113: Chapter 113 Azure-Armored Poisonous Rhinoceros, Ye Chen Displays His Power

The team slowly ascended along the dark green Dark Current Stream.

The stream was turbulent, constantly washing over the purple-black rocks on the bank, making a dull sobbing sound that was exceptionally clear in the silent mist.

The mixture of fishy sweetness and decay in the air seemed even heavier near the water source, making people feel nauseous.

Everyone moved forward in silence, vigilantly watching their surroundings.

Especially the thick, impenetrable gray-white mist on the opposite bank and the slippery, dangerous stream bank beneath their feet.

After walking for about half an hour, the terrain ahead began to become rugged, the stream bank narrowed, and the scattered rocks increased.

The stream water also seemed to become deeper and darker.

Strange small bubbles began to appear on the water surface, constantly bursting and reforming, emitting a pungent smell of sulfur.

"Everyone be careful, there might be a geothermal poison vein beneath this section of the stream. The water vapor contains potent poison; try not to inhale it."

Mo Ling warned, while slightly shrinking the range of the "Miasma Dispelling and Evil Warding Formation" to strengthen the filtration of the water vapor and poisonous mist.

Hearing this, everyone checked their protective True Essence and jade pendants again, covering their noses and mouths more tightly.

Ye Chen's Hunyuan True Essence had a natural neutralizing effect on this kind of poisonous gas, so he didn't care much.

He focused more of his attention on the glimmer of dark red light he had glimpsed earlier in the mist on the opposite bank.

What was that?

Could it be a mark left by the "Shadow Fiend"?

Or could it be that in this Falling Star Lake, besides them and the "Shadow Fiend," there was a third party?

Or perhaps the lair of some bloodthirsty Yao Beast?

Ye Chen remained calm, quietly extending part of his Divine Sense toward the opposite bank while moving forward.

Trying to penetrate the thick mist to investigate the situation deeper within.

However, the miasma of Falling Star Lake exerted immense suppression on Divine Sense.

After his Divine Sense extended over thirty zhang, it was as if it had fallen into a quagmire, becoming blurry and sluggish, unable to advance further.

Let alone penetrating the thick mist to see deep into the opposite bank.

Forcing an investigation would only needlessly consume his Divine Soul.

He could only give up for now, but the doubt in his heart did not dissipate.

"Stop."

Shi Yue, walking at the very front, suddenly raised his right hand, signaling the team to stop.

He crouched down, wiped his thick fingers across a patch of slippery moss on the ground, and sniffed it.

Then he carefully looked at several inconspicuous scratches on the surrounding rocks.

"There's blood, very fresh, no more than two hours old."

"And... Yao Beast claw marks, more than one kind."

"A battle took place ahead not long ago."

Shi Yue said in a low voice, his expression grave.

Everyone immediately went on alert.

Murong Bai stepped forward to check, while Lei Zhen and Jing Wuming also spread out, vigilantly observing the upstream and downstream of the stream and the mist on both banks.

Ye Chen looked at the ground Shi Yue pointed to; in the dim light, he could vaguely see a few dark red spots that had already turned black and seeped into the moss.

There were also several messy scratches of varying depths; judging by the shape, they didn't look like the slender claw marks of a "Void Shadow Cat."

They seemed more like a larger, stronger type of beast.

"Can you tell what kind of Yao Beast it is?"

Murong Bai asked.

Shi Yue shook his head: "The blood is too mixed, and the claw marks are cluttered; there are residual scents of at least two different kinds of Yao Beasts."

"And... there seem to be traces of a Cultivator's True Essence fluctuations, very faint, almost completely dissipated."

Cultivator True Essence fluctuations?

Everyone's hearts tightened.

Did the "Shadow Fiend" people have a conflict with Yao Beasts here?

Or other Cultivators who entered Falling Star Lake?

"It seems that besides us and the 'Shadow Fiend,' there really are others in Falling Star Lake."

A glint flashed in Murong Bai's eyes, his tone remaining calm.

"Everyone, stay alert. Since a battle occurred, it means there might be something worth fighting for nearby, or... a powerful Yao Beast is entrenched here."

"We'll go around, trying our best not to get involved in unnecessary trouble."

He gave the order decisively, preparing to lead the team away from the stream bank and bypass through a relatively dry gravel slope on the side.

However, just as the team was about to turn, a sudden change occurred!

"Roar—!!"

A low, tyrannical beast roar, as if coming from underground, suddenly erupted from the direction of the gravel slope to the left of everyone!

Following that was a "rumbling" loud noise, as if a massive creature was rapidly approaching, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

"On guard!"

Murong Bai shouted sharply, his long sword already in hand, the blade glowing with a translucent white light.

Shi Yue instantly stepped forward, blocking the front of the team, his body radiating a bright earthy yellow light as if he had merged with the ground beneath him.

Purple lightning coiled around Lei Zhen's hammer, and Jing Wuming's broadsword was already unsheathed by half an inch.

Ye Chen and the others also immediately took out their weapons, standing with their backs to the stream, facing the direction of the roar in full battle readiness.

The mist on the left surged violently as a massive dark shadow, like an out-of-control chariot, crashed through the thick fog and charged toward them!

It was surprisingly a hideous giant beast over two zhang long and nearly as tall as a person at the shoulder, covered entirely in dark cyan heavy bone armor, with a single horn on its head!

The giant beast resembled a rhinoceros but was much larger, its single horn curved like a sickle and shimmering with a cold metallic luster.

Its four hooves were thick, leaving deep pits in the ground with every step.

Its eyes were crimson, filled with violence and madness, and it spat out scorching white breath smelling of sulfur.

"It's an 'Green-Armored Poison Rhino'!"

"A Late Stage Rank 3 Yao Beast, with immense strength and astonishing defense. Both its horn and the breath it exhales contain potent poison!"

Mo Ling quickly identified the Yao Beast, her voice heavy with gravity.

Late Stage Rank 3 is equivalent to the seventh to ninth levels of the human Wheel Sea Realm!

And judging by its size and aura, in this environment of Falling Star Lake, it would likely be even more difficult to deal with than an ordinary Late Stage Rank 3!

"Form ranks! Senior Brother Shi Yue, hold the line! Senior Brother Lei Zhen, Senior Brother Jing Wuming, harass from the flanks! Junior Sister Mo Ling, use a slowing Formation! Everyone else, use long-range attacks on its weak points like eyes, mouth, and joints! Don't engage it head-on!"

Murong Bai spoke rapidly, commanding with composure.

Everyone immediately moved according to the orders.

Shi Yue roared, crossing his arms in front of his chest, as the earthy yellow light instantly condensed into a thick giant rock shield.

He boldly charged forward to meet the incoming Green-Armored Poison Rhino!

"Boom—!!!"

A dull, thunderous collision sounded!

Shi Yue let out a muffled groan, his feet sinking deep into the ground as he slid back several feet, plowing two deep furrows in the earth.

But he actually managed to stop the momentum of this massive creature head-on with his powerful defense and strength!

The Green-Armored Poison Rhino, its charge halted, let out an angry roar and lowered its head.

Its shimmering single horn lunged fiercely toward Shi Yue's giant rock shield!

Simultaneously, it opened its massive mouth, and a stream of dark green, foul-smelling poison fire sprayed toward Shi Yue and the people behind him like a waterfall!

"Thunder Gale Break!"

Lei Zhen shouted, and his purple thunder hammer flew out of his hand, transforming into a giant hammer phantom flickering with lightning.

It slammed hard into the side of the Green-Armored Poison Rhino's neck, attempting to knock its head aside.

Jing Wuming flickered, his broadsword carrying a pitch-black crescent-shaped sword gang, slashing toward the relatively vulnerable hind leg joints of the poison rhino.

Mo Ling performed hand seals, and several silver Talismans flew out, forming distorted bands of light around the Green-Armored Poison Rhino in an attempt to delay its movements.

However, the bone armor defense of the Green-Armored Poison Rhino was truly astonishing.

Lei Zhen's hammer phantom hitting its neck only tilted its head slightly, leaving a charred patch on the bone armor.

Jing Wuming's sword gang slashed the hind leg joint, splashing a trail of sparks, but it only cut half an inch into the bone armor, failing to cause any substantial damage.

Mo Ling's slowing light bands, upon approaching the layer of scorching poisonous gas around the rhino...

...were rapidly eroded and weakened, having very little effect.

Instead, the dark green poison fire it spat out was already upon them!

"Profound Ice Barrier!"

Su Yuwei cried out, her aqua-blue thin sword tapping rapidly, and a thick ice wall instantly condensed in front of Shi Yue, trying to block the poison fire.

"Chiii chiii chiii..."

The poison fire contacted the ice wall, making a piercing corrosive sound, and the ice wall melted and turned black at a visible rate.

"Get out of the way!"

Shi Yue growled, knowing the ice wall couldn't hold. He violently flipped the giant rock shield upward while rapidly retreating to the side and rear.

Most of the poison fire was blocked or deflected by the giant shield, but a small portion still splashed out.

"Watch out for the poison fire!"

Han Li's bowstring twanged repeatedly as several arrows shot toward the splashing poison fire, trying to scatter it, but as soon as the arrows touched the fire, they were rapidly corroded and melted.

Ye Chen's eyes narrowed, his Hunyuan True Essence circulating rapidly. He made a phantom slash forward with the ice scar sword, and a gray, rotating "Hunyuan Vortex" appeared in front of him.

It swept in the several clumps of poison fire shooting toward him and the people nearby.

Strangely, as soon as that domineering, highly toxic fire entered the Hunyuan Vortex, it was rapidly decomposed, melted, and annihilated.

Like a clay ox entering the sea, it failed to cause much of a stir.

This scene caused a flash of astonishment in the eyes of the nearby Su Yuwei, Han Li, and even Shi Yue, who had just dodged.

Meanwhile, Bai Yu had at some point retreated to a large rock further away, fanning himself and watching with interest, not taking action.

Murong Bai gave Ye Chen a deep look, the light on the translucent white long sword in his hand surging.

"This beast has thick skin and tough flesh; ordinary attacks can hardly wound it."

Attack its eyes, mouth, rear, and any other areas not covered by the bone armor!

Senior Brother Lei Zhen, Senior Brother Jing Wuming, help me!"

Before his voice had even faded, Murong Bai was already on the move!

His entire being seemed to transform into a flickering streak of white light, instantly circling to the side of the Green-Armored Poison Rhino.

His long sword was like a spiritual snake flicking its tongue, stabbing toward the rhino's crimson, lantern-sized eye!

The speed was so fast, the angle so tricky, and the timing so precise that it was breathtaking.

The Green-Armored Poison Rhino seemed to sense something; it jerked its head, parrying the long sword with its iron-hard horn.

At the same time, its other eye flared with malevolence as it opened its mouth again, shooting a more concentrated poison fire arrow directly at Murong Bai's face!

"Thunder Lock!"

Lei Zhen acted at the right moment, slamming his purple thunder hammer into the ground.

Several thick chains of lightning manifested out of thin air, instantly wrapping around the Green-Armored Poison Rhino's limbs and neck.

Though they couldn't completely bind its movements, they caused its actions to stutter.

Jing Wuming also appeared behind the rhino like a ghost, his broadsword letting out a shrill whistle as it pierced toward the vital point at its rear!

Enraged, the Green-Armored Poison Rhino suddenly erupted with thick, dark green poisonous gas from the gaps in its bone armor, forming a poison mist Domain.

Simultaneously, its thick tail whipped out like a steel lash, striking fiercely toward Jing Wuming behind it.

Facing the incoming poison fire arrow, Murong Bai neither dodged nor retreated; the tip of his sword suddenly lit up with a point of white light so brilliant it was extreme, clashing head-on with the arrow!

"Ding!"

With a soft sound, the poison fire arrow was actually split down the middle by that point of white light, dissipating to both sides.

Murong Bai's sword momentum didn't stop, still pointing toward the rhino's eye.

However, just as the sword tip was about to touch the rhino's eyeball, a flash of human-like cunning and violence flickered within the beast's eyes.

It jerked its head, using the hardest part of the base of its horn to take Murong Bai's strike head-on.

"Clang!"

The sound of metal clashing rang out as sparks flew everywhere.

Murong Bai only felt a surge of immense force; his long sword trembled slightly, and his offensive inevitably slowed.

Meanwhile, the rhino's tail was about to strike Jing Wuming.

At that moment, Ye Chen, who had yet to go all out, had a cold glint flash in his eyes.

He spotted the opening the Green-Armored Poison Rhino exposed by swinging its head to attack Murong Bai and its tail to strike Jing Wuming.

Beneath its neck was a spot where the bone armor was relatively thin, and a gap had slightly opened due to the eruption of poisonous gas.

Without the slightest hesitation, Ye Chen's Phantom Step exploded with full power; his figure was like an arrow leaving a bow, pouncing toward the rhino's neck from the rear-flank!

While in mid-air, the grey glow on the ice scar sword was restrained to the extreme.

All of his Hunyuan True Essence and Desolation Sword Intent were concentrated into a single point of Chaos at the sword's tip.

“Primordial Chaos Destruction Stab!”

This strike was silent and as fast as a startled swan, carrying a decisiveness that could break through any defense and strike directly at the core.

It pierced into that gap in the bone armor with incomparable precision!

"Puchi!"

The sound of a sharp blade entering flesh was dull yet clear.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

The Green-Armored Poison Rhino's massive body suddenly stiffened, and in its crimson eyes, violence was rapidly replaced by unspeakable pain and terror.

It let out an earth-shaking roar of agony, and the poisonous gas erupting from its body instantly became chaotic and dissipated.

The tail swinging toward Jing Wuming also went limp and fell weakly.

Having succeeded with his strike, Ye Chen did not linger; he withdrew his sword and retreated rapidly.

The power of Primordial Chaos Destruction had already surged through the wound, frantically flooding into the Green-Armored Poison Rhino's body, destroying its life force and annihilating its demon power.

"Roar... woo..."

The Green-Armored Poison Rhino let out an unwilling, gradually lowering mournful cry as its massive body swayed a few times.

It crashed to the ground, splashing up a large amount of mud and water; after twitching for a moment, it stopped moving.

A thick, fishy stench of blood mixed with poisonous gas began to spread.

Silence.

There was only the sobbing of the stream and the slightly heavy breathing of the group.

No one expected that this fierce and difficult Late Stage Rank Three Yao Beast would be killed by Ye Chen in a single strike after he seized a fleeting opening!

Although the prior distractions and attacks by Shi Yue, Lei Zhen, Jing Wuming, and Murong Bai were indispensable.

The timing, angle, and ruthlessness of Ye Chen's strike, as well as his grasp of that minute opening, were nothing short of stunning.

Especially that strange sword force that could easily pierce the Green-Armored Poison Rhino's defense and annihilate its life force.

It once again gave everyone a new understanding of Ye Chen's strength and methods.

Murong Bai sheathed his sword and looked at Ye Chen, the approval in his eyes growing even stronger, yet also tinged with a bit of deep contemplation.

"Junior Brother Ye, good swordplay."

"Senior Brother overpraises me. If not for the distractions provided by you all, I would not have had the chance."

Ye Chen said calmly, sheathing the ice scar sword.

He didn't feel much joy in his heart right now.

That strike just now seemed easy, but it had actually consumed quite a bit of energy and placed no small burden on his Divine Soul.

More importantly, the appearance of this Green-Armored Poison Rhino likely wasn't an accident.

"This place is not suitable for a long stay. The smell of blood and the commotion of the fight will soon attract other Yao Beasts, or even... uninvited guests."

Murong Bai quickly collected his thoughts and spoke in a heavy voice.

"Senior Brother Shi Yue, check this Yao Beast to see if there are any valuable Materials and take them quickly.

Junior Sister Mo Ling, set up a simple purification Formation to disperse the bloody poison gas.

The rest of you, stay alert; we are leaving as soon as possible."

Everyone immediately sprang into action.

Shi Yue stepped forward and used special techniques to quickly remove the Green-Armored Poison Rhino's horn, parts of its tough back armor, and its demon core.

These were all good Materials for refining Magic Treasures and Medicinal Pills, and were worth quite a bit.

Mo Ling set up a small purification array; a white light swept through, dispersing most of the thick blood and poisonous gas.

Ye Chen, Zhao Feng, and the others watched the churning mist around them warily.

Bai Yu also jumped down from the boulder and walked over, glancing at the corpse of the Green-Armored Poison Rhino.

He then looked at Ye Chen, the playful smile at the corner of his mouth deepening slightly.

Soon, Shi Yue and Mo Ling finished their tasks.

"Go!"

Murong Bai did not delay any further, choosing a direction and leading the team quickly away from the area that had just seen a slaughter.

They bypassed the area along a more rugged and difficult scree slope for about half an hour.

Only when they could no longer smell the blood behind them or hear any unusual sounds did the group slow down again.

"That Green-Armored Poison Rhino just now seemed a bit abnormal."

Mo Ling suddenly spoke, her beautiful brows slightly furrowed.

"Although it was violent, its attacks seemed to carry a kind of... anxiety and fear? Moreover, besides old wounds, it had some very new ones that weren't caused by us."

"Junior Sister Mo Ling, what do you mean?"

Murong Bai looked at her.

"I suspect it might have been in a battle before, or even being hunted or driven by something more terrifying, which is why it was so panicked it ran into us."

Mo Ling analyzed.

"Something more terrifying?"

Lei Zhen's eyebrows shot up.

"To make a Late Stage Rank Three Green-Armored Poison Rhino flee in terror..."

Zhao Feng's face turned a bit pale.

"Whatever it is, we need to be even more careful."

Murong Bai's expression was grave.

"We're still some distance from the Rotten Bone Forest; everyone, take the time to meditate and recover.

Next, I'm afraid things won't be peaceful."

The group found a relatively dry hollow backed against a rock wall, set up a simple Miasma-Repelling Formation again, and hurried to rest and recover their True Essence.

They also tended to the minor injuries sustained in the battle just now.

Ye Chen also sat cross-legged, took a Medicinal Pill, and silently meditated.

Killing the Green-Armored Poison Rhino just now seemed like a single-strike success, but the Primordial Chaos Destruction Stab had consumed a lot.

Furthermore, clashing with the life force of a Late Stage Rank Three Yao Beast had also caused some impact on his Divine Soul.

He needed to recover as quickly as possible.

At the same time, he deeply agreed with Mo Ling's analysis.

The state of that Green-Armored Poison Rhino indeed didn't seem like a normal territorial defender.

Deep within Falling Star Lake, there were likely dangers hidden that were more terrifying than what was known.

And there was also that dark red glow on the other side...

While he was thinking.

Suddenly, an extremely faint, intermittent sound that seemed like metal rubbing mixed with painful groans reached him.

Vaguely, it came from the deeper mist ahead and to their side.

The sound was extremely subtle; if everyone hadn't been quietly meditating, and if the environment hadn't been relatively quiet.

And if Ye Chen's Divine Soul hadn't been powerful, it would have been almost impossible to detect.

"Hmm?"

Ye Chen snapped his eyes open and looked in the direction the sound was coming from.

Almost simultaneously, Murong Bai, Jing Wuming, Bai Yu, and the others also seemed to sense something and all looked in that direction.

"There's something moving."

Murong Bai stood up and signaled for everyone to be quiet.

The intermittent sound came again, and this time, it was slightly clearer.

It seemed... like a human voice?

Moreover, it was the common language of the Heavenly Cloud Continent, though the breath was weak and the words were broken.

"...Help... me... poison..."

Everyone's expressions changed.

Besides them, there really were other people here!

And they seemed to be in danger and were calling for help!

"Go take a look?"