56: Swamp Death Battle, First Encounter with Sword Fairy

Lin Gou's figure was like an inconspicuous gray phantom.

He moved silently through the poisonous swamp.

He didn't even bother to open the most basic spiritual power shield.

The colorful poisonous mist, potent enough to instantly turn Qi Refining Cultivators into pus, swirled around him, yet it was as docile as a pet, actively avoiding his body.

This was a hidden benefit brought by the 'Life-Creating Medicinal Pill'.

His body had already begun to adapt to this high-intensity environment.

But this was not enough.

Far from enough!

Adaptation meant an inability to trigger death.

Inability to die meant no rewards.

Lin Gou was deeply dissatisfied with this, even somewhat anxious.

Like a hungry hunter, he cautiously crept towards the center where the beast's roar and Sword Intent erupted.

Under his feet was pitch-black mud, from which colorful bubbles occasionally emerged, bursting with a 'pop' and releasing deadly poisonous mist.

Lin Gou's heart was calm, even a little expectant.

"If I'm suffocated to death in a quicksand trap, can I unlock a 'Suffocation Resistance' achievement?"

His thoughts wildly jumped between various novel ways to die, filled with a craving for unknown rewards.

After passing through a forest of "Soul Severing Grass" several zhang tall, with saw-like leaf edges, the scene before him suddenly opened up.

A huge mud pit, several hundred zhang in circumference, was churning wildly.

In the center of the mud pit, a colossal creature over thirty zhang long stirred up black mud everywhere.

It was a Jade Phosphorous Poison Flood Dragon that had not yet fully transformed into a Dragon!

Between the gaps of its dark green, heavy scales, viscous, emerald phosphorescent venom flowed, making one nauseous.

The violent Demonic Qi of a Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator swept in all directions like a hurricane.

And confronting this fierce beast was a woman.

Dressed in white, she floated in mid-air.

Her posture was cold and aloof, standing apart from the world.

In the murky poisonous miasma, she remained untainted, like the sole ice lotus blooming atop a snowy mountain.

Her beauty was exquisite, yet she exuded a chill that warned others to keep their distance.

In her eyes, there was not the slightest trace of worldly emotion, only pure, ultimate Battle Intent and Sword Intent.

Relevant information flashed through Lin Gou's mind instantly.

Tianjian Sect, Li Hanyue.

The publicly recognized number one Sword Dao Genius in Tiannan County, a complete battle maniac.

Lin Gou's gaze swept back and forth between Li Hanyue and the Jade Phosphorous Poison Flood Dragon.

His eyes instantly became incredibly fervent, three points more intense than when he saw any peerless Cultivation Technique.

"High quality!"

"All top-tier material for courting death!"

His heart was shouting with excitement.

This was simply a paradise of buffets!

Menu Item One: Being swallowed whole by this Poison Flood Dragon, venom filling his body, dying from it. The rewards would definitely be generous, perhaps even maxing out his poison resistance!

Menu Item Two: Accidentally "straying" into Li Hanyue's sword-field, being "mistakenly killed" by her incomparably sharp Sword Qi, torn into shreds. There's a high probability of gaining Sword Dao-related enlightenment rewards!

Lin Gou was like a diner suffering from choice paralysis, hesitating, unsure which "death feast" to sample first.

He did not rush out.

It wasn't time yet.

If the timing wasn't right, if his death wasn't clever enough, not impactful enough, the rewards would be greatly discounted.

This was an iron rule he had learned from countless precious death experiences!

He concealed all his aura, like a true swamp rock, hiding in the shadows of the Soul Severing Grass, quietly waiting for the best moment.

The battle in the arena had entered a heated stage.

Li Hanyue's sword was incredibly fast!

Each sword strike brought forth a clear, moon-white sword light, as if it could freeze the air.

"Clang, clang, clang!"

Dense sword lights fell upon the Jade Phosphorous Poison Flood Dragon's heavy scales, splashing a series of dazzling sparks, but failed to cause fatal damage.

The Flood Dragon's counterattack, however, was incredibly sinister.

It suddenly opened its gaping maw, and a foul, emerald green poisonous miasma surged out!

Li Hanyue frowned slightly, her figure rapidly retreating, her sword light transforming into a circular sword curtain to protect her body.

The poisonous miasma crashed against the sword curtain, emitting a "sizzle" of corrosion, and the sword curtain's light dimmed.

After a prolonged battle, her spiritual power was greatly depleted, and her breathing was already a barely perceptible gasp.

The Jade Phosphorous Poison Flood Dragon seized the opportunity, its thick Flood Dragon tail, like a black iron whip, tore through the air and swept savagely towards her!

Fast! Accurate! Ruthless!

Li Hanyue's pupils constricted, and she narrowly raised her body higher.

But a few drops of highly toxic viscous liquid from the Flood Dragon's tail splattered onto her calf.

"Sizzle!"

The white skirt was instantly corroded with holes, and the exposed skin immediately showed a horrifying patch of black.

Excruciating pain, accompanied by numbness, rapidly spread.

Li Hanyue grunted, her body staggered, and she fell from mid-air.

Her face was pale; she forced herself to swallow a Medicinal Pill, but could only barely slow the spread of the poison.

An opportunity!

Hidden in the shadows, Lin Gou saw this scene, and his eyes suddenly lit up!

Now is the time!

The perfect moment for a hero to save the beauty!

No!

It was the perfect script for a "hero to die"!

Seeing Li Hanyue poisoned, the Jade Phosphorous Poison Flood Dragon became even more ferocious, its huge head lifted high, and an emerald green light ten times denser than before gathered in its mouth.

Its innate Divine Ability, "Jade Phosphorous Poison Miasma"!

A destructive aura began to spread!

Li Hanyue gritted her silver teeth, feeling the deadly threat.

She knew she couldn't block this attack.

The shadow of death, for the first time, clearly enveloped the heart of this favored daughter of heaven.

Just at this critical moment!

A gray figure, like an arrow released from a bowstring, burst out of the nearby grass in a way no one could comprehend!

He did not attack the Flood Dragon.

Nor did he pull Li Hanyue to escape.

He made a choice that instantly blanked Li Hanyue's mind.

He directly rushed in front of Li Hanyue, spread his arms, and used his seemingly not-so-broad chest to squarely face the Flood Dragon's gaping maw, which was about to erupt.

He turned back, facing the stunned Li Hanyue, and revealed a brilliant yet resolute smile.

In that smile, there was a heroic spirit of "looking lightly upon life and death," and also a sense of relief that "to save the Fairy is to die without regret."

"Fairy, retreat quickly! This villain is highly poisonous; I will test the poison for you!"

A righteous and desperate shout echoed across the mud pit.

At the same time.

The Flood Dragon's "Jade Phosphorous Poison Miasma" finally finished charging!

"Roar—!"

An incredibly thick emerald green beam of light, carrying the terrifying power to annihilate everything, spewed from the Flood Dragon's mouth!

The target was precisely Lin Gou, who stood in front of Li Hanyue.

Li Hanyue's pupils dilated to their extreme.

In her mind, only the man's last cry and that resolute smile remained.

Who was he?

Why did he do this?

Foolish!

This was simply the most foolish act in the world!

However, a never-before-felt, intense emotion, like a bursting dam, instantly broke through the barrier she had built with her cold sword heart.

It was shock.

It was absurdity.

And it was an ineffable, bittersweet emotion.

Meanwhile, Lin Gou's heart was throwing a grand party.