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Chapter 182 - Demonic Plant
🕑 Added 2024-12-02 07:01:01 +0000 UTC"Are the demonic beasts there that strong?" Leyvi was somewhat in disbelief.
"Yes, they are not only strong, but they also have numbers. For some reason, the animals in this region could become demonic beasts much more easily than in other places. They said that the rate is ten times more frequent." Nala replied.
"Why do you think that happened? Is there some kind of mysterious treasure that could make them evolve?" Leyvi speculated.
"Hehe, countless people had speculated the same thing and came here to seek the alleged treasure, but nobody had ever discovered anything like that. It's a mystery until now. Maybe this region is just a magical land for the demonic beasts." Nala dismissed Leyvi's speculation.
"Aw..I thought I was a genius for thinking that. Haha. So where should we hunt? What's the best place for us right now?" Leyvi asked. He was already itching to fight.
"Obviously we go to the easiest hunting ground first. If you're going to be hasty, you will put everyone in danger. We need to get used to how frequently we might encounter demonic beasts first. Understand, darling?" Nala became much sterner this time because she used to be a mercenary here and knew how dangerous things could be.
"Yes, Squad Leader Nala! This subordinate apologies!" Leyvi saluted.
Seeing Leyvi role-playing as her subordinate all of a sudden, Nala became aroused, but she suppressed her horniness. She saved the night battle idea at the back of her mind, intending to use it on special occasions.
"Alright, we have four hunting grounds to choose from here. They are considered the easiest hunting grounds among the low-level danger zones. All newbie mercenaries start hunting here." Nala started explaining.
Boulderback Hills. Rolling hills with scattered boulders and sparse vegetation. Full of demonic mountain goats and demonic boars with hardened muscles known for powerful charging attacks. The boulders provide natural cover but also limit sightlines, making it difficult to spot these fast-moving beasts until they're close.
Jagged Pines. Dense pine forest with tall, needle-covered trees and uneven ground.
Full of demonic wolves and lynxes, adapted to stealth and quick strikes from cover. The pine needles on the forest floor dampen sound, favoring stealthy beasts and making it prime ground for honing agility and perception.
Dustbloom Savannah. Open, grassy plains with patches of tall, dry grass and sporadic dirt mounds. Demonic antelopes and cheetahs are renowned for their speed and sharp senses. The openness of the savannah forces cultivators to rely on speed and endurance, as swift beasts can escape easily into the grass or circle back unexpectedly.
Verdant Labyrinth. A dense, twisting forest with towering trees, thick vines, and aggressive undergrowth that creates a natural maze. Demonic venus flytraps, kudzu vines, poison ivy, and strangler figs are now enhanced to a massive scale with heightened predatory instincts. These plants have developed heightened mobility, poisonous defenses, and even basic sensory capabilities. They can actively trap, sting, and poison cultivators who venture too close.
"Wait! Demonic plants exist? Why do I never know that?" Leyvi felt stupid.
A sound transmission reached Leyvi. "They exist, but are extremely rare. It is way harder for a plant to become a demonic plant than for an animal to become a demonic beast. In other places, a demonic plant that was lucky enough to evolve might get devoured by a demonic beast right away. However, it seemed like this Verdant Labyrinth was somehow conquered by demonic plants."
"I see..." Leyvi tapped his chin. He was not surprised at all that Lilian was knowledgeable about this topic.
Suddenly, two huge mountains came and buried his face. A move he was familiar with. He looked up and saw an expecting face. Lilian was smiling and making her cutest face.
Leyvi became instantly aware of the intention behind her intimate actions. Lilian would only weaponize her assets voluntarily like this if she wanted something from him.
"Alright, alright. Let's go to the Verdant Labyrinth. I want to see demonic plants too." Leyvi said with a muffled voice.
"Thank you, husband!" Lilian said while launching a barrage of kisses on Leyvi's face.
"Lilian is so lucky. I want boobs that massive, too." Nala felt envious. Her boobs were considered big, but they couldn't devour Leyvi's head like Lilian's.
After choosing the Verdant Labyrinth as their first hunting ground, they prepared themselves and traveled to the destination. It was located thirty kilometers away southeast.
Along the way, Leyvi saw multiple mercenary groups going in the same direction as his airship. Later, when they arrived near the forest, he also saw cultivators returned from the Verdant Labyrinth looking haggard.
"They don't look very good. Are you sure this hunting ground is considered easy, Nala?" Leyvi had doubts.
"Hehe. Don't worry darling. If they were on other hunting grounds, they would probably end up worse than looking haggard. Demonic plants usually have limited mobility and lack strength. They kill and suck their prey's essence slowly. As long as you're not alone when you fall into their traps, you'd most likely make it out alive," Nala reassured.
"Lilian, be careful. Those plants are waiting to suck out your melons until they deflated." Leyvi teased.
Lilian immediately hugged her melons, trying to protect them. She liked them very much because Leyvi would always grant her wishes if she used them on him.
"We are here." Valenia, the pilot said.
"Hmm, this place looks very dense and easy to get lost. No wonder they call it a labyrinth," Anda commented. She wondered if she could burn everything here.
From the sky, the Verdant Labyrinth appears as a vast, tangled expanse of lush, green vegetation, bordered by denser forests and rougher terrain on all sides.
"Where should we enter this labyrinth from?" Valenia asked.
"Let's go to the southwest of the forest. The entrance there borders a rocky outcrop that leads down into a relatively clear pathway, known among cultivators as the Serpent's Path."
"Why does it sound dangerous? Don't tell me there are many demonic snakes there?" Leyvi looked at the southwest part of the forest.
"Hehe. No! They call it that because of the entrance's winding shape. Although the name sounded dangerous, it's actually the safest route." Nala giggled.
Leyvi nodded. All other mercenaries that came here entered from the entrance north of Verdant Labyrinth because it was the nearest. On the other hand, Leyvi and the ladies could enter from any entrance because they had an airship that could quickly traverse across the vast forest.
And so, Valenia piloted the airship to the southwest of Verdant Labyrinth. When they arrived, they disembarked before the Serpent's Path entrance.
"Holy! The trees here are ridiculously tall!" Leyvi tilted his head upward to see the top of the canopy. They didn't realize it at first when looking from above.
"Alright. Husband, make sure to watch over us ladies, okay?" Anda reminded.
"Yes, madam!" Leyvi saluted.
He spread his spiritual sense as far as possible. From now on, it will be activated at all times for surveillance. He would be aware of anything obvious in a sixteen-kilometer radius.
Even Lilian and Nala, who were in the Core Formation realm, couldn't compare their spiritual senses with Leyvi's.
Leyvi had theorized about how he managed to possess an enormous Qi capacity, but he still had no clue about why his spiritual sense far exceeded that of other cultivators.
At first, it was only slightly better, but after he watched Anda's enlightenment, it expanded beyond his imagination. He thought it might be related to watching enlightenment, but nothing happened after watching Norin's enlightenment during the Alchemy Competition. So he discarded the theory.
Everyone had equipped themselves with the spirit equipment they bought yesterday. Lilian, Valenia, and Nala wore three very different armor, while Anda didn't have one. She had a pretty hairpin, necklace, and bangle instead.
Leyvi and the ladies wasted no more time and entered the Serpent's Path.
With his spiritual sense covering the area, Leyvi slowly observed what was happening inside Verdant Labyrinth as they walked.
"Weird, there's no movement at all. This place is abnormally quiet. It's creepy."
"That's because the demonic plants have consumed smaller animals and insects that create big noises," Nala explained.
"Are you saying we won't meet any demonic beast at all?" Valenia felt disappointed. She wanted to fight a strong demonic beast.
"Don't worry, Val, it's not that there aren't any demonic beasts at all. To survive in a forest dominated by demonic plants, probably only the stealthy demonic beasts could do that." Nala reassured.
"Che, it's still boring. I want to fight big ones." Valenia complained.
"Hahaha! If you want to fight a big one, there's one coming at us right now!" Leyvi alerted them.
"Huh? Where?" The ladies noticed nothing obvious.
"From above." Leyvi was already staring at their potential ambusher.
They looked up but still couldn't see anything suspicious. It was not until they searched thoroughly, using their spiritual sense, that they saw a giant mantis stalking them from above, camouflaging as a tree branch.
"It's an intermediate-level Demonic Dragon Mantis!" Nala said.
The Demonic Dragon Mantis, upon realizing it was discovered, immediately dived down and attacked them. It intended to behead all the humans in a single attack with its razor sharp forelegs.
"Leave it to me!" Valenia said.
Valenia's eyes narrowed as she gripped her broadsword, summoning her sword intent in a focused burst. With a sharp swing, she sent a thin, shimmering blade of energy slicing through the air toward the ambush.
Shiiing!
