Chapter 0881: Ning Cheng’s Role
When the two Human-faced Poison Centipedes saw the crowd withdraw to a certain distance but didn’t leave, they immediately screamed at each other as if discussing something. Although those present here didn’t understand the ‘language’, they knew that these two Human-faced Poison Centipedes would eventually attack them as long as they stayed here.
Qu Baiyi, the one wearing a white robe, suddenly spoke up, “There are still twenty-four people here. Since everyone decided to stay here, we naturally have the same intentions about the divine grasses concealed behind the array formations. But if we can’t kill these two Human-faced Poison Centipedes, we can forget about the divine grasses in this place. I think we should split into two groups, one group to deal with one Human-faced Poison Centipede. Huo Erqi and I will remain in one group, which means we can take in another ten people.”
Qu Baiyi just finished his words when ten cultivators, who had already noticed the opportunity, quickly rushed up and landed beside Qu Baiyi and Huo Erqi.
The eleven people on Ning Cheng’s side couldn’t even choose a side and got assigned to the other group by default.
Some of the slow-thinking cultivators saw Qu Baiyi and Huo Erqi form a group together could only look at each other. In this place, people considered Qu Baiyi and Huo Erqi as powerful experts. Moreover, both of them had a spot amongst the Grand Essence’s 12 Sacred Children. Therefore, according to conventional thinking, these two men should have formed two separate groups. Yet, the two people decided to create a group together.
How many fools could cultivate to the Eternal Ream and enter the Grand Essence Mystic Realm? Everyone already understood that Qu Baiyi and Huo Erqi had murder in their hearts.
Qu Baiyi and Huo Erqi, plus the ten other experts, this kind of strength would be more than enough to deal with one of the Human-faced Poison Centipedes. The other group of twelve didn’t have any strong or capable leader to lead them. Meaning the other Human-faced Poison Centipede could kill them one-by-one. They would only serve to delay it for some time at most.
Qu Baiyi aimed explicitly for this delay. By the time their group killed the first poison centipede, most of the other group would have already fallen. Plus, with their hands now freed, they could join hands with the survivors to kill the second Human-faced Poison Centipede. In this way, not only would they kill the two Human-faced Poison Centipedes but also reduce the number of people aiming for the divine grasses.
Seeing the other group of twelve not speaking, Qu Baiyi continued. “Just as this friend said previously, we should all work together to take on this challenge and then distribute the divine grasses according to strength. There are two Human-faced Poison Centipedes here, and I’m sure that no one would want to idle around and then ask for their share while others risk their lives.”
After speaking, he shot a cold stare at Ning Cheng. Just now, he purposely said those words directed at Ning Cheng, who had opposed Huo Erqi’s proposal.
Seeing Qu Baiyi staring at Ning Cheng, some of the people standing close to Ning Cheng subconsciously stepped away.
Huo Erqi promptly seized the opportunity and added onto Qu Baiyi’s words, “I also agree with Baiyi’s words. If you don’t want to fight, please leave this place immediately. But there is also one ugly thing that I will say to you all. In case you decide to leave this place, and information about this place somehow got leaked out. In that case, you’d be making a sword enemy of Baiyi and me.”
Several of the cultivators already had thought of retreating before these two people had spoken up. Who among them didn’t know about the aggressive nature of the Human-faced Poison Centipede? But Qu Baiyi and Huo Erqi were also the same; no one wanted, no, dared to offend either of them.
Ning Cheng walked out of the group slowly and brought out a middle-rank spear-type spirit artefact before speaking up with a calm tone. “In that case, count me in the other group. Any of the dao friends here wanting to join my group can come over. As for those unwilling, you can do whatever you like.”
“I want to join Brother Huo and Brother Qu….” Hearing what Ning Cheng said, someone immediately spoke up. Ning Cheng had already offended bother Huo Erqi and Qu Baiyi. Who would want to stay with him?
Ning Cheng smiled and then said to Qi Baiyi, “Brother Qu, this friend said that he doesn’t want to be in a group. Let’s attack together.”
Before Qu Baiyi could answer, the expression of the cultivator who just spoke suddenly changed. He quickly retorted, “Careful of what you speak. Don’t try to instigate discord. When did I saw that I don’t want to be in a group?”
Ning Cheng gave a cold snort, “Did you forget how to count, or have you gone blind? We need to divide the twenty-four people here into two groups. The other group already has 12 people, and you say you want to join them. Wouldn’t it mean that the other group would have one less?”
“You….” Hearing Ning Cheng’s sharp words, the cultivator suddenly felt angry.
Huo Erqi heard the two Human-faced Poison Centipede’s screams getting louder and could also feel the aura starting to overflow from their bodies. From the looks of it, those two would rush over at any time. Therefore, he didn’t bother to talk nonsense anymore and said with a cold voice, “That’s the end of it. Our group of twelve will deal with the Human-faced Poison Centipede on the left. The rest will take care of the one on the right. Those unwilling to join the other group can get lost.”
As soon as Huo Erqi’s voice fell, the two poison centipedes rushed over.
Qu Baiyi and Huo Erqi simultaneously brought out their weapons and, at the same time, shouted at the other, “Stop the other one.”
Huo Erqi and Qu Baiyi truly had the strength to back up their reputation. As the two stretched out domains, they quickly superimposed over the others’ domains in their group. The twelve people promptly brought out their weapons and simultaneously activated them, which allowed them to block the Human-faced Poison Centipede’s charge on the left.
As for the Human-faced Poison Centipede, it pounced directly towards Ning Cheng’s group. At the same time, a unique spacial constraint descended, intending to suppress everyone. Ning Cheng didn’t do anything at all but instead encouraged his domain to block the Human-faced Poison Centipede’s space constraint on him.
The two who wanted to escape ended up fully bound by the Human-faced Poison Centipede. A spacial vortex suddenly appeared and sucked away the two into the mouth of the Human-faced Poison Centipede. The group at their side hadn’t come together, but the poison-centipede rushed over and had devoured two people. It immediately disorganised the remaining people in the group.
The three cultivators who were still on the periphery immediately decided to escape without hesitation and disappeared without a trace in an instant. Divine grasses were tempting, but no matter how alluring, one could only enjoy them if one was alive.
The rest of the people, including Ning Cheng, were bound by the spacial constraint unleashed by the Human-faced Poison Centipede. Even if they wanted to leave, they couldn’t get away for a while.
“Everyone, let’s do our best together. Otherwise, we’ll just be waiting for our deaths.” Before Ning Cheng could even speak up, someone here quickly spoke the thing he wanted to say.
Ning Cheng saw that the rest couldn’t escape and understood that they had decided to work together. Only then did Ning Cheng fully spread out his domain. At the same time, he also cast the Maximal Flame Spirit Technique.
Ning Cheng’s Maximal Flame Spirit Technique was no longer the same as the previous pseudo-spirit technique. Instead, it had transformed into an actual spacial flame spirit technique.
The Human-faced Poison Centipede attacking Ning Cheng’s group had just swallowed the two people and gained the upper hand. It powered up once again and spat out more of those grey spacial vortices. But just when another Eternal cultivator was about to get sucked in, the surrounding space suddenly turned violent.
A spacial collapse appeared right below the Human-faced Poison Centipede’s mouth, and a terrifying heatwave spread out.
The moment this spacial collapse appeared, the spacial vortex spat out by the Human-faced Poison Centipede started to disperse it. From this, everyone thought that the spacial collapse created by Ning Cheng’s Maximal Flame Spirit Technique would quickly get sucked into the spacial vortex spat out by the centipede. However, everyone also understood that Ning Cheng hadn’t fully activated the spirit technique.
A late-stage Eternal cultivator yelled at Ning Cheng impatiently. “Don’t use this meaningless spirit technique. Even if you fully cast that spirit technique, it wouldn’t harm the Human-faced Poison Centipede…..”
Ning Cheng ignored the screaming cultivator. If he were such an idiot, he would have died a hundred times already.
A Spiritual Consciousness Chop slammed into the Sea of Consciousness of the Human-faced Poison Centipede silently. The spacial vortex formed by the Human-faced Poison Centipede suddenly turned weak. It allowed the Eternal cultivator, who was about to get sucked into the giant vortex, to escape the constraints immediately.
While the person was still under shock, a terrifying flame exploded out under the head of the Human-faced Poison Centipede from the spacial collapse.
The Human-faced Poison Centipede let out a scream as its chin immediately exploded from the explosive force contained within the Maximal Flame Spirit Technique. Black blood sprayed all over, falling like a rain of blood.
When Ning Cheng’s Maximal Flame Spirit Technique exploded, his Spiritual Consciousness Chop also got forced out of the Human-faced Poison Centipede’s Sea of Consciousness.
The cultivators in the group with Ning Cheng immediately understood that Ning Cheng truly was a powerhouse. It immediately alleviated everyone’s confidence, and they all started to put forth their best. Even if the Human-faced Poison Centipede grew angry at Ning Cheng and raged out even more powerfully, the battle no longer was one-sided.
All kinds of spirit technique and skill blasted out. The Human-faced Poison Centipede had already experienced Ning Cheng’s Spiritual Consciousness Chop and got injured by Ning Cheng’s Maximal Flame Spirit Technique. Therefore, even if it raged, it would only be for a while. As long as they could survive through this period, they would then gain the upper hand.
No one knew that Ning Cheng used a Spiritual Consciousness-based attack. But everyone knew that they had to put everything they had to get through this and survive.
Apart from casting one or two Maximal Flame Spirit Techniques during the fight, Ning Cheng used the Traceless Spear Pattern against this Human-faced Poison Centipede.
However, the Human-faced Poison Centipede had a varied repertoire of attacks. Apart from the Poison Mist Blades that it kept shooting out, even its blade-like feet were akin to spirit artefacts. Every time it connected with a cultivator’s spirit technique, it resulted in a huge celestial essence explosion.
But the most potent attack method of this Human-faced Poison Centipede was the spacial vortex it shot from its mouth. Once caught by the Human-faced Poison Centipede’s spacial vortex, you’d end up in the mouth of the Human-faced Poison Centipede.
Ning Cheng purposefully didn’t use any of his other means. Instead, he repeatedly used the Spiritual Consciousness Chop to sneak in a few attacks. Once anyone got caught up in the Human-faced Poison Centipede’s spacial vortex, he would immediately attack it with the Spiritual Consciousness Chop. Every time the Sea of Consciousness of the Human-face Poison Centipede got hit, its spacial vortex would suddenly weaken. At that time, Ning Cheng’s long spear would inevitably shoot out to rescue the trapped cultivator.
It made the Human-faced Poison Centipede truly angry. Although it didn’t let Ning Cheng’s Spiritual Consciousness Chop cut into its Sea of Consciousness, Ning Cheng’s persistent actions severely limited its strength. It had to let go of its prey at every critical juncture. This kind of frustration made it so that it wanted to rush out to Ning Cheng’s side and swallow Ning Cheng whole.
In just a few breaths, Ning Cheng’s group’s cultivators quickly caught onto a few things. Ning Cheng was the reason why their group had the upper hand right now, as none of the seven remaining in the group had fallen.
As long as Ning Cheng didn’t fall, the Human-faced Poison Centipede would also find it impossible to devour them. As for their bodies’ infected wounds, once they got rid of the Human-faced Poison Centipede, they could then take the time to detoxify them. Understanding these points, the seven quickly divided their responsibilities. Two of the seven remained behind to protect Ning Cheng, while the rest attacked the Human-faced Poison Centipede with all their strength.
No matter how powerful was the body of the Human-faced Poison Centipede. No matter how powerful the suction power of those spacial vortexes. With Ning Cheng’s Spiritual Consciousness Chops sneaking it from the side, it couldn’t exert its full strength. If alone, Ning Cheng’s spiritual consciousness couldn’t compare to the Human-faced Poison Centipede. But he didn’t have to fight alone right now. Ning Cheng just had to take care of the most lethal attacks from the Human-faced Poison Centipede. In contrast, others could take care of killing the Human-faced Poison Centipede.
As everyone expected, in just half an hour since the Human-faced Poison Centipede started its rampage, it had already weakened considerably. At this time, Ning Cheng didn’t even need to use the Spiritual Consciousness Chop. The others could easily hold their own against the now-weakened Human-faced Poison Centipede.
Another half-an-incense stick later, the Human-faced Poison Centipede let out a roar. The next instant, a black-faced cultivator from their group smacked it to the ground. After that, it could no longer get up.