Chapter Eleven: The Desert Giant Lizard

The setting sun painted the sky with gradients of purple and pale yellow. As the world around him grew darker, Li Ao became increasingly vigilant; nightfall in the desert signaled the arrival of its most dangerous time.

The arrow on the jade pendant still emitted a faint glow, indicating that it was not yet within the effective range of its beacon—its brightness would increase as he got closer. Seeing the dim light, Li Ao knew he wouldn't reach his destination tonight.

He halted and began searching for a suitable place to rest. His eyes soon lit up as he spotted a ready-made rock cave not far away.

Entering the cave, Li Ao carefully inspected his surroundings. After ensuring there were no threats, he lit some insect-repelling incense at the entrance, then settled deep inside the cave, leaning against the inner wall and closing his eyes for a light sleep.

The moon rose high in the sky. The wind had ceased, and under the moonlight, the desert appeared tranquil and peaceful. Beneath the star-studded, deep blue night sky, the landscape offered a beauty that couldn't be found in the city.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble, and sand started to fall inside the cave. A series of rhythmic, thunderous booms shattered the serenity. The sound came from a distance but quickly drew near.

The booming noises woke Li Ao from his light sleep. He crouched low and moved to the entrance of the cave. By the light of the bright moon, he saw a massive shadow rapidly approaching, filling him with a sense of foreboding.

The shadow soon revealed itself in full to Li Ao's eyes—a giant lizard, its entire body covered in scales. Its large, oval eyes seemed small in comparison to its enormous body, making it look even more sharp and ferocious. Its protruding fangs and blade-like claws were clear indicators of its danger.

In this world filled with source energy, even wild beasts had grown fiercer. Some had received the blessing of source energy, innately possessing special abilities, and were collectively known as battle beasts.

Some battle beasts could be tamed as companions, and their source cores were also key materials for crafting and enchantments. Like humans, battle beasts were classified into different tiers based on the strength of their abilities, though high-tier battle beasts were far rarer than high-tier humans.

Gazing at the giant lizard, Li Ao instantly recognized it. It was a Desert Giant Lizard, a battle beast native to the Bamboo Desert, at the Platinum tier. With traces of Western dragon blood, it was larger than typical giant lizards.

It possessed passive abilities like Endurance and Scale Shield, along with active skills such as Trample, Flame Burst, and Earthquake.

Watching the lizard's direction, Li Ao guessed its destination—drawn by the lingering scent of blood from Nine Li City, this powerful Platinum-tier beast had come.

Realizing this, Li Ao wasted no time, quickly retreating deeper into the cave.

Inside the cave, Li Ao clasped his hands together and silently prayed, "Don't notice me, don't notice me."

A Platinum-tier beast was far beyond what a Silver-tier warrior like him could handle.

Yet, as Murphy's Law suggests, if something can go wrong, it will.

Li Ao didn't know that this situation had been summarized by people from another world and named Murphy's Law.

Whether it was from hunger after a long day of running or for some other reason, when the Desert Giant Lizard discovered Li Ao, it chose to follow its primal instinct—to eat.

As the booming footsteps grew quieter, eventually stopping just outside the cave, Li Ao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He knew he couldn't escape, so what else was there to do?

Of course, he would run. Drawing the Xueji sword from his storage ring, Li Ao channeled his source energy and struck at the rear wall of the cave with his sword.

With a loud crash, the rear wall of the cave shattered, revealing a narrow opening just wide enough for a person. Moonlight poured in through the gap.

At that moment, the foul stench of the lizard's breath wafted into the cave, and its large, oval eye appeared just outside the entrance.

There was no time to look back. Li Ao swiftly squeezed through the opening and ran out into the desert.

The giant lizard was still pressing its head into the cave, trying to force its way inside.

Seeing the massive creature struggling to dig its way in, Li Ao found the scene somewhat amusing, though he didn't actually laugh. Instead, he quickly broke into a run, sprinting into the distance.

Soon enough, the cave was reduced to rubble as the lizard's massive head smashed through it.

When it raised its head and shook off the dirt, it saw its prey already far in the distance.

Momentarily dazed, the lizard blinked its large eyes in disbelief, looking almost comically surprised—one might even say it looked "cute" in its own terrifying way.

But the lizard quickly gathered its thoughts, let out a furious roar, and set off in pursuit, running with a speed that seemed impossible for a creature of its size.

The ground rumbled once again, and with its Scale Shield passive ability, the Desert Giant Lizard barreled through all obstacles, smashing even large boulders to pieces.

The distance between the lizard and Li Ao rapidly closed, as if a speeding truck were hurtling toward him.

Seeing the lizard charging at him, Li Ao had no choice but to stop abruptly and change direction.

The lizard's sharp claws grazed his cheek, ripping off a piece of skin and leaving three deep gashes.

Feeling the burning pain on his face, Li Ao gave up on running. There was no way he could outrun it.

Standing his ground, Li Ao raised his sword. He would make this giant lizard pay, show it that the Nine Li Clan's greatest talent was not to be trifled with.

After all, you can't lose your fighting spirit in a battle—that's what his father had taught him.

Thinking of his father, Li Ao fell silent for a moment, tightened his grip on the sword, and vowed silently, "I cannot die here."

Perhaps sensing the resolve of its prey, the Desert Giant Lizard unexpectedly halted its advance.

Under the moonlit desert, the young warrior and the giant lizard faced each other, creating an oddly cinematic, wuxia-like scene.

Just as Li Ao thought he had intimidated the beast with his stance, reality struck him hard.

The Desert Giant Lizard swung its tail, the thick limb whipping toward Li Ao with the speed of a whip, leaving him no time to dodge—their speeds were on completely different levels.

An unstoppable force struck the blade of Xueji, producing a metallic clang that sent Li Ao's entire body flying into the air. The impact left him dizzy and disoriented, his internal organs bruised and damaged. A mouthful of iron-tasting blood surged up his throat and spilled from the corners of his mouth.

Propping himself up with his sword, the young warrior glared at the massive lizard, his expression growing more ferocious and determined. The source energy within him surged rapidly, and a spectral image of Xueji appeared above the Desert Giant Lizard's head, crashing down with immense force.

This was the Knight's basic skill—Punishment!

The lizard was momentarily stunned, but it was just that—a momentary daze. Punishment only left a faint white mark on its forehead, failing to break through the Platinum-tier beast's formidable defenses.

Li Ao did not lose heart. He raised Xueji, and a spectral dragon materialized behind him.

Dragon Knight Secret Technique—Dragon Battle in the Wild.

The dragon's shadow coiled around Li Ao, boosting his aura. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he gripped the white sword tightly and charged at the giant beast. This was his last stand.

With the amplification from Dragon Battle in the Wild, Li Ao darted and weaved around the giant lizard, striking at its armored scales with Xueji. Despite the vast difference in their levels, the legendary weapon managed to leave shallow cuts on the lizard's tough hide.

The lizard snorted, releasing a hissing sound as white mist poured from its nostrils. It was enraged, and the consequences of its anger were severe.

The ground began to shake violently, the desert turning into a massive, unstable, collapsing landscape, like a giant, poorly-made waterbed constantly shifting and cracking. This was the Desert Giant Lizard's skill—Earthquake.

Li Ao's attack rhythm was disrupted. He was forced to dodge erratically, trying to avoid being thrown off balance or falling into a fissure. Even standing became a challenge.

The lizard bared its fangs, its massive tongue flicking in and out, and a glint of victory shone in its eyes. It raised its enormous right forepaw and stomped down toward Li Ao with terrifying force. This was not just a regular stomp—it was another of its innate skills—Trample!

Li Ao, who had just regained his footing, barely managed to dive to the side. But even as he leapt, the lizard's paw struck the ground, causing a depression and sending a powerful shockwave radiating outward. The blast carried debris and dust, forming a visible wave of force.

The shockwave caught Li Ao in mid-air, hurling him a dozen meters away. He felt as if his entire body was being torn apart. Unable to hold it back any longer, he coughed up a large mouthful of blood.

His body skidded several meters across the ground before coming to a stop, leaving him lying there, coughing violently. The earlier heavy blow from the lizard's tail had already damaged his internal organs and fractured several bones.

Now, after being hit by this powerful shockwave, he had no idea how many of his ribs were broken. Each breath came with a sharp, burning pain, and the whistling sound of air escaping his lungs indicated that they had been punctured.

As the Desert Giant Lizard slowly approached, step by step, Li Ao's mind flashed back to the blood-stained dawn and the ruins of Nine Li City bathed in the morning light. He couldn't die here—he had a great vengeance left to settle.

He struggled to stand, only to be met with even more intense pain and another mouthful of blood.

The lizard flicked its massive tongue as it drew nearer. With each step it took, the ground trembled, the thunderous sound of its footsteps echoing through the quiet desert, sending other creatures fleeing in all directions.

A gust of wind blew by, causing Li Ao's once-tied long hair to fall loose, his face now hidden behind the scattered black strands, obscuring his expression.

The thunderous footsteps halted. The stench of the lizard's breath hit him as it loomed over him, opening its enormous maw wide, saliva dripping from its jaws.

At that moment, Li Ao raised his head. His eyes glowed with a blood-red light, and at the center of his forehead bloomed a blood-colored rose with two petals.

His blood boiled, and his heart pounded violently. Blood-red patterns began to glow on his face, his body, and his hands.

As the lizard opened its mouth wide, Li Ao thrust forward with Xueji, the sword he had never let go of.

A cross-shaped slash flickered on the blade of Xueji.

Knight's basic skill—Cross Slash!

The bright blade pierced straight into the lizard's gaping maw.

The lizard's eyes widened in surprise. But it was only a moment of surprise; there was no panic in its gaze. In fact, its large, oval eyes even gleamed with a hint of mockery.

Sparks began to flicker deep within the lizard's throat.

Quickly, the sparks ignited, growing into a blazing fire. A searing flame burst forth from the lizard's mouth.

The Desert Giant Lizard's innate skill—Flame Burst!