Chapter 35: A Being Above the Food Chain?

This wave of cold air spread outward at a blistering speed.

The moment it reached the crowd, the cold air was like it had touched some kind of gunpowder catalyst—in an instant, it froze every person nearby completely to death.

Wisps of ghastly white cold air rose in curling tendrils from the pallid corpses, and under the sun's light, the whole scene gave off an utterly horrifying feeling.

After this, the Ice Silkworm completely wilted, collapsing in a heap with no strength to recover, and only the slow rise and fall of its plump white body proved it was still alive.

Its body was no longer the crystalline, translucent thing it had been before.

This sudden Burst left everyone who had rushed forward frozen to death on the spot, turned into pallid statues that still wore the expressions they'd had in life.

Perhaps, even at the moment of death, they never knew what had happened in the end.

The few people still alive exchanged uneasy glances, none daring to step forward, afraid of being taken by the Ice Silkworm as well.

Because no one knew whether the Ice Silkworm could unleash another terrifying attack like the one it had just unleashed.

At this moment, up in a tree.

Baichuan watched the scene, tongue-clicking in amazement. This Strange Insect's power was too terrifying—several dozen people killed in an instant?

Could a living creature really do this? And how?

Or was the world he lived in some kind of high-martial-arts realm?

For a moment, he wished he could scan and analyze the Ice Silkworm's ability model right now.

A creature like this might already stand above the very top of the food chain, right?

"Hahaha—"

Just as those few were hesitating, a bold, hearty laugh rang out.

At the same time came a "squelch"—the sound of flesh being smashed apart.

After this sudden turn, the few led by She Po hurriedly looked over and saw a man with a gleaming bald head and scars withdrawing his palm from the chest of one of the survivors.

The most eye-catching thing about this man was the enormous Golden Hand Armor on his left hand.

And right now, his large hand was gripping a still-"thump-thump"-ing fresh red heart, while in front of him a woman weakly clutched at his big hand, as if trying to say something.

"Zhang Fengzi!" Zhao Yu spoke first, his expression somewhat grave as he named the newcomer's identity.

"Ha~ Zhang Fengzi? So that's what you lot call me?" The bald man laughed, clearly unbothered.

"Zhao boy." She Po, hearing this, was a little puzzled. Having stayed shut in for years, always keeping company with venomous insects, she had only come out this time because of a letter from Zhao Yu's father. She asked in a low voice, "Who is this person?"

Zhao Yu, hearing this, turned his head and answered in a low voice, "Zhang Fengzi's real name is Zhang Dadan. He used to be Guangshan Dashi's senior disciple, but a few years ago he apparently killed Guangshan Dashi and his junior brothers over some matter, and took the master's martial stone."

Hearing this, She Po connected it with the news about the Ice Silkworm that had been making such a stir. Being old and shrewd, she immediately pieced the whole thing together.

"Zhang Fengzi, the news that the Ice Silkworm was here—that was spread by you, wasn't it?"

Zhang Fengzi, that is, Zhang Dadan, was briefly taken aback, then openly admitted it. After all, he hadn't planned to hide this anyway.

In fact, even if no one had asked—

After this was over, he would have left one survivor alive to spread the word. Killing several dozen people through his own scheming alone was enough to make his name ring through the jianghu, even if that name was an infamous one.

So he gave his own chest a hearty slap and answered, "That's right, it was this one here."

Then he looked toward a certain direction and called out, "Friend over there, you've been hiding long enough—time to come out, don't you think?"

That single shout left Baichuan stunned. His snake-head swiveled left and right. Had he been spotted? Was his invisibility broken?

No, that's not right!

Only now did he notice that a human-shaped figure with extremely faint heat signature had appeared in his thermal vision.

The heat was so faint that he had overlooked it for a while.

*Clap clap—*

A crisp round of applause rang out, and a strikingly handsome young man stepped into view. The most eye-catching thing about him was his right hand—beautiful beyond what an ordinary person could have, as if carved from white jade, slender and lustrous.

He walked over unhurriedly, praising as he came:

"As expected of the Zhang Fengzi who could scheme the death of Guangshan Dashi and his junior brothers—to think you could see through my Turtle Breathing Technique. Your reputation is well deserved."

But Zhang Dadan paid no attention. He simply turned his head back, glanced around, and looked at the Ice Silkworm that was now faintly surrounded by the three of them in the center, proposing, "Now it's just the few of us. How about we take the Ice Silkworm first, then settle ownership by our own means? How about it?"

"Oh, you rough-looking brute seem a bit wild, but what you say has some reason to it. Still, who goes first to take it?"

She Po gave a light laugh.

Now that the Ice Silkworm clearly had no strength left to resist, whoever took it was a problem.

After all, no one knew what tricks the others might have up their sleeves. Anyone who'd survived in the jianghu had a few skills; those who didn't were already lying on the ground.

Better safe than sorry—what if someone had some trick to grab the Ice Silkworm and run?

As for the Ice Silkworm's resistance? Just look at its wilted state now, plus the fact that it had already Burst once before. Anyone with a shred of confidence in their own strength wouldn't worry about it too much.

Even if they couldn't take it, they could at least retreat unscathed.

Clearly, everyone present had completely ignored the few idle survivors who were still alive.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Dadan, hearing this, let out a great laugh, as if he had planned this all along. "Since it was this one here who proposed it, of course this one here will try last. She Po, you're the oldest here—elders first, after you. If you can't take it, then it's the young man's turn, then me."

After saying that, he looked toward the handsome young man and asked, "Young man over there, you have no objections, do you?"

The young man smiled slightly. "Since you've all decided, I'm fine with anything."

Hearing this, She Po grew a little suspicious. From what she'd heard, this Zhang Dadan didn't sound like some muddled fool. This proposal felt a little odd.

But She Po figured her own strength was decent enough. In fact, anyone who possessed power never doubted the power in their own hands. She didn't think too much of it and agreed with easy grace.

"In that case, this old woman won't stand on ceremony."

The moment her words fell, a faintly visible green Bamboo Viper on her shoulder shot out like an arrow, streaking toward the Ice Silkworm on the ground.

But who would have thought—the Ice Silkworm, which had just been utterly listless, sprang up as if startled, carrying with it a bone-chilling cold air, and slammed into the Bamboo Viper's head.

The two had barely tangled for a few moments before the green Bamboo Viper, which had been so full of life just now, went limp and collapsed to the ground.

At the same time, She Po beside them let out a muffled grunt, as if she had been injured.

She hurriedly waved her left hand, and a great cloud of green powder flew out from her sleeve to block the Ice Silkworm, while her right hand swiftly recalled her pet.

Even so, her face was now pale one moment and flushed the next — clearly she had taken a silent, considerable loss.

The Zhao siblings beside her hurried forward to support the old woman.

Baichuan took one look and immediately understood what was happening. Snakes were naturally afraid of low temperatures; the lower the temperature, the slower their metabolism, and the stiffer their bodies became.

This old woman didn't know what had gotten into her — daring to use a snake against an Ice Silkworm that carried a chill aura. She was truly like the God of Longevity eating arsenic — tired of living.

"Hahaha, looks like Old Lady Snake can't even handle a single Strange Insect now that she's gotten old."

The grating laughter of Zhang Dadan rang out from the side.

"Next is the young man's turn, shall we?"

(End of this chapter)