Chapter 125: Sweeping Through
The Six-Winged Blood Centipede shot into the sky, its six blood-colored sheath wings flapping continuously, stirring up a foul wind.
Under the round moon, a massive centipede monster over three or four zhang long emitted a ferocious aura in the bright moonlight.
It swooped down toward Su Yan, moving at extreme speed, almost like a single red shadow.
Su Yan leaped up, and the Six-Winged Blood Centipede steadily caught him. Blood-red antennae like whips were held in his hand.
Blood wings tore through the air as it charged into the dense forest. A Giant Bristle Wild Boar that was hunting was pounced on and flipped to the ground. Its mouthparts opened wide, biting the Giant Bristle Wild Boar into pieces and swallowing it into its abdomen.
Replenishing energy, Su Yan could feel the Six-Winged Blood Centipede’s dark red carapace becoming even harder, its body also growing larger in sync.
Su Yan simply tossed out a bottle of Beast Essence Pills, totaling ten, letting the Six-Winged Blood Centipede swallow the bottle and pills together.
Abundant energy immediately began replenishing, and its body continued to grow larger.
The metamorphosis of breaking out of the cocoon only changed the life level; newly metamorphosed fierce insects were often in a state of extreme hunger and energy deficiency.
Su Yan was already used to it. Watching the Six-Winged Blood Centipede gradually grow to five zhang long, he immediately let it enter the mountain forest to continue killing.
Its massive body, even without flying, crushed through the forest like a peerless fierce python, rolling over old trees and shrubs ahead.
Whether it was a Horned Boar like a small mountain or a ferocious Black Claw Tiger.
In front of the Six-Winged Blood Centipede, they were nothing more than rations.
After a rampage, large numbers of feral beasts scattered and fled.
The Six-Winged Blood Centipede gradually became full, then stopped the killing, carrying Su Yan into the sky and flying back to Grindstone Stockade.
The fierce insect’s aura was overwhelming, making Yang Kun and Yang Lun tremble in their hearts.
They were both Heart Ape Stage martial artists, albeit just entering the Heart Ape Stage, but still genuine True Intent powerhouses.
Yet in front of the Six-Winged Blood Centipede, they seemed like they could lose their lives at any moment.
“Congratulations, Lord, on your insect tamer’s breakthrough!”
The five congratulated in unison, their faces showing sincere joy.
Although their lives were controlled by Su Yan, they gained a backer and hope for progress.
The Blood Marrow Worms in their bodies constantly tempered their qi and blood, like built-in long-lasting pills.
Now they had successively experienced the benefits of fusion and parasitism, and they realized a key point in their hearts—the stronger the fierce insect, the more benefits they might gain as hosts.
“All get on.”
Su Yan glanced at the high-hanging round moon; there were still hours until dawn, so he gave the order to the five.
Yang Kun and the others were stunned, then reacted—this was going to Mangshan Great Mine.
The few trembled as they came onto the Six-Winged Blood Centipede, steadied themselves, then saw it shoot into the sky, stirring up fierce winds, heading straight for Mangshan Great Mine.
Mangshan Great Mine was about seventy or eighty li of mountain path from Grindstone Stockade. Traversing mountains and ridges on foot would likely take a full day.
But for the Six-Winged Blood Centipede, it was less than half a quarter-hour.
Su Yan and the others arrived at Mangshan Great Mine.
A majestic mine entered their view.
Rocks shattered and exposed, strange stones standing everywhere; on the sprawling huge mountain range, trees were sparse, mostly rubble, mine pits, and small paths left by prospecting and mining.
On the mine, there was a huge stone stockade; further in was the mine depths, also the largest mine pit, completely under the stone stockade’s control.
The Six-Winged Blood Centipede landed, hiding in distant shrubs and tangled woods.
Yang Kun said, “Lord, the Essence Flame Armored Beast is in Mangshan Stockade. It is fed iron ore daily to refine special ore.”
Su Yan nodded. “You conceal your figures, make some commotion to draw people out, and I’ll make my move.”
“Yes.”
Yang Kun and the others concealed their faces and figures, then hurried together toward Mangshan Great Mine’s camp.
Su Yan didn’t wait long before seeing firelight shooting into the sky from various mine pits.
Alarm horns sounded continuously, everywhere filled with shouts of “enemy attack,” “mountain bandits,” “fire,” as Mangshan Great Mine descended into chaos.
Yang Kun and the others kept wounding the mine guards.
They weren’t there to kill, but to attract attention. They didn’t want to create deadly enmity forcing Tian Feng Weapon Shop to pursue relentlessly, and they knew wounding one person often held back more.
Soon, torches across Mangshan Great Mine were like stars, with large numbers of guards and miners rushing out. The continuous firelight in the night looked like setting fire to the mountain.
Seeing the timing was right, Su Yan patted the Six-Winged Blood Centipede beside him.
The Six-Winged Blood Centipede lowered its massive head, crimson antennae waving, extending to Su Yan for him to grab, and he mounted its back.
Whoosh
The Six-Winged Blood Centipede shot into the sky, heading straight for Mangshan Stockade.
Its form like a shadow, speed extremely fast.
In an instant, it had landed in Mangshan Stockade, flipping houses everywhere, smashing built rolling logs, scattering them across the open ground.
“Feral beast attack!”
There were still guards in the camp who, upon seeing the Six-Winged Blood Centipede, immediately raised the alarm.
Su Yan’s eyes glanced around; guards from all sides were rushing over, about eleven or twelve.
The Six-Winged Blood Centipede coiled and rammed directly, immediately sending people tumbling and flipping to the ground.
Bone splinters were shattered, blood flowing everywhere, wails unending.
Intense whooshing sounds came from behind Su Yan, heading straight for his head.
Bang
The Six-Winged Blood Centipede whipped its tail over, a muffled thud as a heavy Six-Star Prismatic Hammer was sent flying, landing at the entrance of a large stone house.
The ground was smashed into a small pit, dust rising everywhere. Someone walked out from the stone house, grabbing the Six-Star Prismatic Hammer.
“Where did this petty thief come from, daring to cause trouble at Mangshan Great Mine!”
Pang Jian’s gaze was angry, like a lion. A bronze Armored Ox suddenly coalesced behind him, raising its hooves and charging at Su Yan.
He himself stepped forward, swinging the Six-Star Prismatic Hammer like a whirlwind, extremely fierce.
Su Yan raised his eyes, showing no sign of alarm.
The Six-Winged Blood Centipede had understood his command, leaping to pounce, its mouthparts like a guillotine biting at the Armored Ox.
Though the Armored Ox met it with horns, it had clearly underestimated the Six-Winged Blood Centipede’s ability.
With just this clash, the True Essence-formed ox horns were instantly severed, and a huge gash was bitten into its neck.
True Essence continuously dispersed, and the Armored Ox’s body became lighter due to needing massive True Essence to repair the wound.
Seeing this, Pang Jian swung his hammer to strike.
The Six-Winged Blood Centipede topped with its ferocious head, colliding solidly.
The two grappled; in mere moments, Pang Jian’s clothes tore, and even his forearms cracked and bled from overexertion and limited great strength.
In one clash, both the Beast Spirit True Intent and his body were suppressed.
Pang Jian’s heart sank, knowing things were hard to salvage.
But before he could think of a method, the Six-Winged Blood Centipede coiled its body, raising its upper half, spewing surging black poisonous mist from its mouth.
The poisonous mist sank to the ground like mercury, quickly enveloping the entire area.
It then rose, covering the whole space; in an instant, thin black mist chilled spines.
This beast could use poison?!
Pang Jian held his breath, summoning the Armored Ox to guard him, using True Essence to isolate the poisonous gas as much as possible.
However, how could he have the chance to block it so easily?
While spewing poisonous mist, the Six-Winged Blood Centipede rammed with its massive body, directly flipping him to the ground.
The poisonous mist corroded True Essence; the already battered Armored Ox True Intent grew thinner under the erosion, soon beginning to disperse.
Pang Jian tried to counterattack but was crushed by the Six-Winged Blood Centipede, his body poisoned, reactions slowed. After several rams, even the Six-Star Prismatic Hammer in his hand was knocked aside.
Whoosh
The Gold-Eating Demon Insect flew down from Su Yan, gnawing at the Six-Star Prismatic Hammer with clanging sounds, quickly creating many notches.
“You, who exactly are you?”
“Be quiet, and you can live.”
Su Yan walked past Pang Jian, pointing a finger; great strength struck, and Pang Jian dazedly lost consciousness.
The same happened to those guards trapped by the poisonous mist.
They lacked Pang Jian’s ability to temporarily isolate poison gas with Beast Spirit and True Essence.
Soon, from inhaling and being corroded by the poisonous mist, they were paralyzed on the ground, convulsing nonstop.
Su Yan didn’t kill them, taking the Six-Winged Blood Centipede toward the tall stone house Pang Jian had emerged from.
The stone house was crude yet sturdy. In the empty space, aside from torches on the walls, there was nothing else; the ground was bare, with a dim staircase descending from it.
The staircase was wide, over a zhang across, with smooth tracks on both sides, clearly for carts dragging goods in the past.
Thud thud
Intense collision sounds kept coming from underground, along with furious roars.
“Looks like I don’t need to go down.”
In the dungeon, the imprisoned Essence Flame Armored Beast had sensed the outside changes and fallen into rage.
The dim passage was lit by firelight, heavy impact sounds ringing continuously.
Su Yan didn’t wait long before hearing the sound of iron chains breaking.
Then the ground rumbled and shook, the passage’s light gradually approaching, a wave of heat suddenly assaulting.
“Roar”
The Essence Flame Armored Beast burst out of the passage, charging at the two living things in the room, seemingly to vent years of imprisonment fury on Su Yan.
It was covered in crimson hard armor, joints sprouting red long bristles and spikes, mouth and nose spewing fire, a line of intense firelight faintly on its spine.
It swung its huge beast claw, the wind carrying rolling heat waves.
The Six-Winged Blood Centipede blocked in front of the attack, fiercely whipping its tail to knock it down.
Its massive body crushed over; the Essence Flame Armored Beast spewed large gouts of flame, pounding with both hands to shatter the Six-Winged Blood Centipede.
However, no matter how it pounded, the Six-Winged Blood Centipede’s dark red carapace was hard as metal stone, utterly unmoving.
The Six-Winged Blood Centipede bit onto the Essence Flame Armored Beast, then coiled its body, wrapping it round and round, its thousands of appendages like steel needles slowly tearing into the Essence Flame Armored Beast’s body.
Flames scorched the Six-Winged Blood Centipede’s body, but a thick demonic essence emanated from the carapace.
With this barrier, the flames found it even harder to injure the Six-Winged Blood Centipede.
The Essence Flame Armored Beast struggled continuously, low roars weakening, sounds of breaking bones increasing.
Sharp mouthparts opened wide, then pierced it through, killing it on the spot.
Su Yan waved his hand, releasing the Red Armored Mad Scorpion, ordering it to devour the Essence Flame Armored Beast before them.
The Red Armored Mad Scorpion’s body was already relatively large, comparable to the Essence Flame Armored Beast, making devouring easier.
In just a quarter-hour, it had completely devoured it.
Su Yan exited the stone house; the outside poisonous mist had dispersed, but no one in the camp dared approach.
The Six-Winged Blood Centipede carried him into the sky, heading straight outward.
Yang Kun and the others also heard a long howl and immediately withdrew.
Without True Intent Realm pursuers, no one could really keep them.
The two groups met up, and after discussing with Yang Kun and the others, Su Yan planned to seize a Small Fine Iron Ore Vein in one go.
Su Yan had considered directly devouring Mangshan Great Mine, but realized time wouldn’t allow it; devouring such a huge mine vein couldn’t be done in one or two days.
As for devouring only metal equivalent to a Small Fine Iron Ore Vein, he worried it required an intact vein for some deeper reason.
So he headed straight for another Little Mountain Association’s metal mine vein.
This time, Su Yan had no intention of holding back. Before the guards could signal, the Six-Winged Blood Centipede charged directly into the camp.
Yin water poisonous mist
The poisonous mist sank, enveloping the camp.
Its massive body destroyed the camp’s houses and walls, crushing all resistance.
In just a quarter-hour, the entire camp was cleared.
The Red Armored Mad Scorpion directly burrowed into the mine pit, devouring fine iron ore in large gulps.
Clearly devouring ore, but Su Yan could clearly see countless invisible threads connecting all parts of the mine.
Only Su Yan could see clearly; the insect threads were identical to the power from the Fierce Insect Cauldron.
Blood-colored insect threads controlled the entire mountain range. Suddenly the ground shook, threads tightening as if pulling a massive object. A hazy feral beast-like shadow was dragged out, then gradually merged into the Red Armored Mad Scorpion’s body.
“This is… the earth vein of the Small Fine Iron Ore?”
Su Yan wasn’t sure, but undoubtedly, the Red Armored Mad Scorpion devoured not just metal ore, but the mine vein’s earth vein power.
Time passed bit by bit; by the time the Red Armored Mad Scorpion finished devouring this Small Fine Iron Ore Vein, it was dawn.
Looking at it again, its size hadn’t changed much, over a zhang long, body burly, head ferocious.
Its carapace was even more crimson, like mountain rock lit by magma, filled with powerful strength.
Even without metamorphosis, Su Yan was absolutely confident the Red Armored Mad Scorpion’s metamorphosis would be no less than the Six-Winged Blood Centipede’s.
“Just short of Crimson Flame Fine Gold. This counts as second-order ore; Tian Feng Weapon Shop or various disciples forging weapons might use it, unknown if any stock. Even if there is, probably only obtainable through exchange.”
Yang Kun and the others scouted news and gathered some clues, but nothing very useful.
Because with such ore, people planned to refine handy weapons for themselves.
Second-order sharp weapons, in a martial artist’s hands, could sometimes bridge many strength gaps.
Su Yan pondered briefly, thinking, “Just waiting won’t do; need a pretext to fish properly.”
His eyes narrowed slightly, thinking of a good idea—first fish Tian Feng Weapon Shop to test.
