From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 411 Fighting a Powerful Enemy to Welcome the Dawn

Yes, I just cracked that tricky node. It felt like fighting a raging hydra, and I barely managed to win.

I slumped there, panting heavily, sweat plastering my hair to my forehead, my robe feeling heavier than lead.

But what about that fleeting sense of relief?

Like a snowball in a volcano, it vanishes in an instant.

Before I could even savor the wonderful feeling of no longer being torn to shreds by magical traps, the atmosphere in this place took a sharp turn for the worse.

It really took a sharp turn for the worse.

The air, which had just calmed down, suddenly became thick and heavy again, pressing down on me with an ancient, decaying, and strange feeling.

Moreover, it reeked of a foul stench, like an ancient tomb, and had a faint metallic smell, perhaps from dried blood.

Uh.

"Xiao Yao!"

A roar ripped through the sky, echoing between the invisible walls of this damned magic array.

This was not a distant echo, but a roar filled with anger, unsettlingly close.

I jerked my head up, ignoring the excruciating pain in my muscles, and struggled to my feet.

About fifty paces away, just outside the area where I had just calmed down, floated a blood shadow, or blood spirit, whatever that annoying guy called himself.

Let me tell you, "anger" is not even a sufficient word to describe his state.

His usually pale face turned an unsightly purplish-red, and the veins on his temples bulged.

His usually shifty and annoying eyes were now staring at me fiercely, filled with pure, undisguised anger, and... something else.

Perhaps it was greed?

Or perhaps despair?

It's possible that both are true.

"You think you're something special just because you broke a tiny node, you little bug?" He spat, his voice full of venom.

"You think you can just swagger in and steal my treasure?"

His baby?

That's wishful thinking.

I remember it clearly: the ancient immortal abode would not issue any ownership certificates to random killers.

But arguing with him is pointless.

People like him only know one language, and usually their only weapons are fists or sharp objects.

Before I could even retort with a few sharp words, he did something... strange.

He tilted his head back and uttered a series of shrill incantations that I couldn't understand; they were both unpleasant and jarring.

As he chanted the incantation, he suddenly clasped his hands together, not in prayer, but as if squeezing something unseen.

Black, greasy runes began to swirl around him, seeping into every part of the remaining energy field of the magic circle.

The ground beneath my feet began to tremble.

It wasn't the shaking of an earthquake; it was more like a deep, resonant buzzing sound that went right into my bones, making my teeth vibrate.

The strange, glowing lines and the shadows cast by the crystals that made up this ridiculous magic circle in the corner of the room began to... move.

It's not flickering, but rather gathering and deepening, like pools of ink splashed and blending together.

A deep roar echoed, seemingly coming from all directions, yet also seemingly from nowhere.

This is not the sound of any wild animal I know.

It was deeper, more ancient, filled with a dormant malice that made the hairs on my arms stand on end.

Although the previous battle left me still feeling warm, I still got goosebumps all over.

This...this is no longer just a matter of blood essence.

What did he do?

He triggered something within the magic circle.

The "mysterious power" mentioned in the intelligence report?

Yes, I'm pretty sure it just woke up, and it's not an early riser.

The gathering shadows continued to expand, surging and twisting like a dark tide.

It quickly took shape, and a huge monster appeared before my eyes.

It resembled a wild beast, about ten feet tall at the shoulders, its entire body covered in ever-changing black smoke and sharp edges, like solidified nightmare material.

Within that swirling black shadow, two malevolent red lights shone—eyes, burning with cold fury.

Dark tentacles lashed and swung wildly around it, leaving trails of cold energy in the air.

It has no hair or scales, only a constantly changing, smoky texture that seems to absorb light.

"Hehe...hehehe..." Xueying chuckled, a disgusting and smug sound.

"You've angered the guardian spirit of the magic circle, you fool! It had been sleeping, waiting... but your meddling has awakened it! Now, let's see how you deal with this!"

The shadowy monster roared again, a sound like a mixture of stone rubbing and cloth tearing, and then pounced.

Wow, it's so fast!

One second it was still taking shape, and the next second it turned into a blurry, black, dead shadow that rushed towards me.

I barely had time to dodge to the side, and clumsily rolled across the area of ​​ground I had cleared, where there were slightly fewer traps.

Where I had just been standing, the shadowy claws slammed down, carving deep furrows into the ancient stone.

The impact made the ground tremble.

I struggled to my feet, my heart pounding between my ribs like a trapped bird.

Okay, take a deep breath, Xiao Yao.

Panic won't help.

It was large and ferocious, exuding an aura of evil.

Understood.

But before I could come up with a backup plan, Blood Hero decided to join the battle.

“Try this, you brat!” he shrieked, his wrist twitching.

A crimson light shot out from his hand—not a spell, but some kind of magical artifact, perhaps a whip or a chain, moving too fast to be seen.

It exploded in my ears like lightning.

I instinctively recoiled, and its sharp tip grazed my cheek, leaving a stinging burn mark.

The air was faintly filled with ozone and... well, the smell of blood.

So charming.

So, this is their battle plan.

The enormous, terrifying shadow monsters take the lead in the attack, while the crazed blood man provides annoying ranged support.

It's amazing.

The monster lunged at me again, its gaping maw a swirling vortex of shadow, a harbinger of destruction.

I dodged and weaved through its clumsy but powerful attacks, channeling my spiritual energy into my feet to gain instantaneous speed.

But dodging the monster put me right in the Blood Spirit's attack range.

A series of dark energy projectiles hissed past the spot where I had just been.

A tooth grazed my shoulder, and it felt like a scalding hot poker piercing through my clothes and skin.

"Ah!" I gritted my teeth, endured the pain, and staggered.

That moment of hesitation was exactly what the monster needed.

A huge, smoky claw struck my side, sending me flying like a rag doll.

I crashed into the edge of the cleaned area, the impact leaving me breathless, and as I slammed heavily onto my arm, I heard a disgusting "crack" sound.

I saw stars.

A sharp, piercing pain struck.

My vision blurred.

I tasted the metallic flavor of copper in my mouth.

blood.

Awesome.

"Still alive?" Xue Ying sneered, slowly approaching, the blood-red whip coiling around his arm like a venomous snake.

"It's quite resilient. That makes me feel even more satisfied to crush you."

The shadowy monster slowly approached me, its red eyes fixed on me, radiating the pure hunger of a predator.

I tried to prop myself up, my left arm screaming in protest.

broken.

It's definitely broken.

Damn it, damn it, I really deserve to die.

"Xiao Yao!" I heard a distant shout.

Is it Fairy Lin?

It sounded like her voice, with a tense, terrified quality.

"Hold on!" That sounded like Master Qingfeng, that old man.

"We have to go save her!" Is it Zi Ling? Maybe.

I risked glancing at the main edge of the magic circle.

Yes, they were there—Qingfeng, Ziling, and even Elder Xuanfeng and Fairy Lin.

They looked panicked, trying to find a way through the rotating energy that still separated us, but it was like hitting a brick wall.

The power channeled by the shadow monster and the blood spirit seemed to have strengthened the outer barrier, keeping them out.

Let them shout all they want, throw spells at that flickering wall, but they just can't reach me.

Their faces were full of worry and frustration.

I think it's nice to know that people care about me, even if they're as useless as a screen on a spaceship right now.

"Don't waste your energy!" Xueying chuckled, clearly enjoying their helplessness.

“This place is mine now! And she… she’s just the first obstacle to be cleared.”

He brandished his whip again.

I rolled around desperately, the excruciating pain spreading down my broken arm, dust and grit scraping against my already abraded skin.

The whip lashed the floor where my head had just been.

too close.

too close.

The monster charged again.

I used my good legs to push off the ground and desperately crawled backward, trying to keep my distance from it.

My robe is now torn in several places, and my arms and legs are covered with painful wounds.

Blood dripped from my shoulder, warm and sticky, making the already filthy fabric even darker.

My head was buzzing.

I tried to cast a defensive barrier, a simple light shield, but my attention had already wandered.

Pain, fatigue, dwindling spiritual energy... all of these began to manifest.

The shield shimmered faintly, more of a pale yellow than a dazzling gold, and shattered almost instantly with a casual blow from the monster.

Okay, the defense isn't working.

What about attacking?

I hastily conjured a fireball—one of my most frequently used simple spells.

It struck the monster squarely in the chest... and then vanished like steam into its smoky body, having served no purpose whatsoever.

Okay, so elemental attacks are useless.

So what works against a guardian spirit that is purely composed of shadow and malice?

My mind feels foggy and I'm not reacting well.

Blood Ying didn't let me go.

He launched a barrage of attacks—energy darts, soul-devouring whispers trying to burrow into my mind, and more lashes from that damned whip.

I can only dodge by instinct now, and my movements have become slow and clumsy.

Each time I dodged, I wasted my precious energy, which I had little left.

I was panting heavily, my breathing rapid.