Translator: CinderTL
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Buzz!
The moment Chen Feng made his decision, he felt his consciousness sink once again.
In his perception, everything turned pitch black, and his body's center of gravity subtly shifted.
Until finally, he opened his eyes again.
Whoosh!!
A scorching wind blew against his face, and the ground beneath his feet was searing hot.
Within his line of sight was a vast expanse of sand, dark yellow with a hint of brown, stretching endlessly.
Unlike the dark and gloomy Qinggang City, here the sun hung high in the sky, with scattered clouds.
Beams of sunlight poured down, comparable to the intense heat of summer, causing the air in the desert to distort and warp.
Chen Feng looked down and saw that he was still wearing the black tank top, pants, and white sneakers from his dream.
However, the black backpack was nowhere to be seen, which surprised him.
Apart from that.
The moment he arrived in this world, he received a sudden insight.
He could stay here for three to five days, after which he would be forcibly returned.
The exact duration depended on his condition in this world—the greater the consumption, the shorter the time. This still needed to be verified.
Rustle.
Suddenly, a sound emerged.
Looking down, he saw a patterned lizard crawling away in the desert.
Unconcerned, Chen Feng instead felt a strange movement in his head.
White light mixed with golden patterns flickered, and he sensed a hint of joy from the Holy Shield Colossus.
As if it had been freed from some kind of shackle.
"Hmm?"
With a thought, Chen Feng immediately summoned it.
Whoosh!!
The stone wings flapped, and the Holy Shield Colossus slowly landed.
But.
"No consumption!"
Chen Feng keenly noticed the abnormality in his mental energy, his gaze slightly narrowing.
"Wait, the consumption has decreased, it's become very little."
He was somewhat puzzled, but upon further contemplation, he seemed to grasp the key point.
The Holy Shield Colossus was originally not a creature from Qinggang City or Earth. Based on the memory fragments, it should have come from some secret realm.
Thus, every time it was summoned to Earth or Qinggang City, he needed to expend mental energy to strengthen the connection between them.
In contrast, the Serpent Spirit Secret Realm was also a secret realm world, essentially on the same level as its place of origin.
Summoning it was no longer so strenuous, and the consumption had greatly decreased.
"Good."
Looking at the Holy Shield Colossus's six-meter-tall massive body, Chen Feng immediately signaled, stepping onto its extended palm and sitting on its shoulder.
The Serpent Spirit Secret Realm was unfamiliar to him, and his only knowledge came from a diary found in Qinggang City.
The Serpent Spirit Fruit could enhance strength, but the secret realm's rejection made it easy to encounter pursuit...
In this situation, the Holy Shield Colossus's reduced consumption and ability to remain manifested for protection was naturally a good thing.
"Let's go, let's take a look together."
Patting the Holy Shield Colossus's shoulder, it immediately flapped its stone wings.
Whoosh, a gust of wind swept up, rolling the sand.
The grayish-white massive body flew at low altitude, heading straight in one direction across the desert.
At the same time.
Inside an enormous, pyramid-like structure built with square stones.
Snake-men clad in dark golden armor, holding spears, stood on tiered steps, patrolling the area.
At the center of the pyramid-like structure was a hollow space, and looking down, several massive serpent-shaped stone statues were arranged in a row.
"May the great Serpent God enjoy the offerings!"
"Serpent God!"
"Serpent God!"
A group of figures cloaked in black robes knelt there, praying and offering.
Hundreds of people bound by ropes looked miserable and desperate. Soon, one of the massive serpent-shaped stone statues suddenly trembled, and the vertical pupils carved in black stone seemed to come alive.
Ah!
Screams erupted as the hundreds of bound people, regardless of age or gender, seemed to have some kind of vitality sucked out of them. Their bodies rapidly withered, turning into dry bones like burning firewood.
Seeing this, the cloaked figures showed no fear but instead revealed faces of fanaticism.
"The Serpent God has responded to us!"
Excited and fervent voices rose, but soon, the serpent-shaped statue that had absorbed the vitality shot out a green light, landing on the forehead of a leading priest.
The others looked on with envy, seeing that beneath the hood was a black serpent head covered in scales.
The vertical pupils were dark, with green light flickering.
Finally, the fervor faded, and the priest spoke coldly.
"The Serpent God's revelation."
"Another outsider has arrived..."
---
Whoosh!!!
The stone wings flapped, and the wind brushed against his face.
The endless desert was vast and boundless. Chen Feng stood on the Holy Shield Colossus's shoulder, frowning as he gazed into the distance.
"Did I choose the wrong direction?"
After flying for over half an hour, they seemed trapped in the desert, still unable to escape.
As his thoughts flickered, Chen Feng's gaze suddenly shifted.
At the edge of his vision, a dozen figures appeared, dressed in linen robes, wearing shackles and chains, stumbling in a long line.
A few others rode massive lizards, whipping them, seemingly driving and commanding them.
His eyes narrowed as Chen Feng pondered whether to make contact.
His clothes were clearly out of place with theirs, but he was too unfamiliar with this place and needed to ask for directions and understand the situation.
Immediately, he lowered his altitude, retracted the Holy Shield Colossus, amplified his senses, and walked over alone.
Footprints were left in the desert, soon buried by the rolling sand.
"Move it!"
"If you don't make it back to Yellow Sand City by sunset today, you're all dead!"
"Bunch of useless trash, move faster!"
The whip-wielding man had several braids, riding a two-meter-long patterned lizard. He wore a brown linen robe, carried a water pouch at his waist, and had a serpent-shaped tattoo on his face.
His tone was fierce, his eyes like snake pupils.
Beside him were three companions, similarly dressed, but clearly his subordinates.
Crack!
Crack!
As the whip lashed, the shackled, ragged figures either wailed or remained numb.
The desert was already unbearably hot, and some had pale, cracked lips, unable to endure.
The escorts were about to whip them, but soon.
The sound of footsteps on sand approached, and a man in black clothes walked toward them.
It was a material they had never seen before, though he seemed somewhat tall.
"Who are you!"
The escort leader barked, his snake-like eyes full of vigilance.
Chen Feng realized he could understand their language, even though it was different from Earth's.
But...
"I wanted to ask where the nearest gathering point is."
He spoke, still using the language of Earth Star's Red Nation.
But the other party clearly didn't understand.
"What are you saying!"
The escort leader frowned and shouted. Chen Feng shook his head.
In his perception, he could sense the other party's malice. The next moment, the other three on their large lizards surrounded him.
"He's just a lowly one without any blessings..."
The escort leader's eyes revealed cruelty and greed. Chen Feng then noticed the difference between him and the other three, and the group of slaves.
The slaves were completely normal humans.
But these four had some serpentine features, and each had a serpent-shaped tattoo on their face.
Swish!
At that moment, as he was thinking, a whip lashed from behind his head.
Snap!
He raised his hand and caught it. Chen Feng looked up at the escort leader, whose expression had changed.
"I just wanted to ask for directions."
"Why... seek death?"
Buzz!
A hint of crimson bloomed, and the True Intent Tiger pounced in a flurry of attacks.
Squelch!!
Three figures died instantly. The escort leader's face changed drastically.
"Kill him!!"
With a wave of his hand, the other three patterned giant lizards opened their bloody mouths, lunging at Chen Feng.
Thud!!!
Blood sprayed, evaporating on the hot sand.
Massive holes appeared in the chests of the three lizards, and a blood-stained arm slowly withdrew.
"Close to entry strength, at the peak of organ tempering."
Roughly estimating their strength, he looked at the escort leader before him.
"Damn it!!"
The other party's face was filled with fear, and he immediately ordered his patterned giant lizard to flee.
But.
Roar!!!
The True Intent Crimson Tiger leaped out, and with the full enhancement of the Flame Steel Body, it was now a full five meters in size.
The tiger pounced, and flames exploded.
Squelch!
Blood blossomed on both the figure and the patterned giant lizard. The slaves behind stared in shock.
"Gasp..."
Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth as the escort leader fell back and died.
Chen Feng raised an eyebrow, unsatisfied.
He hadn't gained any Serpent Spirit Power.
"Could it be because they're natives of the secret realm?"
A guess surfaced in his mind as he looked at the group of slaves.
None dared to meet his gaze, all trembling with fear.
The Azure Armor and Heart of Glory provided minimal enhancement, and the nourishment from the weak could no longer offer much growth.
Seeing this, he didn't waste words.
Chen Feng directly stepped forward and removed the slaves' shackles, then gestured for them to lead the way.
This place was unfamiliar, and communication was impossible.
Everyone had the instinct to survive, and he believed that following these people would lead him to a gathering place.
Also...
Glancing at the escort leader's clothes.
Chen Feng's eyes flashed as he flicked off a grain of sand from his body.
"Too late."
Two days later.
Three cloaked figures appeared beside the four dead patterned giant lizards, briefly scanning the fatal wounds.
There were also four corpses, one of whom had been stripped of his clothes.
"Master, it must be an outsider. The residual power in these wounds doesn't belong to our world."
One of the cloaked figures, with dark snake-like pupils, touched the wound on a corpse and analyzed.
"Hmm."
The leader merely nodded lightly. Without needing orders, another subordinate quickly took out an item resembling a compass, its needle pointing south.
"Master, it seems he's headed for Yellow Sand City."
"Isn't that the territory of the Huorong Tribe now?"
TL/N: Huo Means fire and Rong has the connotations of War and Barbarism.
"Yes, the last outsider was hunted down with their help."
"Hmm, that makes it simple."
---
Under the scorching sun, Chen Feng stood on a small sand dune, looking into the distance.
A city made of stone, entirely yellow-brown, with layered, polished stones and redwood structures interspersed.
Outside the city, the wide road was lined with withered trees, and a slight breeze stirred up specks of yellow sand.
"A barbaric tribe..."
During the two-day journey, though he couldn't communicate with the slaves, he had learned a fair amount.
This secret realm world seemed to resemble a barbaric tribal society.
The Serpent God Temple was the pinnacle of power, with eight great serpent clans ruling everything, followed by the survival space of smaller tribes.
The more powerful the clan, or the higher one's status, the closer they were to the serpent form.
In this world's terms, this was considered the blessing of the Serpent God.
Conversely, those with fewer serpentine features had lower status.
Especially those who were completely normal humans.
They could only become slaves, also known as the lowly ones.
"Worshiping the Serpent God..."
His gaze cold, Chen Feng had long since parted ways with the group of slaves.
Wrapped in a brown linen robe, with most of his face covered, he walked toward Yellow Sand City.
Around him were many similarly dressed figures, mostly humanoid but not entirely normal.
Some had vertical pupils, others had scales on their necks or arms.
Additionally, their exposed faces bore a black or green serpent-shaped tattoo, the greatest proof of the Serpent God's blessing, imprinted by the Serpent God Temple.
Amid the bustling crowd, Chen Feng blended in.
The houses on both sides of the city were made of stone, with some forging iron, others selling animal hides.
There were also slaves being beaten, and even open-air fights in the streets, forcing them to kill each other.
"Kill him!"
"Kill him! Or I'll cripple you when we get back!"
"Kill him now!"
Cold and ruthless voices rang out continuously. Chen Feng stood at the edge of the crowd, his gaze icy.
He felt that everything here was starkly different from Earth's modernity, exuding a primitive, barbaric atmosphere.
Moreover, for some reason.
He felt a sense of unease, as if something was watching him.
"Secret realm rejection..."
Chen Feng thought of the diary left by Wang Yu, the transcendent spirit master.
Everything else was unimportant; only the secret realm's rejection and the Serpent Spirit Fruit he had mentioned were crucial.
Having ventured into the dream a second time, he couldn't return empty-handed.
"Useless, he's dead."
Suddenly, in the fighting arena, one slave killed another, who was crying.
The two masters had different expressions, one laughing cruelly, the other cursing in anger.
Feeling a chill in his heart, Chen Feng looked at the others around him.
He felt that these natives with serpentine features were no longer like normal humans.
Not just physically, but mentally as well.
"By the way, I heard the Huorong Tribe's Serpent Spirit Fruit is about to ripen."
The crowd was about to disperse when someone curiously spoke up.
Chen Feng's gaze shifted, eavesdropping.
"Yes, and it seems a representative from the Serpent God Temple will come to take it."
"I heard that consuming the Serpent Spirit Fruit can purify our serpent bloodline, potentially breaking through our rank. I wonder if we'll be lucky enough to gain the Temple's favor."
"Don't dream. The Serpent Spirit Fruit is hard to ripen. Even the Huorong Tribe can only keep a few each year."
Though spoken casually, Chen Feng listened intently. Standing in the corner of the crowd, he pondered, looking toward the center of this barbaric city.
The Huorong Tribe.
One of the eight great clans of this world, the rulers of Yellow Sand City.
Rumored to have a trace of the Serpent God's bloodline, each generation would produce a high priest who ignited the divine blood.
"Interesting."
Finally finding his target, Chen Feng turned and walked toward the city lord's mansion of Yellow Sand City.
After more than ten minutes, he reached the central area.
It was still built with square stones, but with redwood beams and black tile roofs interspersed.
A large area was enclosed by polished brown stones, with many buildings visible inside.
At the entrance of the solemn city lord's mansion stood two serpent-shaped stone statues.
There were also armored men standing guard, their serpentine features even more pronounced.
Vertical pupils, scales, and even their heads were somewhat triangular, almost resembling snake-men.
After a quick glance, Chen Feng walked around the stone walls, amplifying his senses to search for any signs of the Serpent Spirit Fruit.
Layer by layer, the rocks were penetrated by his perception. Inside the vast area was a training ground, where many half-snake youths were sparring and practicing with weapons.
Their auras varied, from organ tempering to Entry Strength.
There were also armored patrols moving about, led by a fully serpentine figure with a True Intent-level aura.
Without stopping, Chen Feng, separated from the patrol by a stone wall, blended into the crowd and continued to circle.
After a full lap, limited by his hundred-meter perception range, he couldn't see everything from the outside.
Having found nothing, he was considering whether to force his way in when.
A group of half-snake armored men walked through the corridors of the building complex, carrying a wooden box, and hurried toward the central building of the city lord's mansion.
Just within the hundred-meter limit, Chen Feng frowned and amplified his senses, not wanting to miss any opportunity.
In an instant, his gaze sharpened.
Inside the red wooden box were several fruits.
Resembling coiled little snakes, entirely blood-red in color.
(End of the Chapter)
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