Zhuge Xiang's speed was remarkable, almost four times faster than Ling Wufeng. The appearance of the blood-colored saber light startled both Ling Wufeng and Ji Wuxue. They had only seen Hua Nongying and Lu Yuling rush forward, but they had not expected Zhuge Xiang to join the fight as well.
While everyone had witnessed his performance in the competition, the question remained: could he succeed once again against a two-star demon beast?
Compared to Zhuge Xiang's lightning-fast attack, the demonic bear's speed was sluggish. Coupled with Zhuge Xiang's sudden strike, the demonic bear had no time to evade. The Blood Refined Saber mercilessly sliced into the creature's mouth, causing blood to spatter.
Accompanied by the demonic bear's agonized screams, Zhuge Xiang's saber nearly severed its tongue. The intense pain ignited the beast's ferocity. Thankfully, everyone was prepared to retreat as soon as Zhuge Xiang made his move.
Phew…
The enormous bear paw, larger than a washbasin, swept past Zhuge Xiang's eyes. Although it missed him, the powerful gust generated by the paw stung Zhuge Xiang's face.
He silently rejoiced, having anticipated the retaliatory strike from the enraged demonic bear. Otherwise, anyone would have perished if that blow had connected.
Poison was an incredibly formidable force. As they retreated, they realized that the demonic bear had been poisoned. Zhuge Xiang and the others focused on dodging and doing their best to avoid the infuriated creature. The intense activity hastened the effects of the poison. However, Zhuge Xiang and the others were not pleased when they witnessed the bear's reaction.
The poison was akin to that of a high-grade one-star poisonous python. Although the toxin was potent, the demonic bear's body, tempered by Demonic Qi, was equally robust. The poison merely affected the bear's speed, noticeably reducing its attack speed and strength by approximately 30%.
Nevertheless, even with a 30% decrease, the attack power of a two-star demonic beast remained lethal, capable of instantly killing anyone present. As for its movement speed and reaction time being impacted by 30%, even if a two-star demonic beast stood still, attacks would likely have no effect. The reduction in speed was essentially inconsequential.
"Forget it. This demonic bear's body is too strong. Let's quickly escape," Ji Wuxue said helplessly when he saw that the poison didn't have much of an effect on it.
Given the paralyzing effect of the poison, the demonic bear's speed had been diminished by 30%. Escaping at this point should offer a high chance of success.
"No, once a bear is on all fours, it can sprint swiftly in a straight line. Escaping won't be that easy," Zhuge Xiang firmly shook his head in response to Ji Wuxue's words, determined not to flee.
Lu Yuling discreetly glanced at Niu Geng, well aware of Zhuge Xiang's concern. There was no doubt that Niu Geng would be the slowest runner.
Nodding in agreement, Lu Yuling echoed Zhuge Xiang's sentiment. "That's right. I also believe we should kill this demonic bear. Once it's defeated, we can use its excrement to scatter around our resting area. Many one-star demons will be deterred from approaching, allowing us to rest more securely at night."
"But how do we attack it? How can we harm a two-star demon beast?" Ling Wufeng asked, sharing the same sentiments as Lu Yuling. While he understood the logic behind Lu Yuling's suggestion, hurting a two-star demon beast posed a significant challenge.
"We need to exploit its weaknesses," Zhuge Xiang replied. "My previous attack proved that despite the demonic bear's formidable physical defense, it does have vulnerabilities, such as its eyes or the inside of its mouth. If we seize the right timing, we can succeed."
"But since your attack, the demonic bear has become silent. It hasn't even roared. Attacking its mouth seems unrealistic, and as for its eyes, the demonic bear guards them well. It's extremely difficult to succeed," Hua Nongying added, her brows furrowing. Everyone wore troubled expressions, fully aware of the abnormal physical defense possessed by a two-star demonic beast.
Zhuge Xiang continued, undeterred. "You all will carry out a harassment attack. Hua Nongying, your role will be crucial. Leap onto the demonic bear and swiftly blind its eyes. Ling Wufeng, prepare your flying daggers. Once the demonic bear's eyes are blinded, it will undoubtedly scream. That will be your chance to strike directly into its mouth with the daggers. Whether they can penetrate its throat depends on you." Observing their troubled expressions, Zhuge Xiang proceeded to assign tasks.
Zhuge Xiang's words startled Hua Nongying. Blinding the demonic bear's eyes was not an easy task. She would likely face the wrath of its palm and risk having her bones shattered before succeeding, wouldn't she?
Noticing Hua Nongying's apprehension, Zhuge Xiang reassured her. "Don't worry, I will intervene and block the demonic bear's attack at the crucial moment. You are the fastest among us, and only you can handle this mission. Trust me, I'll support you in blocking its counterattack."
Trust him? Hua Nongying looked at Zhuge Xiang with a serious expression and fell silent. The Asura Sect was a demonic sect. As a disciple of the Asura Sect, how could she trust others so unreservedly and put her life in their hands? Not many people would be willing. But Zhuge Xiang was right. She was the fastest with her Ghostly Steps. She was indeed the most suitable person for that moment.
This was a gamble. It was a gamble on whether Zhuge Xiang was trustworthy or not. Hua Nongying was not in a hurry to answer. Instead, she turned her head to look at Lu Yuling, her friend. Compared to others, she had a better relationship with Lu Yuling, and she had some friendship with Zhuge Xiang. She wondered if Lu Yuling had any suggestions for such a question.
Lu Yuling understood what Hua Nongying meant when she looked at him questioningly. After hesitating for a moment, Lu Yuling nodded gently, indicating that Zhuge Xiang was trustworthy.
"Alright, we'll do as you say," Hua Nongying nodded and agreed. At the same time, she said to Ling Wufeng, "Get ready too. Don't lose your aim at the critical moment. You only have one chance."
"Don't worry. As long as that demonic bear opens its mouth and can't see, I'll definitely be able to shoot through its throat," Ling Wufeng replied confidently. However, his confident demeanor did not catch the attention of Hua Nongying and Lu Yuling.
After formulating the battle plan, Zhuge Xiang, Hua Nongying, Ji Wuxue, and Lu Yuling's mechanical puppets all moved and pounced towards the demonic bear. However, their main focus was on dodging and launching harassing attacks. The demonic bear learned its lesson and did not open its mouth to roar, even in its fury.
Whoosh…
Hua Nongying's attack arrived. Using her Ghostly Steps, she appeared in front of the demonic bear like a ghost. Extending her short knife, she shook it out with a flick, resembling a venomous snake flicking its tongue. The knife emitted a dangerous aura as it headed straight for the demonic bear's eyes.
The demonic bear's pupils constricted. Clearly, it could sense the danger coming from Hua Nongying. It no longer paid attention to Zhuge Xiang and the rest's harassing attacks. It swung its bear paw fiercely, emitting a sharp sound of rushing wind as it slapped towards Hua Nongying. Judging from its power, even if Hua Nongying could blind the demonic bear, she would definitely be smashed into meat paste.
Although the demonic bear's attack caused people's expressions to change, Hua Nongying ignored it. She seemed determined to risk her life to stab the demonic bear's eyes.
Having made a promise to Zhuge Xiang, she had no doubts. This was Hua Nongying's personality—similar to Zhuge Xiang's—direct and straightforward with her feelings.
Zhuge Xiang admired her personality. At least she promised him that she would not make any mistakes. It was much better than those who agreed on the surface but would mess up at this critical moment.
At this moment, everyone became nervous and worried for Hua Nongying. Zhuge Xiang had promised to help her block the demonic bear's attack at the critical moment. How could he block it? This was a two-star demon beast, equivalent to a Body Tempering stage cultivator. There was a qualitative difference between it and a Qi Nourishing stage cultivator. With its attack power, everyone would be instantly killed. How could he block it?
Since Hua Nongying had agreed, Zhuge Xiang was relieved. Since she had agreed, she would definitely do it.
At the critical moment, Zhuge Xiang used Violent Steps and appeared in front of the demonic bear as if he had teleported. He raised his left hand, and the Blocking Blade appeared.
The Blocking Blade's attack power was very low and severely inconsistent with the quality of its three-star Dharma artifacts. However, it had a chance to block the attack of any Qi Transformation Stage cultivator every day. Not to mention a two-star demonic beast, even a peak six-star demonic beast could be blocked by this attack.
The aggressive attack was blocked by Zhuge Xiang's Blocking Blade. The weak human in front of him could actually block his attack. This momentarily stunned the demonic bear. However, at that moment, Hua Nongying's attack arrived. The short knife directly pierced into the demonic bear's eye…
Miserable screams resounded in the sky. Zhuge Xiang and Hua Nongying rapidly retreated. At the same time, a bright saber light flashed and disappeared. The shocking screams abruptly stopped…
The demonic bear's mouth was wide open, revealing a flying knife lodged deep in its throat. Although a two-star demonic beast's body was strong, its eyes and throat were not impenetrable.
"Ding… Killed a two-star low-grade demonic bear. Obtained 880 EXP. Obtained Hundred Refinement Bow."
"Gasp, as expected of a two-star demon beast. Its EXP is actually as high as 880 points." Hearing the system notification, Zhuge Xiang gasped.
However, upon further consideration, it made sense. He was only at the third level of the Qi Nourishing stage, while the demonic bear was equivalent to a Body Tempering stage cultivator. Even with a few teammates and weakened EXP, he couldn't withstand the level gap. It was reasonable for him to gain 880 EXP. Moreover, with such a significant level jump, it seemed reasonable for him to acquire equipment as well.