Chapter 114 Endless Wilderness of Beast Grove
Not only could Brian see the shadow of time on the magical greatsword he obtained from Rosha, but he could also see it on the broken armor and rusty sword he had collected earlier. However, his connection with the River of Time was not deep enough. The shadow of time in Brian's eyes appeared as blotches and mosaics, too blurry to make out anything clearly.
Still, he had a vague premonition. As long as he grew a few more times and deepened his connection with the River of Time, he would eventually be able to see the shadow of time clearly, witnessing the past of these ancient items, and perhaps even using them as anchor points to travel through time.
After placing the ancient items properly, Brian closed his eyes and peacefully fell asleep. The River of Time's water flowed quietly and steadily, entering his body with each calm breath, gradually strengthening his connection with the River of Time. This process was slow and subtle, but it was indeed happening.
Under the night sky, a Blue Ferocious Python, fifteen meters long and as thick as a water barrel, slithered its body towards the rustling movements beneath the snow, slowly burying itself with only a pair of faintly visible eyes exposed, patiently waiting for its prey to approach. Before long, a Magical Creature, surrounded by elemental light, passed by. The Saber-toothed Tiger, resembling a saber-toothed tiger but several times larger, was unaware of the hunter beneath the snow.
Boom! The snow exploded, scattering in all directions, resembling silver flakes under the bright moonlight. As a feline, the Saber-toothed Tiger's reaction was swift. The moment the snow moved, it leaped backward, attempting to evade the sudden and insidious attack.
However, a blue shadow flashed, and the sharp, elongated fangs of the python pierced deeply into the Saber-toothed Tiger's neck. In short-range assaults, the python's striking speed was like a bullet, impossible to guard against. Its thick body quickly coiled around the Saber-toothed Tiger, its barrel-like waist constricting and squeezing the Magical Creature tightly.
Crack, crack... The crisp sound of bones breaking could be faintly heard. The Saber-toothed Tiger, not considered weak in the extreme northern Ice Field, was strangled to death by the python. Just as the python killed its prey and was about to enjoy a hearty meal, it suddenly sensed an astonishing presence. Its body stiffened, and it looked up at the sky. In mid-air, a silver-white dragon figure flew by, pausing briefly before speeding towards the python's location. The dragon's wings blocked the moonlight, casting large dark shadows on the silver-lit ground.
After a few days of napping, Brian felt a bit bored and decided to go out and stretch his muscles, personally hunting. Although his followers provided food, Brian occasionally hunted himself, targeting prey that was still troublesome for his followers, rewarding himself with a feast. The targets he chose were invariably fierce predators of the extreme northern Ice Field.
However, in front of Brian, these predators, which struck fear into countless Ice Field creatures, could only become his meal. He had always wanted to taste the flesh of a Savage Beast, which must be vastly different from ordinary Magical Creatures. But whether it was a ferocious tiger or a ferocious wolf, Brian had taken them as his followers, and he did not want to eat his followers.
After hunting two large Magical Creatures along the way, Brian passed by and discovered the presence of this Blue Ferocious Python.
Creatures like pythons have always had a high priority on Brian's menu.
Moreover, their intelligence is much lower compared to the ferocious tigers and wolves, and even less than the Terror Lizard and White Hound, making them unsuitable as followers. When Brian extended his Dragon Claws and struck at the python's head, the coiled python hissed, its red tongue flicking out.
Its upper body contracted like a spring, and in the blink of an eye, it lunged at Brian's neck with a gust of foul wind. Savage Beasts can push their physical abilities to the limit, making the python's movements as fast as lightning. Even in Brian's eyes, its actions were remarkably swift.
Facing the python's counterattack, Brian's expression remained unchanged as he cast a spell-like ability. Slow Time. In an instant, a ripple emanated from Brian. Everything touched by the ripple seemed to fall into slow motion, moving extremely slowly. The scattered snowflakes fell gently, the passing cold wind slowed, and the python's bite towards Brian became sluggish. Brian even had the leisure to observe the various structures inside its mouth.
Crack! The silver Dragon Claws grasped the python's head, squeezed tightly, and twisted to the side. The large python's head was torn off from its body by Brian and casually thrown aside. "This Slow Time combined with Acceleration State is really useful."
Slow Time, a new ability derived from Time Manipulation, corresponds to Acceleration State and can be applied to any target within Brian's sight. It doesn't consume much time power, similar to Acceleration State. I speed up, you slow down, which roughly equals immobilization.
Slow Time and Expel Time's Breath are the two time-based abilities Brian gained after his last awakening. Both are extremely useful and their effects will improve as he grows, making them god-tier skills he can use for life. Brian tore the python into two halves, freezing one half with Dragon's Breath and roasting the other half with Flame on the spot. Soon, the python's flesh entered his mouth, its incredible elasticity and distinct texture making Brian's eyes light up with praise. "It's a pity there are so few Savage Beasts; the taste of this meat is simply unparalleled."
If he could find a way to cultivate Savage Beasts, Brian wouldn't mind turning the ordinary creatures in his Territory into Savage Beasts. Their size would increase significantly, providing him with a continuous supply of delicious food. Unfortunately, the secret of this evolution is hard to crack. Brian had studied the ferocious frost tiger but gained nothing. He suspected that the creation of Savage Beasts was not a result of natural evolution but involved some external force. "Maybe it has something to do with the mysterious animal Lords," Brian thought.
Animal Lords are powerful beings akin to Devil Dukes and Demon Princes, capable of rivaling gods. Each beast species seen in the Prime Material Plane has an animal Lord. They reside in the outer plane known as the Endless Wilderness of Beast Grove.
This plane is also called the Beast Garden, Beast Realm, Animal Domain, Beast Land, and is one of the well-known outer planes connected to the Prime Material Plane. Brian had considered leaving the Prime Material Plane one day to explore other planes, and the Beast Garden was one of his targets. He had noted information about the Beast Garden from his Dragon Heritage.
