Cyan Moon’s expression remained unchanged as she said, “Back then, it wasn’t just our ancestors who entered the Earth Dragon’s lair.”
Qian Ye tentatively accepted her explanation and cast a deep glance at the flesh altar before following Cyan Moon and the two elders out of the cavern. Suddenly, he thought about the sheer number of lives that would be required to create so many flesh altars. Each one needed the blood and flesh of hundreds of people; so how many had to die for all of them? And where did all these people come from?
Vaguely, Qian Ye felt that the fate of the civilians left in Lin Gang City was dire.
The four of them continued to advance deeper into the cave, carefully avoiding another round of traps. However, one of the elders finally made a misstep and triggered a mechanism on the ground. A blinding light flashed in the dim underground, and high-frequency vibrations radiated far and wide.
“Prepare for combat,” Cyan Moon said calmly, rolling up her sleeve to reveal a large-caliber origin cannon grafted onto her left arm. The gun was a deep, eerie blue, with intricate origin patterns covering the entire barrel, a work of exquisite craftsmanship.
The two elders also shed their outer robes, revealing multiple cybernetic enhancements on their bodies. One elder even had an origin furnace implanted within his body, and once activated, mechanical components throughout his body began to whir, turning him into a puppet-like figure.
A flicker of sorrow passed through Cyan Moon’s eyes as she said softly, “Our Gaohu people have limited lifespans, and to maintain our combat strength, we undergo extensive body modifications as we age.”
Qian Ye nodded, but before he could say anything, he suddenly sensed several origin auras approaching rapidly from the side.
“Enemy attack!” Qian Ye pointed in that direction. With their wealth of combat experience, Cyan Moon and the others immediately aimed their weapons toward the direction he indicated.
Several spider demon warriors burst out of the passage, only to be met with the crossfire of three Gaohu. Cyan Moon wielded a large-caliber hand cannon, while the two Gaohu elders had rapid-fire origin machine guns. The storm of origin bullets was far more powerful than a regular Vulcan cannon, like a flame saw, slicing the advanced spider demons into pieces.
The remaining spider demon warriors, unable to stop in time, charged into the crossfire, following their comrades’ fate. In a blink, ten advanced spider demons fell under the terrifying crossfire of the Gaohu. A thunderous roar echoed through the passage, and a heavy axe flew out, chopping toward one of the Gaohu elders.
The elder blocked with his left arm, a shield popping out from his forearm, protecting him.
A loud clang resounded as the flying axe struck the arm shield. The origin glow on the shield shattered instantly, and the shield itself split into pieces. The elder staggered back several steps, sparks flying from the mechanical joints. His face paled, and he spat a mouthful of blood.
The flying axe, unable to withstand such a fierce impact, also shattered into pieces.
A gigantic spider demon, clad in dark gold armor, emerged from the passage. Seeing the broken axe and the corpses of his warriors, he roared in fury, glaring at the four. “You will all die!”
A single flying axe strike had severely wounded one of the Gaohu elders, making it clear that this spider demon was no ordinary count.
Cyan Moon, however, remained calm and fired a direct shot at the spider demon. Her hand cannon was extremely powerful, rivaling Zhao Yuying’s Mountain Breaker. The blast forced the spider demon to take a step back, raising a heavy shield to block the impact. Another flash, and Cyan Moon’s second shot came, striking dangerously close to the top edge of the shield and hitting the spider demon’s head.
With a roar, the spider demon instinctively ducked, only to get hit on the head. His helmet flew off, blood streaming down his face, and his vision blurred. He shook his head, growling continuously. Despite the severe blow, his sturdy body, thick hide, and hard armor seemed to show no major damage, and he was still combat-ready.
But the blow had enraged him. As soon as he recovered slightly, he grabbed his heavy machine gun, spewing a stream of origin flames several meters long, sweeping toward Cyan Moon. She nimbly dodged, her movements defying the laws of physics, almost uncharacteristic of a humanoid. Enhanced by machinery, her actions were unpredictable and difficult to hit.
The spider demon roared, firing and chasing after Cyan Moon. However, another Gaohu elder had quietly set up several thin steel wires on the ground, nearly invisible in the dim cave. The spider demon stumbled over the wires, losing balance and falling to the ground.
Before he could rise, a metal net was thrown over him, binding him instantly. The material of both the wire and the net was exceptionally resilient, and though the spider demon struggled, he managed to tear only a few pieces. He was still entangled.
At this moment, Cyan Moon and the others each took out a small cylinder and threw it at the spider demon. The cylinders broke, and a pale yellow liquid inside ignited, burning fiercely and causing the spider demon to howl in pain. He tried to extinguish the flames with his origin power, but the flames, similar to origin fire, were incredibly difficult to douse. The temperature was extremely high, and Cyan Moon and the others took out their origin guns, continuously blasting and breaking through his defenses.
Qian Ye tossed two origin grenades, which rolled under the spider demon’s belly.
In a massive explosion, the spider demon’s body was hurled into the air, a wave of heat and debris forcing Cyan Moon and the others to turn away. The spider demon, hit by the two grenades, showed signs of weakening, his origin glow flickering. Cyan Moon and the others seized the opportunity, firing relentlessly and riddling the spider demon with holes.
Soon, the spider demon’s roars weakened, and his massive body ceased struggling.
This formidable warrior, whose combat prowess exceeded that of his peers, died in such a humiliating manner, having only displayed his true power in the initial axe throw. This battle gave Qian Ye a deeper understanding of the Gaohu’s cunning and effective combat style.
“Quickly, their main force is coming soon,” Cyan Moon said urgently. The four increased their speed, rushing deeper into the nest.
Not far ahead, a chilling voice rang out, “Gaohu, I’ve finally caught you!” Before the words faded, a faint figure appeared, charging straight at one of the Gaohu elders.
The elder reacted swiftly, exchanging blows with the attacker. The battle revealed the figure to be a werewolf, with unusually pale fur. Small in size but fast and vicious, every move aimed for vital points. The elder, despite being a level higher, was soon overwhelmed and wounded.
Cyan Moon and Qian Ye quickly joined the fray. The four surrounded the werewolf, drastically reducing its movement and making the situation perilous.
Yet, the werewolf showed no fear, its eyes flashing with bloodlust. With a long howl, its body began to glow, growing larger and more powerful, its origin power burning intensely. It rammed into one of the Gaohu elders, sending him flying, and then launched a series of vicious attacks, nearly killing the elder.
Just then, a massive and cold will swept over the cave, lingering instead of departing.
Cyan Moon’s face turned pale, and she exclaimed, “He’s gone mad!?”
The werewolf, fighting with reckless abandon, drew the attention of the Earth Dragon. Soon, a dense rustling sound filled the surrounding caves, sending chills down their spines.
“Do you want to die together?” Cyan Moon shouted at the werewolf. In her eyes, dying for the Spider Emperor or the Moonlight White Devil was incredibly foolish, and few in the Neutral Lands would do so.
The werewolf, with a claw buried in the Gaohu elder’s abdomen, turned and sneered, “My entire tribe was killed by Gaohu mercenaries. I alone escaped, swearing to my ancestors that I would kill every Gaohu and make their skulls into totems, placing them in my ancestors’ graves. Do you think I don’t know who you are? If I kill you, the Gaohu will be half destroyed!”
Cyan Moon was shocked and furious, not expecting this. The Gaohu, living as mercenaries, often straddled the line between mercenary and bandit. Many clans and tribes had been destroyed by the Gaohu, and Cyan Moon couldn’t remember which tribe this werewolf belonged to.
Suddenly, sand and gravel flew up, and a black shadow shot out from the ground, launching itself at Qian Ye. Qian Ye’s brows furrowed, and he raised Dongyue, blocking the shadow with perfect timing. The shadow collided with the blade, instantly splitting in two. But Qian Ye’s hand trembled slightly, indicating the immense force of the tiny creature.
The shadow landed, revealing its form. It resembled a worm, covered in scales, about a meter long, with a large mouth full of sharp teeth. Even cut in two, it continued to thrash, showing its tenacity.
This strange insect, after emerging from the ground, had the ability to hover briefly. It bypassed Cyan Moon and went straight for Qian Ye.
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