Chapter 325: Snake Paradise
November, the twentieth.
Within Snake King Fortress Camp, streams of people flowed endlessly as the number of Hunters and Beast Tamers arriving here surged dramatically.
The reason was naturally the auction that Zhou Ming had instructed Su Mei to organize.
The resources Zhou Ming looked down upon were treasures rarely seen among Professional Beast Tamers.
Under Su Mei’s promotion, many factions from the northern region of the Alliance had already arrived, all hoping to obtain the resources they needed during this grand event.
To prevent any accidents from occurring, Su Mei had also mobilized the vast majority of the camp’s forces, with only Tiger Mouth Pass left untouched.
Aside from the auction items provided by Snake King Fortress this time, other factions had also participated, especially the Duanmu Family and the three factions within Qinghui Base.
After all, the more Hunters and Beast Tamers attracted here, the greater the benefits they themselves would naturally receive.
As the auction officially began, countless treasures successively appeared within the Nightshade Market auction hall.
“The twenty-third auction item, a high-tier potion — Dream Illusion Liquid.”
“Effect: Capable of increasing the Spiritual Power of Professional Beast Tamers. Extremely effective for Entry-level Professional Rank, and can assist in breakthrough advancement.”
“Drawback: Only effective upon the first use.”
“Starting price: Two thousand Source Crystal Coins. Each bid increase must not be lower than one hundred Source Crystal Coins.”
Upon the auction platform, Lu Tao from the Department of Internal Affairs acted as the auctioneer. He pointed toward an azure-colored potion upon the auction table as he introduced it.
The moment his words fell, people immediately began bidding one after another, each revealing their determination to obtain it.
Although it was merely a high-tier potion, the price rose at a visible speed.
While the auction proceeded lively and noisily, within the sixth floor of the stone tower, Zhou Ming was carrying out his plan.
The sixth floor of the stone tower had no separate rooms, yet at this moment it was completely occupied by the Molting Giant Serpent formed from the fusion of the snake swarm.
Its hundred-meter-long body coiled into a circle, leaving only an empty area at the center.
At this moment, Zhou Ming sat cross-legged within it. Before him rested a crystal sphere-like object, inside of which the panic-stricken Little Pink Mushroom was sealed.
Upon the surface of the crystal sphere were engraved pale golden runes the size of grains of rice.
As all-purpose existences, Rune Mages naturally possessed dream-related runes within the inheritance of the Hydra Rune School.
This was also Zhou Ming’s foundation for drawing the Little Pink Mushroom into the dreamscape.
After Zhou Ming activated the defensive methods of the stone tower, purple radiance instantly blossomed across the surrounding walls, forming a barrier that enveloped the entire sixth floor.
Once he confirmed he would not be disturbed, the plan he named “Snake Paradise” officially began.
Relying on the influence of the Molting Snake Emperor bloodline, drowsiness descended upon the Molting Giant Serpent coiled within the sixth floor. The massive serpent head instantly lay before Zhou Ming.
Soon afterward, materialized Spiritual Power radiating silver light surged forth, activating the specially crafted crystal sphere before Zhou Ming.
Under the prying force of Spiritual Power, the runes emitted a layer of illusory radiance, enveloping both the Molting Giant Serpent and Zhou Ming.
The next moment, Zhou Ming instantly felt his consciousness beginning to dissipate. At this moment, it resembled the muddled state experienced within sleep, while the concepts of space and time gradually blurred.
“Little fellow, still trying to continue struggling?”
Spider Queen Iliss clung like a stubborn disease. The moment Zhou Ming’s consciousness sank into slumber, her charming and seductive figure once again appeared.
Spider Queen Iliss resembled a hunter with victory already in hand, watching Zhou Ming struggle desperately like prey caught within a spider web, hoping to use this to grind away his will to resist.
Zhou Ming had long anticipated Iliss’s appearance, so he directly ignored her existence. After all, Iliss could not interfere with him in any way and could only continuously disturb his rationality through words.
Now, what he needed to do was make her understand what it meant for offense and defense to reverse.
“Snake Paradise, manifest.”
Using the supreme dominion ability of the Molting Snake Emperor bloodline, even if the Molting Snake swarm had fallen into deep slumber, their souls and consciousness would still remain under his control.
Within the boundless void-like consciousness space, a point of white light was born alongside Zhou Ming’s shout. A dreamscape filled with illusionary sensations gradually formed before him.
“Little fellow, you wish to utilize the power of dreams? But it seems this still isn’t enough.”
Spider Queen Iliss appeared to be appreciating a farce, observing every one of Zhou Ming’s actions.
“Is that so? I hope the upcoming performance will satisfy Your Majesty.”
Zhou Ming looked toward the dreamscape before him once more. Like scenery hidden within fog, it remained hazy and indistinct, still insufficient to completely materialize the dream.
However, aside from the Molting Snakes implanted with his Spiritual Seeds, Zhou Ming also possessed billions of Ironthread Snakes across Blue Star.
Using his Molting Snake Emperor bloodline as guidance, every Ironthread Snake currently sleeping had its dreamscape begin merging into it.
The next moment, mountains, rivers, plains, marshes…
As the dreams of the Ironthread Snakes merged together, realistic scenery began appearing.
“Little fellow, it still isn’t enough. The dreamscape you created remains, in essence, merely an illusory fantasy.”
Spider Queen Iliss, who inspired terror among countless races within the underground world of Tamu World, now developed a trace of interest toward Zhou Ming’s actions.
“Your Majesty, don’t rush. The true show is yet to come.”
Zhou Ming grinned, resembling someone proudly showing off a prized masterpiece before a friend.
In the outside world, the Little Pink Mushroom sealed within the crystal sphere gradually transformed into nothingness under the guidance of rune power.
Within the illusionary dreamscape, a strange energy fluctuation emerged.
The originally fist-sized Little Pink Mushroom appeared within the dreamscape like a towering mountain. The dreamscape, which had seemed on the verge of collapse, instantly stabilized.
“A Natural Spirit — how could you possibly obtain one?”
“No… this is merely the embryonic form of a Natural Spirit.”
The moment Spider Queen Iliss saw the appearance of the Little Pink Mushroom, her expression instantly changed, and she faintly sensed a trace of unease.
Zhou Ming did not explain. Instead, he took a single step forward, causing the body formed from his consciousness to appear within the dreamscape.
“Little Pink Mushroom, lend me your power.”
When the Little Pink Mushroom saw Zhou Ming appear, it did not choose to flee this time.
Because the moment it entered the dreamscape Zhou Ming had created, it had already sensed the relationship between itself and Zhou Ming.
Zhou Ming used the snake swarm to construct the dreamscape and provide the survival environment it required, while it naturally had to accept a certain degree of Zhou Ming’s control.
The relationship between the two sides could be considered one of symbiotic cooperation.
“Yiya ya…”
The Little Pink Mushroom’s childish voice no longer emitted frightened “ying ying” cries, but instead fulfilled Zhou Ming’s request.
Now that it possessed a dreamscape, the Little Pink Mushroom began revealing extraordinary power.
When a strand of illusory pink radiance descended upon Zhou Ming, he instantly felt absolute authority over the dreamscape before him.
“Her Majesty Spider Queen Iliss, please enjoy the performance I have prepared for you.”
At this moment, confidence once again emerged upon Zhou Ming’s body.
He raised his right hand high as chains resembling pink crystal carvings continuously appeared, spreading through the endless void while ignoring spatial distance.
These pink crystal chains seemed to be searching for something throughout the endless void. A moment later, one of the chains suddenly tightened.
“Found you.”
A trace of delight appeared at the corner of Zhou Ming’s lips.
The other pink chains surged over like sharks that had smelled blood.
“Little fellow, you have completely enraged me.”
A furious voice echoed throughout the dreamscape. The originally peaceful dreamscape suddenly resembled a world struck by earthquakes as mountains collapsed and rivers flowed backward.
Facing the destruction of its home, the Little Pink Mushroom instantly released a hazy radiance from its body.
At the same time, a mountain-sized pitch-black spider was dragged into the dreamscape by the pink crystal chains.