Chapter 1004: Crawling with Venomous Insects
Yang Haoran didn't make definitive statements, but Xiang Chuan was certain that the life fluctuations Yang Haoran sensed were definitely venomous insects influenced by the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flower.
"No mistake, the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flower is definitely there. Quickly, take me there!"
Xiang Chuan seemed quite excited. The reason for his excitement was that he himself hadn't been entirely sure of the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flower's existence in this desert. Although the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flower was known to grow deep in deserts, this didn't mean *all* deserts harbored it. However, from the current situation, it was highly probable that this desert truly had the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flower, hence his present excitement and his urging Yang Haoran to hurry and lead him.
"Come with me,"
Yang Haoran said with a faint smile, then ascended into the air and flew towards the sensed location.
Xiang Chuan chuckled, a look of excitement plastered on his face, and swiftly followed Yang Haoran.
After a short while, the two stopped at a sand dune, and the sight before them left Yang Haoran a little surprised.
Below the sand dune, as far as the eye could see, there was a dense swarm of various venomous insects. These insects converged from all directions: some flew in the air, while others crawled on the ground. The buzzing sound of their flapping wings and the rustling sound of their quick movements on the sand constantly echoed throughout the area. The scene was both breathtaking and terrifying.
If what he saw now were Evil Spirits crawling across the ground, or bloody severed heads flying through the sky, his heart would undoubtedly remain as still as an ancient well, for he had long grown accustomed to such sights. Having witnessed them countless times, his mind naturally wouldn't ripple with emotion.
But this particular scene, he had never encountered before, so a degree of surprise was unavoidable.
Xiang Chuan stood beside him. The fellow seemed long familiar with this sight, for his face showed not a hint of surprise, only excitement. Moreover, his excitement wasn't directed at the venomous insects, but rather at the very center of the area below—the strange plants, each more than a person's height.
These plants were precisely the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers Yang Haoran had seen before, their appearance identical to the ones Xiang Chuan had previously conjured, without the slightest difference.
The difference was that the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers Xiang Chuan had conjured before were neither living nor real, merely illusory presences, and the conjured image was static. But the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers Yang Haoran now beheld were genuinely real.
In comparison, these real Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers were even stranger, more horrifying, and terrifying than the ones Xiang Chuan had conjured. The reason was that the way these Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers were devouring the venomous insects at this very moment was utterly gruesome to behold.
The reason the venomous insects swarmed towards the center below was precisely the presence of these Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers. Without exception, all of them were drawn to these plants.
However, no sooner had these venomous insects approached the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers than the plants, like beasts discovering prey, launched an assault on them.
Their four leaves, resembling human hands, now moved like true hands, snatching at the rapidly swarming venomous insects around them. Their speed was swift and agile, and their accuracy remarkably high. Each grab successfully enveloped several insects, whereupon the plants would immediately open their gaping maws, revealing mouths full of sharp fangs, and continuously shove the caught insects inside, chewing gleefully. They devoured these venomous insects with ravenous hunger, as if starving ghosts reborn, and then immediately launched another assault on nearby insects.
However, there were only a dozen or so Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers here, but the number of venomous insects was astounding. Even if the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers devoured insects quickly, they definitely couldn't withstand such a massive quantity. In just a short while, these Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers would surely be overwhelmed by the insect army.
"If you don't act soon, these Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers will probably be eaten away by the venomous insects, and then this trip will have been for nothing."
Yang Haoran watched the increasing number of venomous insects swarming towards the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers and said with a smile to Xiang Chuan.
Xiang Chuan showed no urgency at all. Far from revealing any worry, he simply wore a cheeky grin.
"These venomous insects are rushing towards the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers like mad, but it's not because of the plants themselves. They're merely influenced by the scent the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers emit. To put it plainly, they're only interested in the scent, not the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers themselves. So don't worry, big brother, these venomous creatures won't harm the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers."
Xiang Chuan was full of confidence, looking completely assured. Since he had said as much, Yang Haoran naturally didn't comment further.
However, Yang Haoran hadn't detected the scent emitted by the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers, but he wasn't overly surprised. Perhaps the scent was too faint for human noses to perceive, but just because humans couldn't detect it didn't mean these venomous insects couldn't.
In less than a minute, the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers were completely submerged by the army of venomous insects. Each plant was covered in them, yet even so, insects continued to surge forward, one after another, towards the location of the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers.
Yang Haoran watched the scene, remaining silent and showing no intention of driving away the insects. He simply observed quietly with a smile.
Approximately another minute passed, and then a miraculous sight appeared. The masses of venomous insects suddenly seemed to regain their sanity, no longer behaving with their previous frenzy. They receded like a tide, rapidly withdrawing. In just a brief moment, all the insects vanished without a trace, leaving only the dozen or so Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers growing in place.
However, compared to before, these Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers were no longer as terrifying; they now looked more like plants than the monsters they had previously resembled.
This significant change occurred because all the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers had now quieted down, no longer flailing their 'limbs. ' Their petals had also retracted, and the terrifying ghostly female face could no longer be seen as the petals closed. Consequently, they appeared completely devoid of their former terror.
"Once these fellows are full, they not only stop emitting the scent that attracts venomous insects but also release a special scent that drives them away. That's why they disappeared so quickly without a trace."
Xiang Chuan knew Yang Haoran wasn't familiar with this aspect, so he began to explain. Besides dispelling Yang Haoran's confusion, it was inevitable that he also wanted to show off a little.
Yang Haoran merely smiled, saying nothing more.
"Wait for me here. I'll take care of these Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers and be right back. If I'm too late, these guys will hide in the sand, and then it'll be hard to find them."
As his words fell, Xiang Chuan's figure flickered, and he vanished from the sand dune. When he reappeared, he was already in the area where the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers grew.
The moment his feet touched the ground, all the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers began to slowly sink, a scene that seemed to confirm his previous statement: once these Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers were sated, they would sink underground and hide.
"Heh heh, you're of great use to me. How can I let you escape just like that?"
Xiang Chuan chuckled, then pressed a palm to the ground. Power surged from within him, rapidly spreading outwards through the sand below. The slowly sinking Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers suddenly halted, forcibly held in place by Xiang Chuan's power.
Although these Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers were strange, they posed no offensive threat to Xiang Chuan. As long as he could find them, he had the ability to keep them and take them for himself.
However, what he never expected was an unforeseen incident this time. The very instant he had confined the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers, a surge of power suddenly erupted from beneath the ground, shattering the restraint he had placed upon them.
Freed from their shackles, the Flowing Sand Four-Leaf Flowers instantly regained their liberty and, with incredible speed, drilled beneath the sand, vanishing without a trace.
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