Chen Xiong

One day later, the Azure Cloud Boat landed in a long, narrow valley. Shen Long and the others stepped off one after another, and Xu Lei put the Azure Cloud Boat away.

"The nest of the Ice Cloud Spider is located deep within the Thousand Bamboo Mountain Range. There may be second-rank demonic beasts lurking there, so everyone must be careful."

Xu Lei gave a word of caution, cast a cyan light screen upon himself, and began to walk forward.

Shen Long and the other five each cast a defensive spell on themselves and followed.

After passing through the valley, a steep, towering peak came into view, with a cave several feet wide at its base.

"The Ice Cloud Spiders are inside."

Sun Yang pointed at the cave and said.

"The usual rules: Qin Qing will go in to lure them out, then we will concentrate our firepower to kill one Ice Cloud Spider. Fellow Daoist Xu, you and your group are responsible for pinning down the other Ice Cloud Spider to buy us time."

Xu Lei commanded.

Qin Qing and the others agreed. A cyan light lit up on Qin Qing's feet, and he transformed into a blur as he entered the cave.

Not long after, a deafening roar erupted from within the cave, mingled with a series of hissing sounds.

Qin Qing rushed out of the cave, followed closely by a dozen white ice spikes, each about a foot long.

Qin Qing's figure flickered, dodging the dozen white ice spikes.

Two massive, snow-white spiders charged out from the cave. They had six snow-white sharp claws, bloated abdomens, and a pair of exposed white fangs that spat out cold air.

The moment they rushed out of the cave, a red fireball the size of a water vat descended from the sky, slamming into one of the Ice Cloud Spiders. Rolling flames engulfed the spider's body.

A thick cyan light screen descended from the sky, trapping the other Ice Cloud Spider. The spider struggled violently, its sharp claws hacking at the cyan light screen, but the screen remained unscathed.

Shen Long and the others launched their attacks, focusing on one of the Ice Cloud Spiders.

Shen Long flicked his right hand, and a massive red fireball flew out, slamming into the Ice Cloud Spider and transforming into flames that engulfed its body.

The Ice Cloud Spider opened its mouth and spat out a dozen foot-long white ice spikes, which flew straight toward Shen Long and the others.

Shen Long summoned the Black Tortoise Shield, which spun continuously around him, while Qin Qing flickered and dodged the white ice spikes.

As time passed, the Ice Cloud Spider's reactions grew slower and slower. Just as it tried to retreat back into the cave, an earthen-yellow wall burst from the ground, blocking the entrance.

It waved its sharp claws, striking the yellow earthen wall, which shattered upon impact.

A red rope shot out, binding one of the Ice Cloud Spider's claws. With a flash of yellow light, a massive Yellow Seal descended from the sky, slamming into the spider with enough force to shake the earth.

Xu Lei wore a look of triumph; this mid-grade magical tool had cost him a fortune, and he had used it to slay many first-rank demonic beasts.

He flicked his finger, and the massive Yellow Seal rose into the air. The Ice Cloud Spider had already been crushed into a pulp. The Yellow Seal then slammed toward the other Ice Cloud Spider, which was still trapped by the cyan light screen.

The Ice Cloud Spider spat out a stream of white cold air, striking the cyan light screen, which instantly froze. As it swung its claws to strike the screen, the screen shattered, and a cyan vine as thick as a grown man's arm burst from the ground, binding its body.

Before the Ice Cloud Spider could cut through the cyan vine, the massive Yellow Seal slammed down, causing the earth to tremble.

Xu Lei seemed to sense something. He slapped his chest with his right hand, and a dazzling yellow light lit up from his chest. A small Yellow Small Lock could be seen; judging by the fluctuations of its spiritual energy, it was a mid-grade magical tool.

With a flash of yellow light, a thick yellow light screen emerged, forming a second layer of defense.

Three shimmering short blades struck the cyan light screen one after another. The cyan light screen shattered instantly, only to be blocked by the yellow light screen.

Liu Xin was covered by a thick purple light screen. Three shimmering magical tools struck the purple light screen in succession, shattering it instantly. Liu Xin was decapitated by a short blade flashing with yellow light.

Her headless corpse swayed for a moment before collapsing.

After being attacked by the Fire Crow flock last time, the only defensive magical tool she possessed had been destroyed. She hadn't had enough spirit stones to purchase another, or she wouldn't have been killed.

Shen Long broke out in a cold sweat. If not for the protection of the Black Tortoise Shield, he likely would have been the target of the enemy's ambush.

He turned around, his face full of vigilance.

Six men and two women stood in an open area. Leading them was a burly man in a cyan shirt with a tiger-like build, his face filled with murderous intent.

"Chen Xiong, it's you!"

Xu Lei's expression turned cold.

Among Chen Xiong's group of eight, two were at the seventh level of Qi Refining, and the remaining six were at the sixth level. Their strength was not to be underestimated.

"Heaven has eyes, letting me run into you here! Xu Lei, you killed my wife all those years ago. Today, you will pay for your blood debt."

Chen Xiong sneered. He pinched a spell, and a cyan flying knife shot straight toward Xu Lei.

The other seven Qi Refining cultivators launched their attacks, targeting Shen Long and the others.

Xu Lei raised his right hand, and a talisman flashing with red light shot out.

With a muffled thud, the red talisman exploded, transforming into a red fire snake about a foot long that lunged toward the opposite side.

A cyan flying knife sliced the red fire snake in two. The snake's body exploded, turning into a massive ball of red fire that engulfed Chen Xiong and his group.

"Retreat, quickly."

After saying this, Xu Lei summoned the Azure Cloud Boat and stepped onto it. He pinched a spell, and the boat soared toward the high sky.

Shen Long's reaction was also swift. He took out a Flight Talisman and slapped it onto his body. With a flash of cyan light, a pair of shimmering cyan wings sprouted from his back. He flapped them gently, lifted off the ground, and flew into the distance.

Qin Qing and the other three each used their own methods to flee in different directions.

"Madam Li, Fellow Daoist Qin, follow me to hunt down Xu Lei. The rest of you, each pursue one enemy and wipe them out."

Chen Xiong collected the corpse of Liu Xin, summoned a flying boat shimmering with cyan light, and carried two Qi Refining cultivators as they sped off into the distance, while the other five each chose a target and gave chase.

Shen Long's cyan wings flapped incessantly against his back; he turned his head to look behind him and saw a streak of cyan light in pursuit, moving much faster than he was.

Shen Long frowned and pinched a magic seal, causing his cyan wings to erupt with brilliant light and his speed to increase significantly.

A cup of tea's time later, he appeared above a dense forest of green bamboo, with a stout man in a cyan shirt only five hundred feet behind him, the man also sporting a pair of shimmering cyan wings on his back.

Shen Long landed on the ground, turned around, and flicked his right hand, sending a vat-sized crimson fireball hurtling toward the man in the cyan shirt.

The man in the cyan shirt gave his wings a light flap, easily dodging the crimson fireball.

Soon after, another crimson fireball came crashing down, and the man in the cyan shirt flapped his wings once more to evade it.

Shen Long unleashed a barrage of crimson fireballs, but the man dodged every single one of them.

A short while later, the man in the cyan shirt landed on the ground, and the cyan wings on his back glowed brightly before transforming into a Flight Talisman.

With a soft "puff," the Flight Talisman spontaneously ignited and burned into ash.

The moment he touched the ground, a vat-sized crimson fireball came smashing toward him.