Chapter 59: Strength lies in the Will...
"Fuck... For God’s sake... You both said step aside from this to me," Lian Nichang muttered, cracking his neck against his shoulder once. "Now.. Kill the weird beast now!"
Xiao Yanrui and Xiao Lanxue exchanged a deep glance before lunging toward the beast. There was a beast in front of them skewering nearly four feet tall, its strong, armor-tiled body emanating a faint heat that quivered the surrounding air violently. It is Rank 3 Fire-type Mole.
Its forelimbs are lethally long, four sickle-like claws wavered tearing the air slightly, nearly half a meter long. A blazy lava drop crawled down from one of its claws, wrapping and burning the grass on the ground into a small crater.
The beast’s legs are muscular, and strongly dug into the ground. A low grunt escaped from the beast’s mouth sluggishly, revealing deadly fangs with filthy dirt and flesh on them. A strange smell lingered across the area around the disciples.
The beast’s muscular legs dug deep into the dirt. A sluggish, guttural grunt rattled out from its mouth, revealing deadly fangs stained with filthy dirt and flesh. A strange stick swirled across in the air around the disciples.
Xiao siblings let out a lazy breath and rushed forward with an immense speed, covering the distance in a mere five seconds.
The beast tried to thrust its hands into Xiao Yan’s chest with immense speed. But he dodged it with a meticulous pivot, slashing his hand in a lethal, sweeping arc against the beast’s neck.
At the same moment, from the opposite side, Xiao Lanxue gathered her beast essence into a serpent silhouette. The serpent instantly bit into the other side of the beast’s neck.
A few pulps of flesh, slashed and chomped by both siblings, fell off with a wet thud. The white-red stained bone of the mole beast was vehemently exposed. It fell down face first into the ground, its massive body spasming in a final, desperate movement.
With mighty ice bear strength accumulated in Xiao Yanrui’s legs, he descended his muscular leg down. He stomped the head into pieces of crunched white skeleton, brain matter, and pulpy flesh around the spider-webbed ground.
Xiao Lanxue exhaled sharply, the shining serpent silhouette around her arms vanishing into the thin air. She smeared a stray drop of blood from her cheek, her eyes darting around the surroundings for any signs of more movement. Xiao Yanrui stood calm over the bloody carnage, the lingering ice on his leg slowly melting as his breathing relaxed with the sudden silence of the forest.
"Damn... You both are too nasty and brutal... Hahaha!" Lian Nichang sneered, patting on Xiao Yanrui’s back. "Okay... Let’s move forward! We only have five crystals, hope I see the crystal first!"
"Huh.. Dreams will never come true," Xiao Yanrui muttered, pushing Lian Nichang’s hand aside. He sluggishly walked straight toward the pathway, gesturing to his sibling once to follow.
Lian Nichang smirked once before starting his stroll toward the deep of the forest. He glanced toward the corpse of the grotesque mole once, and started walking as he clicked his tongue once.
****
Meanwhile, at the side of Teng Haoran group, a strange hum of chirps boomed across the surroundings.
The three disciples quickly snapped their heads in all directions before glancing toward a large tree trunk.
"The sound is coming from the tree trunk hole?" Chi Ruyan muttered, his face filled with confusion. "Something is inside it... Don’t let your guards down..."
"We know that, don’t boss around, Chi Ruyan," Huo Luo Ren sneered, clicking her tongue with a pathetic gaze on her face.
Teng Haoran didn’t say a word. He simply walked toward the tree trunk with slow, meticulous steps. After a few steps, the cacophony of strange chirps suddenly became high-pitched.
"Fuck! What the hell is this sound?" Teng Haoran yelled, covering his eyes vehemently. "Come out the fucking trunk, you noisy scoundrel."
Buzzzzzz...
The high-pitched hum gradually transformed into a rhythmic reverberation that shook the surrounding leaves.
Whoosh!
A jade-green shimmer appeared from the hole on the trunk, reaching toward the three disciples with high speed. A shiny beast appeared, it was nearly three feet long.
The beast’s body was wrapped in emerald-green colour, shining against the sunlight. Six thin legs twitched under its shiny body, each ending in razor-like claws capable of gripping the edges of the tree trunk without making the slightest sound. The creature’s most terrifying feature was its wings.
Two pairs of translucent wings continuously buzzed at an immense frequency. The sharp edges of the wings gleamed like crystals, reflecting the rays of sunlight.
Its compound-like eyes shimmered with a cold hue, calmly observing the three disciples in front of it.
"Rank Three..." Teng Haoran muttered, analysing the aura of the beast. "...Wind-type Cicada."
Buzz!
With a single buzz, the cicada vanished.
"What?!" Huo Luo Ren instinctively widened her eyes. She couldn’t see it.
A sudden gust brushed past Chi Ruyan’s face; he instinctively moved aside.
Slash!
A thin streak of blood slowly appeared across his cheek.
"Fast..." Chi Ruyan muttered, smearing the blood off from his cheek. "It’s coming again, Huo Luo Ren."
Whoosh!
The Wind-type Cicada suddenly reappeared behind Huo Luo Ren. She reacted in time.
Its sharp claws merely grazed her shoulder before disappearing once more. The sleeve of her robe silently split apart, exposing an inch of skin beneath.
"Damn insect!" Huo Luo Ren growled, throwing a punch into empty air.
It was just a hollow punch, because the cicada had already vanished.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz...
The rhythmic vibration continuously echoed between the trees. Every sound came from every direction. The disciples couldn’t determine its actual location.
"It’s using the sound to confuse us." Teng Haoran elucidated calmly, stroking his chin once. His eyes remained half-closed, quietly listening. "A small buzz followed by the wind gust. Hahaha!"
Whoosh!
The cicada shot toward Teng Haoran like a streak of green lightning. But, he simply shifted half a step sideways. The razor-sharp wings sliced nothing but air. The cicada immediately changed direction before attacking again.
Whoosh!
Again, Teng Haoran merely tilted his body slightly. The attack missed by less than an inch.
He meticulously dodged the beast’s attacks.
"Hahaha..." Huo Luo Ren sneered, forcing out a bitter laugh. "Are you planning to dance with that thing forever?"
"No." Teng Haoran replied softly, dodging another attack. "I’m waiting."
"For what?"
"The moment... it becomes predictable."
Buzz!
The cicada launched itself once more. Its speed became even faster, this time it lunged straight toward Chi Ruyan.
Chi Ruyan remained completely still, his fists slowly tightened. The cicada became faster.
"Move aside," Huo Luo Ren frightened, taking a step toward Chi Ruyan.
"The faster something moves..." Chi Ruyan murmured, clenching his fists. "...the less it can change direction."
At the very instant its blade-like wings descended, Chi Ruyan twisted his waist. His right fist shot forward like a serpent with lightning speed.
Boom!!
The punch landed squarely against the cicada’s face and chest before it could alter its path. Its emerald shell shattered instantly. The tremendous force hurled the Rank Three beast backward like a cannonball.
Bam!
Its body smashed violently into the tree trunk from which it had emerged. The entire trunk trembled. The cicada slowly slid down the bark, its shattered wings withering lifelessly.
A pool of green blood spread across the ground sluggishly. The eerie silence returned to the forest.
"You never intended to chase it," Teng Haoran murmured, a faint smirk curling on his lips.
"Against something faster than yourself..." Chi Ruyan explained, a faint smirk curling on his lips. He slowly rubbed his stained fist to his side robes. "...don’t chase. Just make it come to you."
"Tsk... You could’ve told us earlier," Huo Luo Ren muttered, clicking her tongue.
"If I said..." Chi Ruyan glanced at the dead cicada once before turning away, "you wouldn’t have learned."
The three quietly continued their walk deeper into the forest. Far ahead, a faint jade-colored glimmer flickered briefly between the towering trees.
"The exit may be closer than we thought," Teng Haoran’s expression immediately sharpened.
****
"Hahaha! We found the crystal..." Chen Ming gushed, patting on Lin Yuan’s back. "You are a genius, Lin Yuan."
Lin Yuan found the jade crystal with sheer concentration. He calmly analysed the aura emanating from a large pine tree trunk near the exit. Chen Ming totally trusts the instincts of Lin Yuan. And finally, Lin Yuan slammed the pine tree in the middle, to retrieve the jade crystal in the tree trunk.
The three of them forgot about the constraint: ’Only one disciple can hold one crystal and win the trial.’ and walked toward the exit, but it didn’t allow them to pass.
"Only one can pass, and the one should have jade crystal to pass!" Lin Yuan murmured, seeing the translucent barrier preventing them from going out. "What an elegant barrier!!"
"Chen MIng, take this crystal and win the trial," Lin Yuan tossed the crystal into Chen Ming’s hands. He caught the crystal with shaky hands.
"What...?" Chen Ming frowned, clicking his tongue. "I did nothing, you killed the Rank 4 beast, and you found the crystal with your instincts. You deserve this win, Lin Yuan."
"The crystal was found because you trusted my judgment," Lin Yuan whispered, darting his eyes toward Huo Ren. "Without Huo Ren, the boulder would never have fallen. Without you, the boar would’ve crushed me. This victory belongs to all three, but someone must walk out—"
"But why should it be me? Why not you, Lin Yuan?" Chen Ming asked, taking a frantic step forward.
Without listening to the words, Lin Yuan pushed Chen Ming out of the exit with a sudden movement.
Instantly, a strange voice echoed across the forest. "First to clear the trial was a disciple from Chen Clan — Chen Ming!"
"Let’s go, Huo Ren," Lin Yuan murmured, gesturing to the confused Huo Ren. "Let’s grab the wins of other groups... Hahaha! You go to the right side and I will go to the left."
Lin Yuan’s group started at the middle entrance, which had two other entrances on either side. Cunning Lin Yuan marched ahead proudly to take the crystal before the other group arrived.
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