My Strangeness Points are now 349.
Whoosh... whoosh... Their steps felt lighter, especially Chen Ming's, who was now trying to apply the 'Light Shadow Steps' lesson more consciously.
Although still not perfect, he no longer ran into trees, at least for now. They walked carefully, following the large claw marks that led to a darker and more mysterious part of the forest.
The air felt heavier, and a thick spiritual aura enveloped everything, as if the forest itself was breathing.
"Earth Dragon tracks," Xian'er whispered, her voice low and serious, breaking the forest's silence. "High-level spiritual beasts. They are very territorial."
Another dragon? Good heavens, is this Tian Xuan Continent just full of dragons and monsters stronger than me? I hope this one doesn't have habits like Xian'er, or a worse sense of humor than that giant rabbit.
Chen Ming swallowed hard, his hand reflexively reaching for the hilt of his basic hunting knife.
[Ding! Detection: User faces a potential threat from a high-level spiritual beast. Collecting Strangeness Points from the highly uncomfortable anticipation...]
[+10 Strangeness Points.]
"Good grief, even my bad premonitions are a point farm for you, System! You're truly a loan shark of fate!" Chen Ming sighed internally, feeling both amused and annoyed.
My Strangeness Points are now 359.
The claw marks became clearer, leading to an open area in the middle of the forest, surrounded by giant rocks covered in thick moss.
In the center of the area, there was a large depression, and from it, an incredibly dense Qi aura emanated.
"He's there," Xian'er whispered, her eyes narrowing. "Get ready, Chen Ming. Earth Dragons are very strong in defense and physical attack."
Chen Ming nodded, his heart pounding rapidly, thump-thump-thump! He could feel the ground trembling faintly beneath his feet.
Grrrrummm...
A low rumble came from the depression, deeper and heavier than any dragon's roar he had ever heard. And then, the ground in the depression began to crack, Crack! Crack! and a giant head emerged from within.
It was an Earth Dragon. Its body was covered in dark gray stone scales, as if it were part of the mountain itself.
Its eyes were glowing yellow, radiating ancient wisdom and immeasurable power. Its snout was wide, with large blunt teeth, and on its forehead, there was a pair of short, sturdy horns. Its size was much larger than the spiritual wild boar, even larger than the Moss Golem.
[Detection: High-Level Earth Dragon. Highly territorial, incredible physical strength. Strength: Equivalent to Early Spiritual Foundation Realm.]
Spiritual Foundation Realm?! This isn't a boss at the beginning of the game, this is the game developer! I can't even fly yet, let alone fight a monster the size of this rock mountain! Chen Ming panicked, his legs felt weak, as if he had just run a marathon.
The Earth Dragon fully lifted its head from the depression, its massive body slowly following, filling the open area.
Rumble!
Every movement made the ground tremble. It stared at Chen Ming and Xian'er, its glowing yellow eyes radiating a warning.
ROOOARRR! The Earth Dragon's roar thundered, not a blind roar of anger like Huanglong Zun, but a powerful warning roar, as if saying, "This is my territory. Get out!"
"He's not attacking directly," Xian'er whispered.
"He's giving us a chance to retreat. But if we don't leave, he will attack."
Retreat? After coming this far? And I already bought a hunting knife! It's time to test my 'Dao of Strangeness'! Besides, when else can I kick a rock dragon?
"Your Grace Earth Dragon!" Chen Ming shouted, his voice slightly trembling but he tried to sound brave, as if giving a speech in front of a class.
"We are just passing through! We didn't mean to disturb! We were just... looking for the way to the Jade Bamboo Forest, and happened to get lost in your front yard!"
The Earth Dragon tilted its head, as if confused by Chen Ming's unusual behavior.
Grrrrummm... A low rumble came from its throat, more like a confused snort than a threat.
[Ding! Detection: User attempts to negotiate with a high-level spiritual beast in a... very naive and unexpected way. Collecting Strangeness Points from the surprising courage...].
[+12 Strangeness Points.].
"System, you really... you're like a director who deliberately makes me look stupid in every important scene!" Chen Ming screamed internally, feeling a mix of embarrassment and amusement.
My Strangeness Points are now 371.
The Earth Dragon suddenly swung its thick tail. Thump! A giant tree nearby fell with a deafening crash, its roots torn from the ground, as if it were a dry branch. This was a clear and undeniable warning.
"He won't let us pass," Xian'er said. "You have to fight him, Chen Ming. This is a perfect test for your Half-Dragon Meridian."
"A test? This is certified suicide!" Chen Ming screamed internally. He looked at his hunting knife, then at the Earth Dragon's giant body.
How can I defeat a monster this big with just a knife and a rooster kick that can't even properly injure a wild boar?
However, he remembered Xian'er's words: Embrace your strangeness. That is your strength..
Chen Ming sighed. Alright. It's time to show my uniqueness.
He darted forward, not towards the Earth Dragon, but to the side, trying to activate 'Light Shadow Steps' at full speed..
Whoosh! Whoosh!
His steps felt faster than before, but he still stumbled slightly, like a ballet dancer just learning a pirouette. The Earth Dragon swung its massive claw, trying to strike Chen Ming.
Swoosh!
Chen Ming managed to dodge, barely touching it. He jumped to the side of the Earth Dragon, looking for an opening. He saw a small crack in the stone scales on the Earth Dragon's leg.
This is it! Raging Rooster Kick! Hope it doesn't just make me fall over myself!
Chen Ming gathered Qi in his leg, launching an inelegant but powerful kick, similar to a missed free kick in soccer. Thud! His kick struck the crack.
Crack!
The crack in the Earth Dragon's scales widened slightly. The Earth Dragon growled in pain, Grrrrummm! and swung its tail again, this time with surprising speed.
Chen Ming darted back, avoiding the tail that slammed into the ground, creating a small crater. He saw Xian'er give a small nod, a faint smile on her lips, as if watching a circus performance.
[Ding! Detection: User successfully injured a High-Level Spiritual Beast with an unconventional technique. Collecting Strangeness Points from the unexpected courage...]
[+20 Strangeness Points.]
"YES! Here it is! More Strangeness Points! I'm a... unique and effective martial artist!" Chen Ming cheered internally, feeling extremely delighted.
My Strangeness Points are now 391.
The Earth Dragon roared in anger, ROOOARRR! It began to emit an incredibly dense Qi aura, making the surrounding air vibrate. It opened its snout, and a dense ball of mud began to form, pulsing with terrifying energy, like a mud cannonball.
Long-range attack! Damn it! I don't have a shield! This will be a stain on my death record!
Chen Ming panicked. He had no way to avoid it. He remembered the Qi Recovery Pill. He swallowed another one. Gulp! Fresh Qi flowed, giving him a burst of energy.
He tried another movement, this time more desperate and without thinking: 'Raging Dragon Fist', but he directed it at the ground in front of him.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
His punches struck the ground, creating a strange shockwave. The ground in front of him cracked, and a small lump of mud was thrown into the air, hitting the Earth Dragon's mud ball.
Splosh!
The Earth Dragon's mud ball exploded prematurely, splattering mud everywhere, but not hitting Chen Ming or Xian'er. The Earth Dragon gasped, its eyes widening in disbelief. It hadn't expected its attack to be thwarted in such a completely unexpected way. Mud stuck to its snout, making its expression look even more... confused.
[Ding! Detection: User successfully thwarted a deadly attack with a highly unorthodox method. Collecting Strangeness Points from the unexpected and surprising tactic...]
[+25 Strangeness Points.]
"This is absolutely crazy! I'm a hero who can make a dragon embarrassed with my fighting style!" Chen Ming laughed internally, feeling extremely delighted.
My Strangeness Points are now 416.
The Earth Dragon, now looking more confused than angry, growled lowly. It stared at Chen Ming with a strange gaze, as if trying to understand the mortal in front of it who had just embarrassed it.
Finally, with a frustrated snort, huff! it crawled back into its depression, disappearing underground.
Grrrrummm... The ground trembled slowly as the Earth Dragon returned to its hiding place.
Chen Ming panted, his body trembling with exhaustion. He stared at the depression, then at his slightly bruised hands.
He had succeeded! He had defeated the Earth Dragon, or at least made it give up out of embarrassment, in the most... unexpected way!
Xian'er stepped closer, her smile now wider, almost uncontrollable. "Not bad, Chen Ming. You succeeded. An... unusual method, but very effective. You are indeed a very...
interesting phenomenon to observe."
Chen Ming could only offer a wry smile. "Thank you, Your Grace Xian'er. I... I was just trying to survive in a way that... well, you know."
Xian'er nodded. "We must move quickly. He probably won't attack again for now, but we can't linger in his territory. The Jade Bamboo Forest isn't too far now."
They continued their journey through the forest, leaving the Earth Dragon's area. The sunlight began to fade, signaling the arrival of dusk.