Chapter 109: The Giant Aberrant Beast! The Power of the Earth Forbidden Spell! [3000 Words]

"Should we go up and greet him?"

"It feels like he's really strong."

"This Flame Gate? Is it really just a skill? This must be at least an SS-rank ability, right?"

On the plain, as Yi Shen was gathering the spoils of battle, Zhan Yu, Zhu Kaiyang, and a few other elite squads who had stayed behind to scout had also arrived nearby.

This Flame Gate, serving mainly as a defense, showed little sign of aggression. Zhu Kaiyang asked whether they should go over and say hello.

After all, that shadowy figure appeared to be human, though it was unclear which great deity had acted tonight.

"Since we're here, let's go ask. He must have noticed us by now."

The ranger in the group agreed with the idea. He had long wanted to meet the Black Mage but never had the chance.

The ranger’s name was Peng Fan, the chief ranger of the Jianghe Guild. The guild had once held meetings to investigate the Black Mage’s identity but found no clues, so he had come along specifically today.

Zhan Yu remained silent, offering no objection.

The group quickly approached the battlefield.

Yi Shen had indeed anticipated their presence, but with so many spoils lying about, he was too lazy to avoid them deliberately.

As they drew near, the atmosphere grew slightly awkward.

"Sir, are you the Black Mage from before?" When no one responded, Peng Fan spoke up.

"We are members of the Jingmen Safe Zone, and we thank you for your contributions to its safety."

Yi Shen glanced at Zhan Yu, surprised at how official their wording was.

"Uh, it's nothing special, just something done on the side."

There were five people in total. Yi Shen recognized three of them; the other two were likely explorers not affiliated with the Jingmen Safe Zone.

Yi Shen greeted Zhan Yu: "You came all this way so late?"

To be honest, Yi Shen also felt the awkwardness.

Especially since these individuals appeared to be heavy hitters themselves, yet their manner and words were extremely courteous toward him. One unfamiliar explorer even looked at him with a hint of fanaticism.

"With such a commotion, it was necessary to bring people over to check. Earlier, we weren't sure it was you, but now it's confirmed."

Finally, Zhan Yu spoke. Only now did he fully believe that the Black Mage before him was indeed Yi Shen, the one who had contacted him earlier.

Zhan Yu was inwardly quite shocked.

Yi Shen was far too young.

When Zhan Yu first met Yi Shen, he had doubts about Yi Shen’s strength or whether there was a more terrifying figure behind him.

But now, the reality on the battlefield was clear: Yi Shen’s abilities were not only formidable but exceeded his expectations by far.

Relieved to confirm it was Yi Shen, Zhan Yu himself exhaled. If the Flame Gates had belonged to some uncontrollable powerhouse outside the Jingmen Safe Zone, or an unknown faction, the zone’s uncertainty would have been far greater.

"You know each other?"

After Yi Shen and Zhan Yu exchanged words, the other top explorers were stunned.

Especially Zhu Kaiyang, who represented the Fire Phoenix Guild to provide support. He had never heard of such a powerhouse existing within the Jingmen Safe Zone.

Zhan Yu had brought them here to scout, only to reveal, by his tone, that this was their own ally. He had just been tense for no reason.

A joke? A prank?

When did the Jingmen Safe Zone get such a terrifying figure?

Peng Fan, the ranger, was also secretly astonished. Over the years, many had grievances against Qi Lei and Zhan Yu’s faction. Qi Lei rarely involved himself in major affairs but still controlled the lifeblood of the Jingmen Safe Zone through old networks, blocking others from sharing the spoils.

As everyone’s strength grew in recent years, having only Zhan Yu was no longer a sufficient deterrent.

But now, this newly emerged Black Mage was also affiliated with Zhan Yu and Qi Lei?

If this news got back, it would surely influence future decisions in the Jianghe Guild.

The group of heavyweight figures silently watched Yi Shen collect the spoils. Since Yi Shen had fought alone, the others had no claim to the loot.

Though each was wealthy, they couldn’t help but feel tempted by the abundance of spoils. Sharp-eyed ones noticed that Yi Shen gathered so much without any overflow. Unless he had a special bag space, he must have some other way of handling the spoils.

Thankfully, the awkward conversation did not last long.

After briefly confirming identities, Zhan Yu reported the situation to the command and prepared to return. He did not reveal Yi Shen’s identity but communicated with Qi Lei.

Seeing Yi Shen was easy to talk to, Zhu Kaiyang asked if the Flame Gate was a special skill of his. Yi Shen nodded and gave a brief explanation.

Peng Fan was much more enthusiastic, introducing himself as a member of the Jianghe Guild and hoping to become familiar with the Black Mage.

He didn’t ask for contact information, feeling Yi Shen was a level above him. If Yi Shen declined, it would be even more awkward. Better to quietly inquire through Zhan Yu later.

However, as they prepared to turn back, they all simultaneously looked northward.

Within the northern misty shadows, a colossal dark figure slowly emerged!

Even the ground trembled slightly. The sound of this tremor grew louder and stronger as it approached—easily tens of meters tall!

Bathed in moonlight, it emitted a silvery glow, its body seemingly armored. Even from afar, it sent chills down one’s spine!

"What is that thing?"

"A giant?"

"A colossal beast! It’s charging toward us!"

The sudden development startled everyone.

The Flame Gate in the sky remained, like a beacon. As the giant beast neared, the interplay of light and shadow revealed its true form to all.

It was a unique giant beast composed of various crystals and stones, resembling a fusion of a massive werewolf and a gargoyle. Considering the Moonlight Domain’s dimensional gates only stood about fifty to sixty meters tall, this creature likely surpassed the gate in size, utterly defying imagination as to its origin.

It burst forth from the black fog at incredible speed, heading straight for the Flame Gate. It would reach Yi Shen’s group within thirty to forty seconds.

Zhan Yu and the others swiftly took to the air, using various means to ascend and prepare to retreat. Yi Shen felt the pressure and stopped gathering spoils. Countless flames surged forth, forming a defensive barrier between heaven and earth.

The beast’s speed exceeded expectations. Yi Shen barely had time to construct additional Flame Gates, and judging by the pressure, the power of the fire forbidden spell might not hold back the beast’s advance!

"Retreat!"

"This is at least a lord-level monster!"

Peng Fan spoke up. As a top ranger, he could see farthest and quickly sensed something was wrong with the giant beast.

Among monster classifications—common, elite, secret realm monsters, and secret realm lords—there existed, in some larger secret realms, monsters of the lord level.

Such creatures typically had levels far above their counterparts, with attributes amplified tenfold or even a hundredfold. They transcended normal life limits.

Lord-level monsters were few but absolute rulers. Only a team of forty or fifty could hope to kill one, and casualties were common. Without absolute confidence, even major guilds hesitated to engage them.

There had been speculation about lord-level monsters from the Moonlight Domain, but no one expected the suspicion to become reality.

Zhan Yu’s expression darkened. Though Yi Shen was strong, this level of monster was beyond the current limits of any human individual.

Humans had only wielded data-driven powers for about forty years at most, while the civilization this beast came from was likely far older.

And this was just one lord monster—if worse things lurked behind, trouble would deepen.

"I'll give it a try."

Yi Shen’s expression grew solemn and determined. He quickly sought a position and summoned two new Flame Gates.

Behind the massive crystal beast were many moonlight mirror images. Yi Shen sensed his body had been locked on; the beast was clearly aiming for him.

Since it dared to charge, it likely had a method to counter his fire forbidden spell. Earlier, the dense black fog behind had been hard for Yi Shen to burn. This crystalline giant might be able to withstand fire attacks directly.

Pausing briefly, Yi Shen chose to unleash his earth forbidden spell.

Earlier, when testing the Flame Gate, he had caused significant environmental damage. The plain had been almost destroyed. The earth forbidden spell’s casting also caused terrifying terrain changes, so he had avoided using it.

But now, faced with such a formidable monster, Yi Shen had no choice.

Soon, his world transformed into lines.

These lines resembled those of fire but were a deep earthy yellow.

The surrounding earth element was far denser than fire. Yi Shen could also select special terrain.

He fixed on a hilly area and activated the skill. In an instant, earth elements from all around began converging!

(End of chapter)