Chapter 60

Chapter 60: Barely Took It Down 1

“Squeak-squeak!” A long screech made the four who were slaughtering wildly freeze. Hua Xuan Zi, Senior Brother Zhao, and Zong Hao all instinctively covered that pouch, and then the pressure of a Second Rank demon beast slammed into them.

All four stumbled under the suppression. Except for Yun Xi, the other three dropped to one knee and were pinned down in an instant.

Just now, Yun Xi only felt her forehead tighten, and then a cool wave flowed out from her sea of consciousness, snapping her awake on the spot. Even so, the Foundation Establishment Stage pressure still forced her back two steps, and it took two full breaths before she finally steadied herself.

The Second Rank sand rat’s sound attack had struck straight at her sea of consciousness, but the redwood plaque floating there blocked it. She had just discovered a new use for the plaque – it protected her sea of consciousness from attacks.

But the Foundation Establishment Stage pressure was the real thing. Even though her true cultivation was only the ninth layer of Qi Refining, compared to a Foundation Establishment Stage demon beast, she was still one major realm lower. Still, because her sea of consciousness was unaffected, and her body was tougher than the other three, she ended up as the only one still standing.

The moment they were pinned down, the first-rank sand rats surged in and began attacking the four of them.

Yun Xi did not hesitate. She unleashed “Petals Filling the Sky,” flinging out almost all the first-rank talismans in her storage pouch. In an instant, explosions rang out nonstop, and the area around the sand rats swarmed with seven-colored spell light.

The sand rats hit by the talismans scattered in panic. The swarm surrounding the four fell into chaos, and that finally bought them some breathing room.

The three immediately drew their swords and fought back. The Second Rank sand rat was clearly displeased with Yun Xi’s move and lunged straight at her.

This Second Rank sand rat was about the size of a Tibetan mastiff, and it was extremely agile. With a few quick dodges, it rushed right up to Yun Xi. Before she could react, it swung a claw at her with savage force.

Bang! A layer of light flared around Yun Xi and blocked the fatal strike, but a crack appeared on the jade token at her waist. Her defensive artifact had saved her once.

Cold sweat broke out all over Yun Xi. She jumped in place, flipped backward in midair, and landed behind the sand rat, continuing to draw its attention.

Zong Hao and the others gritted their teeth and seized the time Yun Xi bought them, rapidly harvesting the first-rank sand rats that were still fleeing everywhere. Only after dealing with those pests could they organize an effective counterattack.

At a life-or-death moment like this, no one dared to hold anything back. Everyone pulled out their trump cards.

Senior Brother Zhao shouted, “Yun Xi, move!”

Even if he had not shouted, Yun Xi would have moved anyway – the sand rat had whipped her away with its tail again. She had never been this battered.

So the moment she heard Senior Brother Zhao’s shout, she used the force of the tail strike to do a backflip and landed right in the middle of the first-rank sand rat pack. The instant her feet hit the ground, she flung out another stack of first-rank talismans and reaped another wave of first-rank sand rats.

Senior Brother Zhao threw out a Second Rank talisman treasure. It was already badly worn, clearly used many times, and the power sealed inside was nearly exhausted. It was obviously his true bottom-of-the-box treasure.

The talisman treasure lit up in the air, and the beast soul sealed within revealed itself – a black Cloud-Swallowing Leopard.

“Roar!”

The angry roar burst from the leopard’s mouth, and the Second Rank sand rat that had been charging around wildly suddenly paused. Perhaps out of animal instinct, it did not choose to attack this time.

Only then did everyone let out a breath. But Senior Brother Zhao was struggling. With his current cultivation and spiritual energy, controlling a Second Rank talisman treasure was taxing. Hua Xuan Zi could only swing her sword and stay close, guarding him and preventing any first-rank sand rats from sneaking in.

Yun Xi rubbed the part of her butt that had been whipped by the sand rat’s tail and shouted, “Zong Hao! Move faster. Senior Brother Zhao can’t hold on much longer.”

“Alright!”

Zong Hao understood. With the talisman treasure holding back the Second Rank sand rat’s pressure, if they did not act quickly, they would be suppressed again and lose even the chance to resist.

The two worked smoothly together to harvest the remaining first-rank sand rats. This time, Yun Xi cast Ice Needle Technique across a wide area, chilling the fleeing sand rats to the bone, then used her spiritual sense to collect the corpses into her storage pouch.

Zong Hao gritted his teeth and swung his sword again and again. The top-grade Nourishing Spirit Pill he had kept in his mouth was already swallowed. Before rushing in, each of them had held one in their mouth, afraid they would not have time to take pills once the fighting started – and now it was finally paying off.

“Yun Xi, Senior Brother Zhao can’t hold on anymore!” Hua Xuan Zi called out loudly.

“Coming!”

Yun Xi flashed forward and appeared beside Hua Xuan Zi in the blink of an eye. Without meaning to, she used the Thousand Shadow Wind-Supporting Technique. She moved so fast she nearly left an afterimage. She stuffed a thick stack of low-grade Second Rank talismans into Hua Xuan Zi’s hands and said, “Senior Sister, hold on a little longer. The first-rank sand rats are almost cleared out. When you have a moment, throw talismans. Even if they’re low-grade, they’re still Second Rank – they should help Senior Brother Zhao.”

Hua Xuan Zi did not waste words. She took them and immediately threw two low-grade Second Rank lightning strike talismans, one to the left and one to the right. They exploded beside the sand rat, making it shudder as golden fur turned black where the lightning hit.

“It works! This beast is afraid of lightning! Junior Sister, keep going. We can hold it a little longer!” Hua Xuan Zi said, her eyes shining.

Yun Xi almost raised a hand to her forehead. What demon beast was not afraid of lightning? Every time they advanced, just like human cultivators, they had to endure a Thunder Tribulation – otherwise how could they prove the law that “heaven and earth are unkind, treating all things as straw dogs”?

“Alright. Brother Zong Hao and I will finish this fast!” Yun Xi said.

She did not delay. She flashed back to Zong Hao’s side, just as he was hurling a sand rat off his shoulder.

Yun Xi raised her hand and instantly fired an Ice Spike Technique, piercing straight through the sand rat’s skull. Then she smoothly stored it away in her storage pouch.

After the two of them regrouped, they started clearing the remaining first-rank sand rats.

Over there, Senior Brother Zhao kept the talisman treasure entangled with the Second Rank sand rat, while Hua Xuan Zi still found time to throw a Second Rank talisman now and then as support. For the moment, they managed to restrain it.

But the good times did not last. The talisman treasure floating in midair grew dimmer and dimmer, and Senior Brother Zhao’s face went paler and paler. He had reached his limit.

Yun Xi had been watching with half her attention, so she naturally noticed. Gritting her teeth, she said, “Zong Hao, hold on for a bit. I’m going to help Senior Sister and them.”

“Yun Xi, go. I can handle the rest!”

“Alright!”

Yun Xi flashed over to Hua Xuan Zi’s side. She patted her storage pouch, pulled out all her remaining stock, and gave half to Hua Xuan Zi. “Senior Sister, when Senior Brother retracts the talisman treasure, we detonate these at the same time. Throw everything at the sand rat. Let’s cripple it first.”

“Alright!”

Things were urgent, and this was the only way.

After Senior Brother Zhao spat out a mouthful of blood, the talisman treasure completely failed. The Cloud-Swallowing Leopard that had been biting the sand rat slowly dispersed, and in the end, it let out one unwilling roar at the sand rat.

The sand rat felt the thing suppressing it vanish, and it instantly grew arrogant. It flicked its tail, let out a sharp “squeak,” and pounced at the four ants in front of it.

“Senior Sister! Now!” Yun Xi shouted.

“Coming!” Hua Xuan Zi answered.

The two of them almost simultaneously threw out the low-grade Second Rank talismans in their hands.