"Ugh!!!"
A grunt of pain escaped Lin Feng's lips. A flash of fury crossed his eyes as he instinctively slapped a hand to the back of his neck—but grasped only air. The gray shadow that had struck him had already nimbly leapt to the rocky ground.
Focusing his gaze, Lin Feng finally got a clear look at his attacker. It was a beast about the size of two fists put together, its fur a mottled gray-black. Its body shape resembled an overly plump rat, but its feet were distinctly webbed, like a duck's. Most unnerving were the two rows of sharp, protruding fangs lining its jaws, giving it a vicious appearance.
Lin Feng didn't recognize this type of demon beast. Seeing it seemed poised to flee, his right hand flicked out. The Magma Fire, hovering nearby after its return, shot forward with a hiss.
"Squeak!!" The beast shrieked, trying to dart away. But Lin Feng splayed his fingers wide! Instantly, the fist-sized orb of Magma Fire expanded into a fiery net roughly a meter across, snapping shut around the creature before it could escape.
Only a late-stage Tier 1 beast, it stood no chance against the Magma Fire's intense heat. Its cry was cut short as it was reduced to ashes in moments.
Eliminating the creature provided Lin Feng only a brief respite. He recalled the Spiritfire and his flying sword. But as he attempted to take a step, a wave of dizziness crashed over him. His legs buckled, and he staggered forward, threatening to collapse.
"Lin Feng!!!" A cry echoed through the cavern. A white blur shot forward just in time to catch him before he hit the ground. Chang Gong Xiaojing's face was pale with panic as she supported his weight. "Lin Feng! What's wrong?! What happened?!"
Lin Feng's vision swam, the edges blurring. He shook his head fiercely, trying to clear it. His hand instinctively went back to the wound on his neck. Drawing it away, he stared at his palm. It was smeared crimson with blood. And mixed within the bright red were ominous, inky-black streaks that emitted a pungent, foul odor.
"Poisoned!" The realization struck Lin Feng instantly. That seemingly insignificant beast had delivered a venomous bite!
Stumbling forward a few more steps with Chang Gong Xiaojing's help, Lin Feng sank heavily to the ground. He fumbled with his spatial ring, pulling out a small jade bottle and hastily swallowing a detoxification pill. His voice was weak, rasping. "Poison... got into my system. Need to... purge it immediately... Xiaojing... take this..." He thrust the hexagonal jade talisman—the Luminous Spirit Artifact—into her hands. "Be careful... watch our surroundings..."
"Poisoned?!" Chang Gong Xiaojing's face lost all color, panic momentarily freezing her. "O-okay! Yes! Focus on healing! I'll... I'll guard you! I swear!"
Lin Feng managed a strained, reassuring smile as she took the talisman. Without wasting another breath, he gestured sharply. A complex Tier 3 Spirit Gathering Array Disk materialized on the ground before him. In quick succession, dozens of Mid-Grade Spirit Stones flew from his ring, scattering around the disk in a precise pattern. Then, closing his eyes tightly, Lin Feng plunged his consciousness inward, fully concentrating on battling the venom ravaging his body.
Chang Gong Xiaojing couldn't help but blink in surprise at the casual deployment of such valuable cultivation resources—a Tier 3 array disk and so many Mid-Grade stones. But the shock was fleeting, quickly replaced by deep worry as she looked at Lin Feng's strained face. Gripping the jade talisman firmly, she snapped her attention back to their surroundings, her gaze sweeping the cavern, lingering warily on the dark river nearby. The submerged silhouette of the colossal Vermilion Drake Beast was faintly visible beneath the surface. A shiver ran down her spine. Even now, the sheer audacity of Lin Feng killing such a monstrous entity felt almost unbelievable.
Truly, the beast's downfall was its own arrogance, she thought grimly. Chasing us downriver, it underestimated him completely—never dreaming he could recover so swiftly with the Spirit Spring Water. And swallowing the Magma Fire... that fatal greed sealed its fate.
…
An unnerving silence descended upon the cavern once more. The soft glow of the luminous stones illuminated faint trails of spiritual energy coiling through the air, slowly converging upon Lin Feng and being drawn into his body through the activated array.
Though the attacking beast had been weak, Tier 1 at best, its venom was alarmingly potent. Lin Feng's severe exhaustion and depleted defenses at the moment of the bite had allowed the toxin to penetrate deeply and swiftly. His situation was critical.
The standard detoxification pill he'd taken was far from a cure-all. It mitigated only common poisons. Unfortunately, this venom fell outside that category. The pill barely alleviated the symptoms; the real battle lay in Lin Feng using his own true energy to meticulously locate, isolate, and expel the invasive toxin.
Poisoning was a new and terrifying experience for Lin Feng. Without practical knowledge, he could only rely on mental images formed from cultivation manuals he'd studied. He guided his consciousness deep within, painstakingly tracing the paths of his dwindling true energy, searching for the insidious, spreading corruption. His body was already a battleground—unhealed wounds from the drake fight throbbed, his true energy reserves were critically low, and now this venom burned through his veins. The combined agony was indescribable, a searing torment that threatened to overwhelm his focus.
His salvation lay in the lingering power of the Spirit Spring Water he'd consumed earlier. Its revitalizing essence still flowed, bolstering his flagging strength and providing the crucial energy needed for the internal battle. Gradually, the immediate world faded away as Lin Feng poured every ounce of his being into fighting the venom and healing his ravaged body.
…
Chang Gong Xiaojing watched Lin Feng anxiously. Sweat plastered his hair to his forehead and soaked his robes. Deep furrows creased his brow, his face contorted in silent agony. Her own worry twisted into a sharp knot within her chest. She mentally repeated reassurances—He's strong, he has the spring water, he'll pull through—but the fear for him gnawed relentlessly at her resolve.
"Squeak!!!"
The sudden, sharp cry from Xiao Qiu perched on her shoulder made her jump. The little creature's ears were pricked, his whole body rigid as he stared intently towards the cavern's shadowed right flank.
Chang Gong Xiaojing whipped her head around, following his gaze. Her pupils contracted sharply. A familiar gray shadow slid out from behind a jagged boulder near the cavern wall…
Skitter… Skitter-skitter…
Before she could even react, a new sound reached her ears—a faint, pervasive rustling, like countless tiny claws scraping on stone. It seemed to come from everywhere at once. Then, her blood ran cold. From the deep gloom beside stalagmites, from fissures in the rock walls, from beneath overhanging ledges—countless gray shapes began to emerge. One after another, then in clusters, flooding the cavern floor like a rising, malevolent tide.
They were everywhere. Dozens… scores… over a hundred! All identical to the creature that had bitten Lin Feng!
They look like rats… and they act like them too! The horrifying realization struck Chang Gong Xiaojing. They're swarm dwellers!
Her face drained of all color, replaced by stark terror. Individually, these beasts were weak. Most radiated the energy of mere Tier 1 creatures; only a handful reached early Tier 2. None approached mid-Tier 2 strength. But their numbers… Oh, their sheer numbers! Even an ant colony could overwhelm an elephant. Facing a horde this size… how could they possibly survive?
"SCREECH!!!"
A single, piercing shriek sliced through the tense air. It was the signal. The gray mass surged forward as one, a chittering, snarling wave of teeth and claws crashing towards the two cultivators and the helpless Xiao Qiu!
Panic gave way to desperate resolve. Chang Gong Xiaojing bit down hard, her jaw clenched until it ached. True energy surged into the hexagonal jade talisman in her hand. WHOOSH! A three-meter-wide dome of brilliant golden light erupted around her, Lin Feng, and Xiao Qiu. The protective barrier solidified just as the first wave of beasts reached them.
THUD! THUD-THUD! THUD! THUD!
A rapid, chaotic drumbeat of impacts shattered the cavern's silence. Beast after beast slammed into the radiant barrier, only to be violently repelled. They tumbled back, scrambled to their feet, seemingly unfazed, and hurled themselves forward again with mindless fury, emitting high-pitched, enraged shrieks.
These mindless creatures possessed no ranged spiritual attacks. Their only tactic was brute-force collision against the barrier. Blocking their physical assault was well within the capabilities of the spirit artifact-level shield. Yet, Chang Gong Xiaojing's expression remained grim, devoid of relief. This defense was a losing battle. Her own true energy reserves were perilously low. Maintaining the barrier against such constant, heavy impacts was draining her rapidly. She couldn't hold it indefinitely.
Standing here, passively blocking... it's suicide! We have to fight back! We have to kill them, or at least drive them away!
She cast a desperate glance behind her. Lin Feng remained deep in his meditative trance, utterly vulnerable. Seeing him there, locked in his own life-or-death struggle, ignited a fierce spark of determination within her. Taking a shaky breath, she clenched her teeth until they threatened to crack. Her left hand flashed out. A crimson talisman streaked through the golden barrier.
FWOOM!!! A blazing fireball exploded amidst the tightly packed ranks of beasts charging at the shield's front. SCREEEEECH—!!! Agonized shrieks tore through the air as several beasts were instantly incinerated, their forms vanishing in bursts of flame and smoke.
But the desired effect—panic and retreat—didn't happen. Instead, the smell of burning fur and flesh seemed to act like a catalyst. The surrounding beasts became frenzied. Their attacks intensified, slamming into the barrier with redoubled ferocity and fury, the impacts growing heavier, the golden light flickering visibly under the strain.
Chang Gong Xiaojing's brow furrowed, her beautiful features etched with resolve and fear. There was no choice. Retreat wasn't an option. Gritting her teeth against the mounting drain on her core, her hands became a blur. Talisman after talisman flew from her grasp, streaking through the barrier like fiery comets. FWOOM! CRACK-ZAP! WHOOSH-BOOM! Fireballs detonated. Lightning bolts arced and sizzled. Wind blades sliced through the air. The cavern echoed with the relentless cacophony of explosions, the sizzle of elemental energy, and the horrific, dying screams of the poison beasts. Charred, smoking, or dismembered corpses began to litter the ground in front of the golden dome, piling up like grim offerings. Yet, still, the relentless gray tide pressed forward.