"Brother Ling Chen, don't act rashly!"

Tian Dan's expression changed drastically. Anyone else seeing the Blackwater Mysterious Snake charging over would likely not even have time to escape, yet Ling Chen was charging towards it. Wasn't he courting death?

But by the time Tian Dan shouted, it was too late; Ling Chen had already vanished from his sight.

The onlookers were all astounded as Ling Chen rushed forward instead of fleeing.

"What is this kid trying to do?"

"Don't tell me he's trying to fight the Blackwater Mysterious Snake alone? What a joke!"

"A mere Eighth Level Martial Artist thinks he's a Grand Master? He's too impulsive!"

No one had confidence in Ling Chen. The vast majority believed he was attempting the impossible, like a moth drawn to a flame, courting his own destruction.

Compared to the Blackwater Mysterious Snake's enormous body, Ling Chen was like a speck of dust, utterly insignificant.

Gazing at Ling Chen's tiny figure, a look of disdain flickered in the Blackwater Mysterious Snake's huge eyes.

Snakes possess Spiritual Wisdom. Moreover, this Blackwater Mysterious Snake was a Third Grade Demonic Beast, so its Spiritual Wisdom was not much lower than that of humans.

Seeing Ling Chen rushing towards it, the Blackwater Mysterious Snake opened its cavernous mouth and spat a black liquid, enveloping Ling Chen.

HISS! HISS!

This black liquid was clearly extremely toxic, leaving trails of green smoke in the air. If it touched a human body, it would corrode it completely, leaving not even bones behind.

Moreover, this black liquid was not just poisonous; it also contained a formidable Energy.

"Break!"

A sharp glint flashed in Ling Chen's eyes. With a single swing of his sword, an incredibly sharp sword qi instantly cleaved the black liquid in two.

WHOOSH!

In the next moment, Ling Chen flashed above the Blackwater Mysterious Snake's head and ruthlessly slashed down with his sword.

"Like an ant trying to shake a tree!" an older Jianghu martial artist muttered, shaking his head as if he had already foreseen the outcome.

CLANG!

The sword strike landed as if on metal, sending sparks flying and cracking the creature's Scale Armor.

Ling Chen's body was indeed smaller than the Blackwater Mysterious Snake's head. Yet, when his sword found its mark, the serpent's massive body reeled as if from a devastating blow, then crashed heavily to the ground.

"What?!"

The warriors, who had all assumed Ling Chen was doomed, stared with wide eyes, their faces etched with disbelief.

"Am I seeing things? That's a Blackwater Mysterious Snake!" one warrior exclaimed, rubbing his eyes hard, unable to believe the scene before him.

"You're not seeing things, because I saw it too," the older warrior replied with a wry smile.

"Impressive. No wonder he wasn't frightened at all; he clearly had nothing to fear."

Tian Dan looked at Ling Chen with surprise. He must be one of the top geniuses in the Five Kingdoms' Martial World; otherwise, he couldn't possess such incredible strength.

"That beast isn't dead yet!" a warrior suddenly shouted.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The entire surroundings shook. The Blackwater Mysterious Snake, sent flying by Ling Chen's sword strike, went berserk, its two giant eyes completely filled with a blood-red light.

WHOOSH!

The Blackwater Mysterious Snake spat a stream of black gas at Ling Chen again. Simultaneously, its massive tail whipped out, leaving a blurry black afterimage in the air.

Ling Chen dodged the black gas, his gaze fixing on the massive tail. His Sword Intent erupted, and the Cloud-hidden Sword in his hand shot out, piercing into the Blackwater Mysterious Snake's flesh.

Roaring in pain, the Blackwater Mysterious Snake thrashed its tail violently, smashing it towards a small hill, attempting to crush Ling Chen to death.

Swiftly withdrawing the Cloud-hidden Sword, Ling Chen leaped onto the Blackwater Mysterious Snake's body. Stepping on its black scales, he dashed forward with lightning speed.

Soon, he reached the Blackwater Mysterious Snake's seven-inch point—its vital spot—and thrust his sword down. To defeat a snake, one strikes its seven-inch point. Even though the Blackwater Mysterious Snake was enormous, it was still a snake, and this was its vulnerability.

SPURT!

Empowered by his Full Sword Intent, Ling Chen's Sword Light became exceptionally sharp. It tore through the Scale Armor and plunged into the Blackwater Mysterious Snake's vital spot.

The entire Cloud-hidden Sword sank into it.

Pierced through its vital spot, the light in the Blackwater Mysterious Snake's enormous eyes rapidly dimmed, and its life force faded.

THUD!

Its massive body crashed to the ground. The Blackwater Mysterious Snake, once overwhelmingly imposing, instantly lost all its vigor.

The Third Grade Demonic Beast, the Blackwater Mysterious Snake, was completely slain.

Walking over to the Blackwater Mysterious Snake's belly, Ling Chen extended his Long Sword, sliced open its stomach, and retrieved a Snake Gallbladder the size of a fist.

The Blackwater Mysterious Snake was a Third Grade Demonic Beast, and its Snake Gallbladder, capable of neutralizing a hundred poisons, was extremely rare. Even if he couldn't use it himself, others around him might.

Without the Blackwater Mysterious Snake's command, the remaining Tier-2 Exotic Beasts, along with some wild beasts and fierce birds, instantly lost their lynchpin and began to scatter in disarray.

"A single man repelled a horde of Exotic Beasts!"

The onlookers exchanged glances, utterly astounded. The shadow of death that had loomed over them instantly vanished.

"This is the power of a martial arts Expert! A single person can save millions of lives and decide the Life and Death of millions," one warrior exclaimed in awe.

"This young man has achieved so much at such a young age. Reaching the Great Master level is merely a matter of time for him, and it's not impossible for him to become a Top Sky Apex Strong in the future," the older warrior commented, his opinion having clearly changed.

For a moment, the way everyone looked at Ling Chen was different.

"Ling Chen, I never expected you to possess such terrifying strength! You've hidden it too well!" Tian Dan gave a wry smile. He had always thought Ling Chen's strength was comparable to his own, perhaps only slightly superior. Now, however, it was clear that Ling Chen's abilities were on an entirely different level, far surpassing his.

"If one's true strength is easily discerned by others, that would indeed be a dangerous situation," Ling Chen said with a noncommittal smile. He then waved his hand and looked towards the Guard Captain. "It's getting late. We need to pick up the pace and try to reach East Desolation City before sunset."

"Understood." The Guard Captain cupped his fist to Ling Chen respectfully. He had seen everything clearly. In this world, strength determined status, and Ling Chen's display of power was more than enough to earn their profound respect.

After the encounter with the Blackwater Mysterious Snake, the group did not face another horde of Exotic Beasts. By dusk, they finally arrived at a vast, open plain.

In the distance, a city covering a hundred square miles stood majestically.

"We've arrived! We're finally here!"

"The walls of East Desolation City are over five hundred feet high; Exotic Beasts simply can't get in! As long as we enter the city, we'll be safe!"

Seeing East Desolation City before them, expressions of relief after a narrow escape from death appeared on everyone's faces. Here, their lives would be secure, unlike before when they were like rootless duckweed, constantly in mortal danger.

The massive East Desolation City was swarming with people from all directions, appearing incredibly congested. Apparently, most people within a 5,000-mile radius had fled to East Desolation City seeking refuge.

"Enter the city in an orderly fashion! Martial Artists first, commoners to the back!"

The massive city gates opened, flanked by rows of soldiers. The leading officer, gathering his True Qi, bellowed the order.

There were too many refugees, and East Desolation City had limited capacity. Furthermore, it faced the constant danger of being attacked by Exotic Beasts. Therefore, Martial Artists, who could help defend the city, were allowed to enter first. Ordinary people, however, were easily treated as expendable.

If the Beast Tide were to arrive at this moment, these people outside would likely be abandoned to die beyond the city walls.

Seeing this scene, Ling Chen couldn't help but sigh. The law of the jungle, 'the weak are prey to the strong,' was still a bloody reality. To save more people and change this law, one needed even greater strength. With his current power, however, there wasn't much he could change.