#1767 - Devour the Alliance!
"Ahead lies the Land of Despair. All living beings must not approach. Turn back immediately."
West of Honglin, as Ji Dongfeng prepared to continue his journey, a dark shadow suddenly descended from the sky, blocking his path.
Ji Dongfeng frowned slightly upon seeing this. A closer look revealed the dark shadow to be a giant serpent, hundreds of meters tall. This serpent bore a resemblance to the Heaven Swallowing Python, but the unique feature was its human head. Its eyes were filled with coldness, devoid of any emotion.
"Land of Despair? Then what are you? Why are you here?" Ji Dongfeng asked.
"I am of the Earth Devouring Serpent race, responsible for guarding this place," the giant serpent said in a deep voice.
Ji Dongfeng's eyes lit up upon hearing this. He said, "Earth Devouring Serpent, what is your relationship with the Heaven Swallowing Python!"
The giant serpent was taken aback, then said in a deep voice, "Heaven Swallowing Python... they and I belong to the Devouring Alliance, and this western part of Honglin is the area guarded by the Devouring Alliance."
"What is the Devouring Alliance?" Ji Dongfeng asked, puzzled.
The giant serpent frowned, a hint of impatience flashing in its eyes. It said in a deep voice, "You dare to enter Honglin without knowing anything? To protect the stability of Honglin, the birds and beasts within have consciously divided into several areas. Centered around the Nine Great Hong Trees, there are four areas: east, south, west, and north. The west is this Land of Despair, guarded by the Devouring Alliance. The so-called Devouring Alliance is comprised of creatures skilled in devouring."
"Although you are small, you seem to possess some strength. I will spare you. Leave quickly. This is not a place for you."
Ji Dongfeng pondered for a moment, then chuckled, "So, you are also enemies of the Filth?"
"One could say that. Our purpose is to protect Honglin. Whoever is an enemy of Honglin is our enemy."
"Is the Taotie a member of your Devouring Alliance?"
The giant serpent's pupils trembled. It took a deep look at Ji Dongfeng and said in a deep voice, "You know the Heaven Swallowing Python, and you also know the Taotie. Are you a creature of the Underworld Hong Tree?"
"Let me out. I want to ask for clarification," Qingfeng said.
"Goddess, calm down. Finding a way into this Land of Despair is the most important thing now. After investigating the matters of the inner world, I will definitely find this Devouring Alliance and ask for clarification," Ji Dongfeng said in a deep voice.
The next moment, Ji Dongfeng chuckled, his figure flashing as he took the initiative to approach the giant serpent.
"Handsome Serpent Senior, to be honest, this junior really wants to take a stroll in this Land of Despair. I wonder if you could make an exception," Ji Dongfeng said with a chuckle, taking out the Butterfly Whisper Mirror and shining it on the giant serpent.
The giant serpent frowned, saying in a deep voice, "Leave quickly. I spared you initially because of your potential. Why do you think this place is called the Land of Despair? All living beings who enter will be lost forever!"
"Boom!"
As the words fell, a semi-transparent wall appeared behind the giant serpent. The wall trembled slightly, as if the two sides were separate worlds.
"The wall behind me is the dividing point. Any living being that enters the other side, even if only one foot crosses, will be lost and unable to return, leaving only those who care on this side in despair!" the giant serpent roared.
Ji Dongfeng said in a deep voice, "So, you have someone you care about trapped on that side."
The moment he used the Butterfly Whisper Mirror, Ji Dongfeng sensed that the giant serpent's obsession was that a relative was completely trapped, and it had no way to help.
The giant serpent's pupils constricted upon hearing this. The killing intent on its body exploded, and its massive tail directly coiled around Ji Dongfeng.
"What exactly are you? Why won't you leave!" the giant serpent roared, its eyes bloodshot.
Ji Dongfeng chuckled and said, "I am the one who can help you rescue your relative. I give you two choices. Either release me now, tell me the information about your relative, and let me in, so you have a chance to reunite with your relative, or continue to trap me, and then be killed by me. I will still enter, but you will completely lose the opportunity to reunite with your relative."
The giant serpent took a deep breath, stared at Ji Dongfeng for a moment, then gritted its teeth and said, "Tell me first, why are you so determined to go in!"
"To kill Filth and save Honglin," Ji Dongfeng said, his killing intent slowly dissipating.
The giant serpent's expression changed slightly. It subconsciously released Ji Dongfeng. For a moment, it felt like it was not trapping a living being, but a killing machine, the most ruthless existence in the world.
"What big words... If you insist on going in to die, I won't stop you... But if you really have a way to stay conscious inside, if you have the strength to spare, please help me find an Earth Devouring Serpent inside who resembles me somewhat. That Earth Devouring Serpent is fiery red, with a patch of frost on its forehead, very easy to recognize. If... if you only find the corpse, please bring it out as well," the giant serpent said in a low voice.
Ji Dongfeng chuckled and said, "No problem. Who is it to you?"
"It's my son. He went to find his mother. Years ago, my wife accidentally entered the world on the other side of the wall to escape some enemies... After my son grew up, he sneaked in without me noticing... My wife has been in there for nearly decades, and definitely can't survive, but my son only entered a few years ago, and might still be alive," the giant serpent said.
Ji Dongfeng frowned and said in a deep voice, "You were able to resist the urge to go in with them."
"I also wanted to go in, but I am the last member of our Earth Devouring Serpent clan... I still carry many things on my shoulders. I want to go in, but I can't!" the giant serpent said through gritted teeth.
"I will do my best to help you find them, but don't blame me if I can't," Ji Dongfeng said.
The giant serpent nodded and then made way.
Ji Dongfeng rushed towards the high wall.
"Oh right, I almost forgot, what is your name?" Ji Dongfeng shouted as he turned around just before entering the high wall.
"Donghuang Ming!" the giant serpent shouted.
