Cataclysm King

Chapter 486 Dead Zone
The Great Sword Group headed towards the land reclamation area.

Deep in the Warcraft Forest, there is a powerful lord beast almost every few hundred miles.

With the accurate information from the guide Ji Xun, they hunted a large number of magical beasts and found many precious herbs.

With the help of Qin Rushi's super combat power, the members of the Great Sword Group were able to escape danger safely and successfully hunted down two seventh-level lord monsters, the [Earth Brown Bear] and the [Flame Lion King].

The biggest gain came from a tribe of wind wolf that came to the door on their own initiative.

The battle was fierce and many people in the team were injured.

But the harvest is also very considerable.

In the end, the seventh-level magic wolf lord and hundreds of mid- and low-level magic wolves provided them with a large amount of high-level magic beast materials.

What the Great Sword Group gained in just over half a month's journey was almost equal to what they had originally planned to achieve in at least half a year.

Just like that, several days passed.

Further southeast of the Blackwater Swamp is a cave with lush vegetation. That is the Fairy Forest where the elemental elves live.

This forest is very large and is home to countless magical beasts and extraordinary creatures.

There is a spring called "Rainbow Spring" in the forest.

That is the habitat where the elemental elves have lived for tens of thousands of years.

This day, in the forest.

Giant trees a hundred meters high were lying all over the place, and there were traces of burns everywhere in the devastated forest.

Strange black flames were coming out of the burning branches, and the surrounding soil was burned into hard crystals.

There had just been a fierce battle here.

At this moment, in a huge charred hole on the ground, Qin Rushi pulled the big sword out of a two-headed monster dog that was more than ten meters long.

The last bit of life flowed away from the two-headed monster dog, and the strange black flames rising from its body finally went out.

Only then did everyone see clearly its skin, which was as hot and cracked as magma.

Even as a corpse, this monster still exudes a terrifying aura of oppression.

Without Qin Rushi's super fighting power, everyone would have become food for the monster long ago.

Seeing their leader kill the monster, the members of the Great Sword Group gathered around.

"Oh my goodness, the black fire this thing spewed almost melted my relic-level shield."

"Yes, this black fire is really powerful. I was lucky to dodge it just now. But even though it was several meters away, the flames burned through my protective magic shield. It's still burning my flesh. Tsk!"

"Brother Ji Xun, what kind of monster is this? I have never heard of it before."

"It should be the [Hellhound]. It's normal that you haven't heard of it. It is a magical beast of mythical blood. Legend has it that it can only be seen at the entrance of hell or in some dead places."

"Mythical creature? Oh my, I was wondering why the pressure was so strong. Hahaha, we are lucky. This is the third lord-level mythical monster."

"Yes. This monster's body is ridiculously strong, and its control over elements is exaggerated. The materials are suitable for both magic and melee combat. The most important thing is that it has two heads and two crystal cores, so it can produce two sets of advanced materials at a time. Corey, Old White, you two are in luck."

"."

Heat is the thermal radiation of the law of fire, and cold is the erosion of the soul by the law of darkness.

This is "Hellfire".

It is an ability of the dual elements of darkness and fire at a very high level of law, an ability that only high-level hell creatures can master.

Ji Xun had mastered the basics of this ability as he advanced in his career, so he recognized it at a glance.

Beside the deep pit, the monster was dead and no one dared to get too close.

Even though they were far away, they could still clearly feel a strange feeling of cold and heat.

But when they heard Ji Xun confirm that it was a mythical species, everyone seemed very excited!
This kind of material is hard to come by, and once you come across it, a future seventh-level being will be born!

Qin Rushi put away the sword and walked into the deep pit.

There was no need for her to deal with the corpse, so she walked over to Ji Xun, who was standing by the pit, frowning and thinking about the corpse, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Ji Xun figured out what was in his mind at the moment and said, "The records in the classics show that an adult [Hellhound] would not exceed ten meters in size. This one is too big."

Qin Rushi guessed what he was talking about and said, "Are you saying that it has mutated like the snake king before?"

"Ah."

Ji Xun nodded and said, "Before, I was not sure whether the king snake's 'giant' size mutation was random or targeted. Now it seems that it is most likely targeted."

Hearing this, Qin Rushi thought for a moment and said, "You suspect that the source of their mutation may come from the same cause? However, this [Hellhound] does not have a fragment of the Godhead."

Uncontrolled variation is called "aberration".

If it is controllable, it is an enhancement at the genetic level, or it can be said to be a mutation.

When Ji Xun thought of this, he couldn't help but think of Master Merlin.

That top biologist once said that this kind of stable directional blood enhancement is actually an enhanced career card without castration.

Like its own "scarlet pollution".

If one could really control the distortion, it would be equivalent to advancing one more sequence than others out of thin air.

Thinking of this, a lot of things came to his mind, and he explained: "I have thought about this question. I have seen similar directional mutations in an alien space before. The blood of those creatures has the giant gene of the mythical [Titan] clan. That kind of mutation is long-term and may require many generations of reproduction. So I suspect that the current hellhound and the previous king snake actually point to the Titan. And the fragment of the godhead is most likely derived from a fallen Titan god. The king snake mutated by relying on this external object. And this hellhound should have lived in a mutated environment..."

"."

Qin Rushi listened to this explanation and fell into deep thought.

Without waiting for further thought, Ji Xun continued, "Generally speaking, magical beasts, especially lord-level magical beasts, usually do not easily leave their habitats. Either the habitat has undergone drastic changes and is no longer suitable for survival, or they have been driven out. Judging from the current situation, it may be that the people of the Holy See went to the 'Dead Zone', and these magical beasts were disturbed and ran out."

He was sure of this because this forest was the home of the elemental elves.

Two-headed dogs are foreign.

As Ji Xun spoke, he looked at the two elves, Korra and Nina, who were crying loudly on the branches in the distance.

This forest is their home.

They originally had great expectations, and then they met Ji Xun, a kind-hearted human who sent them back.

However, when they came back now, they found that not only their home was occupied by a foreign monster, but all the tribesmen in their home were driven away, and the Rainbow Spring had dried up.

They were like homeless children, with strings of crystal elemental dewdrops flowing down their pitiful cheeks.

Ji Xun had actually guessed this situation before.

Elemental elves are the darlings of the elements and are also very special creatures.

They can get along well with almost all creatures in the forest, because with their presence, the elemental energy of the forest will naturally gather.

This is the living environment that other creatures also need, and everyone can live in peace.

But humans are different.

Now that the Fairy Forest has been discovered by human adventurers, it is absolutely impossible for these "walking hundred thousand gold coins" to continue living peacefully in the forest. There will definitely be a steady stream of hunters.

As for the "Rainbow Spring", that kind of place with spiritual spring water has natural spiritual stones.

Once discovered, it will inevitably be dug out.

This also caused the forest, which was originally described by the two elves as the "elemental ocean", to become what it is now.

But even so, the concentration of elements in this place is the highest that Ji Xun has ever seen naturally.

This is also the most important reason for attracting this lord-level two-headed hellhound to choose it as its habitat.

"Wuwuwu, the fairy forest has been destroyed, and all the people in the tribe are gone."

"It's possible that they encountered danger and migrated to another place. I'll ask around and maybe I can find them."

"Thank you, Ji Xun. But I'm very sorry that we may have to break our promise on the compensation we promised you."

"it does not matter."

"."

The two elves cried loudly.

When she was tired of crying, she hid in Ji Xun's pocket and never came out again.

Without their home and tribesmen, they now only have Ji Xun to rely on.

Ji Xun didn't say anything either.

It's expensive to keep two elves.

But as time goes by, it is no longer just treated as a pet.

With these two clever little creatures, life becomes more colorful.

As for the rest, it is not that important to Ji Xun.

A monster called "Hellhound" that has never appeared before has appeared in the Fairy Forest, and the information about other places may also be different from what was previously reported.

They can still deal with one now, but they may not be so lucky next time.

Ji Xun and Qin Rushi discussed it and the team did not move forward.

The next trip needs to be replanned carefully.

It just so happened that several team members were burned by hellfire in today's battle and needed to rest.

The team camped near the abandoned Rainbow Spring.

This is the territory occupied by hellhounds. At least there are no other lord-level monsters in the nearby large area, so it is safe enough.

Soon, tents were pitched and bonfires were burning.

The meat of the hellhound is highly poisonous and tastes bad, so it is inedible. Only the poison master Bonnie likes the bitter and tooth-piercing taste.

The thick soup on the campfire is the meat of the demon wolf.

These meats with magical residues taste much better than the meat and poultry raised in the city, and Ji Xun has recently enjoyed a feast.

When camping and resting, it is also the time when everyone is most relaxed.

Everyone gathered around the campfire as usual.

Brag a little and sing a song.

There were musicians who were well versed in music in the team, and there was a harmonious and lively atmosphere in the camp.

The cadres of the revolutionary army were a group of passionate and faithful people. After spending these days together, Ji Xun had become very familiar with them and gradually there was nothing to be shy about when chatting with them.

Gossip has always been a curiosity factor in human blood.

After having a good meal and a good drink, Qin Rushi was very tired after fighting for an entire afternoon so he went to rest in the tent.

Ji Xun was dragged by Bonnie to try the poisoned wine she prepared.

As they drank, they started chatting about gossip.

Bonnie and Qin Rushi are close friends, and she is more suspicious of their relationship than others.

After all, I had no idea that the two knew each other before this adventure.

She suddenly asked: "Hey, Ji Xun, when did you and the leader meet? What is your relationship?"

When this was said, everyone around the campfire pricked up their ears.

Ji Xun looked at the raging flames of gossip reflected in everyone's eyes and said calmly, "Aunt Qin is my respected senior and sincere friend."

Bonnie was not happy to hear this answer: "Friends? I have never seen the leader be so 'sincere' with any man. Tell me quickly, how did you two know each other?"

Ji Xun knew that the girl was teasing him, but he also said, "We've known each other for a long time. Aunt Qin has saved me many times."

Since Qin Rushi was not present, everyone was even more jubilant.

Chen Jianwuliu, who was listening nearby, also interrupted, "Honglou! They met in Honglou. Hahahaha, at that time, Anros and I also worked in Honglou, but at that time, brother Ji Xun was only at the first level, so I don't have much impression."

When everyone heard about Hong Lou, they became even more interested.

After all, it was once the largest entertainment city in Innocence City.

Of course, the sound could be heard in the tent, and Qin Rushi, who was meditating, showed a hint of helplessness on her cold face.

I always have a serious look on my face, but it seems that my friends are very interested in my private life.

As they were chatting animatedly outside, two rapid bird calls were suddenly heard in the camp.

Qin Rushi suddenly opened his eyes because this was a signal sent by the outer sentry.

It means someone is coming!
"Someone is approaching the camp!"

By the campfire, everyone suddenly fell silent, took out their weapons, and prepared for battle.

Meeting someone in the Warcraft Forest is not a good sign.

It was even more dangerous than encountering a monster. Soon, the sound of fighting could be heard outside the camp.

No matter who the people are or what their purpose is, there is no one within dozens of miles of this big sword group. Now that they suddenly appear, they must be captured and questioned.

The person who came seemed to be quite powerful and was not captured immediately.

When Ji Xun and his group rushed out, the man still wanted to leave, but was captured by Chen Jian and his five or six level six warriors in a blink of an eye.

The cold light of magic illuminated a tired and scarred face.

The wounds were not from the fight just now. Some were new and some were old, and scabbed over. It seemed that the upper body had been attacked many times in the past few days.

As soon as he saw the braided tea beard, Ji Xun found that he actually recognized it!

In just a moment, Ji Xun walked from behind the crowd to the front of everyone, and the clown mask had already replaced his face.

Before the Great Sword Group could ask, the brown-bearded burly man recognized him. His eyes, which were originally filled with despair, suddenly lit up with a strange look: "Aren't you from the Holy See?"

When everyone heard this, they understood why this guy ran away desperately after being discovered.

It turned out that they were mistaken for people from the Holy See.

When Ji Xun heard this, an idea suddenly came to his mind: Is this guy being hunted by the Holy See?

The reason why he knew them was because these guys happened to have bought intelligence from him!

The "Mithril Serpents" is a mercenary group registered in Moshiri County of the Red Dragon Kingdom.

It is also a medium-sized mercenary group with a certain reputation.

But there is no official background.

The leader is the seventh-level "Black Giant" Quisti, who is quite powerful.

They came from the north, accepted the Holy See's mission to open up new land and recruit people, and wanted to make a fortune in the World of Warcraft Forest.

The intelligence dealer "Sean" played by Ji Xun has a good reputation in the industry and has sold some intelligence to foreign adventurers.

There just happened to be this Mithril Snake.

The bearded man in front of you is the deputy leader and also has the strength of level six.

Ji Xun didn’t know the name. He just followed their leader to the tavern to trade information.

When the bearded man saw Ji Xun, he seemed to see his last hope of survival and exclaimed, "Are you the intelligence dealer from Juling City?"

He also knew what the consequences would be if he came into conflict with other adventure groups in the wild.

There is a high probability that you will be regarded as a criminal with malicious intentions.

Now that I have met an "acquaintance", there may be a chance for me to help explain.

Ji Xun nodded and took the initiative to speak: "If I remember correctly, you are from the Mithril Snake?"

"Yeah!"

Teabeard nodded repeatedly, "Brother, can you tell them that I am not an unknown person. I didn't know you were camping in the forest and walked into this place by mistake. It was a misunderstanding just now."

Come to think of it, I still want to leave.

Ji Xun saw the panic in his eyes at a glance.

The more anxious the other party is, the more it means that we can't let him go.

He spread his hands and said with a helpless expression: "I'm just a hired guide."

His intuition told him that this guy was being hunted because he must have some secret.

Ji Xun was also curious. This was already deep in the Warcraft Forest, with high-level Warcraft everywhere. Why was this guy alone?

Where is his team? Also, why was he being hunted? Was it just a coincidence?

I definitely can't let him go until I get the facts clearly.

Seeing Ji Xun's statement, Qin Rushi on the side immediately understood and said to the man coldly: "If you don't explain your origins, do you think we would be so stupid as to believe that a sneaky guy we met outside the camp in the middle of the night has no ill intentions?"

"Ah this."

Hearing this, Tea Beard became visibly anxious.

He was unable to explain his situation, and only said, "I was just being chased by a group of demon bats, and I really came here by mistake."

Ji Xun silently observed his micro-expressions, which revealed a lot of information.

But he caught another key point.
Ji Xun had guessed something in his heart, but he questioned it, and said in a tone that deliberately showed off his knowledge: "Demon bat? What kind of bat can chase a level 6 master? As far as I know, the strongest bat in the Monster Forest, the [Red-haired Pterosaur King Bat], is only level 4."

"No, not that!"

Tea Beard knew that it was hard to believe what he said, so he said, "It is a very large blood-sucking bat, probably a hell-breed. They come in groups, at least tens of thousands of them."

"."

Ji Xun actually already believed it.

He thought of a dark creature - [Hell Bat].

This is also a hellish creature, usually appearing in the same place as the [Hellhound] they encountered before.

Especially huge?
With these two characteristics together, Ji Xun had actually guessed what was going on.

Qin Rushi knew what he meant and interrupted Tea Beard with a sneer: "It seems that you don't want to tell the truth anymore."

As soon as these words were spoken, the revolutionary army cadres standing by all understood each other and stared at the big man with eyes as cold as knives.

This group of people came from the battlefield, and their murderous aura is genuine.

Even though Tea Huzi was a dignified sixth-level cultivator, his scalp tingled when he was stared at.

And I've just tried it. It's impossible to escape by force.

But now I can’t explain it.

"me."

The strong man was so anxious that he stuttered.

Seeing the aggressive look of the Great Sword Group members about to conduct a violent interrogation, he gritted his teeth and said, "I really came here by mistake, and I have no ill will towards you. I can't explain the specific reasons in detail, but the longer I stay here, the more dangerous you will be! I beg you to believe me."

This sounds a bit incoherent.

Humble, anxious, sincere. His expression was full of words.

Everyone in the Great Sword Group became even more confused after hearing this.

However, Ji Xun understood it completely.

Of course he knew that this guy had come in by mistake.

This tea beard didn't know why, but he knew it.

Because there was originally a lord-level [Hellhound] here, other monsters did not dare to intrude.

The group of bloodthirsty bats knew this, so they dispersed after chasing here.

Tea Beard didn't know why, but he instinctively came towards this "safe area".

What he didn't know was that it was thanks to Ji Xun and the others that they got rid of the two-headed dog, otherwise if they had come earlier, he would have already become food in the monster's mouth.

Qin Rushi pressed again, "This is your last chance. If you don't tell the truth, don't blame us for being rude!"

"."

When Tea Beard saw the expressions of the crowd, he couldn't come up with any good excuse on the spur of the moment.

He even made a horizontal line, anger was aroused in his heart, and he sneered and asked back: "Well, if I tell you the truth, your entire team may be in trouble, do you still want to listen?"

I'm not saying this is for your own good, but you're still looking for death. Don't blame me!
As soon as these words were spoken, there was silence all around.

It seemed as if the atmosphere had become weird.

What words will bring disaster upon hearing?
The revolutionary army is not one that can be frightened.

Rather than any danger, they were more curious.

Ji Xun also narrowed his eyes slightly. Even before the other party spoke, he had already guessed most of what he had said.

Isn't it just that he has mastered some secrets and is being hunted by the Holy See? Whoever knows about it will be implicated.
The display seemed to be exactly as he expected. Tea Beard knew that he could not persuade these people, so he said bluntly: "I am being hunted by the Holy See now! Once they find that you have had contact with me, they will definitely implicate you!"

In the southern continent, the Holy See is supreme.

No one can protect the people they are hunting, not even the three royal families.

After hearing this, Tea Beard originally thought that everyone in the Great Sword Group would have some reservations.

However, I never expected to see more and more curious expressions.

Qin Rushi's expression did not change at all as he listened. They were not afraid of the Holy See. He asked again, "Oh? Tell me why the Holy See is hunting you down."

"you"

Tea Beard was speechless. He didn't trust anyone, but now he was in a desperate situation and had no choice.

He looked at everyone and suddenly calmed down. He said, "I have already reminded you. Since you insist on doing this, I will not stop you. But I said, can you let me go?"

Hearing this, Qin Rushi said calmly: "Speak first."

Tea Beard's eyelids twitched at the nonchalant tone.

But it’s just a thought.

If we can bring this group of people together on the same front, there might still be a chance.

"Okay! Since you dare to listen, then I will tell you."

He didn't waste time and said directly: "A few months ago, our group received a call-up mission from the Holy See. We often do some official missions on weekdays. Without thinking too much, we came to the Warcraft Forest. This intelligence merchant can help me confirm our origins and purpose."

"Then we came all the way to the Warcraft Forest, exploring in a general direction designated by the Church. Those guys didn't tell us what we were looking for, we just explored along the way and suppressed some heretics along the way."

"Everything was normal before. Although this forest is very dangerous and there are many high-level monsters, we are an experienced group after all. We lost some brothers along the way, but we also arrived near the designated area."

"Until half a month ago, we discovered a strange ancient ruin, and everything changed."

"There is a huge pit where gravity hangs upside down, like a passage to hell, a 'bottomless pit'. There are many hell-like monsters that we have never seen before in the pit. There are also some large mercenary groups with us. Because of the monster attack, we suffered heavy casualties. The leader originally wanted to give up the mission, but unexpectedly, the Church issued a death order, requiring us to conduct an in-depth investigation."

"Then, we accidentally discovered a 'big secret'."

The story told by Tea Beard was similar to what Ji Xun had guessed.

That bottomless pit was what he speculated to be the "dead zone" whose news was blocked by the Holy See.

But when he heard the words "gravity upside down", he suddenly realized that the place was a little special.

When Teabeard talked about the "big secret", he stopped with a worried look on his face.

Even though he saw the group of people in front of him still had curious expressions, he still hesitated whether to say it.

He didn't tell a lie just now.

To be honest, everyone in front of me must die!
Seeing this, Qin Rushi raised her eyebrows, as if she had seen through the secret that the other party wanted to hide.

Now is not the time to ink.

After a moment's silence, she interrupted the other party's hesitation and said, "The secret you want to tell is not the death of Emperor Lanlingster and the erased history related to the Dragon God Ayrel?"

"you"

After hearing this, the tea-bearded man turned pale with fear: "How did you know?"

"."

Qin Rushi said this and glanced at Ji Xun out of the corner of his eye.

This historical truth, which is shocking to others, is actually not a big secret to them.

They had deduced it before and had already guessed most of it.

And these are the information that you must know, so it doesn't matter if you just ask directly.

Thinking of this, she asked again: "Then, how did you escape?"

Now the Dead Zone has most likely been blocked by the people of the Holy See. This guy was able to escape alone. This route and the information he possessed were crucial.

This is also what they are in urgent need of now.

Glancing at the cloth bag that Cha Huzi had been trying to hide, Qin Rushi said without beating around the bush, "Also, if possible, I want to buy your information and the things on you. By the way, I want to help you solve the problem of the pursuers."

If I sensed correctly just now, there is a trace of the aura of divine fragments on this guy.

This is exactly the same aura they got from the king cobra's corpse before!
The divine nature cannot be hidden in ordinary storage space.

This is also the reason why this guy has been hunted down.

(End of this chapter)