Time passed slowly afterwards.

King continued moving deeper into the forest at a steady pace, seemingly unaware of danger.

On the horse’s back, Su Mo and Yang Qingxi sat calmly with indifferent expressions.

Closer and closer.

The distance gradually shrank.

The hidden presence behind the tree became increasingly restless.

Then, the instant King entered the creature’s attack range—

BOOM!

A dark figure exploded out from behind the massive tree with terrifying speed.

The forest temperature instantly dropped.

A foul, rotten stench filled the air.

The monster moved unnaturally fast.

Its twisted body almost resembled a black shadow tearing through the darkness.

Most horrifying of all was its appearance.

Its limbs bent at grotesque, unnatural angles as though its bones had been shattered and reattached incorrectly. Gray-black skin resembling rotten flesh stretched tightly across its deformed body, while thick black veins pulsed beneath the surface.

Its fingers were too long.

Sharp claws reflected cold light as they tore through the air.

And then, those crimson eyes filled with madness, malice, and hunger.

The creature lunged directly toward the humans atop the horse.

Its claws aimed for their throats with terrifying precision.

The attack was way too fast.

Before ordinary cultivators could even react—

*Slash!*

The claws pierced through both their necks instantly.

Blood splattered into the air.

The monster’s crimson eyes flickered violently.

Something felt wrong.

The sensation of tearing flesh...

Was strangely weak.

Almost weightless.

Then suddenly, the two "humans" distorted.

Their bodies transformed into two crushed, dead cicadas falling limply onto the skeletal horse.

The monster froze briefly.

It’s limited intelligence clearly couldn’t understand what had happened.

Why did the humans become insects?

Right at that moment—

BOOM!

A violent blast of air erupted from above.

The monster sensed danger too late.

A powerful impact smashed directly into its body and sent it flying violently across the forest before crashing through multiple trees.

BOOOOM!

Wood splintered everywhere.

The monster rolled across the ground before finally stopping.

Su Mo calmly walked down from one of the massive trees nearby.

Throughout the entire time, he and Yang Qingxi had been standing above using the Wall Walking Technique.

The "humans" riding King earlier had merely been cicadas transformed into them, also adding some illusion.

Su Mo looked toward the twisted creature thoughtfully.

"So this thing is that monster? It looks disgusting."

Yang Qingxi still stood atop the tree trunk above gracefully.

Her feet rested against the vertical bark as though gravity itself didn’t exist.

Cold wind blew through her long hair while her gaze remained fixed on the creature below.

"Your attack earlier should’ve severely injured it."

She narrowed her eyes slightly.

"But it’s still alive. Is it actually powerful? Or does it have high endurance?"

Then she looked toward Su Mo.

"Let me test it next."

Seeing her taking the initiative, Su Mo nodded immediately.

"Do as you wish."

However, his expression remained cautious.

"Still be careful. We still don’t understand what this thing actually is."

He activated Devil’s Eyes again briefly.

A strange crimson glow flickered in his pupils.

"This creature resembles some kind of undead lifeform. The strength should roughly be around Peak Qi Condensation."

He paused slightly.

"Maybe even stronger."

"I see."

Yang Qingxi’s lips curved faintly upward.

Then, she jumped down from the tree calmly.

The moment her feet touched the ground, spiritual energy quietly spread around her body.

"Good."

A dangerous excitement appeared within her beautiful eyes.

"Ever since receiving those system rewards last time..."

"I haven’t had a proper chance to test them yet."

She slowly looked toward the recovering monster crawling out from the shattered trees.

"Now seems like a good opportunity."

Su Mo’s eyes immediately lit up.

"I’m looking forward to this."

---

The twisted monster crashed through the shattered trees before slowly standing back up again.

Creak... crack...

Its broken limbs twisted unnaturally into place.

Then—

"SKRREEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

The creature released a horrifying scream.

The sound instantly transformed into visible shockwaves that exploded through the forest like an invisible tsunami.

BOOOOM!

Surrounding trees shook violently.

Bark shattered.

Leaves exploded into the air.

The shockwave slammed directly toward Su Mo and Yang Qingxi before either of them could properly react.

Their expressions changed instantly.

The attack wasn’t merely physical. It carried some kind of spiritual corruption within it.

Their minds trembled violently.

Pain erupted inside their ears.

Blood immediately trickled downward.

"Damn it!"

Su Mo staggered backwards, slightly, while clutching his head.

The world around him briefly spun.

Fortunately, his Immortal Body activated almost instantly. The torn eardrums regenerated rapidly while the mental shock faded away.

However, Yang Qingxi wasn’t as fortunate.

Blood continued flowing from her ears as her face paled slightly.

Without hesitation, Su Mo raised his hand.

A soft green healing light shot toward her body.

Yang Qingxi immediately felt the damage rapidly recovering.

Unfortunately, the monster clearly had no intention of allowing them breathing room.

The moment the scream ended, its twisted body blurred violently.

BOOM!

Ground exploded beneath its feet as it rushed toward them once more with terrifying speed.

Its crimson eyes burned with maddened killing intent.

Yang Qingxi gritted her teeth slightly from the lingering pain.

However, her expression remained calm.

That composure alone already exceeded most people inexperienced in combat.

The moment the monster closed in, she slapped both palms against the ground.

"Earth Bind!"

RUMBLE—

The forest floor shook violently.

Mud and earth surged upward like living creatures. Hundreds of snake-like tendrils slithered rapidly across the ground toward the approaching monster.

The creature instantly sensed danger.

Hence, it leapt upward.

BOOM!

The monster directly jumped onto a massive tree trunk before springing toward another one at terrifying speed.

Its movements were grotesque yet agile.

Like some gigantic insect crawling across the forest canopy.

It clearly had no intention of touching the ground again. As it moved from tree to tree.

Su Mo narrowed his eyes slightly while watching.

[Its intelligence is much higher than expected.]

Most beasts would’ve recklessly charged through the trap.

But this thing immediately chose the safest route.