Chapter 430

Chapter 430: The Fog

Wang Chen unleashed the Exorcism Talismans.

Though he activated nearly thirty of them simultaneously, it was evident that suppressing a Black Grudge level giant was beyond their power.

The giant froze for just a moment, and the glow of the Exorcism Talismans quickly dimmed.

Yet, that brief moment was all Wang Chen needed!

With a resounding thunder sound, the Chini Sword pierced through the giant’s skull in an instant.

"Roar!"

The giant’s colossal frame trembled violently, letting out a pained roar.

A large hole gaped in its head, from which black smoke poured out, its face contorted grotesquely from the grievous wound, yet it did not collapse.

Suddenly, the giant opened its bloodthirsty mouth, spewing a torrent of black flying insects.

They surged towards Wang Chen like a dark, overwhelming tide!

Wang Chen, about to deliver another strike, saw the oncoming swarm and swiftly recalled his flying sword, chanting the Fire Crow Technique.

Caw! Caw! Caw!

A flock of Fire Crows materialized out of thin air, their wings beating fiercely as they soared to meet the swarm of insects.

Upon collision with the Fire Crows, the black flying insects ignited and burst into flames, the air filled with the sound of crackling explosions.

"Swiftly!"

Wang Chen formed a sword finger with his hand and thrust it towards the nearby giant.

The Chini Sword, having just returned to his side, shot forward like an arrow, traversing over a hundred steps in an instant to pierce the giant’s left knee.

Crack!

The giant’s left lower leg snapped and fell away.

Its massive form lost balance and crashed to the ground with a thunderous impact.

Boom!

The giant’s body shattered upon hitting the ground, and blood-red orbs erupted from beneath its thick hide, scattering in all directions.

Thinking to escape?

Wang Chen promptly cast the Heavenly Net for Exorcising Evil.

"Perish!"

The massive net unfurled in mid-air, generating a formidable suction force that drew the rolling blood orbs upwards into its grasp.

Hissing sounds filled the air as each blood orb emitted gray smoke and rapidly diminished in size.

Grasping the net’s ropes, Wang Chen felt the dark forces absorbed by the Exorcising Net—both in quantity and quality—far surpassed previous encounters, the resulting spiritual energy surging like a tidal wave.

It took him a full thirty breaths to completely vanquish the fierce giant.

At that moment, the dark clouds over the desolate village swiftly dispersed, revealing the original gray sky, while the remaining Evil Spirits scattered and vanished, restoring peace to the area.

Wang Chen exhaled deeply.

He recalled the Exorcising Net and secured it back onto his arm, then moved to pick up the giant’s fur that had fallen to the ground.

This giant stood over ten zhang tall, and the sheer size of its shed skin was staggering, weighing at least a thousand pounds.

However, it emitted a pungent, foul odor, and the lingering dark energy within the fur made him feel nauseous.

Perhaps it could be useful material after processing, but Wang Chen had no intention of tainting his storage bag with it.

So he casually tossed it aside.

As a result, a fist-sized, luminous pearl rolled out.

“Hmm?”

Wang Chen was slightly surprised and reached out to grasp the pearl in his palm.

Evil Energy Pearl!

He instantly recognized the origin of the pearl, but this was the first time he had obtained one of such size.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed that countless blood threads swirled within the pearl, giving it a pale pink hue.

This Evil Energy Pearl was undoubtedly of exceptional quality.

It was quite a valuable find.

Wang Chen stored the pearl away and then found another relatively intact house in the village to settle in.

After a brief rest, he set off once more.

In the following days, Wang Chen discovered more desolate villages.

These villages had once been home to numerous villagers, but they had clearly fallen victim to some unstoppable calamity, leading to their complete ruin.

Countless wandering souls and resentful spirits roamed the desolate villages, attacking any living beings that dared to intrude.

In addition to the many roaming-level Evil Spirits, he also encountered several Grudge level Evil Spirits, yielding more and more Evil Energy Pearls.

The “drop rate” of Evil Energy Pearls here far exceeded that on the surface, leaving Wang Chen with the sensation of endlessly collecting treasures.

At first, he felt the thrill and excitement of hunting for rewards.

But over time, he grew numb to it.

Given the overwhelming number of Evil Spirits, Wang Chen began using these creatures as tools to grind for skill experience points.

He focused primarily on the Fire Crow Technique, Metal Finger Technique, and Heavenly Dragon Vajra Palm.

As long as he wasn’t putting himself in danger, he preferred to cast spells to exterminate evil rather than rely on the Exorcising Net.

The substantial amount of spiritual energy accumulated in the Exorcising Net provided Wang Chen with a continuous source of energy for his monster-slaying endeavors.

Entry-level, proficient, basic level…

Without relying on Virtue for attribute points, he steadily leveled up two of his Purple Palace-level spells, as well as the Heavenly Dragon Vajra Palm, enhancing his combat ability comprehensively.

As he journeyed and battled, it seemed he had traveled for over half a month, though he had no idea how many Evil Spirits he had defeated or how far he had gone.

When a faint sense of fatigue finally crept into his spirit, he at last emerged from the hilly region.

A city stood at the edge of the plain, coming into Wang Chen’s view.

Standing atop a high hill, Wang Chen gazed down at the city ahead.

The city wasn’t particularly large, resembling a local county town, surrounded by tall city walls, with houses tightly packed together, a testament to its former prosperity and liveliness.

Yet the open city gates and the crumbling city towers silently spoke of the calamity it had endured.

Wang Chen frowned.

Having passed through more than ten villages and now discovering a city, it suggested that a significant number of human cultivators had once inhabited the second layer of the Nine Dragons underground palace long ago.

It was even possible they had established city-states or even kingdoms!

This vast secret realm was clearly more than just a training ground for disciples of the ancient immortal sect.

But the question arose: Who were the people who lived here?

What had caused their downfall?

Wang Chen felt that this enormous Subterranean Palace was shrouded in layers of mist, revealing only the tip of the iceberg.

Of course, Wang Chen harbored no illusions about uncovering its secrets.

He pondered whether he could still find his way back.

As of now, Wang Chen was still wandering in unknown territory, unable to make use of the Nine Dragons underground palace surveying map.

Moreover, he hadn’t encountered a single living person!

He wondered if this county town ahead might hold some answers.

Suddenly, Wang Chen’s gaze sharpened.

He noticed a faint flicker of firelight in a temple-like structure in the southern district of the city!

Due to the distance and the peculiar environment of the Subterranean Palace, he couldn’t see clearly.

But the flickering firelight was unmistakable.

Could there be people in the city?

His heart quickened as he noted the location and immediately flew toward the city ahead.