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Translator: Ashish
Translation Checker: Silavin
In the blink of an eye, several days had passed.
On this day, in a corner deep within the earth.
*Squeak, Squeak…* the Honey Badger with white hair and a silver cloak emitted squeaks resembling a rat but with an eerie tone. In just a few days, it was already several dozen kilometers away from the North Canyon.
With the underground Spirit River as its guide, Honey Badger’s exploration was not that difficult. All it needed to do was sniff once in a while, and it would locate the direction to head, and then, its body would move through the river like a nimble rat.
However, on this day, Honey Badger looked unusually excited, as if it had discovered something.
It promptly dived down, diving toward the depths of the river.
It was getting closer, slowly and surely.
The Spiritual Energy was getting denser and more compressed…
Just by being deep inside gave it a suffocating feeling, as if immersed in seawater.
Still, what excited Honey Badger even more was the strange fragrance coming from afar, which was causing its body to involuntarily tremble.
*Gulp…* the Honey Badger nervously gulped like a Human as it arrived at a peculiar location.
It was pitch black, only some liquid was seeping out from pitch black rocks, slowly flowing down the rocks and forming a spring that flowed into the distance.
Dipping its claws into the liquid in a small pool before it, its eyes immediately widened in excitement.
*Boom–* An extremely dense and compressed Spiritual Energy instantly gushed into its limbs and body, and to its further delight, a surge of energy also circulated within its body.
*Squeak, Squeak…* Making a series of joyful squeaks, the Honey Badger slowly approached the rocks’ surface. Then, it tentatively extended its claws and touched the rock wall.
It felt fragile, as if it could be pierced through with just a little more force.
However, for some unknown reason, Honey Badger’s claws froze in mid-air. Only because, an inexplicable feeling suddenly gripped its heart.
It felt as if something really bad and terrifying was about to happen.
Right then…
*Boom, boom, boom…* the ground started violently quaking, as if the earth was trembling in fear.
*Squeak, Squeak…* squeaking in a low voice, the highly intelligent Honey Badger hesitatingly used one of its claws to puncture the wall. And through the hole in the wall, the Honey Badger looked through with a cautious gaze.
In just a moment, its pupils fiercely shrank to the size of a needle.
A huge sparkling, crystal mountain lay silently deep in the earth.
And surprisingly, there happened to be a blood-red plant on this mountain, exuding a rather fragrant aroma.
As the faint fragrance wafted into Honey Badger’s nose, its breathing slowly became faster, and its body was involuntarily drawn toward it.
However, just as its body was about to crash through the rock wall, it fiercely shivered.
*Hisss…* An icy cold hiss suddenly entered its ears.
Shifting its gaze toward the source, the Honey Badger saw a huge black python, as thick as a water bucket that stretched for twenty to thirty meters, coiled like a small mountain underneath the sparkling mountain.
However, at this very moment, the huge python coiled like a small mountain seemed to have sensed something, as its pupils went suddenly cold.
It quietly turned its head…
The next moment, their gazes met, while the intelligent Honey Badger blinked its eyes.
Immediately after, without a moment of hesitation, it turned tail and disappeared in a flash.
Terrifying! It was truly terrifying!
The moment their gazes met, an extremely fearsome pressure came down on him. The Honey Badger might be reckless, but it was not stupid. It knew that it would not be able to survive if it remained there.
So, without a shred of hesitation, it promptly turned tail and ran.
However, right then, the ground started shaking and quaking.
Slightly tilting its head, the Honey Badger discovered the colossal python had fiercely swung its tail in its direction much to its shock.
Immediately after, with a ‘crack’’ sound, like the bursting of air, a fissure that resembled the gaping maw of an abyss was rapidly spreading toward it.
*Squeak, Squeak…* with anxious squeaks, the Honey Badger exerted all its strength and burst with an incredible speed, leaving black afterimages behind it…
However, now matter how fast it was, how could it be faster than this fearsome attack?
The next moment, a loud and deafening rumble followed as the ground shook continuously. At the same time, the entire branches of the underground river were forever buried in mud and rocks.
…
After a while, deep within the earth, the soil slightly shook as a blood claw slowly emerged. With the help of its claws, an entire body buried in mud and rocks slowly pulled itself out.
Surprisingly, it was none other than the Honey Badger, the one under Yu Zi Yu’s command.
However, its current state did not look too good. Its entire body was covered in blood, and its fur stained red. One of its hind legs even seemed to be broken and crushed. It was dragging it, leaving behind a trail of blood.
Fortunately, it was a Honey Badger. Thanks to its robust body, and because of its evolution, its fur managed to withstand several fierce attacks.
If it were any other Mutant Beast, just one attack would have been enough to bury it forever.
*Squeak, Squeak…* seemingly wailing, the Honey Badger looked back, looking at the now buried underground river, eyes flickering with deep-seated hatred.
It had almost died.
*Squeak, Squeak…* it let out a few more squeaks in pain before it dragged its body away into the distance, without even looking back.
…
As night descended, a blanket of darkness enveloped North Canyon, that was still shrouded in a thick veil of mist. At this moment, if one were to observe the mist closely, they would be astounded by its transformative-nature. It was shape-shifting, taking on forms of majestic beasts and graceful birds, seemingly transitioning from one mesmerizing form to another.
However, the one form that was more predominant than the rest was of a magnificent Willow Tree, rising from the ground. Surprisingly, this false yet real form appeared to have an otherworldly and ambiguous grace.
“I have attained a certain mastery over manipulating the mist.“
Gazing upon the ever-shifting fog, Yu Zi Yu muttered as he smiled from the bottom of his heart.
It was not that difficult for him to control the mist.
But to grant it vitality and imbue it with ethereal sentience, as it appeared now, it demanded extensive practice and refinement.
Why did he undertake such arduous training?
It was not that difficult to understand.
Firstly, he sought to refine his control over his own formidable power. Secondly, this practice served to sharpen his ability, the Shroud of Mist.
With a single command, the ever-shifting mist melded seamlessly with his other ability, Hallucinogen. The amalgamation of these two abilities created an astonishing spectacle that was capable of bewildering anyone and anything. The boundary between truth and falsehood blurred, making it difficult to distinguish between the two.
And right at that moment, Yu Zi Yu’s brow suddenly furrowed as if he had sensed something.
A subtle, almost feeble presence brushed against his senses, only to vanish in the blink of an eye.
“Could it be… the Honey Badger?“ A slight doubt crept into Yu Zi Yu’s mind as his consciousness sank deep into his roots, seeking the elusive source of that fleeting touch.
However, after a fleeting moment, his gaze was met with a scene that sent shockwaves through his heart.
There, before his eyes, lay a battered Honey Badger, bearing the marks of numerous wounds, unconscious. One of its claws happened to clasping a severed tendril of his root.
It was this severed rootlet that had guided Yu Zi Yu’s perception to the Honey Badger’s location.
Yu Zi Yu’s eyes narrowed as they traced the trail of blood flowing out from Honey Badger’s back, etching its gruesome ordeal. It was that very moment that an unprecedented rage ignited within Yu Zi Yu’s heart. A surge of fury washed over him, radiating an ominous murderous intent…
*Boom, boom, boom…* The ground within several kilometers started trembling in response. A fearsome aura spread into the surroundings, causing even the dense mist to cover and retreat.
“Who did it?“ A frigid voice, as cold as ice that had endured for millennia, resounded through the surrounding sky for several kilometres.
For a moment, an eerie silence settled upon the surroundings.
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