Martial Arts Overlord-Chapter 121: Misty Swamp

Luo Feng stood firm on the canoe, punching the barrel-thick tail of the Black Dark King Serpent.

HUM! 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

The surrounding air hummed. The canoe tossed violently in the water as ripples quickly spread!

Such force! Truly worthy of a mid-tier Tier 3 Demon Beast!

Luo Feng’s gaze grew more solemn.

Just now, he had used ninety percent of his strength with the Tiger Roar Fist. Even Duanmu Yu, a cultivator in the Essence Storage Realm, would have been severely injured! He had thought it would be enough to injure the Black Dark King Serpent, but they were evenly matched.

Man versus serpent; for a moment, both seemed frozen.

"Clouds and Thousands of Peaks!"

Seeing an opportunity, Bing Ruolan flicked her slender sword. The blade descended like a flurry of snow, its sharp Qi Force striking the Black Dark King Serpent’s tail, sending several scales flying.

The Black Dark King Serpent wailed in pain, its massive body thrashing wildly in the water and stirring up great waves.

ROAR!

The Black Dark King Serpent was completely enraged. Its long body relentlessly slapped the surface of the river. With a shriek, it opened its blood-red maw wide and sprang directly towards the canoe, intent on swallowing it whole.

Luo Feng dared not be careless. He activated the Sky Slayer Saber Technique, slashing out repeatedly.

The sharp Saber Gang, carrying immense momentum, slashed at the Black Dark King Serpent!

CLANG! CLANG!...

The saber gleam accurately struck the Black Dark King Serpent’s head. However, even with the Sky Slayer Saber Technique’s ferocious power tearing through its tough scales, the blade only penetrated half a foot deeper, inflicting mere superficial wounds.

ROAR!

The Black Dark King Serpent was truly furious this time. It let out a sky-shaking roar, a hint of crimson flickered in its green eyes as it stared fixedly at Luo Feng, its murderous intent palpable. Its demeanor was eerie and fierce.

SPLASH!

The massive serpent’s body suddenly began spinning wildly on the river’s surface, quickly forming a huge vortex ten meters in diameter. The Black Dark King Serpent, enshrouded by the vortex, charged straight towards the canoe.

In the turbulence, the canoe bobbed like a lone leaf, seeming as if it would sink at any moment, swallowed by the waves.

"Not good! This Black Dark King Serpent intends to drag us into the river!"

Bing Ruolan’s expression changed slightly. If the Black Dark King Serpent struck the canoe at this speed, even if Luo Feng managed to block it, the canoe would surely shatter!

Once they fell into the water, they would be no match for the Black Dark King Serpent.

"Damn beast! I’ll tear it into a thousand pieces!"

Luo Feng’s face darkened as he glanced at the opposite bank.

He could barely make out the bank; they were still three to four hundred meters away.

Four hundred meters... I can only risk it.

Luo Feng watched the charging Black Dark King Serpent, his gaze sharpening. The Tiger Soul Saber whirred out, and several black saber gleams slashed onto the Black Dark King Serpent’s massive body, somewhat slowing its charge.

Quickly returning the Tiger Soul Saber to his storage ring, Luo Feng turned and swept Bing Ruolan into his arms.

"Ruolan, hold on tight to me!"

Bing Ruolan, startled, quickly reacted. Her eyebrows furrowed as she exclaimed, "You want to fly over there? But we’re nearly four hundred meters from the bank! Your Teng Dragon’s Step is formidable, but surely it can’t cover such a distance?"

"We have no other choice now. Hold on tight!"

Luo Feng took a deep breath and pushed off the canoe with his foot; the rocking vessel suddenly stabilized.

Eight Qi Dragons roared and swirled around him as Luo Feng stamped hard on the canoe with his right foot.

WHOOSH!

Carrying Bing Ruolan, Luo Feng shot upwards like a white crane, instantly ascending tens of meters. Then, he executed Steps in the Air, streaking like a meteor towards the opposite bank.

BOOM!

The moment Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan left the canoe, the Black Dark King Serpent’s massive, thrashing body instantly shattered it into countless wooden fragments.

Seeing Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan flying across the river, the Black Dark King Serpent roared in rage. Its massive tail slapped the water as it charged after them with terrifying momentum.

Luo Feng, holding Bing Ruolan, executed Steps in the Air consecutively. He covered nearly three hundred meters in one go. The bank was getting closer, but after executing Steps in the Air eight times, their momentum was spent, and they began to descend.

HISS...

The Black Dark King Serpent had already opened its blood-red maw wide above the river, waiting for them to fall, ready to swallow them whole.

"Vile beast! Dream on!"

Luo Feng snorted coldly. His aura suddenly surged, as imposing as a mountain, as he unleashed a palm strike.

Dragon Roaring Nine Heavens!

WHOOSH! The eight swirling Qi Dragons roared and plunged downwards. The Black Dark King Serpent, as if struck by a heavy blow, shrieked painfully, its speed faltering for a moment.

Using the propulsive force from Dragon Roaring Nine Heavens, Luo Feng shot forward another few tens of meters before his feet touched the river’s surface.

PLINK...

His toes tapped the water, and Luo Feng’s speed surged. In a flash, he landed on the opposite bank.

His feet firmly on the ground, Luo Feng finally heaved a sigh of relief. He gently set Bing Ruolan down and turned to look back at the Black Dark King Serpent.

ROAR!

Having repeatedly suffered at Luo Feng’s hands, the Black Dark King Serpent, the supreme king of this stretch of river, was incandescent with rage. It thrashed and roared in the water, stirring up colossal waves, yet it dared not approach the riverbank.

"The beast doesn’t dare to come over. I was hoping to see what a Tier 3 Demon Beast tastes like," Luo Feng said coolly, watching the Black Dark King Serpent roaring and thrashing in the dark water.

A rosy flush still lingering on her cheeks, Bing Ruolan looked at Luo Feng and said with a smile, "The Black Dark King Serpent is a mid-tier Tier 3 Demon Beast. It has begun to develop intelligence. Seeing the ferocity of your Saber Technique, it naturally wouldn’t dare provoke you on shore."

Luo Feng exhaled, sheathed the Tiger Soul Saber, looked at the Black Dark King Serpent still thrashing in the river, and said in a deep voice,

"That bastard nearly got us killed in the river. Next time I encounter it, I’ll skin it alive!"

"That won’t be easy. The Black Dark King Serpent is extraordinarily ferocious in the water. Even a peak seventh-level Essence Storage Realm Martial Artist would have difficulty slaying it. However, its gallbladder can help one condense Yuan Qi and is indeed a rare treasure," Bing Ruolan said.

Luo Feng knew he was currently no match for the Black Dark King Serpent and didn’t want to remain entangled. He turned his head and looked at the forest in front of him.

A gray haze hung over the forest ahead, permeating its entirety. The breeze carried the stench of decay and a dangerous, acrid odor.

"Ahead is the Misty Swamp, which is already the outskirts of the North Sea territory. We need to be careful," Bing Ruolan explained, seeming very familiar with the place.

Luo Feng nodded and smiled, "I’ve heard that many precious Spiritual Medicines and natural treasures grow in the Misty Swamp. I hope we don’t return empty-handed this time."

"Such treasures are usually guarded by powerful Demon Beasts; they aren’t easy to acquire. Let’s go. We can start by looking for any rare Spiritual Medicines. Bringing them back to the academy can also earn us academic credits." Bing Ruolan smiled and took the lead.

Watching Bing Ruolan’s retreating figure, a trace of contemplation flickered in Luo Feng’s eyes.

I don’t know if it’s my imagination, Luo Feng thought, but since we arrived at the Misty Swamp, Bing Ruolan seems very cheerful and is talking more than usual.

I heard her hometown is near the North Sea region. I wonder where exactly...

Luo Feng shook his head, dismissing his stray thoughts, and caught up.

The Misty Swamp was perpetually shrouded in fog. Even using Qinggong to leap to the treetops, they could only see a vast expanse of gray stretching to the horizon. No one knew how far it extended or what secrets and dangers it concealed.

They walked cautiously through the forest.

This place was beyond the jurisdiction of the Hundred Nations Territory. Human behavior here was unrestrained. Whether bandits or students from the Four Great Academies, people might kill for profit.

Here, one had to be wary of the perilous environment and Demon Beasts, but especially of other Martial Artists.

Robberies and murders driven by greed happened constantly.

...

In the Misty Swamp, strange plants grew everywhere, and colorful venomous insects crawled about. Occasionally, the roar of a Demon Beast would echo, making one’s skin crawl.

Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan both carried insect-repelling incense. Ordinary venomous creatures wouldn’t dare approach within a radius of about ten meters. They weren’t afraid of these venomous insects, but they had to be vigilant for hidden swamp traps.

"Hey, Luo Feng, come quickly! This looks like Water Qilin Grass."

Bing Ruolan suddenly stopped, swiftly walking to where several blood-red herbs, half a foot tall, grew. They were clearly extraordinary.

"Water Qilin Grass. This is an ingredient for refining the Condensation Yuan Pill. We can take it back to the Academy and exchange it for academic credits."

Luo Feng hurried over. Seeing the herbs, a hint of joy appeared in his eyes.

Bing Ruolan set down her sword and was about to collect the herbs when Luo Feng suddenly pulled her back.

"Be careful!"

Before his words faded, a streak of red light flashed like lightning from the nearby decaying leaves, lunging straight for Bing Ruolan.

SWISH!

A saber gleam flashed. The Tiger Soul Saber sliced the red streak in two, revealing a foot-long, strangely scaled lizard.

"A low-grade Tier 2 Demon Beast, the Blood Chameleon!"

Bing Ruolan looked at the still-twitching corpse of the Blood Chameleon on the ground, her brow furrowed slightly. She glanced at Luo Feng with gratitude.

Although the Blood Chameleon was merely a low-grade Tier 2 Demon Beast, its venom was extremely potent. Anyone bitten by it would suffer meridian failure and die shortly after. It was an extremely venomous and insidious Demon Beast.

"Be more careful," Luo Feng reminded her.

"Okay."

Bing Ruolan playfully stuck out her pink tongue, then carefully inspected the surroundings with her sword. Only when she was certain there was no further danger did she begin to meticulously collect the herbs.

After gathering the Water Qilin Grass, Bing Ruolan glanced at the dead Blood Chameleon on the ground and asked, "Luo Feng, how did you spot that Blood Chameleon just now?"

The Blood Chameleon excelled at camouflage. Once hidden, it was very difficult to detect.

Luo Feng’s Soul Power was exceptionally strong. As he approached, he had already sensed the Blood Chameleon’s aura hidden beneath the leaves.

Of course, he wouldn’t say this aloud. He just rubbed his nose and said with a smile, "Intuition!"

"You’re just being mysterious! I don’t believe you!" Bing Ruolan wrinkled her nose, looking cute and dissatisfied.

At this time, the sky gradually darkened. Clusters of leaden clouds gathered, shrouding the heavens, and a storm seemed imminent. The atmosphere in the forest grew heavy and oppressive.

"It looks like a storm is coming. We need to find shelter. The Water Yuan Qi is relatively dense in that direction, which is good for the growth of Spiritual Medicines. Let’s head there." Bing Ruolan pointed in a direction and led the way.

This girl can actually perceive Water Yuan Qi? Luo Feng mused, Could the rumors be true? Does she have the bloodline of the Xi Tribe? A fifteen-year-old Xi who can sense Water Yuan Qi... she might be from the upper echelons of the Xi Tribe.

Luo Feng stood behind, watching Bing Ruolan, a touch of faint surprise in his eyes.