Elite Monster

All attributes decreased by 40%, and more importantly, the troublesome poison attribute was temporarily eliminated. For Zhuge Xiang and the others, if they wanted to defeat this Two-Star Demonic Moth, this was their only chance.

The violent reaction between the Detoxification Pill and the toxins inside its body caused the Demonic Moth unbearable pain, making it barely able to fly. If they didn't strike now, when would they?

Ghost Step activated, Hua Nongying closed in like a ghost. This wasn't her first battle against a Two-Star Demonic Beast, so she knew exactly what to do. Her short blade flickered with two sword flowers, aiming straight for the Demonic Moth's compound eyes.

For now, the Demonic Moth was in agony, but it was only temporary. If they could destroy its eyes, even if it recovered, they could at least protect themselves.

The Mechanical Puppet had been destroyed. Lu Yuling flicked her hand, and countless fine but tough Silk Threads shot toward the Demonic Moth, wrapping around it. Even if all these Ice Silk threads snapped, as long as they could hinder its movements for a moment, it would be worth it.

With Clear Wave Palm unleashed, her Qi Cultivation Realm fourth-layer cultivation sent countless threads winding around the Demonic Moth's powdery wings layer by layer. One chopstick is easy to break, but a bundle held together is not—that was the logic. Dense threads, even against a Two-Star Demonic Beast with all attributes reduced by 40%, couldn't be shattered instantly. However, the sound of threads snapping came without pause, and within a few breaths, those Ice Silk threads were about to break completely.

The Demonic Moth instinctively tried to use its powdery wings to block the short blade aimed at its eyes, but the wings were tangled by the Ice Silk threads. Yet a Two-Star Demonic Beast that had awakened intelligence wasn't so easily dealt with. Since its wings were bound, it simply raised its head and spat threads from its mouth, surging toward Hua Nongying.

Even though the Two-Star Demonic Beast's threads were no longer poisonous, Hua Nongying still dared not let them entangle her. Her expression shifted, and she sidestepped, dodging the threads sprayed from the Demonic Moth's mouth.

At the same time, Ji Wuxue's sharp Sword Light and Ling Wufeng's dazzling Flying Dagger arrived, all aimed at the Demonic Moth's eyes. Compared to the Demon Bear, this Demonic Moth was far harder to deal with. Its mouth, a weak point, could still spew threads to block attacks at critical moments.

"This thing—though it's only a Two-Star Demonic Beast, it's far more threatening than that Demon Bear..." Facing the Demonic Moth, everyone shared this thought.

Strong physical defense, flight, poison attribute, intelligence, and the ability to shoot threads from its mouth for long-range attacks—this also masked the weakness of its mouth. With so many elements combined, Ling Wufeng and the others felt they'd rather face a Two-Star Mid-Grade Demon Bear than a Two-Star Low-Grade Demonic Moth.

Swish...

A sharp arrow flashed by. Earlier, relying on the Breath Concealing Jade obtained from Lei Potian, Zhuge Xiang had caught the Demonic Moth off guard and tossed the Detoxification Pill into its mouth. Now, using the Breath Concealing Jade again, he crept close to the Demonic Moth and fired another sharp arrow from the Hundred Refinements Bow.

The Breath Concealing Jade allowed Zhuge Xiang to sneak within five meters of the Demonic Moth without being detected. At five meters, with an arrow range of a hundred meters, how fast would that arrow fly? Even Lu Yuling with her Clear Mind State would likely only see a flash of arrow light.

With an attack boost of about 30 points, plus 3 points from the arrow, ignoring 30 points of defense, and the Demonic Moth's all-attributes drop of 40%, a piercing scream rang out. Zhuge Xiang's arrow struck directly into one of the Demonic Moth's compound eyes. Crimson Qi Energy, carrying a violent aura, completely destroyed that eye.

"Success! One more eye to go," Hua Nongying and the others exclaimed with joy as Zhuge Xiang's arrow hit the mark at the critical moment.

But before Zhuge Xiang and the others could expand their gains, the Ice Silk threads binding the Demonic Moth finally snapped completely. Freed, its powdery wings fluttered, and enduring the agonizing pain from the violent reaction between the toxin and the Detoxification Pill, it wobbled into the air.

Seeing the Demonic Moth take flight, everyone instinctively tensed. Injuries often provoke a beast's ferocity, and it seemed this Demonic Moth was about to fight for its life.

Yet just as they braced for a storm of attacks, the Demonic Moth turned decisively and flew toward the Poison Pool. It was fleeing...

A Two-Star Demonic Beast, facing a few human cultivators equivalent to One-Star Low-Grade, injured but not enraged—instead, it ran? This left Hua Nongying and the others stunned, caught between laughter and tears. If the Demonic Moth fled, they should be safe, right?

But after fighting this far, would Zhuge Xiang let it escape? Killing it was their only chance—it meant massive experience and guaranteed good drops.

Moreover, since the Demonic Moth had awakened intelligence and knew to flee, once the Detoxification Pill's effect wore off, would it come back for revenge? By then, wreathed in poison again with full attributes restored, killing it would be impossible.

Seeing the Demonic Moth rise, Zhuge Xiang charged forward, leaped high, and landed on its back. With Bloodthirsty Technique and Star Chasing Boots boosting his speed, he was very fast.

Explosive Steps!!!

Standing on the Demonic Moth's back, Zhuge Xiang activated Explosive Steps. This skill gathered Qi Energy at the soles of his feet and released it in a burst for instant, ultra-high-speed movement. The force was so great it could crack the bluestone floor beneath him. Now, on the Demonic Moth's back, Zhuge Xiang used Explosive Steps as an attack.

The Detoxification Pill's effect had already made flying difficult for the Demonic Moth. A single Explosive Step, with its burst of Qi Energy, made it cry out in pain again and crash down.

Seeing Zhuge Xiang pursue, Lu Yuling and the others reacted quickly, chasing after him. Killing the beast was the only true safety.

With one Explosive Step, Zhuge Xiang appeared at the top of the Cave Chamber like a teleport, upside down. He gripped the Blood Refinement Saber with both hands, pouring Qi Energy into it, holding back...

The speed of Explosive Steps let Zhuge Xiang's feet press against the chamber ceiling, his legs bending. Then, enduring the pain in his foot meridians, he kicked off hard, falling like a cannonball.

Not enough, not enough yet...

Wind whistled past his ears as Zhuge Xiang plummeted, eyes locked on the Demonic Moth below, entangled by Lu Yuling and the others. The Breath Concealing Jade's effect meant the Demonic Moth only sensed him within five meters. Feeling the Qi Energy surging into the Blood Refinement Saber, the Blood Thunder Slash's charge wasn't complete.

Gravity, acceleration, plus the powerful leap—Zhuge Xiang's descent was incredibly fast. Crimson Qi Energy swirled around him, Ghost Face looming. Finally, as he reached the Demonic Moth's head, at the critical moment, the Blood Thunder Slash's charge was complete.

The Breath Concealing Jade's effect meant the Demonic Moth only noticed Zhuge Xiang above it when it was too late. Falling from height, five meters was fleeting at that speed, and with Lu Yuling and the others' harassing attacks, the Demonic Moth had no time to dodge.

A crimson blade light, accompanied by fierce wind and thunder, Zhuge Xiang gripped the Blood Refinement Saber's hilt with both hands, reversed, and stomped on the Demonic Moth's head. The entire blade plunged through its eye and deep into its skull, leaving only the hilt exposed...

With a kick, Zhuge Xiang pulled the Blood Refinement Saber free, flipping backward in the air and landing. As the blade came out, a stream of emerald liquid followed. A brief, piercing scream, and the Demonic Moth, lying by the Poison Pool, twitched a few times before going still...

Bloodthirsty Technique deactivated, a wave of weakness washed over him. Zhuge Xiang knelt on one knee, chest heaving like a bellows, gasping for air. Killing this Demonic Moth was several times more exhausting than the Demon Bear. Two-Star Demonic Beasts were indeed not easy to slay—whether the bear or this moth, it was the same.

Especially this moth. If Zhuge Xiang hadn't had the sudden idea to toss the Detoxification Pill into its mouth, or if he hadn't happened to loot that pill earlier, or if he hadn't found the Breath Concealing Jade on Lei Potian's corpse to successfully sneak the pill in, they would have had no chance of survival against this Demonic Moth. Though they killed it, this success was utterly unrepeatable.

Still, no matter how dangerous or lucky, Zhuge Xiang and the others had finally slain this incredibly powerful Demonic Moth. Dwelling on how strong it was wasn't Zhuge Xiang's style. He only knew he had succeeded—that was enough.

"Ding, over-level kill of Two-Star Low-Grade Elite Demonic Moth. Gained 1600 experience. Obtained Piercing Arrow, Wolf Fang Arrow Crafting Recipe, Repair Oil."

As the Demonic Moth was slain, the system's mechanical prompt arrived as expected. Elite Monster? Hearing this, Zhuge Xiang was momentarily stunned. Right, though both were Two-Star Low-Grade, this moth was several times stronger than the Demon Bear. So this was an Elite Monster. Even the experience was different—nearly double that of the bear.

And with the massive 1600 experience, three items dropped at once. It looked like a bow skill book, an arrow crafting recipe, and finally, what was Repair Oil? Curious, Zhuge Xiang took it out from his inventory.

"Repair Oil (Consumable): Restores 30 durability to any equipment."

"Phew, finally killed that Two-Star Demonic Beast. Now let's see what goodies the cave's owner left behind," Hua Nongying said after resting a moment, her face full of anticipation. Her words drew everyone's attention. The Two-Star Demonic Beast was dead—time to reap the rewards.

(PS: The guy below me is exploding with updates, chasing hard and about to overtake me. Calling for recommendation tickets and collections to hold the top spot on the new author new book chart!)