The sun had begun to dip towards the horizon, casting long, distorted shadows across the barren gray earth that stretched before Wei Shen. The faint smell of sulfur he had noticed earlier was stronger here, mingled with the scent of burning dust and a strange dryness. This part of the "Forest of Lost Souls" didn't resemble a forest at all; it was more like a small desert of ash and black volcanic rocks, interspersed with a few dry, withered "Devil's Thorn" bushes.
And in the midst of this desolation lay the Poisonous Sand Scorpion. It wasn't just an ordinary scorpion, but a true spiritual beast, radiating a faint aura of earthy yellow "Qi." Its massive body, the size of a small calf, was entirely covered in a glossy black armor as if made of polished volcanic glass, reflecting the dim light eerily. Its front pincers were enormous and powerful, capable of crushing rocks with ease, and its long, segmented, curved tail ended in a black poisonous stinger the size of a small dagger, from which dripped droplets of a dark, viscous green liquid.
"This creature… its external defenses seem as solid as tempered steel," Wei Shen thought, observing it from behind a large rock outcrop, his ivory daggers in his hands. "Its front pincers are capable of crushing and tearing, and the tail… carries swift and effective death. Second level of Qi Condensation, perhaps even at its peak."
This was an entirely different challenge from the "Rock Tiger" or the "Poisonous Mist Serpent." This scorpion seemed like a moving fortress, designed for killing and defense.
Wei Shen spent nearly half an hour observing the scorpion, studying its slow, heavy movements, the way it used its pincers to move small rocks or dig in the ash, and the manner in which it raised its poisonous tail, waving it in a circular motion as if sensing its surroundings. He noted that the scorpion seemed to rely heavily on vibrations in the ground and its strong sense of smell, and that its eyesight might not be very sharp in the diminishing daylight.
"Potential weak points… the joints between its armor segments, the abdominal area if I can manage to flip it, and perhaps… its small multiple eyes if I can get close enough," Wei Shen analyzed coldly. "These boar tusks are sharp, but will they penetrate this armor easily? Strikes must be focused, precise, and aimed at specific weaknesses."
There was no room for hesitation or fear. This scorpion represented a perfect offering for the "Blood-Devouring Stone," and a chance to test the limits of his strength at the third level of Qi Condensation. "The greater the risk, the greater the reward. This is the law of power."
He chose his moment carefully. When the scorpion turned to inspect something behind it, momentarily exposing its flank, Wei Shen shot out from his hiding place like an arrow.
His speed now, thanks to the third level, was astounding compared to what he had been. He covered the short distance between himself and the scorpion in the blink of an eye, his right ivory dagger, infused with cold, potent "Blood Qi," aimed at the joint connecting one of the scorpion's massive legs to its armored body.
The Poisonous Sand Scorpion let out an angry, loud hiss as it sensed the sudden attack. Its reaction was not slow at all. In a fraction of a second, its poisonous tail rose above its body, and it swiveled to face Wei Shen, while the ivory dagger struck its thick armor near the joint, creating a faint sparking sound and a superficial scratch, but it didn't fully penetrate the armor.
"Incredibly hard!" Wei Shen thought as he quickly retreated, dodging a crushing blow from the scorpion's giant pincer, which slammed into the spot where he had been standing, shattering the small rock beneath it into fragments.
The true dance of death began.
The scorpion, despite its size, moved with surprising speed on the sandy ground, its pincers opening and closing like the jaws of steel pliers, its poisonous tail dancing in the air like a serpent ready to strike.
Wei Shen relied on the agility and speed granted to him by the third level, and on his ivory daggers, which had now become even more lethal in his hands. He circled the scorpion, dodging the deadly pincer strikes, and carefully watching the movement of the venomous tail. Whenever an opportunity arose, he would deliver a quick stab or slash towards the exposed joints in the scorpion's legs or between its armor segments.
The battle was like confronting a mobile fortress. Every successful strike from Wei Shen left a white scratch on the black armor, and sometimes superficially penetrated, causing the scorpion to let out hisses of rage and pain. But none of these blows were sufficient to cause real damage.
"This armor… is stronger than expected," Wei Shen thought as he narrowly dodged a strike from the poisonous tail that almost grazed his shoulder. He felt the cold wind rush past him and saw a drop of dark green venom fall to the ground, making a faint sizzling sound as it dissolved the ash. "The venom is definitely lethal. One touch could be the end."
Conversely, the scorpion was finding it difficult to hit Wei Shen, who moved with speed and lightness around it, using every rock outcrop or pile of ash as temporary cover. But Wei Shen knew this wouldn't last long. His energy was being rapidly depleted, and exhaustion began to creep into his muscles.
"I must find a true weak point, or lure it into making a mistake," he decided. "Brute force alone won't decide this contest."
He began to change his tactics. Instead of direct attacks, he started using feints and maneuvers. He would rush towards the scorpion then suddenly retreat, trying to force it into making wide movements that exposed weaknesses.
In one such maneuver, as the scorpion lunged towards him with its pincers wide open, Wei Shen leaped backward at the last moment, then, instead of attacking, he threw a small rock he had picked up earlier towards one of the scorpion's small, multiple eyes.
The blow wasn't powerful, but it was enough to distract the scorpion for an instant, causing it to raise one of its pincers to protect its face.
This was the opportunity Wei Shen had waited for.
With a lightning-fast dash, exploiting this precious second, he slid under the raised pincer and thrust both his ivory daggers with all his might, and with all his concentrated "Blood Qi," towards the relatively soft area at the base of the poisonous tail, where the armor seemed slightly thinner.
Wei Shen felt the bone fangs penetrate the first layer of armor with difficulty, then sink deep into the beast's flesh.
The Poisonous Sand Scorpion let out a horrific cry of pain, not a hiss this time, but a sharp, rending sound like a tormented human scream. Its massive body trembled violently, and its poisonous tail began to thrash randomly in the air, as if it had lost control.
Wei Shen didn't withdraw the daggers but continued to press, twisting them within the wound, trying to inflict maximum internal damage.
Suddenly, in the midst of its violent convulsions, the scorpion's tail rose unexpectedly and twisted in a final, desperate movement. Before Wei Shen could react, he felt a burning sting on his left shoulder.
The poisonous tail stinger, though the blow wasn't direct or at full force, had grazed him, piercing his ragged clothes and skin, injecting a portion of its deadly venom into his body.
Wei Shen cried out from the sudden, terrible pain. An icy coldness spread rapidly from the sting site, followed by increasing numbness and a sense of dizziness.
"The venom!"
He stumbled backward, away from the scorpion, which was still writhing in its death throes, black blood gushing profusely from the deep wound at the base of its tail.
Wei Shen looked at his shoulder. The sting site had already begun to swell and turn a dark blue color rapidly. He felt his left arm become heavy and numb, and his vision started to blur.
"Damn it… It got me," he muttered with difficulty, a bitter taste in his mouth.
The massive scorpion had now stopped moving, a lifeless husk on the black ash. Wei Shen had triumphed, but at a heavy price.
He stood swaying, trying to resist the effects of the venom that was rapidly spreading through his body. He knew he had little time before paralysis or unconsciousness took over.
He looked at the scorpion's corpse, then thought of the "Blood-Devouring Stone," which he felt like a cold ember in his consciousness, awaiting its offering.
"An offering… from the second level… and its price… is very steep this time."
With an iron will, he ignored the pain and dizziness and began to drag himself towards the scorpion's carcass. He had to collect his spoils… before this damned venom consumed him.