98: Chapter 98 Soul-Eating Demonic Beetle

The team members used their various methods to engage in a fierce battle with the leopard pack.

Ye Tian was also targeted by three Red-Scaled Leopards.

These Yao Beasts were exceptionally agile, their sharp claws moving so fast they left afterimages.

Ye Tian's eyes lit up as he immediately executed the Blood Shadow Step, shifting and turning amidst the leopard pack's siege, easily evading every strike.

He was in no hurry to kill them, instead using this opportunity to further hone the directional changes and rhythm control of the Blood Shadow Step in actual combat, while countering with the Overlapping Wave Fist.

Boom!

A single punch blasted back a Red-Scaled Leopard that was attempting a sneak attack; the fist force penetrated its body, causing it to let out a pained wail.

The other two leopards took the chance to launch a pincer attack from both sides!

Ye Tian's gaze focused as the Blood Shadow Step burst forth instantly. Simultaneously, he thrust out both fists, one to the left and one to the right, meeting the two sets of leopard claws!

"Overlapping Wave Double Shock!"

Two surges of hidden force erupted at once, passing through the leopard claws and into their bodies!

In the next moment, both Red-Scaled Leopards flew backward with miserable howls, their forelimbs bent unnaturally.

Just then, the Red-Scaled Leopard that Ye Tian had first injured actually ignored its wounds and opened its mouth to spit out a breath of flame!

This sudden innate attack startled Ye Tian, but his reactions were lightning-fast. He executed the Blood Shadow Step again, his body sliding sideways to avoid the center of the flames.

However, the high temperature at the edges still scorched his sleeve, bringing a sharp sting of pain.

"Good fellow!"

A cold light flashed in Ye Tian's eyes; he would no longer hold back.

His figure blurred as he proactively moved forward, a punch driving straight for its skull!

The hidden force in his fist directly shattered the Red-Scaled Leopard's brain. It didn't even have time to whimper before it slumped to the ground.

Having dealt with his own opponents, Ye Tian scanned the battlefield.

Under the leadership of Shi Feng and Leng Yue, although the team had held off the leopard pack's attack, casualties had occurred.

A team member at the Qi Gathering Ninth Stage had his throat torn open by a leopard claw and was already dead; several others were wounded.

Shi Feng was locked in a fierce battle with an exceptionally robust Red-Scaled Leopard at the Yuan Condensation Second Layer, which appeared to be the leader.

Leng Yue provided support from a distance with her archery, pinning down the other leopards.

Ye Tian moved and joined the fray.

He didn't go to help Shi Feng, but instead specifically hunted the Red-Scaled Leopards that were besieging the other team members.

His intervention immediately lightened the pressure on the other members.

Soon, the leopard pack was slaughtered until only the Leopard King remained, still entangled with Shi Feng.

Although Shi Feng's cultivation was one layer higher, this Leopard King was extremely cunning and ferocious, making it difficult to take down quickly.

Ye Tian spotted an opportunity when the Leopard King was forced to leap backward by one of Shi Feng's heavy punches, leaving it with no leverage in mid-air for a split second.

He immediately pushed the Blood Shadow Step to its limit, crossing several yards in an instant to appear at the Leopard King's flank!

At the same time, the Dragon-Elephant Power condensed on his right fist!

"Overlapping Wave Raging Tides!"

He threw a punch; the momentum wasn't just brute force, but carried several surges of hidden power, one wave after another!

Sensing the crisis, the Leopard King twisted its body to block with its claws, but how could it withstand this punch in its haste?

Boom!

Fist met claw, and the Leopard King's sharp claws were instantly blasted aside by the hidden force. The punch's power drove straight through, slamming heavily into its abdomen!

Aow!

The Leopard King let out a cry of pain as its body flew out, smashing against the rock wall. It twitched a few times and died.

Only its eyes remained wide and round, clearly unwilling to accept being ambushed by Ye Tian.

However, its internal organs had been completely shattered by the hidden force of the Overlapping Wave; it was as dead as could be.

The battle ended, leaving the area in a mess.

The team members looked at Ye Tian, their eyes filled with gratitude.

His elusive speed and the formidable strength he showed by killing the enemy in one blow just now had completely won everyone over.

Shi Feng walked up to Ye Tian and solemnly cupped his fists: "Brother Ye, thank you for the help! If not for you, the casualties would likely have been much higher."

"It was my duty," Ye Tian said calmly.

They cleared the battlefield, buried their fallen comrade, and the team took a brief rest.

After this battle, Ye Tian's status in the team rose significantly without a word being said.

As for Ye Tian himself, after experiencing the high-intensity slaughter with the Red-Scaled Leopard pack—especially that last punch against the Leopard King—he felt the true essence within his body become even more refined under the stimulation of combat.

His cultivation reached the Ningyuan Realm Second Stage Middle Stage.

The attack by the Red-Scaled Leopards and the death of their teammate completely woke up those members who had still been harborring feelings of luck.

The cruelty of the Wind Erosion Canyon far exceeded that of the first floor!

During the rest period, the atmosphere was somewhat somber. The fallen team member was simply buried beneath the rock wall.

Shi Feng's expression was grave as he re-checked everyone's status and equipment, emphasizing stricter vigilance.

Leng Yue remained as taciturn as ever, wiping down her longbow.

Ye Tian silently circulated his Cultivation Technique, digesting the insights from the recent battle while extending his Divine Sense as far as possible to stay alert for other dangers.

He could feel that a certain sense of oppression deep within the canyon seemed to be intensifying.

Once the rest was over, the team set out again, heading toward the area marked on the map as a suspected ruin.

The path beneath their feet became increasingly difficult to traverse, with unknown venomous insects hidden in the soft sand.

The Soul-Eroding Yin Wind also blew more fiercely, constantly battering the members' protective true essence.

From time to time, scattered white bones could be seen—some human, some from Yao Beasts.

After traveling for about another two hours, a more peculiar region appeared ahead.

The rock walls here were no longer earthy yellow but displayed a dark red color, covered in honeycomb-like holes of varying sizes.

The pungent smell in the air was even stronger than when they had first entered.

"Be careful, this is the Honeycomb Stone Forest. It's said these holes are interconnected in all directions, and some venomous insects that prefer dark environments might reside inside."

Shi Feng lowered his voice to warn them, signaling the team to slow down, spread out, and proceed with caution.

Ye Tian's brow furrowed slightly. When his Divine Sense probed those holes, he felt a chaotic force field interference, causing his perception to become blurred and unclear.

This caused a trace of unease to rise in his heart.

Just as the team was carefully passing through a section of the stone forest...

Crack... Boom!

A large section of the tall, dark-red rock wall to the front-left of the group suddenly suffered a massive collapse!

Giant rocks mixed with sand poured down, instantly blocking the path ahead and kicking up a cloud of dust that filled the air!

"Back up! Maintain the formation!"

Shi Feng shouted urgently, and the team quickly retreated to avoid being hit by the falling boulders.

However, misfortunes never come alone.

In the instant everyone's attention was drawn to the collapse ahead, the ground beneath their feet shook violently again.

Immediately after, several black shadows flew out from a few inconspicuous holes nearby, pouncing straight for the team's flank!

These black shadows were roughly the size of apples and shaped like beetles, but their bodies were shiny black with sharp mouthparts. They vibrated transparent wings, making a buzzing sound as they moved at an alarming speed!

What was even more terrifying was that the aura they emitted actually carried a cold sensation that could corrode the Divine Soul!

"It's the Soul-Eroding Demon Beetles! Watch out for their mouthparts and Divine Soul attacks!"

A well-traveled veteran in the team cried out in terror.

There weren't many Demon Beetles, only seven or eight, but they were incredibly fast. When they attacked, they specifically looked for weak points in the protective true essence to bite. Furthermore, that buzzing sound pierced straight into the mind, making one feel irritable and unable to concentrate.

Suddenly, the team's flank fell into chaos!

Two Qi Gathering Realm members were caught off guard; their protective true essence was easily torn through by the Demon Beetles, and deep, bone-deep bloody holes were instantly gnawed into their arms.

More terrifyingly, a cold Divine Soul shock followed, causing them to scream, clutch their heads, and fall to the ground, instantly losing their combat effectiveness.

Fortunately, Shi Feng and Leng Yue reacted quickly and immediately stepped in to help.

Shi Feng struck out with both palms, releasing scorching true essence flames to force the Demon Beetles back.

Leng Yue's arrows never missed, piercing the wings of two Demon Beetles.

But these little things were simply too agile, and their shells were hard; ordinary attacks could hardly be fatal.

Ye Tian was also targeted by two Demon Beetles.

The buzzing sound that pierced the Divine Soul also made him feel a wave of nausea, but his Divine Sense was far stronger than those of the same rank, and he steadied his mind in an instant.

He executed the Blood Shadow Step to avoid the Demon Beetles' pounce, while simultaneously joining his fingers and infusing them with true essence to tap out repeatedly!

"Chih! Chih!"

Two finger winds accurately hit the joints where the Demon Beetles' parts connected!

The two Demon Beetles were immediately knocked tumbling away, letting out screeches, but they soon took flight again, appearing not to have suffered heavy damage.

"What hard shells!" Ye Tian's gaze narrowed.

The defensive power of these Demon Beetles exceeded his expectations.

Just then, a sharp shout suddenly came from another hole behind and to the side of the group: "Get out of the way!"

Before the words had even faded, a streak of ice-blue light shot out from that hole, instantly sweeping past the few Soul-Eroding Demon Beetles that were wreaking havoc!

Puff puff puff...

A series of slight bursting sounds rang out!

Those few Demon Beetles that even Shi Feng and Leng Yue had found difficult to deal with for a moment actually froze in mid-air as if they had been turned to ice. Then, countless frost cracks rapidly spread across their shells, and in the next moment, they exploded into ice shards!

This sudden scene left everyone stunned.