Chapter 32 | The Otherworld Journey That Starts From a Slime

In the afternoon.

Leona nodded slightly as she watched Zhang Ye using mana threads to simultaneously draw ten Tier Three magic circles.

As expected, it wasn't too difficult for him.

Once he could manage over a hundred mana threads, Zhang Ye began attempting to draw magic circles.

Because he had Perfect Mastery over his magic, the methods for drawing their corresponding magic circles were naturally etched into his mind. Furthermore, as the number of spells he mastered grew, his understanding of magic was gradually increasing.

Currently, the only thing limiting him was his control over the mana threads.

Controlling over a hundred threads to draw ten Tier Three magic circles simultaneously—meaning ten threads per circle—was quite challenging for him. However, as time passed, he became increasingly proficient, and his speed in drawing the circles grew faster and faster.

By the time the sky began to darken, Zhang Ye was already able to draw twenty Tier Three magic circles at once, and with extreme speed; all twenty circles were completed within ten seconds!

However, to keep Zhang Ye from getting arrogant, Leona crossed her arms and said, “It’s not enough. You’ll only be truly qualified once you can simultaneously draw thirty Tier Eight magic circles within three breaths!”

One breath consists of an inhalation and an exhalation, lasting about two seconds.

It could be said she was making things difficult for Zhang Ye. To draw thirty Tier Eight magic circles simultaneously and complete them within six seconds required a remarkable level of mana control and magical understanding.

Nevertheless, Leona believed Zhang Ye could do it.

Zhang Ye nodded, indicating he understood, and then began seeking death again.

“Little Nana, what are we eating tonight?”

Leona extended her hand, clenching it into a fist, and said with a smile, “What did you just call me?”

Zhang Ye looked at her clean, white fist, then looked at her chest, and then put on an expression of sudden realization.

“Big Nana!”

Bang!

Sure enough, Zhang Ye was sent flying over a hundred meters by a single punch from Leona.

Miraculously, although the punch sent him flying a great distance and caused him quite a bit of pain, it didn't cause any actual physical damage.

A closer look would reveal that when Zhang Ye was sent flying, he was enveloped in Leona’s mana, which protected him.

Zhang Ye was naturally aware of this. He knew Leona wouldn't truly hurt him, which was why he felt so safe seeking death.

Then, he came scurrying back.

“Big Nana, I—”

Bang!

Zhang Ye flew out again.

Then he ran back again.

“Big Na—”

Bang!

“Big—”

Bang!

“...”

Bang!

I haven't even said anything yet!

After being punched away twelve consecutive times, Zhang Ye ran back with a huff, hands on his hips. “Hit me all you want! Even if the King of Heaven himself comes down today, you’re still Big Nana!”

Leona looked at him and finally let the flames on her fist dissipate, curling her lip. “Fine, whatever you want.”

This guy knew she wouldn't strike him heavily, so he repeatedly sought death.

To be so persistent after being punched away so many times, Leona even felt a bit of admiration for his death-seeking spirit.

Furthermore, she knew that while she wouldn't wound him, she could definitely make him feel agonizing pain.

Yet, after being sent flying twelve times, he still had that improper smile on his face, without a single hint of pain.

Enduring all that just to call her “Big Nana”?

So she simply gave up and let him be.

However, she still felt like she was losing out, so Leona grinned. “Go catch some Green Vine Snakes for me, Little Ye Ye~”

Zhang Ye’s eyes widened instantly. He glanced downward and then spoke with an air of righteousness, “That won’t do. You have to call me Big Ye Ye!”

Leona: “...”

She couldn't resist punching Zhang Ye another hundred meters away.

“Don’t come back if you don't catch a Green Vine Snake King!” Leona’s voice drifted over. Zhang Ye rubbed his head, his face contorted in pain.

Then he froze. “A what? A Green Vine Snake King?”

“Ella, what’s a Green Vine Snake King?”

After hearing Ella’s explanation, Zhang Ye sucked in a breath of cold air.

That Green Vine Snake King was a Tier Seven magical beast, and it only appeared in nests containing at least five hundred Green Vine Snakes.

In other words, if he wanted to catch a Green Vine Snake King, he would have to face at least five hundred Tier Five Green Vine Snakes and then fight a Tier Seven Green Vine Snake King on top of that!

A Green Vine Snake King wasn't like a Berserk Bear that relied on physical attacks.

That thing could not only fly but was also incredibly fast. Its speed was something his Magic-version Omni-directional Mobility Gear couldn't even compare to!

The key was that a Green Vine Snake King could also use large-scale magic, and its poison was fatal upon contact. It was even more of a threat to Zhang Ye than the Blade-tail Tiger!

Zhang Ye rubbed his bald head, feeling an immense headache.

How... how was he supposed to catch that?

He touched his brow, where the flame mark Leona had left previously remained.

With this mark, he certainly wouldn't die, but how to catch the Green Vine Snake King was a problem...

He pondered as he walked toward the forest.

After walking for ten minutes, he felt like he was about to scratch his scalp raw, yet he still couldn't think of a good method.

Wherever there was a Green Vine Snake King, there was a swarm. It was absolutely impossible for him to take the swarm head-on.

Furthermore, the Green Vine Snake King was powerful. Even if he lured the swarm away, he might not be its match, and if it felt threatened, it would surely call the swarm back...

“What am I going to do? I can't beat it...” Zhang Ye rubbed Gujiu, who was stuck to his bald head. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

“I can't beat it, but I can find someone who can!” Zhang Ye smacked his palm.

At that moment, Ella emerged. “Find who? You’re not thinking of luring another magical beast over so you can play the fisherman, are you?”

“You know me best, Ella!” Zhang Ye laughed.

“Since I can't win, I’ll lure a magical beast that can win or is evenly matched to fight the snake swarm. Then I’ll just sit back and reap the rewards!”

Ella replied, “A magical beast capable of fighting five hundred Tier Five Green Vine Snakes and one Tier Seven Green Vine Snake King would have to be at least Tier Eight. Aren't you afraid you won't be able to escape while luring it?”

“Or what if you make a mistake and end up being mobbed by both the snakes and the beast?”

“If that really happens, your chances of survival will be slim.”

Zhang Ye gave a cheeky grin. “That’s why I need to plan ahead.”

“The first step is to find a nest with a Green Vine Snake King, then set up magic circles at a designated spot in advance to help me escape the aggro range.”

“The beast I lure needs to meet a few requirements.”

“First, it can't be an agility-type, or I won't be able to outrun it.”

“Second, its defense must be high enough; otherwise, it won't be able to withstand the swarm’s attacks.”

“Third, it has to be large so it catches the swarm’s attention.”

“Taking everything into account, I think a magical beast similar to a Berserk Bear would be great. Those guys are thick-skinned... Yeah, that’s settled. Let’s go!”

With that, Zhang Ye set off toward the depths of the forest.

After searching for over an hour, he finally found a massive Green Vine Snake nest.

The nest was located in a mountain ravine. High above was a circular nest made of vines, resembling a beehive. Many Green Vine Snakes could be seen slithering in and out. In the center of the nest was a particularly large hole, at least a meter in diameter.

“I’ll bet you a bag of spicy strips that there’s a Green Vine Snake King inside,” Zhang Ye said.

Ella: “Only a fool would bet with you.”

Gujiu: “Gujiu~”

Zhang Ye rubbed Gujiu’s head and then began to circle the ravine, looking for spots to set up magic circles.

Because he was afraid of startling the snake swarm, he suppressed his mana fluctuations as much as possible and didn't dare get within three hundred meters of the nest.

“I’ll set up a Tier Three Sinking here, then use Earth Construction to dig a large hole underneath. That way, I can jump straight in and hide when the time comes.”

“Hmm, I should set up a few more, and the hole below needs an escape tunnel just in case something goes wrong.”

Numerous mana threads extended from Zhang Ye’s body, drawing magic circles on the ground.

Once the circles were drawn, they would sink into the earth. Unless someone specifically sensed for mana signatures, it was impossible to tell there were magic circles there.

When the time came, Zhang Ye would only need to inject mana to instantly activate them.

Magic circles drawn directly with mana like this didn't last long—at most a day or two—which was plenty for Zhang Ye.

After spending over an hour setting up dozens of pits, Zhang Ye nodded in satisfaction.

However, to be safe, he activated one magic circle to test it.

As soon as he stepped in, the circle activated. Zhang Ye quickly sank into the ground, and an underground space immediately opened up, with an escape tunnel leading out from the other side.

Zhang Ye scratched his head, looked up, and then added a Tier One Soil Covering and Blooming Grass to the magic circle.

This way, once he fell into the hole, the top would automatically cover itself and grow flowers and grass, leaving no trace on the surface.

Zhang Ye was extremely satisfied. He called this combination the Tunnel Warfare Formation.

Right then, a sudden flash of inspiration struck him.

The Tunnel Warfare Formation was composed of two Tier Three Sinking circles, one Tier Three Earth Construction circle, and two Tier One circles: Soil Covering and Blooming Grass. Could these magic circles be combined into a single, integrated spell?

As his understanding of magic grew, Zhang Ye increasingly felt this idea was feasible.

If this idea could truly be realized, he could even create a genuine Tunnel Warfare Formation through multi-composite magic!

Imagine slamming the ground—nothing changes on the surface, but countless interconnected tunnels and spaces appear underground?

Maybe even an underground castle?

Just thinking about it felt awesome!

There was also the Magic-version Omni-directional Mobility Gear; he could try to combine those as well, turning those spells into a single, integrated spell. Wouldn't that make it even easier to control?