Chapter 40: The Azure-Locked Dragon

Chapter 40: The Azure-Locked Dragon

Boom!

A thunderclap reverberated through the sky, illuminating the vast forest below for a fleeting moment before darkness engulfed it once more. Torrential rain poured down, drenching the land.

Countless raindrops pattered upon the leaves, creating a continuous melody that blended with the symphony of the wilderness, masking all other sounds. Instinctively, the beasts and monsters of the forest sought shelter in their lairs, reluctant to venture out again.

However, four figures braved the darkness, pressing forward.

Seizing the opportunity while their pursuers were still at bay, Ji Xinghuo and his companions had finally caught a few hours of much-needed rest before nightfall. Though not fully recovered to their peak condition, the respite had revitalized them, and they were now ready to engage in an all-out battle.

Retracing their steps, the team searched for any signs of the Xunlin Tribe.

Ji Xinghuo held a large leaf over his head, reminiscent of a lotus leaf, shielding him from the downpour and keeping the upper half of his body dry.

With his magnetic field perception, he sensed the fluctuations within a range of nearly four hundred meters. The raindrops, the flowing water, the forest itself, and the wild beasts—all matter emitted magnetic fields that intertwined, forming innumerable and intricate lines in his mind, abstract yet overwhelming, like trying to discern unique patterns on a snowy screen.

Fortunately, he had long grown accustomed to this sensation.

With a slight focus, his brain filtered out the minuscule, stationary, and small-volume magnetic fields, treating them as mere background noise.

His three teammates stayed close by, their bodies soaked, as they trudged through the soggy leaves, splashing rainwater with each step.

For over two arduous hours, they pressed on.

As the rain intensified, resembling cascading waterfalls, pools of water and deep pits formed on the ground.

Suddenly, Ji Xinghuo halted, signaling his teammates with a gesture.

"Found them," he whispered.

Ren Mian, with her Thought Necklace activated, immediately heard Ji Xinghuo's voice in her mind. He pointed to the left, beyond the veil of pouring rain, where ten members of the Xunlin Tribe lurked.

In truth, Ji Xinghuo had detected their presence a couple of minutes earlier.

He had waited until they were within three hundred meters before alerting his teammates, a tactic he had employed over the past few days to conceal his true sensing range.

"Distance: approximately 290 meters," he relayed.

"Ten members of the Xunlin Tribe," Ren Mian added.

"Six Xunlin Warriors and four Hunters," Ji Xinghuo continued.

"They've set up a makeshift camp to shelter from the rain on top of that hill. Seven of them are resting, two are on guard duty outside the camp, and one is acting as a lookout, perched in a tree above the camp."

Through his magnetic field perception, Ji Xinghuo had a clear understanding of their situation, which he conveyed to his teammates.

Ren Mian thought for a moment. "Let's get closer."

The four of them stealthily drew nearer to the Xunlin Tribe's camp. Despite the rain masking their footsteps, the keen senses of the Xunlin Tribe posed a challenge, and any misstep could result in losing the element of surprise.

When they were about two hundred meters away, Ren Mian spoke again. "Caiyi, use the Phantom Pearl."

Jiangnan Caiyi reached into her collar and produced a white pearl, gently squeezing it. A wave of invisible light and shadows enveloped the group, cloaking their figures.

The effect of the Phantom Pearl mirrored the core ability of the Illusionist, 'Silent Phantom.'

It could create soundless illusions, perfect for deception or stealth.

However, the pearl consumed a significant amount of star power, and Jiangnan Caiyi could maintain it for only about eight minutes, hence her reluctance to use it frequently.

Ren Mian waved her hand forward, signaling their approach.

Two minutes later,

A low-lying hill emerged into view, clearly visible to Ji Xinghuo, though he wasn't sure if his teammates could see it as well.

Atop the hill, about a hundred meters away, several towering trees grew densely together. The Xunlin Tribe had set up their camp in the clearing between the trees, using the branches to shield themselves from the rain. They had built a simple shelter by breaking off large branches and resting them on forks high up on the tree trunks, keeping the interior relatively dry. A campfire burned brightly within.

Seven members of the Xunlin Tribe surrounded the fire.

Their upper bodies resembled humans, while their lower halves were equine, preventing them from lying down completely. Most of them knelt or crouched, maintaining a high level of alertness even as they rested, ready to leap into action at any moment.

Outside the camp, two Xunlin Warrior sentries stood guard, each taking shelter from the rain under the canopy of trees.

Their eyes constantly scanned the surroundings.

There was also a female Xunlin Hunter, perched atop a large tree directly above the camp, hidden in the darkness. Her massive silhouette blended seamlessly with the shadows of the foliage.

"Xinghuo, take the high ground and provide long-range support," Ren Mian instructed.

"Little Chi and I will launch a frontal assault. I'll control the battlefield, and Little Chi will find the right moment to strike. Caiyi, you'll carry out a covert attack."

Ren Mian quickly devised their strategy and pointed to the leader of the Xunlin Tribe in the camp. "He's a Fourth-Stage Xunlin Warrior, the strongest among them. We'll need to engage him first. After we've dealt with the others, we'll join forces to take him down. Be careful not to engage him directly."

The other three nodded in understanding.

Fourth-Stage indicated four life evolutions, equivalent to a super-evolved human on Earth.

Ji Xinghuo had already taken note of this particular Xunlin Warrior.

He stood taller and more robust than the others, his skin adorned with blood-red battle patterns. The pair of black horns on his head were over half a meter long, and a heavy, large battle blade rested by his side. The other Xunlin Tribe members seemed to fear him, keeping their distance even within the camp.

Ren Mian glanced at Ji Xinghuo, signaling that it was time to begin.

Ji Xinghuo scanned the surroundings and chose a large tree, moving behind it. He took out a bundle of nano-rope, with a metal block attached to one end for weight. With a swift upward flick, he sent the rope soaring, and it soon entangled a branch dozens of meters above. After a few coils, the rope tightened, securing his ascent.

His Thousand Agile Hands ability granted him exceptional dexterity, and he nimbly ascended, his feet gently tapping the trunk to avoid the obstructing branches above. In mere seconds, he reached his intended perch, standing on a thick horizontal branch.

From this vantage point, he could oversee the entire camp, raining attacks from above.

"I'm in position," he announced.

With Ji Xinghuo in place, the three below began their ascent toward the camp atop the hill.

The Xunlin Tribe had set up traps on the slope leading to their camp, but Ji Xinghuo, through the thought link, guided his teammates to circumvent these hazards. Slowly and cautiously, they made their way to the top.

One of the Xunlin Tribe members in the camp opened his eyes, sniffed the air, and furrowed his brow in confusion.

He started to get up, about to investigate.

"Now!" Ren Mian whispered in her teammates' minds. With a flick of her finger, she conjured a thumb-sized, multicolored crystal that glowed brilliantly before being launched into the enemy camp like a bullet.

The concealing effect of the Phantom Pearl vanished.

Boom!

The crystal exploded in the center of the camp, releasing a dazzling white light that temporarily blinded the startled Xunlin Tribe members.

The blast also created a powerful shockwave, sending shards of crystal flying in all directions.

Chaos erupted in the camp as the Xunlin Tribe members cried out in pain.

Two of them were severely injured by the blinding flash and the shrapnel from the explosion, and the campfire was extinguished, plunging the entire camp into darkness and confusion.

At that moment, Ji Xinghuo released an arrow he had been readying.

His target was the hidden sentry in the tree above the camp.

The female Xunlin Hunter, concealed in the shadows of the foliage, was completely taken by surprise as the arrow pierced her skull, her body falling and crashing through the branches into the camp below.

Ji Xinghuo swiftly nocked another arrow and fired.

Thwap! Thwap! Thwap!

Three more arrows found their marks, each one striking an enemy in the eye, swiftly taking their lives in the darkness.

The two sentries outside the camp had not been blinded, and they spotted the intruders.

But it was too late.

Chi Zhonglin had transformed into a towering fungal giant, standing over two meters tall, with Tungsten Dragon Scales covering his body. He charged towards one of the sentries, allowing the sentry's spear to pierce his body, trading injury for injury. With a powerful thrust, he impaled the enemy, his Star Jin exploding within the sentry's body, ensuring a swift death.

Jiangnan Caiyi, utilizing her stealth, sneaked around to the other side of the camp and assassinated the remaining sentry.

After throwing the explosive crystal, Ren Mian remained stationary, her feet rooted to the spot.

Tendrils of bluish-green briar began to creep and crawl from beneath her feet, growing wildly like a tidal wave. Within just a few breaths, they had invaded the enemy camp, covering the entire ground.

Hundreds of thorny vines, like venomous snakes, lengthened and thickened, quickly entangling the Xunlin Tribe members, dragging them to the ground and preventing them from standing up. At the same time, they constricted like python coils around their prey.

The Xunlin Tribe members cried out in panic and agony as the briar's sharp thorns pierced their flesh, rapidly taking root and injecting toxins while siphoning away their life force.

From his vantage point in the tree a hundred meters away, Ji Xinghuo witnessed the scene, his pupils narrowing slightly.

"Azure-Locked Dragon!" he exclaimed.

This was an extremely rare and fearsome plant, one of the most perfect specimens for a Plant Witch. The Azure-Locked Dragon was heat and corrosion-resistant, as tough as iron, with rapid growth, and possessed multiple functions including control, attack, toxicity, and defense, making it a plant with terrifying potential.

Legend had it that the most powerful Azure-Locked Dragon could even bind and constrict a true dragon, eventually suffocating and draining it of its life force.

Hence its name.

The Azure-Locked Dragon was challenging to cultivate and even more difficult to control, requiring a Plant Witch with exceptionally high abilities. A skilled Plant Witch would be considered remarkable if they could manipulate a dozen or so Azure-Locked Dragons simultaneously.

But the sight before them was indescribable; there had to be hundreds of them, perhaps even a thousand, like a tidal wave of thorns.

Ren Mian appeared calm and effortless, as if she still had energy to spare.

Thwap! Thwap! Thwap!

Ji Xinghuo continued to fire arrow after arrow into the enemy camp.

The Xunlin Tribe members were preoccupied with the Azure-Locked Dragons, unable to move as the vines entangled them. They couldn't even locate the source of the arrows as they found their marks with deadly accuracy in the darkness, taking out one enemy after another.

This was the overwhelming advantage of striking first.

In less than ten seconds, the Xunlin Tribe members in the camp were either dead or severely injured, completely overwhelmed by the onslaught of the Azure-Locked Dragons.

However, Ji Xinghuo remained vigilant.

There was still one Xunlin Tribe member left, the strongest among them—the Fourth-Stage Xunlin Warrior. He was bound tightly by dozens of Azure-Locked Dragons, his body wrapped so tightly he resembled a large dumpling.

The vines constricted with immense force, seeking to strangle him.

Nevertheless, Ji Xinghuo's magnetic field perception indicated that the enemy was still alive and fighting!

Chi Zhonglin and Jiangnan Caiyi had already rushed into the camp, their long spear and sword flashing as they attacked.

"Be careful!" Ren Mian shouted.

Almost as soon as she uttered the warning, a furious roar erupted from within the camp, and the Azure-Locked Dragons binding the large figure began to shatter, blood-colored flames surging forth and illuminating the night. The vines exploded into fragments, and a terrifying figure emerged from within.

With a sweep of his massive battle blade, he sent Chi Zhonglin flying through the air.

The warrior spun and brought his blade down towards Jiangnan Caiyi.

She transformed her body into a ghostly form, impervious to physical attacks. However, the blood flames on the blade possessed the ability to penetrate intangible bodies, causing damage.

"Ah..."

Jiangnan Caiyi's figure became visible as she cried out in pain.

Her face turned deathly pale, and a deep, bone-exposing wound appeared on her waist, nearly severing her in two. She fell to the ground, weakened and helpless.

The Xunlin Warrior chief raised his front hoof and stomped down on her with overwhelming force.

An arrow streaked through the air.

Thwap!

The Xunlin Warrior chief seemed to sense the danger and tilted his head slightly, causing the arrow to strike his forehead instead of his eye. The arrow embedded itself in his skull but was stopped by the bone, failing to pierce his brain.

Although this arrow did not deliver a fatal blow, it forced the chief to stumble back two steps.

Several Azure-Locked Dragons immediately wrapped around Jiangnan Caiyi's body, dragging her out of the camp and away from the formidable enemy.

The Xunlin Warrior chief's body was engulfed in blood-colored flames, and his eyes radiated two beams of bloody light. These flames burned with an incredibly high temperature, yet they did not damage his armor or weapon. Instead, they augmented his strength and defense by several folds, and the bloody light from his eyes carried a mental burning effect.

Ji Xinghuo locked eyes with the enemy for a moment, feeling a surge of heat within himself.

As he prepared to take aim once more, he found his emotions in disarray, an inexplicable fear preventing him from releasing the arrow.

The Xunlin Warrior chief's face was contorted with madness.

Anger, brutality, fearlessness, and a thirst for blood and battle consumed him. His gaze fixed on Ren Mian, standing outside the camp, as if he had found his most desired prey. He licked his lips, and with a wild neigh, he charged towards her.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end