Battling the Sting Mother Beast
Song Wen and Rong Jingyun each made Soul Oath.
Song Wen did not tell Rong Jingyun that her husband had been turned into a living corpse and that she had revealed the existence of the Barrier-Breaking Pill.
Rong Jingyun refused to reveal any information about Song Wen's cultivation level or the Cold Pool Grotto.
Then.
Led by Rong Jingyun, the two arrived at an underwater fork in the road they had passed earlier.
Rong Jingyun pointed to a dark passage with surging rapids.
"Follow this secret passage straight ahead for over a hundred miles, and you will reach the Cold Pool Grotto."
As she spoke, Rong Jingyun handed Song Wen a Jade Slip.
"This Jade Slip contains a route map that I drew from memory. If you encounter a fork in the road, you can follow the route on the map."
Song Wen accepted the Jade Slip. "Thank you."
Rong Jingyun said, "Elder Wu, the Sting Mother Beast is incredibly powerful. Even with Jie Hui and the other two joining forces, they couldn't defeat it. Are you really confident you can kill it? Although the Yin-Yang Blood-Weeping Branch is precious, it's not only found in that cave. The two of us can work together to search the underground river. Perhaps we can obtain one or two without taking any risks."
Song Wen said, "Thank you for your kindness, Elder Rong, but I still want to give it a try. Even if I'm no match for the Sting Mother Beast, I can still protect myself."
Rong Jingyun said, "Then I wish you a safe journey. We have been through thick and thin together. If we meet again in the secret realm and I am in trouble, I hope Elder Wu will not hesitate to lend a helping hand."
Song Wen said, "Elder Rong, rest assured, as long as my safety is not threatened, I will definitely lend a hand. If I encounter any difficulties, I also hope that Elder Rong can lend a helping hand."
Rong Jingyun smiled and said, "That's natural."
Song Wen bid farewell and turned to disappear into the underwater tunnel.
Rong Jingyun turned around and returned to the cave where she had killed the Burrowing Beast.
She was seriously injured, and this place was perfect for her to heal.
Song Wen navigated the underwater passage with extreme caution.
Rong Jingyun mentioned that she had encountered three underwater Demon Beast in the secret passage.
Song Wen was lucky; he only encountered one fish demon at the Early Second Rank.
He released all his cultivation energy without reservation.
The powerful aura of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage immediately startled the fish demon into retreating.
Fighting Demon Beast in the water, the blood flowing from Demon Beast bodies downstream could potentially attract other aquatic Demon Beast.
Song Wen was unwilling to fight the Demon Beast in the water unless absolutely necessary.
Half an hour later, Song Wen was less than a mile away from the Cold Pool Grotto.
The tentacles of the Stinger Mother Beast were three or four miles long and transparent, making them difficult to detect. Song Wen had no choice but to treat them with caution.
The six Sacred Beetle Gu slowly probed along the secret passage, almost inch by inch, to ensure that the tentacles of the Stinger Mother Beast did not extend into the passage.
Fortunately, when the Sacred Beetle Gu emerged from the secret passage and entered the Cold Pool Grotto, it did not find any trace of the Stinger Mother Beast.
Song Wen concealed his aura and slowly moved upstream to avoid disturbing the Stinger Mother Beast.
The secret passage was narrow and underwater, making it difficult for Song Wen to use his various methods.
Fighting the Sting Mother Beast in the water is unwise.
Following the secret passage, they arrived at the cave. Song Wen emerged from underwater and slowly walked onto the riverbank.
Relying on the memories he obtained from Jie Hui's mind, and with six Sacred Beetle Gu clearing a path around him, Song Wen groped his way forward in the darkness, slowly approaching the location of the Yin-Yang Blood-Weeping Branch.
The cave was rugged and uneven, riddled with stalagmites and pits. To avoid disturbing the Stinger Mother Beast, Song Wen did not use any spiritual power, but walked slowly, step by step, his steps uneven.
After a short while, Song Wen finally arrived at the place about a mile from the Yin-Yang Blood-Weeping Branch.
According to the message relayed by the Sacred Beetle Gu, a five-hundred-year-old Yin-Yang Blood-Weeping Branch is indeed growing among a cluster of stalagmites.
However, the Sacred Beetle Gu still could not find any trace of the Stinger Mother Beast.
With the Stinger Mother Beast nowhere to be found, Song Wen decided not to wait any longer. He sent two Sacred Beetle Gu to steal the Yin-Yang Blood-Weeping Branch without alerting the Stinger Mother Beast.
When the Sacred Beetle Gu was still three zhang away from the Yin-Yang Blood-Weeping Branch, a slender tentacle suddenly burst out of the water and lashed out fiercely at the two Sacred Beetle Gu.
The tentacles moved with incredible speed, like a long whip, whistling through the air.
The Sacred Beetle Gu dared not fight back, and it was too late to retreat, so they quickly flew towards the ground below.
The cave floor is dotted with countless pits of varying sizes, providing perfect cover from the tentacles' attacks.
"Bang!"
The tentacle slammed into the ground.
Stones flew everywhere.
Many stalagmites were broken off.
The ground was also smashed and collapsed.
The two Sacred Beetle Gu managed to hide in a crevice in the rocks, avoiding the full-force attack of the Stinger Mother Beast.
Upon seeing this, Song Wen, who was a mile away, no longer concealed himself.
Since stealing the Yin-Yang Blood-Weeping Branch failed, a direct assault is the only option left.
Two Ghost Three corpses, five figures appeared beside Song Wen.
The Silver Corpse, with its thick skin and tough flesh, took the lead.
Following closely behind were two Copper Corpse at the peak of the second tier.
The Ghost King, wielding a ghost blade, followed behind the two Copper Corpse.
The red-haired demon general, the weakest of them all, carried the Eight-Banner Yin Soul Banner and walked at the very back.
The Silver Corpse first engaged the Stinger Mother Beast in combat.
One of the eight tentacles of the Stinger Mother Beast lashed out at the Silver Corpse.
Instead of being flung away, the Silver Corpse seized the opportunity and wrapped its arms around the slimy tentacles.
The tentacles, wanting to, seized the opportunity to entangle the Silver Corpse.
But the Silver Corpse ripped it off with a claw, severing the extra tentacles and leaving only the part it was holding.
The Silver Corpse, clutching its tentacles, strode backward, attempting to drag the Stinger Mother Beast out of the river.
It possesses immense strength; with each step it takes, it shatters the rocky ground.
The slender tentacles were stretched taut, as if they might snap at any moment.
The Stinger Mother Beast is a water-type Demon Beast that can unleash its strongest power in water. Naturally, it was unwilling to be easily dragged out of the water.
Its other seven tentacles lashed out at the Silver Corpse.
Two Copper Corpse stood guard on the right side of the Silver Corpse, blocking the tentacles that kept lashing out.
The Ghost King stood guard on the left side of the Silver Corpse, constantly wielding his ghost sword.
All the tentacles that were pulled out were severed by the Ghost King.
Three of the tentacles of the Stinger Mother Beast, which were originally more than three miles long, were repeatedly cut off by the Ghost King, leaving them only one mile long.
Slowly, the enormous body of the Stinger Mother Beast, hidden beneath the river, was dragged to the surface and brought to the shore.
Perhaps sensing the deadly danger, the Stinger Mother Beast severed its limb to survive, actively cutting off the tentacle that the Silver Corpse was holding onto.
The Silver Corpse, which was pulling forward with all its might along the tentacles, suddenly lost all resistance and tumbled out like a rolling gourd.
The Stinger Mother Beast shifted her body, immediately trying to escape back into the water.
Song Wen, who had been waiting patiently, was not about to let it have its way.
A silver lightning bolt, as thick as a bucket, descended from the sky.
The Soul-Splitting Blade, which he had never used since acquiring it, flashed with a cold light and shot out.
"Boom!"
The lightning struck first, landing on the Stinger Mother Beast.
Blinding flashes of lightning illuminated everything inside the cave in the darkness.
The Stinger Mother Beast's hide and tore its flesh apart, sending the minced meat flying everywhere.
The lightning raged across its body, slowing its movement as it plunged into the water.
A flash of cold light appeared.
The Soul-Splitting Blade struck.
Just as it was about to pierce the Stinger Mother Beast's body, it was blocked by a wounded tentacle.
The tentacle was severed almost cleanly at the root, thus sparing the Stinger Mother Beast the fate of being disemboweled.