“Holy shit?” Pang Cancan reacted immediately. “Did we just get caught in a sandstorm?”
Su Su sat up, her expression turning serious as she looked outside. “It seems so.”
The sandstorm continued its relentless assault on the vehicle, making further movement impossible.
“If this keeps up, the car’s going to get buried alive!”
“I got this!”
Sun Zhichun took a deep breath and conjured a water barrier at the storm’s core, barely managing to block out the raging sand and gravel.
At last, the windows could be rolled down. Without the merciless wind, the accumulated sand on the outer layer cascaded back to the ground. However, countless grains of sand had already seeped into every crevice, promising a painstaking cleanup in the future.
They thought they had successfully held off the sandstorm, but soon, the water barrier started trembling.
Beads of sweat formed on Sun Zhichun’s forehead as he struggled to maintain his ability.
“Xiao Hei… Ah Xuan!”
The black serpent responded immediately. A blue fireball burst from the water barrier and expanded outward, forming four blazing walls that shielded them from the relentless wind and sand.
Finally, the situation stabilized.
It was only then that Su Su sensed something was off. “How did this sandstorm come out of nowhere?”
There should’ve been some kind of warning, right? This was way too sudden!
Unless…
Her suspicion was quickly confirmed—the sandstorm abruptly stopped.
The convoy that had been ahead of them was nowhere to be seen. Amidst the sea of swirling yellow sand, an all-too-familiar vehicle emerged.
Standing atop it was an even more familiar figure—a Tier-6 ability user.
Su Su’s expression turned icy. “Huang Yongjun, this is your doing.”
“Of course it is.” Huang Yongjun sneered, his voice dripping with mockery and malice. “I let you escape last time. Did you really think I was being merciful? Without the Battle Pet Guild backing you, what are you even worth?”
His gaze swept contemptuously over the few remaining vehicles.
One car had been completely swept away by the storm, disappearing into the distance. The other three—Su Su’s included—had barely managed to stay in place but were in an utterly miserable state.
Su Su glanced at the vehicle Huang Yongjun had arrived in. The driver was a Tier-5 ability user, but aside from that, the only one standing here was Huang Yongjun himself.
“You came alone. What exactly are you trying to do?”
“Obviously, I’m going to send you to hell before the Battle Pet Guild even realizes what’s happening!”
A small stream of sand slithered across the ground like a living creature.
While everyone’s attention was locked onto Huang Yongjun, a sudden splash of blood was dumped beneath their off-road vehicle!
The thick scent of blood immediately filled the air.
Su Su’s pupils contracted sharply. Her first reaction wasn’t fear, but—“Where did you get that blood?”
Huang Yongjun crossed his arms and smirked. “That car that got flipped earlier—everyone in it was already dead. Borrowing a little from them isn’t too much, is it?”
The moment those words left his mouth, the ability users in the other two vehicles felt a chill run down their spines.
If their own strength hadn’t been just barely enough… the car that got flipped might have been theirs.
Su Su and her team stared at the bloodstained undercarriage of their vehicle, their expressions turning grim.
There was no way this was just a simple scare tactic—something was coming for them.
“Zhichun, wash it off!”
As Sun Zhichun sent a water sphere to cleanse the vehicle’s undercarriage, Huang Yongjun made no move to stop him.
Instead, he simply patted the roof of his car and called out, “Let’s go!”
“Enjoy the little gift I’ve prepared for you!”
With that, his vehicle sped off into the distance, leaving Su Su’s team behind.
Before anyone could retaliate, the sandstorm raged once more. The black serpent, which had attempted to pursue Huang Yongjun, was forced to retreat and protect the off-road vehicle instead.
However, Pang Cancan had already understood Su Su’s signal when Huang Yongjun was speaking earlier. She had discreetly sent a tiny venomous insect—barely the size of a fingernail—sneaking into his vehicle.
The sandstorm trapped them again.
The fire wall and water barrier reformed around the off-road vehicle, shielding them from the relentless winds.
Su Su leaned out and fixed her gaze on the underside of the vehicle—
The warm blood that had been splashed onto the chassis had already been washed clean by the water sphere. The diluted mixture of water and blood seeped slowly into the layers of sand beneath.
The storm continued to rage, with only the few meters around them—protected by fire and water abilities—remaining stable.
Even so, a deep sense of unease welled up in Su Su’s heart. “Xiao Hei, we need to get moving right away!”
They couldn’t afford to stay here!
“Hisss!”
The black serpent expanded the fire wall’s range, successfully shielding the off-road vehicle as it charged out of the storm’s epicenter.
The two other vehicles took advantage of the opportunity, barely managing to escape as well.
But by then, Huang Yongjun was already long gone.
As if in response to his departure, the sandstorm gradually subsided. Other than the thick layer of sand coating the three vehicles and the complete disappearance of the rest of the convoy, there was no trace of what had just happened.
Was it… really over?
Just as Su Su hesitated in doubt, a violent tremor shook the ground beneath them!
One after another, over a dozen giant venomous scorpions emerged from the loose sand. As grains of sand slid off their hardened exoskeletons, their enormous pincers snapped open and shut in midair with crushing force. One of them clamped down on an abandoned metal drum—crushing it instantly!
The creatures lingered for a few seconds, their feelers twitching as they sniffed the air, before decisively locking onto their moving targets—the three escaping vehicles.
Through the rearview mirror and by craning their necks to look back, everyone immediately spotted the uninvited guests!
Especially the two leading scorpions at the front—judging by their speed and size, they might have already reached Tier-6!
In an instant, everyone realized Huang Yongjun’s true intention!
He had used the blood to attract these giant venomous scorpions—hoping they would all be slaughtered under those monstrous pincers!
“Step on it! Drive faster!”
The two cars at the back floored their gas pedals, instantly overtaking the off-road vehicle in the lead.
But just as Pang Cancan was about to accelerate, Su Su suddenly spoke.
“Xiao Hei, can you take down those two Tier-6 scorpions?”
“Hisss!”
The black serpent’s response was a resounding yes!
Without hesitation, it launched itself out of the lowered car window, transforming mid-air into a hundred-meter-long python the moment it hit the ground.
Its massive tail swung violently, sending over a dozen Tier-5 venomous scorpions flying hundreds of meters away as if they were nothing but rag dolls.
“Babies! Go!”
A swarm of venomous insects surged forward, swarming the distant Tier-5 scorpions in the blink of an eye!
In a single exchange, the enemies were reduced to just two Tier-6 Scorpion Kings.
They paid no heed to their fallen companions, driven purely by their instincts and the scent of blood as they lunged at the giant python. The three venomous creatures clashed in a violent battle.
Crack!
Just as Su Su stepped out of the car, she witnessed two massive pincers clamping down on the python’s tail!
She took a deep breath. A brilliant white light surged from her small frame, precisely flooding into the two venomous scorpions.
Over the past few weeks, she had consumed a considerable number of Grade-5 crystals using her ability. Though she hadn’t ascended to the next tier yet, her strength had far surpassed what it had been when she fought that Tier-6 Seagull.
As for Xiao Hei, back when it was still Tier-5, it had managed to kill the Tier-6 Seagull with the team’s support.
Now, at Tier-6, it was an unstoppable force on the battlefield!
The scorpion controlled by Su Su froze for two seconds—but those two seconds were fatal.
With a whip of its bloodied tail, the python shattered both of the scorpion’s massive pincers!
The rest of its body was then reduced to charred remains as blue flames consumed it.
With only one Tier-6 Scorpion King left, Pang Cancan eagerly volunteered:
“Sister Su Su, let me help too!”
She was a venom-type ability user. All she needed was to send a tiny venomous insect to land on the scorpion’s underbelly and deliver a single sting—
Immediately, a massive dose of toxins flooded the enemy’s body.
The already-weakened scorpion convulsed and froze for dozens of seconds due to the paralysis.
That was more than enough time.
Using the same technique, the giant python swiftly crushed the last venomous scorpion.
Sun Zhichun had just stepped out of the car, his ability ready to activate, when he realized the battle was already over.
He stood there, stunned for two seconds before letting out a genuine sigh:
“A few days ago at the trading market, if the Ability Users’ Guild had really fought you guys… they might not have been able to gain the upper hand.”
That was both true and untrue.
Su Su’s ability was especially effective against animals, and Pang Cancan’s venom ability had a natural advantage against venomous scorpions.
Against humans, their abilities might be less effective.
But even if they couldn’t win outright, they could definitely escape.
Su Su crushed the scorched remains underfoot and bent down to pick up two Grade-6 crystals.
She studied them for a few moments before suddenly letting out a cold laugh.
“Huang Yongjun… I should thank him.”
He had unwittingly delivered them a great gift—accelerating their path to ascension.
“Good thing we didn’t fight him back then.” Pang Cancan retracted all of her venomous insects, grinning. “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have underestimated us, and we wouldn’t have gotten such an easy advantage.”
True enough.
Who would have thought that just a handful of them could slay two Tier-6 Venomous Scorpion Kings?
The python, now back to its normal size, slithered to Su Su’s side, deliberately presenting its bloodied tail for her to see.
“Hisss…”
Pain.
Its dark green vertical pupils were filled with grievance, begging for comfort from its female.
Su Su’s heart tightened at the sight of its wounds. Without hesitation, she pulled it into her arms and embraced it tightly.
Huang Yongjun…
He deserved to die!