Chapter 257: Journey to the Great Swamp (Part 1)

At dawn, the sky was just beginning to brighten, and the gates of Qinghe City had not yet opened.

The giant sentries guarding the city walls yawned drowsily, completely unaware of Gao Jing sprinting and leaping along the battlements.

Clad in tight leather armor with a Blackiron dagger at his waist, Gao Jing swiftly reached the southernmost end of the wall. Then, he leaped out toward the wilderness.

The city walls of Qinghe towered over a hundred meters high—like a forty- or fifty-story building. Even as a High-Rank Totem Warrior, Gao Jing couldn’t withstand the force of such a fall.

But the moment he jumped, a pair of nearly translucent black wings suddenly unfurled behind him.

Phantom Wing Pendant!

With the help of this Witch Artifact, Gao Jing didn’t plummet downward. Instead, catching an updraft, he soared higher like a bird gliding across the sky.

In the distance stood majestic mountains; below stretched boundless land, a mighty river coursing through it.

Such splendor lifted Gao Jing’s spirits.

This was scenery impossible to see in the underground world!

Skilfully adjusting the angle of his wings, he flew southward.

A hundred li outside Qinghe City lay a massive swamp—the source of the Qing River, teeming with countless Wild Beasts and Monster Beasts.

Gao Jing planned to continue his training and adventures there.

Aided by the wind, he soared swiftly, leaving Qinghe City far behind in no time.

But just then, a sudden warning flashed in Gao Jing’s mind!

He whipped his head around.

A bluish-black hawk was hurtling toward him like lightning.

Clearly mistaking Gao Jing for tasty prey!

Its wings spanned over ten meters. In the Great World, it wasn’t truly a top predator. But its dagger-curved beak and sharp claws could slice effortlessly through flesh.

The hawk struck fast. In a blink, it closed within ten meters of Gao Jing, talons raised to seize him.

Gao Jing could even plainly see the fierce gleam in its eyes!

Without a thought, Gao Jing activated the Essence Totem on his arm. Instantly, his right arm swept through the air, slashing at the hawk.

Whoosh!

Solid Battle Qi surged forth, forming a flaming longsword that ripped through the air and struck the hawk.

Like a hot knife cutting through butter, it split the creature cleanly in half!

Screee~

The hawk only managed a brief shriek before plunging from the sky in a shower of blood and feathers.

Though he’d killed the ambusher, Gao Jing also lost control of his Phantom Wings.

He could no longer glide and began to descend.

The wings formed by the Phantom Wing Pendant weren’t real. They couldn’t let him fly freely like a bird.

But thanks to this Witch Artifact, as long as air existed, Gao Jing would never fall to his death, no matter the height.

He landed steadily on the grassy ground.

The hawk’s bisected carcass lay nearby.

Gao Jing had no interest in collecting materials. He pulled his big G from his Storage Space.

Driving this off-road vehicle, he continued toward the Great Swamp.

It was spring in the Great Wilderness. The vast plains bloomed with lush grass and wildflowers. The air carried nature’s sweet fragrance, and the breeze blowing into the car felt cool and pleasant.

The roar of the big G’s engine startled nearby rabbits and field mice foraging. They scurried into burrows, cautiously poking their heads out to peer.

This area was still Qinghe City’s outskirts. Along the riverbanks lay vast farmlands tended by giant farmers, so no dangerous beasts roamed here.

Not even Savage Oxen or Horned Sheep.

Unlike the mountain-dwelling Shan Yue Tribe—who hunted and foraged—Qinghe’s three tribes mastered farming. Their Millet harvests not only fed themselves but also supplied other tribes through trade.

If the Shan Yue Tribe represented primitive civilization, the Qinghe Tribe had entered an age of farming and city-states.

Gao Jing drove far around the farmlands to avoid being mistaken for a rabbit or mouse by the giant farmers.

To many giants, Abyss Dwellers like him seemed no different from rodents—small, insignificant creatures.

The Great Swamp lay a hundred li from Qinghe City.

This “li” was the Great World’s unit of distance; one li equaled roughly five kilometers of the Primary World.

By the time Gao Jing reached the swamp’s edge, it was already afternoon.

The Great Swamp was enormous—so huge it stretched endlessly to the horizon. Waterways crisscrossed the dense vegetation. Mist veiled many areas, creating a sense of eerie solitude.

From afar, the calls of Wild Beasts echoed sporadically, faint and unsettling, sending chills down the spine.

Gao Jing stepped out and stowed his big G back into his Storage Space.

From here, he would travel on foot.

Rumor had it that this swamp grew many Moon Clams.

Moon Clams were special shellfish shaped like crescents, dwelling only in vast swamps and lakes. They were notoriously hard to gather.

The clam shells held rich Spiritual Energy. Shamans of the Great Wilderness crafted Shell Coins from these, a currency used in all human cities.

Besides the shells, Shell Pearls and clam meat were also valuable.

So many hunters risked entering the Great Swamp for Moon Clams—and plenty never returned.

Not even their bones could be found.

Without powerful strength or an experienced guide, Qinghe’s giants dared not venture in, however much they craved its wealth.

Gao Jing hadn’t come for Moon Clams. Earning Shell Coins wasn’t worth risking his life.

Nor did he plan to brave the swamp’s dangerous depths.

At his current level, patrolling the outskirts was the wise choice.

He released his Spirit Gu named Six-Wings.

New and unfamiliar, Gao Jing knew nothing of the swamp’s surroundings. He refused to blunder like a headless fly into a death trap.

Six-Wings made a perfect scout. With it, Gao Jing could retire his drones.

Using “semi-control” mode, Gao Jing directed Six-Wings to search nearby.

Six-Wings was barely the size of a finger joint. Not even a sparrow would notice such a tiny insect—if it even saw it. This made it far safer than drones.

But absolute safety didn’t exist. Some insects hunted smaller bugs. In a swamp teeming with life, creatures that posed threats might lurk.

So Gao Jing made Six-Wings scan vigilantly—flying high and low, dodging potentially dangerous insects. It scouted several kilometers before…

Finding a target!