Ai Hui’s warning made the team tensed up and everyone stayed vigilant, as if awaiting a big enemy.
A red glow flashed across and hit Fatty’s shield.
Dong, a stifled sound rang.
Fatty was trembling, his face flushed as though he was drunk. He staggered backwards before his legs gave way, causing him to fall onto the ground. A spider web-shaped crack appeared on the surface of his shield.
Piang, the shield shattered, its fragments scattering all over the ground.
This scene had everyone turn pale.
Fatty’s strength surpassed everyone in the team yet he’d failed to resist the blow from that red glow. And no one could clearly see what exactly was that red glow.
Another red glow flashed across and struck Fiery Floating Cloud.
Dong!
The defense cover of Fiery Floating Cloud had been activated all along so it managed to block off that glow.
They then saw clearly that the red glow was actually a ball of red lava. It slowly flowed down from the protective cover.
Ai Hui reacted the quickest, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Lava-spitting beast! Hide behind Fiery Floating Cloud, everyone!"
Then he picked up Fatty and quickly went over to the other side of the vehicle. Upon seeing that, everyone else followed suit.
Yet another red glow struck onto the defense cover. With another dull boom, Fiery Floating Cloud rocked.
Ai Hui was beyond frustrated. The lava balls spat by the beast were as mighty as cannons. Slightly weaker bodies would shatter into pieces if they were hit by them.
He’d previously seen a lava-spitting beast destroyed a camp bit by bit in the past. At that point in time, he’d never expected himself to encounter such a beast himself.
"We have to take it down!" Ai Hui turned his head and shouted to Iron Lady, "A few more hits and Fiery Floating Cloud won’t be able to hold up."
Iron Lady raised her brows. "How?"
"I’m going to distract it," Ai Hui replied speedily, "and you need to try to get close to it. Your attacks will be effective."
Luckily, Iron Lady’s water elemental energy could restrain a fire elemental wild beast like this one.
Without hesitation Iron Lady agreed.
Within the short span of their conversation, the beast had already spat two lava balls and Fiery Floating Cloud’s defense cover was evidently dimmer.
Ai Hui took a deep breath and rushed out from the back of the vehicle.
He had no choice but to fly upwards. The lava balls spat by the beast moved rapidly and were too difficult to dodge. It was wiser for him to interfere with its aim.
With a complicated topography like this valley’s, he could move about more nimbly on the ground rather than in the sky.
Ai Hui crouched slightly like an agile wolf and dashed towards the mouth of the valley in a zigzag pattern.
Lagging five seconds behind him, Shi Xueman flew forward from the other side. She followed the way he positioned himself and changed directions constantly to avoid getting hit, her high speed made her hair flutter.
Shielded by the Fiery Floating Cloud, everyone retreated slowly in search for another hiding place.
Ai Hui, who was the first to rush forward, had indeed managed to capture the beast’s attention. A ball of red glow shot past him but not without brushing across his body.
Boom, a big sheet of soil was raised off the ground as black smoke rose from a big scorched hole.
Ai Hui kept a straight face.
The beast’s enormous body was like a lava-filled flood bag. When quiet, it was like a lava lake but when faced with enemies, it’s hidden snouts will be extended and sprayed them with its lava. The lava-spitting beast had two types of snouts, one long and one short. The long one was extremely formidable and terrifying but its accuracy pales in comparison with the short snout, which was the exact opposite.
The lava-spitting beast could not fly high but floated and moved easily in mid air. Having lived amid the lava for a long time, its eyes had already deteriorated. Nevertheless, its perception was still very keen.
Even tiny targets couldn’t escape his sharp senses.
Ai Hui’s heart stirred. Perhaps he could make use of this. Ai Hui kept changing direction at a high speed and black leaves flew up from the Starry Gem Swordwings on his back, dispersing like many nimble fishes. They drew strange arcs in the sky, which whizzed toward the lava-spitting beast from all directions.
While he was running, Ai Hui could feel the delay in the beast’s movement. Although it was a very short delay, Ai Hui managed to catch it.
The red glow appeared once again but what Ai Hui did not expect was for it to shoot toward Shi Xueman’s direction.
By now, Shi Xueman had already followed Ai Hui into the Wilderness a few times so she was rather experienced and had been careful as she was dashing and switching directions. The red glow swept, about a meter away, went past her, causing her to tremble.
Ai Hui rushed towards her, shouting, "It’s sensitive to water elemental energy!"
Lava-spitting beasts were purely fire elemental beasts that lived amid the lava. They absolutely abhorred water elemental energy.
Being exceptionally intelligent, Shi Xueman understood immediately and three short water candles appeared on her hands. She channeled water elemental energy into those candles and upon lighting them up, they transformed into balls of vapor. As they left her palm, they became an exact copy of Shi Xueman, dashing forward with that same posture.
In a flash, three vapor forms of Shi Xueman appeared by her side.
Smart, Ai Hui praised inwardly.
Previously, Shi Xueman never would had used water candles, a move she deemed inferior and harmless. After she followed Ai Hui around the Wilderness a few times, she realized that combat strength solely wasn’t sufficient at times. Many seemingly unremarkable moves usually had great potential.
The vapor images formed by the water candles could easily be distinguished by capable elementalists but not the wild beasts. All the lava-spitting beast could perceive was the water elemental energy that it loathed so much.
With her current abilities, controlling the vapor image was extremely easy for Shi Xueman.
And the people being shielded by Fiery Floating cloud were already hiding in another corner. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief and were ready for battle. They did not wish to see Ai Hui and Shi Xueman risked their lives .
Duanmu Haunghun had a grave look on his face. Proud and arrogant, he felt extremely unpleasant that he wasn’t able to be of any crucial help.
Without a word he retrieved a grass seed from his waist pouch. He unfolded his palm, allowing the seed to roll onto the center. He channeled wood elemental energy into the seed, which caused it to sprout and to grow quickly. A few seconds later, a jade crystal grass appeared on his palm.
He said coldly, "Archers shooting beyond a two mile range, tear a leaf and swallow it."
Sang Zijun and Jiang Wei made eye contact before tearing out a leaf each and which was then swallowed. A few other decent archers came over and did the same.
Entering their mouths, the leaf transformed into a green liquid.
Sang Zijun couldn’t help but ask, "What is this?"
"Eagle Eye Grass. Time is limited, only thirty seconds."
The archers flew off immediately.
Sang Zijun exclaimed, "I see it!"
The rest jolted as they spotted the beast too. Their visions had sharpened significantly and they could see Ai Hui and Shi Xueman sprinting at the faraway valley. They could even spot Shi Xueman’s vapor figures from where they were.
Jiangwei said gravely, "Let’s not waste time."
He drew out a shockingly long arrow and the others followed suit.
Ai Hui’s black swords were the fastest. They were like a group of black bees, which appeared over the beast’s head. Feeling threatened, the beast started to spray lava unceasingly from its short snout.
It’s short snout was exceptionally precise. In the blink of an eye, Ai Hui’s black leaves shattered into pieces, stinging his heart badly.
But the black leaves had a number advantage. While many had been destroyed, there were a lot more to intervene with the beast’s attack. What Ai Hui did not expect, however, was that the black leaves brought no substantial harm to the beast, only causing concentrated clanking sounds upon landing on its body.
Just then, sharp whistling sounds rang across the sky.
As the lava-spitting beast sensed danger, it raised its short snout and quickly spurted a huge volume of lava. The lava left its snout and opened up like a web, layer upon layer, which formed a red lava shield above it.
Clang!
An arrow pierced through the shield, which revealed its head.
Clang clang clang!
The lava shield trembled continuously.
An extremely low whistle sounded and the lava shield crumbled. An arrow struck the beast’s body with astonishing force. Dong, it pierced the beast’s round body.
The lava-spitting beast let out a sharp shriek as flames rose, which burnt the arrow in split seconds. The lava within its body surged and its wound was quickly patched up, although the color of its new skin was obviously darker. It looked like a scar.
The lava-spitting beast stopped suddenly.
As he sensed danger, Ai Hui called out, "Be careful!"
An unprecedentedly bright ball of red glow shot out from the beast’s snout like a red saber and towards Shi Xueman.
Shi Xueman reacted the moment Ai Hui shouted. She twisted her body and threw herself in another direction.
Boom!
An area of approximately two hundred square meters were raised by an invisible pair of hands as fresh red flames burst and mixed together like an advancing splash of molten iron. The three vapor figures had no time to struggle and were quickly enveloped and destroyed by this wave of terror.
Ai Hui was overwhelmed with shock. The horror of the thundering fire elemental energy surge could be felt even from afar.
Iron Lady’s face changed slightly as well. She would’ve been struck if it weren’t for the fact that she’d reacted immediately upon hearing Ai Hui’s warning. Having followed Ai Hui regularly into the Wilderness for the past few months, she was highly convinced of his acute judgements. Several times, her belief that Ai Hui’d made a mistake was ultimately proven wrong as Ai Hui had been correct.
Regaining his senses, Ai Hui realized that he had unknowingly closed the distance between the lava-spitting beast and himself.
He was supposed to be the screen and Shi Xueman the main assaulter. Yet, Shi Xueman had successfully lured that beast’s attention and had given him the chance to strike.
That terrifying blow from earlier took a rather heavy toll on the lava-spitting beast. The red glow within its whole body was visibly dimmer.
Although water elemental energy attacks were effective against the beast, it had the ability to restrain metal elemental energy attacks.
But Ai Hui believed in his swordsmanship.
He was unprecedentedly focused as the elemental energy within his body surged and every piece of flesh was completely adjusted.
Without the slightest delay, he brazenly thrusted his sword.