Degrade from Nobility to a Humble Slave

In a single breath, Zen sprinted a few hundred feet, where he saw a colorful light strip hovering in front of him. Thinking it might be the entrance to the third layer. He investigated, and sure enough, it was. He plunged headlong into the light, disappearing.

Passing through the band of light was like walking into a different world. The scene in front of him differed from the second layer.

The lush trees were replaced. Instead, there were bare hillsides and stone forest composed of jagged rocks. Caves at least ten feet deep dotted the slopes, and black noxious smoke rose from the openings. It looked like a sad and lifeless site.

The disciples who passed through the band earlier were not in sight at the moment. He tried to figure out where Nory was but, Zen appeared to be off Nory's trail. 'Where on earth has Nory gone? Maybe he found somewhere safe after he got to the third layer because disciples from the noble clans might come looking for him. Hope you are safe now, my brother!' thought Zen, sincerely praying for Nory's safety as he began to make his way through the third layer.

After making his way up a hillside, Zen stepped into the jagged rocky forest.

The crystal fragments he had in hand were far from being enough to pass the Blooded Test, so he hurried on his way. He needed to get enough crystal fragments as soon as possible, as this wasn't a safe place to remain.

Unreal beasts on the third layer were all higher level and therefore more challenging to fight. Generally speaking, the strength of the three-grade beasts was comparable to that of a person at the marrow refining level. And since the unreal beasts were transformed from evil creatures, they were even stronger. Animals of the same level were generally more powerful than their human counterparts.

For that reason alone, Zen knew that he needed to be vigilant. He looked around warily, continuously as he walked through the forest. He had taken only two steps, and he heard a sound. The hairs along his arm and scalp tingled when he listened to the hissing of a snake.

The hairs on his neck stood up, alerting him that something was following him.

very carefully, only to find that nothing but the jagged rocks were

wrinkled his brow, making a face while wondering, 'Was that an illusion, or am

he was passing under a stone arch formed

the sight of the shadow. Leaning back, he pressed himself close to the ground, allowing him to nimbly elude the shadow. While at the same time, he rolled sideways, and narrowly avoided being whipped by the snake as it dropped, thrashing its body where Zen had been a second earlier. Zen

feet and found a

reach, scuttled into the surrounding stone forest. The boa looked around savagely with its massive, mesmerizing eyes, and its bright

against a stone so that the boa couldn't take him from behind. Then stared at

and flicking its

stone, motionlessly watching, unwilling to fall for the ploy of being lured away no matter how hard the snake tried.

all transformed from evil creatures, their most significant shortcoming was that they

encounter was still a cat and mouse game. Finally, Zen's patience paid off, as the

against the stone, the crafty serpent let loose enough of its muscular

flee or try to crush him in retaliation, Zen knew he had only this one chance, and if he couldn't annihilate it in that first

dust dropped to the ground. At the same time, the hold the boa had on Zen tightened until he was

the heartbeat slow, and heat coming off their victim. They would not stop until their prey ceased breathing. The prey suffocated slowly, bones grinding as they did. Then the snake would release the victim, unhinging their large jaw to swallow the food whole.

filling his lungs with air and closed his eyes.