Chapter 21 - His Reverse Scale – A Disguise??
[You've entered the Flame Frost Abyss]
[Due to the low altitude in the Flame Frost Abyss → all your stats will be reduced by 30%.]
[You'll lose 3HP every 1 second in the Flame Frost Abyss]
Malik looked up to see a python staring at him. A python whose body was so gigantic that they would have to combine 30 of him, both in height and length.
The breathing of the python was scattering the red moss on the floor.
Malik was kneeling on the floor, his body totally covered with blood as the cold in the Flame Frost Abyss seeped into his bones.
Everywhere was freezing... Even the python was like a monster carved out of ice itself.
"Where's she?" Malik asked the monster, whose gaze never left his body.
"What insolence? A lowly being such as you questioning me?"
"I said, where's she?" Malik asked once again, this time his aura flaring out—the aura of a Stage 1 Body Refinement Realm Cultivator.
"How dare you threaten me with such a pathetic aura... I'll show you the power of a 1000-year-old being," the python said, then breathed out loudly as white glacial smoke poured from her mouth, engulfing Malik's entire body...
This lasted for 10 seconds, and when it ended, the python was surprised to see Malik still on his knees—but this time, his black eyes were directly piercing into her green eyes.
Who is this Adventurer?
"You've touched my reverse scale... You won't live to tell the tale..." Malik cried out as his aura surged once again, this time far stronger than before, as he leapt high into the air.
[King of Nuturer passive has been triggered. Spiritual Energy has been enhanced by 200%]
[Spiritual Energy has reached quota for unlocking the full potential of the Black Lightning Art]
[Description: What is art? How can you create art?]
"Black Lightning Art – First Form!" Malik cried out loudly while in the air.
[You've consumed 5,000 spiritual energy to create an art]
Malik heard the system notification as lightning surged out of his body, coalescing into a large, mighty black sword, glistening with nothing but lightning...
"Sword of the Abyss – Necro Slash!" Malik cried out loudly as he descended, bringing the blade down on the head of the python, slicing clean through and devouring all its health points until it dropped to zero.
Malik landed on the other side as his body gave in, causing him to fall to the floor with a loud thud—echoed by the collapsing body of the python.
He had killed a 1000-year-old monster, one at level 40 with 8000 HP, with just one strike.
They had truly touched his reverse scale.
---
[You've killed the Hidden Boss of the Flame Frost Abyss]
[You've conquered the Flame Frost Event and gained access to every lair]
[You've earned 1,000,000 contribution points]
[You've broken through]
[You've broken through]
[You've broken through]
[You've broken through]
CP → 1000/600,000
[Congratulations for stepping into the fifth stage of the Body Refinement Realm]
[Alert! Alert! Due to you completely depleting your spiritual energy and the constant loss of blood]
[Your body can't handle your current state and will explode in 2 minutes]
The system notification reached Malik's ears as he lay there, unable to move. His body had fallen into a state of paralysis—he couldn't even move a finger.
"The python has really lived for 1000 years... To think I'd earn a million CP for killing it. But why didn't I earn any Spiritual Energy?"
"Is it because the first form of the Black Lightning Art depleted all my Spiritual Energy—and now my body is going to explode..."
"My King." Malik's eyes widened when he heard that same familiar voice again from where he lay. He couldn't move, but he managed to turn his head to see a female silhouette walking toward him. The silhouette was clad in a white robe, exuding an aura of elegance.
"Gracious... Gracious..." Malik forced the words out of his throat as the female silhouette knelt before him.
"Malik... I've been waiting for you since..." Her voice came again, and all of Malik's body couldn't help but tremble.
"Is it four years already?" Malik asked as he tried to reach for her, and she nodded while he placed his hand on her arm.
"Yes... I've searched everywhere for you. I've met with everyone but no one knew your whereabouts. That's why I came here for you. Come with me... I have a way out of this place," the female said to Malik.
"How?"
"There's no time to explain... Just come with me."
"But I can't move..." Malik replied truthfully.
"Okay, wait a few seconds," she said, then twirled her hand in the air. A kind of aura swirled around her fingers. She did that for some seconds before directing her hand toward Malik's forehead, and he grabbed it instantly. The way he moved even surprised himself.
"What? Malik, what are you doing?"
"I knew killing a 1000-year-old monster wouldn't be as easy as chopping wood—even with my last boost of spiritual energy."
"And to think that I didn't earn any spiritual energy from killing the Frost Python..."
"Let go of me, Malik... You're hurting me!" the female silhouette cried out, and Malik's eyes twitched.
"You're still pretending to be her... I've seen through your disguise. You're the spiritual energy of the Frost Python."
"The spiritual energy that has been separated from her body. In order to lure me down here, you tapped deep into my memories and disguised yourself as the person I love the most. Although I've killed your body, you're not truly dead..."
"After devouring me, you're going to merge back with your body—and your power will increase tremendously... That's the true power of the Frost Python: the cultivation art of disguise."
"So what if you saw through my art of disguise? Your body will explode in less than 30 seconds anyway... It's my win..." The silhouette chuckled as her body began to turn transparent—but then, a smile formed on Malik's face.
"I'm unlike every Adventurer that you've pulled into this lair. I'm a Cultivator..." Malik said, and the eyes of the Frost Python widened.
A cultivator... No wonder his aura felt different... I have to... I have to...
Before the Frost Python could react, Malik had opened his mouth and devoured her whole. He devoured all the spiritual energy that had been cultivated for 1000 years within a second—when the severed head of the Frost Python on the floor let out a roar, as if unwilling. Its entire body disintegrated, leaving behind only a white core.
[You've consumed the Spiritual Energy of the 1000-year-old Frost Python]
[Your spiritual energy has been greatly enhanced]
[Your body is now in a stable condition]
"Stable condition, huh? I still need more than that..." Malik said to himself as he picked up the white core left behind by the Frost Python.
"In the Western Region, monster cores helped me achieve a breakthrough. I hope it works..." Malik said, then consumed the core at once.
[You've consumed the core of the Frost Python]
[All your inner system has been corroded by Frost energy]
[Your body is currently freezing]
[You're estimated to freeze to death in 1 minute]