Chapter 32: Encountering Danger
The unexpected incident at Hanbingjian didn't disrupt Ye Li's rhythm. She returned to the sect with a sufficient supply of ice-condensed flowers and an extra supply of ice-scale snake gallbladders, successfully completing her mission. With a hundred contribution points to her name, and the snake gallbladder exchange, she felt quite satisfied with her gains. She ignored the gratitude and speculation of the rescued disciples; keeping a low profile and improving her strength was paramount.
She rested for a few days to get back to her best condition, and used her newly earned contribution points to go to the Sutra Pavilion to exchange for several books on the habits of monsters and local customs, broadening her horizons. She knew that knowledge was sometimes more important than force.
That day, she came to the Merit Hall again. Her eyes swept across the task jade disk and quickly locked onto a task with a very generous reward:
"Collect Fire Crystals. Location: Outskirts of the Molten Fire Mountains southeast of the sect. Requirements: Five Fire Crystals the size of pigeon eggs. Time limit: Ten days. Contribution points: Three hundred."
Fire Wu Crystal is a second-tier fire-attributed spiritual material, typically found in the heartwood of the "Fire Wu Wood" tree, a species unique to the Molten Mountains. It is a common ingredient in refining fire-based magical instruments and certain elixirs. The task is challenging, as the Molten Mountains are scorching hot and host to numerous fire-attributed monsters. The "Melting Fire Scorpions" guarding the Fire Wu Wood are renowned for their venom and ferocity.
But with 300 contribution points, it was worth the gamble. Furthermore, the fiery aura of the Molten Mountains might be able to further refine her spiritual power.
After accepting the task and making preparations (this time mainly preparing potions and talismans to resist fire and detoxify), she set off again.
The Molten Mountains were the polar opposite of the Ice Stream. Even before approaching, the heat was palpable, and the air was thick with the scent of sulfur. The mountains were a dark red, with little vegetation, and were dotted with exposed, scorching rock and the occasional fissure of volcanic fire.
Following the information, she headed towards an area where firewood trees might be growing. The deeper she went, the higher the temperature became, and even with her spiritual energy, her mouth and tongue felt dry. Along the way, she encountered several waves of low-level fire beasts, such as Molten Fire Lizards and Explosive Fire Rats, all of which she quickly dispatched with her sharp finger techniques.
Finally, in a relatively open valley covered with red rocks, she found several strange trees with red bodies and leaves like flames - fire elm trees!
However, before she could get close, the sounds of fierce fighting and the roars of monsters came from the depths of the valley!
Anyone else?
Ye Li frowned and sneaked closer quietly.
In the center of the valley, under the three tallest firewood trees, a chaotic battle was taking place!
On one side were five disciples dressed in uniform crimson clothing. Judging by their techniques and the insignia on their clothing, they were scions of the Yanyang Valley, a clan affiliated with the Xuanyun Sect. The leader, reaching the middle stage of the Condensing Veins stage, wielded a flaming blade and launched a ferocious attack. The other four, all at the peak of the Spiritual Awakening stage, formed a simple battle formation and desperately attacked the three Firewood trees. Clinging to the trees lay a dozen crimson-colored Molten Fire Scorpions, their tail hooks gleaming with a cold blue light. They frantically sprayed venom and fireballs to fend off the attacks.
On the other side, however, were not humans, but three enormous wolves, covered in lava-like shells and spewing flames from their mouths—Molten Earth Wolves! This was a second-tier, intermediate-level demonic beast, equivalent in strength to a mid-stage Condensed Vein cultivator. They had thick skin and flesh, immense strength, and usually lived in groups!
These three ground wolves seemed to be attracted by the fire wood or the fighting here. They didn't care who was attacking, they rushed into the battle group violently, biting anyone they saw and slapping scorpions!
Suddenly, the scene was in chaos! The disciples of Yanyang Valley, the Molten Scorpions, and the Molten Earth Wolves engaged in a melee!
The Yanyang Valley disciples were caught in a state of panic, having to fend off the Molten Fire Scorpions' venom and deal with the ferocious attacks of the Earth Wolf. Danger was brewing! The leader, who was in the middle stage of the Condensation Vein, could still hold on, but the other four were already covered in wounds, and the battle formation was on the verge of collapse!
"Hold on! Kill the scorpions and get the crystals first! Don't worry about those stupid wolves!" The leader shouted anxiously. He chopped off a ground wolf with a knife, but was forced into a panic by the venom of several molten fire scorpions.
"Brother! I can't hold on any longer! Junior Brother Wang has been poisoned!" a disciple cried out in panic. A disciple's arm was black as he stumbled back, clearly poisoned by the Molten Scorpion's venom.
At this moment, a mighty ground wolf pounced on the poisoned disciple, its bloody mouth slicing down with a scorching, fishy bite! The disciple was about to die in the wolf's mouth!
The leader's eyes were bloodshot, but he was entangled by the other two wolves and the scorpion and could not be rescued at all!
At this extremely critical moment!
A figure shot out from behind the rocks on the side like an arrow from a bow! It was so fast that it left a trail of afterimages behind it!
It’s Ye Li!
She had originally not wanted to get involved in this chaotic struggle, but seeing that disciple on the verge of death, she could no longer sit idly by. She wouldn't allow her fellow disciples to kill each other, but to stand by and watch someone die was also against her Dao (even though the other person was from an affiliated family and therefore considered a fellow disciple).
She did not attack the ground wolf directly, but appeared in front of the poisoned disciple in an instant, grabbed his collar, and used the Shadow Step to the extreme, rushing backward at an incredible angle!
The ground wolf's huge mouth almost grazed the corners of the two people's clothes as it bit into nothing, making a teeth-grinding sound!
"Who?!" The leader of Yanyang Valley was surprised and happy. He didn't expect that someone would come to help him in his desperate situation.
Ye Li placed the poisoned disciple in a safe place and quickly ejected a detoxification pill, stuffing it into his mouth to neutralize the poison. The entire process was lightning fast, without pause.
The next moment, she turned back to face the chaotic battle group! Her eyes were terrifyingly calm!
"Fellow Daoist! Thank you for your help! Please lend a helping hand to Yanyang Valley! Huo Wujing will reward you handsomely later!" The leader shouted hurriedly, not caring who the other party was at this moment.
Ye Li ignored his promise. Her eyes quickly scanned the entire room, her brain working rapidly, analyzing the situation.
In the three-way melee, the Molten Scorpions were the most numerous and posed the greatest threat of toxicity; the Ground Wolves were the strongest individually, but there were only three of them; the disciples of the Yanyang Valley were of decent strength, but their formation was in chaos.
The best strategy - unite with one side first and eliminate the most threatening side as quickly as possible!
The ground wolves, however, are less intelligent and cannot distinguish friend from foe, making them unable to unite. So...
"You! Form a formation and hold back those two wolves! Leave the scorpion to me!" Ye Li's cold voice penetrated the noise of the battlefield, with an unquestionable calmness.
The leader was stunned, but he had no choice at the moment. He gritted his teeth and said, "Okay! Listen to her! Form a formation and trap the wolf!"
The remaining three disciples who were still able to fight immediately gathered their strength and started the battle formation again, barely trapping the two ground wolves that were rushing towards them temporarily.
Ye Li, like a tiger pouncing on a flock of sheep, rushed directly towards the dozen or so Molten Fire Scorpions!
The Molten Scorpions seemed to sense the threat and changed their targets, shooting venom and fireballs at her like raindrops!
Ye Li's figure swayed, and she used the Shadow Step to its fullest in the small space. Like a ghost, she shuttled through the dense attacks, and not a single attack could touch her! At the same time, she put her fingers together like swords, and the ice-blue light on her fingertips was bright!
The extreme cold power of "The Emperor's Scripture of the Underworld" is the nemesis of these fire-poisonous monsters!
Puff puff puff!
Wherever the finger wind passed, whether it was the Molten Scorpion's hard shell or the poisonous fire it spewed out, they were all easily torn apart and frozen by the icy finger force that penetrated everything!
She is like a most precise killing machine. Every time she attacks, a Molten Scorpion's core will be shattered or its venom sac will be frozen, killing it instantly!
The efficiency is astonishing!
The leader of Yanyang Valley, struggling to fend off the ground wolves, watched this scene from the corner of his eye, his heart awash with shock! Who is this woman?! Such finger techniques! Such body movements! Such control over icy spiritual energy! It's simply terrifying! When did such a figure emerge from the inner sect of Xuanyun Sect?!
In just a dozen breaths, those dozen ferocious Molten Fire Scorpions were wiped out by Ye Li alone!
Without stopping, she waved her hand and collected several pigeon-egg-sized, glowing red Fire Crystals she had picked out from the scorpion corpse. Then she turned her gaze to the three ground wolves.
At this moment, the three Yanyang Valley disciples were already at the end of their strength, and their battle formation was on the verge of collapse.
"Disperse!" Ye Li shouted in a low voice.
The three disciples fled backwards in panic as if they had been pardoned.
The three ground wolves lost their target and immediately fixed their fierce gazes on Ye Li, the only person in the field! They roared and pounced at the same time! The scorching air waves almost burned her to a crisp!
Facing the siege of three demon beasts equivalent to the middle stage of Condensation Vein, Ye Li's eyes were solemn, but there was no fear.
She took a deep breath, and the "Youhuan Emperor Scripture" in her body began to circulate at an unprecedented speed! The coldness around her suddenly increased, and even formed a circle of light icy mist around her body!
Instead of retreating, she advanced, her figure like a phantom, actively heading towards one of the ground wolves! At the moment of collision, her body twisted in an arc that defied common sense, narrowly avoiding the wolf's claws and simultaneously pointing a finger at the wolf's relatively vulnerable waist and abdomen!
laugh!
The icy finger force penetrated the body! The ground wolf roared in pain and suddenly stopped moving!
The attacks of the other two wolves were already behind him!
Ye Li seemed to have eyes on his back. He changed his Shadow Steps again, and like a slippery fish, he slipped out from the gap between the two wolves' attacks! At the same time, he stretched out his hands, and two gusts of wind pointed accurately at the eyes of the other two wolves!
Although it failed to cause serious damage, it successfully angered them and attracted hatred!
She fought and retreated, leading the three ground wolves away from the injured Yanyang Valley disciples. Relying on her uncanny body movements and the icy finger force that could restrain fire, she fought the three wolves!
Every dodge is thrilling, and every attack is precise and ruthless!
The leader of the Flame Sun Valley watched with trepidation and admiration. He wondered if he had faced the three Earth Wolves alone, he would have been defeated long ago. This woman, with the peak of the Spiritual Awakening Realm (on the surface), could achieve such a feat!
He did not dare to delay and hurriedly fed the poisoned junior brother a more advanced detoxification pill, and helped the other two to recover.
Seeing Ye Li gradually leading the three ground wolves to a narrow angle on the stone wall, he suddenly realized something and shouted, "Fellow Daoist! We are here to help you!"
The three of them gathered their spiritual power, formed a formation again, launched an attack from the rear, and harassed the ground wolves!
Ye Li has been waiting for this opportunity!
At the moment when the three ground wolves were caught in a pincer attack and their formation was slightly disrupted, her eyes flashed with brilliance! Her right finger, which had been gathering strength, condensed most of her icy spiritual power, and the blue light at her fingertips almost became tangible!
"Dark World Finger: Breaking Evil!"
He pointed his finger, not at any one wolf, but at the ground between the three wolves!
boom!
A burst of extremely cold air suddenly exploded! The ground was instantly covered with a thick layer of frost, which spread rapidly! The powerful freezing force instantly slowed the speed of the three ground wolves!
"Now! Attack!" Ye Li shouted sternly!
The leader of Yanyang Valley was also a veteran of battles. He immediately seized the opportunity and ignited the strongest light from his flaming sword, fiercely slashing at the neck of a ground wolf that was slowed down by the ice!
The other two disciples also launched a desperate attack!
Puff! Boom!
Under the attack from three sides, the ground wolf let out a wail and fell to the ground seriously injured!
The remaining two ground wolves saw that their companion was seriously injured, and felt the icy aura on Ye Li that made them extremely disgusted and frightened. They actually began to retreat, roared a few times, turned around and rushed into the rocks and escaped.
The crisis was finally resolved.
The valley was in a mess, filled with the smell of blood and burning.
The leader of Yanyang Valley leaned on his sword, breathing heavily, looking at the corpses of Molten Fire Scorpions and a Ground Wolf scattered all over the ground, still feeling a lingering fear. He looked at Ye Li, who was also breathing slightly but still standing tall, not far away, his eyes filled with gratitude and awe.
He stepped forward and bowed deeply: "Yanyang Valley, Yan Shuo, thank you for saving my life! If you hadn't helped me, I'm afraid we would have been wiped out here today!"
The other two disciples who were less seriously injured also hurried over to bow and express their gratitude, their attitudes extremely respectful.
Ye Li slightly turned sideways to avoid the big gift, and her voice was still cold: "It's just a small favor."
Yan Shuo stood up, looked at Ye Li's misty face, and said sincerely, "Fellow Daoist, your strength is profound. I admire you! These Fire Wu Crystals and the Earth Wolf materials should belong to you!" He pointed at the spoils on the ground. Without Ye Li, they would have lost everything, not to mention the harvest.
Ye Li wasn't being pretentious; she had helped, so it was only natural for her to collect the spoils. She took her share of the Fire Wu Crystal and the most valuable demon core and claws from the Earth Wolf.
"It's not advisable to stay here for long. The smell of blood will bring more trouble." Ye Li reminded.
"Fellow Daoist, what you said is absolutely right!" Yan Shuo nodded quickly and called on his companions to clean up the mess and treat the wounded.
Before leaving, Yan Shuo once again said solemnly: "Yan Yang Valley will always remember your kindness today! I haven't asked for your name yet, in the future..."
"We just met by chance, don't worry about it." Ye Li interrupted him, and with a flash of her body, she disappeared among the scorching rocks.
Yan Shuo stared at the direction she disappeared in for a long moment before he sighed, "There's actually such a person in Xuanyun Sect... This girl's future is bound to be extraordinary!"
A disciple whispered, "Brother, judging by her technique, it seems to be ice-based... and so powerful. Could she be the one rumored recently..."
Yan Shuo's eyes fixed, as if thinking about something: "Yundanfeng, Yeli... Let's go back to the sect first!"
In this mission, Ye Li once again unexpectedly demonstrated his amazing strength, calm judgment, and leadership. He not only resolved the crisis and harvested materials, but also inadvertently forged a good relationship.
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