As the Devouring Power spread, it tore apart every spiritual imprint of the winged man, condensing his physical body into a single mass that was then drawn into the runic space. Silence fell over the onlookers, absolute and deep!
They had already experienced the terror of the winged man; Murong Xue and the others, in particular, were deeply shaken. Even after activating their Super Mode, they could not contend with that monster, yet Ye Chen had annihilated it in an instant!
After not seeing him for half a year, they realized the gulf in power between themselves and Ye Chen had widened even further... Having slain the winged man, Ye Chen retracted the divine sword avatar in his hand and surveyed the battlefield.
He saw the Xuanyuan clan members, led by Island Master Ziyun and others, slaughtering or subjugating many of the monster minor leaders! The remaining smaller hordes of monsters continued to charge forward with roars.
"Roar!!" A loud dragon’s cry echoed across the entire scene, immediately followed by a massive, obsidian dragon claw stepping onto the ground, carving deep fissures. The Eight-Winged Black Scale Flood Dragon appeared, its gaze disdainful, radiating majesty that quelled the entire crowd.
The zombies, whose eyes glowed with a thirst for blood, all paused their assault. A flicker of terror crossed their fearlessness toward death, and they immediately prostrated themselves, worshipping the dragon.
Murong Xue and the others watched this spectacle, utterly dumbfounded. The problem that had plagued them for half a year was resolved with such astonishing ease?
While everyone remained stunned, Ye Chen had already turned and approached Murong Xue. He glanced at the girl in white and said, "Now that things here are settled, I must head to the Bright Base City." Murong Xue caught the unspoken meaning; her expression grew complex.
After a long pause, she murmured softly, "Then be careful." Ye Chen nodded slightly, then moved swiftly, landing atop the head of the Eight-Winged Black Scale Flood Dragon. Island Master Ziyun and the others followed, bringing their newly tamed monsters along, keeping close to the great dragon.
More than a dozen flying vessels emerged from the ruins of Atlantis, carrying warriors below the King-grade. "Move out!" Ye Chen said quietly.
The Eight-Winged Black Scale Flood Dragon immediately bowed respectfully and turned toward the distance. Though its exterior appeared calm, its heart throbbed with fear.
It could never forget the sheer power the winged man had displayed when subduing so many sea monsters and land-based kings—a memory that haunted it. To see Ye Chen slay him so effortlessly was unbelievable!
Its defection was immediate and genuine; it was willing to submit. The vast army marched away into the distance, the setting sun casting an immensely long shadow behind the procession.
Many within Atlantis witnessed this departure, and an undeniable urge ignited within them—the desire to follow this man! Bing Yun, Hua Bulao, Qin Lan, Murong Xue, and the others watched Ye Chen and his contingent depart, lost in their thoughts, staring vacantly into the horizon.
... As night fell, Ye Chen and his company camped outdoors for the night.
They hunted and roasted the carcasses of several high-level monsters before resting and continuing their journey the next day. Traveling along their route, Ye Chen’s group traversed numerous cities.
Had it not been for the leading presence of the Eight-Winged Black Scale Flood Dragon, they would have surely faced countless fierce battles. In the end, with the efforts of Island Master Ziyun and his subordinates, many monster leaders entrenched in the cities were either slaughtered or subdued.
Monsters, by instinct, were deeply wary of each other—like jackals instinctively fleeing from a tiger. After passing through a dozen cities, Ye Chen began to notice some places utterly deserted.
The streets were choked with debris, nothing but forgotten newspapers and impassable traffic jams formed by cars piled up haphazardly. No monsters.
No humans. These cities felt utterly silent, as if dead.
As they passed, Ye Chen observed that some city grounds were split by vast chasms, while others baked under temperatures reaching fifty or sixty degrees Celsius, rendering them uninhabitable for ordinary people. Seeing this, Ye Chen furrowed his brow.
After nearly ten hours of travel, crossing mountains and rivers, Ye Chen and his group finally reached the Bright Base City. Standing atop the head of the Eight-Winged Black Scale Flood Dragon, Ye Chen gazed into the distance.
He saw a fortress built upon imposing, rugged mountains, where green pines stood sentinel beside crumbling, dilapidated city walls. Inside, buildings were ruined, and no human sounds stirred—only the occasional darting movements of python-like monsters scrambling for sustenance in the sandy earth.
In the city's center lay a massive shadow, as if many monsters were crouched there. Ye Chen focused his sight and identified them: a pack of Unicorn Lions and Blood-Toothed Tigers, all high-level creatures.
Just then, the pack noticed Ye Chen's group. One lion-beast, eight zhang long with two rhino horns sprouting from its head, slowly rose and trotted toward Ye Chen.
Just as Island Master Ziyun and his crew prepared to perform their usual duty of slaying the monster, the Unicorn Lion suddenly dropped to its belly, bowing low to the ground. "Boss's Boss, you’ve finally returned!
Boss Little Black instructed us to wait here for you. We've finally seen you!
One look and I can tell you’ve been through a lot. Boss Little Black has already prepared hot springs, beautiful women, and fine wine for Boss's Boss to enjoy." The Unicorn Lion chuckled slyly.
Ye Chen glanced at it. "The Black Snail Bug Legion?" "Yes!" The Unicorn Lion nodded vigorously, puffing out its chest with pride.
"I am the First Squad Captain!" Ye Chen understood immediately and nodded. "Lead the way." "Yes!" the Unicorn Lion replied with utmost reverence.
Subsequently, under the Unicorn Lion's guidance, Ye Chen and his party arrived at the center of the former base city site. A Blood-Toothed Tiger let out a roar, and immediately, a black vortex slowly opened in the air above.
Ye Chen looked inside. Within this void was a surprisingly classical city, filled with a bustling, noisy sound of human voices—far livelier than the desolate silence of the Huaxia Base Cities.
"The Guild Leader is back!" Suddenly, excited shouts erupted from the entrance of the ruins as several soldiers yelled at the top of their lungs. The sound instantly carried everywhere, reaching countless ears and causing the previously clamorous city to fall silent in an instant.
Then, an even more frantic wave of cheering broke out. Everyone rushed out of the ruins, their surprise bordering on disbelief.
"Guild Leader!" "It’s the Guild Leader!" "The Guild Leader has returned!!" Everyone burst out running, staring wide-eyed and slack-jawed at Ye Chen, standing atop the Eight-Winged Black Scale Flood Dragon, his robes billowing in the breeze. Their faces quickly filled with fervent joy.
Before long, the previously empty expanse outside had gathered a massive crowd. Whoosh!
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several figures shot out of the ruins: Bai Long, Mo Feng, Ye Zhu, Xu Tianguo, and others. Joy illuminated every face.
Trailing behind them was a large contingent of people, all floating, each one a Rank 100 expert capable of gliding on the wind! Ye Chen estimated their number to be in the thousands at first glance!
He didn't have time to process this before a voice, so familiar it seemed to resonate within his very soul, called out: "Brother!" Ye Chen looked up. That single glance felt like an eternity!
By the edge of the vortex, suspended in mid-air, a figure clad in white as snow drifted forward on the breeze. Deep surprise melted away the melancholy etched between her brows, leaving her looking somewhat frail and heart-wrenchingly lovely.
In that instant, all the surrounding noise vanished. Until...
The soft figure lunged into his embrace. Ye Chen slowly regained his senses, his expression softening slightly.
After holding her for a moment, he patted her shoulder and murmured gently, "Alright, stop sniffing." Ye Zhu stood up from his arms, wiped her nose, and retorted, "I wasn't crying!" Ye Chen smiled. That smile made the eyes of Bai Long and the others watching freeze in place.
Bai Long exclaimed in amazement, "So, the stiff-faced guy actually knows how to smile!" "First time I've seen it!" Yue Heng heartily agreed. Zhuge Fan merely pursed his lips and nodded emphatically to himself.
Ye Chen let his smile fade, casting a sideways glance at the three of them before turning his attention to Xu Tianguo and Huang Tianci standing before him. He scanned behind the two men and spotted four or five figures whose faces were strikingly familiar.
Ye Chen thought for a moment and recalled them: these were renowned figures from his previous life, each possessing astonishing talent and formidable combat ability! "Let's talk inside," Ye Chen said, descending from the dragon’s head.
Island Master Ziyun and his companions followed closely, like shadows. Xu Tianguo and the others, their faces alight with joy, quickly nodded.
They glanced at Island Master Ziyun's group, a flicker in their eyes, but asked no further questions. Then, everyone except the Eight-Winged Black Scale Flood Dragon entered the ruins.
The great dragon, meanwhile, was guided by the Black Snail Bug Legion to a designated rest area. Inside the ruins, Ye Chen finally grasped the city's true scale.
The architecture was exquisite, though the area was small—only about a quarter the size of the Atlantis City ruins. However, it was perfectly adequate to house a few million people, and since the Bright Base City already had a sparse population, the space felt quite open.
He proceeded to the headquarters hall. Ye Chen took the seat of honor, while the white-robed elder and others arranged themselves on either side.
They watched the surroundings with immense curiosity. From the way Xu Tianguo and his people treated Ye Chen, they had already grasped the incredibly high status he held here!
"Brother, why did you take so long to return!" Ye Zhu said with a touch of petulance. Ye Chen rubbed his nose and recounted everything that had transpired: being hunted by the Dark Prince, escaping into the Xuanyuan Divine Tomb, and all the events therein.
He carefully framed his entry into the Divine Tomb as an accidental stroke of luck rather than an intentional act. When Bai Long and the others heard the most perilous parts, their faces changed color, and they cried out in alarm.
Xu Tianguo sighed deeply. "To think you went through all this in the past six months.
However, with your current strength, coupled with the Divine Sword, you need not fear even a Ghost God Realm expert." Ye Chen nodded slightly. "How has the Bright Base City developed?" Xu Tianguo forced a wry smile.
"Since that winged man took control of the monsters and established his domain, the major base cities have been forced to retreat into the ruin spaces; our development hasn't been fast. Fortunately, we managed to preserve a large stock of cured monster meat, grain, and other food supplies in advance, so the situation hasn't become catastrophic." Ye Chen recalled his earlier observations.
"I saw what looked like several thousand Rank 100 experts outside?" Xu Tianguo and Huang Tianci exchanged a look and smiled. "That's all thanks to the efficacy of the Earth Spirit Spring!
It is now the 16th day of the 2nd month of the Dark Calendar, Year 1! The virus contained within the Earth Spirit Spring has mutated 14 times.
Anyone who drinks from it can reach Level 140, which is how we managed to produce such a large batch of Rank 100 experts!" Ye Chen was momentarily taken aback. "Was the outside world abandoned?
Did the Earth Spirit Spring not get occupied by monsters?" Xu Tianguo offered a mysterious smile. "That was all the Black Snail Bug's doing.
It led a large swarm of monsters to stake out the area, carving out their own territory, so the other monsters wouldn't encroach upon it." Ye Chen understood immediately. ...
Feeling groggy, I can only manage one chapter update today; I won't wait any longer. Tomorrow will bring three chapters.
Recently, I’ve had an idea. Writing a sequel to the Dark Saga—I wonder if I can actually put pen to paper.
The concepts I'm brewing are quite electrifying. RO