The sudden change beca an erratic spasm that made Lin Mo’s brows furrow. He instinctively took a step back and watched.
The violet fluid, which was forrly a lake, began to boil furiously, releasing thick clouds of noxious steam.
Lin Mo’s [Stillwater Perception] flared with an intensity that gave him a physical headache.
Despite the divine artifact’s effect, the ambient Highland Energy in the room suddenly spiked and gradually coalesced, forming a gravitational sinkhole of the foreign energy right in the center of the heart structure.
Then, behind that heart, a section of the wall split open, revealing a door. The passage to the next area.
[Warning: Anchor System’s Rule has been violated. Entities with strength close to the limit of the Anchor’s eligible cultivation stage are not allowed to move to an area that is being contested.]
[Compensation: Areas 4 and 5 will be locked during the current cycle of Anchor HLFB#0120. After clearing Area 3, the next passage will directly lead to Area 6 (Core Area).]
[Penalty: Foreign entities of Spirit Severing Stage and above equivalent will have their strength suppressed to 50% outside the Core Area]
[Note: Due to the current Breached State of the Anchor, the penalty for the staging Outer Realm is reduced to half.]
Upon reading those, Lin Mo clenched his fists. He welcod the new information. There were also rules for staging the Outer Realm when it cos to Anchors. And at the mont, the Highland Realm has just broken it, resulting in compensation and a penalty.
Was it great news? Obviously.
However, they do not have ti to rejoice because it also ans they are about to co face to face against the entity that triggered it.
"Boss... I think... We’re about to be greeted by them." Liu Xiaoyu said as she landed in front of him.
"Yeah. You jinxed it."
"Eh? What do you an? It’s not my fault!" Liu Xiaoyu pouted as she crossed her arms defensively. "I just stated a fact! That door opened, and now we have an audience. And judging by that pressure... it’s not a friendly custor."
As the passage widened, heavy footsteps echoed from the darkened corridor.
The sound wasn’t the clanking of armor like the Vindicators, nor the frantic scuttling of the Decrints. It was a soft thud bearing a hint of the grace and elegance of whoever was making them.
Then, from the shadows, a towering figure erged.
Lin Mo didn’t need to guess. It was a Dreilling. The long-eared species of the Highland Realm. However, it was far removed from the slender, ethereal descriptions Lin Mo had theorized.
It wasn’t like an elf at all. Regardless, the figure was clearly far superior to the green-skinned Decrint Tribe. Wearing an outfit sowhat similar to what was worn in the ancient Roman Empire from Earth.
He wore a toga-like garnt crafted from dark, woven fibers that resembled dried, fibrous veins. His skin was a pale, sickly lavender, smooth and unblemished, contrasting sharply with the harsh environnt of the Anchor.
His face was that of a patrician, handso in a terrifyingly alien way, with high cheekbones and eyes that held small dots of black for pupils.
Long, pointed ears swept back flat against his skull, twitching slightly as he analyzed the cavern.
He did not carry a weapon, for he didn’t look like he needed one.
Despite the system’s notification declaring a significant penalty to his strength, the pressure radiating from him was suffocating. It wasn’t the overbearing weight of a Void Refinent Stage expert like Liu Changfeng, nor the sharp, cutting aura of Sect Master Li Changqing.
It felt like he was staring at sothing that was like an embodint of dense heaviness.
Just standing in his presence made Lin Mo feel as though his own cells were vibrating out of tune, a nauseating sensation of his body wanting to rebel against his mind.
"I see," The Dreilling spoke. "Zyrith complained of a localized null-zone in our Highland Domain. I assud he was rely making excuses for his own incompetence. But it appears the vermin have found themselves a rather annoying tool."
Lin Mo noticed. The Dreilling’s voice did not echo in their minds like the one that spoke to them last ti. This Dreilling spoke aloud, yet his tone was dripping with aristocratic disdain.
The dots in his eyes snapped directly to the small, silver tuning fork hanging from Lin Mo’s belt that should be hidden behind his armor suit.
He sensed the [Harmonic Resonance Instrunt] vibrating intensely as it emitted a faint noise that pushed back the invisible waves of the Dreilling’s aura.
"An artifact carrying Laws of Harmony," The Dreilling sneered, taking a leisurely step forward. The toxic sludge of the lake parted before his boots, seemingly refusing to touch him. "How dreadfully out of place in our glorious assimilation. I am Xylos. Flesh-Shaper of the High Emperor’s vanguard. And you... you must be the ’Shopkeeper’ of that store that has caused the trash Zyrith such... distress."
Lin Mo’s expression remained perfectly neutral, though his mind was racing at a million miles an hour.
Flesh-Shaper. He said. Not a Mind-Weaver.
No wonder Lin Mo couldn’t feel the sa ntal pressure when listening to the other Dreilling’s voice. That Zyrith must be the one who set up those hearts to remotely control their puppets.
And with this Xylos’s appearance, he confird that there was more than one Dreilling in the Anchor.
The artifact Lihua had loaned him provided absolute immunity to ’Domination’ and ’Charm’ effects. It protected their minds. But against an entity that could probably manipulate biology and physical matter? Its utility was suddenly drastically reduced.
"It is a pleasure to finally et one of you, oh exalted beings of the Highland Realm," Lin Mo replied, his voice amplified to carry over the bubbling of the sludge lake. He sent a ntal transmission to Xiaoyu, telling her to let him speak first but to stay alert and prepare to tear the [Ergency Escape Talisman].
"Though I must say, your invasion strategy is terribly inefficient. Sending your forces pieceal into a grinder only hurts your bottom line. If you’re here to negotiate a withdrawal, I can offer you a very reasonable exit package." Lin Mo continued, trying to probe his reaction.
Xylos let out a bark of laughter, a sound that lacked any genuine glee. "Negotiate? With a soon-to-be livestock? You misunderstand your position, rchant. Zyrith wished to peel your minds apart. A tedious hobby for a lowly Mind-Weaver such as him. I am much more straightforward. I rely wish to see how much strain your anatomy can take before it ruptures."
Lin Mo’s lips twitched. He expected aggressiveness, but the way Xylos spoke was truly different than what he imagined. He glanced at the corner of his vision where the Anchor System finally filled them with so details regarding the Dreilling before them.
[Entity Identified: Xylos, Dreilling Flesh-Shaper (Highland Realm Noble)]
[Base Threat Level: Level 56 Mid Spirit Severing Stage]
[Current Threat Level (Anchor Penalty Applied): Level 45 Late Nascent Soul Stage equivalent.]
[Abilities: Bio-Manipulation, Rapid Regeneration (So abilities cannot be shown)]
[Note: The entity is operating under a 50% systemic suppression. Proceed with extre caution.]
A 50% penalty, dropping him from Mid Spirit Severing to Late Nascent Soul. It was a massive nerf, a god-sent to their favor. If he showed up in his peak state, Lin Mo would have no choice but to flee right away.
Nonetheless, the late Nascent Soul was still two major realms above Lin Mo. Liu Xiaoyu could contest him in terms of strength, but at the mont, they lacked the necessary information about this new enemy. Especially his abilities. He couldn’t just tell her to brute force it like how they did it in the Tower.
"I see. You are the one responsible for that crude stitching of a bear and a Decrint we encountered earlier. Subject Alpha, was it? Frankly, dear custor, your craftsmanship is lacking. It fell apart rather easily."
The sneer on Xylos’s face vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating fury. The casual dismissal of his work hit a nerve.
"That one? Oh. That wasn’t my craftsmanship. That was Zyrith’s toy. Though I have taken it upon myself to bestow it that core." Xylos grinned as the flesh on his forearm began to ripple and bulge grotesquely.
Then, the dark, vein-like fibers of his toga seed to fuse with his skin. With a sickening schlik sound, bone-like protrusions erupted from Xylos’s forearms, forming jagged, asymtrical blades that glowed with a virulent green light. His elegant, patrician features contorted as his jaw unhinged, revealing rows of needle-sharp teeth.
Just when Lin Mo thought he’d rush at them, more figures appeared behind Xylos.
He hurriedly scanned them and he couldn’t help but gulp down as they were truly different from Subject Alpha and the three hybrids that didn’t have a core. They appeared more complete.
"I see. I guess I can agree that a Flesh-Shaper’s craftsmanship cannot be compared to a Mind-Weaver. Are you the strongest among the Dreillings in this Anchor?" Lin Mo replied.
Although he was gearing up for battle and retreat, he decided to squeeze out as much information as possible from the mouth of this talkative Dreilling.
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