Chapter 320 - Foggy Swamp, Part One

“Good! Very good!” Chen Fan laughed and clapped in satisfaction as he looked at the pool of blood and bits of flesh.

The Northern Star Reaper Hand’s power was simply terrifying.

Qi Yun and Meng Chong were both on the leaderboard. Although they weren’t ranked too high up, hovering around the forties and fifties, their power was undeniable.

Alongside them, He Changzai, the unibrow youth, and the other genius disciples from the two sects had launched a joint attack on Chen Fan. In the face of an offense like that, even monsters within the top twenty of the leaderboard could do nothing but dodge.

Nevertheless, they all fell victim to Chen Fan's devastating palm strike, a testament to the sheer power of the Northern Star Reaper Hand.

“As expected of an earth tier martial skill.” Chen Fan sighed.

The Northern Star Reaper Hand’s power was extraordinary but also a burdensome skill.

Not even Chen Fan, with his robust reserve of primeval force, could execute it more than a few times. Currently, he could only keep it as a method to save his life; he couldn’t use it carelessly.

It would be troublesome if he exhausted his primeval force and failed to kill his enemy.

After dusting off his clothes, Chen Fan strode out of the palace, his steps purposeful.

Roaming through the ancient city, he occasionally explored other ancient palaces, hoping to get lucky and pick up some scraps.

Yet, to his disappointment, he found them already plundered by others. So, he left the ancient city, flying west.

The vast Nebulous Mysterious Realm offered plenty of opportunities for treasure seekers. Aside from great strength, whether one could obtain the treasures depended on luck.

If one were lucky, they would find a treasure without going far, while others, less fortunate, might leave empty-handed even after weeks within the mysterious realm.

Two hours later, Chen Fan found himself in a huge swamp, surrounded by bubbling gray pools and towering, unfamiliar trees. Occasionally, he could even hear eerie hisses.

𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Chen Fan looked around and caught sight of a gray lump of earth about fifty steps away.

In the middle of the lump was a small stalk of grass covered in silver scales, with a hint of golden light at its top. The surface of its leaves was covered in silver rings, emitting delicate lights.

“Golden-Capped Silver Ring Grass!”

“Good stuff.” Chen Fan revealed a look of joy.

These grasses were scarce, as they only grew on the corpses of Golden-Capped Silver Ring Snakes. This type of snake was considered an ancient species with a hint of dragon bloodline.

The Golden-Capped Silver Ring Grass absorbed the essence of a Golden-Capped Silver Ring Snake, especially that hint of dragon bloodline to grow. It could stimulate the bloodline of martial artists and strengthen their physique.

Chen Fan had recast his body with dragon blood, so he already had the bloodline of a Rain Dragon.

Consuming the stalk would further amplify the power of Chen Fan's bloodline. That would enhance his physique and propel his Myriad Elephants Divine Art to the peak of the ninth layer.

Without hesitation, Chen Fan gestured with his hand, summoning a strand of primeval force that gently lifted the Golden-Capped Silver Ring Grass from its earthy bed and into his grasp.

However, before he could take a closer look at the herb, the lump of earth unexpectedly shifted. Its surface split open, and a ghastly light gathered and locked onto him.

“Hmm?”

Perplexed, Chen Fan watched as the lump disintegrated, revealing a savage beast resembling an alligator.

Splash!

The alligator-like demon beast broke out of the water. It was huge, over ten meters long, and carried a strong, corrosive demonic qi. It pounced at Chen Fan; its jaws, bristling with razor-sharp teeth, seemed ready to tear apart Chen Fan.

Chen Fan calmly countered with a powerful punch.

Clang!

The impact reverberated; unexpectedly, it only sent the alligator demon beast flying several meters back. The beast still looked uninjured.

“Die!”

Undeterred, Chen Fan unleashed another punch, this time channeling his cultivation. His clothes billowed as his aura surged, and he delivered another punch akin to a cannonball.

Poof chi!

This punch killed the alligator demon beast, and its fresh blood dyed the swamp red.

Chen Fan retrieved its demon core and threw it into his mouth along with the Golden-Capped Silver Ring Grass, circulating his qi and refining them.

A brilliant light shot out from Chen Fan’s eyes about a quarter-hour later. His aura grew a little stronger, and his strength progressed a step further.

His figure flashed, and he advanced deeper into the swamp.

Before he could get far, danger reared its head once more.

A flock of eerie avian creatures—resembling snakes with wings—emerged from the colossal trees rooted in the swamp. They let out shrill cries, which was also a mental attack, as they rushed toward Chen Fan from all directions.

“Undefeated King’s Fist!”

Six arms appeared at Chen Fan’s back, gathering tremendous force to deliver powerful blows. Waves of qi swept out like monstrous tides, blowing up those strange birds and leaving only their demon cores behind.

“As expected of an ancient sect’s trial ground. The environment is preserved in its ancient state, and the demon beasts are also from ancient times. They are so ferocious that they would be kings outside.”

Chen Fan had already walked around for an hour, but he still couldn’t see the end of the swamp area.

As he moved about, countless ancient demon beasts tried to ambush him.

Earlier, a calf-sized snail demon beast spewed sticky fluid at Chen Fan. Not only was this fluid like super glue, but it also had a strong corrosive attribute.

If Chen Fan hadn’t reacted quickly and dodged, his flesh would have corroded. Despite his tough physique, he would have been riddled with bloody holes.

This swamp was full of dangers.

Chen Fan climbed a tree for a vantage point. He saw a flat land about a thousand steps to the front and side.

He flew over to the flat land and found a broken stone monument. The characters engraved on it had already turned blurry. Before the monument was an iron rod; someone had stabbed it into the ground. A little over a meter of the rod stuck out of the ground.

“Hmm.” Chen Fan’s eyes lit up. He reached out and grabbed the iron rod, pulling on it forcefully.

Boom!

Suddenly, crimson flames rose into the air and burned the big tree at the side. Soon, nothing was left of them.

Chen Fan realized that the rod was actually a black iron spear.

It was two hundred and thirty centimeters long, adorned with intricate spiral patterns along its body.

The spear blade had four edges, with a groove between each edge. At a glance, one could even mistake it as a spiral flame burning at the tip of an iron rod.

“Good stuff. This should be a Grade-4 item, right?”

Chen Fan could sense the searing heat emanating from the spear. Even a slight activation of its aura would unleash flames so fierce that they could engulf the surrounding lands for hundreds of miles. Its power far surpassed that of his Nightless sword.

“Good. My Heaven Piercing Spear is condensed from my primeval force. Its hardness is only equivalent to an exceptional quality Grade-2 treasure, so someone at the ninth level can break it. I can use this iron spear from now on!

Chen Fan grinned. Afterward, he shook his arm and stabbed out fiercely with the iron spear.

Rumble!

The air ruptured as the spear sliced through it and carved a deep gash into the flat terrain ahead.

“Good, very good. It’s easy to use.”

Chen Fan nodded in satisfaction, ready to stow away the spear. However, a faint rustle in the surroundings caught his attention. Moments later, several figures approached, their eyes gleaming with greed.