Chapter 158

Chapter 158

"Chirp chirp!"

The massive ball of bristles let out chirping noises as it rolled along, leaving a honeycomb-like trail on the ground from its sharp quills, making one's scalp tingle.

The ball of bristles leaped onto the ninth-stage Lizard Croc's mouth at an incredible speed and then swiftly moved across its head, leaving needle-like marks on the creature's scales wherever it passed.

Everyone watched in astonishment as the thick and hard scales of the ninth-stage Lizard Croc were pierced.

The ninth-stage Lizard Croc emitted a shrill cry of agony.

When the ball of bristles reached the creature's head, it stopped there, appearing like a tuft of hair growing on the Lizard Croc's head from a distance.

However, the cultivators present noticed that not only had the thick and hard scales of the ninth-stage Lizard Croc been penetrated by the ball of bristles, but its eyes had also been burst, with blood streaming down.

In extreme pain, the ninth-stage Lizard Croc rampaged without any strategy, causing chaos around it.

The cultivators who had been fighting it hurriedly dodged to avoid being accidentally injured by the ninth-stage Lizard Croc.

Seeing the fate of the ninth-stage Lizard Croc, all the cultivators present looked in shock at the ball of bristles firmly rooted atop the creature's head. They couldn't figure out what this chirping ball of bristles was, but there was no doubt that its silver-white quills were extremely sharp, capable of piercing even a ninth-stage demonic beast's scales.

The pained Lizard Croc tried to shake off the ball of bristles on its head, but no matter how much it struggled, the ball remained firmly in place. To those unaware, it seemed as if a silver ball of bristles had grown on the ninth-stage Lizard Croc's head.

After watching for a while, everyone realized that the ball of bristles had deeply embedded its quills into the ninth-stage Lizard Croc's flesh. No matter how forcefully the creature collided, the ball remained as steady as Mount Tai, even chirping happily.

What kind of demonic beast was this?

Wen Qiao was also taken aback. She recognized this ball of bristles as the largest one from the valley where the Immortal Spirit Flower grew. When these balls encountered danger, they could transform their fur into bristles to repel enemies.

How did it end up here?

Although puzzled, she felt relieved when this large ball suddenly appeared and diverted the attention of the ninth-stage Lizard Croc.

Wen Qiao could guess the malicious intentions of Fairy Flowing Cloud, including the malevolence and murderous intent in her gaze when looking at Sheng Yunshen.

If Fairy Flowing Cloud wanted to teach Mu Shan a lesson and decide whether or not to kill them based on her mood, then her intention toward Sheng Yunshen was undoubtedly to kill him as quickly as possible.

Fairy Flowing Cloud's plan to use the ninth-stage Lizard Croc to kill people was undoubtedly thwarted by the appearance of the large ball of bristles.

Wen Qiao narrowed her eyes and saw that Fairy Flowing Cloud was indeed furious, her beautiful face, which resembled Mu Shan's, slightly distorted.

No matter how beautiful a woman was, if her face was twisted in anger, she would lose her beauty.

Many who noticed Fairy Flowing Cloud's distorted expression felt disillusioned, thinking that she didn't deserve the name "Fairy Flowing Cloud," disgracing the name itself.

Unaware of the shock and fury of those around it, the ball of bristles clung tightly to the ninth-stage Lizard Croc's head like a victor, chirping proudly at Wen Qiao.

Wen Qiao remained silent; it was indeed the large ball of bristles.

Although she didn't know how this large ball of bristles appeared here, Wen Qiao was undoubtedly worried. Seeing Fairy Flowing Cloud's demeanor, she wished to slaughter them all on the spot without any rationality. There was no point in reasoning with such a person; the only option was to fight.

A fierce look flashed across Wen Qiao's eyes as she struggled to stand up.

Ning Yuzhou supported her and looked towards Fairy Flowing Cloud in the air. His originally clear and gentle eyes gradually lost their luster, turning into a deep black color.

At this moment, Fairy Flowing Cloud attacked again. Her thin Flowing Cloud Veil shot straight towards the ball of bristles like flowing clouds in the sky.

"Be careful!"

Wen Qiao couldn't help exclaiming in alarm.

However, the ball of bristles remained unmoved, firmly perched atop the frenzied ninth-stage Lizard Croc's head.

The Flowing Cloud Veil struck its bristles, tearing through with a ripping sound. The seemingly light but incredibly tough Flowing Cloud Veil actually bore marks from the bristles.

Those present gasped.

This ball of bristles' quills were too formidable. After all, Fairy Flowing Cloud's Flowing Cloud Veil was said to be a Heavenly-grade spirit artifact. Even a ninth-stage demonic beast would be injured if hit by it, unless it possessed skin as thick and hard as the ninth-stage Lizard Croc's. However, seeing how the ball of bristles' quills could pierce through the ninth-stage Lizard Croc's skin, it was evident how sharp they were. It wasn't surprising that the Flowing Cloud Veil couldn't handle it.

This miraculous scene left the cultivators, who had retreated far away due to the ninth-stage Lizard Croc, utterly shocked.

Fairy Flowing Cloud was now absolutely enraged.

"Where did this beast come from, daring to damage my Flowing Cloud Veil? Scram!"

Fairy Flowing Cloud summoned a black shield, which rapidly expanded in mid-air and smashed towards the ball of bristles.

Despite its massive size, the ball of bristles wasn't slow. It nimbly jumped off the ninth-stage Lizard Croc's back, and the black shield directly hit the Lizard Croc's head.

The injured and frenzied Lizard Croc paused for a moment, shook its head, and continued rampaging.

However, everyone could see that the blow from the black shield had slowed its movements considerably.

The black shield failed in its first attempt and once again smashed towards the ball of bristles.

Fairy Flowing Cloud controlled the black shield, determined to flatten this ball that had ruined her plans.

The black shield was a Heavenly-grade spirit artifact, primarily a defensive artifact, but it could also be used for attacks. However, when attacking, it was relatively cumbersome and not as agile as other weapons.

As the ball of bristles chirped, it climbed around the ninth-stage Lizard Croc's body, using it as a meat shield. Each attack from the black shield landed on the ninth-stage Lizard Croc, and despite its powerful physique, it couldn't withstand such continuous blows. Its movements became increasingly sluggish, as if it might collapse at any moment.

The observing cultivators couldn't help feeling sympathy for the ninth-stage Lizard Croc, being used as a meat shield by a ball of bristles. It was truly unfortunate.

Finally, when the ninth-stage Lizard Croc collapsed with a thud, Fairy Flowing Cloud's expression was grotesque as she said gleefully, "Let's see where you can hide now."

The black shield smashed down again.

With a ripping sound, the ball of bristles burrowed under the fallen Lizard Croc's belly and managed to lift the massive creature's body, causing the black shield to miss once more.

The spiky ball chirped smugly at Fairy Flowing Cloud, showing off how powerful it was, even if it couldn't hit her.

Everyone: "…"

Fairy Flowing Cloud exploded with rage. "I! Will! Kill! You!"

Realizing that she had been toyed with by a mere beast, she unleashed a palm strike from afar in a fit of fury.

A giant palm formed from spiritual energy sent the spiky ball and the Ninth-Rank Lizard-Crocodile flying.

Chirping, the spiky ball forced its quills into the Ninth-Rank Lizard-Crocodile's body, making it share half of the damage. The already grievously wounded creature suffered even more, barely clinging to life.

This spiky ball was truly smart, indicating a high level of intelligence.

The cultivators present watched as Fairy Flowing Cloud lost her composure and relentlessly attacked the spiky ball, their expressions turning odd. They felt that she lacked the dignity befitting a True Person of Yuanzong, behaving like a madwoman. It was pitiful that Daoist Zhenyan had married such a woman.

Initially, Wen Qiao had been somewhat worried about whether the large spiky ball would suffer at Fairy Flowing Cloud's hands, but soon realized that no matter what the latter did, it couldn't harm the creature.

Though the spiky ball had little combat ability and didn't initiate attacks, its quills weren't just for show. Not only could they pierce through the scales of a Ninth-Rank Lizard-Crocodile, but they also defended against other forms of damage.

Wen Qiao let out a silent sigh of relief.

After chasing the spiky ball for a while, Fairy Flowing Cloud found herself powerless against this creature covered in sharp, terrifying quills. Instead, she expended much of her Yuan Spirit energy, further infuriating her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the disciples of Redsky Sect and saw that Yi Xuan and others were protecting the two arrogant youngsters who had harmed her daughter. Her gaze turned cold, and she redirected her palm strike towards Wen Qiao and the others.

It was better to take advantage of the situation and kill them rather than waste time on a mere beast.

Fairy Flowing Cloud changed her mind. She decided to slay Sheng Zhenhai's son and all his disciples here today to eliminate any future threats.

As for the consequences of killing them, who would know it was her if they were dead?

The faces of the Redsky Sect disciples paled. Despite his injuries, Yi Xuan prepared to intercept the attack when a streak of sword qi rushed over.

The sword qi, carrying immense force, shattered the spirit energy palm.

"Who?!"

Fairy Flowing Cloud shouted, her face contorted with anger. Being repeatedly thwarted had driven her to the brink.

"It's me!"

A woman in red, wielding a longsword, descended from the sky and landed before Yi Xuan and the others, glaring at Fairy Flowing Cloud.

All the Redsky Sect disciples exclaimed in delight. "Senior Sister!"

Those friendly with Redsky Sect were also pleasantly surprised. Qin Hongdao of Redsky Sect was indisputably the top figure among the younger generation in the Holy Martial Continent. Although Fairy Flowing Cloud had long been renowned, Qin Hongdao, a True Person of Yuanzong who had recently entered the realm, might not lose to her. As a sword cultivator capable of transcending ranks in battle, Qin Hongdao posed a formidable challenge.

Fairy Flowing Cloud's expression instantly turned grim.

Qin Hongdao's demeanor was similarly grim, especially upon seeing the severe injuries sustained by the Redsky Sect disciples and her junior brothers and sisters. Her eyes, filled with lethal intent, mirrored the cold gleam of her sword.

She said coldly, "Fairy Flowing Cloud, what is your intention? Do you wish to become enemies with Redsky Sect?"

Fairy Flowing Cloud's face turned ashen, and she remained silent for a moment.

Now, she had indeed incurred the enmity of Redsky Sect and thoroughly offended Sheng Zhenhai. It was regrettable that she had been toyed with by that beast earlier and failed to kill the Redsky Sect youngsters immediately.

Regret filled her heart, but she knew Qin Hongdao was a tough opponent. Despite her own fame, she wasn't sure she could defeat this sword cultivator, especially since Qin Hongdao had been personally tutored by Liu Ruozhu.

Thinking of Liu Ruozhu, jealousy reddened her eyes, but she maintained some semblance of reason and redirected her palm strike before fleeing.

"You think you can just leave after attacking us? There's no such easy way out!"

Qin Hongdao shouted coldly, swinging her sword to cut off Fairy Flowing Cloud's escape route and then lunging at her.

Fairy Flowing Cloud's hairpin was severed by the sword, leaving her with disheveled hair as she dodged, looking utterly disheveled. Gone was the casual and composed demeanor she had displayed while watching the Ninth-Rank Lizard-Crocodile attack the Redsky Sect disciples.

The tables had turned, and now it was her turn to suffer.

However, aside from Mu Ziming and the Qingyun Sect disciples who were secretly anxious, no one sympathized with Fairy Flowing Cloud.

Seeing Qin Hongdao confront Fairy Flowing Cloud, the Redsky Sect disciples heaved a sigh of relief and collapsed onto the ground.

Ning Yuzhou embraced Wen Qiao, examining her body with a tense expression, quickly feeding her a piece of honey fat.

Sheng Yunshen supported the staggering Yi Xuan and asked with a choked voice, "Second Senior Brother, are you alright?"

Yi Xuan swallowed the blood rising in his throat and was about to take a spirit pill when Ning Yuzhou called over Sheng Yunshen, giving him several pieces of honey fat to distribute to the injured.

Sheng Yunshen, aware of the honey fat's remarkable healing properties for internal injuries and its ability to replenish Yuan Spirit energy, quickly distributed it to everyone while keeping an eye on the battle between Qin Hongdao and Fairy Flowing Cloud.

Upon seeing Qin Hongdao chase Fairy Flowing Cloud and even knock away her black shield used for defense, he excitedly shouted, "Senior Sister is amazing! Go, Senior Sister! Beat up that crazy woman!"

Sheng Yunshen harbored intense hatred for Fairy Flowing Cloud and didn't regard her as a senior. He wished for Qin Hongdao to kill her and thus spoke without restraint.

Fairy Flowing Cloud erupted in fury. "Little beast, shut up!"

"Who are you telling to shut up, little beast?" Sheng Yunshen retorted loudly. "Only someone who sees themselves as a beast would constantly call others beasts."

These words were truly venomous. Accustomed to being adored, Fairy Flowing Cloud couldn't tolerate being humiliated by a junior, especially one who was Liu Ruozhu's son, her lifelong nemesis. She yearned to kill him even more.

In a fit of rage, Fairy Flowing Cloud abandoned her fight with Qin Hongdao and turned to strike down Sheng Yunshen.

Qin Hongdao wouldn't allow her to escape and slashed her sword.

Fairy Flowing Cloud screamed in agony as her arm flew high into the air, severed from her body.

The pain of losing an arm left Fairy Flowing Cloud drenched in cold sweat. Her face turned pale, and she nearly went mad.

The Flowing Cloud Immortal let out a shrill howl, and without anyone seeing what she had grabbed, she hurled it forward, causing an explosion mid-air. The entire sky was then shrouded in a red mist.

"Be careful!"

Qin Hongdao quickly retreated while warning the others to beware of the red mist.

Though they didn't know what it was, everyone instinctively erected spiritual force shields to keep the mist at bay. However, some slower cultivators accidentally inhaled the mist and collapsed, their bodies weakening. Their skin broke out in bright red, shiny rashes that looked utterly revolting.

Those afflicted with the rash screamed in agony, scratching at the bumps until they burst, a terrifying sight indeed.

Seeing this, everyone present felt a chill in their hearts, unable to believe that a Yuanzong like the Flowing Cloud Immortal would resort to such vile methods to harm others.

The Flowing Cloud Immortal laughed maniacally, spitting out venomously, "Die! All of you die! You beast born of Liu Ruozhu, I will kill you. I'll make Sheng Zhenhai regret! I'll make all of you regret..."

Anger flashed across Qin Hongdao's face, his disdain for the Flowing Cloud Immortal growing, and murderous intent arose within him.

Just as he was about to slay the madwoman, he suddenly sensed something amiss in the air, his expression changing slightly.

Being at the same Yuanzong realm, despite her madness, the Flowing Cloud Immortal could also detect the commotion from afar. Instead of alarm, she was delighted, laughing maniacally once more. "The beast tide is here. Let's see how you escape this time."

With that, she leaped into the distance.

Although Qin Hongdao wanted to stop her, sensing the imminent arrival of the beast tide and knowing his junior siblings were injured, it wasn't wise to confront the beasts. Thus, he abandoned the pursuit of the Flowing Cloud Immortal.

Suddenly, the fleeing Flowing Cloud Immortal let out a scream, plummeting into the marsh below.

The lizards and crocodiles in the marsh surged toward her, opening their bloody jaws to clamp down on the person who had fallen into their domain.

The Flowing Cloud Immortal screamed again.

Mu Ziming, who had been standing silently among the crowd, his expression changed drastically, and he rushed toward the marsh, intending to rescue the fallen Flowing Cloud Immortal.

However, no one paid attention to her fate, as they too had detected the beast tide heading straight for them.

"Hurry, let's go!" Qin Hongdao shouted.

The cultivators present fled in the opposite direction of the beast tide, carrying those covered in red rashes along with them.

Ning Yuzhou picked up Wen Qiao, casting a glance at where the Flowing Cloud Immortal had vanished before following the group's retreat.

He lowered his eyelids, concealing the darkness in his eyes entirely.