Chapter 338: Accident

The morning sun soon rose.

However, the ancient trees in the mountains were towering, their branches and leaves lush and dense, blocking the sky and sun; walking among them was gloomy and eerie, and not a sliver of sunlight could be seen.

The thick layer of fallen leaves piled on the ground emitted a rotten stench.

Occasionally, one would see some massive skeletons lying alone on the path or buried in the ground, with only a stark white section exposed from the rotting leaves.

Some skeletons were enormous, resembling the bones of ancient dragons.

Only by seeing them with one's own eyes could one clearly feel the terrifying pressure rushing toward them.

They encountered quite a few Demon Beasts along the way.

However, after catching the scent of this group, they all immediately fled and did not foolishly pounce over to throw their lives away.

The deeper one went into Cangyun Mountain, the stronger the Demon Beasts were, and naturally, the higher their intelligence.

Some relied on their own strength, some on the strength of their pack, and others on the terrain or environment here; through survival of the fittest, every single one that could survive here was not to be underestimated.

The group did not stop to rest.

After spending another day and night, they finally climbed onto the second mountain ridge.

Having traveled continuously for two days and two nights, day and night without pause, crossing mountains and ridges, they had only rested briefly for two hours during that time.

At this moment, everyone was reaching their limit.

When they climbed the second ridge and watched the fiery red morning sun rise from the horizon, the monk Zhizhang wiped the glistening sweat from his bald head with his sleeve and couldn't help but say, "We've been walking for two days and two nights now; if we don't sleep to recover our energy, I'm afraid we won't have the strength to face Demon Beasts later."

Song Erlang also shook his folding fan, sweating profusely, and said, "That's right, Captain, let's take a rest."

The others also spoke up one after another, wanting to get some sleep.

"Even just two hours would do."

However, Wang Qiangzhuang, who wore her hair in twin tails and had a forehead covered in sweat, did not stop and continued walking forward, her young face full of seriousness: "Keep moving, Wild Donkey Valley is just below the mountain."

"Below the mountain? A mountain this high, it will take at least another day..."

The monk Zhizhang plopped down onto the ground and lay flat, panting heavily as he said, "I'm not walking anymore; if I walk any further, my legs will fall off. I'm lying down for a while, just for a while."

Saying this, he took out meat and water and began to wolf them down.

Wang Qiangzhuang immediately barked, "Get up! You cannot lie here, and you certainly cannot eat!"

The monk Zhizhang, while swallowing large mouthfuls, said with dissatisfaction, "Even oxen and horses would need a break after walking for two days and two nights, let alone us."

"Captain..."

Yang Yan was also preparing to persuade her, but just as he opened his mouth, he suddenly saw Daoist Wensong beside the monk Zhizhang leap up from the ground with a "whoosh," shouting urgently, "Watch out!"

"Pfft!"

Before the monk Zhizhang, who was lying on the ground, could react, a sharp blade suddenly emerged from the ground and instantly pierced through his chest!

At the same time!

Wang Qiangzhuang had already dashed over, kicked the monk Zhizhang away with a "bang," and then grabbed the blood-stained blade, pulling it upward with a violent tug.

"Whoosh!"

Soil flew everywhere!

A black-furred giant rat the size of a calf was pulled out from the ground by her.

The giant rat's fur was as sharp as needles, it had two thick tusks at the corners of its mouth, a sharp bone blade grew on top of its head, and it opened a pair of small, scarlet eyes, looking ferocious and savage.

The sharp blade that had just pierced the monk Zhizhang from the ground was exactly the bone blade on its head!

This rat was known as a Dundi Iron Rat; its entire hide was as hard as iron, especially the bone blade on its head, which was exceptionally sharp, and it moved extremely fast underground, capable of slicing prey or enemies in two in an instant.

If not for Wang Qiangzhuang's timely reaction in kicking the monk Zhizhang away, the monk Zhizhang would likely have been disemboweled and sliced in two by now!

"It's a Dundi Iron Rat!"

Song Erlang, standing to the side, also recognized the rat; his expression changed, and he hurriedly jumped into a tree, saying, "These rats usually appear in a pack, everyone be careful!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than dozens of bone blades suddenly appeared on the ground, surrounding the group from all directions.

The first Dundi Iron Rat that Wang Qiangzhuang had yanked out, having just landed on the ground, was about to burrow back into the earth when Lu Jianchen, a disciple of the Ten Thousand Sword Sect, was quick-witted enough to slice off its head with a sword.

Amidst the splashing blood, the iron rat's head actually still quickly burrowed into the ground, leaving only its headless corpse spraying blood on the surface.

Everyone's expression changed, and they all hurriedly leaped up into the trees.

After being kicked away by Wang Qiangzhuang, the monk Zhizhang fell toward the back of the group, where he was caught by Yang Yan and Luo Zijun together; the two of them grabbed him and jumped onto the nearest large tree.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

The soil on the ground churned as dozens of bone blades moved rapidly across the surface, breaking through earth and splitting stones with incredible speed, as if plowing the land, instantly carving dense cracks into the ground.

The headless corpse lying on the ground was sliced into pieces in the blink of an eye.

The group in the tree watched with secret alarm.

Yang Yan took out medicine, applied it to the monk Zhizhang's chest, and quickly bandaged the wound.

The monk Zhizhang also hurriedly took out a Hemostasis Pill and swallowed it; once the rapidly gushing blood at the wound was staunched, he looked at the ground and cursed, "Damn it, these beasts are so despicable, they almost gave me a heart-piercing blow!"

The iron rat's bone blade had missed his heart by only a fraction.

Fortunately, it had been slightly off-center, otherwise he would have already gone to meet the King of Hell.

"Captain, what should we do?"

Lu Jianchen stood on a branch, holding his precious sword with a majestic air, his gaze fixed on the rapidly moving bone blades below, looking eager to try.

Wang Qiangzhuang made a prompt decision: "Liu Sisi, you go down and lure them out, and we will kill them quickly."

Liu Sisi was stunned upon hearing this: "Captain, why me? With so many strong men here, I am but a weak woman..."

"Naturally because you are the fastest."

Song Erlang said with a smile from the side, his hand still shaking his folding fan unhurriedly, then looked down and said, "These Dundi Iron Rats must be dealt with quickly; although there is only one pack now, if this commotion drags on too long, I fear it will attract more."