Chapter 165: Chapter 133: Harvesting Yin Scythe Rats

A moment later, a Blood Shadow suddenly rushed out of the sea of fire.

It was the Corpse.

Its appearance, however, had changed considerably.

It had shrunk noticeably, but the aura it exuded was growing stronger. This led Lü Zhong to a startling guess. ’Is this Corpse about to break through to Tier Two?’

’If it really succeeds, everyone here will die!’

At this thought, Lü Zhong no longer held back.

With a sharp ring, the Shuo Jin and Golden Devourer swords flew out in unison. They twined into a gold-and-red spiral, unleashing a series of eardrum-shattering sonic booms as they shot toward the densest concentration of Corpse Qi on the Corpse.

At the same time, he scattered a handful of Fiery Sun Stone powder.

As he formed hand seals and chanted an incantation, a golden Light Spear quickly took shape.

The Entropy Light Spear struck the Corpse, instantly igniting a large patch of Corpse Qi. The creature felt a surge of shock and rage, its rapidly rising momentum immediately suppressed.

Seeing that it was working, Lü Zhong immediately pressed his attack and called for the others to help.

It seemed that killing a target like the Corpse awarded a large amount of Sect Merits, so everyone gave it their all. They launched volley after volley of Fireball Bullets, blasting the creature and forcing it to retreat.

The Corpse tried to charge them several times, but the group forced it back on each attempt.

Lü Zhong continued to wear down the creature’s Corpse Qi. Having learned his lesson, he kept the Corpse entangled with his Magical Artifact to prevent it from retreating into the stronghold again. He couldn’t let it absorb the abundant Corpse Qi there and make another attempt to break through to Tier Two.

Soon, the Corpse crashed heavily to the ground.

After confirming its death, Lü Zhong walked up to the Corpse and retrieved a Storage Bag.

It contained a decent amount of loot, but he still took it out and divided it among the group. After all, the assistance of his junior brothers and sisters had been indispensable in slaying the Corpse. To ensure the rest of the clean-up mission went smoothly, this gesture to win their favor was necessary.

Even so, Lü Zhong’s own share was still substantial.

All told, it was worth nearly a thousand Spirit Stones.

...

On the third day, the clean-up operation reached a critical juncture.

After three consecutive days of high-intensity operations, the Heling Sect had successfully driven out all the Allied Army Cultivators entrenched in the upper waterways, though not without considerable casualties. Only a small remnant remained, hiding in the lower waterways and clinging desperately to life.

According to the plan, Lü Zhong’s next task was to conduct a clean and thorough purge of the Demon Beast populations in the lower waterways, while also hunting down the remaining Allied Army Cultivators.

Underground, there was no day or night. Blazing firelight held the darkness at bay.

Lü Zhong and his team were resting in an underground hall. Some were treating their wounds, while others meditated, Replenishing Qi. No one was idle; everyone was seizing the time to recover.

Lü Zhong, ever vigilant of his surroundings, suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of dread.

’What’s going on?’

’Why did my heart suddenly start pounding?’

It wasn’t just him. Many other Heling Sect disciples also sensed that something was wrong.

’Something’s not right!’ Spiritual Light flickered in Lü Zhong’s eyes. He stared at the hall’s entrance to the lower waterways, where he could see a red glow intensifying and the concentration of Demon Spiritual Qi rapidly rising. He shouted, "Quick, activate the Flow Gathering Wave Array!"

In the center of the hall, six Heling Sect disciples sitting cross-legged by the Array Flags nodded in response.

Without the slightest hesitation, each of the six sent forth the Water Blue Magic Bead in their hand.

The six Array Flags released threads of light that linked together, quickly forming a complex Grand Array. It immediately drew upon the raging torrent that flowed through the underground hall, and a deep blue water curtain rose to seal off the entrance to the lower waterways.

At some point, the other side of the water curtain had turned completely blood-red.

BANG! Something heavy slammed into the barrier, creating a tremendous noise.

Everyone looked toward the sound. A massive, rotting beast’s head suddenly appeared amidst the dense Demon Qi.

A closer look revealed the head belonged to a Yin Scythe Rat. Inside its rotting, pus-filled snout were rows of scythe-like teeth, a very distinct characteristic of the species.

Its eyes were solid scarlet, filled with utter madness.

Sensing the aura coming from this Yin Scythe Rat, Lü Zhong’s expression changed.

’A Tier Two Yin Scythe Rat?’

He carefully channeled his Spiritual Power, increasing the precision of his Qi Observation Skill’s ability to discern Spiritual Qi concentrations.

’No, its Realm has dropped to Tier One. It’s just at the Great Perfection stage!’ Lü Zhong confirmed the Yin Scythe Rat’s strength and breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t let his guard down, however, and immediately ordered his team to focus their fire on it.

He couldn’t help but feel grateful for his Sect’s vast resources.

The Flow Gathering Wave Array was a precious two-way Array. When set to one-way passage, it allowed those inside to attack outwards, which was proving extremely useful.

The next moment, a dozen or so Fireball Bullets shot forth.

On the other side of the water curtain, the frenzied Yin Scythe Rat shrieked in pain, letting out a series of roars.

It clawed wildly at the walls, leaving behind foot-deep gashes. But it couldn’t withstand the continuous barrage of Fireball Bullets, and in just over ten breaths, it was blasted into a charred husk.

Before anyone could cheer, several more violent impacts shook the barrier.

Lü Zhong looked closely at the entrance and couldn’t help but gasp.

The tunnel was filled with a dense sea of scarlet eyes. A horde of calf-sized Yin Scythe Rats was pouring out, frantically gnawing at the water curtain and continuously draining the power of the Flow Gathering Wave Array.

Encountering a swarm of rats was actually within their expectations.

After all, rodent-type Demon Beasts were notorious for their reproductive speed, second only to Mud Shell Pigs.

What no one had expected, however, was the sheer size of the swarm!