The Storm Dragon Eagle's sharp eyes quickly scanned the surroundings. Its eyesight was excellent, and even in this pitch-black place, it could see the situation on the ground clearly.

According to Duke's request, it descended in a relatively safe-looking area, where there were no people or demons moving around.

The Storm Dragon Eagle also kept its aura restrained, and even during flight, it was cautious, trying not to cause too much wind.

Having just arrived in this area, the situation here was still unclear, so everything had to be done with utmost caution.

If there were creatures like the Emperor Flame Turtle, a Level 2 Life, it would have to run for its life if it accidentally woke one up.

Duke gracefully leapt off the back of the Storm Dragon Eagle, his feet touching a surface that wasn't hard, but consisted of a peculiar, slightly elastic dark material, like solidified shadows.

The light here was extremely dim, as if greedily devoured by some unseen presence.

The air was filled with a cold, viscous aura that caused the soul to feel a slight stagnation. For most people, the environment here was quite uncomfortable, but Duke felt a certain ease, as if his body was well-adapted to it.

Duke crouched down to carefully study the ground.

He discovered that the essence of the soil here was indeed soil, but it was rich in Dark Attribute Energy, causing it to mutate to the point where its appearance no longer resembled soil.

The entire fragmented area was filled with dense dark energy, creating an environment unsuitable for living or surviving for most.

Only those like Duke, with a high degree of Dark Attribute Affinity, could stay here long-term and even benefit from it.

Duke began observing the surrounding environment, which still remained dim and pitch-black, with a silence that suggested a lack of life.

He had already returned the Storm Dragon Eagle to the Light God Court. Its size was too large, and even while restraining its aura, walking or flying made significant noise.

Duke turned and summoned Kobold Reid as a guard to follow by his side.

The kobold usually stood about two meters tall, but in combat mode, its size would swell to five meters tall.

Reid quickly adapted to the environment here, his robust physique capable of withstanding various harsh and complex environments.

In past Plane War experiences, Kobold Reid had encountered numerous hostile and even dangerous environments but had survived them all.

This place caused him mild discomfort, but not to a degree that was unbearable or unsustainable.

Kobold Reid quickly assumed his role, sniffing around for any scents and listening intently to the surroundings for any unusual disturbances.

Now that there was no one else around, Duke could release his slave creatures.

He used Shadow Perception and the Eye of Darkness to survey the surroundings, confirming the absence of other entities in the Shadow Space.

Duke's attention was drawn to some unusual plants not far from his feet. They were exceptionally low, almost clinging to the dark surface of the ground and twisted in strange shapes.

These plants resembled solidified black liquid, covering the crystalline ground in irregular patches.

They had no leaves, their surfaces covered with fine hairs, and were slowly absorbing the free-flowing Dark Energy Particles in the air at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye, making their covered area appear darker than the surrounding environment.

"Shadow Moss... It's of excellent quality, top-tier Level 2 magic potion materials, worth thousands of Level 1 Magic Stones per gram." Duke quickly identified these plants as valuable Level 2 Magic Potion Materials, useful in various Level 2 potion refinements.

He quickly took out a Medicine Shovel and carefully harvested the Shadow Moss, storing each plant in a separate transparent tube, roots intact.

Each plant weighed about three to five grams, translating to tens of thousands of Level 1 Magic Stones.

After harvesting this section of Shadow Moss, he counted twenty plants in total, which was a considerable gain.

Duke then looked around, contemplating his next course of action, as the surroundings looked more or less the same.

He maintained his Shadow Perception, and the Eye of Darkness remained active.

Realizing the dense presence of Dark Attribute Energy, Duke speculated that some dark attribute life forms might exist here, possibly hiding in the Shadow Space to observe or even ambush, necessitating preparation for such possibilities.

"Reid, any findings?" Duke asked in a low voice.

Kobold Reid possessed strong instinctive perception abilities, potentially uncovering details Duke might have missed.

Kobold Reid flared his wide nostrils and replied, "Master Duke, there's a mixture of rotting moss and iron rust in the air, faint but constant. No sounds of living things, only the faint hiss of energy flow, like snakes crawling on sand."

Evidently, there were indeed few living creatures around, and the Dark Attribute Energy was extremely dense here.

The two maintained a cautious formation, Duke in front, Reid's massive body half a step behind, vigilantly guarding the flanks and rear.

The dark soil beneath their feet had an eerie elasticity, each step landing silently as if sound was swallowed by the darkness.

The air grew increasingly clammy and cold, with that soul-stagnating sensation becoming more pronounced.

But for Duke, the revolving Dark Energy within gave a sense of ease, like a fish in water, as tendrils of pure Dark Attribute Energy slowly absorbed and assimilated into his body.

After walking for three hours, Duke and Reid found themselves at the foot of a small mountain.

The mountain's base had several jagged black crystal clusters resembling the fangs of a monstrous beast, composed of a strange substance that wasn't stone, jade, or crystal.

Duke took out an exquisite small iron pick, chipping a piece of black crystal for close inspection.

He felt the flow of Dark Attribute Energy within — an Energy Crystal Stone, likely of Level 1 grade.

Duke had never seen such Energy Crystal Stones before, and they weren't available on the market outside — perhaps only in some wizard's collections.

With a wave of his hand, he uprooted the large chunks of Energy Crystal Stone, storing them in his Space Ring.

Kobold Reid initially intended to help, but seeing it wasn't necessary, he refrained.

Just then, several shadows, thick as pitch and fast as poisonous snakes, shot out of the ground's shadow without warning.

They were silent, as if inherently part of the darkness, moving so quickly they left only afterimages on the retina, aiming straight for Duke's head, heart, and limb joints.

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