Chapter 129

The hissing was something only snakes could hear.

Deep within caves and beneath the shade of dense vegetation, countless species of serpents seemed to receive a summons. One after another, they slithered from their resting places.

Hiss… hiss…

As they made the same sound in unison, they coiled upward, climbing tree trunks.

More and more snakes were being called forth throughout the mountains.

Shrubs rustled violently.

The forest canopy swayed faintly.

The disturbance spread outward.

At that moment, Bai Jingtang led the players of Warring States Game Studio rapidly out of Blackwind Stronghold’s territory. They crossed the three-layer earthen defensive slope and plunged into the forest, more than forty people in total.

Bai Jingtang personally cleared the way at the front. A shadow crept into her eyes, and a trace of anxiety slowly surfaced.

The four members of the First Land-Clearing Team were all veteran First-Rank Martial Artists. They split into two pairs, guarding the flanks.

Monk Dalong, Zhang Xiaoxiao, and Qin Jinguo brought up the rear, protecting the Quasi-Martial Artists and the other Martial Artists in the center.

Wangchuan noticed that the disciples from his hall were lagging slightly under the weight of their arrows. He frowned faintly.

Most of their arrows had been expended. Only he, Bai Yuhui, Hong Kaibao, and Chen Ergou had used nearly two thousand arrows and still retained half their supply.

He hesitated, wondering whether to discard the remaining arrows and travel light.

Before he could decide, Captain Zhao Heiniu doubled back from the front, his expression grave.

“Wangchuan! Something isn’t right.”

Zhao Heiniu was the most seasoned hunter in the village. Seeing such gravity on his face made Wangchuan’s heart skip.

“What is it?”

“The snakes in the mountains are agitated. There are many of them.”

“Are there?”

Wangchuan focused, but he heard only footsteps and the sound of movement through the air.

“If you haven’t dealt with snakes for years on end, you cannot hear it,” Zhao Heiniu explained. “We must be extremely careful.”

Before he finished speaking, a faint whistling sound cut through the air.

Then a female player screamed from within the group.

“Ah!”

“Snake!!”

A silver-banded snake dropped from above, landing directly on a female Quasi-Martial Artist. Terrified, she flailed wildly.

Snap!

A nearby Martial Artist drew his blade and cut the snake down, then pulled open the woman’s collar. Two clear fang marks marred her neck, the skin around them already turning bluish-black.

“She’s been poisoned.”

“Apply the antidote.”

Fortunately, they had prepared anti-venom medicine. The wound was treated quickly.

Bai Jingtang’s voice rang from the front.

“Speed up the descent!”

“Watch your surroundings and above your heads. Snake Elder has made his move. Every venomous snake in this mountain is now our enemy. Do not let any snake get close. Our antidotes are limited.”

“Wangchuan, distribute arrows.”

“Understood!”

Wangchuan’s heart tightened. Zhao Heiniu’s warning had not been groundless.

As they hurried downhill, they began retrieving arrows from the Yulong Gang disciples’ packs.

Most of them nocked arrows and prepared to respond at any moment.

Wangchuan handed two quivers to Zhao Heiniu and ordered the inner disciples, “From now on, watch above your heads. Do not let them bite you!”

“Yes!”

“Yes, Hall Master!”

Bai Jingtang continued advancing at the front, frequently releasing arrows.

Now and then, they could see venomous snakes nailed to the ground beside the path, or writhing serpents falling from trees after being struck midair.

The tension grew heavier.

Bai Jingtang resolved many threats in front.

The greater pressure lay on the flanks.

Venomous snakes constantly slithered out from the undergrowth, charging the formation without hesitation.

In open areas, they were easily shot down.

But in the forest, narrow paths were everywhere, and snakes emerged incessantly.

Again and again, someone would cry out in alarm and slash down a serpent at close range.

Old Qiu and the others had exhausted their realgar powder. They arranged for several Martial Artists to hack through bushes and clear a path ahead.

Wangchuan noticed more and more snake corpses lining the roadside, the air thick with a nauseating stench.

Before long, those at the front were panting heavily from exhaustion.

“Wangchuan!”

Bai Jingtang called from ahead.

“Take over for me.”

Her stamina was depleting quickly as well. Sustained high-intensity combat required constant awareness and consumed tremendous energy.

She also had to remain vigilant against possible Five Poison Sect reinforcements from behind. She needed to conserve strength.

Wangchuan could not compare to her. But with Zhao Heiniu assisting him, they could detect snakes early.

Working in tandem, they managed to maintain the team’s forward momentum.

Through their coordination, Wangchuan realized that Zhao Heiniu’s Archery was at a very high realm. His Hundred Paces Piercing the Poplar was no weaker than Wangchuan’s. His accuracy was astonishing. Only a better bow was lacking.

Wangchuan made a mental note. Once they were safely out, he would gift Zhao Heiniu his retired desert poplar bow. The captain would surely appreciate it.

Twong!

While listening for subtle movements in the wind, Wangchuan located snake trails and loosed arrows, pinning each emerging serpent to the ground outside the formation.

Crack!

A snake leapt from above.

An arrow shot forth, piercing its triangular head and driving it deep into a nearby tree trunk. The shaft vibrated violently.

After advancing both Archery and Hundred Paces Piercing the Poplar to Entry-Level Mastery, Wangchuan’s speed had increased markedly. Drawing and releasing arrows felt as natural as breathing.

He was not as awe-inspiring as Bai Jingtang, but over time, his movements acquired a fluid, pleasing rhythm.

His cooperation with Zhao Heiniu was seamless. They avoided overlapping shots, conserving arrows.

Even so, more and more members of the team were being bitten.

Snakes struck from the flanks without pause.

One of the Yulong Gang inner disciples was bitten. A faint bluish-black pallor crept across his face. Fortunately, the anti-venom improved his condition.

Bai Jingtang fell to the rear, setting several traps using bowstring mechanisms.

After some time—

A human scream echoed from behind.

Whoosh!

Bai Jingtang suddenly launched herself backward toward the direction of the cry.

“Keep moving!” her voice carried from afar.

“Captain Bai is gone!”

“Where did she go?”

“Is she confronting the Five Poison Sect experts?”

“Isn’t that too dangerous?”

Unease spread among the group.

Wangchuan and Zhao Heiniu did not stop advancing.

They understood that if the team halted, they would be surrounded and eventually slaughtered by an ever-growing tide of snakes.

No matter what Bai Jingtang was doing, they had to keep moving.

Monk Dalong swung his Hundredfold Steel Iron Staff, smashing through shrubs and crushing two serpents in one blow.

“Captain Bai is buying us time!” he shouted.

“Keep moving!”

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