Chapter 596: Retreat from the Start
Chapter 596: Retreat from the Start
"Prepare for a retreat! Hei Gou, you take care of the scorpions on the left side. Lin Xiao, you're on the right. Don't let any of them get through. Luoluo and Bai Tianyi, you two will take the front. I'll bring up the rear, get moving!"
Xue Wei's voice was calm, but the urgency within was not hard to hear as he gave the orders sternly.
It had not been long since they entered the No Man's Land, and they were still in the desert-like area where the sand had covered the ground, but even so, they had already encountered their first life-threatening situation.
Unknowing whether they were unlucky, or if this area was much more dangerous than first assumed, they had managed to encounter a swarm of Blackscaled Vine Scorpions.
These Blackscaled Vine Scorpions, on their own, were not a great danger, but when they gathered in groups, they could number more than ten thousand, and their lethality became much more remarkable.
The swarm that they had encountered did not number a full ten thousand, but it was not less than eight thousand, and when faced with their small group of five experts, they truly had no other option than to retreat.
Even so, they could not run headlessly into the sand dunes in front, as Xue Wei had already understood that this area was not simple. To survive, they had to stay together, so his orders were orderly and easy to follow, and the group began to fight their way through the agitated swarm of Blackscaled Vine Scorpions.
"Why is it that your Sovereign Beast Aura has absolutely no influence on the beasts of the No Man's Land?"
While they began to retreat, Lin Xiao could not help but feel frustrated. He had grown up in a monastery where he was taught about the dangers that these Sovereign Beasts posed to the human world, as they could control all living beasts, but after traveling alongside Xue Wei, he found that, at least this Sovereign Beast, seemed to be quite defective.
"Focus!"
Xue Wei was also somewhat exasperated. He was aware that the Blackscaled Vine Scorpions in front of him were considered Fierce Beasts, but it was as if they had a strange barrier surrounding their mind that kept them from thinking clearly, or even following their instincts.
It was even more clear that something was wrong when they kept killing these beasts, as the ones at the back kept advancing without caring for the death of their comrades.
It was as if these Blackscaled Vine Scorpions had entered a strange berserk state where they could not connect to the outside world, and even the innate fear they should have when facing off against a Sovereign Beast was completely gone.
While the phenomenon was quite intriguing, now was not the time to pay attention to these details, and Xue Wei grit his teeth as he transformed his arms.
Azure scales had sprouted from his skin, and his fingers had turned into strong claws that ripped apart any scorpion that dared to get close.
Lin Xiao was wielding his staff with familiarity as he swept the scorpions on the ground, and even cracked their protective shell, causing them to slowly die.
However, those that did not die right away would struggle to continue the battle, and they would only stop if they were physically incapable of continuing their assault.
This strange and desperate attack was not normal for any kind of beast, but while Xue Wei and his group noticed these things, they were not in a position to ponder the cause or the reason, and they kept retreating further and further away.
Their formation had proven to be working. Luoluo and Bai Tianyi were working together, but both of them possessed great strength, so they would also lend a helping hand to all others when needed, which managed to keep some of the pressure away from the other flanks.
Their retreat was slow but orderly, and they seemed to maintain a manageable routine that could be kept going.
"We have to keep an eye out for other dangers on the way."
Although they were currently facing a swarm of Blackscaled Vine Scorpions, they all knew that this was not the most dangerous thing within No Man's Land, so when Hei Gou mentioned the need to constantly observe their surroundings as well, they all felt cold sweat wet their backs.
Their retreat had been in a random direction, and they did not have much control over their path, so the only thing they could do was keep vigilant and try to protect themselves.
"Something is happening!"
Bai Tianyi's childish voice suddenly sounded, but unlike the usual cheer and joy one could find in the voice of a child, this one was full of gloom and solemnity.
The moment Bai Tianyi had finished speaking, the ground began trembling. The group of Blackscaled Vine Scorpions seemed to have sensed something special, and their bodies began shivering, before they stopped all actions they were doing altogether.
Even when Xue Wei and the others continued to kill them, none of them reacted, it was as if they all had their entire focus on the trembling of the ground.
"I would suggest we change our direction right now."
Luoluo seemed to sense something, and she glanced towards the distance in the direction they were walking.
"Right now!"
Hearing the urgency in her voice, Xue Wei understood that the situation was dire and he called out to the rest of the group. "The scorpions are dazed, let us cut a route through them!"
His claws began to rip apart the scorpions without much care as he no longer spent the time cautious and worried, but simply rushed through the dazed group of scorpions to get away. He made the road, and his comrades followed behind him, all hoping that their escape would be timely.