Chapter 163 : Thousand-Legged Dragon King
Chapter 163: Thousand-Legged Dragon King! Advancing to a Tier-Three Lord!
In order to successfully open up Centipede Valley this time, the Calamity Army not only invested considerable effort in preparing skills, equipment, potions, food, and various consumable items, but also carried out extensive planning in terms of tactics.
The two previous failed expeditions had also allowed the players to understand the situation inside Centipede Valley.
During this operation, the Calamity Army constantly lured monsters at the outskirts of the canyon. This prevented them from being surrounded by too many Thousand-Eyed Centipedes and also avoided the area attacks of the boss. Because of this strategy, they were able to advance with great difficulty yet maintain stability.
After five or six hours of fighting, although casualties were significant and most players had died at least once, they steadily eliminated dozens of Thousand-Eyed Centipedes, greatly reducing the pressure of the battles to come.
The Calamity Army planned to continue advancing steadily and expand their gains. However, at that moment, a powerful pressure suddenly spread out from Centipede Valley, affecting many of the people present and reducing their attribute values.
“Not good!”
“It’s the boss!”
“It’s probably going to appear once enough of its centipede minions have been killed!”
“Even though we’ve already killed dozens of Thousand-Eyed Centipedes, there are still at least dozens left in Centipede Valley. If the boss appears now, it’ll be hard to deal with. Everyone be careful and prepare to retreat at any moment!”
“……”
A loud rumbling sound came from the mountainous terrain ahead.
Several centipede monsters that had never been seen before burrowed out from underground caverns.
【Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon】, Level 17 Commander Unit… Description: A monster that had awakened a trace of Abyssal Dragon bloodline. Not only was it extremely powerful and nearly impervious to weapons, it also possessed the potential to evolve into a Thousand-Legged Demonic Dragon.
The shells of the Thousand-Eyed Centipedes were mainly purple-red or black.
However, these newly appeared centipede monsters were entirely dark gold in color.
“A new monster!”
“Who would’ve thought Centipede Valley doesn’t only have one type of centipede monster!”
Black-Eyed Rui Ge said with a grave expression, “Don’t underestimate them. The Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon is actually lower level than the Thousand-Eyed Centipede, but because it’s a commander-class monster, its strength may actually be a bit higher!”
“One… two… three… four…”
“Are you serious? Am I seeing things? Commander monsters can appear in groups?”
Ye Li Meng clicked his tongue in admiration.
“Nice! As expected of a high-level map. Even commander monsters are being produced in batches here. If even one of these Thousand-Legged Earth Dragons were released into Woniu Mountain, it would probably become a top-tier big boss!”
Watching through the Lord’s Vision, Hang Yu was also extremely delighted.
The value of Centipede Valley was greater than expected. The Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon was a Level 17 commander monster, while Zhang Bao was a Level 16 commander-class Abyssal Corrupted. In terms of tier alone, the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon was even higher than Zhang Bao.
Of course, even at the same rank there could still be significant differences in strength.
If Zhang Bao could be considered a first-rate commander, then a wild monster like the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon might only be second or third rate despite possessing the rank of an Abyss Commander.
The Corrupted Zhang Bao of Woniu Mountain could defeat at least four Thousand-Legged Earth Dragons by himself.
Even so, the combat strength of the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon was not to be underestimated. It was more than enough to pose a huge threat to the players.
Why was Hang Yu happy about this?
Because the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon was a dragon beast that had awakened Abyssal Dragon bloodline!
This meant that killing it would yield a large amount of dragon-beast materials.
Among them, its essence blood and bones could be used to cultivate material seeds.
These were Tier-Two dragon blood and dragon bones, materials whose value was more than ten times—sometimes dozens of times—higher than Tier-One materials. This meant Hang Yu now had a new source for obtaining raw materials.
This would further increase the territory’s production of attribute enhancement potions, reduce costs, and increase revenue.
Today’s surprises truly kept coming!
A total of four Thousand-Legged Earth Dragons appeared on the battlefield.
Their bodies were about the same length as the Thousand-Eyed Centipedes—each roughly forty meters long—but they were thicker and entirely covered in thick dark-gold armor.
Their armor was not only thick but also emitted a metallic sheen, giving the impression that they were impervious to blades and immune to both water and fire.
Little Bell, Chimera Wraith, Artist Faction Leader, Brother Xiao Ma, and several other top-tier warlocks of the Calamity Army launched attacks against the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragons.
Windflame Arrows, Flame Blades, Explosive Flame Spells, and other abilities continuously struck the targets.
-0!
-0!
-0!
“No way!”
“They’re that tough?”
“We can’t even break their defense!”
The Thousand-Legged Earth Dragons not only possessed extremely high defense but also unbelievably fast movement speed. In just a few moments they charged straight into the players.
“Get out of the way!”
Their fighting style was simple and brutal.
They infused lightning into their shells and hundreds of massive legs before suddenly erupting with tremendous speed and power as they crashed into the Calamity Army.
Several core members of the Calamity Army were paralyzed by electric flashes.
They were then shredded to death by the blade-like legs that could cut through iron like mud.
Mad Blade Old Wang swung his large blade at the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon and used Qi-Gathering Slash, dealing over 50 points of damage.
But during the process he was struck by a lightning-charged blade leg.
Although the protection talisman prevented serious damage, Mad Blade Old Wang lost the ability to continue attacking and fell into a state of limb paralysis.
“Its magic resistance is extremely high!”
“Only physical melee attacks can threaten it!”
After discovering this, the players immediately adjusted their tactics.
Those skilled in spells and elemental attacks continued dealing with the Thousand-Eyed Centipedes, while rangers and warrior units were organized to handle the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragons.
The strategy was correct.
But the difference in strength was simply too large.
The abilities of the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon were simple and brutal yet difficult to counter.
Its defense was too thick, its health too high, and its regeneration too fast.
Once it empowered its body with lightning and fire, players could not even approach it, severely limiting their damage output.
Before long, over half of the Calamity Army had died.
At that moment, a massive wave of mental assault swept across the battlefield.
【You have been affected by “Spirit Whipping.” HP -100. You have entered a stunned state!】
The hidden Big Boss had launched another sneak attack!
While the players were stunned and their movements disrupted, the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragons immediately began weaving through the battlefield.
Their enormous bodies moved like scythes, harvesting players’ lives at terrifying speed.
At the same time, more and more Thousand-Eyed Centipedes rushed toward the players from all directions.
“The monsters are too strong!”
“We can’t hold them off!”
【Player “Black-Eyed Rui Ge” has died. Abyssal Essence Points +8000…】
【Player “Dawnlight” has died. Abyssal Essence Points +8000…】
【Player “Mad Blade Old Wang” has died. Abyssal Essence Points +8000…】
Several more core members and main fighters fell.
The Calamity Army could no longer sustain the fight and had no choice but to retreat.
Salted Fish Thrust could not help but curse.
“Damn, that’s ridiculous. That thing isn’t a centipede—it’s basically a swordmaster wielding hundreds of blades.”
Although the players were extremely frustrated, Hang Yu was very satisfied.
After entering and retreating twice, the Calamity Army had already generated over two million in value.
The players were naturally unwilling to accept failure, but they had realized something.
When several Thousand-Legged Earth Dragons and dozens of Thousand-Eyed Centipedes appeared together on the battlefield, the current strength of the Calamity Army simply could not handle it.
Time was running out.
Continuing like this would not work.
Centipede Valley was not near their home base, and there was no Heavenly Dao’s Blessing teleportation point nearby. Every player who died had to travel all the way from Luoshui Base Camp, and the journey alone took three hours.
Reassembling the team required a lot of time.
Even if everyone regrouped again, it would still be extremely difficult to break into Centipede Valley.
The Thousand-Legged Earth Dragons and Thousand-Eyed Centipedes alone were enough to block the players.
Not to mention that the Big Boss inside Centipede Valley had not even made a move yet.
What should they do?
Several representatives of the Calamity Army held a tactical meeting and finally decided to request further assistance from the Azure Dragon Guard.
The difficulty of this mission was extremely high.
The Calamity Army alone could not obtain all the battle achievements, so they could only do their best under the current circumstances.
Four hours later.
The Calamity Army regrouped.
The third wave of attack officially began.
This time, not only the Calamity Army participated, but also the Azure Dragon Guard led by Zhou Cang.
The Calamity Army charged at the front as the main force, while Zhou Cang’s Azure Dragon Guard provided cover and support.
With the Azure Dragon Guard joining the battle, the fight naturally became much easier.
After all, most of the dozens of Azure Dragon Guard members had reached Level 20.
The eight strongest initial Azure Dragon Guards each possessed commander-level strength, not to mention Zhou Cang himself, who had the strength of a first-rate commander.
“Hiss!”
A Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon suddenly broke through the player defense line from the left flank.
Just as it prepared to launch a deadly charge toward the players—
A towering figure suddenly stepped forward and blocked its path.
The Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon sensed Zhou Cang’s powerful aura and immediately swung its enormous body, slashing at him with razor-sharp leg blades.
Yet under the fan-like high-speed cutting, only sparks and scratches appeared on Zhou Cang’s Azure Bone Shell.
“Behave yourself!”
Zhou Cang grabbed the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon’s head with one hand and suppressed it with overwhelming strength.
At the same time, another Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon burst out from another direction.
Zhou Cang pressed it down with his other hand!
The two centipede monsters’ bodies spun like meat grinders, releasing lightning as they slashed wildly.
Yet they could not shake Zhou Cang in the slightest.
Shock!
Power!
The strength of the Azure Dragon Guard commander Zhou Cang once again stunned the Calamity Army players.
Although they were all Tier-Two commander-level beings, Zhou Cang was far stronger than these beasts.
“Brother Zhou is amazing!”
“As expected of General Zhou!”
“Photo taken! Iconic scene +1!”
“……”
Meanwhile, the other Azure Dragon Guards also began fighting.
Zhang San and Li Si each restrained another Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon.
The remaining guards provided attacks, cover, support, and healing spells from a safe distance, forming a powerful backbone for the Calamity Army.
Zhou Cang shouted:
“What are you standing around for? Kill the monsters!”
“Yes!”
“General Zhou, please wait!”
“Killing these beasts yourself would only dirty your hands!”
“Leave it to us!”
Although the assistance of the Azure Dragon Guard would reduce the quest rating, as long as most monsters were killed by players, they could still obtain rich loot and maintain a high evaluation.
When the lightning surrounding a Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon finally disappeared—
Ye Li Meng, Street Slayer, Salted Fish Thrust, Mad Blade Old Wang, and others rushed forward.
Under their continuous assault, the first Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon was quickly slain.
“Hahaha!”
“That felt amazing!”
“That’s a Level 17 commander!”
“And it died so easily in our hands!”
“If this were before the Wan City map opened, I wouldn’t even dare imagine defeating such a monster!”
With the first kill achieved, the second and third soon followed.
With the cooperation of the Calamity Army and the Azure Dragon Guard, even the more ferocious Thousand-Legged Earth Dragons could be slaughtered.
A player picked up the loot dropped by the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon.
Hang Yu saw the information.
【You picked up loot: Essence +60,000, Mana Crystal +200, Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon Meat +421, Earth Dragon Bones +205, Earth Dragon Essence Blood +209, Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon Shell +105, Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon Blade Legs +106, Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon Gems +20!】
Not bad at all!
The Thousand-Eyed Centipede was already an excellent economic monster.
But the value of the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon far surpassed it.
It dropped six different materials:
Dragon meat, dragon bones, dragon blood, shell fragments, centipede blade legs, and quality gems.
Such productivity was extremely rare.
The first five were Tier-Two green-grade materials.
They could be used for cooking, forging, or alchemy, and even direct use held high value.
Hang Yu could use the blood and bones to cultivate Dragonblood Grass and Dragonbone Grass seeds.
One portion of Tier-Two dragon blood could be diluted into more than ten portions of Tier-One dragon blood, which could then be used to refine attribute enhancement potions for even greater value.
The shells could be used to forge green-quality armor.
The blade legs could be used to forge green-quality weapons.
The direct value of these four materials alone reached thousands or even tens of thousands of mana crystals.
After Hang Yu processed them through production, they could generate at least tens of thousands of mana crystals in output.
The value of one Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon was equivalent to ten or even dozens of Thousand-Eyed Centipedes.
In addition to normal materials, the dragon also dropped twenty gems.
Although they were only Tier-Two green-grade gems, their quality was high-grade green, making them nearly as valuable as the Thousand-Eyed Centipede Gems.
“What a treasure land!”
Hang Yu was extremely satisfied with Centipede Valley.
The economic monsters in this dream region would contribute enormously to the development of the territory.
Of course, the main reason the drops were so abundant was the Calamity Army’s tenfold drop rate.
If other Starsea Lords—or even Hang Yu himself—were the ones hunting these monsters, each Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon would only drop about fifty or sixty materials.
Although still valuable, it would not be enough to directly transform a territory’s finances.
Moreover—
Although creatures that fell into the Abyssal Nightmare Era could revive and regenerate, the higher the level and quality of a monster, the slower its respawn speed.
The Thousand-Eyed Centipede likely respawned about once every twenty days.
As for monsters like the Thousand-Legged Earth Dragon, even in the Wan City environment, they might only respawn once every month or two.
Centipede Valley could bring massive revenue quickly, but it could not be repeatedly harvested in the short term.
While hunting monsters was the most important method of acquiring resources and wealth, it was not the only solution to a territory’s finances.
Developing production capacity and improving product competitiveness remained urgent.
The battle continued.
With Zhou Cang and the Azure Dragon Guard assisting, the Calamity Army advanced with unstoppable momentum.
Hang Yu calculated the numbers.
So far:
81 Thousand-Eyed Centipedes had been slain.
3 Thousand-Legged Earth Dragons had been slain.
Centipede Valley still had about two Thousand-Legged Earth Dragons and forty to fifty Thousand-Eyed Centipedes remaining.
The numbers were still significant.
But they were already at the end of their strength.
Zhou Cang stood at the front acting as a shield, drawing enormous firepower away from the Calamity Army.
He also followed Hang Yu’s orders and the requests of the players—focusing on defense rather than killing monsters whenever possible.
Just as the Calamity Army prepared to finish the battle in one final push—
The entire Centipede Canyon suddenly trembled violently.
The players could clearly feel the terrifying mental pressure rapidly approaching.
Then the ground ahead burst open.
An enormous centipede body rose from the earth like a plant growing out of the soil.
“What… is that?”
Every player who saw the creature was stunned.
It was a gigantic centipede monster the size of a mountain!
Most of its body remained underground.
Yet even the exposed portion alone was nearly one hundred meters long.
From its appearance, this centipede monster resembled a flood dragon far more than a normal insect.
Its massive upper body stood upright, with rows of ten-meter blade legs spreading on both sides.
The uppermost two pairs of blade legs were even more exaggerated—over thirty meters long and terrifyingly majestic.
The whiskers on its head had disappeared.
In their place were two golden dragon horns.
It looked majestic and domineering.
But on the creature’s abdomen were countless small lumps resembling tumors.
Upon closer inspection, each lump was actually a blurred human face.
Every face glared at the Calamity Army with furious eyes, as if wishing to tear them apart.
“Hiss!”
“That’s insane!”
“So domineering!”
“I’ve never seen a monster with such overwhelming pressure!”
“This is definitely the largest monster we’ve fought so far!”
“Take photos!”
“A centipede bigger than a mountain!”
The players gasped in shock.
Yet none of them showed fear.
Instead, they excitedly took out Photography Crystals to capture the moment.
Between the barren mountains and desolate canyon stood a towering centipede reaching toward the sky.
Even though only part of its body emerged from the ground, it was already as massive as a mountain.
It looked like an ancient evil dragon descending upon the world, bringing death and destruction.
【Thousand-Legged Dragon King】, Level 21 Commander Unit…
Description: A fully evolved Thousand-Legged Demonic Dragon!
Just as expected.
A Tier-Three commander monster!
The Thousand-Legged Demonic Dragon was a creature recorded in the textbooks of the Academy of Lords Across the Multiverse.
According to Hang Yu’s knowledge, many Abyssal Planes could produce such creatures, though the exact form varied depending on the plane and its nightmare environment.
The Thousand-Legged Dragon King was a genuine Tier-Three commander.
Even among monsters of the same tier, it ranked in the upper-middle range.
It likely possessed poison, fire, lightning, and earth elemental abilities.
It also had powerful mental attacks and defensive abilities.
It could rival an entire army or destroy a city.
Without a doubt—
This was a true wild Big Boss!
Aside from the avatar of Demonized Guan Yu, it was the strongest boss the players had ever encountered.
Hang Yu could clearly sense the nightmare aura emanating from the Thousand-Legged Dragon King.
It was the carrier that had devoured the dreams of all Abyssal Creatures in the region.
In other words—
It was the source spreading Abyssal Corruption in this area.
Finally, it appeared.
When Hang Yu saw the Thousand-Legged Dragon King, he finally felt completely reassured.
The main purpose of this operation was advancement.
Before the dragon king appeared, Hang Yu could not be completely certain that it possessed the Nightmare Source he needed.
Now that he had seen it with his own eyes, that uncertainty disappeared.
Good.
As long as he successfully advanced to Tier Three—
Even if the Wan City map was filled with powerful figures, he would not need to fear them.
Only by possessing sufficient self-protection could he truly expand freely.
“Retreat!”
Facing the enormous Thousand-Legged Dragon King, even Zhou Cang felt tremendous pressure.
He immediately shouted for the Calamity Army to withdraw.
Even for him, fighting such a monster would be extremely difficult—let alone these weak players.
The Thousand-Legged Dragon King was clearly enraged.
It had no intention of letting anyone leave alive.
From the human-faced mouths on its chest and abdomen came attacks.
A chorus of distorted screams and wails filled the canyon.
The sky itself seemed to darken.
【You have been affected by “Nightmare Howl.” HP -120. You have entered a confused state!】
Hundreds of players were simultaneously struck by the mental attack.
Not only did they lose health, but they also lost control of their bodies.
“Damn!”
“Another mental attack!”
“Why do all high-level monsters have mental attacks?!”
The players complained, but they were also fortunate.
Most of them were under the effect of Zhou Cang’s Tenacity Aura, allowing them to barely resist the dragon king’s mental control.
Otherwise, they would not merely be confused—
Most of them would have gone completely insane.
After suppressing the Calamity Army with mental attacks, the Thousand-Legged Dragon King quickly condensed lightning and fire.
Like raindrops, they rained down upon the players, instantly causing heavy casualties.
Seeing this—
Zhou Cang decisively made his move.
He activated one of his strongest skills:
Tiger Demon Descent!
His tall figure launched into the air like a flaming meteor.
Then it crashed down onto the Thousand-Legged Dragon King.
Boom!
Like a falling meteorite.
Like a heavy missile.
Zhou Cang’s flaming meteor exploded upon the dragon king’s body, dealing a massive blow.
-1052 (Critical)
The Thousand-Legged Dragon King not only took considerable damage but was also briefly stunned.
The storm of attacks stopped, giving the players a brief moment to breathe.
But the dragon quickly recovered and focused all its attention on the powerful warrior before it.
Zhou Cang activated his transformation.
This was his second form.
He transformed into a gigantic half-human, half-tiger monster engulfed in flames and molten lava.
“Come!”
Zhou Cang roared at the Thousand-Legged Dragon King.
Provoked, the dragon king immediately unleashed more than a dozen lightning bolts from its dragon horns.
In his Lava Tiger Demon state, Zhou Cang’s attack power greatly increased, but his defense decreased compared to his Azure Flame Bone Body.
Thus he avoided directly tanking the dragon king’s attacks.
Using all four limbs, he moved rapidly around the dragon king.
At the same time, blazing claw lights struck the enormous body of the dragon.
They left claw marks even on its supposedly impenetrable armor.
-105
-121
-152
Every strike dealt damage.
Yet the Thousand-Legged Dragon King’s health pool was unimaginably large.
Even after Zhou Cang’s fierce barrage, the total damage amounted to barely five percent of its health.
The dragon king swung its thousand legs while bombarding Zhou Cang with spells.
Most attacks were dodged or blocked.
But suddenly—
The dragon king opened its mouth.
A stream of green dragon flame burst forth.
This attack looked similar to the Thousand-Eyed Centipede’s Bone-Eroding Toxic Flame.
But its power was on an entirely different level.
It contained dragon breath and destructive force far beyond comparison.
-644
-50
-50
-50
Even someone as powerful as Zhou Cang suffered considerable damage after being hit.
Moreover, the toxic flame clung to his body, continuously draining his health.
“This beast is strong.”
Zhou Cang’s eyes turned serious.
He realized that defeating it alone would be extremely difficult.
Perhaps he would have to revert to his normal state and attempt The Martial Saint’s Three Strikes.
Seeing Zhou Cang falling into a disadvantage—
The Calamity Army players did not retreat.
Instead, they rushed toward the dragon king.
“General Zhou!”
“We’ll help you!”
“Long live the Azure Dragon Guard! Long live the Calamity Army!”
“No matter how strong this monster is, it can’t withstand all of us at once!”
The Thousand-Legged Dragon King clearly did not regard the Calamity Army as a threat.
But it did show some caution toward the Azure Dragon Guard.
Just then—
A voice descended from the sky.
“Zhou Cang, step back.”
“It’s the Lord!”
Everyone looked up in surprise.
Above the canyon stood a majestic Fiery Nightmare Warhorse.
Hang Yu sat calmly upon its back as he slowly descended toward the battlefield.
A faint Majestic King’s Might spread from his body.
Every creature present—including the Thousand-Legged Dragon King—instinctively halted their attacks.
Even though these monsters lacked intelligence, they could sense an unprecedented threat.
Hang Yu calmly glanced across the battlefield.
After the intense fighting, the area was already devastated.
The Calamity Army had lost nearly half its members.
Fewer than two hundred remained.
Their remaining strength was not enough to break through Centipede Valley.
Hang Yu did not mind letting the dragon king kill the players a few more times.
But there was no time to waste.
He needed to obtain the talent point required for advancement as soon as possible.
Every additional day of delay meant greater danger and uncertainty for the territory.
There would be plenty of opportunities later to let the players suffer.
There was no need to waste time here.
As for Zhou Cang—
His strength was considerable.
But defeating the Thousand-Legged Dragon King alone would be difficult.
Even with the Azure Dragon Guard assisting, victory would come at a cost.
And that was unnecessary.
It could cause casualties among the guards.
More importantly, it would reduce the loot.
Hang Yu not only wanted to kill the Tier-Three commander—
He wanted the monster to die at the hands of the Calamity Army.
Only then could the rewards increase tenfold or more, maximizing the benefits.
Zhou Cang could not achieve that.
After all, he was only a quasi–Tier-Three commander.
In this situation—
Only Hang Yu himself could step in.
Only he could end the battle quickly.
“Is the Lord really going to fight personally?”
The Calamity Army players had mixed feelings.
They were extremely excited to see the lord fight such a colossal beast—
But also frustrated by their own weakness.
Once the lord stepped in…
The event rewards would definitely shrink again.