Translator: CinderTL
Facing the three tail stingers shooting towards her, Lan Chen's expression was particularly grave.
Even before the tail stingers got close, she could feel a chilling killing intent rushing towards her.
With a flip of her hand, a small pagoda, about a foot tall, appeared in her palm.
She raised her hand and tossed it, and the pagoda flew above her head, emitting a brilliant cyan light.
The cyan light condensed into a pagoda phantom, enveloping her within it.
The three Gold-Eating Ants targeted Lan Chen first, naturally because of her gray cloth bag, which could release a hurricane, blocking the attacks of the yellow poison mist.
Song Wen and the other two naturally couldn't just stand by and watch as the three tail stingers attacked Lan Chen.
The first to act was Song Wen, who summoned a blood wall.
However, the blood wall barely hindered the tail stingers, as they easily pierced through it.
Instead, the potent poison on the tail stingers caused the Blood Sea Seal to lose some of its Blood Qi.
Next was Mo Yexue's flying sword.
The flying sword struck one of the tail stingers.
The tail stinger was knocked away.
However, the flying sword was also forced back several feet, and by the time it could attempt to block the other two tail stingers, it was already too late.
Xue Mei also tried to recall her three Soul Breaking Awls, but they were too far away, beyond her reach.
The two tail stingers struck the pagoda phantom.
The pagoda phantom seemed almost tangible, emitting a faint hum.
The tail stingers only left two shallow white marks on the cyan phantom before they could no longer penetrate.
At that moment, the two tail stingers suddenly changed direction, shooting towards the gray cloth bag that was releasing the hurricane.
The gray cloth bag was pierced through by the tail stingers, losing its spiritual essence and turning into a dull, tattered piece of cloth, fluttering down with the wind.
The hurricane abruptly ceased.
The three yellow mist pythons regained their ferocity, surging towards the four of them.
Seeing this, Xue Mei's body gradually emanated a surge of Blood Qi, clearly intending to use the Blood Escape Technique to flee.
Lan Chen's voice suddenly rang out.
"Fellow Daoist Xue Mei, I advise you not to use the Blood Escape Technique. As it stands, this Dark Orchid Realm only has this one cave. There's no escape. It would be better for the four of us to join forces and resist the Gold-Eating Ants together. If we each flee separately, we'll be picked off one by one."
Lan Chen's cloth bag Mystic Treasure had been destroyed, and her Blood Qi was surging within her body. Her sea of consciousness had also suffered some damage, causing her voice to carry a hint of pain that was hard to detect.
Hearing this, Xue Mei hesitated for a moment before dispersing the Blood Qi around her.
When she had killed Xue Cangqiong, she had used the Blood Escape Technique twice, causing severe depletion of her Blood Qi.
Although she had taken Blood Qi replenishing pills and rested for several days, recovering Blood Qi wasn't that easy.
Her current essence blood was less than 60% of her peak condition, and it was also quite impure.
Moreover, Lan Chen's words made sense.
Therefore, she decided to stay for now and act according to the situation.
Seeing this, Song Wen also abandoned the idea of using the Blood Escape Technique.
Lan Chen activated her Red Silk, lashing out at one of the yellow mist pythons.
Mo Yexue controlled her flying sword, slashing at another mist python.
The last mist python charged towards Song Wen.
Song Wen transformed into a three-zhang-tall Giant Corpse.
The Giant Corpse's entire body was enveloped in a green phantom.
By simultaneously using the Undying True Corpse Transformation and the Ten Thousand Poisons Body, Song Wen's physical strength and resistance to toxins far surpassed those of cultivators at the same level.
Song Wen suddenly threw a punch.
The massive fist, carrying the momentum of a roaring mountain and surging sea, like a thunderclap amidst a storm, fiercely struck the mist python.
With a deafening "boom," the mist python's colossal body trembled violently under the impact, its unstoppable forward charge coming to an abrupt halt.
Song Wen, on the other hand, was sent flying as if struck by a ferocious beast.
Before Song Wen could land, the mist python suddenly disintegrated, transforming into a yellow mist that swiftly enveloped him, swallowing him whole.
The green phantom surrounding Song Wen began to deteriorate under the assault of the toxic yellow mist, though it did not immediately shatter.
Seizing the opportunity, Song Wen activated his movement technique and escaped the range of the yellow mist.
Just as he emerged from the mist, a sharp whistling sound came from behind.
It was a Gold-Eating Ant, breaking through the yellow mist to attack.
The Gold-Eating Ant opened its massive jaws, brandishing its hook-like forelimbs.
From its tail, a dark stinger protruded.
Clearly, all three Gold-Eating Ants had retracted their stingers.
Song Wen curled his fingers into claws, his fingertips glowing with a faint black light, and boldly grabbed at the ant's open mandibles.
"Screech..."
A piercing friction sound ensued.
The sharp claws grazed the outer edge of the mandibles.
Song Wen felt as if his fingers had struck metal, a searing pain shooting through them.
Five white marks appeared on the outer edge of the Gold-Eating Ant's mandibles.
Though its body was nearly indestructible, its strength was not excessively formidable.
The Gold-Eating Ant was deflected by the immense force from Song Wen's hand, brushing past him.
The battle between Song Wen and the Gold-Eating Ant was fraught with danger.
Meanwhile, the situation on the other side was entirely different.
Both Lan Chen and Mo Yexue had shattered their respective mist pythons.
The toxic yellow mist formed from the disintegrating pythons was easily avoided by them.
Shortly after, a Gold-Eating Ant broke through the poison mist and attacked Mo Yexue.
However, with the combined efforts of Lan Chen and Mo Yexue, the Gold-Eating Ant gained no advantage.
Instead, Xue Mei seized the opportunity to activate three Soul Breaking Awls, targeting the Gold-Eating Ant.
One of the Soul Breaking Awls was blocked by the corrosive poison liquid spat by the ant.
The other two struck the ant's back and abdomen.
The Soul Breaking Awls transformed into black liquid, corroding the ant's carapace.
Then, Mo Yexue's sword shattered the carapace on the ant's abdomen.
With its most vulnerable area exposed, the Gold-Eating Ant dared not continue the fight and hastily retreated.
The Gold-Eating Ant entangled with Song Wen also retreated.
Both Gold-Eating Ants burrowed through the Blood Sea and disappeared into the underground rock layers, their whereabouts unknown.
As for the Gold-Eating Ant with the shattered carapace on its head, it had been hiding deep within the yellow poison mist and had long since vanished.
Seeing the Gold-Eating Ants flee, the four did not pursue.
"Let's go!" Lan Chen shouted.
With that, the four turned and left.
They did not let their guard down despite the Gold-Eating Ants' departure, remaining vigilant and attentive to their surroundings.
Especially Song Wen, who continuously activated the Blood Sea Seal, allowing it to flow along the cavern walls.
The four flew for dozens of miles, yet no Gold-Eating Ants pursued them.
"Yin Shuo, put away your Mystic Treasure," Mo Yexue said.
Although the Blood Sea could detect movements in the surroundings, it also obscured the vegetation growing within the cavern.
She and Lan Chen had come here for the treasures of the Dark Orchid Realm. If they missed out on the treasures due to the Blood Sea's concealment, it would be a great loss.
Moreover, she was concerned that Yin Shuo might have discovered the treasure and, without making it known, used the Blood Sea to conceal its traces, secretly taking it away.
Song Wen also understood Mo Yexue's worries. Without any unnecessary words, he directly put away the Blood Sea Seal.
(End of the Chapter)
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