Chapter 397: The Dark Energy Monster

Chapter 397: The Dark Energy Monster

In the records about the You Gu tribe that Ji Xinghuo had perused, there were descriptions of Black Ring Star's geography and cities before the nuclear explosion.

The architectural style of the You Gu tribe was distinct and easily recognizable.

Unlike most serpentine tribes that dwelled in caves or mountains, they resembled humans in their penchant for building modernized cities. Skyscrapers soared into the sky, breaking through the heavens, and space was utilized efficiently.

The ruins before him were a testament to that.

However, the entire city, along with the earth beneath it, had been flipped over, turning everything upside down. The ruins now hung overhead like an upside-down world.

Due to this cataclysmic event, most of the structures had been destroyed and reduced to rubble, except for a few enigmatic buildings that remained standing, their construction materials unknown. These buildings, like giant bamboo shoots, were upside down, their tips embedded in the ground, propping up the domed ceiling of the ruins.

Over a millennium had passed, and the ruins were now overgrown with ferns.

The collapsed wreckage seemed to have no end.

Ji Xinghuo gazed across the ruins, but even with his Myriad Manifestation Star Pupils, he couldn't penetrate the churning darkness that lay beyond.

The scope of the ruins exceeded the radius of his electromagnetic sensing abilities.

The magnetic field remained chaotic and disordered.

"Strange..."

Ji Xinghuo furrowed his brows. He had already entered the ruins, yet his electromagnetic sensing abilities were still unclear and fuzzy. Moreover, he couldn't pinpoint the source of the magnetic field interference. It seemed to be everywhere and yet didn't affect his normal vision.

In the faint glow, he caught glimpses of several fleeting shadows. "There are monsters in the ruins!"

However, he didn't act rashly but continued to observe.

Soon, Ji Xinghuo discovered some footprints—some human, some belonging to other races. Judging from the traces, they hadn't been left too long ago.

"This city ruin has long been discovered by others," Ji Xinghuo thought, unsurprised. He had found his way here using electromagnetic sensing, and others likely had their own means, perhaps even the same ability as him.

With the reopening of the stargate on Black Ring Star four hundred years ago, who knew how many exotic beings had ventured into the Eternal Darkness Rift and stumbled upon these ruins?

Perhaps the True Dragonmen had scoured this place countless times.

If that was the case, the danger here shouldn't be too great.

Ji Xinghuo maintained his invisibility and flew into the ruins at a steady pace. As he entered, he immediately sensed the peculiarity of this place.

His Myriad Manifestation Star Pupils seemed to be veiled in shadow, and an intangible, formless energy permeated every inch of space. Like an ink-black ocean, it stained all matter within the ruins, creating a peculiar negative pressure.

It was this energy that interfered with the magnetic field, making him feel as if he were trapped in quicksand, his every movement slightly sticky yet not overly resistant.

"Dark energy?" Ji Xinghuo mused to himself. "Or perhaps dark matter, or a combination of both."

In the entire universe, 96% of all matter was comprised of dark energy and dark matter. They were the backdrop of the cosmos, perhaps even the cosmos itself, driving the movement of the universe through repulsion. However, they neither absorbed, reflected, nor radiated light, and they didn't interact with most particles.

Dark Stringers were those who, through their spiritual energy, borrowed and manipulated dark energy and dark matter.

Thus, Dark Stringers were considered one of the most powerful professions.

And among them, the You Gu tribe's racial talent, "Dark Master," was exceptional. Their understanding of dark energy and dark matter was so profound that even the True Dragonmen fell short in comparison.

Back then, three out of the five Shepherd Star Saints of the You Gu tribe were Dark Stringers!

"It's been over a millennium," Ji Xinghuo thought. "Even if the You Gu tribe once researched dark energy in this city, it should have dissipated by now."

"But the reality is that it's still functioning."

"There must be something amiss!"

As Ji Xinghuo realized this, his spirits lifted. This peculiar situation likely indicated the presence of some treasure. However, any exotic beings who had previously visited the ruins might have discovered it already. Was he too late?

Suddenly, he sensed danger.

Before him stood a building that was now embedded in the ground at a slant. Originally, it must have been at least two kilometers tall, but now only its main structure remained.

A black shadow leaped out from the shadows of the building, over a hundred meters above the ground, and pounced towards him with incredible speed. Its body was enveloped in a large patch of dark fog-like shadow, making its outline blurry and indistinct.

Ji Xinghuo glanced up and immediately saw through the shadow.

It was a dark red monster!

It resembled a human crawling on all fours, with a body length of over two meters. Its skinless body exposed dark red flesh, and it had a large, tumor-like head devoid of eyes or a nose, only a mouth filled with layers of sharp fangs. Its black throat seemed capable of sucking in even light itself.

The monster's front limbs were disproportionately robust, equipped with a pair of massive, sharp claws.

Despite lacking sight, it could sense Ji Xinghuo's invisible presence and launched a precise attack. Its appearance was terrifying and ferocious.

As Ji Xinghuo discerned the monster's nature, his lens displayed its information.

"Dark Feaster!"

This was one of the most dangerous monsters on Black Ring Star. They were swift and elusive, appearing and disappearing without a trace. Their claws could easily tear through metal, and they possessed formidable defensive and regenerative capabilities. Typically, they only appeared in the deepest underground regions.

A single Dark Feaster was enough to give exotic beings a headache, but the most terrifying aspect was that they were pack hunters!

Countless information about the creature flashed before Ji Xinghuo's eyes.

In an instant, he grasped the Dark Feaster's habits and weaknesses and reacted immediately.

Boom!

A lightning bolt exploded in the air, dispelling the darkness, and the sound of thunder reverberated through the ruins.

At the same time, Ji Xinghuo's plasma gun fired, activating its rapid-fire mode and spewing a series of plasma beams.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle...

The lightning struck the Dark Feaster from below, causing it to stagnate momentarily.

Immediately afterward, the layer of shadow surrounding its body was penetrated, offsetting some of the high-temperature beam's energy. The second high-temperature beam followed suit, precisely piercing its gaping maw and exiting through the top of its head.

Before the Dark Feaster could utter a sound, another high-temperature beam blasted its head, turning it into a bloody mess.

Unbeknownst to him, he had been surrounded by these creatures, and they were now launching their attack.

Among the Devourers of Darkness was even a Flood-level monster.

This was the greatest danger Ji Xinghuo had faced since entering Black Ring Star, but he remained calm and collected, his eyes as cool as ice.

Swish! Swish!

His left hand gripped the gun, firing continuously. Three successive beams of high-temperature light blasted the head of a Devourer of Darkness rushing from the left, turning it into a gory mess. He then swiveled the gun and fired off three more shots, dispatching another Devourer that had leaped down from above.

Suddenly, a black shadow leaped out from behind Ji Xinghuo, and massive claws slashed at his neck, leaving a black gash.

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Ji Xinghuo dodged with a swift step forward.

Instant Step!

He paid no heed to the Devourer of Darkness that had used "Shadow Jump" to appear behind him and didn't even bother to glance back, for Qinghong had already joined the fray.

A colossal beast appeared, and the Devourer's claws slashed against its golden, silver, and azure scaled armor, sending sparks flying. Before it could launch another attack, an invisible gravitational field emanated from Qinghong, increasing the gravity by twenty times.

The Devourers of Darkness rushing in from all sides slowed to a crawl.

Qinghong raised its Rending Claw and returned the favor, tearing the monster in front of it to shreds.

Ji Xinghuo stood within the gravitational field, continuously firing his gun. The gun barrel swept back and forth, sending out beams of high-temperature light, each one finding its mark with deadly accuracy. Three shots were all it took to blast a Devourer to pieces, and within seconds, he had taken out five of them.

Suddenly, the shadow beneath his feet seemed to come alive, as if something were about to burst out from below.

Ji Xinghuo's body shot upwards, and he stomped down with his foot.

Boom!

The ground shook as a spiral force erupted from his foot, instantly turning the Devourer that had just leaped out into a puddle of gore.

At the same time, thunder rumbled in the sky, and lightning bolts struck down relentlessly.

The Devourers of Darkness hiding in the shadows were forced out into the open, unable to escape. Their movements slowed in the gravitational field, and Qinghong charged forward, tearing them to shreds with its claws.

Amidst the gunfire and thunder, Devourers of Darkness perished by the second.

Mental Source Energy notifications kept popping up.

Even so, there were Devourers of Darkness that dared to brave the lightning and arcs of electricity, leaping out of the shadows to launch surprise attacks on Ji Xinghuo.

They seemed devoid of emotion or fear, like mindless zombies.

Ji Xinghuo's right hand gripped the Electric Potential Blade.

He didn't activate the Myriad Manifestations of Nature, but his microscopic perception remained active, granting him awareness of everything within a five-meter radius. The flow of air and energy, the conduction of sound and force—all these details were presented in his mind, granting him profound insight as if he knew everything.

He fired his gun, blasting a Devourer of Darkness, then spun and slashed with his blade.

Electricity arced and crackled.

A Devourer that had just leaped out of the shadows to his side was instantly bisected, and Ji Xinghuo spun his blade, slashing once more.

Lightning Cut!

His body transformed into a flash of blade light, sweeping across a dozen meters, leaving four more Devourers waist-chopped on the ground.

Then he stopped and continued firing his gun.

In the blink of an eye, most of the Devourers of Darkness lay dead.

Ji Xinghuo's gaze pierced through the shadows, and his body suddenly expanded to a height of over four meters. His strength surged, and electricity danced in his eyes as he unleashed another Lightning Cut. A hundred meters away, a section of ruins was sliced apart like tofu.

A significantly larger Devourer of Darkness stumbled out of the shadows, its massive claws swinging to parry Ji Xinghuo's blade.

Clang!

The claws that could tear through metal were severed, and a red line appeared on the Flood-level Devourer's body. Its massive form slid sideways, revealing a smooth, even cut, its head completely severed from its body, ensuring its death.

Mental Source Energy +265

Ji Xinghuo stood there, blade in hand, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

The commotion of battle attracted more Devourers of Darkness, who crept closer from the shadows. They had intended to join the siege, but after witnessing the death of the Flood-level Devourer, they suddenly halted and melted back into the darkness, retreating deeper into the ruins.

"There are so many of them!"

Ji Xinghuo spotted over a hundred Devourers of Darkness and felt his killing intent rising.

These Devourers of Darkness were at least Elite-level.

Many were Superb-level, and killing them yielded a substantial amount of Mental Source Energy. If there were a large number of these creatures in the ruins, it would be the perfect hunting ground!

He reached out and touched one of the corpses in front of him.

Monster: Devourer of Darkness

Level: Catastrophe - Flood

Abilities: Touch of Darkness, Shadow Escape, Shadow Jump, Giant Blood Claws, Tear, Extreme Regeneration, Bloodlust Frenzy, Advanced Toughness

"So, it's the Touch of Darkness!"

Ji Xinghuo finally understood why the Devourers of Darkness lacked sight yet possessed such keen perception.

Touch of Darkness was an ultra-limit ability that allowed one to merge their sense of touch with the darkness, detecting any movement and subtle vibrations within a certain range. It was incredibly sensitive and was one of the ultra-mode abilities of "Shadow Blade."

This Flood-level Devourer of Darkness didn't have many abilities, but the combination of the ones it had was formidable.

It seemed to be a common trait among the monsters of Black Ring Star.

Clearly, it was also a product of the Yu Gu tribe's biological technology, combining the traits of "Shadow Blade" and "Giant Warrior." It possessed both exceptional stealth capabilities and a robust physical body, making it a troublesome opponent.

Ji Xinghuo checked the ability information of the other Devourers of Darkness and found that their abilities weren't exactly the same.

Some lacked certain abilities, while others were missing different ones.

When all the abilities were collected and duplicates removed, there were a total of 18 unique abilities.

If a single Devourer of Darkness possessed all these abilities, it would be at least Quake-level, perhaps even a Doom-level monster, incredibly powerful.

Ji Xinghuo gazed deeper into the ruins.

There was a lot of Mental Source Energy to be gained there, but there might also be terrifying monsters that could pose a threat to him.

Before long, Ji Xinghuo discovered a group of eight Dark Feeders lurking motionlessly amid the wreckage of a building, as if they were inanimate objects.

Pretending not to have noticed them, he drew closer while still cloaked in invisibility.

As expected, the Dark Feeders sensed their prey and began their silent hunt, creeping forward.

Battle ensued.

In less than a minute, it was over, and the eight Dark Feeders lay on the ground as mangled corpses.

Ji Xinghuo reaped nearly 200 Mental Source Energy points from the battle.

"The efficiency of hunting Dark Feeders is indeed much higher than hunting other monsters outside," he rejoiced. He quickly collected the exotic species and continued to wander through the ruins, intending to clear out the monsters one area at a time.

Ji Xinghuo tirelessly lured the Dark Feeders with himself as bait, continuously hunting down hundreds of them. In just ten hours, he had accumulated 6,000 Mental Source Energy points!

However, as he killed more and more of them, something seemed to happen among the Dark Feeders, and they began to intentionally avoid him.

"No matter," he thought. "I'll just change locations."

Ji Xinghuo looked towards the ruins.

Even though most of the You Gu tribe's city had been destroyed, the remaining ruins were still vast, and it would take a while to explore them thoroughly. He shifted his hunting grounds, and indeed, the Dark Feeders in the new area were unaware, making them easy prey.

After a few more hours of hunting, his Mental Source Energy approached 60,000 points.

"This is exhilarating!"

Ji Xinghuo stored the exotic species in the Dragon Ring, intending to press on and search for the next group of Dark Feeders. Suddenly, his brow twitched as if pricked by a needle.

Danger!

The Myriad Manifestation Star Pupils were automatically activated, and time seemed to slow down.

Ji Xinghuo's vision was filled with countless streams of light, foretelling future scenes. He saw the surrounding area within a few hundred meters suddenly darken as if all light had been devoured. Fortunately, his Myriad Manifestation Star Pupils remained unaffected, maintaining clear visibility.

As the surroundings darkened, an invisible dark energy surged like a black tidal wave.

A whirlpool of energy with a diameter of about ten meters suddenly appeared before him.

Everything within the whirlpool was pulled towards its center.

Ji Xinghuo, too, was pulled by an irresistible force towards the center of the whirlpool. The tide of dark energy pressed against his body, immobilizing him, and even the starlight within him stagnated, making it incredibly difficult to activate his abilities or weapons.

Just as he was pulled into the center of the whirlpool, a black laser beam shot out of thin air, as thick as an arm, aimed directly at Ji Xinghuo's head.

The outermost layer of his superpower battle suit was instantly pierced.

The tantalum-silicon battle armor, flux barrier, and holy scale armor were all activated, finally blocking the black laser beam.

"What is this thing?"

Ji Xinghuo was still unable to move, but his Myriad Manifestation Star Pupils had locked onto the target.

Hidden within the shadows from which the black laser beam originated was a strange entity, over two meters tall.

It vaguely resembled a human silhouette, but it lacked legs. Its lower body was a black whirlpool of energy, and its torso seemed to grow out of the whirlpool, expanding as it went upward. It had a pair of rough arms without fingers, and above its chest, there was no neck, only a stout head. Its face was featureless except for a pair of narrow eyes that shone with a faint blue light. Its entire body was in constant flux, with black energy dripping down and then flowing back into the whirlpool, an endless cycle.

"An energy being!"

Ji Xinghuo finally saw through the creature that seemed to exist between reality and illusion, but he had never encountered anything like it before.

Even the Black Ring Star's specialized scanning glasses yielded no results.

The creature's eyes shot out another black laser beam, again failing to penetrate Ji Xinghuo's defenses. By now, two seconds had passed, and Ji Xinghuo had been pulled to the center of the whirlpool.

The whirlpool's control was about to end.

The energy being's body dispersed, transforming into a black wave that carried the tide of dark energy towards Ji Xinghuo.

This wave was like liquid flame, capable of inflicting both ultra-high temperature burning and extreme low-temperature freezing damage.

It surged onto Ji Xinghuo, completely engulfing him.

Instantly, Ji Xinghuo experienced the agony of both extreme heat and cold. His tantalum-silicon battle armor instantly disintegrated, and the flux barrier corroded and collapsed. The terrible liquid black fire seeped through the gaps in the holy scale armor and into his body.

In just a moment, Ji Xinghuo was injured, his entire body wracked with excruciating pain, and he felt as if he were on the verge of collapse.

Even Qinghong suffered alongside him, letting out a pained cry.

Finally, the whirlpool's suction force disappeared.

Without hesitation, Ji Xinghuo activated his Flashing Combat Boots and teleported dozens of meters away, escaping the corrosive effects of the liquid black fire.

The scene before him changed.

Ji Xinghuo's vision shifted back to the moment before the attack, as the events he had just witnessed were a glimpse into the future, which had not yet occurred.

Time continued to flow slowly and silently.

Ji Xinghuo turned and locked onto the energy being, which had just appeared from the shadows, about to darken its surroundings and release an energy whirlpool to initiate a series of bizarre and terrifying attacks.

With a thought, he teleported.

Almost in the instant that Ji Xinghuo disappeared, the surroundings plunged into complete darkness, and the energy whirlpool appeared where he had been standing.

But this time, the monster's whirlpool missed its target.

It hadn't anticipated that Ji Xinghuo could evade its control and attack, and its vague, flowing face, with its pair of narrow eyes shining a faint blue, froze in surprise. The black laser beam it had been about to shoot halted.

"My turn!"

After teleporting, Ji Xinghuo didn't look back as he activated "Acceleration," instantly reaching his maximum speed and flying out of the darkness, putting distance between them.

He drew the Spirit String Song and pulled back the bowstring.

In the midst of his rapid flight, Ji Xinghuo turned and released a chain arrow, accompanied by a peal of thunder. It transformed into a swift bolt of lightning, streaking towards the creature.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end