The Magic Ring Tree Layer.

Deep within the ancient and hidden layer.

Beneath a Magic Ring Tree, roughly five meters tall and lush with foliage, Zorn leaned against the trunk of a smaller, golden-glazed Magic Ring Tree.

HUFF... HUFF...

Zorn gasped for breath, his life force draining away as blood trickled from the corners of his mouth.

At that moment, Zorn’s body—from his head to his chest and down to his arms and legs—was covered in bizarre, jagged tears.

These jagged tears were not mere wounds; they seemed to have become one with his very flesh.

Through those bizarre, jagged tears, one could see his semi-transparent blood vessels and the blood flowing within, his taut muscles, and even his bones, which were streaked with golden lines. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Deep within the jagged wounds, bizarre, thumb-sized insects gnawed relentlessly at Zorn’s flesh.

Zorn looked up at the small, lush, Golden Magic Ring Tree above him.

A rippling golden halo from the tree cast a glow upon Zorn’s deathly pale face.

’This damn Magic Ring Tree refuses to let me absorb its Life Force. I really miscalculated on this one.’

’Looks like I’m going to lose a life here!’

’But even if I have to die... I’m going to leave a few more scars on this thing.’

After resting for a moment, he managed to recover a bit of his strength.

Zorn then got to his feet and looked into the distance.

There it stood, a full five meters tall, its armor as thick as a castle wall—the Divine Armor: Magic Ring Tree Master, waiting silently for Zorn’s challenge.

The Level Six Divine Armor: Magic Ring Tree Master was astonishingly powerful.

And prior to this, Zorn had already fought through six brutal battles in a row.

His Life Force, Evil Energy, and Gang Qi were almost completely spent.

Now, facing the Level Six Divine Armor: Magic Ring Tree Master at its full strength, it truly felt like standing before an insurmountable, towering mountain!

If he had been able to absorb life from that small Magic Ring Tree, Zorn could have recovered significantly after each battle.

He might have even been able to clear the entire thing in one life.

As things stood, it looked like he would have to sacrifice a life.

"Come on!"

Zorn walked slowly down the slope.

"You are about to die. Give up!"

The Divine Armor: Magic Ring Tree Master gripped its six-meter Golden Heavy Sword with both hands, its voice booming like thunder from the heavens.

Beneath its thick, armored mask lay a bizarre, unseen void.

"Give up?"

A deathly pale smile spread across his face, which looked as if it might crack apart at any moment.

’If I give up now, all the resources I invested would be for nothing.’

’Even if it costs me a life, I’m getting past you today.’

As soon as the words left his mouth, Zorn began casting his magic, reigniting the fight.

After about three days of gathering numerous materials, Zorn had finally completed the ultimate hidden quest of the seventh layer.

However, he was still short on materials for the final stages.

If he had spent more time, Zorn could have farmed enough Filthy Fire Source Stones.

This would have allowed him to significantly weaken the final two bosses from Level Six and Level 7 down to Level 5, ensuring an easy victory.

But while working on the later quests, Zorn ran into Ansel, the Undead Assassin Tutor, who was on a similar mission.

Zorn had asked him about the drop rate for the Filthy Fire Source Stone.

Zorn estimated it would take a week with good luck, and with bad luck, it could take more than half a month.

After careful consideration, Zorn invested all his remaining resources to reduce the levels of the final two bosses to early Level Six and peak Level Six, respectively.

With that, he began the final challenge.

He had just defeated a Level Six Deceitful Tree Demon Spirit, but the terrible debuff from its Rift Spirit Insects had not yet worn off.

And now, he had to immediately confront the even more powerful Divine Armor: Magic Ring Tree Master.

A no-death run was out of the question.

But he was confident he could still secure a victory after resurrecting.

After more than ten minutes of desperate resistance, Zorn was sent flying by a devastating blow from the Heavy Sword, crashing violently against the trunk of the small Magic Ring Tree.

The small Magic Ring Tree merely trembled.

Zorn, however, was sliced in half at the waist, dying a gruesome death on the spot!

’This damn Magic Ring Tree is unbelievably tough!’

WHOOSH...

The Calamity Black Mist swirled in, coalescing into a howling vortex of wind.

Zorn emerged from within, resurrected.

He had paid a portion of the Calamity Black Mist as the price.

Zorn’s power was now at the Level 5 standard. The debuff was gone, and all his stats were fully restored.

"You... can be resurrected?"

The Divine Armor: Magic Ring Tree Master, who had already shouldered its Heavy Sword and was preparing to leave, turned back to look at the resurrected Zorn, a hint of astonishment in its voice.

"Does my resurrection surprise you?"

Zorn chuckled lightly.

"All right. Now you’re seeing the boss’s second phase."

"Let’s begin, my challenger!"

The tables had turned. Now, the guardian had become the challenger.

With a flicker, the Divine Armor: Magic Ring Tree Master, Heavy Sword in hand, effortlessly crossed the thirty-meter distance.

The Heavy Sword came chopping down at his head.

Leaving a hazy afterimage in his place, Zorn dodged the strike and launched his counterattack.

Previously, at Level 4, it had been difficult to seal the Divine Armor: Magic Ring Tree Master’s Skills.

But now at Level 5, he could effectively interrupt and seal its powerful Skills.

Zorn’s advantage immediately became apparent.

Whereas before he had been hounded and beaten by the Divine Armor: Magic Ring Tree Master...

...now, after sealing its engagement Skills, Zorn began to press the attack.

Using the high mobility granted by his Shadow Boots and Thousand Stream Mist Step, Zorn continuously kited the powerful Level Six boss.

He relentlessly bombarded it with Curse Magic.

After a full ten-plus minutes, after it had taken more than twenty Forbidden Curses and over a thousand Destruction Magic Balls.