Chapter 750: Swallowed (2 in 1)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Pah.
The moment w.a.n.g Zhong entered the coordinates, a white light burst out and wrapped itself around his whole body. w.a.n.g Zhong felt as though his whole body had been shattered. His body was squeezed by the force of time and s.p.a.ce, just like long noodles being pulled and twisted by a noodle master. His brain received dreadful pain from receptors all over his body, as though he was undergoing the most painful torture in the world. Fortunately, in the next second, the power of time and s.p.a.ce surged, and a spatial crack was formed. It then disappeared together with w.a.n.g Zhong in a flash.
After a short period of discomfort, w.a.n.g Zhong was able to quickly stabilize himself during the transmission. At the very least, it was much easier than his last dimensional transmission going from the Dimensional World back to Earth.
Correspondingly, the distance of the channel was also much longer.
Traveling through such a s.p.a.ce-time channel, w.a.n.g Zhong had an unprecedented strange feeling. Two rays of strange-looking light distorted into entanglement and collision, forming the s.p.a.ce barrier of the channel. The most peculiar thing was that in this s.p.a.ce tunnel, w.a.n.g Zhong could sense other strange coordinates, one after another. These coordinates emitted their own unique aura, and the most prominent coordinate was that of the Holy City, which exuded a strong holiness and clarity within the s.p.a.ce-time tunnel.
This was one of the most powerful and important functions of the Pioneering Order. No matter where one was in the Dimensional World, he could return to the Holy Land through the Pioneering Order. The other coordinates were public safety coordinates recorded in the Pioneering Order, representing the achievements of the Holy Land in the Dimensional World; this was equivalent to the map of the Holy Land’s power in the Dimensional World. Of course, the security here was relatively limited. At the same time, the Pioneering Order also had a hidden, coordinate-recording function.
In other words, the Holy Disciples who used Pioneering Orders were ‘extending the map’ for the Holy Land. Naturally, this was an underlying map. As long as a place had been set foot on by humans, it could not be considered wholly unknown.
w.a.n.g Zhong was also totally clueless about the technology inside. He had been to the Holy Land for quite some time, and it was no secret that many things in the Holy Land were ready-made. In fact, human beings merely used the technology directly without understanding them. Even the Holy Saint Teacher back then tried to uncover their secrets but failed to find anything. All that could be said was that when G.o.d gave man a disaster, he gave them Noah’s Ark as well.
At this particular time, within the Pioneering Order, the coordinates of the pyramid locked on by w.a.n.g Zhong’s soul were second only to the coordinates of the Holy Land in terms of clarity. A teleportation corridor formed between the coordinates and w.a.n.g Zhong, continuously narrowing the distance between the two.
In the final process, accompanied by a twisting vibration, w.a.n.g Zhong’s speed in the s.p.a.ce-time channel reached an extreme high. In the next moment, his whole body coincided with the coordinates of the pyramid, and the Pioneering Order instantly issued the final teleportation order. A spatial exit was torn from above the coordinates, and w.a.n.g Zhong seized the opportunity to leap forward into the spatial gap.
w.a.n.g Zhong’s eyes were blinded by a bright light, and he was already standing on the ground. His body inertially s.h.i.+fted forward, and he saw a shadow appear in a flash. Accompanied by a b.l.o.o.d.y aura, it pounced right at him.
It was an extremely large ‘Ham Sausage.’ With its huge tongue, Ham Sausage licked w.a.n.g Zhong’s face continuously.
w.a.n.g Zhong did not know whether to laugh or cry. “Ham Sausage, it’s time for you to brush your teeth.”
Ham Sausage continued to shrink, and a fierce-looking little puppy plonked to the ground on its b.u.t.t. It hung out its tongue, panting in excitement and wagged its tail at w.a.n.g Zhong with hopeful eyes.
w.a.n.g Zhong looked around and realized that although the pyramid was gone, the surroundings were still familiar; things hadn’t changed that much. Dimensional Secret Realms had very distinct attributes. Some kind of dimensional power or dimensional treasure would be keeping the realm in existence. Once it was seized by humans, it would either disappear or lose its former power. Aiolos was also aiming for this dimensional power, but this required one to be at the Heavenly Soul Stage. Mu Zi might be able to sense it, but he… was not able to do so at all.
Smiling, w.a.n.g Zhong took out a piece of ham and fed it to the puppy. “Did Mu Zi ask you to wait for me here?” This fierce-looking dog was indeed Mu Zi’s dimensional pet, Ham Sausage.
“w.a.n.g Zhong, let me out! It’s mine, it’s mine!”
Having sensed the presence of Ham Sausage, how could Simba not lose his composure and just stay in w.a.n.g Zhong’s body? There was such loud screaming in the depths of w.a.n.g Zhong’s mind that his head began to hurt. He knew that it would be difficult to rein Simba in now that they were out of the Holy Land.
As soon as w.a.n.g Zhong released his soul, Simba jumped out and began riding on Ham Sausage’s head. “Wah haha, it’s been a long time since we last saw each other, my number one mount!”
Ham Sausage waggled its head a little but did not shake Simba off its head. It was unknown whether it was due to Ham Sausage being resigned to its fate or because of the mission it was a.s.signed.
At this moment, Ham Sausage’s body exuded a dim light, and its expression grew a little different. Aiolos’s voice then came out from its belly. “w.a.n.g Zhong, we can’t meet up with you there in time. Ham Sausage will bring you here, but the method will be a little special.”
There was a teasing tone in his voice, and then the voice stopped. Ham Sausage stared at w.a.n.g Zhong innocently while Simba continued to bounce around on its head. Simba had been held back for too long; thus, he had an urge to go off the hooks.
“Ham Sausage, how do we get there?”
With a loud howl, Ham Sausage’s body grew larger and larger, especially its head. Not long after, he grew to the size of a small hill, and Simba slid down like he was going down a slide.
“f.u.c.k, my mount is indeed special. w.a.n.g Zhong, are we going to ride it over to the place?”
As he looked at Ham Sausage opening its mouth wide open, w.a.n.g Zhong shook his head. He realized that the way there was indeed different. In the next instant, w.a.n.g Zhong grabbed Simba, and Ham Sausage swallowed them whole.
Wah!
Having swallowed w.a.n.g Zhong and Simba, Ham Sausage began to dissipate gradually…
Aiolos and Mu Zi were both waiting at the entrance of the secret realm. It could be seen that they were both taking a breather. As powerful as they were, they could barely handle that secret realm.
Mu Zi’s dull eyes lit up slightly. “He’s here.”
The coffin opened, and Ham Sausage rushed out. It grew bigger along the way and threw w.a.n.g Zhong and Simba up.
Immediately after landing, Simba jumped up and shrieked, “Ham Sausage, how dare you swallow the great Simba? I’ll make you into stew!”
Ham Sausage licked him with his huge tongue, but Simba obviously had the heart of a young girl and was not so easily pacified.
“Long time no see.” Aiolos stretched out his hand as he smiled and hugged w.a.n.g Zhong tightly. He then patted w.a.n.g Zhong’s shoulders twice. “It seems like it’s time for the three of us to embark on a conquest once again.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Mu Zi and I just saw each other not long ago!” said w.a.n.g Zhong, laughing.
“So I’ve heard. Mu Zi told me that your Dharma Idol is extraordinary and has great profundity,” said Aiolos, with a smile.
“It’s only the beginning. I don’t know what the future holds. What is so difficult to handle this time? Especially with the great power you guys hold.”
“We’ve been trying for the past few days, but we really can’t get it done. Do you have any food? I’m hungry,” said Mu Zi.
“Of course, I prepared them long ago!” He then poured out the cola and the local specialties of the Holy Land that he had brought along in the storage s.p.a.ce.
Cola and ham sausages were rather basic, but he also brought along some legitimate Holy Land delicacies. He had been a taste-tester for the Gourmets for so long, risking his life on the job. It could be said that w.a.n.g Zhong’s understanding of the Holy Land’s delicacies increased as the days pa.s.sed. In the Empire, where resources were scarce, these things would be unheard of.
As soon as Mu Zi saw the cola, his eyes grew brighter. He then picked up a can and downed the whole drink without uttering a word. “It feels really awesome to drink a can of this right after exercising!”
After Mu Zi finished a can of cola, he took out his Samsara wine and tossed it to w.a.n.g Zhong. “This is for you.”
Even though Aiolos had already reached a level where he would not be affected by external objects, he also praised the delicacies of the Holy Land. One would supposedly grow more isolated and lonely on the path of cultivation, but this was obviously not the case in the Holy Land.
“How do you make these things? The ingredients are the same, but the people from the Federation can actually prepare the food better.” Aiolos could not stop himself from eating. The Federation was all about hedonism, but according to the customs of the Empire, this would be decadence, which meant the weakening of tribes and making them die out eventually. However, not only did the Federation not weaken, it became more powerful and influential in the process.
w.a.n.g Zhong smiled as he answered Aiolos, “The Holy Land is a strange place. There are countless experts and many complicated professions. There is even the subsidiary job of being a gourmet. One can use the ingredients of the Dimensional World to create gourmet foods, and the foods can include many other functions. However, I’m a little broke now. I’ll bring more for you guys next time.”
With three muscular men, coupled with Simba and Ham Sausage’s stomach capacity, those things w.a.n.g Zhong brought were quickly wiped out. The leftovers were also finished off by Mu Zi and Aiolos.
Mu Zi patted his round tummy and smiled, revealing his pearly whites. What could make him happier than drinking colas with his two buddies? Furthermore, this weird drink could make people forget their troubles, even more so than wine.
“What’s the deal with this secret realm?” w.a.n.g Zhong had already spotted the secret realm in front. Wherever they were, it ought to be the entrance, which appeared calm and tranquil. It was surrounded by a cloud of mist, but they still managed to plant their feet on solid ground. A lush and thick forest could be spotted from afar. Although it appeared silent, spookiness filled the atmosphere, making its peculiarity impossible to miss.
In typical forests, one would always hear the chirping of various birds or the sound of shaking leaves; but that was definitely not the case here. It was unusually quiet, truly too quiet. It was like the entire forest was merely a painting; not even the slightest movement could be seen and no sound could be heard. Previously, when they were eating, Mu Zi had talked about it intermittently. There was a scary forest, a strange wooden cottage, and other weird stuff such as dwarfs. However, it was too ambiguous. Mu Zi’s descriptive and verbal skills indeed required some brus.h.i.+ng up.
“Before looking for Mu Zi, I managed to fight my way to the cottage. The seven, strange little dwarfs weren’t all that scary when they were apart; but when they attacked together, their great five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth — together with light and darkness — resonated with each other to form a powerful force. It was a headache for me, but it became much better with Mu Zi’s help. However, we still have no way of facing the wooden cottage.” Aiolos waved helplessly because Mu Zi had felt a strong aura of death in that shabby wooden cottage, leaving them no choice but to retreat.
“Seven dwarfs? Are they the kind with huge beards?” asked w.a.n.g Zhong with a frown.
“That’s right. Eh, how did you know?”
w.a.n.g Zhong paused for a moment. It was impossible for him to not know. When he was young, Simba also spoke of some fairy tales, including things that had disappeared from the old civilization. This was one of the famous ones, known to every household and individual. It was ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.’ This meant that Aiolos and Mu Zi should have met the most dangerous type of secret realm: the more one was related to humans, the greater its unpredictability.
It was not that other types of secret realms were not powerful. Humans would mostly steer clear of realms with super-powerful dimensional creatures. The danger would often be visible in those places, but the danger in this kind of secret realm was often hidden and unseen.
“I’m guessing it will be a fairy-tale-like secret realm. Furthermore, it can make us feel threatened. It is definitely valuable!” Aiolos paused for a while before he replied, “In Dimensional Secret Realms, this kind of human-related realm is most likely to be composed by the natural order. It is the most indispensable for my advancement at this stage.”
w.a.n.g Zhong nodded. “This kind of secret realm is the best place to verify dimensional mysteries. We have to think of a way to handle this place. The question is, how can my power be of help?”
w.a.n.g Zhong was never one to unduly humble himself in these situations; he knew it would just be idiotic to put on a false front with Aiolos. A place that could directly ‘scare away’ Mu Zi definitely had no place for him, even if he was willing to put his life on the line.
Aiolos smiled as he replied, “The higher the level of the dimensional creatures in such secret realms, the more wisdom they have. They must have a thirst for Soul Power. The essence of your soul would be an unparalleled temptation for them. Also, you are best at handling such attacks. Of course, if my a.s.sumptions are wrong, you’ll need to leave first. I’ll cover you.”
Ever since their experience at the previous pyramid — although the two did not understand what had actually happened — a series of things had proven that attacks targeting the soul, especially those aiming to draw Soul Power, had no effect on w.a.n.g Zhong. As long as w.a.n.g Zhong could win them the slightest opportunity, they would definitely grasp it.
Simply put, they were going to use ‘baiting’ as their battle technique.
“No problem!” At w.a.n.g Zhong’s current level, he could not understand the dimensional mysteries contained in these secret realms; however, he had two top-notch experts as his escorts. This experience was definitely considered an ultimate special treatment that others could never enjoy. As for fear, that word did not exist in his dictionary. He was already certain that it would be dangerous. However, just like what Aiolos mentioned, as long as the other party tried to devour his Soul Power, he would be very welcome to the challenge. The last time, Aiolos and Mu Zi had given the most precious golden stone slab to him without demur, saying that it was useless to them. How could that be possible? As sharp as they were, how could they not know that it was a treasure?
Besides, Mu Zi had also rescued w.a.n.g Zhong in the desert. With such a strong relations.h.i.+p between the three, these external objects were of no importance.
Seeing w.a.n.g Zhong nod his head, Aiolos’s eyes clearly sparkled with excitement. He was born to be a warrior and was always fearless. Even if w.a.n.g Zhong did not come, he would not let go of this opportunity. It was just that he respected Mu Zi’s ability to peer into death, and he knew that this little baldy was also improving by leaps and bounds. The essential point was that his path of cultivation was completely different from ordinary people. He was also clear that both of his little brothers were capable of achieving impossible heights.
“Foolish human beings. You are rambling on about nonsense. You have ignored the most important thing. Just wait for the team to be wiped out!” Simba somersaulted and landed on Ham Sausage’s head, looking pleased with himself.
As sharp as the three of them were, they immediately realized that the most critical thing was the story itself. The human mind could affect secret realms. The strong similarity to the human tale indicated that the human mind must have had an extremely large impact; thus, the story itself must be the point of breakthrough for the secret realm.
Although w.a.n.g Zhong had heard of it before, he only knew the broad outline. Only Simba knew the real details.