Dragon Roar Valley.
A burly middle-aged man slapped his frail companion on the head, his voice filled with anger: “Skinny Monkey, are you trying to fool me?!”
Skinny Monkey winced in pain, shrinking his neck as a fawning smile spread across his face. “Brother Blade, even if I borrowed three more guts, I wouldn’t dare deceive you! All those people we’ve met recently came to Dragon Roar Valley looking for the Seven-Colored Deer!”
“And where’s that Seven-Colored Deer? I haven’t even seen a single strand of its fur!”
Brother Blade spat on the ground with irritation written all over his face.
Lately, Dragon Roar Valley had become a rare hub of activity, teeming with experts of all sorts. The two of them had been wandering here for over half a month but hadn’t found anything worthwhile. Instead, they’d encountered plenty of trouble.
Fortunately, both were Foundation Establishment cultivators. Skinny Monkey’s quick thinking and Brother Blade’s strength had allowed them to escape with their lives, though not without accumulating a fair share of injuries.
Brother Blade knew Skinny Monkey wouldn’t dare lie about something like this. Still, he was frustrated, and without an outlet, he felt like he might explode. After smacking Skinny Monkey, his anger subsided slightly. Glancing around, he said, “Let’s find a place to rest. That woman today looked so harmless, yet she hit like a demon… hsss—”
Skinny Monkey, exhausted himself, dared not voice any objections. Thinking for a moment, he pointed east. “Brother Blade, I remember there’s a stream where we passed a few days ago. How about we rest there? If we’re lucky, we might even spot a demonic beast coming to drink.”
“Alright, let’s go there!”
Recalling the location, Brother Blade found it agreeable. Waving his hand, he signaled for them to head out immediately.
After walking for half an hour, the air grew damp, and the ground felt softer underfoot. Both men’s faces brightened as they quickened their pace.
Soon, they emerged from a patch of low shrubs to see a sparkling stream flowing gently ahead.
Brother Blade laughed heartily and strode to the water’s edge, plunging his head into the stream for a deep, refreshing drink.
“Ahh, that’s the stuff!”
Skinny Monkey, by contrast, drank with more refinement, cupping water in his hands and sipping it bit by bit, a satisfied look spreading across his face.
After quenching their thirst, they searched for a place to sit. Their eyes landed on a peculiar rock near the stream.
The rock, a deep brown color, was about ten feet wide but only one foot tall, with both its top and bottom unusually flat, resembling a natural stone slab.
Worn out from their days of wandering, the two men eagerly approached the slab and stretched out on it comfortably.
“Ahhh—”
Brother Blade exhaled deeply, his rugged face relaxing.
Skinny Monkey also felt at ease, though his vigilance never waned. His body stretched, but his hand rested on the storage pouch at his waist, ready for any sudden danger.
Brother Blade, eyes closed, grumbled, “Skinny Monkey, don’t be so tense. Relax.”
“Hehe, got it, Brother Blade,” Skinny Monkey replied while inwardly scoffing.
As if he hadn’t noticed Brother Blade’s arm stealthily gripping his weapon beneath his head. In a place like this, caution was the key to survival.
“You’re too green. Back in the day, I—”
Buzz—
Brother Blade stopped mid-sentence, his ears pricking at a barely audible hum.
He bolted upright, his blade swinging defensively in front of him, his gaze scanning the surroundings warily.
Skinny Monkey reacted even faster, leaping onto the slab with two long black rods appearing in his hands.
“Did you hear—”
“I heard,” Skinny Monkey interrupted firmly.
The two men exchanged a glance before simultaneously leaping in opposite directions to escape.
“It’s too late.”
A raspy voice broke the tension.
Before they could react, the humming sound intensified, and a swarm of brown flying insects engulfed them in an instant.
“Ahhh!!”
Their agonized screams echoed through the valley, startling countless birds into flight.
Moments later, two skeletons crashed to the ground, their bones scattering.
A young man clad in peculiar attire emerged from the nearby forest. Leaping nimbly, he landed by the remains and retrieved their fallen storage pouches, stuffing them into his basket. Then, he removed a cloth bag from his waist and unfurled it.
“Whistle—”
The brown insects swarming in the air seemed drawn by an invisible force, forming an orderly line as they entered the bag.
When the last insect disappeared inside, the young man tied the bag tightly, his lips curving into a wicked grin.
“The notes of the Great Ancestor were right. For corpse-eating insects to evolve quickly, they must consume plenty of cultivator flesh. Just a couple more times, and my Corpse-Eating Insects will evolve again.”
He took a deep breath, savoring the metallic scent in the air, before disappearing back into the dense forest.
“The hunt continues.”
“Senior Sister Zhou, there’s a cultivator city ahead. Shall we rest there for the night?”
Zhou Jin Yue turned to glance at Fang Cheng Lang, who was supporting a pale Ye Cong Xin. Slowing her pace, she called out, “We’re almost at Lantern City. We’ll rest there tonight.”
Fang Cheng Lang nodded in gratitude and softly reassured Ye Cong Xin, “Junior Sister, hang in there. We’re almost there.”
Ye Cong Xin forced a weak smile, apologizing, “I’m sorry, Senior Brother. I’ve been holding you all back.”
“Don’t say that,” Fang Cheng Lang consoled her. “You’ve done really well.”
Lan Zi Yu chimed in, “He’s right, Junior Sister. It’s impressive you’ve lasted this long. I’m about to drop from exhaustion myself. We could all use the rest.”
Ye Cong Xin managed a faint smile but cast a sideways glance at Yu Zhao. The other woman’s composed demeanor and steady breathing betrayed no sign of fatigue.
For the first time, Ye Cong Xin felt humiliated in Yu Zhao’s presence.
Zhou Jin Yue had deliberately slowed their pace to accommodate the few Foundation Establishment disciples in the group, yet Ye Cong Xin still struggled to keep up.
Despite being at the same mid-Foundation Establishment stage as Yu Zhao, her own frail body made her fall short in every way.
The bitterness of defeat stung. She vowed this wouldn’t happen again.
Her gaze subtly swept over Fang Cheng Lang and Lan Zi Yu, finally settling on Lan Zi Yu.
Fang Cheng Lang’s recent behavior toward her had been peculiar, making him a riskier target. Lan Zi Yu, on the other hand, seemed more vulnerable.
Ye Cong Xin licked her lips.
After all, Lan Zi Yu’s fortune wasn’t bad either.