Chapter 86: Wasteland and Sand Scorpion

Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Wasteland and Sand Scorpion

Chen Shang said nothing and continued walking forward.

He somewhat regretted telling Surtr the origin of the most renowned demon in history. The Magma Giant’s simple mind simply couldn’t comprehend how a monkey could pop out of a rock.

"Besides, Boss, you said that monkey isn’t afraid of Flame but hates Water. That makes him even more like us Magma Giants. We definitely don’t like Water."

Taking a large stride, Surtr caught up to Chen Shang and tilted his head to look at him. "We don’t like playing with sticks either. Boss, what’s that monkey’s name?"

Chen Shang sighed and came up with a plausible explanation. "Surtr, that monkey is a natural-born Divine Spirit. He’s different from Ordinary rocks."

Surtr’s footsteps paused. He lowered his head and thought seriously for a few seconds, a newfound awe appearing in his dark Gold eyes.

"A natural-born Divine Spirit? Then he must be really powerful."

Chen Shang didn’t reply. If he had to explain "Journey to the West" and the Five-Colored Stone to Surtr, they wouldn’t get anything else done today. Explaining it as a natural-born Divine Spirit was perfect. Either way, the result was that the Great Sage had gained another fan in a distant Exotic Realm.

Once Surtr quieted down, Chen Shang could finally focus his attention on finding their target.

The coordinates provided by the Sub-dragon, Saphiron, were very detailed: Balman Seventh Plane, High Tower Grid No. 1357. At the center of the wasteland stood a massive red boulder. Walking thirteen steps west from its base would lead to a groove in the ground; dripping Dragon Blood into it would open the entrance.

But the problem was that High Tower Grid No. 1357 was not small—it covered an area of nearly three hundred thousand square kilometers.

A High Tower Grid was a location descriptor. This classification method divided a Plane into numbered blocks based on the locations of Wizard Towers. Different Planes had different standards because some Planes were continents, some were galaxies, and some were world clusters... Naturally, there were also larger or smaller ones.

In the Balman Seventh Plane, a single High Tower Grid spanned nearly three hundred thousand square kilometers. Finding a red boulder in a wasteland of that size was barely better than searching for a needle in a haystack.

After Chen Shang confirmed he had arrived in High Tower Grid No. 1357, he looked up. Faint Gold patterns spread around his eyes as he activated the Secret Eye.

In an instant, the wasteland in his vision changed.

The underground Energy flow resembled a giant web. Some areas were bright, while others were dim. In certain spots, specks of light moved sluggishly, representing mineral veins deep underground or subterranean rivers.

A massive boulder used by a Sub-dragon as a treasury entrance would definitely have residual Energy traces around it. If Saphiron frequently went in and out, the aura of Dragon Blood would seep into the ground, creating Energy fluctuations distinct from the surroundings.

Chen Shang observed for a moment before adjusting his direction, heading northeast. Surtr followed behind him, his heavy footsteps sinking into the sand with a soft CRUNCH CRUNCH.

After walking for about an Hourglass of time, Chen Shang suddenly stopped.

Their path ahead was blocked by a dark gray mound. On the outside, it looked like some sort of earthen wall, but Chen Shang’s Secret Eye clearly saw that it was a nest of sand scorpions.

The sand scorpion was a native creature of Balman No. 7, ranging from Tier One to Tier Two. Their sizes varied from that of a fist to a calf. Their bodies were covered in thick carapaces, and their Tail stingers could secrete neurotoxins. They did not actively attack large creatures, but if anyone stepped into their territory, they would not hesitate to swarm out from under the sand and tear the invaders to pieces.

"Let’s go. We’ll take a detour." Chen Shang was here to retrieve treasure, not to fight native creatures. He instructed Surtr to promptly detour around the area.

However, not long after they changed course, the sandy ground beneath their feet suddenly began to loosen. Chen Shang could see individual sand scorpions swimming rapidly beneath the surface.

A moment later, the sand slid to the sides, revealing long, narrow crevices. Dark yellow arthropod limbs reached out from within, covered in dense, fine bristles and ending in sharp, hooked claws.

One, two, four, eight... A dense swarm of sand scorpions surged out from all directions. The large ones were the size of calves, while the small ones were as big as washbasins. Their carapaces gleamed with a greasy luster under the dim, gray daylight.

Their Tail stingers were raised high, tips dripping with dark green venom that trickled down drop by drop. Their vicious eyes locked onto Chen Shang.

[Extractable attribute detected: Shell Hardening (Green) — Source: sand scorpion. Extract?]

[Extractable attribute detected: Venom Secretion (Green) — Source: sand scorpion. Extract?]

Extraction successful!

Surtr quickly transformed to possess Three Heads and Six Arms, his entire body growing a size larger as he stepped in front of Chen Shang to shield him.

Chen Shang frowned slightly. He had already consciously avoided these creatures’ territory, so he wondered how he had still agitated them, and whether it was their mating season.

But since things had already come to this, there was nothing more to say. He extended both hands and constructed the Water-Fire Model.

The dual Elements rapidly gathered, converging above the palm of Chen Shang’s hand to form a fist-sized sphere. Half of it was crimson, while the other half was deep blue. The sphere vibrated violently, its surface continuously bubbling as if something was struggling inside, trying to burst out.

The nearest sand scorpions had already rushed up to Surtr. Their limbs dug deep trenches into the ground as their Tail stingers thrust forward like javelins.

"Surtr, get out of the way!"

Chen Shang pushed his hand forward, sending the Element sphere constructed by the Water-Fire Model flying out. It streaked directly over the swarm of sand scorpions and dropped into the most densely packed area.

A crimson light erupted. The Fire Element ignited the combustible gases in the air, while the Water Element instantly vaporized under the extreme heat, its volume expanding by nearly one thousand three hundred times. The resulting shockwave, wrapped in Flame Energy, pushed outward in all directions.

The carapaces of the sand scorpions shattered under the shockwave. The fragments tumbled through the air before being burned to Ashes by the Flames. Those that weren’t directly hit were blasted away by the scorching air currents. They rolled more than a dozen times across the ground, their limbs pointing at the sky as they twitched a few times before finally falling still.

The sandy ground in front of Chen Shang was blown into a crater fifty to sixty meters in diameter. The walls of the pit were entirely scorched black, and the edges were still smoking. Some scattered gravel also shot toward Chen Shang’s direction, but it was blocked by Surtr’s thick, heavy body, producing a series of CRACKLING sparks.

Over a dozen sand scorpion corpses were scattered around the crater. Some had already been burned to charcoal, while others were still twitching. The sand scorpions in the distance that hadn’t charged forward stopped in their tracks. Their Tail stingers were still raised high, but they didn’t advance any further.

They seemed to be hesitating, but Chen Shang didn’t give them the chance. He raised his hand, and another Water-Fire Ball condensed in his palm.

The sand scorpions sensed the violent Energy fluctuations. Their limbs began to shuffle backward, and the few at the outermost edge had already started burrowing back into the sand.

Chen Shang didn’t throw it. Killing these creatures wouldn’t bring him any benefits. The Water-Fire Ball rotated slowly in his palm as his gaze swept over the remaining sand scorpions.

Although the sand scorpions had low intelligence, they were clearly intimidated. One by one, they retreated into the sandy ground. Their Tail stingers disappeared into the crevices, which were then filled in by the wind and sand as if nothing had ever happened.

The wasteland soon returned to silence.