Published: February 6, 2025
The raging flames of the Lou family were not the end for Ye Zhongming; they were merely a casual act of revenge.
Before leaving, he had to ensure that everyone in Ying City knew that anyone who dared to provoke Cloud Summit Villa would meet their demise!
What Ye Zhongming sought was that kind of deterrence.
He left, leaving behind a lingering shadow of fear, which was the scene he had hoped to see.
Among the forces in Ying City, he had killed some, but it wasn't a complete cleanup, nor could it be. However, the deterrent effect should still be apparent. After all, news spreads swiftly in Ying City, and everyone would soon know what had happened. Those forces that had offended Cloud Summit Villa would live in constant fear. Ideally, they would flee Ying City out of fear, but if they chose to stay, it would be fine as long as they felt terror continually.
Zhang Dalong had fled. While it was a pity, Ye Zhongming knew that, at least for a short period, the inmates of Ying City Prison wouldn't return to Ying City's territory, making that threat temporarily ignorable.
With the Lou family eradicated, there was nothing left.
The only thing remaining was... that force? But first, he had to go to a certain place.
Thirty hours after the Lou family was destroyed, Ye Zhongming appeared at the Riverbank of Desolation.
His target, of course, was the magic crystals of both the ice and water elements.
Compared to his last visit, the Riverbank of Desolation had changed significantly; the environment was now even more hostile.
Of course, this was in reference to humans; for the monsters in the desolate land, it had become more comfortable and suitable for their evolution and growth.
Once Ye Zhongming entered the desolate land, he didn't proceed cautiously but drove his motorcycle straight towards Gem Mountain.
The desolate land was the territory of monsters, and the scent of humans would act like a beacon in the night, detectable to monsters within a certain range, meaning combat began almost the moment Ye Zhongming stepped in.
Ye Zhongming could have chosen other methods, like before, covering himself with the scent of other monsters to disguise his presence.
However, he didn't do that. One reason was the lack of time; after obtaining the natural crystals in the desolate land, he had another crucial task to accomplish. The second reason was that he wanted to test his sustained combat power, especially in dangerous situations, to see where his limits lay while isolated and unsupported.
Once he entered the secret realm, Ye Zhongming was destined to encounter such situations, and he wanted to adapt in advance.
This kind of testing was undoubtedly somewhat masochistic, as Ye Zhongming possessed nearly Level 5 evolution strength, the endurance source attribute stone, and the star-absorbing satan's terrifying recovery ability with his Bloodstained Battle Boots, allowing him to keep fighting. He annihilated monsters when he encountered a few, and when faced with many, he simply fled, battling non-stop for two whole days.
When Ye Zhongming finally reached Gem Mountain, he looked almost like a beggar.
Covered in blood and dirt, his features were barely recognizable, yet Ye Zhongming's eyes shone brighter than ever.
A brand new combat method, or rather, a new way of fighting, was forming in his mind, with new ideas constantly emerging. He continuously added to them and organized them until he mastered and could flexibly apply them. These two days had slightly increased Ye Zhongming's confidence in surviving the secret realm.
As Ye Zhongming saw the crystal mountain, he also spotted the three-tailed demon frog.
However, compared to the last time, the magic crystal on its forehead had changed from a green representing Level 4 to a blue representing Level 5.
The three-tailed demon frog had evolved at this stage.
And Ye Zhongming noticed at a glance that not only had the three-tailed demon frog reached Level 5, but it was also rapidly progressing towards Level 6, with red threads appearing in the magic crystal, somewhat similar to the earth yellow pill.