The rabbit herd finally surged before Bai Xiaodu.
They bore various injuries, but without exception, every single rabbit wore an expression of sheer fury.
Some had even thrown their bloody mouths wide open. Where their buckteeth should have been, razor-sharp fangs had grown in their place!
The mere thought of being attacked at close range by a swarm of these creatures, resulting in a bloody mess, was enough to make anyone shudder.
Liu Qingzhu's face turned pale, but when she glanced sideways and saw Bai Xiaodu standing as firm as a mountain, she felt her worries ease.
The terrifying wind pressure kicked up by the stampeding herd grew even stronger, washing over him wave after wave.
Bai Xiaodu merely watched all of this with cold indifference.
Boom!
Behind him, the five cyan-white glows suddenly erupted!
Instantly, the momentum swelled as a howling gale whipped up.
Countless scale-like wind blades surged forward like a roaring ocean wave, stacking layer upon layer with a relentless, low rumble.
Manifesting from behind Bai Xiaodu, they roared and howled like a literal tsunami.
Rumble...
The massive wave of wind blades crashed down from the sky, violently sweeping up everything in its path.
The Red Dragon Demon's eyes widened; even though he was high in the air and well out of the wave's reach, he still instinctively dodged to the side, like someone dodging a rolling steel coil.
Then, the Red Dragon Demon quickly discovered something even more terrifying.
This wave of wind blades was fucking controllable!
The rabbit herd below lacked high intelligence. Driven only by the instincts to snatch the orb and block competitors, they had absolutely no idea what was happening.
However, the primal dread that any living creature felt when facing a gargantuan force told them they were in extreme danger.
The rabbit herd slowed down as their instincts took over.
Faced with danger and an impending attack, their collective choice was...
“Hiss!!!”
The rabbits' fur puffed up, and they threw open their blood-red mouths, letting out the most primal roar of survival.
Boom!
The wind blades slammed down ruthlessly, and their angry hisses quickly turned into shrill, agonizing shrieks.
Bai Xiaodu, of course, witnessed this scene. His choice was...
To obliterate them completely!
The massive wave swept up their bodies first, carrying one grey-white figure after another into the sky with terrifying force.
They thrashed and kicked wildly, but with nothing to push off of, they were completely helpless.
Next, guided by Bai Xiaodu's mind, the wave began to twist, eventually forming a tornado-like vortex.
The rabbits were intentionally funneled toward the center by the wind. Paralyzed by sheer terror, they didn't resist and instead tried to huddle together.
But without a doubt, while the strong huddling together could create miracles, the weak huddling together just turned a bunch of potential runaways into a perfect bullseye.
Boom!!!
Right at that moment, having charged his power for a long time, the spell runes in Bai Xiaodu's hands flared with brilliant light.
The Freezing Ray, which he had been holding back for the perfect moment, finally erupted!
A pale, blinding, and terrifyingly powerful beam of light shot straight into the sky!
Its target was crystal clear, aiming straight at the rabbit herd trapped in the vortex.
The Freezing Ray, stacked to six times its normal thickness, was incredibly violent; with unstoppable force, the terrifying cold wave completely swallowed the rabbit herd!
The rabbits didn't even have time to shriek.
Their bodies simply couldn't withstand such a violent surge of energy. As if struck by a speeding heavy semi-trailer in mid-air, they began to disintegrate one after another.
Plop.
A rabbit leg, glinting with a cold light and covered in frost, fell right into the hands of the dumbfounded Red Dragon Demon.
He looked up, trembling.
It was as if the sky were hailing, filled with dense black dots.
As these dots plummeted, their shapes shifted from blurry to clear.
Countless rabbit limbs and heads rained down from the sky—an utterly horrific sight!
Caught off guard, the Red Dragon Demon was pelted several times by the falling debris.
However, he ignored these minor annoyances and shook his head vigorously, staring at Bai Xiaodu, who remained perfectly composed and had even conjured a 【Gust】 above his head to use as an umbrella.
The Red Dragon Demon felt his scalp go numb.
It took him dozens of seconds to process what had happened before he mumbled in a voice so quiet only he could hear.
“This is the 【Fearless】 Secret Realm, not 【Brutality】... Did this guy enter the wrong place?”
“By the Five-Headed Scourge and the Five-Colored Dragon Mother, I think I've just discovered an unbelievable monster.”
“And is he really just a Warlock Apprentice? This looks more like a skill enhanced by a Pathway...”
The Red Dragon Demon immediately dismissed the thought.
The Secret Realm did have restrictions; official transcendents were barred from entering.
Thus, the Bai Xiaodu before him was indeed a genuine apprentice.
That was way too terrifying, man.
The Red Dragon Demon would honestly prefer it if Bai Xiaodu were an official transcendent!
While he was still dazed, Bai Xiaodu was already rummaging through the pile of severed limbs and carcasses.
Spotting the crimson orb in his hand, a look of delight crossed his face.
“Found it.”
With a casual toss, the Red Dragon Demon scrambled to catch it.
Staring at the quest item in his hands, his mind was still a bit of a blur.
Although the process was completely wrong, the result was correct.
The Red Dragon Demon looked at Bai Xiaodu with a complex expression, opening and closing his mouth.
Seeing that he wasn't speaking, Bai Xiaodu brushed the dust off his tail and asked impatiently,
“Where's the 'WoW'? Hurry up and start the next stage. I've got things to do.”
The Red Dragon Demon snapped out of it.
“Oh, oh! WoW!”
“Congratulations, you have successfully passed the trial of the first stage.”
“Though your method of clearing it was incredibly... unique, I personally approve. The great Dragon Mother will surely find amusement in this.”
Having said that, the Red Dragon Demon could no longer contain his intense curiosity.
“I'll open the second stage for you right away. But before that, I sincerely want to ask—how did you achieve such spell power?”
“I know my skull shape isn't up to standard and I'm considered a heretic, but my original body died long ago. Right now, I'm just a remnant soul born from his emotions and consciousness.”
“I hope you can enlighten me.”
Bai Xiaodu rubbed his ears, a habitual idling motion he did whenever he was waiting or killing time.
Naturally, he couldn't give a direct answer to this question.
“Hard work and dedication.”
“Be serious.”
“Plus a father, a mother, and technology.”
“...You win.”
...
Outside.
Due to the discovery of the Secret Realm, this naturally formed cave would no longer be a niche spot for thrill-seeking young couples.
Following the Federation's standard practice, a comprehensive service station would be built here, using the Secret Realm as a base.
Director-General Shen sat in a temporary room that had been prepared for her beforehand. With a cup of coffee by her side, she silently watched the projection stone.
Although the signal was poor inside the Secret Realm, she could still make out the general sequence of events.
Both the massive wave of wind blades and the exceptionally thick Freezing Ray made Director-General Shen nod in approval.
To achieve such a level as an apprentice was indeed exceptionally rare.
After a brief moment of thought, Director-General Shen silently dialed a number.
“...Hello?”
“It's me.”
“Oh, Cousin! Calling at this hour—has your performance evaluation been completed? Or did you run into some trouble? Do you need me to speak to the clan and get you transferred back up quickly?”
Director-General Shen's voice remained calm.
“Neither. I've found my opportunity for advancement here.”
The voice on the other end suddenly grew excited.
“What?! An advancement opportunity at your level? Congratulations! You're already one of the strongest in our generation. If you succeed, the position of the next clan head will definitely be yours! Just name whatever materials you need, and I'll have them rushed over. If worst comes to worst, I can even ask a few clan elders to come over and guard you.”
Director-General Shen declined.
“It won't be that fast. His strength is still too weak; I still need time to nurture him.”
“Send me some spellcasting weapons suitable for official transcendents, a few First Circle spell grimoires, and... well.”
“Got it, got it. I've noted it all down. Anything else?”
“Books on the physiological structure, mindset, personality, and psychology of fox-kin. Preferably ones that include sexual knowledge and behavior. The more, the better.”
“Huh? What do you need those for?”
“To use.”
“...To use?”
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