Hmm!"
Yan Qingshan, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and looked in a certain direction. His ears twitched, sensing movement. With a flick of his feet, he leaped, covering nearly a hundred meters in a few strides, rushing in one direction at breakneck speed.
On the outskirts of the woods, near the sandy patch Yan Qingshan and Qingling had previously visited, two races of magical beasts were engaged in a standoff.
Qingling, clad in emerald green, was surrounded and protected by a swarm of snake-like magical beasts. In the center stood a massive snake, nearly eight meters long and as thick as a bucket, with the faintest hint of fleshy horns on its forehead where its eyes would be.
The swarm of snakes surrounding Qingling were a group of desert rock snakes that Yan Qingshan and she had discovered nearby over the past two months.
Desert rock snakes are semi-gregarious, first-level magical beasts, reaching an adult size of approximately two meters. They typically confine themselves to a specific area, each colony having a second- or third-level king snake.
After Yan Qingshan discovered this group of desert rock snakes, he devised various ambushes and surprise attacks. After subduing each one, he had Qingling control them with her Green Serpent Triple Flower Pupil.
Originally, Qingling would have fully awakened her Green Serpent Triple Flower Pupil years later, thanks to her efforts to subdue the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Serpent.
But now, Yan Qingshan had provided her with favorable conditions, and her Dou Qi was rapidly developing. Combined with Yan Qingshan's gentle stimulation, her Green Serpent Triple Flower Pupil, which hadn't yet fully awakened, was beginning to show some signs of improvement.
Initially, a single desert rock snake was incredibly strenuous for Qingling, but as the number of snakes under her control increased, she found it easier. However, in her still-imperfect state, semi-controlling a second-level rock snake king was already her limit.
That's right, semi-control. Yan Qingshan didn't overstimulate her Green Serpent Triple Flower Pupil. Instead, she used her Snake Pupil gift as a medium to establish a communication channel with these snakes, slowly influencing their minds and turning them into protectors of Qingling.
Qingling was surrounded by a large number of snake-like monsters, including desert rock snakes, numbering perhaps twenty or thirty. On the other side, an even larger number of yellow sand scorpions surrounded her and a group of snake-like monsters.
Yellow sand scorpions are a small, unique species of monster found in the desert. Most are only the size of a human head. They lie in wait in the sand, suddenly unleashing their venom when a person or animal passes by, seeking prey.
These small monsters aren't even considered first-tier monsters, but they were overwhelmed by their sheer numbers. The densely packed scorpions resembled a sea of scorpions, numbering at least hundreds.
Among them were numerous first-tier monsters and a second-tier king scorpion. The king stood a full meter tall, and its length was far greater, approaching ten meters. It was even more powerful than the desert rock snake king beside Qingling, approaching the level of a third-tier monster.
Seeing Yan Qingshan flying over, Qingling hurriedly said, "Master, that piece of desert turned out to be the settlement of the yellow sand scorpions. We asked Xiao Huang and the others to explore underground, which angered these scorpions. They are here to warn us."
"Yellow sand scorpions prefer hot sandy environments. The sand in this area is hot even on a winter night. It's not surprising that so many sand scorpions gather here, but... I can't give up."
Yan Qingshan frowned and thought, but the yellow sand scorpions opposite would not wait any longer. Seeing that these foreign monsters did not retreat even after the warning, the Scorpion King roared, and many yellow sand scorpions rushed over like a tide. The scorpions surged, and the scene was magnificent.
"A second-level demon scorpion king, nearly twenty first-level demon scorpions distributed in six directions, with three or four in close proximity in each direction. There are also over three hundred yellow sand demon scorpions... Shuguang, initiate battle analysis..."
Yan Qingshan quickly completed his intelligence gathering, easily calculating detailed data on the enemy he was facing, and even began to deduce their movements and feasible strategies.
"Young Master, what should we do!"
The demon scorpions surged. Qingling, still only a little girl, instinctively ordered the rock snakes to retreat towards Yan Qingshan. The two of them and over twenty rock snakes were surrounded by hundreds of demon scorpions and over twenty first-level demon scorpions.
"Shuguang, determine a feasible battle plan... Qingling, mobilize these rock snakes and head towards the demon scorpion king!"
Yan Qingshan calculated the strength of both sides. He had nearly thirty first-level demon scorpions on his side, while the other side had only a few dozen demon scorpions.
Both sides had second-level demon beasts, while the other side had hundreds of ordinary demon scorpions. It seemed that the other side had the advantage, but as long as they could prevent them from exploiting their numerical advantage, this tough battle was not unwinnable.
Yan Qingshan made his decision, and Qingling quickly communicated with the Rock Serpent King. Warcraft, being more impulsive than humans, generally responded to provocations directly. Upon receiving the signal, the rock snakes immediately took action.
Desert rock snakes, as their name suggests, are related to the flat rock snakes of the Warcraft Mountains. Both possess a stone attribute mutated from the earth element, but desert rock snakes are not as flat as their distant cousins. At full power, they can also glide, though not for as long.
The rock snakes, as sturdy as a rock, coordinated with each other, some leading the way, others covering the rear. They forged a path through the surging tide of demon scorpions, heading straight for the Scorpion King.
The Scorpion King, clearly unprepared for such audacity, screamed and called upon his men, one by one, the first-level demon scorpions rapidly massed towards him.
"Think you stand a chance?"
Yan Qingshan and Qingling were protected on the back of the Rock Serpent King, nestled among the snakes. When a first-tier demon scorpion appeared ahead, attempting to block their path, he decisively attacked.
"Assist activated, wind speed, distance, demon scorpion's movement speed and trajectory locked..."
Yan Qingshan leaped forward, his purple wings unfurling, his speed surpassing the speed of the rock snakes. Two shimmering azure roars pierced the vulnerable seams of their armor, sending the two first-tier demon scorpions tumbling and shattering, spilling bright red blood all over the ground.
High-level martial arts and fighting techniques are so sought after because cultivating high-level Dou Qi not only accelerates training speed and improves Dou Qi quality, but also significantly increases combat power.
Yan Qingshan currently cultivates a high-level Xuan-tier martial art. His Dou Qi is comparable in quality to that of a mid-tier demon beast above tier three. He could practically crush a first-tier demon beast like the Yellow Sand Demon Scorpion, a lowly species.
Boom!
A formation of nearly thirty rock snakes pierced the center of the scorpion pack like sharp arrows. The Rock Snake King, originally at the rear, swiftly advanced to take the lead, colliding with the Scorpion King.
The duel between the second-tier monsters was brutal. A dozen or so rock snakes formed a ring, encircling the center of the battlefield. Then, in a rapid, circular motion, they separated the center from the sides.
The swift movement of the rock snakes had a formidable impact. Ordinary scorpions that approached were instantly ripped to pieces. Many scorpions, blocked from the outside, could only watch helplessly as their king was besieged by one man and one snake.
Faced with the challenge of the Rock Snake King, and with Yan Qingshan overhead, constantly harassing him with his purple cloud wings spread, the Scorpion King was besieged and slain by the other rock snakes.
Unfortunately, when it ordered the attack, it had been too far back, perched on a rocky slope. Now surrounded, the slope made it difficult for the surging scorpions to turn around, and help was nowhere in sight for a while.
The second-level Yellow Sand Scorpion King was still formidable, overwhelming the Rock Snake King head-on. The poisonous sting on its tail gleamed coldly. If it weren't for the Rock Snake's incredible defense, any other monster would have been doomed.
A second-level monster was no match for a first-level monster, and this Scorpion King was nearing the third level. Yan Qingshan assigned Qingling to defend the outer perimeter with the first-level Rock Snakes, preventing them from approaching the central area.
The other first-level Scorpions were besieged and killed, leaving only the central battlefield undecided. The outer encirclement continued to shrink, and the Scorpions surged again, this time pressing in from all sides with all their might. Even the Rock Snakes began to suffer casualties.
"Roar~~~!"
The Scorpion King, after all, was far more powerful. With a sharp cry, its claws snapped, clamping the Rock Snake King between them. The hook on its back lifted slightly, then swiftly stabbed the Rock Snake King's eyes.
This time, it had learned its lesson, realizing it couldn't penetrate elsewhere, and began targeting vulnerable points like the eyes and nose.
As for Yan Qingshan, his harassing attacks only slightly damaged its carapace, failing to breach its defenses and inflict serious damage. He had relaxed his vigilance against this nimble "little bird," believing that even if attacked, the damage would be minimal.
"Assist activated, calculate the trajectory of the scorpion's tail, wind speed, distance... Lion's Roar!!!"
Unfortunately, the Scorpion King was unaware of the existence of human fighting techniques. After probing, Yan Qingshan determined the strength of its defenses and, gathering Dou Qi in mid-air, quickly descended to unleash Lion's Roar the moment the Scorpion King's defenses relaxed. While the
partially charged Lion's Roar wasn't at its full potential, it was enough to shatter the Scorpion King's defenses. A flash of purple light pierced through, instantly severing the Scorpion King's tail. Blood gushed from the wound, and the intense pain and loss of balance caused it to lose its strength, giving the Rock Snake King an opening.
The Rock Snake King spun to break free from its restraints, its mouth wide open as it bit directly at the scorpion head that was within reach. Venom and magic core energy quickly flowed from its fangs into the Scorpion King's wound.
"Roar~~~~"
The Yellow Sand Scorpion King let out a shrill scream and struggled frantically, but unfortunately, Yan Qingshan, who had landed on the ground, dealt it the final blow.
Yan Qingshan folded his wings and fell to the ground, slamming down on the top of the Scorpion King's head from a height of more than ten meters with the posture of a thousand-pound weight. Xuan Qing's fighting spirit was like a ram that pierced the Scorpion King's armor, cracking its shell and splattering blood.
This second-level monster was ultimately unable to withstand the powerful impact of this final blow. Its limbs slipped and its body slammed heavily onto the ground. After being continuously attacked, the Scorpion King's armor shattered and blood flowed everywhere. Finally, he trembled and let out a final wail as he died.