Chapter 061

Chapter 61: A Narrow Victory (2)

This time, Wei Yun Xi took out her treasured stash of talismans—second-tier lower-grade, with two or three middle-grade ones mixed in.

She had drawn these during a rare moment of inspiration after breaking through to the ninth layer of Qi Refining. If not for facing an enemy an entire realm above them, she wouldn’t have brought them out. Even so, she kept two middle-grade talismans secretly gripped as a backup.

The spectacle of various talismans exploding was grand indeed. Although they were merely second-tier lower-grade, their destructive power was nothing to scoff at.

Clearly, the second-tier sand gerbil had not expected these four tiny ants to possess such strength. It was blasted off its feet, the golden fur on its body scorched in patches of black, white, and gold, making it look comically ridiculous.

Yet the three disciples remained vigilant. No matter how battered, this sand gerbil was still second-tier, and demon beasts always had thick hides. As long as the injury wasn’t fatal, it could easily counterattack.

Amidst the chaos of explosions, Senior Brother Zhao hurriedly stuffed two pills into his mouth, swiftly circulating his spiritual energy to replenish his nearly depleted dantian.

Wei Zong Hao also didn’t falter at the crucial moment. He cut down the last first-tier sand gerbil with a decisive sword strike, gulped down his pills mid-sprint, and rushed to Yun Xi’s side, gripping his sword tightly and staring fixedly at the overturned sand gerbil.

Hua Xuan Zi seized the moment to swallow a Qi-replenishing pill. During combat, running low on spiritual energy was extremely dangerous, leaving one open to counterattacks. After swallowing the pill, she quickly formed hand seals, causing brown vines to creep up and restrain the second-tier sand gerbil. Though aware that these vines couldn’t hold it for long, they could at least buy some time.

Yun Xi’s divine sense had already enveloped the sand gerbil, carefully searching for weaknesses. She realized the beast was feigning death. Although badly wounded, it was far from truly dead—it was merely waiting for them to approach carelessly.

[Tch, this creature is truly cunning, even pretending to be dead!]

She complained silently to herself but kept quiet outwardly, continuing to circle the fallen gerbil with her divine sense. Eventually, she found the perfect opening.

She lightly nudged Hua Xuan Zi, silently mouthing, “Playing dead.”

Hua Xuan Zi understood immediately, swiftly relaying the message to Senior Brother Zhao. Soon, all four disciples were aware of the sand gerbil’s trick.

Wei Zong Hao loudly called out, “Senior Brother, is this sand gerbil dead yet?”

Senior Brother Zhao immediately cooperated, replying, “If not dead, it’s gravely wounded. It must’ve fainted from the blasts. Let’s quickly finish it off, lest it recovers and attacks us again.”

“Alright, let’s move!”

Their exchange seemed natural as they cautiously approached, swords drawn, carefully inching closer to the seemingly unconscious sand gerbil.

Thanks to the top-grade Qi replenishing pill, Yun Xi’s dried-up dantian had already recovered fully. Now she secretly encased a second-tier middle-grade Thunder Explosion Talisman within an ice needle, stealthily holding it in her hand, slowly moving toward the beast’s rear.

Just as the four cautiously closed in, the sand gerbil abruptly broke free of the vines binding it, flipped agilely onto its feet, and swept its tail fiercely, sending all four disciples flying.

But at the exact same moment, Yun Xi’s invisible ice needle silently shot directly toward the sand gerbil’s exposed backside.

When the beast’s tail whipped toward her, Yun Xi swiftly allowed herself to be flung away by the momentum, avoiding the full impact. The other three disciples weren’t as lucky and took the tail’s heavy blow squarely, flying far backward.

Seeing the timing was perfect and none of her companions would be harmed, Yun Xi softly uttered, “Break.” In an instant, the sand gerbil violently trembled and rolled around wildly on the ground—this time, it wasn’t pretending.

“Chii, chii!” Its shrill cries pierced the disciples’ ears, forcing them to collapse clutching their heads. Only Yun Xi remained unaffected, thanks to the protective wooden tablet in her sea of consciousness.

Yet Yun Xi didn’t want to reveal her uniqueness. She preferred staying inconspicuous, so she also pretended to be hurt by the beast’s final sonic attack, collapsing to the ground while continuing to observe through her divine sense.

The sand gerbil’s internal organs had already been turned to mush by the Thunder Explosion Talisman. Combined with its extensive external injuries, the beast’s struggles gradually weakened until it lay completely still after flattening the nearby bushes.

With the cries gone, the four disciples quickly recovered. Senior Brother Zhao reacted first, urgently shouting, “Xuan Zi, Junior Sister Wei, quickly retrieve the sand gerbil’s corpse. We must leave immediately.”

“Yes!”

Understanding his urgency, Yun Xi and Hua Xuan Zi quickly moved forward, covering each other. After delivering a decisive stab through the beast’s eyes to ensure it was dead, Hua Xuan Zi stored its body away.

Wei Zong Hao, though not participating in the final confirmation, had already moved to guard alongside Senior Brother Zhao, scanning the surroundings carefully. Seeing their companions safely store the carcass, they quickly withdrew from the battlefield.

Yun Xi also hurriedly retrieved her formation disk, relieved that the mid-grade spirit stones inside hadn’t been completely drained.

Wei Zong Hao asked anxiously, “Where should we go now?”

Senior Brother Zhao, his face still pale, pondered briefly before saying, “Let’s hide in the second-tier sand gerbil’s den. Although the beast is dead, its scent lingers. Unless other disciples specifically look there, we can safely rest and recover for a day.”

“Agreed, let’s follow Senior Brother Zhao’s lead.”

No one objected, knowing they were all drained and vulnerable. Returning immediately meant risking being robbed, something none of them wanted after their hard-won gains.

They moved quickly toward the known location, with Hua Xuan Zi carefully erasing their tracks, ensuring nobody could easily follow them.

A quarter-hour later, the four arrived at the sand gerbil’s den. Upon entering the cave, Hua Xuan Zi promptly activated a formation to conceal the entrance, allowing them to finally exhale in relief.

Wei Zong Hao slumped onto the ground, finally recovering his wits. “That was too close!”

“Yes, indeed!” Yun Xi rubbed her aching face, agreeing wholeheartedly. “Without Senior Brother Zhao’s talismanic treasures, we might have all fallen back there.”

Senior Brother Zhao shook his head modestly. “Without Junior Sister Wei’s talisman support, and Wei Junior Brother swiftly dealing with the remaining first-tier gerbil, I couldn’t have lasted so long. Taking down the second-tier gerbil was everyone’s achievement.”

Having said his piece, he sat cross-legged on the ground.

Hua Xuan Zi settled beside him, curiously asking, “Junior Sister Wei, what exactly did you shoot into that sand gerbil’s body at the end?”

She had only seen Yun Xi gesture and a flash of light before being thrown far away herself.

Wei Yun Xi scratched her head sheepishly, explaining with an embarrassed grin, “I sealed my treasured second-tier middle-grade talisman inside an ice needle… then shot it straight into the sand gerbil’s backside, hehehe!”