Undying Life

Chapter 87: Thunder Scorpions

In the canyon, Zhong Shan was deep in battle. Although he couldn't quickly deal with the giant scorpions, they weren't endless. Harvesting the Lightning Flowers would take time, but these scorpions made excellent sparring partners.

The scorpions weren't too strong, and Zhong Shan could handle most of them by himself. Occasionally, the strongest scorpions, comparable in strength to Tian Ling'er, required both their efforts to defeat. Zhong Shan noticed that the truly formidable scorpions clustered around the two Lightning Flowers, indicating that the strongest ones were near the flowers. But that was fine; he would deal with these weaker ones first and then figure out a way to handle the stronger ones.

As the members of the Yin Moon Dynasty flew into the canyon, they heard the sounds of battle below. They frowned, surprised that someone had arrived before them.

Descending quickly, they saw two individuals below: a fierce man at the fourth stage of Innate Realm and an ugly woman at the tenth stage of Innate Realm. Seeing that the two Lightning Flowers were still intact, they were relieved. The flowers were still there, and that was all that mattered.

Corpse Master, who was flying on his sword at the rear, narrowed his eyes when he saw Zhong Shan and Tian Ling'er on her red silk. Even though Tian Ling'er had disguised herself, Corpse Master recognized the magical artifact. They were the same duo who had disturbed him not long ago.

A flash of killing intent crossed his eyes, but he seemed to reconsider, his expression turning strange as he glanced at Zhong Shan below. His gaze shifted to one of curiosity and expectation, though he concealed it well, maintaining a normal expression.

"Haha, Your Majesty, just two small fries," the armored general Leiting laughed heartily.

Zhong Shan was in the midst of slaying the scorpions when he suddenly heard a coarse laugh from above. The sound made his hair stand on end. Something was wrong.

He quickly retreated towards the cliff, abandoning the scorpions. Tian Ling'er, sensing the formidable presence of the newcomers, moved close to Zhong Shan, as if to protect him.

The countless scorpions didn't pursue Zhong Shan. Instead, they all prostrated themselves on the ground, seemingly suppressed and unable to move.

As Zhong Shan reached the edge, he finally saw the group clearly. His heart skipped a beat. He recognized them, and they were extraordinarily powerful acquaintances.

Not only were there several experts at the Nascent Soul stage, but also Corpse Master, the eerie man who controlled zombies. Zhong Shan had thwarted his plans twice, no, three times. Why was it them? How could it be them?

Panicking, Zhong Shan knew he had to retreat immediately. He hoped these people wouldn't bother with a small fry like him.

"Let's go," Zhong Shan whispered to Tian Ling'er, swiftly moving away from the group, climbing the cliff rapidly.

"Trying to escape?" A cold laugh echoed from above.

With a resounding crash, a powerful sword aura sliced through the cliffside that Zhong Shan was climbing, causing the rocks to shatter and sending Zhong Shan plummeting downwards.

Mid-air, Zhong Shan could have twisted his body to avoid the falling debris and continued his ascent. However, he chose not to, instead grabbing Tian Ling'er and pulling her down with him, preventing her from flying away. They both tumbled down into the valley, their bodies mostly buried under the falling rocks.

Feigning helplessness, Zhong Shan knew that attempting to escape now would be a certain death sentence. That sword aura just now—if it had struck them directly, not only would he have been killed, but Tian Ling'er would have met the same fate. Their only option now was to play dead and hope for mercy.

Tian Ling'er, tightly held in Zhong Shan's embrace, wanted to move, but Zhong Shan's firm grip and warning look made her stay still. Though uninjured, she remained motionless, understanding the gravity of their situation. She knew the strength of their pursuers; facing them meant certain death unless they followed Zhong Shan's lead. Despite the tension, Zhong Shan's embrace offered her a sense of comfort and courage.

The sword aura had been unleashed by Leiting, the armored general. Killing the two would have been effortless for him, but Leiting enjoyed playing cat and mouse. However, seeing them now seemingly buried under the rocks dampened his enthusiasm. Was the game over so soon?

Corpse Master observed Zhong Shan and Tian Ling'er with cold, calculating eyes, saying nothing. It was as if he was pondering something or waiting to see if the couple could pull off a miraculous escape.

The Emperor glanced at the two buried figures, instantly recognizing their feigned helplessness. His eyebrows furrowed slightly. To assess the situation so quickly and make the right decision in a split second was no small feat, indicating that these two were far from ordinary. However, their lack of strength rendered their cleverness futile in the face of true power.

After a brief moment of consideration, the Emperor lost interest in them and turned his gaze back to the two Lightning Flowers.

"Yes, they are fully mature, and of the highest quality," an advisor behind the Emperor exclaimed with excitement.

The moment the voice rang out, Thunder's gaze immediately shifted to the Thunder Flower. After all, no matter how entertaining two dead mice might be, they couldn't compare to the allure of a Thunder Flower. Without hesitation, he swiftly flew to the southern valley, his eyes fixed on the enormous bloom, reaching out to seize it.

"General, be cautious. This Thunder Flower grows on a Thunder Scorpion egg. Taking the flower will surely awaken the scorpion," the Corpse Master suddenly warned.

"Oh? So this is a Thunder Scorpion?" the Emperor exclaimed in surprise. General Thunder's hand froze mid-reach.

Nodding, the Corpse Master continued, "Thunder Flowers usually grow amidst Thunder Flames. This one, however, grows on a Thunder Scorpion egg. Though rare, I have seen it before. Typically, the scorpions within these eggs have at least reached the Nascent Soul stage. The roots of the Thunder Flower are embedded in the egg. If you pull it out, the Thunder Flames will burst forth, inevitably waking the Thunder Scorpion. Once awake, the scorpion will attack any non-scorpion life form."

"Now that you mention it, I think I've heard of this before. These scorpion eggs are quite peculiar. They can merge with living beings that touch them, sealing any gaps," Thunder suddenly remarked with interest.

"Precisely," the Corpse Master confirmed with a nod.

"Then I must give it a try," Thunder declared with a grin.

The Thunder Flower had four roots penetrating the scorpion egg. Thunder gently pulled out one of the roots. Instantly, a torrent of lightning erupted from within, arcs of electricity spraying from the opening, which seemed to be widening with each passing moment, releasing even more electric arcs.

Thunder pressed his palm lightly against the opening, and it miraculously began to conform to his hand, sealing completely, with no more lightning escaping.

"Damn, this tingles! Feels great!" Thunder shouted with delight.

The Emperor and those behind him looked on in puzzlement.

"Let me try," another person said, clearly intrigued. In fact, two people stepped forward.

"Give me your hand," Thunder called out.

As the two individuals reached out their hands, Thunder loosened his grip on the scorpion egg. With a touch from the newcomer's palm, it seamlessly merged with the egg, sealing the opening shut once more.

Taking advantage of the moment, Thunder swiftly withdrew his hand and pulled out the remaining three roots. The other person and the one who came earlier promptly covered the openings with their palms.

With four holes and four hands perfectly matched, Thunder examined the Thunder Flower in his hand before stowing it away.

"Damn it, Thunder, you little rascal, you tricked me! This feels anything but comfortable!" the first person to come forward exclaimed.

"Haha! Serves you right!" Thunder burst into laughter.

"Master, what do we do now? Is there any other way to seal it?" the Emperor turned to the Corpse Master.

"As far as I know, there isn't. We'll have to let it out. General Thunder, take the other Thunder Flower, and let's leave immediately," the Corpse Master replied.

"No way, no way! This is my first time seeing a Thunder Scorpion. Of course, I want to see what it looks like. They're just at the Nascent Soul stage. With so many of us here, we can wait a bit longer before taking the flower," General Thunder immediately interjected, cutting off the Corpse Master.

The Emperor seemed somewhat swayed but did not intervene.

"Alright, release your hands and step back quickly," Thunder ordered.

"Okay," the two nodded and swiftly retreated.

As they stepped back, the four openings suddenly widened, and a plethora of electric arcs gushed out from them, striking the scorpions on the ground. The scorpions trembled violently, some even convulsing from the sudden jolts of electricity.

Within moments, the four large holes intersected, merging into one massive opening, and a deluge of lightning poured out, covering the valley floor as if painting it with electricity. Many scorpions were left dazed and shaking from the shock. Even Zhongshan and Tianling'er, partially buried in the ground, found their hair standing on end from the electricity. But just as quickly as the lightning came, it dissipated, leaving the Thunder Scorpion egg seemingly devoid of any electrical charge.

From within, a colossal scorpion rapidly emerged.

The scorpion was a shade of blue, with a body nearly thirty meters long, excluding its enormous tail, which seemed capable of reaching the top of the valley.

Electricity crackled all over its body, as if it were greatly angered by being disturbed. The tip of its tail emitted snapping sounds, and where its stinger was, there crackled a terrifying purple lightning-like energy.

Its cold, eerie eyes locked onto the people in the valley.