Flame Spider

Three hours later, the Azure Cloud Boat descended into a Cyan Bamboo Forest. Shen Long and the others stepped down, while many bamboo leaves lay scattered across the ground.

Demon Birds lurked deep within the Thousand Bamboo Mountain Range. Flying through the air made it easy to draw their attacks.

Xu Lei put away the Azure Cloud Boat. The six of them each cast a defensive spell on themselves before heading into the bamboo forest.

They did not move quickly, and every face was filled with vigilance.

Many Monster Beasts lived in the Thousand Bamboo Mountain Range, along with countless demonic insects. Some Monster Beasts and demonic insects excelled at concealment, making them difficult to detect as they ambushed passing cultivators.

Xu Lei's Monster Hunting Team had replaced many members over the years. Quite a few had died to sneak attacks by Monster Beasts.

After passing through the bamboo forest, they found a long, narrow valley before them, its interior overgrown with weeds.

"The Flame Spiders' nest is in there."

Sun Yang pointed at the valley.

"The usual rule. Fellow Daoist Qin, go draw them out."

Xu Lei said.

Qin Qing had cultivated the Wind Control Technique to Great Perfection. Whenever they hunted Monster Beasts, he was always the one responsible for luring them out.

Qin Qing acknowledged the order. Cyan light lit beneath his feet, and with a blur, he transformed into an afterimage that raced into the valley.

Not long afterward, a tremendous explosion sounded from within the valley. Qin Qing rushed out, clad in a thick suit of Yellow Earth Armor marked with scorched traces.

Two strange shrieks rang out as two streams of Crimson Flame, each as thick as an infant's arm, shot from the valley toward Qin Qing.

Cyan light flashed beneath Qin Qing's feet. His figure flickered, and he appeared several zhang away, evading the two streams of Crimson Flame.

Two enormous crimson spiders charged out of the valley. Their abdomens were bloated, their heads comparatively small, and each possessed eight legs.

"Attack!"

Xu Lei ordered. He patted his Spirit Beast Bag, and a streak of white light flew out, landing on the ground and revealing a zhang-long scorpion. Its body was crystal-clear, and its eyes were white.

As soon as the Ice Crystal Scorpion appeared, it opened its mouth and spat several foot-long White Ice Spikes toward the Flame Spiders.

The two Flame Spiders each spewed a stream of Crimson Flame to meet them.

The White Ice Spikes collided with the Crimson Flame and vanished instantly.

Xu Lei took out a Feather Fan shimmering with cyan light and gave it a gentle wave. More than a dozen Cyan Wind Blades shot out and struck the two Flame Spiders, producing a series of dull thuds. Several faint white marks appeared on the Flame Spiders' bodies.

Two Yellow Giant Hands burst from the earth and swiftly seized one Flame Spider's sharp claws.

A purple bowl flew over, spinning rapidly before releasing a Purple Light Screen that enclosed the Flame Spider.

"Quickly kill the other Flame Spider. The Purple Sun Bowl cannot trap it for long."

Liu Xin urged.

Xu Lei and the other four attacked the Flame Spider in unison.

Shen Long raised his right hand, and a Crimson Fireball as large as a water vat shot forth. It struck the Flame Spider and erupted into surging flames that swallowed it whole.

Sun Yang summoned a foot-long Red Flying Knife and sent it to attack the Flame Spider.

Qin Qing summoned a Golden Curved Blade and hacked at the Flame Spider's head.

Xu Lei waved his cyan Feather Fan, releasing Cyan Wind Blades to attack the Flame Spider while simultaneously directing the Ice Crystal Scorpion against it.

Two fists could not rival four hands. The Flame Spider was no match for them. The other Flame Spider either spewed flames or struck the Purple Light Screen with its sharp claws, but it could not break free in a short time.

The Flame Spider let out a piercing shriek and spat more than a dozen Crimson Fireballs toward Shen Long and the other five.

Shen Long hurriedly summoned a Black Shield, upon which the words "Black Tortoise" could be seen.

Several Crimson Fireballs struck the Black Tortoise Shield, but it did not budge. Crimson Flame engulfed the shield.

Xu Lei and the other four acted to block the Crimson Fireballs. Seizing the opportunity, the Flame Spider waved its sharp claws and charged toward the Purple Light Screen.

The ground beneath it suddenly softened, forming a huge sandpit that trapped its body.

Several foot-long White Ice Spikes shot over and struck the Flame Spider's head in succession, producing a string of dull thuds.

The Flame Spider remained unharmed, though a layer of white frost covered its head.

Xu Lei flicked his right hand, sending out a small yellow seal. He injected a spell into it, and the small yellow seal blazed with dazzling yellow light, rapidly expanding to the size of a house before smashing down upon the Flame Spider trapped in the sandpit.

The Flame Spider tried to dodge, but a cyan vine as thick as an infant's arm drilled out of the ground and wrapped around its body.

The massive yellow seal slammed into its body, making the ground tremble.

Xu Lei formed a hand seal, and the massive yellow seal rose. The Flame Spider had already been crushed into a pulp.

At this moment, the other Flame Spider had yet to escape.

Liu Xin formed a hand seal, and the Purple Light Screen vanished. The other Flame Spider broke free.

A cyan vine as thick as an infant's arm burrowed out from underground and wrapped around the Flame Spider's body.

The Flame Spider's sharp claws slashed at the cyan vine, severing it.

Several White Ice Spikes came shooting over. The Flame Spider opened its mouth and spat out Crimson Flame, reducing the White Ice Spikes to nothing.

A streak of white light shot over, reaching it in an instant.

It swung its sharp claws to meet it. The white light struck its claws, which instantly froze as the ice spread outward.

Red light flared across the Flame Spider's body, and Crimson Flame surged forth, melting the ice away.

A massive yellow seal came smashing down. Just as the Flame Spider tried to evade it, two Yellow Giant Hands burst from the ground and grabbed its body.

The Flame Spider struggled violently, but the two Yellow Giant Hands remained as immovable as mountains.

The massive yellow seal struck the Flame Spider, shaking the earth and mountains.

Xu Lei lightly pointed a finger, and the massive yellow seal rose. The Flame Spider had already become a heap of mangled flesh.

After dealing with the two Flame Spiders, Shen Long and the other five all wore delighted expressions.

The Flame Spiders' claws could be used for artifact refinement. The two Flame Spiders had sixteen claws in total. Xu Lei took five, Sun Yang took four, Liu Xin and the other two each took two, and Shen Long took one.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, since you are stuck at a bottleneck, hunting more Monster Beasts may help dissolve it."

Qin Qing suggested.

It was rare for him to come out here, and he wanted to earn a little more.

Xu Lei nodded and agreed, putting away his Dharma Artifacts.

They entered the valley. Inside was an entrance several zhang wide. After entering the cave, they soon arrived in a cavern several hundred zhang across. It was completely empty, with no spirit herbs to be found.

They carefully searched the place. Only after confirming there was nothing there did they leave and continue deeper into the mountain range.

A day later, they appeared in another long, narrow valley, where numerous broken stones lay scattered across the ground.

They did not move quickly, and every face was filled with vigilance.

A deafening explosion suddenly rang out. Startled, they stopped in their tracks.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, go investigate and see what is happening."

Xu Lei ordered.

Qin Qing nodded. Cyan light lit beneath his feet as he raced ahead.

Not long afterward, Qin Qing returned with terror written across his face.

"Not good! We've encountered a flock of Fire Crows! Run!"

Qin Qing shouted.

As soon as his words fell, a chorus of crowing cries rang out. Several dozen crimson crows appeared high in the sky, and the Fire Crow King was at the First Rank Late Stage.

The Fire Crow King lightly flapped its wings, sending more than a dozen millstone-sized Crimson Fireballs shooting forth. The other Fire Crows followed suit.

More than a hundred Crimson Fireballs tore through the sky and rained down upon them.

"Retreat!"

Xu Lei flicked his right hand, throwing out a yellow Talisman. It exploded in an instant, transforming into a Yellow Earth Wall more than ten zhang tall that stood before them.