Lin Xiao’s movements were broad and sweeping, defeating most of the monsters cleanly and efficiently with every gesture. In contrast, Wu Yan’s kill rate was a bit slower; between the rises and falls of her longsword, usually only one or two monsters were slain. However, this was perfectly understandable, as a Body Cultivator definitely held the advantage here.
“Eldest Senior Sister, I’m so happy to see you here!” Standing on the wasteland covered in monster pus and wrinkled skin, Lin Xiao’s excitement was palpable.
“I’m also glad to run into you, Junior Brother Lin Xiao. How did you get here?”
“Huh?” Lin Xiao scratched his head and let out a confused “ha,” but he immediately realized that Wu Yan was referring to the wasteland where he was currently fighting. He circulated his Spiritual Power to evaporate the pus on his body and pointed toward the southwest. “I came from over there, Senior Sister. I didn’t meet anyone along the way. I heard some noise over here and thought it might be people, but I didn’t expect it to be a pack of Duo Nang Guai. How unlucky!”
“Duo Nang Guai?” Wu Yan suddenly noticed the name Lin Xiao used for the meat-sac monsters.
Hearing Wu Yan’s question, Lin Xiao tilted his head in confusion. “Yeah, Duo Nang Guai. Is something wrong, Senior Sister? These monsters are called Duo Nang Guai in the Monster Encyclopedia.” Lin Xiao pulled a yellowed book with a partially missing cover from his Storage Ring, flipped to a certain page, and held it out to Wu Yan. Following Lin Xiao’s finger, Wu Yan saw that the monster description indeed matched the creatures on the ground perfectly.
Lin Xiao looked rough and burly, but he was actually someone who loved to read.
“Junior Brother Lin Xiao, I need to remind you. The Spirit Chi content in the air is currently thin. Remember to plan your Spiritual Power usage carefully.”
Lin Xiao slapped his bronze-colored chest with his rough, large hand, making a loud thudding sound. He replied in a booming voice, “No problem, Eldest Senior Sister!”
Once Lin Xiao had finished tidying up, Wu Yan pointed toward the northeast and said, “Let’s head that way.” Her intuition told her that the flow of Demonic Chi in that direction was exceptionally strange.
—
Within a dark and narrow ravine, beyond 6 feet, countless eerie green eyes watched Xia Lingshuang’s every move. The overflowing greed and killing intent filled the cramped space. These monsters looked extremely disgusting; their bodies were long and slender like weasels, with a pair of oversized bat wings on their backs. Their entire bodies were covered in a layer of black shadowy armor, similar to the carapace of a longhorn beetle. Four bone scythes covered in dark green rust replaced their limbs; the blades were full of jagged serrations, completely divorced from the realm of flesh and blood. Their heads consisted of a massive mouth and a pair of constantly rotating compound eyes.
Within 6 feet, the ground was strewn with corpses. Most of the monsters had been decapitated, the cut surfaces of their bodies as smooth as a mirror, showing the killer’s superb skill. Xia Lingshuang’s noble purple Elder’s robes were pristine. Even in the Twilight World, surrounded by monsters and dense Demonic Chi, she remained an insurmountable, lonely peak.
Hiss—!
A sharp sound of breaking air suddenly rang out. A reckless monster, relying on its armor which was thicker than its kin and gleamed with a purple-black metallic luster, attempted to ambush Xia Lingshuang from the shadows of the rocks behind her. Its foul, acidic saliva was pulled into thin threads, and its four scythe-claws drew purple-black afterimages in the air. The scythes on its forelimbs crossed as the sharp blades lunged straight for the back of Xia Lingshuang’s neck.
Xia Lingshuang’s expression remained cool as usual. A frost-white silk ribbon shot out from her waist, the ribbon taking the shape of a spearhead as it collided with the monster’s scythe blades.
Puchi!
The sound of flesh being pierced rang out. The monster remained frozen mid-air in its original pose, but a hole had been blasted through the center of its scythe blades. Immediately after, that sturdy purple-black carapace shattered like tofu hitting the ground. The monster’s body was struck, the massive impact shattering it into pieces. The murderous light in its compound eyes didn’t even have time to fade.
‘Fifty-seven.’ Xia Lingshuang lowered her eyes slightly and counted in her mind. This was the suppressive power of the Soul Transformation Stage. Even if a dragon swims in shallow water, it is no plaything for shrimp; even if a tiger falls to the plains, it remains the king of beasts. As long as she was here, no matter how many of these demonic creatures came, they were merely seeking death.
Xia Lingshuang looked into the distance, her gaze piercing through the dim yellow light and dust-filled air, casting toward the depths of this dead wasteland. Her expression was quite strange; although her brows were slightly furrowed, she didn’t look distressed. She simply seemed to be contemplating something.
Screech—!!
From the shadows around the corner ahead, a dense, scalp-numbing rubbing sound suddenly erupted. The sound of spikes scraping against the ground was like cat claws scratching a blackboard. Here they came again.
A large swarm of black-armored monsters, attracted by the scent of blood, surged out like a tide. Seeing their companions arrive, the monsters that were originally hesitant gained confidence. With angry roars, they flapped their wings and flew toward Xia Lingshuang.
“So reckless,” her cold voice echoed through the ravine. Two frost-white silk ribbons swirled around Xia Lingshuang, turning into a meat grinder that annihilated all the incoming monsters. Even with heavy casualties, they continued to crowd together, trampling over one another as they pressed forward. Some monsters even climbed the steep rock walls on both sides, gliding toward her like flying squirrels. Pair after pair of glowing green compound eyes surged forward in the darkness, interspersed with a few mutated specimens that were massive and covered in spikes on their backs.
Xia Lingshuang suddenly became curious. When there were few of these monsters, they valued their lives quite a bit. However, once their numbers reached a certain point, they became fearless of death. It was likely some underlying logic taking effect.
Seeing that the frost-white silk ribbons were almost spinning fast enough to smoke, yet there were still so many monsters outside, Xia Lingshuang reached for the Bound Spirit Sword at her waist. Just as she was about to end the battle in one strike, a dazzling moon-white sword arc fell from the sky. Everywhere the sword arc passed, the dim yellow haze was swept away, and time seemed to stand still for a moment.
Following that was the continuous sound of shattering.
Puff, puff, puff, puff, puff!
The armor of those monsters was as fragile as paper toys before the sword arc. As the arc swept past, everything — whether crawling on the ground, hanging on the walls, or flying in the sky — was within its range. When Wu Yan landed lightly on the ground and her longsword clicked into its scabbard, the once-imposing swarm of monsters was gone, leaving only a group at the very bottom staring blankly. The rest had been turned into dust.
Boom!!!
Then, a massive sound of impact echoed. A sturdy figure fell from the sky, landing perfectly in the middle of the lucky surviving monsters. The ground shattered into pieces, and the shockwave sent broken rocks flying, striking the monsters until they saw stars.
“Die for me!” His voice was like a great bell, shaking the narrow ravine.
The newcomer was —
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