Chapter 14

After settling on their tactics, Xu Jintang and the other two spread out.

A violent tremor came from inside the cave, shaking the nearby ground.

Xu Jintang took half a step back, holding two attack inscriptions in her palm as she watched the cave cautiously.

"They're coming out." A trace of nervousness crept into Song Duoduo's voice.

This was their first time fighting so many demonic beasts at once, and one of them was even tier two.

As soon as she finished speaking, a scorpion with an emerald-green body scuttled nimbly out of the cave.

It was small, its eyes like two emeralds gleaming with cunning. Its tail arched high, a slender venomous needle hidden at its tip glinting coldly.

Chapter 14

Through training with Xu Jintang and the others, Song Duoduo had already gained plenty of practical combat experience.

The instant she saw the Green Poison Scorpion emerge, she swiftly activated her ability.

A dark purple datura flower slowly began growing wildly outside the cave.

A breeze brushed past, setting the datura swaying as its hallucinogenic pollen gradually spread through the air.

After inhaling the pollen, the Green Poison Scorpion crawling out became dazed for a moment and stopped in place.

It looked as though it were drunk, its raised tail drooping.

A perfect opening.

"Crimson Flames of the Nine Heavens!" Song Tianqi struck swiftly, expertly summoning nine Scarlet Flames and hurling them at the Green Poison Scorpion.

"Hiss, hiss..."

The first Green Poison Scorpion to crawl out fell just like that.

Even as it lay on the ground, its tail kept thrashing.

Before they could celebrate, the three remaining Green Poison Scorpions poured out of the cave.

Seeing three Green Poison Scorpions emerge at once, Song Duoduo grew a little flustered. "What do we do? I can only control one."

"I'll take the other two." With that, Xu Jintang crushed the two attack inscriptions in her palm.

Two attacks composed of air blades flew toward two of the Green Poison Scorpions that had just crawled out.

Clang-

The air blades struck the Green Poison Scorpions' shells with a clear clang, leaving deep scratches.

Green Poison Scorpions were exceptionally vindictive demonic beasts. Whoever struck them became their unrelenting target.

The moment Xu Jintang attacked, she drew their aggro.

The two Green Poison Scorpions she had hit raised their tails and scuttled rapidly toward her.

A faint light flickered around Xu Jintang as she activated her ability.

-Domain Slow.

The domain's power covered the entire area. The Green Poison Scorpions, which had been scuttling nimbly a moment ago, seemed weighed down by an invisible burden, every step heavy and slow.

Song Duoduo and Song Tianqi seized the opportunity to draw one Green Poison Scorpion away and engage it.

Xu Jintang turned and sprinted back.

Green Poison Scorpions were venomous. There was no need for her to force a two-on-one fight.

She only needed to keep these two occupied until Song Tianqi and Song Duoduo finished off theirs and could come help her.

After running some distance, Xu Jintang stopped and turned, a dagger with a notched blade appearing in her hand.

The dagger had suffered considerable damage in her earlier fights.

She had not yet had time to get it repaired.

It would have to do for now.

The two Green Poison Scorpions stopped and raised their tails high. Coldly gleaming venomous needles shot from their tails, hurtling toward Xu Jintang.

Xu Jintang quickly ducked and rolled twice across the ground, narrowly avoiding both needles.

Bracing a hand against the ground, she stopped rolling and fixed her gaze on the two Green Poison Scorpions.

Rainwater had mixed with the soil to form sludge, coating Xu Jintang's palm.

The next second, a Green Poison Scorpion raised its tail and drove it into the ground. Powerful fluctuations of mental energy spread from its body.

The Slowing Domain shattered at the same moment.

Xu Jintang narrowed her eyes and struck swiftly, raising her dagger as she charged at one of the Green Poison Scorpions.

The dagger's blade stabbed toward its eye.

The Green Poison Scorpion dodged quickly, but the blade still grazed its eyeball, drawing a bead of blood.

Enraged by its injury, the Green Poison Scorpion unleashed a wild barrage of venomous needles.

Xu Jintang swiftly rose, gripping her dagger as she slashed at the incoming needles.

Clang-

The dagger's blade deflected the venomous needles, sending them falling to the ground.

Xu Jintang then carried her momentum forward and rushed up to the Green Poison Scorpion.

She raised her dagger and stabbed down hard.

The sharp blade instantly pierced the Green Poison Scorpion's body, sending green blood spurting out.

Killed in a single blow, the Green Poison Scorpion stopped breathing and collapsed.

The remaining Green Poison Scorpion was soon killed by the combined efforts of Song Duoduo and Song Tianqi, who had rushed over.

Xu Jintang breathed a sigh of relief, pulled out her dagger, and turned toward the cave.

The rain grew heavier. Her soaked clothes were becoming heavier too, making movement even more difficult.

Xu Jintang raised a hand to wipe the rain from her face. The dirt on her sleeve mixed with the rainwater, instantly smearing her cheek with mud.

"Only the tier-two Green Poison Scorpion left."

Song Tianqi and Song Duoduo each retreated to one side, watching the cave warily.

Tier-one demonic beasts had few means of attack and were easier to handle.

But tier-two demonic beasts were different.

The ground shook as a much larger Fierce Spirit Green Poison Scorpion, nearly filling the entire cave, slowly appeared before them.

The tier-two Green Poison Scorpion's emerald shell was even more vivid. Its raised tail was a full meter long, and the venomous needle hidden at its tip looked thicker.

Sensing the terrifying aura of a tier-two demonic beast, Song Duoduo swallowed, a little nervous. "Can we... beat it?"

Tier one and tier two might not seem far apart, but the difference in strength could be three- or fourfold.

Xu Jintang calmly rolled her wrists. "How will we know if we don't try?"

As she finished speaking, the enormous Green Poison Scorpion swung its tail hard. In the blink of an eye, three venomous needles shot toward them.

"Watch out for the needles," Xu Jintang warned, swiftly turning and rolling aside.

Song Duoduo and Song Tianqi followed immediately, running off to either side.

The needles missed and pierced the ground. Their potent venom swiftly stained the entire patch of soil black, releasing green poisonous fumes.

"Holy shit, that venom's way too strong." Song Tianqi could not help swearing.

Song Duoduo looked worried. "There's a problem. My ability's hallucinogenic effect only works on enemies of the same tier. A tier-two demonic beast might not be affected."

"It's fine. I've got this." Eager to fight, Song Tianqi immediately began summoning Scarlet Flames.

Dagger in hand, Xu Jintang also charged forward, excitement in her eyes.

Song Duoduo sighed and joined their attack.

The tier-two Green Poison Scorpion was noticeably faster in both movement and reaction.

As Xu Jintang reached it, it immediately retreated a considerable distance. While evading her attack, it swung its tail again, firing several venomous needles in succession.

Forced to halt her attack, Xu Jintang turned sideways to dodge.

Just then, Song Tianqi arrived too.

Nine Scarlet Flames circled him, bringing intense heat wherever he went.

Before the Green Poison Scorpion could react, Song Tianqi suddenly sprinted forward, raising a hand to direct the nine Scarlet Flames at it.

Sizzle-

Although the Green Poison Scorpion dodged quickly, two Scarlet Flames still struck it. Several scorch marks marred its formerly smooth shell, leaving it looking somewhat worse for wear.

The burned Green Poison Scorpion grew agitated.

Its cries became shriller as it raised its tail high and scuttled toward Xu Jintang, who was closest.

Song Duoduo hurriedly warned them, "My hallucinogenic effect doesn't work against a higher tier. Don't be reckless, you two."

Xu Jintang swiftly rose and retreated rapidly. Her Domain Slow was also ineffective against a higher tier. She had no intention of wasting mental energy activating her ability again.

By then, the Green Poison Scorpion had reached her. It raised its tail high and stabbed at her.

With danger upon her, Xu Jintang instantly snapped alert and twisted aside to dodge.

Her foot planted firmly on the ground, splashing mud everywhere.

"Class monitor, what do we do?" Song Duoduo looked at Xu Jintang and asked anxiously, "Right now, aside from Song Tianqi's ability still being able to attack, both our control abilities are useless."

If the fight dragged on, it would definitely put the three of them at a disadvantage.

Xu Jintang pressed her lips together, deep in thought, and was just about to speak.

Song Tianqi, standing nearby, spoke first. "Can you buy me ten seconds? I have a way to deal with it."

Song Duoduo froze, looking at Song Tianqi in surprise. "Seriously?"

Xu Jintang glanced at him too.

The Green Poison Scorpion clearly had little patience. When its strike missed, it immediately swung its tail again, launching a ranged attack with its venomous needles.

Song Tianqi could only speak while dodging. "Seriously. I have a way, but I need time."

The scorpion's tail stabbed viciously into the ground, its venom contaminating the nearby soil and turning it black.

Song Duoduo hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I can only buy you three seconds at most. That's my limit."

This time, it was Xu Jintang's turn to be surprised.

These two usually seemed pretty unreliable. She had not expected both of them to have trump cards hidden away.

"Brother Long, if I use my ice attribute at full power, can I hold out for seven seconds?" Xu Jintang consulted the Ice Soul Dragon in her sea of consciousness.

The Ice Soul Dragon's voice soon came. "Yes."

Instantly reassured, Xu Jintang stopped running and dodging, planting her feet. "Leave the remaining seven seconds to me."

Song Duoduo and Song Tianqi both looked toward her.

But the situation was too urgent to give the three of them much time to think.

Song Tianqi looked away and took a deep breath. With complete trust, he stopped moving and no longer dodged the Green Poison Scorpion's attacks. "Then I'm starting."

With that, he raised both hands, and the Vermilion Bird Token appeared before him, glowing red.

As an offensive skill, Crimson Flames of the Nine Heavens was indeed outstanding.

But for it to earn him special admission to the First Military Academy, the Vermilion Bird Token naturally had more uses than what showed on the surface.