Chapter 167 - Beginning of the Collaboration (1/2)

”HE FEN!” Hei exclaimed as he noticed the danger that Hu Jie was facing.

He Fen immediately understood what Hei meant and threw one of his two wheels of wind and fire towards the headless c.o.c.kroach.

Sizzle!

The disc-like weapon vertically cut the c.o.c.kroach in half. The bodily fluids of the spirit beast fell on the diamond-skinned young man.

”Scram!” Hu Jie said, irritated as he didn't like to be covered by that sticky liquid. Then he nodded to thank Hei and He Fen. Although his diamond skin would surely protect him, it wasn't indestructible. There was a limit of endurance, and in front of all these enemies, it was essential to keep the received damage at a minimum.

”C.o.c.kroaches are resistant creatures. Don't aim at the head because they can remain active even without it. Aim for the legs or destroy their abdomen. Don't think about killing them but focus on incapacitating them.” Hei suggested. After all, he knew the general characteristics of c.o.c.kroaches.

At that point, Hei and the others also landed on the ground. With their weapons in their hands, they charged against the c.o.c.kroaches. Even though they were surrounded, their luck was that most of the c.o.c.kroaches were only first level spirit beasts. The few second-level specimens were comparable to the early stages of the spirit soldier rank. If they had all been on the second level, the situation would have taken on an even more desperate tone. But although they were mostly first-level spirit beasts, the number of c.o.c.kroaches easily exceeded hundreds, so their situation remained serious. Thus, soon the clash became pure chaos as humans and spirit beasts challenged that group of c.o.c.kroaches.

”Snake Whip + Spider Leg, Spider Cut!”

Hei combined two of his techniques to create a move that allowed him to attack while maintaining the position he was. Snake Whip allowed him to displace the bones of his shoulders to increase the range of action of his arms. Joining him with Spider Leg, Hei's arms had become like two sharp blades that cut everything they came in contact with.

”Intent of the Ribbon, Law of Wood, Whip Attack!”

Lian, who was beside Hei, was no different. This time instead of focusing on defense, she was attacking too. Her ribbons had hardened to such an extent that it was difficult to think they were made of silk. A further layer of bark created by her spirit power covered the two ribbons, increasing the heaviness of her blows.

Slam! Crack!

Each c.o.c.kroach hit by ribbons similar to heavy metal wh.i.p.s was crushed, and their abdomen destroyed until all body fluids were released to the ground. Some specimens, however, when their abdomens were destroyed, would let out the eggs they contained inside, thus freeing c.o.c.kroach babies.

”C.o.c.kroaches put their eggs in a special egg sack called ootheca. Some specimens leave the ootheca outside before hatching, while others prefer to keep the ootheca inside them and let the young ones out once fully developed. Being newly born, they don't pose a danger to us, but don't let you be distracted if you see this. Just focus on the a.d.u.l.t c.o.c.kroaches.” Lang said while she cut the legs of a c.o.c.kroach.

As a member of one of the Beast Families, she, too, was well informed about the characteristics of the various species of spirit beasts. Beside her, Fenrir was rampaging like never before, unleashing the ferocity of the wolves. Each blow of his claw would cut off the legs or heads of the c.o.c.kroaches while his fangs would instantly destroy the hard exoskeleton.

”Understood!” Leon replied while waving his sword with all his might. The weapon cut through the air as if it weighed nothing. However, the roar that it emanated when crashing into c.o.c.kroaches was a sign of the weight the weapon had. Beside him was He Fen, who was spinning his wind and fire wheels left and right without resting for a moment.

As for the four supporting martial artists of Hei's team, Mareo, Haruno, Lilian, and Mia, they were engaged in fighting c.o.c.kroaches as well. The number of enemies was too high to leave even one of them to support the others. Furthermore, the goal of their plan was to thin out the numbers and then create a gap in that black sea.

'Make space! The c.o.c.kroach hunter YE has arrived!'

'It isn't true that you are a hunter of c.o.c.kroaches. Besides, when we were little, you had difficulty eating them.'

The two divine beasts, Ye and Xing, were raging near where the four supporting martial artists were fighting. Since their body had reached three meters in length, they could block the flow of enemies with their bulk and make the fight easier for Mareo and the others who weren't adept in fighting like the others.

”Tongues of Fire!”

”Ice Daggers!”

On another side of their line-up, Feng Chen and Huli Xieren were combining their powers. Their harmony was so perfect that they didn't need to communicate with each other at all. They could always understand what to do to help the other.

”Tiger Jab”

Hu Jie was fighting alone instead. His muscular body was as graceful as a feather as he hopped on his toes. Quickly he approached his target before punching him. Each time his punch landed, a hole would be created in the body of the c.o.c.kroach.

As for the four Long Tian's guards, Dae-Won, Hide, Xinya, and William, they were still in the air to prevent the c.o.c.kroaches in the sky from swooping against Long Tian and all the others. As bodyguards selected from a young age, their coordination was perfect, and so no one else was with them in the sky. In this way, there would be no disharmony in their formation.

The Imperial Prince was, therefore, fighting on the ground with everyone else. His two twin hook swords crossed the air with high speed. Yet each of his blows contained a heaviness similar to the blow produced by Leon's greatsword. And this was true despite Long Tian's hook swords not having a third of the weight of Leon's sword.

”Repel!”

A second-level c.o.c.kroach tried to hit Long Tian from behind. However, it was enough for the Imperial Prince to point one of his swords at the enemy. The c.o.c.kroach that attempted to hit him was thrown back meters away.

”Crush!”

Another c.o.c.kroach that was about to hit him by surprise was suddenly crushed to the ground by an enormous pressure. Such pressure was so intense that the c.o.c.kroach's exoskeleton was destroyed.

The clash lasted for almost half an hour. The use of spirit power from earlier began to affect Hei and the others. The energies provided by Haruno's meal had now been exhausted, and even the restored quantity by cultivation was being consumed at high speed. Fortunately, however, the c.o.c.kroaches, realizing the number of fallen comrades reached, chose to retire. As it had come, that black sea of ​​insects went away from that place.