33: Chapter 33 Fierce Battle in the Mine, The Bat King Appears!
The mine was dark and damp.
The air was thick with a strong stench of rot and mildew, while the ground was littered with uneven gravel and puddles.
Lin Jing's illuminating arrow, floating ahead, emitted a soft yet steady white light, barely dispelling the deep darkness and illuminating the twisted mine tunnels and jagged stone walls.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak—!"
They had barely ventured a hundred meters deeper when a dense, sharp chorus of shrieks suddenly erupted from the darkness ahead, making their scalps crawl!
Immediately after,
countless dark shadows surged out from the depths of the tunnel like a tide, flapping their wings, their crimson eyes densely packed, charging straight at the four of them!
Vampire bats! An astonishingly large swarm!
"Shi Lei!" Ming Junxian barked.
"Leave it to me!" Shi Lei roared, stomping forward and slamming his massive shield heavily onto the ground!
"Hum—!"
A burst of earthy-yellow yuan energy light erupted, forming a solid barrier that completely blocked the entire mine tunnel!
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Countless vampire bats crashed into the yuan energy shield,
emitting dull thuds, smashing their heads and drawing blood, but the following waves of bats continued their fearless assault!
[Target: Vampire Bat (First-tier, Mid-rank)]
[Characteristics: Large numbers, bloodthirsty, fangs carry weak paralytic toxin, low threat but annoying.]
[Weaknesses: Fearful of strong light, fearful of fire, extremely low defense.]
"Lin Jing!" Ming Junxian ordered again.
"Understood!" Lin Jing calmly drew her bow and nocked an arrow, her bowstring vibrating repeatedly!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several arrows, trailing dazzling fiery tails, shot precisely into the densest part of the bat swarm!
Boom! Boom!
The flaming arrows exploded, transforming into a sea of fire that instantly engulfed a large number of vampire bats. The smell of char and screams filled the air.
"Junior Zhou Heng, clean up the stragglers and the flanks!"
Before Ming Junxian's words faded, he had already transformed into a stream of cyan wind and charged out, his horizontal saber leaving its sheath.
Saber light fell like a sudden storm, each slash precisely cutting down several demonic bats trying to bypass the shield. His movements were graceful, his efficiency extremely high.
[Target: Ming Junxian]
[Skills: Wind Blade (AoE), Gale Nine Steps (Movement Technique)]
Zhou Heng, who had long been itching to fight, laughed heartily: "Received!"
His dragon spine spear vibrated, lightning flashing brilliantly!
[Thunder Flash]!
His figure vanished instantly, reappearing the next moment at a flank where the bat swarm was thicker, sweeping his long spear!
Boom!
Lightning exploded!
Rows of vampire bats fell like dumplings, electrocuted into charred husks!
[Rushing Thunder Thrust]!
The spear shot forth like a dragon, a condensed beam of lightning piercing through, clearing a straight line of demonic bats ahead!
He didn't even need to exert his full strength.
Ordinary sweeps and thrusts, infused with the Annihilating Wind-Thunder power and his Master-level spear intent, were devastating blows to these low-tier demonic bats! His efficiency was frighteningly high!
Occasionally, a few stray sonic bats emitted piercing shrieks, unleashing invisible sonic wave assaults.
Zhou Heng merely frowned slightly. His [Thunder Breathing Technique] circulated, thunder energy protecting his body, easily neutralizing that weak mental interference. With a backhand spear thrust, he exploded the sonic bat!
The four of them cooperated seamlessly, advancing at an extremely fast pace.
Shi Lei advanced steadily like a mountain. Lin Jing provided precise sniping and area clearing.
Ming Junxian patched up gaps, while Zhou Heng, like the most violent thunder, was responsible for crushing any demonic bat that dared approach!
Ming Junxian, occasionally glancing at Zhou Heng's overwhelming spear intent andberserkthunder, couldn't help but flash a look of amazement in his eyes.
This junior's lethality was practically comparable to a peak Qi Awakening cultivator! Especially the quality of his thunder-type yuan energy—it was frighteningly high!
"S-grade talent... truly monstrous!" he sighed inwardly.
Zhou Heng, caught up in the thrill of battle, kept his [Omniscient Eye] active the entire time. He was not only scanning the demon beasts but also constantly scanning the mine environment.
Suddenly, his gaze sharpened, looking towards a section of rock wall half-buried by rubble on the side ahead.
In the vision of his [Omniscient Eye], that spot emitted a faint yet pure energy fluctuation, starkly different from the surrounding foul demonic aura.
"Hmm?" His heart stirred. Clearing the bats around him with a spear thrust, he used [Thunder Flash] to close the distance.
The tip of his dragon spine spear flickered with lightning, gently pushing aside the rubble.
Sizzle!
A glimpse of crystal-clear, faint blue luster, seemingly with liquid flowing inside, was exposed!
Pure yuan energy instantly permeated the air!
[Item: Low-grade Yuan Crystal Vein (Tiny)]
[Purity: Medium]
[Estimated Reserves: Approximately 5-70 low-grade Yuan crystals minable.]
[Value: Approximately 150-2000 merit points or equivalent academic credits.]
"Holy crap! There really is good stuff!" Zhou Heng's eyes instantly lit up! This trip was already worth it!
Without hesitation, he tapped with his dragon spine spear, controlling his thunder energy with micro-precision, quickly and carefully mining that small patch of Yuan crystal vein.
He dug out over sixty low-grade Yuan crystals, each the size of a pigeon egg, crystal clear and translucent, swiftly stuffing them into his backpack.
"Junior, not bad luck!"
Ming Junxian, noticing his actions, smiled. "This mine has been abandoned for a long time. I didn't expect there to be leftover Yuan crystal veins."
"Hehe, an unexpected windfall." Zhou Heng was in high spirits.
Just as he finished storing the Yuan crystals and prepared to advance further—
[Warning! Detecting high-intensity energy reaction approaching rapidly!]
[Target: Bloodwing Bat King (Second-tier, Lower-rank)]
[Status: Furious, Bloodthirsty]
[Skills: ① Supersonic Assault ② Blood Soul Sonic Blast ③ Bloodthirsty Frenzy ④ Bat Swarm Summoning]
"It's here!" Zhou Heng and Ming Junxian's expressions changed almost simultaneously!
Screeeech—!!!
A piercing shriek, sharp enough to almost tear eardrums, violently erupted from the depths of the mine!
The sound contained terrifying mentalImpact!
Lin Jing grunted, her face paling.
Shi Lei's shield rippled violently.
The next moment,
A massive crimson shadow tore through the darkness at a speed difficult for the naked eye to follow, carrying a nauseatingBloody smelland terrifying pressure, charging straight at Shi Lei at the forefront!
It was a gigantic demonic bat with a wingspan exceeding four meters, its body dark red, fangs exposed, the edges of its wings gleaming with a metallic cold light!
Its eyes were purescarlet, filled withtyrannicalandSlaughter!
The terrifying pressure of a second-tier demon beast instantly enveloped the entire tunnel!
"Shi Lei, hold! Lin Jing, disrupt it! Junior Zhou Heng, with me!" Ming Junxian shouted sharply, his figure transforming into a gust of wind, his horizontal saber aiming straight for the Bloodwing Bat King's flank!
Lightning blazed in Zhou Heng's eyes. Far from fear, excitement surged within him!
"I've been waiting for you!"
His dragon spine spear emitted anpassionatehum, its destructive spear intent soaring skyward!
The great battle erupted instantly!