Ghost-Faced Crab

Li Jun lay quietly in the bushes, taking in every word of the five people's conversation before him.

Only now did he learn that Yao Yuzhi's private embezzlement of the Mutated Oak Tree had actually been suppressed.

"This Yao Yuzhi's background is truly astonishing. Even this could be covered up, and even Zhao Wenjie was only demoted to the mines."

Li Jun's expression grew a little more grave. This really was not good news.

What left him even more speechless was that Yao Yuzhi seemed to have taken him for a spy Shen Xiyue had planted in the Oak Garden.

Originally, he had only wanted to deal with Zhao Wenjie. He had not expected to draw an even greater threat instead.

"The struggle between Yao Yuzhi and Shen Xiyue is probably fiercer than I imagined. The mining of this Black Rock Mine is likely going to trigger a great earthquake."

Li Jun's brows drew together slightly.

For Yao Yuzhi to see him as a spy, it clearly was not only because of that one matter in the Oak Garden.

Perhaps, in other places he knew nothing about, Yao Yuzhi and Shen Xiyue had plotted against each other plenty of times.

But no matter what, if mining the Black Rock Mine required mobilizing the outer sect disciples of the Four Peaks, then he had to make preparations in advance.

"Do you think the intelligence could be wrong? Will there really be a Ghost-Faced Crab here?"

"It should be true, right? Since the higher-ups arranged for us to come, it must be true."

"Can you two keep your voices down! The Ghost-Faced Crab is a level-two demon beast, and in adulthood it can even cultivate to a level-four demon beast! Even if it's injured, if it discovers us, our little lives might be gone!"

The two who had been speaking laughed sheepishly and quickly shut their mouths.

Li Jun looked at the wooded slope through the curtain of rain, and only then did he understand where that bloody smell had come from.

The Ghost-Faced Crab was a demon beast whose form closely resembled a crab.

It was cautious and gluttonous. Most of the time, it lived underwater in Yunwang Lake and rarely surfaced.

Yao Yuzhi had obtained intelligence from somewhere, saying that there was news of an injured Ghost-Faced Crab on Yunwang Mountain.

In order not to beat the grass and startle the snake, she had sent these five people here to scout things out.

"The pincers and legs of the Ghost-Faced Crab are not only extremely hard, but also carry toxins. They're excellent materials for refining artifacts. Yao Yuzhi's luck really is quite good."

Li Jun looked ahead. This Ghost-Faced Crab was a treasure from head to toe. If others found out, it would certainly trigger a fierce struggle.

"Cry!"

Suddenly, a clear, resonant cry rang out.

A whirlwind swept in from afar, directly tearing through the curtain of rain.

"Fuck! What a huge bird! What is that?"

Zhao Wenjie and the other four abruptly looked up, only to see a gigantic bird flying past at low altitude.

A tyrannical wind pressure pressed down like the sky itself, blasting their cheeks until they stung.

"It's that bird! This is... a Mystic Swan?"

Li Jun finally saw the bird's appearance clearly. Its shape and features were extremely similar to the Spirit Beast Mystic Swan.

So-called Spirit Beasts referred to a category among demon beasts with higher intelligence and purer bloodlines.

They were not as bloodthirsty as demon beasts, just like the immortal cranes of the Azure Cloud Sect.

In the cultivation world, unless one mastered some sort of beast-taming spell, ordinary demon beasts were very difficult for people to make use of.

But Spirit Beasts were different.

If some Spirit Beasts were raised from a young age, they could even become a major aid to cultivators.

Therefore, some sects would even spend a great price to raise a Spirit Beast with a stronger bloodline as the sect-protecting Spirit Beast, intimidating an entire region.

Li Jun looked at the Mystic Swan. In its beak, it held a Purple Lightning Thunder Bud it had found from who knew where, and its target was straight for the mountaintop.

"Go! Follow it! We can't let this stupid bird ruin Senior Sister Yao's important matter!"

Zhao Wenjie and the other four did not dare delay and hurriedly followed.

The matter of the Mutated Oak Tree had already delayed Senior Sister Yao's artifact-refining progress. If something went wrong with the Ghost-Faced Crab as well, they might not even be able to keep their little lives!

Behind them, Li Jun also quietly followed. He wanted to see what exactly had happened on the mountaintop too.

"Hiss, hiss!"

At the mountaintop, among a dozen or so ancient trees, a muddy swamp was gurgling with mud bubbles.

A huge Ghost-Faced Crab lay within it. Sizzling sparks flickered over its body, and on the hard shell before its chest was a wound as thick as a palm.

"This thing... what a powerful aura!"

Li Jun looked at the Ghost-Faced Crab before him. The pressure the other party brought him was nearly catching up to Shen Xiyue's.

Shen Xiyue had cultivation at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, while the Ghost-Faced Crab before him was probably close to reaching the category of level-four demon beasts!

Zhao Wenjie and the other four were also stunned. Hadn't they said this thing was a level-two demon beast?

The Mystic Swan arrived beside the swamp, opened its beak, and spat. The Purple Lightning Thunder Bud flew straight toward the Ghost-Faced Crab.

The latter stretched out a pincer, then swallowed it down.

Immediately after, blue arcs of electricity sprang from the wound on its chest. The immense pain made its whole body tremble, and it let out a miserable beastly roar.

"This thing should be healing its wounds. But why did it run all the way here?"

Li Jun pondered, feeling that something about this defied common sense.

An aquatic demon beast like the Ghost-Faced Crab could only unleash its full strength in the water.

Unless there was something extremely important, it would never have come out.

"That stretch of mire seems a little strange."

Li Jun looked at that patch of mire. From the gurgling mud bubbles, chaotic streams of spiritual power burst out violently.

He looked at the Ghost-Faced Crab ahead, then at Zhao Wenjie and the other four, and already had a plan in mind.

"Since you all care so much about the Ghost-Faced Crab, go have a good time playing with it."

Li Jun took a porcelain bottle from his robes.

This was Blood-Boiling Powder, specially concocted according to the formula recorded in the Fusang Hand, and targeted at demon beasts.

Once a demon beast smelled it, it would fall into a frenzy. It was a sharp weapon for luring demon beasts.

Originally, Li Jun had been worried that if he encountered demon beasts chasing him along the way on this trip, he could use Blood-Boiling Powder to lure them away. Now it was just right for this.

Li Jun sensed the wind direction, then opened the porcelain bottle and added a slight bit of spiritual power. The Blood-Boiling Powder drifted with the wind and blew onto Zhao Wenjie and the other four.

"Roar!"

The Ghost-Faced Crab suddenly shuddered. Its enormous body abruptly stood up, and it swept its gaze back and forth over its surroundings.

"Good heavens! Why did this thing stand up? It couldn't have discovered us, could it?"

"Shut up! Would saying a few words less kill you?"

Zhao Wenjie and the other four lowered their bodies, not even daring to breathe, terrified that the thing would see them.

"Roar, roar!"

Suddenly, the Ghost-Faced Crab snapped its gaze over. Immediately after, its huge body shot out violently.

"Damn it! We've been found! Run!"

Zhao Wenjie cried out in alarm, turned, and ran.

"Fuck, what rotten luck! Retreat! Retreat!"

The five of them tore off at a dead sprint, no longer daring to linger at all.

"Good luck to you."

Li Jun watched their backs as they left, and did not dare delay in the slightest either.

He unleashed the Shadow-Folding Wandering Dragon Step, his body turning into afterimages as he charged straight toward the mire.

"Screech!"

At the same time, the Mystic Swan circling high above also plunged headfirst toward the mire.

"You damn bird! Don't steal my things!"

Li Jun's face darkened. It was one thing for it to snatch his Purple Lightning Thunder Bud, but now it actually wanted to snatch his opportunity too.

"Caw, caw!"

The Mystic Swan also recognized the newcomer. It immediately stretched out its giant talons and clawed at Li Jun's head.

"Watch me chop you down!"

Li Jun drew his long saber, twisted his body slightly, and directly dodged the Mystic Swan's grab.

Then he abruptly stopped his momentum and, at a tricky angle, slashed over with his saber.

"Screech!"

The Mystic Swan cried out in pain.

Immediately after, it flapped both wings. Gale winds gathered, directly sending Li Jun flying.

"Damn it!"

A feeling of weightlessness swept over him. The next moment, Li Jun slammed straight into the mire.

"Clang!"

And it was precisely at that moment that he felt as if his long saber had struck something.

What shocked him was that this low-grade first-tier magical artifact he had seized seemed to have broken...