Shackles of Humanity

The fragrance grew increasingly intense, so much so that even Luo Kai couldn’t stop himself from gulping. His deepest genetic instincts screamed that the source of the scent was incredibly precious, but his rational mind told him no. To go up there now would be suicide.

The creatures fighting ahead were all venomous. Potent venom had always been an asymmetrical force; even a weak scorpion could easily kill a person. And while his body had a relatively strong resistance to poison, that was only against weaker toxins. This Underground Space, however, was filled with mutated, super-poisonous creatures. The toxic mist they spewed could corrode even inorganic matter. Flesh and blood stood no chance of withstanding it.

Another series of cracking sounds rang out. The fissures on the skull’s surface widened, and streams of white pulp began to leak out. The otherworldly fragrance completely permeated the air. A rustling sound arose as distant creatures began to converge on this location.

Great swarms of monstrous snakes and rats surged forward like a tide. They didn’t even spare Luo Kai a glance as they passed. Their entire attention was captivated by the exotic fragrance. The genetic instincts latent within every living being drove them on, overriding their own consciousness and directly controlling their bodies to fight for the prize.

The dense mass of monstrous rats and snakes surged forward like a living carpet. The white-furred mouse and the Cyan-Scaled Python could normally control the swarms of rats and snakes, but now they had lost all control. Instead, the swarms attacked their former masters, wave after relentless wave.

Luo Kai, too, was itching with unbearable desire. ’The substance inside that skull is like Phoenix Bone and Dragon Marrow... no, wait, it *is* the brain marrow of a Cyan Dragon. If I could just get one bite, I might undergo an incredible evolution, perhaps even transcend my current tier of life.’

As the battle ahead grew more intense, even the three powerful Fierce Beasts began to struggle. ’This might be my chance,’ Luo Kai thought. He crawled forward slowly. There was no opening near the white-furred mouse or the vine plant. The Cyan-Scaled Python, however, was covered in wounds, and its massive body might provide the gap he needed to slip through.

As he neared the heart of the battle, his skin began to sizzle upon contact with the toxic mist permeating the air. It was actually showing signs of melting. The venom’s potency was no less than that of concentrated sulfuric acid.

Startled, Luo Kai hastily wrapped his Snake Skin clothes tighter around himself, extending a wisp of Spiritual Power to repel the toxic mist. The moment he used his Spiritual Power, the white-furred mouse perched atop the skull seemed to sense something and shot a glance in his direction.

Luo Kai quickly flattened himself on the ground, allowing a large cluster of monstrous snakes to crawl over him. He waited a moment before rising again and inching forward. Although the Cyan-Scaled Python ahead was covered in wounds, its Life Force was incredibly vigorous. Periodically, it would spew out a great cloud of toxic mist. Whether rat or snake, any creature that touched it died instantly. Incredibly, nothing could break through its defensive line.

Lying prone, Luo Kai secretly manipulated his muscles and bones, elongating his body. Combined with the Snake Skin clothes he wore, he looked just like a snake at a glance. He waited patiently for an opportunity. ’No matter how ferocious this Cyan-Scaled Python is,’ he thought, ’the venom stored inside it has to run out eventually.’

Just as he predicted, after about ten minutes, the Cyan-Scaled Python opened its massive maw, but no toxic mist emerged. It let out an enraged HISS, now forced to rely on sweeping its colossal body to fend off the attackers.

’Now!’ A sharp glint flashed in Luo Kai’s eyes. As the Big Snake was recovering from a sweep, he shot forward like a bolt of lightning, diving straight into the skull. After a quick survey, he nimbly climbed upward. He had slipped in without a sound, completely unnoticed. Outside, the pitched battle raged on as more and more creatures swarmed the area.

Luo Kai slipped inside the cranium. The Cyan Dragon’s brain marrow was encased within a ring of jade-like bone. This bone was incredibly hard, with few substances in the world that could match its durability. It had remained sealed for countless years, only now cracking open for some unknown reason. And the fissures were widening.

He found a fissure. The viscous marrow was right before his eyes. An indescribable, exotic fragrance assailed his senses. He stuck out the tip of his tongue for a tentative lick. A cool sensation spread from his tongue throughout his mouth. It was soft, smooth, and delectable, rather like rich chocolate.

The skull trembled violently as if struck by a heavy blow, and a large glob of marrow slid out from the fissure. Luo Kai scrambled to catch it in his mouth. There was no time to savor the taste; he gulped it down. He then reached his hand into the crack and scooped out another large handful...

He had no idea how long he’d been eating when his abdomen suddenly spasmed. An instant later, it felt as if it were on fire. An oppressive heat spread through his limbs and into every corner of his body, like boiling water. He felt like he was boiling from the inside out, and the pain forced a muffled groan from his lips.

The battle outside remained fierce. The white-furred mouse had used some unknown Ability to shroud the entire Underground Space in a layer of white frost. The temperature plummeted to at least fifty or sixty degrees below zero, and any creature that entered the area immediately began to stiffen.

’There’s still so much more,’ he thought, ’but I can’t eat too much of this stuff. I should quit while I’m ahead.’ Enduring the excruciating pain, Luo Kai slowly slid down. He took a deep breath, willing his heart to pound. The Energy in his body began to circulate explosively as he sprinted for the entrance. This time, for the sake of speed, he made no effort to conceal his presence. His Life Magnetic Field flared, and the other creatures sensed him instantly.

The white-furred mouse let out a furious SQUEAK. With a swipe of its sharp claws, an Ice Blade on the ground shot toward him like a bolt of lightning.

Luo Kai dodged sideways without slowing in the slightest. He burst out of the Underground Space, followed the scent of the current, and plunged headfirst into the water. The heat flowing through him seeped into his very marrow, threatening to set him ablaze. Even with his high pain tolerance, he curled into a ball from the agony. ’Damn it,’ he cursed inwardly. ’I ate too much! My body can’t handle this much Energy.’

Perhaps his cellular structure was now resilient enough, as he somehow managed to withstand the torrent of heat. After a while, the scorching sensation gradually subsided. He let out a breath of relief and, recalling the map in his mind, started back the way he came. ’This underground water system still isn’t a viable escape route,’ he concluded. ’I’m confident I could get out, but Lu Qing could never hold her breath that long. I’ll need to make an oxygen tank.’

When he surfaced again, he found the sky had turned completely dark. A crescent moon hung overhead, casting a soft glow. Lu Qing was sitting by the shore, peering into the darkness. Seeing a dark figure emerge from the lake, she jumped in fright before crying out in delight, "Luo Kai, is that you?"

"It’s me." Luo Kai swam toward the shore. As he drew near, he leaped from the water. The jump carried him four or five meters into the air, startling even himself. It was only then that he realized his body felt completely weightless, as if he could float away at any moment.

Back in the cave, Lu Qing didn’t ask whether he had found an exit. She simply served him food and drink like a doting young wife. Luo Kai, meanwhile, remained engrossed in an internal examination of his body. His organs, down to every last cell, pulsed with astonishing vitality—a stark contrast to his previously weakened state.

A sensation of surging Life Force washed over him. He glanced down at his hand, which only had three fingers remaining. With a mere flex of his Thoughts, an itching, tingling sensation emanated from the stumps of his severed fingers. It felt as if he could regrow them right then and there, simply by willing it.

It wasn’t just his body; his senses and awareness were different, too. The crescent moon in the sky seemed much closer, transforming into a radiant orb. The surrounding flowers, grass, trees, and even the currents in the air were all clearly imprinted upon his mind, no longer requiring his active focus to perceive. He had finally recovered his full Power and had even ascended to a whole new level.