Chapter 28: Thrilling Peril!
Lin Feng's heart lurched in alarm. Without a moment's hesitation, he swung his flying sword. A soft whoosh echoed, followed by the fire-tailed scorpion's piercing shriek. A spray of dark red fluid erupted as one massive claw thudded to the ground.
——Lin Feng's single slash had cleanly severed one claw from the Tier 2 fire-tailed scorpion!
The Tier 2 scorpion clearly hadn't anticipated Lin Feng's weapon to be so devastating. Its supposedly indestructible claw had been sliced off like soft mud. Agonized, it stumbled backward. Simultaneously, its steel-whip-like tail whipped through the air with a whistling howl, sweeping towards Lin Feng!
"Hah!!"
Empowered by severing the claw, Lin Feng's confidence surged. Seeing the colossal tail sweeping in, he forcefully kicked off the ground. He vaulted nearly three meters high, almost brushing the cave ceiling. The tail passed harmlessly beneath him.
"Swoosh!"
Even as he leaped, Lin Feng's flying sword lashed out again. The tail sweeping beneath him met the descending blade. With a clean slice, the tail continued its momentum—but the fiery tip, a chunk of blazing chitin, flew off, severed from the main body!
Another strike had cut its tail!
Amidst the scorpion's agonized screams, Lin Feng landed. He prepared to press his advantage, but a rush of wind from behind alerted him. Instinctively, he dodged sideways. One claw smashed into the ground beside his foot, while another slammed into the spirit light shield protecting his back!
Whoomp! The shield warped violently again, its glow visibly dimming by half.
"Thunk!!"
The sharp sound of penetration followed instantly—Lin Feng had spun and thrust his sword backward. The blade pierced clean through the skull of the late-stage Tier 1 fire-tailed scorpion that had lunged at him.
He kicked the scorpion carcass aside and whirled back. He saw the wounded Tier 2 scorpion scrambling towards the burrow it had emerged from.
"You think you can escape?"
Lin Feng snorted coldly. His left hand snapped forward. Four streaks of emerald light shot out, striking the ground near the fleeing beast.
Swish, swish, swish, swish…
The emerald lights burst. Several thick, vine-like tendrils erupted from the earth, writhing like serpents as they coiled around the scorpion's rows of legs!
"Scree!!!"
The Tier 2 scorpion shrieked. A crimson glow briefly enveloped its body—it seemed to turn incandescent, like red-hot iron. With a powerful heave, it shattered all the entangling vines. Yet, before it could dive into its burrow, a primal sense of danger washed over it. Screaming, it raised its sole remaining massive claw to shield its head.
"Swoosh!!"
A flash of cold steel cut through the air. Lin Feng's flying sword sliced the defending claw cleanly in two! Unchecked, the blade continued downward, cleaving a deep, gaping wound into the scorpion's head!
Searing blood sprayed outward, sizzling against the spirit light shield. Lin Feng leaped back several meters. The scorpion convulsed violently for a moment, then slumped, utterly still.
"Whew…"
Lin Feng exhaled deeply, a flicker of exhilaration in his eyes. This Tier 2 demon beast—which once required the combined effort of his entire group to barely overcome—he had just slain alone and unscathed. A wave of profound satisfaction washed over him.
"Top-tier gear is just unbeatable!"
He glanced admiringly at his flying sword and the Spirit Light Gold Talisman, a trace of smugness in his voice. He didn't immediately collect the three scorpion carcasses. Instead, he cautiously scanned the surroundings. Planting his sword tip-first into the ground for a moment, he retrieved two items: a fiery red demon core the size of a hen's egg and a similarly sized chunk of red ore. He placed both against the golden talisman on his left wrist.
"Repair."
At his mental command, a ball of flame materialized before him. Within mere seconds, the flame vanished. Lin Feng lifted his right hand. The demon core and ore were noticeably smaller. The Spirit Light Gold Talisman, however, now gleamed brilliantly; the faint cracks previously visible were gone.
With the talisman repaired, Lin Feng visibly relaxed. Still, he kept the spirit light shield active. Only then did he step forward and store the three fire-tailed scorpion carcasses.
...
"Go deeper? Or retreat?"
After resting briefly, Lin Feng lifted his gaze towards the cave's depths, dark and unfathomable. Hesitation gripped him. He'd already encountered Tier 2 scorpions here. Further in, they were likely more numerous and stronger. While he trusted his sword could kill even mid or late-stage Tier 2 beasts, claiming absolute safety was impossible.
He pulled out a timekeeping artifact from his storage ring and checked it. "Still have some time," he murmured to himself. "Better push a little farther. Might find some valuable spiritual materials."
His purpose for venturing out was self-refinement. Turning back at the first sign of danger would defeat that purpose. He decided to explore a bit more.
Proceeding with extreme caution, Lin Feng dispatched several late-stage Tier 1 scorpions and two more early-stage Tier 2 ones along the way. Finally, after a somewhat harrowing fight against what seemed like a Tier 2, fourth rank scorpion, he stopped once more.
Slaying so many early and even mid-stage Tier 2 demon beasts while only at the Ninth Level of Qi Training Stage would shake the entire Azure Cloud City if known. Yet, this was entirely due to the power of the Spirit Light Gold Talisman and the flying sword. Without these potent treasures, even a single Tier 2, first rank fire-tailed scorpion could likely shred him to pieces.
He stopped because during the fight against the Tier 2, fourth rank scorpion, his spirit light shield had noticeably strained against the beast's attacks.
He estimated that a slightly stronger foe could shatter a fully powered shield in just two or three hits. Without its protection, he'd be dangerously exposed.
"Tch… I really want to see what's deeper inside… But it's too risky. Best come back next time. Once I reach Foundation Establishment, it should be manageable…"
Lin Feng peered into the tunnel's depths, where a faint, pulsing red glow hinted at the presence of some heaven-and-earth spiritual treasure. Frustration flickered in his gaze, but caution prevailed. If a treasure truly lay ahead, its guardian would undoubtedly be formidable—likely a late-stage Tier 2 beast. He wasn't confident he could defeat it; this wasn't the time for such recklessness.
A small comfort was that this location seemed unknown to others. He was likely the first to penetrate this deep. There was little worry about someone else claiming the prize.
Decision made, Lin Feng prepared to turn and leave. But then—sudden peril!!
"Swoosh!!"
A faint whistling sound reached Lin Feng's ears—too fast for conscious reaction. A fireball the size of a washbasin shot from the inky blackness deep within the cavern! He barely registered its trajectory before—
"BOOM!!!"
It slammed into his spirit light shield with devastating force. The shield buckled violently but held. The sheer impact, however, sent Lin Feng staggering backward several steps in shock.
"SCREE!!!"
Before the blazing explosion fully cleared, blinding his sight, an ear-piercing shriek erupted from the darkness ahead. One moment it seemed distant… The next, it was terrifyingly close!
No—not seemed close. It was close. Right upon him!!
Whoosh…
The flames obscuring Lin Feng's vision were violently parted. A fire-tailed scorpion, easily the size of a round table, materialized directly before him! Its colossal tail, thick as a man's thigh and tipped with roaring flames, stabbed towards his face like a spear!
"CRACK-CHOOM!!!"
A deafening metallic clang shattered the air. Lin Feng watched in horror as the spirit light shield before him exploded inward like glass! And the blazing stinger, its momentum unchecked, drove straight toward him!