Bizarre Voyage: Summoning The Fourth Crisis

After inserting the Lion Snake’s Fang into the slot and giving it a slight turn, the iron door before him slowly opened.

After once again sacrificing a corpse to ensure his safety and lighting the Milestone Spirit Candle, Forgotten Dao walked towards the stairs beyond the iron door.

The sight that greeted him on the second floor made Forgotten Dao’s skin crawl.

It was pitch-black before him.

Were it not for the illuminating Candlefire radiating from his body, Forgotten Dao wouldn’t have even seen the ground before him, which was densely packed with basketball-sized Snake Eggs of every color.

[Snake Eggs]

[Type: Special Items]

[Explanation: The eggs of snakes. They have forever lost the chance to hatch.]

"HISSS..."

In this seemingly endless space, the hissing of snakes continued to echo, as if some creature was patrolling in the darkness, sending a chill down one’s spine.

Forgotten Dao took a deep breath.

Then, he summoned his good old buddies, the Living Corpses, and sent them to scout the path ahead.

In the darkness, one Living Corpse after another began its shaky, shambling journey to scout ahead.

Hissing and chewing sounds echoed incessantly from the pitch-black room, which Forgotten Dao used to sense the presence of danger.

Before long, his eyes suddenly lit up.

After consuming a Wax Block to summon another Living Corpse, he directly initiated a position swap with one of the scouting Living Corpses.

After a moment of crimson haze, a massive, golden Snake Egg appeared before him.

Inside the golden Snake Egg, there seemed to be a small, coiled snake, its blurry form visible through the surrounding amniotic fluid.

Along with it were several faintly glowing objects on the ground.

[Acquired: Lion Serpent’s Vomit]

[Acquired: Lion Snake Youth Crown (Treasure Collection)]

[Acquired: Praise Snake Scale Sculpture]

"HISSSSSSS!"

The illuminating Candlefire from Forgotten Dao’s own body instantly caused the vertical pupils of the nearby snake-like monsters—who hadn’t noticed the Living Corpse before—to narrow. They then lunged at him frantically.

With no time to think, Forgotten Dao immediately lowered his head and frantically consumed a Sacrifice.

The next moment, a crimson hue enveloped the scene. The unlucky Living Corpse was torn to bloody shreds by the enraged, snake-like monsters.

Meanwhile, Forgotten Dao had already retreated back to his original position.

"Heheh!"

’Snatch the loot and run! Now that’s a rush!’

For once, Forgotten Dao didn’t get carried away.

He then began to inspect the three items he had just found beneath the golden Snake Egg.

[Lion Serpent’s Vomit (Treasure Collection)]

[Type: Special Items]

[Effect: When consumed, increases the Temperature of your Fire of Life, limited to the current Ignition Point. There is an extremely small chance of gaining a Skill or Talent.]

[Explanation: The vomit of a Lion Serpent. Unlike ordinary filth, a Lion Serpent’s vomit contains immense Power.]

’How should I put this... though the name is disgusting, it doesn’t actually look that bad... At least on the surface.’

The object, slightly larger than a fist, was a crystalline, pale green color, encased in a hardened, slimy layer.

’Vomit... so this thing was prepared by the Lion Serpent for the snake in that egg? The biggest Snake Egg contains the Lion Serpent’s offspring?’

Forgotten Dao mused thoughtfully.

This could also be deduced from the next two items.

[Lion Snake Youth Crown (Treasure Collection)]

[Type: Crown]

[Effect: Provides weak Defense. Slightly enhances the wearer’s Constitution and Faith Attribute.]

[Explanation: A Crown prepared for the young king. Once that small life is born, the snake brood will welcome its young king.]

[Praise Snake Scale Sculpture (Excellence)]

[Type: Special Items]

[Effect: Slowly absorbs ambient Power to provide ample energy for a designated target (Snake Race only).]

[Explanation: A Scale Sculpture woven from Snake Scales and saliva. It is the snake brood’s praise and pledge of loyalty to their nascent young king.]

Even a player like Forgotten Dao, who wasn’t a Candle Scholar, could piece together the information revealed by these three items.

Without a doubt, that largest golden Snake Egg contained the offspring of the Divine Hall Ruins’ most mysterious entity, the "Lion Serpent."

This place was the "Nursery" for the snake brood ruled by the Lion Serpent!

Realization instantly dawned on Forgotten Dao, and he couldn’t help but glance again at the three items in his hand.

No wonder these three items were so good. There was only one he couldn’t use; the other two were indisputable treasures.

Especially the [Lion Serpent’s Vomit].

It could raise his Level!

And there was a chance to get a Talent or a Skill!

Forgotten Dao couldn’t resist. He immediately picked up the Lion Serpent’s Vomit, ready to have a taste.

However, just as he was about to act, a shrill shriek suddenly echoed from ahead, interrupting him.

It was a language clearly different from the common tongue of the Land of Burning—hoarse and cold.

"Thief!"

"How dare you trespass in the Snake’s Nest!"

An enraged voice rang out from the spot where the golden Snake Egg had been.

Forgotten Dao looked up to see only a pair of scarlet Snake Eyes in the darkness, and behind them, several pairs of blood-red, translucent wings floating in the air.

[King’s Guardian Dark Wings: Zoromora]

The moment he saw the name, Forgotten Dao’s heart skipped a beat.

Without a doubt, anything with a prefixed title in its name was no pushover, and the ensuing situation gave him no time to check its other information.

BOOM—

A massive torrent of air carrying a soul-shock erupted, centered on the creature.

Almost at the exact moment Forgotten Dao subconsciously raised a hand to block...

A ferocious, horned serpent head opened its gaping, bloody maw and lunged to bite him.

Forgotten Dao’s pupils shrank.

[DEATH]

...

A moment later, Forgotten Dao resurrected at the Milestone Spirit Candle.

’That was the first time I’d ever experienced what it’s like to be chewed by a mouth full of jagged teeth...’

’It was horrifying.’

’Besides... don’t snakes usually just swallow their prey whole?’

Forgotten Dao took a deep breath.

In his final moments before death, he had managed to get a clear look at the detailed information of the monster with the prefixed name.

[King’s Guardian Dark Wings: Zoromora]

[Tier: Scorching Charcoal]

[Level: 38]

[Warfire: King’s Guardian Shadow Wings]

[Talent: Shadow Wing Half-Body (A Ghost-form half-body, possessing the ability to switch between physical and Ghost forms.)]

[Skills: Zoromora’s Echo, Nether Wing Transport, Skull Shattering Tail Strike, Moment of Suffocation]

[Explanation: Zoromora, the King’s loyal guardian and most powerful serpent tail. War destroyed half its body, but the King pulled it back from the brink of death with the Power of the Ghosts. Now, it has received only one royal command—to guard the Snake’s Nest.]

Level 38!

And a special Warfire!

And judging by the information in the Explanation, it was very likely second only to the "Lion Serpent" within the snake brood!

Among all the bosses players had encountered so far, only "Tasolomo" could definitively overpower it!

This made Forgotten Dao feel a sudden surge of pressure.

This boss had instakilled him on sight, and to make matters worse, its Skill seemed to be a wide-area group attack that his Living Corpses couldn’t withstand at all!

This was no less than cutting off one of Forgotten Dao’s arms.

Without his Living Corpses, his combat power was drastically reduced. One could only imagine the difficulty he now faced.

’I’m screwed. Looks like I’ve really stirred the hornet’s nest...’

Forgotten Dao sucked in a sharp breath.

Before, when he sent the Living Corpses to scout the way, the creature hadn’t reacted at all.

But after he took the items in front of the Golden Snake Eggs, the boss had flown into a rage and, in a single, clean move, turned him into Wax Ash...

Forgotten Dao didn’t even have to think to understand the reason why.

’This has gotten way out of hand...’

Forgotten Dao scratched his head in frustration.

’Would it work if I returned the items now?’

...

"How do I get into this damned Divine Hall Ruins?! HOW DO I GET IN!!!"

"I’m so pissed!"

In a deserted corner, Brother Mangzi was seeing red, about to explode.

After being tormented by the spear-thrower from above while on the bridge, his rage meter was already full.

But just as he finally, with great difficulty, reached the main gate of the Divine Hall Ruins, he discovered the damn door was just for decoration!

Forget keys and mechanisms, the door didn’t even have a keyhole!

This nearly drove Brother Mangzi mad with impatience.

"What a damned Divine Hall Ruins!"

"Fucking open up and let me in!"

"I’m gonna get my revenge! I’ll grind that spear-throwing bastard to dust!!!"

WHOOSH!

It seemed Warfire was somewhat related to rage. Whether it was activated manually or automatically, he didn’t know. In any case, it ignited.

Already blinded by rage, Brother Mangzi stared at the Divine Hall Ruins before him, feeling the blood rush to his head. He was like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

The next moment, his eyes wide with fury, he began to furiously hack at the walls of the Divine Hall Ruins with his Great Axe, venting all his frustration.

CRASH!

In an instant, stone fragments flew everywhere.

"AHHHHH!!!"

The swings of the Great Axe grew more frantic, and the entire Divine Hall Ruins seemed to tremble slightly.

The speed of the destruction seemed to temporarily outpace the speed of its repair...

The next moment.

BOOM!

A faint ray of light shone through the shattered wall, where a berserk figure was still charging forward in uncontrollable rage.