Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
A man spoke. “After cutting through the Cloud Dream Swamp, we’ll reach the Li Tribe.”
Gao Peng squinted at the vast expanse of swamp ahead. The edge of the swamp was covered with dense bubbles filled with black and gray silky strands, like tumors growing on a human body. They grew over time and burst open upon reaching the maximum size to emit a gray fog.
The gray fog dissipated into the air, and the entire swamp had a large amount of fog hovering over it. The fog obscured one’s view and limited vision in the area.
“Flamy, can you see clearly?” As a mystical bird, its vision was naturally very good, but now, it couldn’t see too far.
Da Zi snuck through the Blood Contract and said within Gao Peng’s brain, “Gao Peng, there’s a lot of anger in it.” Da Zi observed the surroundings secretly as it spoke.
Gao Peng nodded. “I know.” The master and servant were equally prudent.
“Are those emotions powerful?” Gao Peng asked Da Zi quietly. The more powerful the soul, the stronger the emotional fluctuations it had.
“Strong!” Da Zi nodded fiercely, and the feathers on its neck exploded.
“Can we go around it?” Gao Peng changed the topic.
“As far as I know, there’s no other way. You can’t fly in Cloud Dream Swamp without inviting disaster,” said the old man hesitantly.
Gao Peng was very puzzled. “Disaster? Is it a curse?”
“No, I just heard the elders mention that you can’t fly in Cloud Dream Swamp because there’s a terrible existence in the fog.”
“Can you elaborate on that?”
The old man shook his head in pity. “I’m sorry, but I only know so much. When I was captured, I was only 17 years old. I overheard many things from the adults in the tribe.”
Seventeen? Gao Peng’s body shook. He looked at the old man’s face carefully, then hesitated and asked, “What’s your age now?”
The old man seemed to know what Gao Peng wanted to say. “I’m 32 this year. I just look old.”
Dark green trunks grew defiantly through the mud, and several dark-colored beetles resided on nearby branches. From time to time, the wings on their backs spread out, and a caution-worthy gas gushed from the tips of their butts. Every so often, croaks could be heard in the muddy swamp. In the shadows behind them, the parasites were well-nourished, skipping and cheering in the soil. Dead branches were half sunk into the ground, and mosquitos were gathered around rotten leaves. When someone passed, they would flock and dance in the air. The fog was swirling, and the swamp was very quiet. There were no large movements except for the sound of mosquitoes’ wings and the fluttering of small creatures.
The terrain of the swamp wasn’t a single form. There were flatlands, ponds, mud lands. and even lakes and hills.
“If we’re lucky enough to meet the hunting warriors from the tribe, we might be able to go straight back in,” someone whispered.
“Of course, that would be best,” Gao Peng responded with a smile and a nod. Everyone moved very quickly, probably because Gao Peng’s familiars were of high levels.
Because the levels of the beasts were high, there was a natural strength released. The average monster knew how to avoid a threat and, naturally, wouldn’t look for trouble.
“Groan…” The sound of the tremors of the mountains was growing softer. The monsters hidden in the darkness seemed to notice that Gao Peng wasn’t easy to deal with and had chosen to retreat.
“Hurry through its territory so that it won’t chase us later,” Gao Peng urged.
The monster hidden in the dark had to be a Saint-tier, which would, after all, make it the dominator of the Cloud Dream Swamp. Although there was no need to fear the monster, Gao Peng didn’t want to get entangled with it and draw the attention of other monsters.
A large lake in front of them stopped Gao Peng from passing through the rotting marshland. At first glance, one couldn’t see the end of it, be it to the left or the right. All views were covered by the lake before them.
Gao Peng said with a smile, “Have we left Cloud Dream Swamp?”
“I’m afraid… not.” Fatty Big Sea stared at the fog on the lake. “The fog is a characteristic unique to the Cloud Dream Swamp. I can sense the big guy in the lake and the area of the lake. I’m afraid it’s not small.”
“Then let’s go around it,” Gao Peng said.
“No need to be so troublesome. You can put other people into Dumby’s space, then merge with me. We’ll just sneak away in the water,” explained Fatty Big Sea. “As long as it isn’t a god-level existence, with or without intent, they won’t be able to find me in the water.”
In the beginning, whenever Gao Peng merged with Fatty Big Sea, the monster was like a grumbling housewife, now, its tone was light-hearted. What a significant change.
Gao Peng put the other people away, merged with Fatty Big Sea, and quietly went into the water.
…
In the middle of the lake, deep at the bottom, a giant black iron shell lay at the bottom of the lake. It had to have been there for a long, long time. It was covered with moss and coral reefs on its back shell. Even mud and lush seaweed grew from the soil.
Its silhouette could only be seen looking straight down at the lake from above, calmly waiting like a behemoth hidden in the abyss. The bottom of the lake was the quietest and most peaceful part. There were no monsters to kill and no battles. Only this giant shell stood alone in its original place.
Monsters who reached a certain level of intelligence could detect the danger here. Aside from regular fish swimming through the seaweed, there were no creatures.
“No wonder there’s no danger in the lake. The real danger is here,” Fatty Big Sea, watching this place from afar, said to Gao Peng through the Blood Contract.
“Is that a shell?”
“That’s a clam, and it has been cultivated to a very high level.” Fatty Big Sea peered and said, “Gao Peng, do you want to do something big?”
“What do you want to do?”
“That nutritious clam is so big that if I eat its core crystal and meat, I can increase at least two levels.” Fat Big Sea greedily stuck its tongue out from the corner of its mouth.
“You’re too passive. In the past, in everything that you did, you passively accepted it, and that isn’t right.” Fatty Big Sea started educating Gao Peng. “You must learn to take the initiative to fight, to grab, to win! Either you die or I die, it’s a fight to the end. You’re just not aggressive enough.”
“No monster in this world is innocent. Wolves eat sheep, the sheep graze, the grass plunders the earth. The sheep aren’t innocent, and the grass isn’t innocent.” Fatty Big Sea grinned evilly.
“That thought isn’t good. It’s no wonder you landed in this state. According to you, you aren’t innocent either.” Gao Peng lost his smile.
“I never regretted it!” Fatty Big Sea said. “I lost because I wasn’t as skilled. These years, have you heard me mention the guy who knocked down my god-level status? I only pray that he doesn’t die so I can eat him myself,” Fatty Big Sea said arrogantly in a clear voice.
