Chapter 00198: Frenzied Opponent
# Frenzied Opponent
Chapter 198
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 198: Frenzied Opponent
On the slope, a patrolling guard's movements became increasingly sluggish, as if he could no longer lift his arm.
Finally, unable to withstand the tugging of several spider silk strands, he was suddenly pulled out of the crowd.
His companions were too late to rescue him, watching helplessly as he tumbled down the slope, instantly engulfed by a dark tide of spiders.
The piercing screams did not last long, but they seemed to echo endlessly in everyone's hearts, sending chills down their spines.
He Lingchuan felt a stir in his heart; while the Tiger Wolf Cannibals struck at vital points for a fatal blow, the spiders bit in turns, so how could this guard die so quickly? Observing his earlier swaying appearance, it seemed less like exhaustion and more like poisoning.
Indeed, there were many varieties of spiders that possessed potent venom.
The guide trembled as he spoke, "Why have these Burrowing Spiders gone mad?"
This question carried significant weight, prompting Liu Tong to ask, "Do they usually reside here?"
"Yes, yes."
The guide's voice was barely audible, drowned out by the commotion on the slope, only the two closest could hear him, "They have never interfered with humans."
"Is there any way to save him?" The situation on the slope was perilous, and they could not hold out much longer.
From all directions, more spiders were rushing to join the fray, like flies drawn to rotting flesh.
The door panel cursed under his breath, "How many spiders are there, really?"
"They were originally very afraid of fire."
The guide only managed a few words, his face growing paler.
Creatures that usually feared fire were now charging recklessly; what kind of madness had overtaken them? He Lingchuan suddenly thought of Dong Rui.
Could Beast Tamers incite beasts to attack without fear of death?
Liu Tiao watched intently and suddenly said, "I remember that spiders can't swim; is it the same for those here?"
The guide was uncertain, "I—I don't know; I've never seen spiders go into the water."
And the Ghost Needle Stone Forest was not lacking in water.
"How far is the nearest stream? It needs to be sizable."
Sweat trickled down the guide's forehead as he pointed west, "There’s a large waterhole over there, very deep, about fifteen zhang away. I used to take people there to fetch water and rest."
"Is it running water or stagnant water?"
"Running—running water!" The guide swallowed hard, "Upstream are two streams, going—going north! It rained heavily just seven days ago, so the water level should be quite high."
"That's it."
Liu Tong made a quick decision, "Find a way to get them over here."
At this moment, He Lingchuan missed the secret treasure incense ball that the sand bandits had given him; this thing was detested by gods and ghosts alike, driving anyone who inhaled it to flee.
If only he could bring it into the Panlong Dreamland!
After all, they were a team that had cooperated for a long time, and everyone quickly assigned tasks with a few words.
The door panel drew out his giant axe, took a deep breath, and said to He Lingchuan, "Alright."
He Lingchuan grinned at him, channeling strength into his arms, grabbing the door panel's belt, and flinging him out!
He Lingchuan was already strong, and after the Imperial Flow Washing Marrow, his strength was further enhanced, effortlessly throwing the door panel, a man weighing over one hundred seventy jin, a distance of three zhang!
In mid-air, the door panel shouted, "Ride over here; there’s a way out!"
Suddenly, with a living person in the field, the spiders' assault faltered, and a portion immediately turned to attack him.
He Lingchuan's months of practice in throwing techniques bore fruit; as the door panel descended, he landed on a large protruding rock.
Using the rock for leverage, he turned and jumped again!
Even though he wasn't as agile as a thin person and was holding a heavy weapon, his jump still reached over a zhang.
That brought him very close to the trapped team.
This team had just lost one member and had another severely injured, filled with despair when they suddenly heard the words "way out," instantly filled with hope.
The hoarse voice of the door panel was more melodious to them than the lingering notes of a famous performer.
He raised the giant axe high, and as he landed, the axe struck the ground first—axe back down.
With a "buzz," a low sound reverberated, like striking iron against a tuning fork.
Within a radius of three zhang, the spider army suddenly halted, some even spinning in circles as if drunk.
"Come quickly!" the door panel urged.
This wave of low-frequency shock also made the horses on the slope shake their heads; one even knelt down on the spot.
The others paid it no mind, jumping onto other horses and galloping wildly towards the door panel.
As they were about to pass him, the door panel struck the ground with two more axe blows, stunning another wave of small monsters.
Using such a battle technique consumed considerable energy, and the door panel's face turned red from the effort.
The low-frequency attack was only three axe strikes; it would take a long time to recover fully.
Liu Tiao also charged over on horseback, throwing out several burning bottles.
The bottles released pale blue smoke, and the approaching spiders were immediately affected, flipping onto their backs, their eight legs twitching towards the sky.
The team had just dealt with the Bee Demon a few days ago, and this poisonous smoke was particularly effective against insects.
Taking advantage of this gap, the door panel rushed to Liu Tiao's side and jumped onto his horse.
The horse let out a long neigh and galloped away.
The spider swarm was even more enraged, relentlessly pursuing them.
Not only were there these pesky followers behind the horse's hooves, but spiders were also dropping from the treetops, landing on people or horses, ready to bite.
Just clearing these was enough to leave them in a flurry.
Fortunately, the guide was competent; more than ten zhang away, there indeed was a deep pool.
The group directly leaped their horses into the pool, splashing water everywhere.
The spiders stopped at the water's edge, hissing at the group.
A few seemed to be blinded by rage and even attempted to enter the water, but were immediately swept away by the current.
The remaining spider demons circled on the shore, a dark mass, but they could do nothing to the humans.
The group, finally feeling a sense of relief, let out a long sigh.
The door panel jumped into the water, continuously soothing the horse's head, "I remember that spiders can also paddle in water. Thank the heavens, these ones can't!"
Liu Tiao frowned, "The spiders you've seen paddle in water are small! Look at the size of these!"
Most spiders cannot swim simply because their weight is too light; they can move across the water's surface due to surface tension.
If they were in soapy water, they would sink immediately.
The spider demons before them were as large as cats; how could they still expect to rely on surface tension?
The guide shouted at the spider demons, asking why they attacked humans.
The spiders covering the mountains were mostly ordinary Burrowing Spiders, with only the particularly large ones having become demons, staying behind the swarm.
But these creatures seemed to have low intelligence, merely hissing threats at him, as if unwilling to communicate.
"Extinguish the torches," He Lingchuan suggested, "I see that the firelight doesn't scare the spiders away; instead, it seems to attract their hatred."
However, Liu Tong did not heed this, only telling the guide, "Head north, shake them off!"
Thanks to the recent rains, the Ghost Needle Stone Forest was now filled with moisture, and the streams had deepened and widened.
As long as the horses kept their distance from the shore, the spiders posed no threat; even the occasional spider silk that came their way was manageable.
The guide waded through the water, explaining to everyone, "These Burrowing Spiders eat anything, from small birds to wild boars and bears, but they ignore humans. I've crossed the Ghost Needle Stone Forest seventeen or eighteen times, and this is the first time I've seen them attack humans!"
"Why don't they usually eat humans?"
"I heard that they are restricted by the local mountains and marshes, not allowed to prey on humans, as long as humans don’t trouble them."
The guide sighed, "There are too many Burrowing Spiders in the Ghost Needle Stone Forest; they reign here, and if something bothers them, they swarm out. Who would dare to provoke them?"
"The Ba Ling people."
Liu Tong said solemnly, "No wonder they don't enter the stone forest; it turns out they have already angered the Burrowing Spiders and are just waiting for us to walk into their trap."
At this moment, those who had been rescued came up to express their gratitude.
They were from other teams, having been scattered midway by the frenzied swarm of spiders.
Originally, there were more than thirty of them, with over a dozen horses and three carts, but now only a few remained, and even their captain had already perished.
With the threat of being devoured by spiders temporarily lifted, a merchant suddenly collapsed into the water.
His companions helped him up, only to find him unconscious, his cheeks swollen, and his brow green.
Another guard had a wound on his neck but was only dizzy and short of breath.
"Poisoned."
Spiders inject toxins into their prey, incapacitating them or even causing unconsciousness, while simultaneously dissolving their bodies for the spiders to absorb.
These creatures had advanced to demons, and their toxins had clearly strengthened, but the soldiers of Panlong City always carried emergency medicines, which mostly included detoxification pills.
They quickly fed the injured the medicine.
The soldiers of Panlong City had Yuan Power to protect them, giving them far greater resistance to toxins than ordinary people.
The injuries of the guards and merchants were markedly different.
After taking the medicine, the merchant remained unconscious, but the swelling on his body gradually subsided, and they had no choice but to tie him to a horse; the guard, however, improved after several breaths, the pus and blood oozing from his wound turning from green to red, and the dizziness disappeared, though he still walked a bit unsteadily.
He was a dark, thin man, seemingly not fond of speaking, only introducing himself as Sun Jiayuan.
Another rescued merchant pointed at Sun Jiayuan and cursed, "What kind of route did you take! Didn't you boast about knowing the Ghost Needle Stone Forest like the back of your hand? How could you not even know that spiders fear water, just climbing the slope and stubbornly fighting those monsters! You wasted so many lives and lost our goods."
Sun Jiayuan's throat moved, but he held back.
The merchant continued to curse.
He Lingchuan noticed that Sun Jiayuan's hand was already reaching for his knife, his face flushed.
He was not one to have a good temper.
"Hey!" Liu Tiao couldn't stand it, "If it weren't for the guards fighting to protect you, you would have turned into a puddle of pus, devoured by spiders."
At that moment, a burst of blue fireworks exploded in the night sky to the northwest, drawing the attention of the spiders on the shore.
Everyone saw it but remained unmoved.
After several breaths, two red fireworks rose in the northeast.
A little while later, two white fireworks lit up in the east.
Only then did Liu Tong say, "The signal has arrived; the main force will gather in the northeast."
He asked the guide, "Is there an exit northeast of the stone forest? Can we reach it by following the river?"
At the pre-departure rally, General Nan Ke had just issued a temporary order that the main army in the wild would gather at the signal of red fireworks, and those who saw it were to rush there immediately.
Other signals were meant to confuse the enemy.
Now that two red fireworks had risen, it at least provided two hints for the guards, including He Lingchuan:
First, the inexplicably rampaging Burrowing Spiders had indeed caused significant trouble for the entire army, with many small teams getting scattered under the onslaught of the spider swarm.
The main team had sent out signals to gather everyone.
(End of Chapter)