Before the words were even finished, the leaves around them seemed to be lifted by an invisible force, and then a swarm of enormous insects surged out. Their bodies were dark red, and they were a full three feet long. Green venom flowed from their ferocious mouthparts, and their eyes gleamed with a savage light, as if they could devour everything.
Xu Yuehuai was also startled by the sudden sight. She exclaimed, "What kind of monster is this?"
The Ghost Doctor explained in a deep voice, "These are blood-eating worms. They feed on blood and are extremely poisonous. We must be careful."
The three immediately brandished their weapons and attacked the blood-devouring worms. However, the worms were numerous and swarmed in like a tide, making it difficult to keep up.
Although Xu Yuehuai's longsword was sharp, it proved ineffective against the resilient insects. Each swing of her sword could only sever a few insects, while more continued to swarm towards her.
Wielding twin blades, Yan Qing charged through the swarm of insects, trying to buy Xu Yuehuai and the Ghost Doctor a chance to catch their breath. However, his attacks were quickly overwhelmed by the blood-devouring worms. Green venom flowed down the wounds on his face, turning him deathly pale. He gritted his teeth and continued fighting the insects, but a sense of despair crept into his heart.
The Ghost Doctor kept taking out various medicinal powders from his medicine box, trying to drive away the blood-eating worms. However, when he sprinkled the powders on the swarm, he found that they had no effect whatsoever. These blood-eating worms seemed to have an extremely strong resistance to any medicine, and no matter how hard the Ghost Doctor tried, he could not drive them away.
The battle intensified, and the three of them gradually exhausted themselves. Xu Yuehuai gasped for breath, her clothes soaked with sweat. Looking at the dense swarms of blood-devouring worms around her, a strong sense of helplessness welled up inside her. Suddenly, she had an idea, quickly took a bottle of strong liquor from her backpack, and splashed it violently on the blood-devouring worms.
"Hiss—"
The strong liquor made a piercing sound upon contact with the blood-devouring worms' bodies. The worms, burned by the liquor, let out shrill screams.
Xu Yuehuai was overjoyed at the sight and immediately poured all the strong liquor in her backpack onto the blood-devouring worms.
Under the scorching heat of the strong liquor, coupled with the combined attack of Xu Yuehuai and the other two, the blood-devouring worms were finally all eliminated.
The three of them let out a long sigh and sat down on the ground, exhausted.
Xu Yuehuai said breathlessly, "I never expected these insects to be afraid of alcohol."
The Ghost Doctor nodded and said, "Although these blood-eating worms are extremely poisonous, their bodies are very fragile. Strong liquor can damage their body structure and render them unable to fight."
Yan Qing also breathed a sigh of relief and said, "This time, we really owe it to the princess's strong liquor."
Xu Yuehuai smiled and waved his hand, but his brows remained furrowed.
She looked around; the jungle remained tranquil, but her heart was in turmoil, and her ominous premonition grew stronger. She knew that deep within this Thousand Hands Valley, unpredictable dangers must be lurking.
"Where exactly are we?" Xu Yuehuai's voice echoed in the empty jungle, carrying a hint of helplessness and determination. "No matter what, the three of us must work together to find a way out."
She stood up, gently brushed the dust off her clothes, and her eyes shone brightly, as if they could pierce through the fog ahead.
The Ghost Doctor and Yan Qing also stood up one after another, the three of them standing side by side, their eyes clear.
“Let’s go!” Xu Yuehuai said.
They moved cautiously through the woods. The air seemed to freeze, with only the sounds of their footsteps and heartbeats echoing around them.
"Could this place be an underground labyrinth?" Yan Qing whispered, looking around. "There doesn't seem to be any trace of other enemies."
The Ghost Doctor spoke calmly: "We must not be careless. I have detected an unusual aura, a scent of death that sends chills down my spine."
Xu Yuehuai walked at the front, saying, "We have to be careful. You two shouldn't stray too far from me, lest you get separated."
Suddenly, the roar of a wild beast came from ahead again. The three looked in the direction of the sound and saw a red beast leap out of the bushes, its eyes filled with an eerie red light.
“This beast looks even more terrifying than the previous stone golem.” The Ghost Doctor’s voice trembled slightly.
Xu Yuehuai gripped his longsword tightly, shielding the two behind him. "Everyone, move closer together and prepare to deal with its attack."
However, just as they were about to make their move, the beast suddenly stopped. It lowered its head, seemingly sniffing something, and then slowly walked towards the three of them. The three watched it nervously, fearing that it would suddenly attack.
When the beast approached the three, they were astonished to find a human-like sorrow and pleading in its eyes. It lowered its head, as if begging for mercy.
"This beast doesn't seem to intend to attack us," Yan Qing said in surprise.
Xu Yuehuai noticed this as well. She put down her longsword and tentatively reached out to stroke the beast's head. The beast did not resist; instead, it obediently lowered its head, allowing Xu Yuehuai to stroke it.
"This beast seems to have been injured." The Ghost Doctor carefully examined the beast's body and found multiple wounds on its scales, indicating that it had obviously been through a fierce battle.
Xu Yuehuai gently stroked the beast's wounds, took out some healing medicine from her backpack, and carefully applied it to the wounds. The beast seemed to sense Xu Yuehuai's kindness, and gratitude appeared in its eyes.
"This beast might be trying to warn us of danger ahead," Xu Yuehua guessed. "We need to stay and help it heal its wounds."
Before long, the beast's wounds gradually healed under the three's careful care, and its once fierce eyes softened. Whenever the beast looked at them, its eyes revealed an indescribable gratitude.
Finally, when the beast's wounds had completely healed, its fur regained its former luster. It opened its mouth and let out a low roar, a voice full of power yet tinged with gentleness. Xu Yuehuai, Yan Qing, and the Ghost Doctor exchanged glances, a strange sense of emotion welling up within them.
"It seems our previous worries were unnecessary." Xu Yuehuai sighed softly, looking tenderly at the jungle ahead. "This mysterious Thousand Hands Valley is not only home to enemies, but also to trustworthy partners."
Yan Qing said excitedly, "Yes, following this beast might really help us find a way out."
Although the Ghost Doctor remained calm, a hint of approval flickered in his eyes: "In that case, let's follow it."
The beast seemed to understand them, letting out a joyful "howl" and turning to run off in one direction.
The three immediately used their lightness skills to follow closely behind. They traversed the dense jungle, and although the wild beasts were not fast, they did not fall behind.
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