Youth must be seized early; one cannot remain forever young. Chapter 121: The Thorned Centipede
Upon entering the area, Bai Qingzhou could clearly sense that the spiritual energy here was far denser than in the surrounding region. It was obviously a spirit-rich territory occupied by a demonic beast.
The two exchanged a glance, instantly understanding each other’s intentions. They immediately slowed their rapid advance.
They began observing their surroundings carefully as they moved forward at a cautious pace.
“Fellow Daoist Wei, be careful,” Bai Qingzhou said warily.
Wei Jun nodded, though there was little fear on his face. Clearly, he did not think much of a first-rank demonic beast.
As a ninth-level Qi Condensation cultivator, even if he could not kill a first-rank demonic beast, he should still have no trouble preserving his life.
“Swish!”
Bai Qingzhou gently drew his silver sword. Feeling the formidable spiritual energy surging through it, he could not help but relax slightly.
When he had fought Zhou Cai that day, the Green Rainbow Sword that had accompanied him for so long had been cleaved in two by Zhou Cai. He had therefore made a special trip to a magical artifact shop and purchased this sword.
The sword was called the White Sand Sword. It was a high-grade Yellow Rank artifact worth more than a hundred spirit stones.
It was an entire grade higher than the Green Rainbow Sword and possessed far greater power.
Just as the two were advancing with extreme caution...
Roar!
A sudden roar rang out from not far away!
Bai Qingzhou’s heart leaped with delight. The roar was full of vigor; it was most likely a high-level first-rank demonic beast!
“Let’s take a look!” Bai Qingzhou immediately dashed forward.
Wei Jun followed close behind.
Soon, the two arrived at the spot.
They carefully hid behind a tree and began observing the demonic beast that had produced the roar.
Ahead of them was a ferocious beast shaped like a centipede. It was tearing apart and devouring a dead wild beast.
The enormous centipede was nearly twenty feet long. It lay on the ground, continuously feasting on the remaining flesh. Its glossy black, pointed shell, feelers several feet long, and savage, terrifying appearance made it obvious at a glance that it was not to be trifled with.
Bai Qingzhou recognized the demonic beast immediately.
The Thorn Centipede!
Seeing that it was not the Plum Moon Deer he had been searching for, Bai Qingzhou halted.
“Fellow Daoist Bai, shall we attack?” Wei Jun asked in a low voice, turning his head.
Bai Qingzhou considered the matter. Although this demonic beast was slightly stronger than the Plum Moon Deer, its price in the marketplace was extremely high, and every part of its body was precious.
He fixed his gaze on the Thorn Centipede. After a moment, he slowly replied, “Attack!”
“You go over there, and I’ll go this way. We’ll attack together once we’re in position.” Having made his decision, Bai Qingzhou immediately pointed out a direction and spoke to Wei Jun.
Wei Jun silently nodded. The two then moved into position, surrounding the Thorn Centipede as it enjoyed its meal.
Their movements were exceptionally light. Their control over their bodies, developed through cultivation in the later stages of Qi Condensation, allowed them to advance without making the slightest sound.
The Thorn Centipede did not even notice the approaching cultivators and continued to relish its food.
Once the two had taken their positions...
“Attack!”
Bai Qingzhou gave a low shout.
The two reacted with remarkable speed. With a bang, their bodies shot toward the demonic beast like arrows released from a bowstring.
Yet a high-level demonic beast was indeed a high-level demonic beast. The instant Bai Qingzhou made his move, it sensed the danger. It stopped tearing at the carcass and turned to stare at the two men.
“Roar!”
The Thorn Centipede suddenly raised its head and let out a thunderous roar!
Its small body produced an astonishingly powerful sound.
The gust of wind it unleashed actually forced the two incoming figures slightly off course.
Taking advantage of their momentary imbalance, the Thorn Centipede twisted aside and directly evaded their combined attack without suffering the slightest injury.
“Use a shield!” Bai Qingzhou warned. He immediately slapped an Earth Shield Talisman onto himself to guard against the demonic beast’s counterattack.
Poisonous demonic beasts were far more troublesome than fierce beasts or flying beasts of the same rank. Most possessed strange and highly lethal poison arts, capable of poisoning a person to death in an instant. Thus, when fighting one, a shield was indispensable.
“Go!”
Bai Qingzhou stamped his foot against the ground, leaving a small crater, and thrust the White Sand Sword toward the demonic beast’s eyes.
Wei Jun was unwilling to fall behind. After summoning a shield, he swung the long blade in his hand and ferociously cleaved toward the beast’s head.
The attacks of two late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators arrived in an instant.
Unexpectedly, the demonic beast’s reactions were astonishingly fast. It twisted its body and once again avoided both lethal strikes.
At the same time, its tail swept across and struck the shield around Bai Qingzhou.
Crack!
The Earth Shield Talisman, which could withstand several full-force attacks from a mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivator, shattered outright!
“Brother Bai!” Wei Jun cried out anxiously.
Bai Qingzhou drifted backward with the force of the blow. “I’m fine!”
The attack had struck only the shield and had not harmed Bai Qingzhou himself.
He immediately took another talisman from his Storage Bag and slapped it onto his body. A pale-yellow shield appeared before him once more.
“Brother Wei! Again!” Bai Qingzhou shouted.
“Good!”
The two closed in once more.
This time, however, Bai Qingzhou threw out two offensive talismans!
The two talismans, Bai Qingzhou’s sword, and Wei Jun’s blade—all four attacks descended upon the demonic beast at once.
Although the Thorn Centipede reacted extremely quickly, faced with so many attacks, it could barely evade three of them.
One talisman came from an exceptionally tricky angle. The beast managed to avoid it, but the other struck its body directly, immediately producing a sizzling sound.
It was a Heavenly Thunder Talisman!
“Roar!”
The demonic beast let out a howl of agony. The attack had caused it tremendous pain.
Yet its flesh and hide were extraordinarily tough. The Heavenly Thunder Talisman, which could fell a mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivator with a single strike, had done no more than lightly tear its skin.
Though the Thorn Centipede had suffered only a superficial wound, Bai Qingzhou’s talisman attack had utterly enraged it!
Its two sharp fangs parted, and a cloud of red poison gas erupted wildly from its mouth. It surged toward Bai Qingzhou with overwhelming force, as though intent on turning him into a pool of poisonous liquid.
Bai Qingzhou naturally had no intention of standing foolishly in place and allowing something so obviously deadly to touch him. He tapped the ground with his toes and immediately shot backward, moving just a little faster than the advancing poison cloud.
He successfully evaded the attack.
When the poison cloud struck the ground, it released a sizzling sound, transforming the surrounding flowers and grass into pools of black water.
Hiss!
While the Thorn Centipede was attacking Bai Qingzhou, Wei Jun took advantage of its distraction and severed its two thick, elongated feelers!
With its feelers severed, the demonic beast’s speed immediately slowed.
“It can’t sense its surroundings anymore! This is our chance—attack!” Bai Qingzhou had studied demonic beasts and knew that the Thorn Centipede’s sensory organs were located in the two feelers on its forehead.
Now that they had been severed, the beast was surely blind to its surroundings.
Seizing the opportunity, Bai Qingzhou stamped his foot and rushed forward once more, sword in hand.
Working together with Wei Jun, the two exploited the demonic beast’s weakness and steadily cut away at its life.
The Thorn Centipede roared incessantly, unleashing attacks in every direction. But with its feelers severed, its movements grew slower and slower as time passed.
Its attacks could no longer pose any threat to the two men.
Slash!
Finding his opportunity, Bai Qingzhou relied on the sharpness of his high-grade Yellow Rank artifact and infused it with spiritual energy. With one stroke, he severed the Thorn Centipede’s head.
End of chapter
7,017k