Starting with SSS-rank talent, I contracted the Forbidden Ferocity.

Deep within the poisonous swamp, the eerie blue underworld slowly unfolds.

That's not the complete domain.

It's more like a half-open door.

There was no light behind the door.

Only endless shadows, chains of white bones, and flickering blue candlelight.

Zhu Jiu is coiled in the center of the underworld, its serpentine body appearing and disappearing.

The true form of the hundred-zhang-long King Serpent, Xuanyou, was dragged into it, and the dark blue-black poisonous mist surged wildly, attempting to corrode this dark world.

"Smash it!"

The serpent Xuanyou roared in fury.

The poisonous patterns lit up, and a large wave of poisonous energy rushed towards Candle Nine.

However, in the nascent Nine Netherworld, all the poisonous tides were swallowed up by the shadows.

Zhu Jiu's deep blue vertical pupils lit up.

A fixed gaze in the candlelight.

The enormous snake body of the Serpent Xuanyou froze for a moment.

The next moment, Bone Prison rose from the shadows.

It's not a regular bone spur.

Instead, they were bone chains imbued with ghostly blue flames.

The bone chains bound the snake Xuanyou's seven-inch mark, tailbone, arms, and belly, pinning it firmly to the shadowy ground of the underworld.

The snake Xuanyou struggled frantically.

"I am a descendant of the Heavenly Serpent King!"

"You're nothing but a beast tamer!"

Zhu Jiu slowly raised his head.

The pale blue candlelight swirled deep within its pupils.

The breath of the Nine Netherworld Candle Dragon.

He unleashed a breath of dark blue dragon breath.

The venomous scales of the snake Xuanyou were not burned through.

But the poisonous spirit within it began to freeze and extinguish inch by inch.

It finally revealed its fear.

"What kind of power is this?"

Zhu Jiu still did not respond.

It doesn't like nonsense.

In this respect, he is very similar to Shen Ye.

The shadows of the underworld surged.

Zhu Jiu's body was divided into nine parts.

Nine snake shadows simultaneously lunged at She Xuanyou from different directions.

Every single one is a true reflection.

Each one carries the power of the Nine Nether Shadow Marrow.

The snake Xuanyou wanted to split its soul and escape.

But this is no longer the Poisonous Fog Swamp.

It is the shadow of Zhu Jiu.

It cannot escape.

Shen Ye stood outside the poisonous fog, sensing the changes in Zhu Jiu's aura.

System prompts kept appearing.

[Zhu Jiu is refining the Nine Nether Shadow Essence.]

[The Nine Netherworld is taking shape and becoming stable.]

[Bloodline Awakening Level Increased: 57.4% → 63.9%]

[Level breakthrough in progress.]

The snake Xuanyou let out a shrill scream.

Its hundred-foot-long serpentine body was simultaneously torn apart by nine serpentine shadows.

At the seven-inch mark, a dark blue-black snake soul core appeared.

Zhu Jiu's true form appeared above She Xuanyou's head.

The short horn emitted a faint blue light.

It lowered its head and bit the core of the snake soul.

The snake's voice finally turned into a plea for mercy:

"No!"

"I submit!"

"I can tell you about the Celestial Serpent Clan..."

Click.

The snake's soul core was bitten and shattered.

The pleas for mercy abruptly stopped.

Shen Ye's eyes remained unchanged.

He had heard this kind of talk far too many times.

It's too late to surrender when a knife is at your throat.

[Zhu Jiu slays She Xuanyou, a descendant of the Heavenly Serpent Clan's royal family.]

[Gained Evolution Points: 22000.]

[Obtained 1 Heavenly Serpent King Soul Crystal.]

[Extract Talent Fragment: 1 Fragment of the Myriad Poisons Devouring Pact.]

[Zhu Jiu has completed a half-step fifth-tier transformation.]

[Level Up: Peak Fourth Tier.]

[Status: Half-step to fifth rank.]

[Skill Awakening: Nine Netherworld Locks.]

The azure underworld slowly dissipated.

Zhu Jiu reappeared beside Shen Ye.

Its size did not increase significantly, but the bony armor on its body became finer, as if covered with a layer of dark blue patterns.

Two short horns extended backward, vaguely resembling the rudiments of dragon horns.

Shen Ye raised his hand and touched its forehead.

"good."

Zhu Jiu's vertical pupils narrowed slightly.

Ye Yu stood on Shen Ye's shoulder and glanced at it.

Long Yuan grinned as well.

Jie Chen yawned.

At this point, of Shen Ye's four tamed beasts, Ye Yu is at the fifth rank, Long Yuan is at the fifth rank, and Zhu Jiu is at the half-step fifth rank.

Only Jie Chen remains at the mid-stage of the fourth rank.

However, due to the special nature of the Calamity Dust, no one dared to treat it as an ordinary fourth-tier item.

After the Poisonous Soul Swamp Formation was broken, Han Pojun led the trapped Demon Suppression Army to break out of the encirclement.

He walked up to Shen Ye, his face pale, clearly indicating that the snake venom had not been completely suppressed.

"You little brat..."

Shen Ye handed over a bottle of antidote.

Han Pojun took it and drank it down in one gulp.

After a long pause, he finally said:

"They arrived just in time."

Shen Ye nodded.

"Um."

Han Pojun looked at him, then at Zhu Jiu.

"You've gotten stronger again?"

"Um."

Han Pojun remained silent for a moment.

He realized he shouldn't ask such pointless questions in the future.

Qin Wuji walked over, his robes stained with poisoned blood.

"The royal descendant of the Heavenly Serpent Clan is dead, and the Poison Mist Swamp Formation has been broken."

"Should we tear this down while we're at it?"

Meng Qianqiu smiled and said:

"After spending so much time with Shen Ye, you've started taking care of destroying outposts too."

Qin Wuji said calmly:

"Don't pass up military merits."

Chu Jinglan raised his hand, and the Tidal Domain began to cleanse the outer perimeter of the poisonous fog swamp.

Li Xuance's Azure Lotus Sword Qi severed the remaining array patterns.

Shen Ye looked at Han Pojun.

"Can you fight?"

Han Pojun sneered.

"I'm just poisoned, not dead."

Shen Ye nodded.

"Then let's demolish it."

One hour later.

The core array of the Poisonous Mist Swamp was completely destroyed.

The poison array that the Heavenly Serpent Clan had cultivated for many years was largely rendered useless.

The order to suppress the demons was shaken.

[Support mission in the Poisonous Fog Swamp completed.]

[Slaying She Xuanyou, a descendant of the Heavenly Serpent Clan's royal family.]

Destroy the core of the Poison Soul Swamp Formation.

[Military merits earned: 70000.]

[Bonus Reward: A batch of Celestial Serpent Clan Poison Soul materials.]

Shen Ye put away the military order.

The battle in the Poisonous Fog Swamp yielded significant results.

More importantly, he rescued Han Pojun and enabled Zhu Jiu to complete the half-step fifth-order transformation.

Of the four beast tamers, only Jie Chen needs resources for the next step.

The system also displayed a prompt at this time.

[Currently available redeemable Tier 5 Tribulation Dust material clue: Tribulation Annihilation Thunder Embryo.]

[Required military merits: 10000.]

Shen Ye redeemed it directly.

[Clues have been obtained.]

[Location of the Calamity-Destroying Thunder Embryo: Battlefield of Ten Thousand Races, Thunder Burial Plain.]

[Danger Warning: Abnormal tribulation clouds have recently appeared in Thunder Burial Plains, suspected to be related to the Shadow Demon Clan and Thunder Demon Clan.]

Shen Ye's eyes flickered slightly.

Thunder Demon Clan.

It is yet another new race that has never appeared before.

Just then, a long cry suddenly came from the direction of Zhenmo Pass.

The military headquarters sent an urgent message.

Wei Cang's voice rang out:

"Attention all frontline squads."

"Large-scale activities by the Thunder Demon Clan have occurred in Thunder Burial Plains."

"There are suspected signs of a seventh-tier Thunder Demon King descending."

"Night King Squad, postpone your trip to Thunder Burial Plains."

Shen Ye looked at the military order but remained silent.

Qin Wuji frowned:

"Raizang Plains?"

"My Emperor Thunder Ancestor Peng also needs thunder-type resources."

Li Xuance looked at Shen Ye.

"Commander Wei has ordered us to postpone this."

Meng Qianqiu smiled.

Are you going or not?

Shen Ye put away the military order and looked into the distance.

After the poisonous fog dissipated, a dark thundercloud could be vaguely seen on the horizon.

The thunderclouds were very far away.

But this made Jie Chen raise his head.

The gray-gold lightning slowly lit up on its tail.

Shen Ye's voice was calm:

"Go back to the customs first."

Everyone was somewhat surprised.

Shen Ye continued:

"Replenish supplies, treat wounds, gather intelligence."

"Then go to Lei Zang Yuan."

Qin Wuji smiled.

"I knew it."

In the distance, deep within the thunderclouds.

A giant vertical eye made of lightning slowly opened.