novelden Chapter 179 The Mysterious Swamp
Chapter 179 The Mysterious Swamp
Fiery Golden Eagle!
Its feathers shimmered with golden light, its body was over six meters long, and its wingspan was comparable to that of a truck. Even more terrifying, golden flames constantly burned at the base of its feathers, and its gaze was sharp as a knife, radiating an aura of dominance over all living beings.
The Flame Eagle is an extremely rare aerial predator with exceptional fire elemental control. It is proud, possesses a strong sense of territory, and will inevitably face a thunderous attack if its territory is invaded.
Luckily, we're far enough away!
"The Flaming Golden Eagle is one of the most skilled aerial combat creatures among the Crimson-Purple level beings." Mo Ming's lips twitched. "It's a pity that Little Golden's injuries haven't fully healed yet, otherwise it might be able to put up a fight."
With a soft sigh, Mo Ming slowly left the place.
None of these four ferocious beasts are easy to deal with, and none of them would be easy to handle. But at least we have a basic understanding of them, so we can be prepared if we really encounter them.
Back at the shelter, Mo Minghai couldn't calm down for a long time; the images of the four ferocious beasts lingered in his mind.
He felt both deep apprehension and a surge of admiration for their talent. If he could tame these four, the sanctuary's strength would...
Just thinking about it makes me excited.
But as excited as he was, Mo Ming also understood that it was almost impossible to tame all four of the most powerful and ferocious beasts.
Suddenly, Xiao Jin's whistling sound rang out. Mo Ming knew immediately that another incredible discovery had been made, so he immediately left the shelter and had Meng Ling lead him to fly over in the direction of the sound.
Soon, Mo Ming arrived at the place where Xiao Jin circled, a full twenty kilometers away from the shelter. Looking around, all he could see was a cluster of low bushes and weeds, nothing unusual.
But Xiao Jin's voice continued to ring out, Meng Ling seemed to react as well, and Mo Ming also began to notice the abnormality of the place.
Mo Ming stood on Meng Ling's back. As Meng Ling rose in height, he looked down and the swamp, which had been shrouded in bushes and weeds, gradually revealed its full appearance.
This is a strange swamp hidden on the outskirts of the forest. Its area is larger than Mo Ming imagined, like a huge scar embedded in the lush green forest.
The afternoon sun was blocked by the dense canopy of trees, with only sparse rays of light penetrating through. The swamp was bathed in a hazy, half-lit light and shadow, making it appear even more mysterious and unpredictable.
When observed closely from high above, the most striking feature of this swamp is its outer edge, a desolate boundary that stands out starkly from the surrounding normal forest.
The trees and land, which should have been thriving, began to become strange as they approached the swamp.
The bushes near the perimeter are sparse and withered, their leaves bearing an unnatural grayish-white hue. Some tree branches are twisted and twisted, as if affected by an unknown force, as if they had been violently broken from the inside.
Many plants even extend strange, tentacle-like tendrils from their roots and stems. These tendrils emerge from the ground in beetle-like indentations, some of which firmly wrap around the outer edge of the swamp, concealing hidden puddles and partially collapsed mud.
The bushes and weeds were unusually dense, but lacked vitality, presenting an overall dull, bloodless color, as if drawing a curtain to conceal the danger lurking behind the scenes.
Tiny points of light flickered intermittently in the bushes, as if some creature was watching the intruders. They appeared and disappeared, seemingly spying on everything.
Mo Ming squinted and discovered that those were not the eyes of living beings, but plants bearing lantern-like fruits. These fruits were as large as eggs, translucent, and emitted a faint blue-white light.
When the wind blows, the fruit sways gently as if about to fall, and liquid seems to be flowing under the skin, vaguely revealing vein-like patterns inside, as if they have their own life.
Mengling slowly descended, and the closer she got, the stronger the damp, decaying smell became to Mo Ming.
Mo Ming had Meng Ling condense several water bullets and let them fall freely from the air. Each time they fell into the swamp, they were accompanied by a "plop" sound. The tiny mud splashes on the leaves were like some kind of rotten scab, which was difficult to wipe away.
A thick, fishy stench filled the air, mixed with the distinctive smell of rotting plants and slippery earth, slightly irritating, as if some chemical components were mixed in, causing Mo Ming's nasal cavity to involuntarily sting.
The transition zone from mud to water was completely devoid of vegetation, with only a thin layer of moss covering the surface. The pale green moss was soaked in water, appearing alive but giving off a sense of timidity and oppression.
Meanwhile, Little Gold hovered above Mo Ming's head, emitting a mix of rapid and low whistles, as if reminding him that something unusual was lurking in the mud and water.
Hearing Xiao Jin's voice, Mo Ming's vigilance intensified.
As they slowly approached the deeper parts of the swamp, Mo Ming noticed that some of the mud had begun to collapse.
Those small collapses didn't seem to be naturally formed; they resembled the "mouth" of something that had swallowed its prey, with irregular, serrated edges covered in fine black mud.
A chill ran down his spine—these collapses were likely related to some large creature. Muddy water seeped from the collapse points, slowly forming a small puddle, with faint bubbles rising in the center.
In some places, a layer of greasy, colorful light film even appeared, reflecting inexplicable figures, but these were broken into pieces by the ripples on the water.
Following the direction of the swamp, Mo Ming and Meng Ling slowly moved forward, and gradually, the real waters revealed their true nature.
This body of water is wide and deep, as calm as a giant inverted mirror, its surface shrouded in a hazy mist that reveals an unnatural blue-green hue.
The swamp water was a deathly dark green, thick like putrid blood, and even had a kind of stickiness that was hard to detect and hard to describe.
Many huge plant leaves float in the water. They resemble duckweed but are dozens of times larger than common duckweed. The surface of the leaves has a metallic sheen, and the edges are angular and uneven, as if decorated with blades.
If you look closely, you'll find that the leaves sway slightly under the movement of the water, as if they have a mind of their own, giving off a cold, savage vibe.
What puzzled Mo Ming even more was that there were transparent, thread-like tendrils hanging from the edges of the duckweed. They dangled into the water and swayed gently, as if they could detect the movements underwater.
Several strange rocks of varying sizes emerge from the center of the swamp, their surfaces riddled with cracks as they are submerged in the water.
Between these cracks, black, downy algae grew, swaying gently in the wind, and the downy hairs occasionally emitted faint blue light.
Mo Ming tried to see more clearly, but found them extremely unsettling; the light from the cracks seemed to be eerily watching the outside world. Mo Ming secretly memorized the locations of these stones, and cautiously raised Meng Ling's altitude.
A cold wind howled overhead, the sunlight dimmed to the point of being almost completely swallowed up, and the air was inexplicably damp compared to before, making it hard to breathe. This swamp seemed to be slowly corroding and invading Mo Ming's consciousness with its very existence.
"There's probably something unimaginable hidden here..." Mo Ming murmured to himself. He took a deep breath, feeling both apprehensive and irresistibly drawn in.
Just as Mo Ming lowered his head, a gurgling sound suddenly came from the swamp. Looking in the direction of the sound, Mo Ming couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"I'm going!"