Praying Mantis Beast Demon Beast Core

Xue Yong turned his head and said to the people behind him, "The Golden Saber Gang is up ahead. Stay sharp. Act according to the situation later."

The group followed Xue Yong and arrived before the Golden Saber Gang.

The Black Tiger Gang's five elders stood on either side of Xue Yong. Apart from Lu Hao, everyone held long staffs in their hands.

The Golden Saber Gang's five men stood behind Xie Chong, the two gangs sizing each other up.

Xie Chong looked at Xue Yong and let out a derisive snort. "Xue Yong, why are you Black Tiger Gang lot like dog-skin plasters? Wherever I go, you follow!"

Xue Yong stared at Xie Chong.

"Xie Chong, your Golden Saber Gang killed so many of our Black Tiger Gang brothers. Since we ran into each other here today, none of you need think of going back."

A vicious gleam flashed through Xie Chong's eyes.

"Xue, don't you bloody spit blood at people here! Your Black Tiger Gang ambushed our Azure Robe Branch Hall some days ago and wiped out the entire branch! I haven't even settled that debt with you yet!"

One of the Golden Saber Gang elders behind him immediately stepped forward and glanced at Xie Chong.

"Deputy Gang Leader Xie, why waste words on this pack of Black Tiger Gang trash? Since they've run into our blade today, slaughter them all and avenge the brothers of the Azure Robe Branch Hall!"

Hearing this, Xie Chong's eyes rolled as he stroked his goatee.

"Xue, how did you know we were on Green Ox Mountain?"

After saying that, he suddenly took two steps back, turned around, and swept his gaze over the Golden Saber Gang's five elders. "Damn it! There's a traitor among you five!"

His gaze quickly locked onto a short, fat, dark-skinned man.

"Shen Yansong!"

Xie Chong shouted sharply.

"When we found the Praying Mantis Beast injured this morning, you just happened to leave everyone's sight on the excuse of having the runs. You're the traitor, aren't you?"

Before his words had faded, the Great Ring Saber in Shen Yansong's hand suddenly plunged into the lower abdomen of a Golden Saber Gang elder beside him.

The elder's eyes flew wide after the attack. He lowered his head to look at the Great Ring Saber embedded in his belly, blood dripping through his fingers.

He then looked at Shen Yansong, his face full of disbelief. He could never have imagined that this good brother, who usually called him brother, drank with him, and visited Spring Breeze Pavilion with him, was actually a Black Tiger Gang spy. Still less had he expected Shen Yansong's first strike after his identity was exposed to be aimed at him.

Shen Yansong pulled out the blade. The elder clutched his lower abdomen with both hands, staggered back several steps, fell to the ground, twitched a few times, and ceased breathing.

Everything happened in the span of a spark flashing off flint. Once the other Golden Saber Gang elders reacted, their Great Ring Sabers all hacked toward Shen Yansong.

At the same time, Xue Yong rushed over in a single stride. He wanted to save Shen Yansong.

In an instant, the endless bangs of sabers and staffs colliding rang through the dense forest.

Shen Yansong was surrounded by three Golden Saber Gang elders. Within only a few breaths, he took a slash across the back, followed immediately by another cut to the neck.

He still wanted to fight back, but another Golden Saber Gang elder leaped high into the air with a Great Ring Saber in hand and chopped off his head in a single blow. Blood gushed out.

Shen Yansong's corpse fell stiffly to the ground, while his head rolled away.

Seeing this, Xue Yong gave a furious roar and became entangled in battle with Xie Chong.

Zhou Yuan and Chang Kun also stepped forward with their staffs to face a Golden Saber Gang elder.

Chang Kun smashed his staff into that Golden Saber Gang elder's back. Zhou Yuan was just about to advance with his staff when the elder stepped back and drove his Great Ring Saber backward into Chang Kun's lower abdomen. Chang Kun gave a muffled groan, fell to the ground, twitched a few times, and went still.

Before the Golden Saber Gang elder could pull out his Great Ring Saber, Zhou Yuan stepped forward and split his staff down toward the crown of his head, killing the elder with one blow.

Before Zhou Yuan could catch his breath, Xie Chong, who had been fighting Xue Yong, deliberately revealed an opening and slipped free, stabbing Zhou Yuan in the chest. Zhou Yuan spat blood and collapsed limply to the ground.

At that moment, Xue Yong came before Xie Chong again with his staff, and the two resumed their fight.

Yet Zheng Huaijian continued circling at the edge of the battlefield. Though the long staff in his hand occasionally struck out, he put on a show without exerting any real effort. He caused no substantial harm to anyone from the Golden Saber Gang.

Amid the melee, Lu Hao also met a Golden Saber Gang elder in battle.

The instant they exchanged blows, Lu Hao reacted swiftly, twisting aside from the elder's descending Great Ring Saber. He brought together the fingertips of his right hand and unleashed Black Tiger Throat-Piercer. The force of nine bursting drops of Blood Essence rode his fingertips, striking the elder squarely in the throat. Lu Hao's fingertips pierced a finger's depth into his neck.

Lu Hao activated the Golden Saber Blood Essence Formula and felt a chill at his fingertips. A stream of icy Blood Baleful Intent surged swiftly along the meridians in his right arm into his dantian, slowly circling around it.

A few breaths later, the Golden Saber Gang elder's skin was already clinging to his bones, wisps of blood-red vapor steaming from his entire body. This was because, after the Blood Baleful Intent had been drained away, the Blood Essence within his body dispersed through his pores.

Once Lu Hao could no longer sense icy Blood Baleful Intent flowing into his body, he pulled out his right hand. The Golden Saber Gang elder fell backward and died.

Cao Ling was locked in battle with the elder who had been carrying the Praying Mantis Beast's corpse. After more than ten exchanges, neither had gained the upper hand.

Seeing that he could not defeat Cao Ling after a prolonged fight, the Golden Saber Gang elder suddenly broke away and sprinted backward.

In a few steps, he reached the Praying Mantis Beast's corpse, crouched down, and used the dagger in his hand to cut open its soft abdomen, where no carapace covered it.

He then reached into the Praying Mantis Beast's abdomen, rummaged around a few times, and pulled out a Demon Beast Core the size of an infant's fist.

The Praying Mantis Beast's Demon Beast Core was completely crimson, its surface gleaming with a layer of dark green luster. A powerful Blood Essence fluctuation that made hearts quail surged outward.

Everyone fighting in the clearing stopped and turned toward the source of the Blood Essence fluctuation.

At this sight, Xie Chong suddenly threw back his head and laughed wildly.

"Ha ha ha!"

"Black Tiger Gang trash, you want this Praying Mantis Beast's Demon Beast Core?"

"This Demon Beast Core was originally meant to be presented to the gang leader to help him break through Dark Force to the high grade. But since you came today, no one can even think of getting it!"

"Stop him!" Xue Yong roared. No longer caring about Xie Chong, he gripped his long staff and charged toward that elder.

But Xie Chong seemed to have gone mad. He burst all the Blood Essence in his body and clung desperately to Xue Yong.

Lu Hao and Cao Ling also joined the battle between Xie Chong and Xue Yong. The three Black Tiger Gang men pinned Xie Chong in the middle.

After several exchanges, Lu Hao's Black Tiger Whirl struck Xie Chong squarely on the shoulder. Xue Yong immediately followed with a staff blow to the back of Xie Chong's head. Xie Chong's body swayed, then blood poured from his seven orifices as he collapsed to the ground.

When everyone looked again toward the Golden Saber Gang elder, they saw that he had already stuffed the Demon Beast Core into his mouth and swallowed it.

A few breaths later, his body had swollen somewhat, and a layer of dark green sheen appeared on his skin.

Because the Blood Essence throughout his body was too abundant, a dense dark-red mist steamed from his pores.

The elder's arms and hands twisted and swelled, while his ten fingers gradually drew together and extended, ultimately turning into two serrated, sickle-shaped arms.

His originally distinct black-and-white eyes had also become dark green. At this moment, it was impossible to tell whether he was human or beast.

The Golden Saber Gang elder opened his mouth and let out a half-human, half-beast roar.

That roar echoed through the dense forest.