Chapter 118: The demonic lizard (6)

The disciples could not help staring at Li Yan after seeing the result of his attack. None of them had expected an outer disciple who had only recently joined the sect to destroy more than a hundred young lizards with a single technique.

Even though his cultivation was clearly lower than theirs, the strength displayed by that attack was enough to make several of them reconsider how much they actually knew about him.

There was no time for them to ask questions, however, because the remaining young lizards were still attacking them from every direction. Li Yan wiped the blood from beneath his nose and returned his attention to the battlefield while the other disciples continued dealing with the creatures that had remained near the cave. Their numbers gradually decreased as the disciples worked together, and after a long period of fighting, the last of the young lizards finally fell.

Once the smaller creatures were gone, only the two enormous lizards remained.

The situation should have become easier now that they no longer had to deal with hundreds of young lizards, but everyone had already exhausted a considerable amount of spiritual Qi. The temperature around the mountain had remained extremely cold for most of the journey, and the disciples had been forced to circulate spiritual Qi continuously to keep their bodies warm while fighting.

The battle itself had consumed even more of their strength, leaving very little spiritual Qi for another prolonged confrontation.

Meng Jiali was among those who had been affected the most. She had fought the adult lizards from the beginning and had repeatedly used powerful techniques to force them backward. Even with her cultivation, she could no longer maintain the same intensity as before, and her breathing had become heavier as she tried to recover enough spiritual Qi to continue.

Li Wei and Cui Ahjun had also spent most of their strength dealing with the young lizards. They had helped clear a large portion of the creatures, but neither of them had enough energy left to participate in another long battle against a rank-nine demonic beast.

Li Yan looked toward the two enormous lizards and realized that the situation had once again become unfavorable. The adult lizards were still in good condition compared with the disciples, and the poisonous miasma surrounding them had grown so thick that even standing nearby was beginning to affect everyone’s bodies.

Li Hanye noticed the same problem and immediately turned toward the others. "Anyone who has an antidote should drink it now. Do not wait until the poison has already entered your body. The miasma has become too concentrated, so the antidote will at least give you another layer of protection."

The disciples did not hesitate. Those who had prepared antidotes before leaving the sect immediately found a place away from the lizards and drank them. Li Yan also took out his antidote and swallowed it while observing the battlefield. The effect was not enough to completely eliminate the poison in the surrounding air, but it helped stabilize their bodies and gave them enough support to continue circulating spiritual Qi.

After taking the antidote, several disciples managed to recover some of the spiritual Qi they had spent earlier. It was not enough to restore them to their previous condition, but it gave them a little more strength to continue fighting.

The battle was still far from over. The repeated attacks from the lizards had caused the mountain to shake continuously, and the snow covering the higher parts of the mountain had begun sliding down.

The heat released by the fire techniques and the poisonous attacks had also caused much of the accumulated snow to melt. Water rushed down the mountain, carrying mud, broken branches, stones, and other debris with it.

The area around the cave became increasingly difficult to fight in. The miasma remained concentrated around the entrance, while the melting snow continued washing the ground beneath their feet.

Li Hanye looked toward the open area farther down the mountain before turning back toward the two lizards. "We should lure them away from the cave. There is too much miasma here, continuing to fight inside this narrow area will only make it easier for the poison to affect us. If we move them into an open space, we will have more room to attack and move around them."

Li Yan considered the suggestion and agreed. Fighting in the cave was also dangerous because the mountain itself could collapse if they used too many powerful attacks. If the cave was destroyed, they would lose the treasure they had come here to retrieve, and there was no guarantee that they would survive the collapse either.

The disciples therefore began moving away from the cave while keeping the two lizards interested in them. They attacked from different directions without trying to injure the creatures seriously, using their techniques to force the lizards to follow them down the mountain.

The plan worked better than expected. The adult lizards continued chasing the disciples as they moved farther away from the cave, and after some time, the group finally reached a wide open area where the ground was no longer surrounded by steep rock walls.

Li Yan soon noticed that they were not the only ones in the area.

The disciples from the other sect whom they had encountered when they first arrived had also reached the open space. Another group had arrived with them, and together there were roughly thirty cultivators gathered around the two rank-nine demonic lizards.

The sight of so many cultivators fighting the same creatures immediately made the battle more chaotic. Everyone attacked whenever they saw an opening, using their strongest techniques in an attempt to break through the lizards’ defenses.

However, the scales remained extremely difficult to penetrate. One attack after another struck the creatures, yet most of the techniques only left shallow marks.

The two lizards continued moving through the battlefield while releasing venom and poisonous miasma, forcing everyone to remain cautious while searching for a weakness.

Li Yan watched the battle carefully. They had spent too much time attacking the backs of the lizards, where their scales were the thickest. Their heads were also difficult to attack because the creatures protected them whenever someone approached. Li Yan’s attention gradually shifted lower as he studied their movements.

If their backs, heads, and sides were so heavily protected, then perhaps the weaker areas were somewhere else.

His gaze settled on the chest and abdomen.