Endless Ascension

Chapter 14: Fifth-order monster BOSS

"Hiss, hiss, hiss..."

Suspended from the branches of a towering tree was a gold-tipped silver python as thick as a human thigh.

Its entire body was a shimmering silver-gray, with golden forks flickering from its mouth. Its eyes glowed with a faint green light, unwaveringly fixated on Qin Ze.

A second-tier beast, the gold-tipped silver python, boasted 3000 blood points, 130 experience points, 58 qi-gong points, and a survival value of 1.

"Damn, quite a thick hide."

Gazing at the lengthy health bar hovering above the python's head, Qin Ze muttered coldly and cautiously shifted his feet.

The python, head held high, mirrored Qin Ze's movements, its lengthy body slithering gracefully as the silver scales sparkled under the dim moonlight.

Qin Ze's body subtly swayed.

Seizing the opportunity, the gold-tipped silver python darted down with blinding speed, aiming straight for Qin Ze's neck...

A silver blur streaked towards Qin Ze's throat, the python's jaws gaping wide to reveal sharp fangs, poised to sink into the jugular.

Qin Ze snorted, a smirk playing on his lips. The intelligence of second-tier beasts was indeed rudimentary; a mere sway of his body had deceived it.

Taking a half-step back, Qin Ze braced his rear foot and leaned forward. As the python lunged, he charged forward in unison, his hands condensed with qi-gong, the Dragon Elephant Grand Void Scripture surging within him. Each stride he took felt like a wild elephant thundering across the plains, imbued with majestic power. An aura of dragon and elephant divine might radiated from his body, creating an awe-inspiring presence.

"Bang!"

A punch infused with the strength of ten elephants slammed into the python's head, decimating half of it in one hit.

"So satisfying."

His bones felt rejuvenated under the influence of the Dragon Elephant Grand Void Scripture, his body brimming with strength. Releasing that punch felt like unleashing the collective power of ten wild elephants, explosive and swift as thunder.

The second-tier beast fell in one strike.

Sensing the influx of qi-gong points, Qin Ze wore a faint smile as he severed the python's head, stuffed it into his spatial talisman, and vanished into the darkness.

"Roarrr..."

The third-tier beast, the Long-Armed Titan, possessed immense strength.

With a mighty pull, it yanked a thick tree from the ground and swung it in a wide arc, like a divine general sweeping aside legions.

Qin Ze sneered coldly and leaped into the air, harnessing his qi, hovering mid-flight. His hands transformed into blades as he fiercely chopped down, cleanly severing half of the Long-Armed Titan's arm.

Despite its grievous injury, the beast did not flee but instead transformed into a berserk state, its remaining arm sweeping out in an attempt to crush Qin Ze into pulp.

Gazing at the dwindling health bar above the Long-Armed Titan's head, Qin Ze chuckled coldly. "At the end of your rope, and you still dare to fight back?"

With only a thread of health remaining, even if Qin Ze did nothing, the beast would eventually perish. Yet, he had no intention of wasting time. Facing the incoming arm, Qin Ze's fists met it head-on with a thunderous punch.

In a contest of strength, Qin Ze feared no beast. No matter how formidable their power, could it surpass the might of the Dragon and Elephant?

Within his shattered dantian, the Dragon and Elephant Grand Void Scripture circulated endlessly, the wild elephants galloping alongside the dragon's roar that echoed through the heavens. These two forces intertwined, creating a tumultuous sea of power within him, a strength that no lowly beast could hope to match.

"Grrr..."

The Long-Armed Titan let out a piteous cry before lying still on the ground.

As the health bar vanished, Qin Ze retracted his fists with a smile. At that moment, a system notification echoed in his mind: "Congratulations, player Qin Ze, you have gained 190 experience points, 73 qi points, and 1 production value."

"On average, a beast yields around 150 experience points. Killing all night should net me half a level."

Qin Ze mentally calculated. Since reaching the sixth rank of martial artist, slaughtering livestock at the abattoir had yielded little experience. He was well aware that as one's level rose, the experience gained from lower-level monsters diminished, while defeating higher-level ones rewarded more.

The abattoir was no longer of much help to him. Future advancements would require venturing into the Kunlun Mountains, where beasts roamed freely. Within a ten-kilometer radius, he could hunt for half a month straight, making it a holy land for leveling up.

Qin Ze severed the Long-Armed Titan's head, stuffing it into his spatial wooden token before making his way towards the border of the Kunlun Mountains.

On his journey, Qin Zhantian had repeatedly warned him against approaching the mountains due to their peril.

Even in the outskirts, one could never predict when a fifth-tier or higher beast might suddenly burst forth. Fifth-tier beasts possessed crystal cores, granting them intelligence and the ability to harness their demonic energies to unleash formidable techniques.

Even those who had attained the Gathering Spirit realm found it difficult to contend with a fifth-tier beast, testifying to the terror of those that had condensed crystal cores.

However, demonic beasts with crystal cores are also the targets of numerous adventurers. The value of crystal cores on the Tianyuan Continent is unimaginably high. Even those lofty cultivators need them dearly. In the cultivation world, crystal cores serve as currency, and the value of any item is measured by crystal cores.

It takes decades, even centuries, for a fifth-stage demonic beast to condense a crystal core, which has a wide range of uses.

Infusing weapons with crystal cores imparts incredible power to even ordinary weapons, transforming them into superior weapons.

Incorporating crystal cores into pill making, these cores are the dream materials of countless alchemists. High-grade crystal cores can refine pills with miraculous energies, even capable of producing celestial-grade pills.

Ingesting them directly allows the body to fully absorb the energy within the crystal core, potentially leading to mutations or even transforming the consumer into a demonic beast-like form. On the Tianyuan Continent, some superhuman beings have grown powerful by consuming crystal cores. Some have even undergone mutations, taking on demonic beast features, though only in appearance, with no other changes.

It is precisely because of the exorbitant value of crystal cores that many adventurers risk their lives in the perilous Kunlun Mountains, hoping to hunt a demonic beast with a crystal core and soar to greatness with its power.

Throughout his journey, Qin Ze slaughtered countless demonic beasts, sparing none.

By midnight, he had accumulated over 4,000 points of Qigong energy, nearly halfway to advancing to the sixth stage of martial cultivation.

Moving forward would bring him into the Kunlun Mountains. The day before, he gazed at the ominous, black giant mountain, which seemed to swallow up everything in its path.

The Kunlun Mountains were incredibly alluring to him.

However, the demonic beasts within were likely beyond his current capabilities. After all, he was only at the sixth stage of martial cultivation, with sixth-stage Qigong. He could handle demonic beasts up to the third stage, but encountering a fifth-stage demonic beast would mean certain death, with no chance of escape.

Qin Ze paused, facing the towering, dark mountain giant. "A treasure trove for leveling up and gaining experience," he muttered.

"Wait for it. I'll come and conquer this place soon enough."

After a long while, Qin Ze prepared to leave.

Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted from not far away.

The dark forest erupted into a flurry of flapping birds, as towering trees fell one after another, dust filling the air...

Qin Ze was shocked. "Could it be a boss going berserk?" he thought.

Without hesitation, he turned and ran. A berserk fifth-stage demonic beast was too terrifying. He wouldn't be arrogant enough to confront it, knowing it would be like throwing an egg against a rock.

This wasn't a game where death meant a resurrection. Here, death meant disappearing from this world forever.

Not running meant certain doom.

Moreover, the raging demonic beast was charging straight towards him...