novelraw Chapter 232 - 100: Chance Encounter [First Update]
Chapter 232 - 100: Chance Encounter [First Update]
"But senior brother, there are only so many high points. Are we really just going to give up like this?" the man said somewhat reluctantly."Of course not, but we need to strategize carefully. We must ensure we can retreat safely," Xie Heng said softly, squinting at the trees not far away.
Hearing this, the man showed a smug smile.
...
After resting in the pavilion for a night, Gu Qingqing and the others continued their journey deeper into the forest the following morning.
The deeper they ventured into the forest, the more high-level wooden tokens they obtained.
About an hour later, they stumbled upon a seventh-grade Spirit Grass, the Vermilion Grass.
Just like the Red Blood Lotus, the Vermilion Grass is one of the main ingredients for refining the Youthful Appearance Pill.
The medicinal properties of the Vermilion Grass are relatively mild, unlike the Red Blood Lotus, which is toxic. Only a seventh-grade demon beast, the Green-eyed Tiger, guarded it nearby.
There was no need for Gu Qingqing and the others to make a move; Zhuo Tingqiu handled it alone, earning them a 7-point wooden token.
The further they went into the forest, the darker the sunlight became, and the quieter the surroundings were, as it gradually became the territory of high-level demon beasts. These high-level demon beasts are very territorial and won’t easily allow other demon beasts to enter their domain.
"How long have we been walking? It feels like a long time," Gu Qingqing said, looking around somewhat confused.
"We’ve been walking for half an hour," Yue Zhao frowned as he glanced around.
"Something’s not right. It’s been half an hour, and we haven’t encountered a single demon beast or spirit flower and herbs," Nan Hua said cautiously, watching their surroundings.
"That’s true. If I’m not mistaken, we may have entered the domain of a rather powerful demon beast," Yue Zhao said thoughtfully.
"But even if it’s a high-level demon beast, its territory shouldn’t be this big," Gu Qingqing said, trying to discover something.
"This can only mean the demon beast is stronger than we imagined," Yue Zhao also looked around, trying to identify the demon beast here.
"To achieve this level, even an eighth-grade demon beast can’t. It must be a ninth-grade demon beast," Mu Chen said, not scared but rather excited at the mention of a ninth-grade demon beast.
"The possibility of a ninth-grade demon beast is quite high," Yue Zhao’s eyes flashed. "Everyone spread out and see if there’s a wooden token or something around."
Upon hearing this, Gu Qingqing and the others immediately dispersed to search for traces of the wooden token.
A quarter of an hour later, they returned to the spot where they had separated, exchanged glances, and shook their heads, all coming up empty-handed.
"This shouldn’t be. Even if this is the territory of a ninth-grade demon beast, the demon beasts couldn’t approach, but the spirit flowers and herbs should be unaffected. There shouldn’t be zero wooden tokens," Yue Zhao said, frowning.
"Unless," Nan Hua suddenly spoke. When everyone looked at him, he blinked and said, "someone’s already been here and taken those wooden tokens. I noticed signs of disturbance in some places when I was looking for tokens."
Yue Zhao suddenly understood, "Yes, someone must have been here already. Otherwise, there’s no way to explain why there are no other wooden tokens here."
While they were discussing, the faint sound of fighting suddenly reached their ears. They exchanged a look and quickly moved towards the source of the sound.
...
When they first discovered the ninth-grade Spiritual Medicine, the Jade Ganoderma, Lin Xian’er thought they were very lucky. Finding the highest-scoring token on the second day was a stroke of fortune. These high-score tokens are limited; the later it gets, the fewer there are. Finding one now allowed them to get ahead, gaining more points than other teams.
Everyone in the team apparently shared Lin Xian’er’s thoughts, and they were all delighted, especially since there was no Guardian Beast watching over the Jade Ganoderma. They rushed over, ready to claim the Jade Ganoderma. Just as the male disciple in the lead was about to touch the Jade Ganoderma, a white flash suddenly appeared, followed by a Water Arrow striking his hand, which instantly corroded away.
"Ah!"
He let out a shriek, clutching his hand and sitting on the ground, retreating continuously with an extremely terrified expression.
It turned out that what hit him wasn’t a Water Arrow, but some unknown Poisonous Liquid, which was highly corrosive, causing his right hand to vanish instantly, along with half his forearm.
Moreover, he vaguely felt dizzy, as the scenes before him changed several times while he retreated, the areas of blackness increased rapidly, and soon everything went dark and he passed out.
None of Lin Xian’er and her group expected such a turn of events, and were shocked. Those who were near the Jade Ganoderma quickly retreated to distance themselves from it, vigilant of their surroundings. Upon seeing the male disciple lying on the ground with an unknown fate, they all felt a sense of narrowly escaping disaster.
"What is this monstrous thing? It’s so powerful! Liu Qi, with High-level cultivation, couldn’t even react and ended up like this?" Zhao Yan said, staying alert while uttering complaints.
"I’m not sure, everyone be careful." Lin Xian’er, whose complexion was no better, glanced at Liu Qi on the ground with her peripheral vision, turning much paler. She gripped her sword tightly and watched the surroundings with caution.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, another scream echoed, Lin Xian’er and her group hurriedly looked over to find a female team member being dragged away by a black tail, which tightened with her struggles, causing her cries for help to grow weaker.
Lin Xian’er and her group didn’t dare to linger, immediately attacking the tail-like object, but unfortunately, its speed was too fast; by the time their attacks reached, it had already dragged the woman away.
They quickly chased after it, only to be led around the Jade Ganoderma multiple times before clearly seeing what had been injuring them.
It was a snake tens of meters long, its body a blend of emerald green and earth yellow, making it difficult to spot in the jungle. Its body was very thick, about the circumference of two people embracing each other, and its green eyes appeared quite terrifying.
"Don’t look into its eyes!" Lin Xian’er suddenly shouted, awakening Zhao Yan and Ruan Tian’er, who were with her.
After regaining clarity, Ruan Tian’er and Zhao Yan realized how close they were to the giant snake, their faces instantly turning pale as they quickly retreated.
"Its eyes can capture your soul; be sure to avoid looking at them." Lin Xian’er had a treasure given by her master, only causing her to falter for a moment, but Zhao Yan and Ruan Tian’er were nearly entranced.
"Understood, Xian’er." Zhao Yan replied to Lin Xian’er, clutching her Weapon.
"Thank you for the reminder, Sister. I understand." Ruan Tian’er also sincerely thanked Lin Xian’er, knowing that without her wake-up call, they might have already been swallowed by the giant snake.
"If I remember correctly, this should be the Cuihuan Snake King, a Peak-level demon beast. We guessed wrong; Jade Ganoderma does have a Guardian Beast, which is the Cuihuan Snake King!" Lin Xian’er said with a gloomy face, shocked that they’d nearly fallen into the trap and were almost completely destroyed by the Snake King.
Upon hearing Lin Xian’er’s words, Zhao Yan and Ruan Tian’er became more distressed. Although Lin Xian’er and Zhao Yan were at the Ninth Level, facing a Peak-level demon beast like the Cuihuan Snake King posed a significant risk, especially with Ruan Tian’er whose cultivation wasn’t as high, providing little help.
The Cuihuan Snake King released the woman it had strangled, returning next to the Jade Ganoderma, its massive body coiled together, overlooking Lin Xian’er and her group, its tongue flicking in an imposing manner.
Lin Xian’er and her group dared not meet the Cuihuan Snake King’s gaze, as its eyes had a hypnotic effect, causing hallucinations. Yet, avoiding eye contact made it difficult to track the Snake King’s movements, leaving them momentarily stuck in a standoff.
Gu Qingqing and her group arrived to witness this scene.
Seeing Lin Xian’er and Zhao Yan, Yue Zhao and his group raised their eyebrows in slight surprise.
They didn’t rush out immediately, considering that the Cuihuan Snake King and Jade Ganoderma were discovered by Lin Xian’er and her group. If they intervened too soon, it could be seen as trying to compete for points, which wouldn’t look good as they were from the same Sect.
"Senior Brother, do you think Lin Xian’er and her group can handle that big guy?" Gu Qingqing stood on a tree, watching Lin Xian’er and the two others below, transmitting to Yue Zhao.
Yue Zhao shook his head, likewise transmitting to Gu Qingqing, "I think it’s unlikely. Though Lin Xian’er and Zhao Yan are both at Nine Levels, their combat strength is lacking, and the woman seems not to have reached the Ninth Level. The Cuihuan Snake King is a Peak-level demon beast. It’s not easy for Lin Xian’er and her group to win."
"Lin Xian’er and her group are quite lucky to have found the Jade Ganoderma, a Ninth Level herb. Plus, the snake venom and scales of the Cuihuan Snake King are valuable, as are its eyes. They’re excellent for Artifact Refining and Alchemy, and most importantly, that’s nine points—we haven’t encountered points this high." Mu Chen’s eyes shined as he looked at the Jade Ganoderma below, transmitting to Gu Qingqing.
The Jade Ganoderma, as a Ninth Level herb, was incredibly precious and difficult to obtain, fetching steep prices at auctions, and sometimes lacking availability altogether. Mu Chen had searched many places to refine elixirs without success, and now envied Lin Xian’er and her group for their luck in finding it.
"Fourth Senior Brother, I’m not sure Lin Xian’er feels lucky. After all, they may not be able to defeat the Cuihuan Snake King!" Gu Qingqing, assessing the situation below, wasn’t optimistic about Lin Xian’er and her group’s chances.
Mu Chen thought about Lin Xian’er and her group’s cultivation and agreed with Gu Qingqing’s reasoning, his focus returning to the Jade Ganoderma as countless Elixir Recipes flashed through his mind.