A wave of acrid, venomous air washed over the men as they neared Li Miao's corpse. They stopped short, hands flying to cover their mouths and noses.
"Gods, what a potent toxin," one of the leaders muttered, his voice muffled by his sleeve. "A poison like this… even I wouldn't stand a chance."
"It's horrific," another agreed, his eyes wide. "Look at him. The flesh has been eaten away, and his bones are stained black."
"A truly miserable way to go."
"The creatures in this swamp are no joke." The men murmured their agreement, the reality of their dangerous surroundings settling heavily upon them.
"Second Brother Zhou, what's the plan?" a warrior asked, gesturing toward the body.
The two men at the front, the brothers Zhou Wu and Zhou Hong, were the clear leaders of the group—both powerful and respected masters. Zhou Hong surveyed the scene for a moment before answering. "We're all human warriors out here. The least we can do is give him a proper burial." He paused. "But first, let's see if we can identify him. Someone's family will want to know what happened."
"Let me take a look, Second Brother," another man volunteered. He cautiously approached the corpse, studying what was left of the man's face and tattered clothing.
After a long moment, Zhou Hong prompted, "Well? Anything?"
"I think so," the man said, standing up. "Even with the rot and the poison, based on his build and his gear… I'd bet this is Li Miao, from back in Huangye Town."
"Li Miao?" Zhou Hong's voice dripped with contempt. "That lowlife?"
"It looks like him."
"Hmph. Serves him right," Zhou Hong snorted, not bothering to hide his disgust. "That parasite spent his life preying on the weak and stealing whatever he could. I'm not surprised he met his end out here."
"Still, it's strange," someone mused. "Li Miao was just a level-four fighter, nothing special. This deep in the swamp, you run into truly powerful demonic beasts. What was he doing so far in?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Zhou Hong scoffed, kicking at a discarded pouch near the body. "The man was a degenerate gambler, always desperate for coin. He was out here hunting for hides, no doubt. Only a fool with a death wish would come this far alone."
"So, what do we do with him?"
Zhou Wu, the elder brother who had been silent until now, finally spoke, his voice a low rumble. "He may have been a scoundrel, but he was still a man of Huangye. We bury him."
"Yes, sir."
With the brothers' authority, the group worked quickly. They dug a shallow grave and laid Li Miao to rest. When the task was done, Zhou Wu addressed them all, his expression grim. "Let this be a lesson. The Misty Swamp doesn't forgive mistakes. One moment of carelessness, and you end up just like him."
He scanned their faces. "We're all from the same town. Out here, that makes us brothers. Our only chance is to stick together, to watch each other's backs. Understood?"
"Understood, Brother Zhou," one of the men replied. "What's our next move?"
"We press on, carefully," Zhou Wu commanded. "And don't forget why we're here. There's a python in this swamp—a beast that's lived for a century. It's the overlord of this domain, likely a level-ten demonic beast. Our mission for now is reconnaissance. We find its lair, we map its territory, and then we pull back. Once we have the intel, we'll either form a new plan or hire the kind of power we need to take it down for good. The ultimate goal is to eliminate that monster. Is that clear?"
A unified chorus of "Yes, sir!" answered him.
"Good. Let's move out."
Meanwhile, deeper in the swamp, a different hunt was underway.
You have slain the Flying-Claw Centipede. +11 Experience Points!
You have slain the Black-Armor Turtle. +10 Experience Points!
You have slain the Venom-Fang Spider. +13 Experience Points!
A cascade of notifications echoed in Luo Zhen's mind, each kill flooding him with a fresh surge of power. The swamp's depths were teeming with demonic beasts, the weakest of which were still level four. He moved with a predator's grace, carefully avoiding anything too powerful. His targets were the level-five beasts—strong enough to provide a wealth of experience, but no match for his serpentine might.
In just half a day, seven had fallen to him. He was being cautious, moving with deliberate stealth. If he'd thrown caution to the wind, he would have leveled up hours ago.
Hiss…
Luo Zhen's forked tongue tasted the air, sampling the coppery tang of blood. A trail of it stained the earth before him, leading him onward. He'd wounded a massive level-five centipede, and it had fled. One more kill. That was all he needed to reach level seven.
"There you are."
He stopped before a narrow crevice in a rock, no wider than a bowl. The blood trail vanished inside. His senses screamed at him that the centipede was trapped within, its frantic energy a beacon in the dark. It had found not a refuge, but a tomb. He could practically feel it trembling.
He sealed the exit with his body, but he didn't strike. He waited, letting the venom pool in his glands, concentrating its potency. After two minutes, he drew back, opened his jaws, and unleashed his weapon.
Swoosh!
A jet-black arrow of pure venom shot into the crevice, finding its mark. Instantly, a new notification appeared.
You have slain the Flying-Claw Centipede. +12 Experience Points!
Experience threshold reached. Do you wish to level up?
"Yes," he thought, without a shred of hesitation. The 110 experience points he needed had been hard-won, but the moment was finally here.
110 Experience Points consumed.
Upgrade successful!
Congratulations! You are now a Level-Seven Demonic Beast!
A tremor ran through him as power surged through his form. His body swelled, thickening and lengthening until he was over a meter long, his scales gleaming like polished jet. The aura he exuded was now undeniably potent.
Level seven.
He savored the feeling. Each evolution brought a marked increase in size, strength, speed, and the lethality of his venom. He had become a truly formidable creature. The level-six Earth-Rending Bear that had once given him trouble would now be an easy kill, its roar meaningless, its body helpless against his constricting coils. This was the power of growth.
His confidence soaring, Luo Zhen slithered back into the undergrowth, ready for his next hunt.
BOOM!
A massive explosion ripped through the forest from somewhere in the distance. The shockwave sent every creature in the vicinity into a panic. Luo Zhen instinctively coiled into a defensive posture, his head darting around, searching for the source of the threat. A stampede of lesser animals, their eyes wild with terror, crashed through the woods, fleeing from the direction of the blast.
What was that? Should I investigate?
His mind raced. A sound like that means something major is happening. A natural disaster? A human conflict? Or, more likely, a battle between powerful demonic beasts. That could be dangerous... but it could also be an opportunity. He weighed the risks. I'm a level-seven now. I'm no longer helpless. I should be strong enough to defend myself or escape if things go south.
The unknown was the most terrifying enemy of all. He had to know what was out there. Making his decision, Luo Zhen began moving toward the sound, his body low to the ground, every sense on high alert.
Fifteen minutes later, he came to a halt. Before him stood a hill shrouded in a thin, white mist. It wasn't dense, but a faint, cloying, fishy odor hung in the air. He tasted it with his tongue and recoiled in shock.
Such an overwhelming demonic aura!
This wasn't a mistake at all. It was pure, condensed demonic energy. For it to blanket an entire hill of this size… the creature that generated it had to be unbelievably powerful.
Fear, cold and sharp, pierced through his newfound confidence. He turned to flee. This was a battle far above his weight class.
But as he turned, new sounds drifted down from the hill.
"Watch out! The serpent is going berserk!"
"Move, get clear!"
"Aaaahhh!"
Human voices, laced with terror. Luo Zhen paused, melting into the shadow of a large tree to watch. A group of human warriors scrambled down the hillside, their gear glinting, their auras strong but frayed with exhaustion and panic.
And behind them came the reason for their fear.
A colossal yellow python, seven or eight meters long, was thundering in pursuit. It moved with a terrifying, furious speed, its massive jaws snapping shut and swallowing a warrior whole with every lunge.
"We can't outrun it!" one of them screamed. "Turn and fight! It's our only chance!"
With a desperate cry, the remaining warriors stopped, raised their weapons, and charged back toward the monster. The forest erupted in the sharp clang of steel on scales.
From his hiding spot, Luo Zhen focused on the giant serpent, and its information flooded his mind.
Name: Yellow-Patterned Demon Python
Race: Serpent
Strength: Level-Ten Demonic Beast
Status: Overlord of the Misty Swamp
So, this is it, he realized. The overlord, the Earth-Rending Bear's memories warned me about. The reason they call this the 'Misty Swamp.'
It all clicked into place. The python's demonic aura was the source of the ever-present mist. And these warriors… they must be from the human town just outside the swamp, the ones who periodically culled the demonic beast population to protect their homes.
Luo Zhen watched the battle unfold, analyzing the fighters. Most were level six or seven—outmatched and completely overwhelmed. But two of them were different. They were a pair of middle-aged men wielding long, steel sabers, their faces so similar they had to be brothers. He focused on them.
Name: Zhou Wu
Race: Human
Skill: Gale Saber Technique
Strength: Level-Nine Martial Artist
Name: Zhou Hong
Race: Human
Skill: Gale Saber Technique
Strength: Level-Nine Martial Artist
Identical in skill and power. The two brothers were flanking the python, a whirlwind of steel, trying to hold its attention. Their sabers moved like blurs, and every so often, a blinding flash of light—a blade strike infused with immense energy—would erupt from their attacks. Each flash left a shallow white scratch on the python's hide.
The other warriors attacked from the sides, trying to create openings, but it was useless. The python's scales were like armor plating. Even the brothers' most powerful strikes barely scraped the surface.
The serpent, however, inflicted devastating damage with ease. A single sweep of its tail caught a warrior at the waist, and the man's body simply exploded in a spray of red.
In less than fifteen minutes, only five attackers remained.
"It's no use!" Zhou Wu roared over the chaos. "Its hide is too thick! We can't break through! Retreat! Everyone, retreat!"
The remaining warriors didn't need to be told twice. They broke off their attack and scattered, running for their lives.
Luo Zhen watched, a storm of awe and envy churning within him. He was a snake, just like that creature. But the Yellow-Patterned Demon Python was on another level entirely. It hadn't even used a special skill; its sheer physical power was enough to annihilate these seasoned human warriors. It was, in every sense of the word, an overlord.
On the hill, the giant python didn't give chase. Instead, it coiled its immense body and let out a roar that shook the trees—a sound that was less a hiss and more a deep, bovine bellow.
"Moo!"
As the unnatural sound echoed, the ground at the base of the hill began to churn. From countless holes and crevices, a tide of snakes—large and small—poured forth. They had been summoned. With a single purpose, the swarm slithered after the fleeing humans.
Damn, it has an army, Luo Zhen thought, scrambling back several hundred meters to avoid being seen.
"Gods, it has children!" one of the fleeing warriors shrieked. "This whole hill is a nest!"
"Big Brother, Second Brother, they're gaining on us! What do we do?!"
"You three go! Zhou Hong and I will hold them off!" Zhou Wu yelled, skidding to a halt. He turned and charged headlong into the slithering horde, his saber a silver arc of death. His brother was right beside him, a mirror image of grim determination.
The three other survivors didn't look back.
The swarm, though vast, was composed of weaker beasts. They were no match for two level-nine masters. The Zhou brothers became a whirlwind of destruction, cutting down snake after snake until the ground was littered with their bisected corpses.
Seeing its minions slaughtered, the Yellow-Patterned Demon Python let out another furious bellow. It opened its jaws wide and inhaled deeply.
Then, it exhaled.
A torrent of icy blue energy blasted from its mouth, enveloping the two brothers. A thick layer of frost instantly encased them, their movements becoming sluggish and heavy. The frigid air flash-froze the very plants around them, turning the lush greenery into a garden of brittle ice sculptures.
"Ice breath!" the brothers cried out in shock. They tried to retreat, but their muscles and blood felt like they were turning to slush.
In that moment of weakness, the python struck. It lunged forward with blinding speed, its jaws closing around Zhou Wu's entire upper body.
"Ahhh!" he screamed, his voice a mixture of agony and defiance. "If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me!"
With his last ounce of strength, Zhou Wu hurled his saber. The blade flew true, burying itself deep in the demon python's eye.