Chapter 257: Resentful Spirit Entity
On the Ninth Floor of the Tower, a black metal gate stood before Zhou Ming and the Scorpion-Lion.
The gate was about five meters tall and three meters wide, its surface engraved with all kinds of eerie relief carvings as decoration.
“Still going?”
Looking at the heavy black metal gate before him, Zhou Ming did not immediately push it open to search for any remaining rare resources. Instead, he turned his head and asked the Scorpion-Lion beside him for his opinion.
“What, afraid?”
Although they had not yet opened the gate, both of them could clearly sense the oppressive aura coming from behind it.
It was obvious that something behind the gate posed a threat to them.
“I don’t want my friend to die here because of my wrong decision.”
“Friend? Hearing that word from you, Ten Thousand Snakes, is no small thing. Since you consider me your friend, then accompanying you on one risky venture won’t hurt.”
A faint smile appeared on the Scorpion-Lion’s face. Compared to the threat behind the gate, hearing Zhou Ming say the word “friend” seemed more meaningful.
Seeing that the Scorpion-Lion was willing to continue, Zhou Ming did not speak further. He immediately placed his palm against the black metal gate.
With a harsh metallic grating sound ringing in their ears, the metal gate was slowly pushed open by Zhou Ming.
The moment it was fully opened, a gray torrent surged toward them.
Decay. Death. Different from normal elemental energy particles—these were negative energy particles born from the deaths of countless living beings, something usually only encountered within death-oriented transcendent systems.
Seeing this, Zhou Ming immediately activated the Greenwood Necklace hanging around his neck, a defensive transcendent equipment he had obtained from Qi Kaiyuan in the past.
Driven by his Spiritual Power, a jade-like barrier rose like a great dam, blocking the torrent formed by the negative energy particles behind the gate.
The wood-element energy particles imbued with life not only prevented the negative energy particles from eroding Zhou Ming and the Scorpion-Lion, but also neutralized them in the process.
When the gray torrent dispersed, the scene inside the tower finally appeared before their eyes.
Corpses. Corpses of all kinds of creatures were piled like mountains—Ferocious Beasts, Foreign Races, and a large number of human bodies.
Some had already turned into white bones, while others still retained their appearance from before death. However, once the black metal gate had been opened, they began turning into drifting ash at a speed visible to the naked eye.
“So that’s it. The defensive measures of this black metal gate have already been corroded by the negative energy particles.”
Seeing the scene before him, the doubts in Zhou Ming’s heart were instantly resolved.
“There are at least a thousand corpses here, and every one of them, while alive, was comparable to a Professional Beast Tamer.”
While Zhou Ming examined why the gate’s defensive measures had failed, the Scorpion-Lion briefly reported what he had discovered.
Hearing this, Zhou Ming seemed to understand why the Tower’s Master had established this Secret Realm on such a remote island in the Green Archipelago.
Although the Tamu World followed the law of the jungle, using beings comparable to Professional Beast Tamers from various races as experimental subjects would inevitably incur the hatred of those races.
Especially the Foreign Races that relied primarily on bloodline power—they would never wish to end up as experimental materials.
There were more than a thousand corpses here, but the actual number used in experiments was certainly far greater. A large number of experimental subjects must have been consumed in the process.
“I wonder what kind of project the Tower’s Master was conducting to expend such effort.”
Looking at the mountain of corpses, Zhou Ming did not lament the cruelty of the methods. Instead, he felt curious about the purpose behind them.
Just as Zhou Ming was about to investigate the surroundings to obtain intelligence, a sinister cold wind suddenly rose, and dense negative energy particles gathered once more into gray currents.
However, this time the visible negative energy particles did not rush toward Zhou Ming and the Scorpion-Lion. Instead, they converged upon the mountain of corpses. As the decaying gale grew more violent, a grotesque Spirit-type Creature appeared before them.
It stood three meters tall, its entire body primarily semi-transparent gray. Twisted and ferocious faces constantly surfaced across its body.
A fallen, polluted aura spread through the Ninth Floor of the Tower like a rising tide.
Zhou Ming and the Scorpion-Lion instantly felt their consciousness being contaminated. Their Spiritual Power descended into chaos, and negative energy particles even began manifesting within their bodies.
“Snake Swarm Will.”
Sensing something wrong, Zhou Ming invoked the will of the Ironthread Snake swarm to empower himself. A half-human half-serpent phantom appeared above his head.
“Lion King’s Roar.”
With a roar from the Scorpion-Lion’s Beast Tamer partner, A Yue, the spiritual consciousness of man and beast resonated at that moment, and the phantom of a majestic lion manifested as well.
“Ten Thousand Snakes, this looks like an extremely dangerous aggregation of resentment! Be extremely careful—do not let it come even a single step closer!”
The Scorpion-Lion warned with a grave expression. But before he could finish speaking, a miserable green aura suddenly erupted from the resentful aggregation.
Carrying an invisible curse, the aura expanded outward in all directions with the resentful aggregation as its center. Wherever it passed, the air seemed twisted by that wicked force, forming visible ripples.
As the aura spread, the surrounding environment began to change in eerie ways.
Wisps of black smoke rose from the decayed corpses on the ground, intertwining in midair and gradually forming hideous ghostly faces.
“Blood Descendant Secret Technique · Snake Tide Poison Miasma.”
Without hesitation, Zhou Ming immediately cast his exclusive spell. Countless black serpent shadows appeared, blocking the miserable green aura from approaching.
However, the Snake Tide Poison Miasma that had helped Zhou Ming defeat many powerful enemies before proved completely ineffective this time.
The black serpent shadows imbued with deadly venom dissipated into trails of black smoke the instant they touched the green aura.
But Zhou Ming was not exploring this Secret Realm alone. Just as the Snake Tide Poison Miasma failed, an extremely dazzling white radiance blossomed behind him.
Compared to the environment before them, the white light was filled with a sacred aura.
“Ten Thousand Snakes, my Holy Light Emblem can only hold for a short while. Use whatever means you have—quickly!”
At that moment, the Scorpion-Lion held up a golden emblem. The radiance formed from light-element energy particles possessed a purifying effect.
However, judging from his tone, the effect of this transcendent equipment could only guarantee their safety for a brief period.
“Wuuu…”
Before Zhou Ming could respond, the resentful aggregation seemed enraged by the sacred light. A large number of mutilated spirit bodies suddenly emerged from within it.
Curses filled with muttered incantations and illusionary realms that distorted consciousness began to manifest. The surrounding corpses started melting, and the chaotic, polluted aura—putrid corpse water and fragmented spirit bodies—merged into a towering tidal wave that surged toward Zhou Ming and the Scorpion-Lion.
Before the two even made contact with the resentful aggregation’s attack, the negative energy particles had already begun eroding their life force. Their flesh started to feel increasingly uncontrollable.