Chapter Forty-Eight: The Struggle

Sliding down the sloped opening, the group brushed past layers of rock, Chen Qi condensing his vital energy beneath his feet to control his descent. The surge of energy burst forth, so intense it seemed even sparks would be suppressed. Bathed in the increasingly vivid red glow, Chen Qi kept his eyes fixed ahead.

With a series of splashes, the group landed in ankle-deep water pooled atop the slanted rock below. Each person created a spray as they hit the surface. Steadying themselves, they took in the scene:

Sparse stone pillars surrounded them, and their view opened up to reveal a vast underground lake. The water was murky, emanating a strange odor, and in the distance, the muffled roar of beasts echoed—some fierce creature was locked in battle.

The centipede beast that had entered the lake ahead of them slipped away, using its familiarity with the terrain to swim beneath the surface. Close behind, the team’s senior sister sprinted across the water, not looking back, hot on the trail of her prey.

Chen Qi scooped up a handful of water, using his energy vision to probe the lake more closely. Though the water was thick with sediment, he detected none of the ominous energies typical of poison. Instead, a faint vitality pulsed beneath the surface, hidden within the murk.

Worried for their senior sister, the group did not linger. They pursued the direction where the lake’s surface shimmered, following the sound of distant beastly roars.

As they advanced, Chen Qi—his constitution an exceptional eighteen points—quickly noticed the rising temperature of the water. Soon, the heat against his submerged calves felt almost scalding.

Passing through a small tunnel, the group found that the rock ceiling above suddenly soared from a mere two-person height to several fathoms. The lake expanded in an instant, forming a massive, circular basin hundreds of meters across.

Stunned, they gazed at the center of the lake:

From above, a crystalline stalactite hung down, transparent as glass. From its tip dripped radiant red light, which faintly congealed into the shape of a phoenix. The stalactite’s end glowed with a deep, almost blinding scarlet, and as the light flickered, a single drop of liquid fell.

Below the stalactite, a rock platform rose above the lake, already pooled with this brilliant, otherworldly red liquid. Occasionally, a drop would overflow into the lake, sending the water around it into a boiling frenzy, as if accentuating the pedestal’s mystique.

But what shocked them most was not this; beside the stone platform loomed a colossal centipede, fully five meters long. It resembled the beast they’d seen at the cave entrance, yet it was thicker, longer, and encircled by a black-red halo radiating a chilling aura of death and decay.

The centipede beast that had fled into the lake earlier now sidled up beside its formidable kin, straightening itself as if to declare it feared no human.

On one side of the two centipedes floated three monstrous fish. Shaped like gigantic fans, their massive, supple bodies glistened, and their blood-red eyes bulged with rage. Around them bobbed the corpses of many of their own kind, bellies up—some torn to shreds, innards exposed, as though corroded by venom, unmistakably slain by the centipedes.

On the other side of the centipedes stood a gigantic pangolin, its body a dark violet-black, teeth and claws razor-sharp. Its scales shimmered faintly, marking it as extraordinary, though many of the plates were damaged and its energy waned, showing signs of a recent fierce battle.

In the triangular space between the beasts, many other monstrous creatures lay dead, their bodies swept by the current, motionless—the first casualties of this ongoing struggle.

At that moment, the hostilities between the three beast factions had reached a tense pause. Each watched the others warily, their gazes occasionally flickering to a human woman standing not far off. From time to time, a roar would echo, but for some reason, none of the beasts moved.

Beside Chen Qi, a round-faced woman spoke in a grave tone:

“The Violet-Scaled Pangolin King, a peak fifth-rank beast. The Blood-Faced Red Stingray, also fifth-rank—those three are all late-stage fifth-rank. The Ghost-Faced Crimson Centipede is typically fifth-rank as well, but the one wreathed in that halo… its strength seems to surpass even the fifth rank…”

Her voice grew heavier, yet a trace of excitement slipped through. Taking a deep breath, she added, “That red liquid appears to be a rare heavenly treasure suited for innate cultivators—Phoenix Blood Stalactite Essence, aged ten years!”

She offered no further explanation, but her babyish features flushed even redder, betraying her longing for the treasure.

Nearby, a handsome man with sword-like brows flushed as well, his long blade already drawn, the gleam of whirling sword-light betraying his eagerness.

Suddenly, the centipede beast rose upright, hissing sharply as if communicating with the other beasts, intent on first driving out the intruders.

Sensing the situation turning against them, the senior sister darted toward the stone platform, her slender hand forming a claw, reaching to seize the Phoenix Blood Stalactite Essence.

Her movement shattered the fragile peace. Beastly roars erupted in unison, and the air split as creatures lunged for the platform at the heart of the lake.

“You stay here—we’ll make our move!” Two inner disciples called out hurriedly before vanishing, their sights set on the stone pedestal.

The senior sister moved with astonishing speed, closing the gap to within ten meters of the platform in an instant. Yet the centipede wreathed in the ominous halo was formidable and, being closer to the platform, managed to block her path just in time.

Man and beast clashed midair, her violet sword colliding with the beast’s red-black carapace, momentarily locking together.

Meanwhile, a purple blur ignored the battle, circling swiftly around the chaos, its speed suddenly increasing—until three sharp whistling sounds sliced through the air behind it.

The source: three thick jets of water, unleashed by the fish monsters, who, lacking speed, launched their attack in desperation to hinder the pangolin’s advance.

The pangolin’s eyes glittered with cunning as its scales bristled, glowing even more vibrantly with purple light. Bracing itself, it prepared to withstand the assault and reach the platform first.

With a dull thud, the water jets slammed into the pangolin’s back. Thanks to its preparation, one jet glanced harmlessly off its armored scales, but the other two struck true, shearing off patches of scales and leaving two fist-sized wounds from which blood welled forth.

Yet, propelled by the force of the attack, the pangolin finally reached the platform. Before it could savor its success, a long shadow struck toward the back of its head, spitting foul, venomous bile as it flew—the wounded centipede had returned for another strike.

Faced with this new threat just as it was about to claim the prize, the pangolin was outraged but remained cautious. Its sharp claws gleamed with a layer of violet-gold energy, and in a flash, it unleashed a flurry of strikes, each blow fiercer than the last, tearing the poison apart and driving at the centipede.

The centipede, already weaker and wounded, could only shield itself with its many legs.

The pangolin’s claw strikes rained down, severing the centipede’s legs in a grisly, relentless storm.

The centipede shrieked in agony, its abdomen split by several deep gashes, its battered body flung into the lake.

Not far away, the massive centipede locked in combat with the senior sister witnessed this turn and, in desperation, launched a flurry of attacks, momentarily forcing her back. From its belly, the grinning face seemed to come alive, and a terrifying energy began to gather, ready to erupt.