Floating Temple

Standing on the Floating Island suspended in midair, Alex looked immensely proud and excited. He turned to Emma beside him like a child hoping for praise from his mother. "Emma, what do you think?"

Emma shrugged noncommittally and said expressionlessly, "What about the power source? Are you really going to have Bat People pull it?"

"Bat People are perfect for hauling the island." Alex gave an awkward smile at his own lack of success and continued, "Moving the Floating Island doesn’t take much effort anyway. There are plenty of Bat People, so taking turns won’t be a problem."

Emma turned to glance at the Bat People circling overhead. After thinking about it, she did not object. The Bat People would contribute their strength, and Emma would leave them the seeds of civilization. It counted as a fair exchange.

After several more days of preparation, the Floating Island finally began moving. Pulled by more than a dozen Bat People, it flew straight toward the center of the continent. To save time, Alex chose the direct route, crossing forests and swamps to reach the temple.

The Floating Island hovered in the sky, allowing them to avoid most orcs and all Swamp People. The only things they needed to worry about were flying orcs like the Pterodactyl-men, as well as flying beasts such as pterosaurs.

However, Bat People slept during the day and came out at night, so the Floating Island could only travel after dark. That also allowed them to avoid many orcs and beasts, since the vast majority followed the natural pattern of being active by day and resting at night. Creatures like Bat People were rare.

Everything went exactly as Alex had expected. The journey was smooth, and they encountered no trouble. During the day, a few unidentified monster birds circled the island a few times, but none dared to land.

At dawn on the third day, the Bat People serving as haulers returned to the stone caves specially carved into the island to rest. Alex and Emma stood at the edge of the island and looked out. The swamp lay ahead, stretching beyond sight.

"This swamp is really huge!" Alex knew this swamp was vast, but he had never imagined it could be this enormous.

Just as Alex finished marveling, he suddenly spotted a gigantic bird rising from the swamp. Flapping two enormous wings, it flew toward the Floating Island.

"Swamp Flying Lizard!" Emma saw it as well and cried out, "It’s the creature Swamp People fear most. It’s incredibly powerful. We should avoid it!"

"Isn’t it just a big lizard? What’s there to fear?" Alex was completely unconcerned. Without moving, he calmly watched the Swamp Flying Lizard draw closer, a flicker of delight appearing in his eyes.

Emma turned toward Alex and happened to see that smile. Anxiously, she said, "At a time like this, you can still smile? We should hurry back. There’s no need to fight it."

"Emma, don’t you think it would make a perfect hauler?" Alex pointed at the Swamp Flying Lizard flying ever closer, his voice filled with excitement.

Emma froze at his words. After a long pause, she finally replied, unable to tell whether she was admiring him or mocking him, "I give up on you. You really dare to think of anything!"

"Remember this: the bigger your heart, the bigger your stage!" Alex suddenly shouted. He backed up several steps, accelerated, charged forward, and actually leaped onto the back of the Swamp Flying Lizard as it flew past.

The Swamp Flying Lizard was enormous, nearly the size of a Boeing 747. Its head alone was as big as a person, and its broad back could practically fit several mahjong tables. Its wings beat up gust after gust of wild wind, making it difficult even for Alex to keep his footing.

Watching Alex stand on the Swamp Flying Lizard’s back, Emma sighed and immediately activated her telepathy, instantly taking control of it. The Swamp Flying Lizard had a large head, but unfortunately, its brain was tiny, and its Psionic Power was unimaginably weak. Emma controlled it with ease, far more easily than most dinosaurs.

"I’ve already controlled it." Seeing Alex prepare to jump onto the Swamp Flying Lizard’s head, Emma hurriedly spoke, her tone full of disbelief.

Alex paused mid-motion and turned to stare at Emma in disbelief, as if he could not believe it.

Emma did not explain. Instead, she used her actions to show Alex that she had truly controlled the Swamp Flying Lizard.

After landing back on the island, Alex circled the Swamp Flying Lizard obediently lying on the ground several times, still unable to believe what he was seeing. "This thing was that easy to control?"

Emma nodded, unsure whether to laugh or cry, her expression strange. "I didn’t expect it either. It really was that easy to control."

Alex compared the Swamp Flying Lizard’s enormous body with its head, then said with a look of disdain, "All size, no brains!"

Under Emma’s control, the Swamp Flying Lizard took over the Bat People’s job, dragging the Floating Island onward at a speed countless times faster than theirs.

With the Swamp Flying Lizard during the day and the Bat People at night, the Floating Island’s speed effectively doubled. In only seven days, they crossed the swamp, and an even denser forest appeared before them.

The moment they entered the forest, the Floating Island encountered danger.

More than a dozen Pterodactyl-men suddenly shot out of the forest. The hard-flying Swamp Flying Lizard was torn into pieces by the dozen Pterodactyl-men in a single exchange, becoming a rain of flesh and blood that fell into the forest below.

The stench of blood further stirred the Pterodactyl-men’s ferocity. They circled the Floating Island and let out strange roars, as though taunting it.

Alex stood on the island, his face flushed red and a vicious glint faintly visible in his eyes.

"Alex, don’t be rash. You’re no match for them!" Emma grabbed Alex’s right hand with both of hers and tried desperately to persuade him. Back then, just one Pterodactyl-man had caused Alex considerable trouble. Now there were more than a dozen of them. Even with Emma’s telepathy helping him, their chances of victory were slim.

"Did you forget? Our bodies are as hard as diamonds!" Alex broke free from Emma’s hands, turned to look at her, and said confidently, "They can’t even scratch my skin. They’re no match for me!"

With that, Alex took several steps forward and stood in an open space on the Floating Island. He threw back his head and roared at the dozen Pterodactyl-men, answering their provocation without the slightest fear.

The dozen Pterodactyl-men shrieked together and dove toward Alex to kill him. Their bloody maws opened slightly, as if they were sneering.

Alex snorted coldly and assumed a fighting stance. His eyes locked tightly onto the leading Pterodactyl-man, while he ignored all the others.

"Die!" Alex roared and suddenly leaped into the air, charging at the leading Pterodactyl-man. His fist shot out like lightning and smashed into its forehead.

With a wet pop, the Pterodactyl-man’s head shattered outright, and milky-white brain matter splattered across the ground.

Alex froze, staring blankly at his own fist.

Emma, who had just rushed over to help, froze as well, her little mouth hanging wide open. On her shoulder, Qiqi toppled over headfirst.

The remaining Pterodactyl-men were stunned too. They even forgot to attack, and a trace of fear appeared in their violent eyes.

After being enhanced by the Super Soldier Serum, Alex’s strength had already reached superhuman levels. Then the Blue Diamond enhanced him further, multiplying his power. Moreover, Alex’s body had become as hard as diamond. With a punch like that, he was comparable to a meteor hammer, so shattering a Pterodactyl-man’s head was only natural.

Once he understood, Alex’s confidence soared. Like a tiger charging into a flock of sheep, he fought fiercely and crippled three stunned Pterodactyl-men in an instant. The remaining Pterodactyl-men finally came to their senses, shrieked, shot into the sky, and swiftly fled the Floating Island.

Watching the Pterodactyl-men fly away, Alex was unwilling to let them go but had no choice. Unable to fly and without Teleportation, there was nothing he could do to them.

With the Swamp Flying Lizard gone, the Floating Island immediately slowed down again. Fortunately, after the Pterodactyl-men’s provocation, the Floating Island’s reputation seemed to spread through the forest. No one dared to challenge it again. Even birds did not dare approach.

After nearly half a month, a massive Floating Island appeared above an enormous lake. Buildings stood densely across the island, grand and magnificent beyond measure. It seemed to be the legendary Floating Temple!