booktalesy Chapter 163: With everyone here, isn't that enough?
Chapter 163: With everyone here, isn't that enough?
Chapter 163: With everyone here, isn't that enough?
The next morning, everyone gathered again on the shallows.
It must be said that although these inns charge exorbitant prices, there is a reason why they are expensive.
That night, although the roars and cries of various strange beasts never stopped, they were not attacked by them, allowing them to sleep soundly.
This is extremely rare, especially deep within the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range.
"We'll have to walk the next two hundred miles. Let's go!"
Shi Wanshan said something and then took the lead in the way.
The group strode swiftly through the dark, dense forest, stepping on decaying leaves and pebbles.
For the next few dozen miles, they would occasionally encounter small groups of martial artists or lone individuals, but neither side would come forward to greet them, and they would avoid each other from a distance.
The deeper you go, the heavier the moisture becomes, ancient trees block out the sun, and thick vines coil around you like dragons.
After traveling about a hundred miles, the low growls of strange beasts in the distance and the eerie cries of unknown birds became increasingly clear.
"Everyone be careful, we've reached the edge of Poison Bone Gorge!"
Shi Wanshan loudly reminded him.
He and Guan Qi were both seasoned veterans who frequently traversed the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range, and they walked at the front to clear the way.
Behind them, Su Mei and Liu Ming walked side by side.
One of them was an inner disciple of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion and the son of an elder, while the other was an inner disciple of the Profound Sun Sect. Although they were not weak, they still received special treatment.
Chu Xuan and Cui Sheng, being the weakest, were ranked behind Su Mei and Cui Sheng.
At the very back was Zhao Meng, who practiced martial arts with a strong physique, and was responsible for covering the rear to prevent attacks from people or strange beasts.
"Hey, there's a noise!"
Just as the group stepped into the forest on the outskirts of Poison Bone Ravine and reached a wide, rocky slope, Zhao Meng twitched his ears and suddenly spoke.
Everyone else became alert.
After walking a while longer, the sound became clearer.
Suddenly, bursts of arguing and cursing came from ahead.
The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw a huge corpse lying in the middle of the slope. Its armor was as black as iron, with red patterns still visible. Its massive body lay on the ground, and the smell of blood permeated the air.
At this moment, two groups of people were standing beside the corpse of the strange beast, confronting and accusing each other.
Both sides appear to be evenly matched, each with four or five members, and they are all at the Gang Jin level of cultivation!
This is not surprising. Those who dare to venture so far into the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range and are still alive are basically all experts at the Gang Jin level or above.
"It's a Crimson-Striped Black-Armored Rhinoceros!"
Zhao Meng's eyes lit up when he saw the enormous corpse of the strange beast, and he was about to rush forward.
In the wilderness, there's no such thing as chivalry or honor!
Everyone gets a share; might makes right!
The fourth-tier exotic beast, the Crimson-Striped Armored Rhinoceros, is a treasure trove from head to toe. Its shell can be used to make armor, and its horn contains pure blood and qi, making it an excellent material for both medicine and weapon forging.
Rhinoceros tendons and rhinoceros bones: the former is extremely tough and can be used to make bowstrings for strong bows; the latter is hard and heavy and is suitable for forging heavy weapons.
The shell of the Crimson-striped Black Armored Rhinoceros is as hard as iron, but its meat is extremely tender and mellow, and it is very nourishing to the blood and qi, especially beneficial to Zhao, a martial artist who cultivates his physical body.
Just as Zhao Meng was about to go over, Shi Wanshan, who was at the front, suddenly grabbed his wrist and said with a gloomy face, "Take a detour and don't meddle in other people's business!"
Zhao Meng said anxiously, "Brother Shi, that's a Crimson-Striped Black-Armored Rhinoceros! Every part of it is a treasure! Just this one alone could sell for at least tens of thousands of contribution points!"
"Walk!"
Shi Wanshan said in a deep voice, forcefully pulling him away from the group and heading deeper in another direction.
The others didn't say anything and quickly followed.
After walking for about ten miles, and sensing that no one was following behind, Shi Wanshan stopped and said, "We're almost at Poison Bone Ravine. Let's rest for a bit and recharge our energy before we continue."
After saying that, he found a clean rock to sit on, took out an old ebony pipe from his pocket, and lit a small pinch of dark blue tobacco.
The smoke curls upwards, but the aroma is not pungent; instead, it carries a slightly bitter, cool fragrance of herbs and wood, which is invigorating.
Zhao Meng still seemed a little disappointed, and looked at the others, saying, "That's a Crimson-Striped Black-Armored Rhinoceros! Aren't you even a little bit tempted?"
"Hmph, newbie!"
Guan Qi snorted coldly and turned his head away, clearly too lazy to waste words with him.
If Zhao Meng hadn't practiced external martial arts and possessed great strength, he would never have teamed up with such a novice; otherwise, he might have been tricked to death.
"What do you mean?"
Zhao Meng looked puzzled.
"It's such a simple thing!"
Cui Sheng smiled and explained, "Brother Zhao may not have looked closely just now. The wounds on the Crimson-Striped Armored Rhinoceros's body had already congealed and turned black, the blood had dried, and even the flesh was loose. This could never happen on a recently deceased Crimson-Striped Armored Rhinoceros's corpse."
They couldn't have been arguing there for days and nights, could they?
"You mean that the Crimson-Striped Black Armored Rhinoceros is fake?" Zhao Meng asked, looking astonished.
Cui Sheng laughed, "It might not be fake, but there's definitely something wrong with it! Didn't you see? The most valuable parts of the carcass, the rhinoceros horn and the carapace, have been removed. If I'm not mistaken, these two groups are actually working together, using the carcass of the rhinoceros as bait!"
If we were to go there, hehe—”
He didn't continue, but having said all that, how could Zhao Meng not understand?
"what!"
Zhao Meng exclaimed, "Are they putting on an act to lure us in?"
Guan Qi sneered, "It's not attracting us, it's attracting newbies like you!"
Zhao Meng was speechless, then turned and said, "So, you all figured it out a long time ago, and I was the only one who didn't?"
His gaze swept over Chu Xuan and the others.
Everyone, including Su Mei, smiled faintly.
Whether you noticed it at the time or not, if you ask now, it's absolutely true that you noticed it back then.
Shi Wanshan took another deep drag of his pipe, slowly exhaled the smoke, and said in a low voice, "Although we weren't familiar with each other before, we're all part of the same team now that we're going into Poison Bone Ravine."
I hope that from now on, no one will act rashly or touch anything carelessly, so as not to harm themselves or others. What do you all think?
"Brother Shi is an old hand, so we'll naturally follow your arrangements!" Guan Qi said with a smile.
Everyone else nodded in agreement.
Zhao Meng's expression was somewhat grim, but he nodded and said, "Don't worry, Brother Shi, I won't do it again!"
"Alright! Let's continue on our way!"
The group continued their journey.
After passing through the last dense, impenetrable ancient forest, the scenery suddenly changed.
The ground beneath their feet began to turn black, the vegetation became sparse and twisted, and a lingering, putrid stench filled the air.
The terrain ahead suddenly drops, forming a wide and deep canyon.
The cliffs on both sides are steep and sheer, and the valley floor is deep and unfathomable.
White mist swirled and rose, and waves of cold air surged upwards. Faintly, one could hear the rushing water below, mixed with the low roars of strange beasts.
We've arrived at Poison Bone Ravine.
The entire canyon was eerily silent.
Occasionally, one can see pale animal bones and even half-exposed, broken human bones on the cliff face. The wind blowing through the ravine makes a wailing sound, like the wailing of ghosts.
The closer you get to the stream, the colder the air becomes, and even breathing feels a little heavier.
Shi Wanshan's expression was grave, and he lowered his voice, saying, "Everyone be careful. There are many lurking poisonous creatures and strange beasts here. Don't be careless."
"Hey~!"
Just as everyone stopped at the mouth of the ravine, on high alert, a huge shadow suddenly swept across the sky, and a strong wind suddenly arose!
A fierce bird with a wingspan of several meters suddenly swooped down from mid-air.
Its body was covered in bluish-black scales, and the patterns on its belly were gray and white, making it look like a ferocious human face.
The claws gleamed coldly as they lunged straight at Su Mei, whose figure appeared somewhat slender, moving with lightning speed.
"It's the Azure-Scaled Demon-Faced Eagle!"
Shi Wanshan loudly reminded him.
Su Mei's expression changed slightly.
"court death!"
Before she could make a move, Liu Ming beside her shouted sharply, and his longsword was instantly drawn. A cold light flashed, and a sharp sword aura pierced through the air, clean and crisp.
"laugh""
With a flash of sword light, the Azure-Scaled Demon-Faced Eagle was cleaved in two in mid-air before it could even utter a mournful cry. Blood splattered as its massive body crashed heavily onto the pile of rocks, falling silent once more.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
Liu Ming sheathed his sword, his expression calm, as if he had only done a trivial matter.
"Thank you so much for your help, Brother Liu!" Su Mei said gratefully.
"You're too kind!"
Liu Ming said calmly, reverting to his previous aloof demeanor.
The group quickly stepped forward and saw that the corpse of the Green-Scaled Ghost-Faced Carving had been cut in half evenly, with both halves being the same size.
Guan Qi couldn't help but exclaim, "What a fast sword! As expected of the young master of Elder Qingfeng of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion, the Flowing Cloud Swift Sword truly lives up to its name!"
Shi Wanshan laughed and said, "Although the Azure-Scaled Ghost-Faced Eagle is only a third-tier exotic beast, its value is not low. Young Master Liu, this exotic beast..."
"It's yours!"
Before he could finish speaking, Liu Ming said calmly.
He wouldn't even look at a third-tier beast.
"Hehe, then thank you very much, old man."
After saying that, Shi Wanshan quickly stepped forward and squatted down nimbly.
He was experienced and skillful. With a swift and precise slash of his short knife, he aimed for vital points without any hesitation.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he nimbly removed a pair of sharp eagle claws, picked out a tiny, shimmering green bead from the bird's eye, and casually broke off several tail feathers as hard as iron.
The whole set of movements was smooth and fluid, and in no time all the valuable materials were put away.
Then, he used his short knife to cut off a large piece of meat and said with a smile, "Don't let the ugly appearance of this Green Forest Ghost-Faced Eagle fool you, its meat is incredibly tender and delicious, definitely a highly nutritious food. Everyone can cut off a piece, don't waste it."
Upon hearing this, everyone stepped forward.
Even Chu Xuan cut off a piece.
In this Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range, although strange beasts roam freely, not just any beast can be eaten.
Take the Five-Transformation Golden Toad, for example. After eating it, even a master of the Gang Jin realm would have to go directly to see the Great Grandmother.
Zhao Meng was even more formidable, carrying half of the Azure Scaled Demon-Faced Eagle's body on his back.
Su Mei and Liu Ming did not make a move.
Shi Wanshan warned, "This place is not safe to stay for long; the smell of blood will soon attract other strange beasts."
Without further delay, the group descended the steep slope at the mouth of the ravine, with loose stones rolling down their feet, making a dull echo.
The deeper you go, the colder and damper the air becomes, and a refreshing mist gradually mixes with the putrid smell.
After walking for a short while, a winding stream appeared before us. The water was a pale blue-green, and although the current was gentle, it was icy cold. It was a tributary that flowed into the Cold Tide Pool.
Further on, the terrain suddenly opens up, and a vast expanse of water stretches out before you.
The pool water is deep and emerald green, the surface is as calm as a mirror, and a continuous stream of cold air rises from the bottom of the pool, turning into a vast white mist that shrouds the lake surface.
Chu Xuan was speechless.
This is not a pool at all; it is clearly a vast lake.
It stretches as far as the eye can see, a vast expanse of misty water, with no end in sight.
The surrounding rock walls are steep and damp, the banks are sparsely covered with weeds, and occasionally there are skeletons half-exposed in the mud.
Around the icy pool, a pale blue flower grows, emitting a very faint, cool fragrance. From afar, it smells like floral scents, but up close, it is crisp and piercing, adding a few traces of life to this desolate pool.
Shi Wanshan pointed to the entrance of the cold pool and explained to Chu Xuan, "Last time, I encountered the Five-Transformation Golden Toad here. As for whether it is still here, I cannot be sure."
Chu Xuan nodded.
This was within his expectations, after all, the Five-Shedding Golden Toad was not an inanimate object.
At this point, he had reached his own destination and it was time to part ways with everyone else!
"let's go!"
Liu Ming said somewhat impatiently.
They weren't interested in the five-molted toad.
Everyone nodded and turned to leave.
Chu Xuan walked to the edge of the pool, about to take a look around.
Just then, the calm waters of the pool suddenly darkened.
A colossal, dark shadow, the size of a house, slowly emerged from the deep water. Silent and imposing, yet carrying a suffocating sense of oppression, it slowly approached the shore.
"Be careful!"
Chu Xuan gave a reminder.
Before anyone could make a move—
"Splash—!"
A giant wave exploded, and a huge golden toad, several meters tall, leaped out of the water. Its body was golden with black spots, its back was covered with thick scales, and it had a swell of poison sacs.
A long tongue covered in mucus shot out like an arrow.
However, it wasn't aimed at Chu Xuan, but rather swept towards Liu Ming, who was lagging behind in the group.
"court death!"
Liu Ming's eyes sharpened. Instead of retreating, he advanced, his figure suddenly rushing forward. His long sword was drawn with a clang, and a bluish-white sword aura several meters long slashed out, heading towards the giant tongue.
*Sizzle!*
The sword energy slashed fiercely at the tongue, but it was like a dull knife cutting into slippery cowhide.
Liu Ming's expression suddenly changed.
His fierce sword strike was largely neutralized by the incredibly slippery viscous liquid, and it slid away, striking the rock wall not far away with a bang, leaving a sword mark several meters long, and countless boulders rolled down and crashed into the water.
In contrast, the tongue of the five-molted toad was not even broken open.
"Croak—"
The five-molted golden toad let out a strange cry, its massive body blocking the entrance to the pool. Its crimson eyes gleamed with ferocity, completely blocking everyone's path.
Everyone's expression changed at that moment.
Five-times-molted toads are nothing to them.
But this was the first time they had ever seen such a massive five-molted toad.
Everyone looked at Shi Wanshan.
The five-molted toad before them was four or five times larger than the five-molted toads they were familiar with. Its strength could not be measured by the standards of ordinary five-molted toads!
It's only because they came together that they were able to do anything to the other side!
Shi Wanshan's face darkened. "The one I saw last time wasn't this one!"
"Now is not the time to talk about these things! This cold pool is probably its territory! If we don't kill this beast, none of us beggars will be able to catch the Cold Tide Fish!" Guan Qi said in a deep voice.
"Let's kill it together! Be careful not to get its venom on you!"
Shi Wanshan shouted.
As the shout fell, everyone's internal energy erupted simultaneously.
Guan Qi swung his longsword horizontally, and the earth-yellow qi condensed like a heavy mountain, slashing towards Qi Chan's left forepaw with a sharp, piercing sound.
when!
A crisp sound rang out as the qi collided with the toad's claw, scattering sparks everywhere, but only leaving a white mark half a finger deep.
Qi Chan cried out in pain and thirst, and with a sudden sweep of his right claw, he struck Guan Qimian Gong with a shard of pebbles.
In the rush, Guan Qi could only parry with his sword.
Bang~!
A dull thud was heard.
Guan Qi was thrown backward by the shock, crashing heavily into Yan Fei, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
"What a ferocious beast! It has probably eaten a lot of the precious fish in this cold pool and has already mutated! If it has a hundred more years, it might even transform again and evolve into a demon!" Guan Qi said through gritted teeth.
"kill!"
Just then, a loud shout rang out.
Taking advantage of the opening, Zhao Meng leaped up, his crimson fist energy exploding out and slamming into Qi Chan's left eye.
With a bang, the moment the fist struck his eyeball, Qi Chan let out a heart-wrenching scream of pain, and his crimson eyeball immediately overflowed with blood and became cloudy.
The Five-Tailed Toad suddenly raised its head, its venom sac swelled to its maximum size, and a dark green venomous mist surged out like a tsunami, instantly enveloping an area of three square meters.
"Oh no!"
Zhao Meng's expression changed.
If he were to be contaminated by this poisonous gas, even if he didn't die, he would be crippled.
Just then, Su Mei condensed a pale purple aura at her fingertips, transforming it into a semi-transparent light shield. The poisonous mist struck the light shield and immediately began to hiss and crackle, corroding it with fine holes.
Before everyone could catch their breath, Qi Chan's long tongue, as thick as a water bucket, suddenly lunged, bypassing the light shield and wrapping directly towards Su Mei's waist.
"cut!"
Liu Ming's figure flashed, and the cyan and white sword energy struck down again like lightning. This time, the sword energy was more than three times stronger than the last time.
"laugh----"
The sword energy slashed fiercely at the tongue, instantly cutting a deep, bone-revealing gash.
The sticky, poisonous blood splattered, corroding the ground and producing wisps of blue smoke.
The toad convulsed in pain, its massive body jerked violently, and it slammed its front paws into the ground.
In an instant, the shockwave exploded in a ring, cracking the ground and sending debris flying everywhere.
Shi Wanshan flicked his wrist and unleashed three poisoned short blades, their blades enveloped in dark green energy, precisely piercing the vital organs of Qi Chan's abdomen.
At the same time, Cui Sheng suddenly sprang up, his gray-black aura converging into a needle, and pointed a finger at Qi Chan's coccyx.
"Croak—"
A furious roar echoed across the icy pool.
Qi Chan was extremely thirsty!
Its enormous body rampaged wildly, and wherever its claws passed, rocks were reduced to dust.
It suddenly flicked its long tongue, slapping Zhao Meng away before he could dodge, and then spat a mouthful of poisonous saliva at Shi Wanshan. Shi Wanshan dodged to the side, and the poisonous saliva landed on the rock behind him, instantly melting a large hole.
Just as Qi Chan's attack was at its most intense, Chu Xuan flashed and appeared behind him. His Yuan Gang Qi surged suddenly, like a blazing sun in the sky, and rapidly condensed in his hand, transforming into a three-foot-long, heavy Gang Blade.
"cut!"
Chu Xuan let out a low shout, seized the opportunity, and slashed down with his Qi Blade.
Overlord Blade Technique!
There are no fancy moves, only pure dominance and power.
A pale blue blade of light sliced through the poisonous mist with a sharp, tearing sound as it struck directly at the head of the toad.
Qi Chan sensed his impending doom and hurriedly raised his claws to block.
"Snap—!"
The toad's claws, as sharp as refined iron, snapped off instantly.
The blade's momentum remained undiminished, cleaving down from the center of Qi Chan's head, splitting its skull, torso, and abdomen all the way down.
A pale blue aura exploded within the Qi Toad's body, forcefully cleaving its massive form in two. Dark green venomous blood and internal organs gushed out, splattering the ground and causing it to sizzle and emit plumes of blue smoke.
Chu Xuan flashed forward and arrived in front of him.
He conjured a wisp of pale blue qi at his fingertips, precisely slicing open the toad corpse's cavity, avoiding the splattered dark green venomous blood, revealing a blood-red heart the size of a millstone, still pulsating slightly.
The moment his heart ruptured, drops of crimson blood fell from his heart.
It was covered with tiny, pale blue specks, like lacquer, and instead of corroding the stone, it emitted a pleasant fragrance.
It was like some kind of mature, potent medicine, completely different from the surrounding foul-smelling venom.
The others, who were sitting on the ground meditating, couldn't help but marvel at what they saw.
Shi Wanshan sighed, "This beast is absolutely invincible among fourth-tier exotic beasts! It's a pity that it's a five-transformation Qi Toad!"
Otherwise, the beggars would have been in deep trouble!
The five-molted toad has skin, flesh, tendons, and bones that are all highly poisonous, and its uses are limited.
Chu Xuan carefully placed a few drops of his heart's blood into a jade bottle, then cupped his hands to the crowd and said, "Thank you all for your help. I only need these few drops of heart's blood. As for the rest of the heart's blood, toad shell, toad claws, poison sacs, etc., you may take as you see fit and do with them as you wish."
As soon as he finished speaking, ripples appeared on the water again.
With a "splash," a giant fish nearly as long suddenly leaped out of the water.
Its entire body is pure white with a cold, silvery sheen, and its scales reflect tiny, iridescent colors in the sunlight.
Its fins spread out like thin gauze, and its tail fin swayed, splashing water droplets everywhere, its posture perfectly still. In just a moment, the giant fish flicked its tail and dived back into the water, leaving only ripples spreading in its wake.
"It's Hanxi Tingyu!"
Everyone's eyes lit up instantly, and all their previous fatigue vanished.
Shi Wanshan immediately shouted, "Quick! Throw the Green-Scaled Demon-Faced Eagle's flesh down to lure it over!"
Everyone hurriedly threw the pieces of meat from the Azure Scaled Demon-Faced Eagle that they had cut off earlier into the pool. Zhao Meng gritted his teeth and threw in half of the demon-faced eagle's meat as well.
With the Frostfish, who needs the Ghostface Eagle!
"Thump!"
With a huge splash, the smell of blood spread in the water.
The Cold Tide Fish was indeed attracted, but it swam at a distance of several dozen meters from them and showed no intention of getting closer.
Clearly, the flesh of the Azure Scale Demon Mask was not that attractive to Hanxi Tingyu.
Upon seeing this, Zhao Meng exclaimed with regret, "Alas! What a pity, this little bit of Green-Scaled Demon-Faced Eagle meat is simply not enough to lure it over."
Upon hearing this, Shi Wanshan revealed a strange smile: "Actually, besides the Azure-Scaled Ghost-Faced Eagle, there's another type of meat that's even more attractive to it!"
"What kind of meat?" Zhao Meng asked curiously.
"Doxxing!"
Shi Wanshan said quietly, "Especially for martial artists with strong qi and blood, they have a life-threatening attraction for Han Xitingyu!"
"The expressions on everyone's faces changed instantly."
Then Shi Wanshan said in a strange voice, "The flesh of the Azure Scale Ghost-Faced Eagle is not attractive enough. Wouldn't it be enough if we added you all?"
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