Chapter 4086 — A Traitor in the Ranks
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
Yet the Blood Wolf of the Jungle did not choose to give chase; it stood frozen in place, and somehow, a jet-black arrow was now lodged fast in its neck.
A moment later, the Blood Wolf of the Jungle toppled stiffly to the ground, thrashing and howling in agony for a long while before its life finally ebbed away.
Phew! Only then did [Huang Xiaotao] let out a long breath. Had she not taken the risk of luring it over, given the cunning that Blood Wolf of the Jungle had displayed, there was no telling who would have been left standing today.
It was also fortunate that she had laced her arrow with a deadly poison in advance; otherwise, even if she had managed to plant an arrow in the Blood Wolf of the Jungle, with its thick hide and coarse flesh, it would never have died.
Having slain the late-stage Foundation Establishment Blood Wolf of the Jungle, [Huang Xiaotao] did not pause for even a moment. Without even taking time to catch her breath, she turned and hurried toward [Cong Zhima] and [Chen Muzhuang]; a moment more of delay, and someone might well be dead.
And so it was: by the time [Huang Xiaotao] arrived, [Cong Zhima] and [Chen Muzhuang] were already in dire straits—covered in wounds and barely able to stand, while the two peak mid-stage Foundation Establishment spirit beasts they faced were still full of vigor.
However, with the addition of [Huang Xiaotao]'s formidable fighting strength, the tide was reversed in an instant; in less than the time it took to burn a stick of incense, the two peak mid-stage Foundation Establishment spirit beasts were slain by the three of them working together.
Slumping to the ground in a sorry state, applying medicine while gasping for air, [Cong Zhima] looked up at the enormous cocoon woven of spider silk overhead and said with some concern, "Brother Lingyi has been up there so long—surely nothing's happened to him?"
"I'll go up and take a look." Ignoring her aching body and her nearly exhausted reserves of strength, [Huang Xiaotao] gritted her teeth, rose, and made ready to climb the tree.
In her recollection, the spirit beast that had set its sights on [Wei Zhao] seemed to be a Thousand-Eyed Spider—a fearsome beast whose strength surpassed even that of the Blood Wolf of the Jungle. And Lingyi was the "weakest" of them all; facing the Thousand-Eyed Spider alone, with so much time having passed, he had most likely met with disaster.
[Huang Xiaotao] well knew the danger of charging up there recklessly, but even if there was only the faintest sliver of hope, as captain she could not stand by and let Lingyi die.
Yet just as [Huang Xiaotao] rose to climb the tree, the great cocoon suddenly blazed with fire in all directions. Then, in the firelight, the cocoon swiftly turned to ash and scattered on the wind, and [Wei Zhao] appeared from within, leaping down from midair.
[Cong Zhima] stared at [Wei Zhao]—somewhat bedraggled but showing no obvious injuries—and said, dumbfounded, "Brother Lingyi, you really are something! That one that came after you looked like a Thousand-Eyed Spider, didn't it? That's a late-stage Foundation Establishment spirit beast, and you were actually able to handle it!"
Not only he; at this moment, the looks [Huang Xiaotao] and [Chen Muzhuang] cast at [Wei Zhao] were likewise filled with unmistakable shock. They had all along believed [Wei Zhao] to be the weakest among them.
"Heh, it's just that I happen to know a fire-type martial skill. Its spiderweb was nothing but spinning a cocoon around itself. Pure luck—otherwise I couldn't have handled it." [Wei Zhao] laughed, his face full of modesty.
"So that's it—fire really does seem to counter spiders. Brother Lingyi, you're certainly lucky, but don't be so modest; luck is a kind of strength too!" [Cong Zhima] and the other two said, the realization dawning on them.