Chapter 88: The Mysterious Figure

"What is happening?"

No one was more frantic than Jiang Zhengqing. A strange sense of crisis gripped his heart. As he stared at the mass of black mist before him, it felt like he was looking at an omen of death.

As the passage continued to shrink, Jiang Zhengqing could feel his connection to the Ancient Forbidden Land being severed by some unknown force.

In the final moment before the image vanished completely, they all saw the sky above the forbidden land.

There, in the endless void, a pair of massive, blood-red eyes slowly opened.

The Phantom Python had incredible stamina. Lin Yun had to admit, even after being severely wounded, the creature's explosive power was still terrifying.

As he was being dragged along by the python, he had, of course, seen the passage that appeared behind him. It had been forcefully opened by Jiang Zhengqing and the others. But what Lin Yun hadn't expected was that the moment the passage appeared, a thick black mist had materialized around it, clinging to the entrance like a viscous liquid. The passage itself was rapidly shrinking.

Lin Yun saw a broken sword—it was the other half of the one from the python's mouth. It was emitting a red glow and slowly flying eastward. As the glow intensified, the protective power of the Origin Realm seemed to weaken.

"Does opening the passage cause the Origin Realm to weaken?" Lin Yun muttered to himself. It seemed it wasn't a matter of the protection fading after a month. Rather, the moment they tried to pull him out, all the safeguards of the Origin Realm became useless.

As he suspected, their true target was him.

But Lin Yun didn't worry too much. For now, his attention was completely focused on the Phantom Python. The beast's stamina was truly impressive; it had dragged him all the way outside the Origin Realm. Although he had been told it was safe inside the Origin Realm, seeing the passage close, Lin Yun knew he could no longer return the way he came.

Since that was the case, he might as well try a different approach.

He would head directly for the Chaos Forbidden Land.

He had already fought his way through all the beasts in the Origin Realm; they no longer posed any real threat to him. He couldn't be bothered with them anymore. As for getting out, he no longer believed Jiang Zhengqing could help. Since even the system called this a fated death-calamity, it seemed he could only rely on his own efforts to solve the problem. If he managed to escape, that would be for the best.

But for now, the half-sword-hilt was far more important.

The Phantom Python probably never imagined this human would be so tenacious. Even after leaving the Origin Realm, it didn't stop. It was heading in the direction of the Nether-Ghost Dense Forest. This, as it happened, coincided with Lin Yun's own decision. Heading this way was a good route to the Chaos Forbidden Land. He was quite curious to see what interesting creatures awaited him there.

After an unknown amount of time, the Phantom Python finally failed to shake Lin Yun, having exhausted itself to the point of collapse. Coupled with its already severe injuries, it now lay on the ground, half-dead.

Lin Yun made sure the beast no longer had the strength to resist. Only then did he cautiously approach its head and use his Coldflame Sword to pry open its massive jaws. A foul stench assaulted his nostrils.

Forcing himself to endure the腥臭 (xīngchòu - fishy and rotten) smell, Lin Yun channeled his Yuan Qi and summoned the other half of the broken sword. Soon, the hilt flew out. It was enveloped in a formless energy, spotlessly white and immaculate.

Just then, Lin Yun sensed something.

In a flash, he leaped into a nearby tree and held his breath. He was no longer in the Origin Realm. This was the true Ancient Forbidden Land, and the beasts here were far more difficult to deal with than he had imagined.

Lin Yun could hear footsteps coming from the forest. A short while later, he saw a mysterious figure, completely shrouded in a large black cloak, appear.

The figure approached the Phantom Python and first inspected it from a distance. After confirming there was no danger, it drew closer. Seeing the python's grievous injuries, the figure seemed to be pondering how it had happened.

Beads of sweat formed on Lin Yun's forehead. He didn't know what this thing was, but based on the aura it emanated, this mysterious figure would be an extremely difficult opponent. This was a dangerous one.

Lin Yun took a deep breath. He understood better than anyone how precarious his situation was. If this mysterious figure discovered his presence, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Fortunately, the mysterious figure didn't linger for long. After confirming that the Phantom Python was on the verge of death, the figure performed some simple processing, then killed the python and took a portion of its flesh.

Though it was a bit of a pity to lose the kill, Lin Yun could do nothing. It seemed the exotic beasts in the Ancient Forbidden Land had undergone special changes; even eating their flesh could significantly increase one's own power.

As the mysterious figure was leaving, it glanced around. Its gaze swept casually over Lin Yun's location. Although it didn't see him, Lin Yun got a good look at it.

Those crimson eyes sent a chill straight down his spine.

He had heard long ago that some exotic beasts could cultivate into a human form, but whether this mysterious figure was one of them was not something he could determine right now. However, he knew that this matter was not as simple as he had thought.

After the mysterious figure left, Lin Yun came down from the tree and also took some of the Phantom Python's flesh. Although the beast was highly venomous, its toxins were strangely all concentrated in a single poison sac. The meat itself was actually quite rich and delicious.

After doing this, Lin Yun departed in a hurry, continuing east. The Chaos Forbidden Land lay ahead. He had no idea what he would encounter on the way.

For the next day, Lin Yun traveled while regulating his energy. The battle with the Phantom Python had been a great gain. Now that his strength had increased, he needed to consolidate his realm. He encountered one or two Origin Sea Realm beasts along the way, but they weren't particularly troublesome and were quickly dispatched.

However, as Lin Yun drew closer to the Chaos Forbidden Land, he could feel the pressure mounting. The beasts he faced were growing stronger, and their characteristics were diverging more and more from the records in the Compendium of Mountains and Seas.

"The exotic beasts near the Chaos Forbidden Land are mutating," he mused. "Is it the influence of the forbidden land itself? Or is this just what happens in this area? Will I be affected as well?"

He thought back to the mysterious figure he had encountered a few days ago.

Those red eyes.

Even now, the memory of them filled him with terror.