Chapter 63: Dead... Dead? |
Though the Wood Puppet Abomination had grown in size, it still maintained Luo Feng's appearance.
The screams and howls didn't deter Xia Hong—instead, they only strengthened his resolve as he thrust the torch deeper. Meanwhile, the other five arrived with their own ignited torches.
The five didn't bother creating new wounds with their weapons. Instead, they gathered around Xia Hong and shoved all their torches into the fissure he had previously hacked open.
A single torch had already produced considerable black smoke, but with five more added, the flames surged three to four meters high, their smoke forming thick pillars that billowed madly into the sky.
The black mist swirling around the Wood Puppet Abomination exuded an utterly sinister aura. In contrast, the smoke from the torches carried a foul stench, like the decayed odor of filth being purified.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh—"
The Wood Puppet Abomination's shrieks grew even more hysterical.
Yet even now, it refused to open its eyes, and the venomous whispers within its body that could cloud one's mind continued unabated.
"Abominations absorb and gather souls to evolve. It's unwilling to give up this chance. Brother, we can't let it succeed!"
The six torches were indeed effective, dealing significant damage to the Wood Puppet Abomination.
But compared to the earlier Concentrated Fire Oil, their impact paled.
Whether due to the Abomination's massive size or its vastly superior strength compared to the giant wooden puppet, the flames from six torches couldn't even fully cover its leg, stopping after burning less than five meters upward.
Xia Hong was naturally the first to notice, with Luo Ming being the second.
Realizing the torches couldn't penetrate further, Luo Ming even turned to Xia Hong with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"None left. If I had more, I wouldn't be holding back now!"
Xia Hong understood Luo Ming's unspoken question and shook his head slightly in response.
"Everyone, move aside! I'll handle this!"
At that moment, Yang Ning sprang into action.
Truthfully, he was the only one currently capable of harming the Wood Puppet Abomination.
Yang Ning's shout scattered the five as he leaped onto the Abomination's lower limbs, sprinting up its torso with astonishing speed and power. Using momentum and precise footwork at its joints, he reached its shoulder in an instant.
Seeing the creature still keeping its eyes shut, Yang Ning's face twisted into a snarl. Raising his silver sword high, he thrust straight toward its left eye.
The blade's keen whistle gathered the surrounding air, condensing into a faint glow that shimmered brilliantly against the night sky—a testament to the force behind Yang Ning's strike.
As the sword neared its target, countless translucent white threads shot from the Abomination's five orifices (excluding its tightly shut eyes) in a desperate attempt to block the attack.
"Unless we force it to open its eyes and disrupt its evolution, we're dead."
This single thought dominated Yang Ning's mind. Ignoring the barrage of white threads, he plunged forward without hesitation.
Sssssss—
The threads stood no chance against the silver sword.
Countless strands were severed, bursting into a dazzling shower of sparks.
Like a streak of light, the blade closed in on the Wood Puppet Abomination's left pupil—only an inch away when its eyes suddenly flew open.
"ROOOOOOAR—"
An earth-shaking bellow erupted from the Abomination.
Both Yang Ning before it and Xia Hong's group below could feel boundless rage and madness in that roar.
"It must be furious because we interrupted its evolution!"
This realization flashed through Xia Hong's mind just as terrifying pressure descended from above. His heart lurched as he scrambled backward.
The Wood Puppet Abomination's originally tiny three-inch blade had somehow transformed into a massive black greatsword over ten meters long. Wreathed in dark energy, the weapon radiated terrifying might.
Standing over twenty meters tall with that horrifying blade in hand, the Abomination resembled a demonic god incarnate, chilling all who beheld it.
BOOM—
With just a casual swing, it sent Yang Ning and his sword flying over a hundred meters away, smashing into the valley's left cliff face with enough force to embed him several meters deep.
"Even though its evolution failed, it's still grown stronger!"
Retreating over ten meters, Xia Hong's face betrayed a flicker of fear. Glancing at Yue Feng, Yuan Cheng and others, he gritted his teeth and shouted: "We're running!"
Luo Ming, Li Hu, and even Yang Ning—who'd just extricated himself from the cliff—were stunned speechless by Xia Hong's words.
In fact, even Yuan Cheng and Yue Feng's group needed a moment to process the command.
Their leader... was ordering them to flee?
Yet their absolute trust in Xia Hong quickly overrode their confusion. The five immediately followed as he bolted toward the cave entrance.
"That cowardly bastard!"
Li Hu, who harbored the strongest resentment toward Xia Hong, burned with fury. Were circumstances different, he'd have gladly cut Xia Hong down himself.
At such a critical juncture, Xia Hong had actually turned tail to save his own skin.
It wasn't that Xia Hong's presence made much difference—but with only seven Digging Realm experts total, losing one meant greater pressure for the remaining six.
"Little rat, trying to run?"
For the first time, the Wood Puppet Abomination spoke, its voice dripping with mockery at Xia Hong's fleeing figure. The sight seemed to partially soothe its rage over the interrupted evolution.
Mockery aside, its movements remained lightning-fast.
Raising its massive black greatsword, it swung toward Xia Hong's group. The dark energy along the blade seemed alive, morphing into a black arc that—even before landing—carved a meter-deep fissure in the ground purely from its oppressive aura.
"Dodge right!"
Sensing the impending slash, Xia Hong yelled to Yuan Cheng and others beside him.
The five scrambled right while Xia Hong leaped left—but the Abomination's blade followed him unerringly.
BOOM—
The black arc struck earth with devastating force, kicking up a dust cloud over a hundred meters high that engulfed the entire valley, obscuring all vision.
Only after ten long breaths did the dust gradually settle.
What they saw then turned every face ashen with horror, pupils contracting to pinpricks.
That single slash had cleaved a chasm seven to eight meters deep and twenty to thirty meters long. Even the residual energy had split apart the rubble pile blocking the valley's entrance.
"Leader!"
"Leader!!!"
Yuan Cheng and Yue Feng's group on the right paid no attention to the chasm, their frantic calls hoping for Xia Hong's response.
Yet after over a dozen shouts, only silence answered.
"Tch..."
From a distance, Luo Ming sighed softly, his expression regretful.
In all honesty, though less than a few hours had passed since meeting Xia Hong at Redwood Ridge, the young man's quick wit and courage had left a deep impression.
Surveying all nearby camps around Redwood Ridge, Luo Ming could confidently say few youths matched Xia Hong's caliber.
Who could've imagined such promise would still buckle under fear of death?
When Xia Hong fled, Luo Ming hadn't blamed him—just felt disappointed.
Against Frost Beasts or Abominations, fear often meant death—common knowledge among leaders like them.
Meanwhile, Li Hu wore a face of vindictive satisfaction.
Yang Ning simply shook his head wordlessly, eyes filled with disdain.
"Keh keh keh keh..."
The Wood Puppet Abomination, however, was most delighted of all.
Seemingly convinced of Xia Hong's demise, it released an utterly chilling laugh.
Still chuckling, it retrieved its black greatsword from the ground, resting the massive blade on its shoulder while peering into the chasm to admire Xia Hong's corpse.
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