Bizarre Survival: I Can Devour Thousands of Talents

Chapter 224, Section 223: Don't subscribe!

Night falls.

Thick, dark clouds, like ink splashed on rice paper, covered the entire sky, obscuring even the stars.

In the forest, ancient trees reach for the sky, their lush foliage almost completely blocking out the moonlight, leaving only dappled shadows swaying on the ground, as if countless invisible hands were dancing in the darkness.

Occasionally, the night wind would whistle through the treetops, making a mournful sound, as if telling ancient secrets.

Ling Xiao stood in front of the cabin in the woods, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest.

The cabin was hidden deep in the forest. It looked dilapidated, with the wooden door bearing the marks of time, as if it could collapse in the wind at any moment.

But Ling Xiao knew that this little house was not as simple as it seemed on the surface.

His mentor had told him that an ancient secret was hidden here, and his purpose in coming here was to uncover that secret. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his inner tension.

His fingers lightly touched the short sword at his waist, his only weapon. A blue gem was inlaid on the hilt, emitting a faint glow in the darkness, as if giving him courage. Ling Xiao slowly pushed open the door of the hut; the hinges creaked jarringly, as if warning him of the danger he was about to enter.

The room was pitch black, and the air was filled with a damp and rotten smell, which made one frown.

Ling Xiao groped along the wall, trying to find a light source. His finger touched a raised switch, and with a gentle press, the dim yellow light instantly turned on, illuminating the entire room.

The room wasn't large, and it was filled with all sorts of clutter, making it look like it had been abandoned for a long time.

A worn-out wooden table stood in the center of the room, scattered with strange symbols and patterns that appeared to be some kind of ancient magic circle.

Ling Xiao's gaze swept across the room, and suddenly, his heart began to race—in the corner of the room, a pair of eyes were staring intently at him.

Those were eyes that emitted a ghostly green light, like two burning will-o'-the-wisps, flickering eerily in the darkness.

Ling Xiao's breathing quickened instantly. He gripped his short sword tightly and instinctively took a step back. But those eyes didn't move; they simply stared at him silently, as if waiting for something.

"Who's there?" Ling Xiao's voice echoed in the room, trembling slightly.

He tried to appear calm, but a wave of fear washed over him. The eyes didn't seem malicious, but the feeling of being watched made him extremely uneasy.

Just as he was about to speak again, the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed. An invisible pressure surged from all directions, enveloping him tightly.

Ling Xiao felt his breathing becoming increasingly difficult, as if an invisible hand was choking him.

His vision began to blur, and a low buzzing sound came to his ears, like someone whispering in his ear, but he couldn't make out the exact words.

"No..." Ling Xiao struggled, trying to break free from this oppressive feeling.

His fingers gripped the short sword tightly, thrusting it forward with force, as if trying to pierce the invisible restraint. Just as the tip of the sword was about to touch those eyes, the lights in the room suddenly went out, plunging the entire world into darkness.

In the darkness, Ling Xiao couldn't see anything and could only rely on his senses to determine the location of the eyes. He could feel the eyes moving in the darkness, as if circling around him.

His heart pounded like a drum, each beat a reminder that danger lurked nearby. "Come out!" Ling Xiao shouted, his short sword tracing an arc in the darkness, emitting a crisp sword cry.

The instant he swung his sword, he felt a powerful force emanating from its tip, as if it had struck something tangible. Immediately afterward, a deep roar echoed in the darkness, a sound filled with rage and pain.

"Who...are you?" Ling Xiao's voice sounded particularly weak in the darkness. He could feel the power gradually weakening, but the danger was not completely over.

His fingers gripped the short sword tightly, his body poised in a fighting stance, ready to respond to any attack. Just then, the lights in the room came back on.

Ling Xiao rubbed his eyes, trying to adjust to the sudden light. When he could see his surroundings clearly again, his breath caught in his throat. In the corner of the room stood a figure.

It was a tall figure, shrouded in a black cloak, with only a pair of eerie green eyes visible. Those eyes were fixed on him, flashing with complex emotions, including anger and surprise.

"Who are you?" Ling Xiao's voice rang out again, this time with a hint of determination.

He gripped his short sword tightly, watching the figure before him warily. He knew this figure belonged to the owner of those eyes, and he had to find out who it was.

"Who am I?" The figure let out a low laugh, tinged with mockery. "Do you really want to know who I am?"

"Of course," Ling Xiao answered without flinching. "What are you doing here?" The figure slowly raised his hand and lifted the hood of his cloak.

A pale yet handsome face appeared, tinged with weariness, but with exceptionally sharp eyes. His gaze swept over Ling Xiao, as if scrutinizing something.

"I'll be waiting for you here." The voice was deep and powerful. "I knew you'd come." "Waiting for me?" Ling Xiao frowned. "Why?"

"Because you are the only one who can unlock this secret." The figure's gaze fell on the wooden table in the center of the room, and on the strange magic circle. "This secret, only you can unlock."

"What secret?" Ling Xiao's gaze also fell on the magic circle, and a sense of unease welled up in his heart. He could sense that the magic circle contained a powerful force, and this force seemed to be closely related to the purpose of his trip.

The figure didn't answer, but slowly walked to the wooden table and reached out to touch the magic circle. His fingers lightly traced the symbols, as if sensing some ancient magic.

Ling Xiao gripped the short sword tightly, watching his every move warily, ready to deal with any potential danger. "This secret concerns the fate of the entire world."

The figure's voice was deep and mysterious, "And you are the only key to unlock it." "Me?" Ling Xiao's voice held a hint of doubt, "Why me?"

"Because you are Ling Xiao." The figure's gaze fell on him again, a deep meaning flashing in his eyes. "You are the chosen one."

"The chosen one?" A sense of unease welled up in Ling Xiao's heart. He could sense that this secret was far more complicated than he had imagined.

He didn't know why he was chosen, nor what secret this was.

"Yes." The figure nodded. "You possess the power to unlock this secret, and I am merely here to guide you."

"Guide me?" Ling Xiao's voice carried a hint of wariness. "Who exactly are you?" The figure didn't answer, but slowly turned around, pulling the hood up again to hide his face in the darkness. His figure moved slowly around the room, as if deep in thought.

"You don't need to know who I am," the figure's voice was deep and mysterious. "You only need to know that I'm here to help you."

"Help me?" Ling Xiao's voice held a hint of doubt. "Why would you help me?" "Because I also need to unravel this secret." The figure's voice carried a touch of helplessness. "This secret concerns the fate of all of us."

"The fate of everyone?" A sense of shock welled up in Ling Xiao's heart. He could sense that the importance of this secret far exceeded his imagination. He didn't know why he had been drawn into this conflict, nor did he know if he could bear such responsibility.

"Yes." The figure nodded. "This world is facing an unprecedented crisis. And unraveling this secret is our only hope."

"crisis?"

Ling Xiao's voice carried a hint of unease, "What kind of crisis?"

The figure didn't answer, but slowly walked to the other side of the room and reached out to touch a wall. His fingers slid lightly across the wall, as if searching for something.

Suddenly, his finger stopped at a protrusion, and with a gentle press, the wall made a slight sound, slowly moved aside, revealing a hidden passage.

"Come with me." The figure's voice was deep and powerful.

"The secret is hidden at the end of this passage."

A sense of tension welled up in Ling Xiao's heart, but he knew he had no way out.

He gripped the short sword tightly and followed the figure, slowly entering the hidden passage. The passage was pitch black, and the air was filled with a damp smell that made one frown.

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Ling Xiao could sense that countless dangers lurked within this passage, but he had to continue. The figure led the way, his silhouette appearing exceptionally mysterious in the darkness.

His steps were light and steady, as if he knew the passage like the back of his hand.

Ling Xiao followed closely behind him, vigilantly watching their surroundings, ready to deal with any potential dangers. The passage wasn't long, and soon it came to an end.

At the end, there was a stone door, covered with strange symbols and patterns. The figure walked to the door, reached out and touched the symbols, his fingers gently sliding across them as if unlocking some ancient seal.

"The secret lies behind this door," the figure's voice was low and mysterious. "Are you ready?"

"Ready."

Ling Xiao's voice carried a hint of determination; he knew he had no way out.

He gripped his short sword tightly, watching the stone door warily, ready to deal with any potential danger.

The figure nodded and gently pressed his hands on the stone door.

The moment Ling Xiao stepped through the stone gate, an ancient and mysterious aura rushed towards him.

His gaze swept across the basement, where various ancient magical artifacts and books were displayed, and a faint smell of dust filled the air.

In the center of the basement stood a massive stone platform, covered in intricate runes and emitting a faint glow. Ling Xiao's gaze was fixed on the platform, a sense of unease rising within him.

He knew that this stone platform was likely the key to the hidden secret. However, just as he was about to approach the stone platform, a slight sound came from behind him.

He turned around abruptly and saw a dark shadow flash past in the corner.

"Who's there?" Ling Xiao's voice echoed in the basement, tinged with a hint of wariness.

His hand gripped the short sword at his waist tightly, the blue gem on the hilt gleaming faintly in the dim light.

There was no answer, only silence.

A suffocating sense of oppression permeated the basement, as if something was watching him from the darkness.

Ling Xiao slowly turned around, his gaze searching every corner of the basement, trying to find traces of the dark figure.

Suddenly, a piercing shriek rang out in the basement. The sound cut through the silent air like a sharp blade, causing Ling Xiao's eardrums to sting.

He instinctively covered his ears, but his eyes remained fixed on the direction from which the sound came.

A blurry figure burst out of the darkness, heading straight for Ling Xiao. Ling Xiao reacted swiftly, drawing his short sword and pointing the tip at the figure.

In the dim light, he finally saw the monster's true form.

It was a tall figure, its entire body covered in black scales, its eyes like two burning embers, gleaming with a fierce light. Its limbs were thick and powerful, its claws sharp as knives, as if capable of tearing apart anything that stood in its way.

"Monster!" Ling Xiao's voice was tinged with horror, but he quickly calmed down.

He knew this was not the time to be afraid; he had to fight. The monster let out a low growl and crouched slightly, as if ready to attack at any moment.

Ling Xiao gripped his short sword tightly, maintaining a fighting stance, vigilantly watching the monster's every move. He knew this monster was no pushover; a slight misstep could cost him his life.

Suddenly, the monster moved. It was incredibly fast, like a black lightning bolt, and instantly rushed in front of Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao instinctively swung his sword to block, the tip of the sword colliding with the monster's claw, producing a crisp metallic clang.

The powerful impact jolted Ling Xiao backward, but he steadied himself and avoided being knocked down by the monster's attack. The monster let out an angry roar and pounced on Ling Xiao again.

This time, its attack was even more ferocious, its claws leaving trails of black afterimages in the air. Ling Xiao dared not be careless; he nimbly dodged the monster's attacks while simultaneously looking for an opportunity to counterattack.

His short sword drew streaks of blue light in the air, each attack precisely aimed at the monster's vitals. However, the monster's defenses were exceptionally strong, and Lingxiao's attacks seemed to have little effect on it.

The monster's claws left several shallow wounds on Ling Xiao's body, and blood flowed down the wounds, staining his clothes red. Ling Xiao felt a pain, but he did not back down; instead, his determination to fight became even stronger.

(End of this chapter)