"Old Gold, do you have what it takes to wipe them all out?" Jiang Chen asked.
The Gold-Munching Mouse King sighed. "Our Gold-Munching Mouse clan has one fatal weakness — aerial capability. Without evolved wings, our combat effectiveness is still limited. If they don't run, I'm absolutely confident I can take them all down. But once they start fleeing, I can't guarantee anything. Especially that Zhou Yi — he's fast, and hard to deal with!"
Jiang Chen felt a twinge of disappointment upon hearing this. "In that case, you can't reveal yourself. See if you get a chance to sneak-attack a few of them, at least."
"Heh heh, my best target would be Liu Chengfeng. Chen Shao, actually, your Ice Fire Demon Lotus is now the perfect weapon for ambushes. With its power, you can drive four vines simultaneously and devour four Spirit Realm first or second level cultivators without any trouble."
Jiang Chen's interest was piqued.
"Chen Shao, the Ice Fire Demon Lotus has incredible devouring power. I've noticed several Purple Sun Sect disciples — they're perfect candidates. Some cultivate fire-attribute techniques, others ice-attribute ones. Once devoured, the spiritual energy in their Spirit Seas will be converted to fuel for the Ice Fire Demon Lotus, nourishing it and, by extension, enriching your own Spirit Sea."
This proposal from the Gold-Munching Mouse King made Jiang Chen's heart race with excitement.
The disciples from Luo Huang's branch of the Purple Sun Sect mostly cultivated fire-attribute techniques, while Yu Jie practiced an ice-attribute method — something Jiang Chen had already discovered during the battle at Erdu Pass.
The memory of Yu Jie resurfaced in Jiang Chen's mind, along with the battle at Erdu Pass.
"Deal, Old Gold. Go find yourself a meal. Just remember — don't reveal yourself. Now is not the time!"
The Gold-Munching Mouse King was naturally timid by nature. Even without Jiang Chen's reminder, it would never expose itself. Sneaking around was the deepest instinct of its race — even when they held an overwhelming advantage in strength, they preferred to stay hidden rather than swagger about openly.
In the valley, Luo Huang and Zhou Yi charged in at the front, already dashing deep inside.
Liu Chengfeng followed close behind them.
The rest of the group, at varying speeds, also surged into the valley.
Underground, Jiang Chen silently calculated and drove his power, slowly extending four Ice Fire Demon Lotus vines through the soil.
His first target was Yu Jie.
That guy had been arrogant and domineering at Erdu Pass, looking down on everyone with contempt. Jiang Chen had vivid memories of him.
If it hadn't been for that fellow, he would have eliminated Long Juxue long ago.
"Now it seems his cultivation is only at the second level of the Spirit Realm — nothing too impressive. Take him out first! Ice Lotus, activate, track!"
Killing Yu Jie wouldn't be difficult, but doing it without alerting the others required careful timing.
Fortunately, everyone was currently charging into the valley, so if handled well, there would be opportunities.
The lush vegetation within the valley served as natural cover.
Jiang Chen activated his Wind-listening Ear, monitoring Yu Jie's footsteps above and the distance between him and the people around him.
"There's a chance. Demon Lotus, rise!"
Yu Jie was running when suddenly the ground beneath his feet went soft. He was about to look down when a powerful suction force pulled him directly from below.
From beneath the earth, an enormous ice lotus burst forth, its petals unfurling like the gaping maw of some colossal beast, swallowing Yu Jie whole.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Having seized its prey, the ice lotus rapidly withdrew back underground.
The entire sequence was completed in roughly a second, leaving absolutely no trace on the surface.
First target — down!
With the experience of the first capture, Jiang Chen worked like a fish in water. His second target was Xiao Yu. This one had likely also cultivated an ice-attribute technique — the other ice lotus vine carried a keen resonance for that kind of energy.
Xiao Yu's strength was roughly on par with Yu Jie's.
Yu Jie had been taken without any effort, so Xiao Yu was equally easy prey.
Moreover, with so many people on Zhou Yi's side, nobody would notice one missing. After all, the only person who truly cared about Xiao Yu was his master, Liu Chengfeng.
After Xiao Yu was taken, two fire lotus vines were already pursuing a pair of Purple Sun Sect disciples, their targets locked in.
These two disciples had been brought by Luo Huang, and their cultivation was comparable to Yu Jie's.
However, these two were smarter — they hadn't separated from the group and were charging in side by side.
"These two will do!"
Jiang Chen listened to their footsteps, then surveyed the surroundings. He found that no one else was close to this pair.