Long Chen tapped the ground with the hilt of his knife—the bone. A pit was carved out from the bone, and white powder appeared on it.
"No matter how powerful a being is, it cannot withstand the erosion of time. The hardest law in this world is time." Long Chen couldn't help but sigh.
By tapping, he was completely confirmed—this was a massive bone, but it was so ancient that it had weathered away and lost a trace of energy.
Originally, Long Chen had his sights on the Ancient Desolate Corpse, thinking that if it still retained some energy and absorbed it into the Chaos Space, perhaps the Jianmu Divine Tree could blossom and bear fruit directly.
If Jiang Yuhe and the others knew Long Chen's thoughts, they'd be terrified. Long Chen's courage was truly extraordinary.
So when Long Chen saw that there was no energy left in the bones, he couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed—his plan had failed.
However, by tapping, Long Chen roughly understood that the bone was about ten thousand li around. Such a massive bone was unclear which part of the corpse it belonged to.
Long Chen led everyone along the high mountain forward, only to find a straight mountain range ahead. After climbing for a long time, Long Chen silently remembered the path he had taken, then suddenly stopped and said,
"Don't go any further."
"What?" Bai Shishi couldn't help but ask.
"This should be the foot of a living being, somewhat similar to a human, but with four toes. There's a lump on the arch of the foot. I've never seen such a creature in books."
We need to head back, heading toward the head, first measuring the basic outline of this huge monster. Long
Chen led his men back. After walking for a while, everyone rested in place, because in such a dark world, the surging demonic energy placed a tremendous burden on both the body and mental strength. People felt exhausted and couldn't concentrate.
Especially Long Chen, who spread his spiritual sense along the way, consuming more energy than others. While others couldn't handle it, he himself also needed to rest.
After taking the pill and recovering their spirits, everyone continued on their journey. After walking an unknown distance, they couldn't feel the passage of time here. They simply followed Long Chen, praying not to encounter any terrifying monsters.
Long Chen led everyone around in circles, resting when tired, and continuing to walk once rested. During breaks, Long Chen would take out a piece of paper to draw.
Soon, the outline of a monster appeared on the screen—a creature with wings on its back.
Its arms extended past the knees, with sharp claws, and more than thirty ribs, two of which were very short. Long Chen stared silently at the picture he had drawn.
"Boss, why is this monster headless?" Bai Xiaole asked curiously.
"We haven't gone to the head yet. If I'm not mistaken, that place is very likely the Demon Dragon's lair, so let's go there last." Long Chen said.
"Demon Dragon Nest?" Then let's not go, it's too dangerous. Jiang Yuhe suggested,
"Young man, that demon dragon is terrifying. Why don't we head back first, and when we reach the rank of Spirit-grade Immortal King, we'll come back to help you?"
Actually, it won't last long—at most a hundred years. For us, a hundred years of seclusion is just a flash of time—it's gone quickly. There's really no need to keep taking risks. She
was afraid—not just her. The powerful warriors from the Evil Dragon Domain who came with them were all afraid. They just had no choice but to grit their teeth and follow.
"Yes, I think this matter should be carefully considered and decided before deciding. That way, the chances of success are higher." Zhao Qinglong chimed in.
"You want to reclaim the Seventh Branch, but given the current situation, if I don't suppress you, not just you, even if the entire Lingxiao Academy mobilizes the entire academy, it won't be possible to change this place all at once.
So, I think you should report the situation here to the academy and let the seniors make the decision. Maybe they know the origin of this giant corpse. The leader of the Ironblood Mercenary Group also tried to persuade him.
"Indeed, it's not that we're afraid of dying. After all, we've lived so long and been through everything.
But you're different, and you have a bright future ahead. The risk really isn't worth it. "The Blood Oath Alliance leader also joined the mediation team to persuade Long Chen together.
However, Long Chen ignored them, still staring at the drawing in his hand, deep in thought. No one knew what he was thinking.
"Long Chen, I also think that if we've reached this level, we're already good enough.
They have some point. If what you say is true, the location of the head might be the demon dragon's lair, so you really shouldn't take the risk.
We already know so much useful information; if we fail, all our efforts will be in vain. Bai Shishi also tried to persuade her.
The academy had no information about this area. Long Chen and the others had learned so much, and returning to the academy was a remarkable achievement. The academy would never blame them; on the contrary, it would encourage them.
After all, in such a dangerous place, not to mention a group of Four Extremes Realm rookies, even a powerhouse of Bai Zhantang's caliber would be helpless.
At this moment, Long Chen put away the slip of paper and smiled slightly, saying, "As the saying goes, listen to others and eat your fill. Since you all want to go back, I've made up my mind..."
Everyone was overjoyed when they heard this.
"... Keep moving forward. Long Chen's tone shifted, and everyone nearly fainted—this turn was too sudden.
"Long Chen, now is not the time for jokes." Bai Shishi said somewhat annoyedly.
"I'm not joking. If I don't visit the Demon Dragon's Nest, I definitely won't feel at ease."
Besides, I think our academy ruins must be near the Demon Dragon's Lair. How could we not go and take a look?
Alright, let's go, just to take a look. I never said anything, we're going to slay dragons today. Long Chen said with a smile.
Hearing Long Chen say this, everyone's anxious hearts eased a little. Bai Xiaole suddenly said,
"What if we encounter Dragon Egg?"
"Then we must take it down." Long Chen responded very decisively.
As soon as Long Chen said this, Jiang Yuhe and the others felt their hair stand on end. They had already made countless vows in secret: if they survived this time, they would never work with Long Chen again. This guy was a madman.
In the darkness, everyone followed Long Chen forward, holding their breath for fear of making any noise and alerting the terrifying creatures.
As they walked, the space ahead gradually brightened. Standing atop the mountain, they could even vaguely see the outlines of some things around them.
"Boss..."
"Shh..."
Long Chen made a gesture to be silent. He had already noticed that this was a wasteland, with traces of human buildings visible. It seemed this was the ruins of the Seventh Branch.
As everyone continued forward, Long Chen finally saw the outline of the enormous head. Its head resembled that of a human, with two horns growing on it, though the horns had disappeared. It was unclear whether it had been severed by someone or by the passage of time.
At the spot of its eyes, there were two huge holes. Long Chen and the others quietly approached the holes, and suddenly a dragon's roar rang out, and a giant black dragon flew out from the hole.