Chapter 249

Chapter 249

"AAAAAHHHH—"

Piercing screams cut through the long river and setting sun, startling numerous venomous insects and snakes.

The insects and ants crawling out of the desert were not afraid of this sound; instead, they excitedly surged toward the source of the noise.

Under the sunset, a disheveled figure held a heavy sword, shedding tears while cutting a bloody path. Dust-covered face bore two clear tear streaks streaming down, with the face below the tears black and swollen.

Behind her were countless Black Devouring Scorpions, mixed with some opportunistic desert vipers, surging forward.

Suddenly, a Black Devouring Scorpion whipped its tail, sweeping the fleeing person sideways and violently slamming them onto the desert floor. Blood splattered on the sand, leaving a crimson trail.

As the Black Devouring Scorpions were about to pounce and devour the fallen person, a long whip coiled around her.

The person, barely conscious, glanced up at the person flying overhead with a sword, then tilted her head, ready to succumb to unconsciousness, when a hissing sound startled her. She looked down to see the Black Devouring Scorpions leaping towards her, layer upon layer, unyieldingly jumping into the air, their massive jaws open wide.

Su Molan shuddered, fully awake, swaying in mid-air, dodging the scorpions leaping at her while screaming, "Fly higher! They're jumping up... AAAHHH, they're going to bite my feet..."

Wen Qiao flew with her sword, the desert's hot wind blowing against her face. She casually swung the Stone Golden Python Whip and said, "This is your chance to practice dodging. Come on! If they eat your feet, don't worry. My husband can refine a spirit pill that regrows limbs, ensuring you'll have new ones within a day."

What utter nonsense!

Su Molan, tears streaming, wanted to curse but had to focus on the scorpions below, crying even harder.

"If you keep crying, I'll drop you!" Wen Qiao warned.

Su Molan choked back a sob, holding back her tears, not doubting Wen Qiao's words for a moment.

Ever since Wen Qiao agreed to take her along, Su Molan began undergoing devilish training, all to correct her habit of crying.

Su Molan cried until her eyes were nearly blind.

The more dangerous the situation, the harder she cried, and the more terrifying her fighting power became, carving a bloody path through the Black Scorpion Nest.

Wen Qiao thought it was impressive that this woman could fight through tears, indicating great potential. It seemed they had been deceived by her seemingly weak and innocent appearance, thinking she was just a useless crybaby. In reality, she transformed into a fierce warrior in danger.

If not for her possession of the Twenty-Eight Constellations Map, making her a valuable asset in the Star Constellation Continent, Wen Qiao might have considered recruiting her into Qianshen.

Though she couldn't recruit her, tormenting her for now was acceptable.

Wen Qiao flew forward, her spirit sword trailing a glow, carrying the tear-swollen Su Molan back to camp.

The so-called camp was merely a small sand dune buried by wind and sand.

A small sand dune suddenly appearing in the desert was odd, but fortunately, its color matched the surrounding sand. Sprinkling more sand on top made it blend seamlessly into the desert, unnoticed.

Wen Qiao landed before the dune, which instantly revealed a door. She dragged Su Molan inside.

Though the space inside the dune wasn't large, it was sufficient for a temporary shelter.

During the day, Wen Qiao took Su Molan out to battle, while Ning Yuzhou stayed in the dune to refine pills and artifacts. Wen Guangun volunteered to guard him—staying out of the harsh sun was a relief.

"Husband, we're back."

Wen Qiao coiled the Stone Golden Python Whip around her waist, resembling a stone golden belt, the ends sliding down her dress, accentuating her slender waist.

Su Molan, dragged like a dead dog, lay on the ground motionless.

Ning Yuzhou smiled at her, his gaze falling on the black and swollen face of the woman on the ground, then quickly looking away.

A delicate and innocent flower turned into a blackened, swollen warrior. Ning Yuzhou suddenly felt that Chui was exceptionally skilled at breaking spirits.

The aroma of food filled the air, causing Su Molan to spring up from lying motionless.

Wen Tuti and Wen Guangun, gathered around the fire, glanced at her, seeing her swollen pig-like face, and quickly looked away.

So ugly!

Unaware of her ugliness, Su Molan obediently sat next to the two beasts, staring at the pot of spirit fruit soup and the fragrant roasted suckling pig on the fire.

Roasting a suckling pig in the desert seemed insane!

But after enduring devilish battles, the smell of delicious food brought a sense of healing.

Indeed, food always brings happiness, which is why some cultivators choose to become spirit chefs.

Regardless of how one enters the path, as long as cultivation succeeds, it's worth acknowledging.

Eating a few bites of the fragrant roasted suckling pig and sipping the fresh spirit fruit soup, the combination was neither greasy nor tiring.

The people and beasts in the dune quickly devoured Ning Yuzhou's painstakingly prepared roasted suckling pig and pot of spirit fruit soup, lying contentedly afterward.

Among them, Wen Qiao and Su Molan ate the most.

Ning Yuzhou, the chef, only took a few bites, sharing the rest with them.

Wen Tuti and Wen Guangun were unhappy. Wen Qiao was understandable, as a body cultivator needed to extract essence from food, but what about Su Molan?

Initially, they thought she was a weak crybaby, but she turned out to be a big eater, clearly mooching off them.

Su Molan felt wronged, "I can't help it. The cultivation method from the Su Xing Valley requires constant replenishment of spirit energy, especially since I've been fighting recently."

She touched her stomach, looking pitiful, "Back in the Xiao family, I could only improve my cultivation, not gain combat experience. If those people saw me now, they'd think I had ulterior motives..."

Wen Tuti jumped onto the table, loudly protesting: You can swallow spirit pills; why are you competing with us for Ning brother's food?

Su Molan didn't understand their protest and ignored it.

Wen Qiao said, "Your family's *Explosive Spirit Sword Technique* is quite interesting. It's a pity you couldn't fully unleash its power."

The name of this sword technique was straightforward and easy to understand. By absorbing enough spirit energy, one could burst out with terrifying combat strength, even challenging opponents of higher ranks. It sounded incredibly unbelievable.

Even Ning Yuzhou, who had inherited knowledge, was impressed by the ingenuity of the Su family's ancestors who created the *Explosive Spirit Sword Technique*. They thought of using explosive spirit methods to enhance combat power. Typically, such methods that temporarily boost combat strength would have side effects, but the Su family's ancestors also created a self-healing cultivation method. With this method, one could heal while bursting spirit energy...

It sounded utterly incredible.

Wen Qiao felt that Su Molan was quite fortunate. If she could break free from her constraints, with the techniques and heritage she inherited from the Su family, she would surely become one of the top cultivators on the continent.

Unfortunately, from the moment she was born, her fate was predetermined, preventing her from fully dedicating herself to cultivating the *Explosive Spirit Sword Technique*.

If not for encountering Wen Qiao and being ruthlessly thrown into the Black Devouring Scorpion's nest—though the original intention was to correct her character—it was an excellent opportunity to finally practice the *Explosive Spirit Sword Technique*.

Su Molan said softly, "When I reached the age to cultivate, they made me practice the *Explosive Spirit Sword Technique*. After all, I am the last descendant of the Su family, so naturally, I could only cultivate the Su family's techniques. But they didn't want me to truly unleash the full power of the *Explosive Spirit Sword Technique*..."

Everyone on the continent kept a close eye on the Su family's sole heir. Although exposing her to the public had its benefits, at least no one dared to openly target the Su Xing Valley or her, concealing many malicious intentions and actions.

This allowed her to smoothly reach the Yuanling realm.

However, it stopped there. Being able to cultivate the Su family's techniques did not mean she could do so without hindrance. There were always those who hoped she would have cultivation without combat strength, making her easier to control.

Wen Qiao sympathetically patted her shoulder and encouraged, "Don't worry, there are still plenty of Black Devouring Scorpions outside. Let's kill one nest and move on to another."

Su Molan immediately fell silent.

Her face was swollen and painful, stung by the Black Devouring Scorpions. The scorpions' venom was extremely potent, and although Wen Qiao promptly gave her an antidote, there were still lingering effects that required time to heal, leaving her face swollen.

Not just her face, but other parts of her body were also swollen. Those who knew her would likely not recognize her now.

Once Su Molan began meditating to recover, Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou sat together to talk.

To correct Su Molan's tendency to cry and improve her combat strength so she wouldn't be a liability, Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou decided to camp near the Black Devouring Scorpions' lair after discussing it.

Other cultivators might not dare to do this, but for them, it wasn't a problem. First, Ning Yuzhou could set up protective formations and illusion arrays. As long as they didn't encounter sand lizards, fooling the mindless Black Devouring Scorpions was no issue. Second, Wen Guangun's earth eggshell provided excellent defense; as long as it was raised, the scorpions couldn't attack.

With the yellow sand covering them, they didn't need to worry about being discovered by passing cultivators.

Wen Qiao said, "Husband, Su Molan mentioned that the Blackwind Desert experiences black winds for most of the year. When the black winds blow, all life in the desert perishes, and cultivators cannot withstand their power. It's best to leave before the black winds start."

The Blackwind Desert is located in the center of the Pleiades Continent. Due to the prevalence of black winds, it is called the Blackwind Desert.

After the black winds subside, floating islands appear in the Blackwind Desert, accompanied by rainbow light. This rainbow light forms a barrier protecting the islands from the black winds, though it doesn't prevent cultivators from entering.

The appearance of these islands is random. Those with good luck can encounter them, while those with bad luck rarely do.

Despite this, many cultivators are attracted here because these islands are rich in spirit plants and herbs. Since they appear randomly and are rarely visited, the resources inside are abundant, driving cultivators to madness.

However, the Blackwind Desert is vast and filled with dangers, the most dangerous being the sand lizards. Encountering them usually means certain death. Although the black winds disappear for half a year each year, this period is insufficient for cultivators to venture deep into the Blackwind Desert.

Wen Qiao speculated that the ancient teleportation array should be located deep within the Blackwind Desert.

That's why after leaving the area around the teleportation array, it took them three months to finally meet Su Molan and her companions.

Ning Yuzhou calculated and said, "There are two months left before the black winds start again. It seems we need to leave."

"Yes, Su Molan mentioned it today," Wen Qiao agreed.

Wen Qiao felt that Su Molan didn't want to be thrown into the Black Devouring Scorpion's nest again, which is why she reminded them. Seeing her face, swollen and blackened by the scorpion stings, was indeed pitiful.

"Alright, let's leave tomorrow," Ning Yuzhou concurred.

***

The next day, Wen Qiao told Su Molan, whose face was still swollen, "We won't go fight the Black Devouring Scorpions today."

"Then where are we going?" Su Molan asked in surprise.

"Of course, we're leaving the Blackwind Desert," Wen Qiao replied matter-of-factly. "Don't you fear running out of time to leave?"

Su Molan's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly said, "Exactly, let's leave quickly—ouch!"

She spoke too hastily, causing her facial muscles to twitch, and she couldn't help but cry out in pain, tears streaming down her face.

After packing up, they chose a direction and headed out of the Blackwind Desert.

While traveling, Wen Qiao continued to try to correct Su Molan's crying habit. Whenever they encountered a group of Black Devouring Scorpions, she would kick Su Molan down, watching her burst spirit energy to fight the monsters and then get stung.

As a result, Su Molan's face remained swollen, forcing her to endure the discomfort.

After a few days, they encountered a group of cultivators.

These cultivators were young, both men and women, and based on their attire, they seemed to be disciples from different sects.

One of them, a young man with a baby face, greeted them friendly.

"Three fellow cultivators, are you also searching for the floating islands in the Blackwind Desert? How many islands have you encountered?"

Wen Qiao glanced at them. The highest cultivator among them was a male Yuanzong realm cultivator, while the others were in the Yuanmai, Yuankong, and Yuanling realms, with varying levels of cultivation.

Hmm, she and Su Molan could easily beat them up.

Ning Yuzhou replied warmly, "Yes, unfortunately, our luck hasn't been good. We haven't seen any floating islands yet."

His handsome face and noble demeanor, coupled with his warm smile, easily evoked a sense of closeness. His natural disappointment made people believe him, feeling that these three really had bad luck.

Looking at the other two, one had a cold face, and the other had a swollen face...

Clearly a pair of unlucky individuals, truly pitiable.

Ning Yuzhou took the opportunity to chat with them and learned about their backgrounds. They were disciples of Heshen Sect and Zhenwu Sect. The cultivator at the Yuanzong realm was Zhenwu Sect's senior disciple—Jiao Junhao. The baby-faced one who greeted them was Ai Jue, Jiao Junhao's junior brother.

Ning Yuzhou said, "We are all independent cultivators. I am Ning Yuzhou. This is my junior sister Wen Qiao, and this is her friend, Lan Su Su."

Su Molan’s body tensed up, her eyes fixed straight ahead, worried that she would be recognized by these people.

Fortunately, they did not recognize her. This made her secretly sigh in relief, but she couldn't help reaching out to touch her black and swollen face, wincing in pain, completely losing her composure.

The disciples from the two sects showed a hint of sympathy in their eyes when they saw her.

This face... ruined so thoroughly, and she's a female cultivator too. She probably didn't look good to begin with.

"This Sister Lan, your face... must be very painful, right?" asked a female cultivator from Heshen Sect, her face innocent, but her eyes revealing undisguised mockery.

Su Molan kept a tight-lipped expression and remained silent.

Another female cultivator sympathetically said, "Miss Lan, how did you get your face like this? Was it the venom of the Black Devouring Scorpion?"

Su Molan silently nodded.

Upon hearing this, the other cultivators remarked, "The venom of the Black Devouring Scorpion is indeed potent. I've heard that if not treated promptly, it could lead to disfigurement..."

Judging by her appearance, she has been poisoned for quite some time now. If it hasn't been cured yet, it might be incurable. The venom of the Black Devouring Scorpion isn't something ordinary antidotes can treat. Most female cultivators cherish their appearances and would never risk facing the Black Devouring Scorpion.

Truly pitiful!