C1629 I Am a Little Scared!

A millennium ago, Zhang Jinbo had just ascended to the Unbound Realm, brimming with youthful vigor. His overly aggressive tactics on the extraterritorial battlefield attracted the attention of an enchantress and the Shura forces.

During the battle, an enchantress from the evilkind expertly wove a soul thread into his being.

After parting ways with the human forces to scour the Star River for the hidden place, the enchantress and Shura warriors who had been stealthily trailing him ambushed him, leaving him gravely wounded.

In his dire state, he invoked an escape technique from the Ruby Hand, casting a wide net in search of a place brimming with fiery energy. Betting on his luck, he teleported away.

Upon regaining consciousness, Zhang Jinbo found himself deep within the Ashlands, at the base of a towering volcano oozing with molten lava, which filled him with indescribable joy.

He discovered that the colossal magma mountain was key to regaining his strength. He began harvesting the magma and fire essence to gradually heal his wounds.

This miraculous volcano not only facilitated his recovery but also aided his progression from the early to the middle period of the Unbound Realm.

Guarding the volcano as if it were a precious treasure, he sought to refine it, hoping it would propel him into the late period of the Unbound Realm.

Eventually, he attempted to tap into the volcano's core, seeking a more concentrated essence of the fiery liquid. Instead, he unearthed blood from the depths of the volcano.

"He's alive! Can you believe it? I've been meditating in that volcano for nearly two centuries, oblivious to the fact that it was a living creature!" Zhang Jinbo exclaimed, his face etched with shock.

"I delved deeper and deeper, prying open the iron-red rocks until I unearthed flesh and blood."

"Blood poured from his chest, and that's what roused him..."

"He's an original Titan, towering over two thousand feet tall, his outer flesh encased in iron-red stone. The energy emanating from within him, which I mistook for sweat, was actually the lava I used for my cultivation."

Zhang Jinbo made gestures toward Yu Yuan.

Yu Yuan was torn between laughter and tears.

"I really had bad luck. I kept digging and accidentally hurt him, which woke him up," Zhang Jinbo lamented. "Once he awoke, his massive body generated a suction force, creating a bond that specifically targeted me. For the next few centuries, I was trapped in a cave within his body, unable to escape."

"While he was in a state of semi-consciousness, he used his fire psionic power to infiltrate my soul and elixir field, learning the fire magic I had mastered in the Everlands."

"I suppose he had me all figured out quite some time ago."

"Not long ago, something startled him, so he fully awoke from his stupor. Once he understood everything about me, I seemed to lose all value to him, and he discarded me."

"He ventured deeper into the Ashlands. Desperate to flee from him and return to the Everlands, I managed to make my escape."

"..."

Zhang Jinbo shared his sorrowful tale.

"There are still survivors from the first generation of Titan Spinosaurus in the Ashlands. Judging by his account, the Titan Spinosaurus that understands the profound meaning of fire could be as high as the tenth level."

The Abyssal Leviathan, now out of sight of Yu Yuan and Zhang Jinbo, spoke softly in the distance.

Clearly, he had been secretly listening in.

"The first and second generations of Titan Spinosaurus, with their cumbersome size and sluggish speed, are not particularly formidable. It's the third generation that truly excels in battle. At their peak, the third-generation Titan Spinosaurus could even force the Shura to retreat."

"Sadly, their prosperity was short-lived. The race declined, and now in the fifth and sixth generations, they are merely known as the Titan Spinosaurus, no longer worthy of the title 'Titan.'"

"Yet, the earlier the generation of Titan Spinosaurus, the purer the ancient bloodline within them, bringing them closer to the original Titan Spinosaurus."

The Abyssal Leviathan reemerged before Yu Yuan.

Yu Yuan felt a jolt of apprehension and instinctively summoned the Dragon Slaying Stage, holding it lightly in his hand.

As soon as he stepped into the Ashlands, the juvenile Titan Spinosaurus beside him became incredibly lively, as if it had come home.

Could it be that the exalted Titan Spinosaurus originated from the Ashlands?

The towering presence of the original Titan, akin to a lofty volcanic mountain, had fooled Zhang Jinbo into thinking it was an inanimate object, perhaps due to the unique environment of the Ashlands.

"Do you know what stirred the original Titan?" Yu Yuan inquired.

"I'm not sure," Zhang Jinbo replied, shaking his head. "I've been trapped here for a millennium and all I want is to get out of this accursed place. The fact that it didn't kill me upon awakening—I consider myself extremely fortunate. I wouldn't dare engage it in conversation again."

"What else do you know?" Yu Yuan pressed on.

"During the years I was trapped within its body, I had almost no contact with other creatures," Zhang Jinbo said with a pained expression.

Yu Yuan posed several more questions, but Zhang Jinbo struggled to provide clear answers.

"Let it be," Yu Yuan conceded, deciding not to press further. "I hope your journey back to the Everlands goes smoothly. Once you join the Ruby Hand, if you meet Hellbreed Zhou Cangmin and a woman named Yuan Lianyao, tell them you've seen me in the Ashlands. My name is Yu Yuan. Mentioning my name will make them aware."

Zhang Jinbo nodded in agreement.

Realizing that Yu Yuan's companion was the formidable Abyssal Leviathan, he understood Yu Yuan's exceptional nature. However, he remained skeptical about the dramatic changes in the Everlands that Yu Yuan had described.

He needed to rush back to his sect and seek out familiar faces, like Zhang Guanyu, to discern the truth.

"Take care on your journey," Yu Yuan cautioned, concerned that he might encounter formidable foes like the platinum Shura or a ninth-level Demon God and end up as prey to someone as ruthless as the Abyssal Leviathan.

"I'll certainly be cautious," Zhang Jinbo assured him.

With a wary glance at the Abyssal Leviathan, Zhang Jinbo transformed back into the fiery temple and soared away from the two.

"Do you think he'll make it back to the Everlands alive?" the Abyssal Leviathan asked with a chilling chuckle.

"Let's see how his luck holds up."

Yu Yuan was uncertain himself. He suspected that something peculiar had occurred deep within the Ashlands, prompting many to come and investigate.

If Zhang Jinbo, who had departed, had the misfortune of encountering powerful explorers from the outside world within the Ashlands, he might not make it out alive.

After all, in Yu Yuan's opinion, Zhang Jinbo's abilities were quite lacking.

"For some reason, I'm feeling particularly uneasy this time. I've been to the Ashlands before, but now it seems different—very different! I can't quite put my finger on it, but..." The Abyssal Leviathan struggled to articulate his thoughts, as if he couldn't find the right words to express himself.

"What's there to fear? Remember, you are the Abyssal Leviathan, the one who reigns supreme in the extraterrestrial realms."

Yu Yuan boosted his spirits to prevent any second thoughts. They hadn't even begun to engage with beings of significance, and already there was talk of leaving.

This time, Yu Yuan didn't rely on the Abyssal Leviathan to guide him. He charged in the direction from which the Abyssal Leviathan had just come.

With the Dragon Slaying Stage in hand, he no longer concealed his presence. Instead of using his soul to sense his surroundings, he connected with the Solar Spirit and the Dragon Slaying Stage to seek out vital energy worthy of his attention.

He overlooked the insignificant and peculiar mosquitoes, as well as the vital energy of eighth-level alien beasts and Otherkin.

Hours later, a powerful and familiar vital energy burst forth like an explosion.

It surged to an alarming level in a brief moment, then vanished just as suddenly.

He sensed that the source of the vital energy was still quite distant.

As he prepared to continue his search, the vital energy vanished without a trace.

"What a stroke of luck..."

Far from being frightened, a smile spread across his face, and a sense of joy welled up within him.

"Who did you discover?" The Abyssal Leviathan inquired.

"Grec."

Yu Yuan beamed. "Talk about a coincidence! He didn't appear when we were in the Dark Star Domain, and I thought it was strange. Turns out, he's been hiding in the Ashlands. I'm curious what he's plotting."

"Grec!" The Abyssal Leviathan gasped. "What on earth is happening in the Ashlands? The Secular Bird Queen arrived, and he plunged in after her. The original Titan was roused from his slumber. And then there's Tan Xiaotian, Youyu, and perhaps even the Origin Deity has had a hand in this."

After the Abyssal Leviathan's outburst, it abruptly became silent, just staring at Yu Yuan.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

"I just remembered your nickname from your time in the Everlands. They called you the God of Plagues. Wherever you went, disasters seemed to follow. I've got to admit, it's a bit frightening."

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