Chapter 418: Chapter 318: Encounter

Meanwhile, somewhere in The Endless Abyss.

Zeke Veridian and Rhys Blackwood had transformed into human forms, delving deeper with furrowed brows, their eyes alertly scanning the surroundings.

They had been searching within for a long time, yet hadn’t seen a single trace of anyone.

The Endless Abyss seemed like a vast maze, trapping them inside.

The environment was hostile, with magma rivers branching out endlessly, like fiery serpents coiling and twisting along the ground.

The air was filled with a scorching aura, painting their faces red, sweat constantly trickling down their foreheads, evaporating instantly from the ground’s heat.

Zeke and Rhys’s Talent Abilities weren’t of the Fire Element type, so they weren’t well-adapted to this environment.

Zeke’s brow was furrowed with frustration, as he wiped the sweat from his face and coldly said, “This damned place is like a furnace; if we can’t find anyone soon, we’ll be roasted dry first.”

Rhys’s face was tense, his gaze icy cold, as he looked around, trying to find a clue.

Unfortunately, aside from the presence of Primordial Behemoth, there were no other discoveries.

Suddenly, the ground shook violently, and the magma rivers surged and bubbled.

An enormous ape-like Zhu Yan emerged from a crack in the rock wall, similar to a giant monkey, with white hair on its head, red at its feet, and covered in gray-white fur.

Its face and four exposed paws had red skin, with a ring of pure white whiskers around its face.

Its head was round, eyes wide apart, mouth large with protruding teeth, long white fangs, and its eyes were crimson like the Crimson.

“Watch out!”

Rhys instantly transformed into Aethel Serpent True Form, sharply pushing Zeke away.

Zhu Yan’s sharp claws swiped past where Zeke stood, smashing the rock to pieces.

Zeke’s jade green eyes narrowed as his form flipped mid-air, transforming into a Celestial Moon-chaser Wolf upon landing, with fur standing on end.

“Twelfth-level Primordial Beast from the Antiquity…”

Zeke’s voice was stunned, his wolf claw sinking deep into the ground, carving deep gashes, his emerald wolf eyes intensely staring at the giant beast before him.

Zhu Yan, a fierce beast only found in ancient legends, was appearing here in The Endless Abyss.

Though Celestial Moon-chaser Wolf was also from the Ancient Beastfolk, it was no match for such a Primordial Beast.

Rhys also instantaneously entered combat mode, his Aethel Serpent True Form coiling in mid-air, with his serpent eyes reflecting Zhu Yan’s massive body, his cold vertical pupils slightly contracting.

Zhu Yan beat his chest, emitting deafening roars, with foul saliva dripping onto rocks, corroding them into pits.

“Split up!”

Rhys coldly growled, but his Aethel Serpent True Form swiftly coiled onto Zhu Yan’s neck.

Zeke understood, his Celestial Moon-chaser Wolf form instantly transforming into a stream of light around Zhu Yan’s back, his sharp claws fiercely clawing at its core.

Zhu Yan roared in pain and anger, swinging his thick arm backward at Zeke.

Rhys seized the moment, driving his Poison Fang deep into Zhu Yan’s throat.

Who knew that beast would grab Aethel Serpent’s seven-inch point, viciously smashing Rhys against the rock wall.

“Rhys!”

Zeke’s eyes were wide with rage, watching as Zhu Yan attempted to tear Rhys’s body in two.

He suddenly glimpsed the flickering light in the rock crevice.

It was the legendary heaven and earth treasure — Nine-leaf Ganoderma, radiating divine light, appearing nearly mature.

No wonder this beast was guarding here; it was the guardian of the Nine-leaf Ganoderma.

Zeke unhesitatingly lunged for the Ganoderma, picking it, swallowing it whole.

In an instant, explosive energy erupted within him, causing the fur of the Celestial Moon-chaser Wolf to puff up, his body uncontrollably swelling.

This feeling was all too familiar, a sign of breakthrough.

“Roar—”

Seeing the Nine-leaf Ganoderma being taken away, Zhu Yan roared in fury.

Its crimson eyes turned, abandoning Rhys and lunging towards Zeke.

Zeke had just consumed the Nine-leaf Ganoderma, its medicinal power erupting within him.

He endured the searing pain in his meridians, dodging attacks.

Quickly he circled behind the opponent, his wolf claws digging directly into Zhu Yan’s heart.

Rhys simultaneously leaped, his Poison Fang precisely stabbing into Zhu Yan’s eyes.

Their cooperation was seamless, finally slaying the twelfth-level fierce beast in the face of life and death.

When Zhu Yan fell heavily to the ground.

Zeke let out a sigh of relief, walking to Zhu Yan’s corpse, his claws extracting a bloody red Beast Pill from its chest.

Casually wiping off the bloodstains, he tossed the Beast Pill to Rhys, “Lucky, this Zhu Yan’s Beast Pill suits you perfectly.”

Rhys caught the still blood-scented Beast Pill, with a faint smile in his cold serpent eyes, “Your Ganoderma wasn’t consumed in vain either, a blessing in disguise.”

Zeke smiled faintly, saying nothing more, seating himself at the side to refine the medicinal power within.

Rhys also needed to refine the Beast Pill, finding a place to sit cross-legged.

Once both had completed their refinement.

Zeke opened his eyes, feeling the surging power within, nodding with satisfaction.

He had successfully broken through to the eleventh level, with greatly enhanced strength.

Rhys had also refined Zhu Yan’s Beast Pill, though Aethel Serpent True Form hadn’t evolved, his power had broken through to the twelfth level.

Zeke instantly felt envy, grumbling, “Why is your strength higher than mine?”

Rhys glanced at him, calmly saying, “You broke through too, and Zhu Yan’s Beast Pill wasn’t suited for you; giving it to you would be wasteful.”

Zeke thought for a moment and agreed, what’s suitable for oneself is the best.

Besides, since I was the one who first took the Nine-leaf Ganoderma, the Zhu Yan Beast Pill rightfully belongs to Rhys Blackwood.

The two did not linger here, quickly leaving to continue their search for Malachi Arcanus and Mael Valerius.

…

Another place within The Endless Abyss.

Kian Sterling and Soren Phoenix walked one after another.

The environment of The Endless Abyss was harsh for most of The Beastfolk, but for Soren Phoenix, it was like a fish in water.

He was extremely comfortable here; if he didn’t need to keep an eye on Kian Sterling, that old fox, and find his cousin and Malachi Arcanus, he would have gladly stayed longer.

He took a deep breath of the rich fire element energy in the air, his flamboyantly handsome face extremely content, his peach blossom eyes narrowed in comfort.

Even though Kian Sterling was not too accustomed to the environment here, thanks to the golden foxfire within his body, he didn’t feel too tormented.

Besides, he wasn’t in the mood to focus on these things right now.

Demon Gu…

He looked down at his own hand, his gaze flickering, deep in thoughts.

Soren Phoenix glanced back at him, pouting slightly, but said nothing in the end.

Although the old fox’s previous actions were infuriating, it was obvious now that he realized his mistake and seemed quite affected already.

Forget it, he was always magnanimous and wouldn’t hold grudges with the old fox.

The main priority now was to find people.

Thinking of his cousin, Soren Phoenix couldn’t help but worry.

His cousin was incredibly strong; nothing could happen to him, right?

The two, each with their thoughts, delved deeper along the way.

Underfoot, a river of magma meandered, the hot air waves distorted the vision.

Soren Phoenix suddenly stopped, his Fiery Red Feather Robe flapping in the hot wind.

“Old fox.”

He fixed his eyes on a certain spot ahead, his peach blossom eyes narrowing slightly, “Did you hear that?”

Kian Sterling’s ten tails lightly swayed, his fox ears twitched slightly, “It seems… there are sounds of fighting.”

The sound was extremely faint and intermittent; if not for Soren Phoenix’s reminder, they probably wouldn’t have noticed.

The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously quickened their pace.

Turning past a crimson barrier formed by the magma, the sight before them made Soren Phoenix gasp, nearly dropping his jaw in surprise.

The three-headed, six-eyed Abyssal Demon Wolf was being besieged by three beast-like creatures resembling crocodiles.

The demon wolf was blood-soaked but still fiercely tore at the enemies’ throats, the Karma Fire Red Lotus swirling around its body, burning the approaching beasts’ skin to shreds.

“Is that… Malachi Arcanus?”

Soren Phoenix rubbed his eyes, rubbed them again, finding it hard to believe what he was seeing.

Even though Malachi Arcanus’s true form had long changed drastically, bearing no resemblance to before.

Yet that familiar aura helped the two recognize it at once.

Kian Sterling’s fingers involuntarily tightened, his fox eyes slightly narrowing.

He had never seen Malachi Arcanus like this—violent, cruel, yet terrifyingly horrifying.

Under the reflection of the Karma Fire Red Lotus, the three wolf heads turned toward them simultaneously, and the six red eyes fell upon him, seething with overwhelming anger.

Kian Sterling instinctively retreated, his eyes reflecting a hint of guilt.

Yet he still maintained his usual gentle facade, as if nothing had ever happened between the two.

“Malachi Arcanus?”

Soren Phoenix tentatively called out, but the other seemed as though he hadn’t heard, only staring fixedly at Kian Sterling with immense emotion.

The middle wolf head of Malachi Arcanus let out a hoarse cold laugh, “Old fox, didn’t expect me to still be alive, did you? Are you disappointed?”

The Karma Fire Red Lotus suddenly surged, transforming into chains to bind the last beast.

That creature howled as it turned to ashes.

He did not stop moving, but instead kept his eyes locked on Kian Sterling, stepping toward him.

The Karma Fire Red Lotus surged around him, painting the rock walls red.

Soren Phoenix knew what Malachi Arcanus intended, initially meaning to intervene, but upon a thought, held back.

The old fox’s actions indeed overstepped; letting Malachi Arcanus vent a bit wouldn’t hurt.

Thinking this, he swiftly retreated to the side, his peach blossom eyes gleaming with schadenfreude, “Old fox, you’d better pray for yourself.”

Malachi Arcanus’s evolved form, although ugly, was leagues more powerful than before; the old fox, merely ninth-tier, getting thrashed was all but certain.

“Malachi Arcanus, I…”

Kian Sterling’s tails tensed, the golden foxfire forming at his fingertips flickering.

He had never faced a Malachi Arcanus like this—the pressure akin to a Primordial Behemoth made him breathless.

“Shut up!”

The middle wolf head of Malachi Arcanus erupted in fury, his voice booming, “I treated you like a brother, gave you the Beast Pill to help you breakthrough, and you stabbed me in the back?”

The middle head suddenly spewed out Karma Fire.

Kian Sterling instantly transformed into a Celestial Nine-Tailed Fox, hurriedly rolling aside to avoid it, his ten tails singed, charred, and curled.

Malachi Arcanus seized the chance to pounce, claws gripping his fox tail, for a moment wanting to rip it off.

But ultimately, he couldn’t bear to go for the kill, opting instead to swat Kian Sterling away with a paw.

Kian Sterling smashed heavily against the rock wall, then fell to the ground, groaning in pain, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

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