiftly dismantled but not to a strong degree. Only a small part of the energy was drained.
“Hezar’s ability really gets working at a distance of twenty meters around him. At this distance, energy will begin to leak out wildly; in fact, it only took a few moments for the Watergloom’s attack to be completely dissolved. Before it could even reach Hezar, it became akin to a deflated ball, lacking the power to reach him.
“Moreover, the Watergloom itself was affected by Hezar’s ability. A large part of its energy flowed through the water pillar into his body.”
Xia Fei was taken aback. “You’re saying that the water pillar the Watergloom had shot actually served as a medium that linked Hezar to the Watergloom? Purely through this physical connection, Hezar was able to extract energy from his opponent?”
“Correct,” Phantom grimly said. “For instance, if you slice at him with a saber, most of the explosive force in your swing will be drained away before the edge even hits his skin. Once your saber actually touches his body, he’ll swiftly suck you clean of all the energy in your body.”
“And if I use my Celestial Moon to attack him from a distance?”
“It’s useless. Before Celestial Moon can even get close, its energy will surely be drained away. It won’t even present a threat to him.”
Xia Fei stroked his chin and muttered, “It’s truly quite the problem. Long-distance attacks are ineffective and attacking at close distance will result in my energy being drained. It seems that if I use October Flying Snow to wound him, I’ll just end up in a situation where both of us are badly wounded.”
Phantom replied, “You still have time to change your mind. There are so many insectoid experts who are unwilling to challenge him, all because Hezar’s ability is far too tyrannical, making it so that no one can fight him and leave unscathed.”
Xia Fei chuckled. “Since I’m here, I’ve naturally came up with a plan to deal with him. Besides, even if I can’t kill him, that doesn’t mean he can injure me. I’ve already understood his ability, but he doesn’t know about mine. This is a major advantage.”
On the other end, Hezar had a wicked smile. Self-assuredly tidying his black rope, he released around one meter of it, heartily laughed, and then began swinging it around.
The Watergloom grew nervous. Its attack had failed and had even resulted in part of its energy being drained. It was rather weak, so while roaring to threaten its opponent, it began backing away, seemingly wanting to use this chance to flee.
Hezar naturally would not give his prey the opportunity to flee. With a flick of his wrist, the black rope went flying out!
*Bang!*
The spiked tip plunged into the Watergloom’s body, and Hezar held the rope tightly and began draining the energy out of the Watergloom’s body!
As if it had been struck by some wicked art, the massive Watergloom was paralyzed! It could only watch as Hezar devoured its essence blood!
That black rope turned scarlet red! Like it was drenched in blood!
The Watergloom’s body began visibly shriveling away, the silver skin dimming and its small pair of eyes losing luster. Though it still managed to keep its body up, it was slowly sinking to the ground.
After a few minutes, Hezar’s pitch-black skin began reddening, and his muscles began swelling. As one side weakened, the other grew stronger! Hezar had the complete upper hand, and the Watergloom was incapable of fighting back!
“This is probably the effect of that black rope. The Watergloom’s energy is rapidly draining away, and even its essence blood is dissipating. It won’t be long until it becomes a dried-up husk! Such a domineering special ability! Such a wicked weapon! I wonder what that black rope is made of?” Phantom asked, his heart thumping in fear.
Xia Fei smiled, apparently unsurprised by the sight.
“Why don’t we strike now? Hezar is completely focused on the Watergloom. An attack now will definitely catch him off guard!” Phantom suggested.
Xia Fei shook his head, coldly saying, “No, I want him to drain all of the energy out of the Watergloom. The more he drains, the closer he is to death.”
Phantom did not get it. “Why’s that? With all this energy to nurture him, Hezar will be even stronger than before. You’ve gone crazy!”
Xia Fei ignored Phantom. On the side, Furball was also getting frustrated. Furball did not care about the Watergloom’s death. What he cared about was that loathsome aura on Hezar’s body. As Hezar absorbed more and more energy, that odor that all exotic beasts hated grew stronger and stronger.
As the minutes went by, the giant Watergloom’s life force gradually dwindled. Its skin became incredibly dry and covered with wrinkles, and its body, which was once more than one thousand meters long, was not even half that length now.
It was like a dried-out corpse exposed in the desert, laid out in the river with its eyes open as it watched its life fade away.
The rate at which Hezar absorbed energy and essence blood grew slower and slower, for there was not much left in the Watergloom for him to feast upon.
Suddenly—
The concealed Xia Fei made his move!
He had chosen the moment when Hezar had just finished draining all of the energy, when his body’s functions were at its highest, to launch his attack! This was completely unexpected!
