pappabearbooks Chapter 397 - 363: Pinnacle Stone Array, Fierce Battle with the Scorpions!
Chapter 397 - 363: Pinnacle Stone Array, Fierce Battle with the Scorpions!
From a distance, seeing these people leave, Motohiko ran to She Yu and whispered:"Sister She, Meng Chuan and the others have already set off. When will our troop depart?"
She remembered her master’s words, advising her to stay away from Motohiko.
Seeing him was annoying to She Yu, she rolled her eyes and said coldly:
"You should act with the other campuses. Your master said to keep a distance from you."
"...."
Motohiko looked aggrieved, glancing towards the man roasting potatoes in the center of the camp.
Shang Ruyi sensed something, shifted his body, leaving only his back to the disciple.
His hand plunged straight into the bonfire, unbothered by the heat.
Rotating the potatoes to heat them evenly, he murmured to himself:
"This woman She Yu is on too high a level, you can’t handle her.
Don’t blame your master; it’s all for your own good..."
...
Meng Chuan was unaware of what was happening in the camp.
He led the group to the first Demon Nest notice marker point.
This was an area composed of over a thousand sandstone formations, known as the "Sharp Stone Formation," as recorded by the military.
Each stone was uniquely shaped, some resembling a hump, others like a beehive.
There were also eye-catching ones, like two eggs with a sausage in between...
But these formations shared a common characteristic: black ring-like deposits from the Demonic Qi, wrapping from top to base.
This made their appearance even more bizarre.
These formations not only blocked winds and sands but also fostered the growth of Celestial Demons by accumulating Demonic Qi.
As such, a significant number of Celestial Demons were hidden here.
The map in the notice suggested that an Upper Rank Celestial Demon might reside in this area.
Meng Chuan brought everyone here to ascertain whether an Upper Rank Celestial Demon was truly present.
If not, this could serve as the first hunting ground for the people of Yong’an.
If there was, he would just eliminate it.
This was the benefit of the military’s prior exploration: there was no need to unlock the map blindly.
It’s why this Demon Nest call was termed a trial rather than an expedition.
As they ventured deeper, they encountered Celestial Demons more frequently.
However, they were all Lower Rank Celestial Demons, easily dispatched without delay.
Chu Yanlong, after defeating a scorpion-shaped Celestial Demon, laughed:
"Those were just appetizers. Be careful, the main course comes after we go in."
Meng Chuan nodded and said:
"Indeed, there might be an Upper Rank Celestial Demon inside, everyone be careful. If encountered, gather to me; I’ll handle it."
"With Senior Brother Meng here, nothing will go wrong!"
Chen Jingyi flattered him with a playful laugh.
She wished Meng Chuan could take her along forever.
But given that the day after tomorrow he’d venture alone, she could only seize the opportunity now...
They all understood Meng Chuan was looking out for them, first helping to properly scout the area.
With his skills, while he might not sweep everything aside, the rewards of solo ventures and battle merits would certainly be more efficient.
The two days he spent for them were noted with gratitude in their hearts.
"Brother Chuan, maybe you should leave tomorrow. We’ll be careful.
Even if we encounter an Upper Rank, we can fire a signal flare for Teacher Shang’s support; it shouldn’t be a big issue."
The group also considered for his sake. Meng Chuan thought for a moment, then smiled:
"It’s alright, it’s not a bother. I’ll first go with you to familiarize with the Demon Nest.
Alright, enough about that, get ready to enter. A Long, and Old Zhao, you both with the most anomalies stand on the flanks.
Be especially keen, those Celestial Demons hiding behind the spikes may ambush us."
This was a typical advancing formation used by action officers during operations.
Meng Chuan, with his rich experience, could deploy it effortlessly.
Everyone agreed with smiles and good spirits:
"Understood, Captain Meng, no worries."
In the team, Old Zhao was a recently advanced Martial Arts Family member from Yong’an’s ordinary class, breaking through at 25 wasn’t slow.
He had been cultivating at the Martial Arts Family level for a year and a half, with four orifices mutated.
After Meng Chuan finished speaking, he positioned himself at the forefront.
He was undoubtedly the frontline sword, not only the fiercest in combat but also the toughest...
...
"The winds and sands feel much less here; though far from the human world, it’s much more comfortable than before."
Xu Qingfeng, standing at the end of the line, genuinely sighed.
This place, with its numerous stone spikes, blocked much of the encroaching sand.
Everyone felt their breathing was much smoother.
To hunt more Celestial Demons and gain battle merits, evading the climatic conditions was also crucial.
Meng Chuan chose this spot for Yong’an’s hunting ground with that intention.
But gains come with sacrifices; under the Demonic Qi’s suppression, their perception was significantly limited.
Moreover, these stone spikes favored Celestial Demons in hiding; hunting here demanded utmost vigilance.
Feeling solid, sandy steps underfoot, Meng Chuan’s Heart Spirit stirred, and purple Qi armor emerged around him.
The use of ferocious and earth vein energy had restrictions, and True Qi was a consumable in the Demon Nest.
Therefore, his Limit-Breaking Level Qi Nourishing Armor Technique was perfect for sustainable operation in the Demon Nest.
Maintaining this purple hue consumed only a slight amount of physical strength.
In non-combat situations, this could exist for extended periods, as its consumption pace couldn’t match his physical recovery rate.
Those behind him noticed Meng Chuan’s change and looked slightly envious.
They knew this was a miraculous effect produced only when top-tier hard skills were honed to a profound level.
Without a hint of talent, one shouldn’t even think about it.
This ability is indeed advantageous within the Demon Nest.
As they went deeper, the surroundings gradually fell silent.
Everyone held their breath and focused on sensing the surroundings, but the sound of the wind and sand remained noisy as ever.
Suddenly, Meng Chuan sharply raised his head.
His gaze was like a torch, his fist shadows like lightning.
Pfft!
A "Heavenly Scorpion" with fleshy wings and a giant maw flew towards him.
It was punched through by Meng Chuan, its juices splattering everywhere.
It contained Demonic Qi, a Celestial Demon that had just entered the Middle Rank.
With his current strength, he didn’t need a second punch.
"Everyone, be careful. The Middle Rank Celestial Demon-level [Sand Scorpion] can fly, so don’t overlook the sensing above your heads."
Meng Chuan stepped forward, first snapping off the poisonous tail stinger, then extracted the True Spirit hidden within its pierced abdominal armor.
The practiced movements evoked heartache.
At the same time, he suddenly felt a stirring in his heart, and his blood quivered slightly within.
"It seems this is the battle merit method recorded in the [Battle Merit Jade Talisman]. This strange object is truly extraordinary."
The value of the Battle Merit Jade Talisman lies in group usage.
Meng Chuan felt that his own [Thousand Faces, Thousand Illusions] was also not inferior...
This item was lying in his pocket, to be worn when traveling alone, preventing his activation of the Tao Heart Demon Seed True Qi from being seen by others.
Everyone witnessed the entire process of Meng Chuan instantly killing the Middle Rank Celestial Demon.
Only then did they fully realize that, to him, they were truly burdens...
Chu Yanlong was somewhat shocked. The Sand Scorpion’s carapace was terrifyingly thick.
In terms of defense, it was comparable to First Grade battle armor.
"One punch... pierced through it?"
He was unaware that since Meng Chuan assimilated the True Spirit of that tree demon, his fist strength’s penetrating power far exceeded ordinary imagination.
It was as if he had forged his fists into a pair of weapons, nothing could withstand them.
Chu Yanhu looked curiously at the Sand Scorpion’s carcass on the ground and said:
"Brother Chuan, can you sense how much battle merit there is?"
Meng Chuan shook his head, saying:
"I can’t. I can only sense that the battle merit is recorded by the bloodline-linked Jade Talisman in the camp; I don’t know the exact amount."
He only knew it would record each of his kills.
Once information was transmitted back to the camp, the owner of the Jade Talisman, namely the military, would identify the strength of the hunted Celestial Demon to record battle merits.
After collecting the two most valuable materials, the sturdy carapace and a pair of fist-sized fangs were left for the Defense Army to clean up.
Gaining battle merits was not without cost.
Solid-type Celestial Demon True Spirits, ethereal-type Celestial Demon Cores, and the most valuable material from its body. Thıs text ıs hosted at ????????????????????·????????????????·????????????
This was all Meng Chuan could take away from his harvest.
Taking only two items was an unspoken rule of hunting within the Demon Nest.
All other things were left for the Great Chu authorities, equivalent to paying taxes.
Coming back to reality, the death of the Middle Rank Sand Scorpion seemed to have triggered some kind of signal.
A buzzing sound echoed all around, and everyone’s expressions changed slightly. They quickly gathered back-to-back, ready for anything.
Under the influence of the yellow sand sky, Meng Chuan’s sensing range diminished, but it was still stronger than the others.
His expression shifted, and he continued:
"There are nearly twenty Sand Scorpions coming, mostly Lower Rank, with a few Middle Rank.
I’ll deal with the two largest ones on the left, the rest is up to you."
"Understood."
"Brother Chuan, don’t worry."
Whoosh—!
A figure wrapped in Purple Qi, with mysterious steps, had an indistinct feeling of Shrinking Ground into Inches, swiftly darted to the foot of a columnar sand peak.
The Fist Blade flashed with a cold gleam, a palm technique descended from the sky onto the head, directly exploding the ambush-ready Middle Rank Sand Scorpion.
A hiss came from behind, where a tail stinger flashing with black light was about to pierce his back.
This was a giant Sand Scorpion the size of a motorcycle.
Its strength matched that of an ordinary Martial Arts family member with three to four orifices transformed.
In the cover of the yellow sand sky, in a sneak attack scenario.
Even a Six Orifices Transformation expert could fall into its trap with a slight lapse.
It’s a pity that Meng Chuan clearly didn’t belong to this group.
He advanced his posture, his right leg swung like a whip, performing a scorpion tail strike.
His toes wrapped with a hint of Wood Attribute True Qi, directly struck the ambusher’s abdomen.
Hiss hiss hiss!
The Sand Scorpion was kicked even higher, its large fangs crossed, issuing rapid hisses.
Meng Chuan’s toes tapped, his figure rose into the air, leaping above the opponent.
A massive shadow covered the small Sand Scorpion’s head, a heavy punch pounded down like a drum.
...
Rip...
The blade tip rotated ninety degrees, effortlessly slicing open the abdomen armor, another True Spirit was in hand.
After handling the tail sting, Meng Chuan looked up at everyone with a knowing smile.
In just a few short minutes, everyone had finished the battle, taking down this wave of Celestial Demon attacks without a scratch.
They were all elite players from a top-grade Martial Arts University, crushing Lower Rank Celestial Demons just like him.
Even against those of the same level, they could easily maneuver, waiting for their companions to free up and then jointly suppress the enemy.
"Based on this, even after I leave, it shouldn’t be a big problem. Maybe I considered myself too important..."
As long as the number was controlled well and no Upper Rank Celestial Demon appeared, it wouldn’t affect this Yong’an team.
Once everything was accounted for, they all gathered together to adjust their breathing.
Faces brimming with joy, indicating everyone had gained something.
After a brief rest, preparations were complete, and they continued to advance deeper into the sharp stone array.