A black tide surged across the night sky. Thousands of crimson eyes gleamed in the darkness.
Poison Stinger Bats!
Each was the size of an eagle, their leathery wings flapping soundlessly, venomous tails glistening under the moonlight.
Unlike the Mud Dragon Crabs, a single Poison Stinger Bat wasn't much of a threat.
But a swarm? That was another story.
The earlier battle's commotion had disturbed their resting place, and now their fury swept across the heavens.
The sky darkened further as countless bats dove in waves, their shrill cries like the wails of tormented souls.
Zhuo Feng's face paled. "Shit! Run!"
He turned around, only to see Wu Ming already several meters ahead, sprinting with all his might.
Zhuo Feng's expression twisted. "Wu Ming, you shameless rat!"
Wu Ming didn't even look back. "Brother Zhuo, the heavens have their will! If fate allows, we shall meet again!"
"Meet your ancestors!" Zhuo Feng cursed, gritting his teeth as he bolted after him.
The duo darted into the thick forest, weaving between trees as the swarm pursued relentlessly. Venomous tails lashed out, striking trees and corroding bark.
They did not have a movement technique, so the duo was quickly caught by the bat army.
A sudden rush of air sent shivers down Zhuo Feng's back. His instincts screamed.
The nearest Poison Stinger Bat lunged, its venomous tail stabbing toward Zhuo Feng's spine. He threw himself sideways at the last possible moment, the stinger slicing through his sleeve instead.
Beside him, venom splashed onto the ground. A sinister hissing followed, the grass and soil bubbling as if alive, black smoke curling into the night.
Cold sweat drenched Zhuo Feng's back.
Wu Ming was ahead, but even he wasn't unscathed. A few bats swooped dangerously close, their fangs grazing past him.
Wu Ming's sword flashed. A jade-colored arc of sword energy erupted forward.
Shing!
The small wave of bats was cut apart instantly, their shrieks swallowed by the wind.
But there was no time to celebrate.
More bats came.
Wu Ming snorted coldly and kept running, unwilling to engage in battle.
Zhuo Feng drove his fist into a bat's chest, feeling its brittle bones shatter under his knuckles. Another bat lunged at him, its fangs bared, but he caught it midair and crushed its head with a savage squeeze.
Warm liquid splattered onto his arm.
A sharp sizzle erupted.
His skin blistered instantly, veins of agony crawling up his flesh. Zhuo Feng sucked in a breath, his face twisting as he violently shook his arm, but the corrosive blood clung stubbornly, eating into his skin like hungry embers.
"Aghh! Wu Ming, help me!!" He screamed miserably.
Wu Ming's expression remained cold. But the sword in his hand moved, and a massive jade dragon erupted, swallowing a hundred bats in a single strike. It didn't stop there, ferociously sweeping through the horde, crushing another hundred bats into a bloody mist.
But the swarm adapted instantly. Their movements shifted, attacks coordinated, shattering the jade dragon apart!
Zhuo Feng caught up, looking half-miserable. His breathing was ragged, burns lacing his arms. "Damn it. This isn't good!"
The bats surged closer.
Wu Ming swung his sword again, manifesting another jade dragon.
But soon, even that was destroyed. Yet he refused to give up. Again and again, he kept slashing his sword and summoning jade dragons.
Until Wu Ming realized, this wasn't working.
No matter how many dragons he created, the situation did not change. The bats were simply endless. Each time he cut down a wave, more replaced them.
Their tails struck like rain, and the air was so thick with poisonous mist that breathing stung his lungs.
Wu Ming had already burned through half his spiritual essence. With every breath inhaled, poison flowed through his veins like ink bleeding into water. His legs felt as heavy as stone, his arms struggled to hold on to the sword.
And the Poison Stinger Bats just kept coming, shrieking and clawing, refusing to stop until both Wu Ming and Zhou Feng were dead and devoured.
Wu Ming's gaze darkened, his thoughts turning ruthless.
'Since things have come to this, do I use the escape talisman? Tch, am I really going to waste nine spirit stones on this mess?' Wu Ming was unwilling.
'Fuck it, I'll just toss Zhou Feng to the bats and slip away!' He made up his mind.
But before he could act, Zhuo Feng suddenly yelled, "A lake! We can hide in it!"
Wu Ming frowned. "Idiot, they aren't afraid of water."
The bats closed in, their shrieks vibrating against his ears.
Wu Ming's mind churned like a great river in flood, his Seed of Comprehension operating at full capacity. Thoughts surged forth like waves, crashing into each other, shattering, and swirling away, only for new torrents of thought to rise in their place.
In an instant, he grabbed Zhuo Feng.
"What the—" Zhuo Feng barely had time to react before Wu Ming laughed uncaringly and leapt into the lake.
The swarm didn't hesitate. Thousands of Poison Stinger Bats plunged in after them, slicing into the water like darts.
Swoosh, splash, swoosh~!
For a moment, the entire lake churned violently. Ripples turned into waves. The surface bulged and trembled under the sheer number of creatures.
Then..
BOOM!
From the depths, a blinding green light erupted.
A dozen colossal jade dragons surged out of the water, their bodies stretching high into the night sky with majestic flair.
Then, with frightening speed, they burst forth in different directions.
The Poison Stinger Bats emerged from the lake immediately after, their drenched wings heavy with water. They flailed midair, their speed drastically reduced, hovering uncertainly as they struggled to decide which dragon to chase.
For a moment, the sky was filled with chaotic shrieks, the horde arguing among themselves.
But these bats were unwilling to give up. They lingered over the pond, circling for a long time before finally dispersing, searching for a new target to unleash their wrath upon.
Far away, Wu Ming stood atop one of the jade dragons, smiling in relief.
Zhuo Feng lay sprawled on the dragon's back, coughing up water. "Never… doing that again."
Only when Wu Ming was nearly drained of spiritual essence did the dragon finally descend to the ground.
Zhuo Feng collapsed onto the dirt, panting. Wu Ming silently changed into dry clothes, deep in thought.
The world outside the sect was a different beast entirely. Strength alone meant nothing if one couldn't read the battlefield, if one couldn't adapt.
Wu Ming had fought blindly tonight, throwing jade dragons into an endless horde of bats.
'I burned through my spiritual essence recklessly. Could've kept the same distance from the bats with half the essence consumption. If some beast attacks now, or if Zhou Feng turns on me, I'll be in deep trouble. Tch, what a pathetic rookie mistake. I need to hammer this incident into my head. Survival isn't just about power. It's knowing when to act, when to hold back, when to retreat. It's about being smart, not foolish.'
Wu Ming's eyes flickered, his thoughts sinking deep.
One wrong step, one moment of hesitation, one moment of foolishness, and death would come.
As the night deepened, they tended to their wounds.
By the next evening, as the last rays of sunlight dipped beyond the horizon, Wu Ming and Zhuo Feng, shrouded in Dark Concealment Mist, stood at the edge of Dark Wind Valley.
The black market awaited.