The Misty Swamp lives up to its name.
The thick, grayish-white fog seemed to have a life of its own, so viscous that it was almost impossible to dissolve, reducing visibility to less than three meters.
Even more terrifying is that this fog seems to isolate perception, compressing even Lin Yi's [Time and Space Dominator] super-strong perception range to the extreme.
"Thump!"
"Ah—help!"
The ground beneath their feet collapsed without warning, catching several elite members of the "Judgment" guild off guard as they cried out and plunged into the deep, dark chasm below.
"Space-time lock!" A golden light flashed in Lin Yi's eyes as he reacted with extreme speed.
An invisible force of spacetime instantly spread out, like a strong rope, binding seven or eight falling team members and pulling them back from the brink of collapse.
However, three team members were unable to be pulled back in time because they were too far away or were in the center of the collapse. Their screams were quickly swallowed by the darkness and they were silenced.
"Damn it!" Long Wu's face turned ashen. One of his trusted men was among the three who had gone missing.
The other rescued team members were still in shock, panting heavily, and their eyes were filled with gratitude for surviving the ordeal when they looked at Lin Yi.
"The spatial structure here is extremely unstable; gravity and direction can change at any time! Everyone, concentrate!" Lin Yi shouted in a deep voice, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority.
He glanced at everyone and emphasized again, "Chu Yao, activate the holographic terrain scan and prioritize marking spatial anomalies! Long Wu, you lead the Dragon Soul team to clear the way, watch your step! The rest of you, maintain combat formation and cover each other!"
"Yes!" everyone responded in unison. The slight rift that had been caused by Su Qing was temporarily forcibly mended in the face of life-or-death crisis.
The team moved forward cautiously, each step feeling like walking on a knife's edge.
"Three meters to the left front, space is distorted, suspected to be a small spatial rift!" Chu Yao's clear voice rang out in the communication channel, and a red warning mark appeared on everyone's tactical goggles.
Long Wu immediately ordered his troops to take a detour.
"Hiss hiss hiss—"
In the thick fog, several dark green venomous arrows shot out like arrows, heading straight for the flank of the team.
"Watch out!" a shield warrior roared, raising his massive shield. "Shield Wall!"
"Bang bang bang!" The venom corroded the shield, emitting a pungent, acrid smell.
"It's 'swamp lizards'! There are quite a few!" an archer exclaimed, having already locked onto the enemy using special reconnaissance arrows.
The battle erupted instantly.
These swamp lizards are not only agile, but their venom is also incredibly potent; once it comes into contact with a target, it will rapidly weaken all of the target's attributes.
Long Wu roared, his body radiating golden light. "True Dragon Power, Break!" He threw a punch, and the golden dragon-shaped energy roared, blasting away a poisonous lizard that was pouncing on him.
However, the venomous lizards were numerous, constantly emerging from the dense fog from all directions, fearless of death.
"Healers, keep up! Mages, control them!" Lin Yi commanded as he waved his hand, creating several "spatial barriers" that temporarily blocked some of the poisonous lizards' attacks.
Just when everyone thought they could catch their breath, the ground shook again!
"Boom!"
A gigantic monster, the size of a truck and covered in thick mud and decaying plants, slowly crawled out from the depths of the swamp.
It has no eyes, only a huge mouth full of sharp teeth, which spews out a nauseating, foul-smelling mist with every breath.
"It's...it's the 'Swamp Devourer'! A Lord-level monster!" a team member cried out in despair.
This swamp devourer was clearly much stronger than the previous poisonous lizard. It suddenly opened its huge mouth, and a terrifying suction force came. Several team members lost their footing and screamed as they were sucked into that blood-red maw!
"Not good!" Lin Yi's pupils shrank, and he was about to use "Time Freeze".
Just then, Su Qing, who had been silent all along, suddenly moved!
A dark blue energy, completely different from the "Infinite" system, surged from her body. She clenched her hands and chanted incantations, and mysterious runes materialized in the air in front of her.
"Bind!" Su Qing shouted softly.
The dark blue runes instantly transformed into chains, precisely binding the swamp devourer's gaping maw and rapidly spreading across its entire body, forcefully interrupting its about-to-be-activated devouring skill!
The team members who were being pulled in managed to regain their balance and escaped death.
"What kind of power is this?" Long Wu was dumbfounded. The power system that Su Qing displayed was completely beyond his comprehension.
Even Lin Yi glanced at her slightly. Su Qing's power seemed to be different from any energy he had ever encountered before, carrying a trace of ancient and mysterious aura.
"Roar!" The Swamp Devourer roared in pain, clearly not expecting that this seemingly weak woman could restrain it.
"Now! Focus fire on its abdomen, that's its weak point!" Su Qing's cold voice rang out, pointing out the monster's vital spot.
As if waking from a dream, everyone unleashed a barrage of skills on the swamp devourer's soft belly.
"Blade of Time and Space!" Lin Yi seized the opportunity and unleashed a series of exquisitely refined spatial blades.
Under Su Qing's bizarre restraints and the combined fire of the crowd, the powerful Swamp Devourer let out a mournful cry of resentment and collapsed with a crash.
With the crisis temporarily averted, everyone's gaze towards Su Qing became complicated.
There was surprise, gratitude, and also a deeper sense of apprehension.
Long Wu opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he just groaned and turned his head away.
Clearly, Su Qing's intervention saved everyone and shook his prejudices, but his long-standing vigilance could not be eliminated overnight.
"Thank you." Lin Yi walked up to Su Qing and sincerely thanked her.
He could sense that Su Qing's aura was somewhat weak after using that power, indicating that she had clearly expended a lot of energy.
Su Qing shook her head, her face somewhat pale: "It's my duty."
"Master," Chu Yao's voice rang out in Lin Yi's mind at just the right moment, "I have conducted a preliminary analysis of the energy fluctuations that Miss Su Qing used just now. Its composition does not match any of the energy systems we currently know, but a trace of its characteristics is somewhat similar to the description of the 'Remnant Clan' in my database. According to the incomplete records, the 'Remnant Clan' seems to be the remnants of a certain advanced civilization in ancient times. They possess unique 'source energy,' and... their mission seems to be related to preventing some kind of doomsday prophecy."
"The Divine Legacy Clan? Doomsday Prophecy?" Lin Yi's heart stirred. Could this be related to the "Civilization Trial" that Xuan Mingzi mentioned, or even the so-called "Ragnarok" agreement?
He looked at Su Qing, his eyes filled with a deeper meaning.
It seems that this woman's identity is more complicated than he imagined.
Her purpose may not be as simple as espionage.
The group continued forward. Thanks to Su Qing's previous demonstration of skill and her keen perception of certain dangers, they avoided several deadly traps and their progress increased significantly.
However, this good fortune did not last long.
As they passed through a mushroom forest emitting an eerie glow, the fog ahead suddenly turned pitch black, and a chilling, malevolent aura swept over them.
"Hehehehe..."
A chilling and arrogant laugh came from all directions, as if countless vengeful spirits were whispering.
"This feeling... is Night Owl!" Lin Yi's eyes suddenly sharpened.
From the pitch-black fog, twisted figures slowly emerged. Leading them was Night Owl!
At this moment, Night Owl's aura was even colder and more powerful than before. He was surrounded by dense shadow energy, his eyes flashed with scarlet light, and a cruel smile hung on his lips.
"Lin Yi, we meet again. Did you think you could escape me by fleeing into this 'Misty Swamp'? How naive!" Night Owl's voice was hoarse and grating. "I've prepared a grand gift to welcome you!"
As he finished speaking, the twisted figures behind him roared in unison, unleashing a powerful energy surge that was even stronger than the swamp devourers they had encountered before!
“Shadow Guards…and they’re enhanced Shadow Guards!” Long Wu’s expression changed drastically. He could feel the terrifying pressure emanating from these Shadow Guards.
“Not only that.” Night Owl licked his lips, a glint of madness flashing in his eyes. “To ensure absolute success, I’ve also activated the ‘Shadow Erosion Domain’! Within this domain, my Shadow Guards will gain immortality, while you… will experience true despair!”
Before he finished speaking, the surrounding black mist suddenly accelerated and surged, forming a huge black dome that completely enveloped Lin Yi and the others.
An invisible pressure descended upon everyone's heart, as if even their souls were being eroded by this darkness.
The crisis has escalated again!
Lin Yi took a deep breath, and the power of the [Time and Space Dominator] surged within his body.
He watched as Night Owl and his enhanced Shadow Guards approached step by step, his eyes showing no fear, only an unwavering fighting spirit.
"Trying to make us despair? Night Owl, you're in for a disappointment." Lin Yi's voice was calm, yet carried an unwavering force.
Chu Yao, standing beside him, had her eyes flashing rapidly with data, already beginning to analyze the characteristics of the "Shadow Erosion Domain".
Su Qing silently stood to Lin Yi's left, a faint, ethereal blue aura emanating from her once more. Her eyes were resolute: "This time, I will not be manipulated by anyone again. If it's war, then let's fight!"
Long Wu and the others also brandished their weapons and took up battle formation. Despite the strength of the enemy, Lin Yi's composure and Su Qing's statement ignited their fighting spirit.
Night Owl looked at Lin Yi and the others, who were standing ready for battle, and laughed even more wildly as if he had heard the funniest joke: "Hahaha! What touching unity! Unfortunately, in the face of absolute power, all struggles are futile! Let you savor the... death feast that I have carefully prepared for you!"
Laughter echoed through the "Shadow Erosion Domain," filled with mockery and cruelty, foreshadowing an unprecedentedly fierce battle that was about to begin.
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