Otherworldly Desert Dust

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"Alright."

Before the River Girl could suck, Wu Hen suddenly pulled his finger out.

A fairy just for leading the way, can’t be too well-fed, especially since his body had only just regained some vitality. He couldn’t let this fairy drain him dry.

River Girl Qiaqia clearly wasn’t satisfied, a look of resentment flashed in her changing eyes.

Wu Hen ignored her, walking out of this man-eating valley, heading towards the Vortex Ancient Relics.

Beyond, there was no so-called earth anymore, because the ground had become countless floating rock bands, like small outer space meteorites orbiting around the central ancient relics slowly.

The outer meteorites were more abundant and moving faster, while the inner meteorites were larger and slower. From afar, it looked like a churning vortex band of meteorites, slowly devouring the surrounding space.

In the past, Wu Hen couldn’t even think of walking across. Most of the rotating meteorites were tens of meters apart, with significant height differences, making it nearly impossible to leap onto them.

Fortunately, vines grew abundantly among these meteorites. There was an island of resilient mutated vines like chains linking them together, allowing people to move along these climbing vines to other meteorites.

"There’s a legend that this is the divine power of a Desert Dust Heavenly Light. Its powerful mana never dissipated in this area, forming such a vortex ancient relic over the years," said the River Girl.

Wu Hen was searching for a path.

From his vantage point, many places were impassable.

He needed to reach the very center of the ancient relic, where there was a stalactite sword peak hanging down from the sky vein. By following this stalactite sword peak, he could reach the Barbaric Mountain Range.

"They move in patterns, climb to that vine-lock meteor group first," Wu Hen said after observing for a while.

The vines were as large as ladders to heaven, some dangling for kilometers. Wu Hen waited for the floating meteor under his feet to drift to the vine ladder before leaping up and grabbing the vine, swiftly climbing upward.

The River Girl needed Wu Hen’s blood to survive. After pondering for a while, she followed Wu Hen, climbing towards the Sky Earth Vein.

Clouds and mist drifted by them.

The River Girl glanced down and saw that the rivers and lakes where she resided now appeared as small as a drop of water below.

It was her first time being so high off the ground, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit dizzy.

"Die~~~~~~"

Suddenly, a strange scream came from behind the meteorite!

A giant head as big as a titan’s first emerged, followed by a body like a voodoo bird’s.

It had no feathers, just a thick layer of fur covering its entire body, including its giant human face!

"Human-faced duck!" The River Girl clearly recognized this grotesque creature, exclaiming.

The human-faced duck had four limbs. It didn’t flap its fur-covered wings but crawled over from behind the meteorite.

Its eyes, like high beams, stared intently at Wu Hen, who was climbing the vine, making him extremely uncomfortable!

Even the best drivers can’t tolerate oncoming cars with high beams shining!

"Get lost!" Wu Hen, with his bad temper, cursed at the human-faced duck.

"Die~~~ Die~~~" The human-faced duck opened its mouth, uttering an unpleasant and extremely ominous cry.

"Dare to curse at me, die!" Wu Hen was now bold as ever; he wouldn’t tolerate these Desert Dust demons at all.

Granular materials appeared around Wu Hen, quickly forming a Black Jade Xuan Bow.

The bowstring pulled itself, and an arrow materialized on its own!

"Swoosh!"

One clean shot fired, the arrow flying straight at the human-faced duck’s furry chest!

The human-faced duck reacted swiftly, dodging the arrow with a quick roll.

Despite the attack, the human-faced duck didn’t panic or fly away. It wasn’t visibly furious, either. It continued to stare at Wu Hen with those high-beam eyes.

"Die! You’re dead!!"

The human-faced duck spat out words, its voice grating and obnoxious, like an oncoming car not only shining high beams but also honking madly at you, taunting you!

"This thing seems unkillable," River Girl Qiaqia said.

Wu Hen got more irritated.

Climbing up to the meteorite group, having found a secure foothold, he noticed the human-faced duck still following him, its glaring eyes making it hard for him to see the surroundings.

He immediately drew his ten-meter Golden Flame Demon Blade and took a swing at the human-faced duck’s head as it approached!

This swing was much more powerful than when he chopped his way through the valley. The golden demon flame erupted, affecting an area over a hundred meters. The blade left a deep scar on the massive meteorite.

Thought the human-faced duck would be cut in half, or at least roasted by the golden flame.

But the human-faced duck only disappeared briefly. When the powerful blade flame dissipated, it was hovering a few dozen meters away, patting its hairless wings, plump and ugly, staring at Wu Hen with a mocking grin!

"What devilry is this?"

Wu Hen looked surprised.

This blade couldn’t be stopped by even a Yin Dragon Head. How did this mediocre demon evade it?

A Desert Dust monster with maxed-out dodge stats?

No wonder his aunt always said not to rely solely on brute force in the Desert Dust.

Just when Wu Hen was relishing the thrill of his newfound power, the monster bird punished him immediately.

"This bastard bird’s strength is barely at Night Ghost’s level, and it lacks claws or fangs for active attacks..."

"Could it really be as the fairy said, unkillable?"

Being unkillable wasn’t the issue.

Given its strength, it probably couldn’t hurt him.

But those glaring eyes were pure light pollution, making him nearly blind.

This made it difficult for Wu Hen to find the path to the central sky ladder!

"Any idea how to drive it away?" Wu Hen asked.

"I heard..." River Girl Qiaqia started to speak.

Suddenly, the human-faced duck opened its mouth with a mocking tone, "Waste! Idiot waste!"

Waste?

You calling me that, you bastard!!

Wu Hen felt his blood boiling.

Don’t think I can’t handle you!

Wu Hen closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Waste~~"

Another curse, the human-faced duck’s tone filled with smugness, as if taunting humans brought it immense satisfaction!

"Zoom!"

Suddenly, Wu Hen vanished from his original spot.

Utilizing the echo of the sound waves, he locked onto the human-faced duck in an instant!

Using Echo Flash against a minor demon might seem overkill, but Wu Hen couldn’t stand an ugly, furry-chested monster cursing at him incessantly!

In an instant, Wu Hen appeared behind the human-faced duck!

With a swift stroke, he aimed to decapitate it!

But there was no splatter of blood. Wu Hen only felt his strike hit an air current. Before he knew it, the human-faced duck disappeared again. His blade hit the ground, smashing the rock!

This attack—timing, speed, and power—was executed in an instant, enough to send shivers down a Cangxia Level entity.

Yet, the human-faced duck dodged again!

It jumped aside, showing crooked teeth, and let out a sharp laugh!

"Ha ha ha ha~~~"

"Idiot!!"

"Idiot!!"

"Ha ha ha~~~~"

The human-faced duck was ecstatic, laughing and cursing, then humming an incredibly annoying tune!

Wu Hen couldn’t believe it.

Echo Flash, combined with Body Lock Slash, should be impossible to dodge. No creature with even the fastest reaction time could evade it!

Before Wu Hen could regain his composure, that damn "high beam" shone on his face again, capturing his surprised expression!

Ahhhhh!!!!

Wu Hen felt he was losing it.

It was like driving a Ferrari, only to be taunted by a Wuling Hongguang with high beams at the next intersection. Stepping on the gas to catch up, only for the Wuling Hongguang to drift in front of him, flashing its lights madly!!

The humiliation! The utter humiliation!

A mere Night Ghost-level bird dare mock him.

The worst part was, it cursed while feeling gleeful, the more furious he got, the happier it was!

"Let’s just ignore it," the River Girl suggested, seeing Wu Hen’s rising anger and hurriedly trying to calm him down.

"Dumbass~ Dumbass~" the human-faced duck changed its insult, cursing at Wu Hen.

Wu Hen’s blood pressure spiked.

Almost summoning his Heavenly Father with his left hand, ready to obliterate the creature!

"Calm down, let me try singing to drive it away," River Girl noticed Wu Hen’s rising temper.

Wu Hen stayed silent, his chest heaving.

What kind of mechanism is this?

Evade skills 100%?

It’s rigged!

Is it speed overpowering him, or some unique ability at play?

"They feed on your anger, the madder you get, the stronger they become," River Girl whispered to Wu Hen.

"Alright, try singing," Wu Hen couldn’t think of a better plan, so he let the increasingly obedient River Girl proceed. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The River Girl opened her mouth and began singing the beautiful melody unique to River Spirits, meant to captivate humans, stunningly beautiful and enhanced with spiritual magic...

"Yuyo Luo, Luo Luo Yu~~"

Her enchanting song finally made the human-faced duck quiet.

Listening to the song, Wu Hen felt much calmer. Having a fairy around wasn’t so bad; they could sing to lift his spirits when he was unhappy.

The human-faced duck listened attentively to the whole song.

Afterward, it arrogantly lifted its head, critiquing:

"Squawk, like a chicken."

"Squawk, like a wild chicken!"

As expected, the previously spirited River Girl was directly demoralized, her sharp suction fangs exposed, as if ready to drink the monster bird’s blood!

"Calm down, calm down, the angrier you get, the stronger it becomes!" Wu Hen, now amused, hastily restrained the enraged River Girl Qiaqia.