Chapter 43: The Indomitable Cockroach

Jiang Yan cast a small barrier around himself using talisman paper, then opened the skylight of the RV and nimbly leaped onto the roof.

He lay steadily atop the vehicle, eyes sharp as a hawk, locking onto his target. With a fierce pull of the wrench in his hand—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A series of deafening explosions erupted, and everyone saw the desert scorpions behind the RV instantly engulfed in flames. The scorpions were thrown into chaos, frantically rolling in the sand to extinguish the fire. Once they managed to put out the flames, they became even more enraged, continuing their relentless pursuit of the RV. Worse yet, the commotion attracted even more desert scorpions.

Jiang Yan thought these desert scorpions were like indestructible cockroaches; damn, they managed to put out the fire so quickly.

Not afraid of fire? Then let them have a taste of lightning—it must be quite an electrifying experience...

He swiftly switched his spear to thunder talismans, pulled the trigger, and several talisman papers shot out like arrows, sticking precisely to their targets.

The scorpions struck by the talismans convulsed violently as electric currents tore through them, the scene both shocking and spectacular.

Pressing his advantage, Jiang Yan targeted several more scorpions and fired again with the thunder talismans. His aim and speed were honed by practice—he rarely missed, nine out of ten shots finding their mark.

Soon, the RV finally distanced itself from the scorpion horde.

Ji Chuxue and the others had expected a fierce battle, but to their surprise, Jiang Yan dispatched the desert scorpions with such speed and efficiency.

These desert scorpions were infamously difficult to deal with—highly aggressive, incredibly fast. If one was unfortunate enough to be stung and the venom not neutralized in time, death was all but certain. Their poison was notoriously hard to cure; being stung was usually a death sentence.

As Jiang Yan leapt lightly down from the roof, Wu Qianqian immediately stepped forward to praise him, “Sixth Junior Brother, I never imagined your strength was so formidable. You drove off countless desert scorpions all by yourself.”

Jiang Yan grinned, “Hehe, actually, I had a little help from this spear.”

Qin Feifei asked curiously, “Little Six, was this spear made with mechanical arts as well?”

“Yes, Second Senior Sister. You can load many talisman papers inside. Once you’ve aimed, just press this button to fire…”

Ji Chuxue looked at Jiang Yan with interest, “Little Six, do you have any extra spears? This kind of long-range attack is excellent—we could fend off the scorpions without ever leaving the RV.”

She considered silently: if her juniors and juniors’ disciples could use such tools to resolve crises on their own, there would be no need for her to intervene personally. After all, she firmly believed that on the path of cultivation, the steps one took for oneself were the most solid.

At her words, Jiang Yan retrieved several spears from his storage pouch, including a smaller one prepared especially for Little White.

He smiled at the group, “Senior Sister, these spears are for everyone. The small one is for Little White.”

“Meow, meow, meow!” Upon hearing there was a gun for him too, Little White bounded over excitedly.

Jiang Yan stroked Little White’s fluffy head and said, “Little White, you’ve only just begun cultivating and your powers are still shallow. You should really practice these long-range attacks…”

The RV continued on its way, and the journey was anything but dull as the group inside began learning to shoot under Jiang Yan’s instruction. Everyone found shooting particularly entertaining—it was a great way to pass the time.

Even Wen Yue, who was rarely parted from her bed, was roused to join in on the lessons. Xie Lingzhou used his breaks to practice as well.

In Jiang Yan’s eyes, Third Senior Brother was clearly gifted—he could hit the mark every single time!

The weakest, without question, was Zhou Yu. He didn’t hit a single shot...

“Zhou Yu, what’s your cultivation level?” Jiang Yan asked curiously.

“Nascent Soul,” Zhou Yu replied.

Nascent Soul? Jiang Yan was stunned—this guy’s cultivation was that high? Was he old enough to be his grandfather?

“Heh, your cultivation is indeed impressive! I think close combat suits you better.”

Jiang Yan was tempted to persuade him to give up on shooting—this was way too costly, firing off shots to no avail.

…

In a forested mountain on the Xuanyuan Continent, Snow Eagle and Soul Hunter were recuperating in place.

“Soul Hunter, your eyes, ears, and nose are all bleeding.”

“Snow Eagle, you’d better worry about yourself—we’re both in bad shape.”

Snow Eagle touched his own nose at Soul Hunter’s words, and his hand came away smeared with blood.

Soul Hunter gave him a look of exasperation.

Unable to contain himself, Snow Eagle asked, “Soul Hunter, where exactly are we now?”

Soul Hunter frowned, growing irritable. “I don’t know either. Quiet down.”

He found the big oaf beside him unbearably noisy.

With no one to talk to, Snow Eagle grew increasingly agitated. He suddenly charged deeper into the forest, swinging his twin axes wildly.

At that moment, a male disciple in white happened to pass by. Witnessing the terrifying scene, he turned and fled in panic.

“Who’s there? Stop right there!” Snow Eagle’s furious roar rang out, causing the disciple to run even faster.

Unfortunately, he was soon caught by Snow Eagle, who gripped his neck tightly. The disciple was close to suffocating when Soul Hunter suddenly teleported over and intervened, “Snow Eagle, let him go for now. He may be useful.”

Obediently, Snow Eagle released his grip. The disciple collapsed onto the ground, legs weak with fear.

Soul Hunter pressed a dagger to the disciple’s throat, pondering where to cut to ensure a slow death—so that once his questions were answered, the man would die on his own.

“Speak. Where are we?” Soul Hunter asked in a chilling tone.

The disciple thought his luck couldn’t get any worse—barely escaping the brute, only to be threatened by his “rescuer.”

Trembling, he replied, “This… this is the back mountain of the Xuanling Sect. Great hero, spare me! I was just passing by…”

Soul Hunter pressed on, “Xuanling Sect? Are any of your disciples heading to the Death Desert?”

“Yes… yes. They set out several days ago,” the disciple answered truthfully.

“Do you know how to get to the Death Desert? Think carefully before you answer—I don’t keep useless people alive.”

Swallowing hard, the disciple stammered, “I-I do.”

Soul Hunter sheathed his knife, patted the disciple’s cheek, and said, “Tsk, look how scared you are. Since you know the way, I’ll spare your life for now. You’ll be our guide.”

“Yes, yes.” The disciple let out a shaky breath of relief.

“Let’s go. Snow Eagle, follow me,” Soul Hunter commanded.

…

The disciples from several major sects were nearing the outskirts of the Death Desert.

This time, Daoist Master Xuanqing was accompanying them.

At this moment, Lin Ruyan was sitting with Daoist Master Xuanqing on a flying spirit vessel. The disciples traveling below looked up at the vessel with envy.

“What kind of spell did Lin Ruyan cast on Daoist Master Xuanqing? He actually let her ride the spirit vessel,” a female disciple, who secretly admired the Daoist Master, said acidly.

A male disciple replied, “Maybe it’s because of her exceptional talent. Hasn’t she already reached the Golden Core stage? No one in our sect can match her cultivation speed.”

The female disciple rolled her eyes. “Hmph, I think she’s just a sly vixen. You men just love women who act all delicate and coy.”