Devour

The sandstorm weakened, the strong winds gradually died down, the heavy rain turned into light rain, and gradually the wind stopped and the rain stopped.

Regardless of the dirty mud all over her body, Lu Miaoting relied on her status as a high-level hunter and finally squeezed onto the city wall. She looked into the desert and saw huge corpses of sand monsters lying scattered around, but there was no trace of Cheng Bai.

"Where's the big white man? Is he in danger?"

Lu Miaoting became flustered, and the mud and water on her face flowed down, and after a little wiping, her face became covered with clown paint.

"Give me a spear, or a sword, and I'll go down and take a look. Dabai... my brother is down there." She searched the ground with her eyes, her voice trembling, and a towel was handed to her.

She pushed it away hastily, whimpering, "I want a weapon, not a towel."

A familiar voice came: "Your face is all stained, you don't look pretty anymore."

Lu Miaoting turned around and saw Cheng Bai in front of her. She was surprised and said, "You came up a long time ago? I thought you were downstairs."

Cheng Bai took her hand and whispered, "I left when I found it was raining. There's a lot of prey today, let's go count the harvest."

The two of them squeezed down the tower, took Xiaobai to find the best inn in the city, booked the top floor, and cleaned the mud and water stains on their bodies. In their spare time, they counted the sand monster crystal cores they had obtained along the way, a total of 27, of which the largest and best one was the Sand King Crystal Core.

Lu Miaoting knew how important this was. The sand demon was the strongest demon beast in the Liujin Desert, and the challenge level of an ordinary individual was no less than that of the Chilong King. The guild usually had to summon 10 level 20 hunters to join forces before daring to hunt one. It was usually difficult to see, and most people who encountered it would lose their lives, but today they had harvested so much.

"Dabai, I think your strength is not weaker than that of the seven hall masters." Lu Miaoting picked up the Sand King Crystal Core and looked at it again and again. The golden color was dazzling and crystal clear. She couldn't let it go in her palm. "It's so round. I have never had such a beautiful and round large crystal core before."

Cheng Bai said casually: "This one can be used to embed weapons."

Lu Miaoting said happily: "Then keep it for me."

"Okay."

After the sandstorm, the heavy rain stopped and the streets were cleaned of mud and stains. More people flocked out of the city to fight for the horns of the sand monster. There was no time to take them away during the battle, so they became ownerless wealth.

The sand monster horns outside the city were almost all bought up by the Medicine Sect. Cheng Bai remembered this when he brought Lu Miaoting to the store and asked curiously, "Do you need a lot of these herbs recently?"

The store owner of Yaozong did not deny it: "The best medicinal materials, the more the better. The effect of using them in Longshi Nixue Dan is amazing, but unfortunately there are negative effects."

"Such a good elixir would not use only one medicinal ingredient, right?" Cheng Bai asked a few more questions.

"There are several more. In addition to the main medicine, the amount of griffin bones used is also very large."

Cheng Bai was stunned when he heard this. It turned out that the griffin bone was not used for the common Golden Bone and Jade Tendon Pill, but the precious Dragon and Lion Blood Reversing Pill.

The store steward next to him came over and interrupted, "Medicine Sect's fine products, quality guaranteed. Customer, is there anything you need?"

Cheng Bai took out the Iron Ox Tongue, Iron Bone Grass and Soul-Nourishing Fruit, and commissioned the refining of Iron Blood Heart-Protecting Pill and Soul-Nourishing Pill. High-level pills are expensive, the process is complicated, and the quantity is large. He will come to pick them up the day after tomorrow.

I stopped by the Hunter's Guild and found that the most valuable task on the commission bulletin board was hunting sand monster horns, and the reward was twice the purchase price of the Star-Moon Oasis.

Lu Miaoting felt quite regretful: "I should have gone out and sawed off all the horns earlier. You killed all those sand monsters, and they were given away to others for nothing."

Cheng Bai said nonchalantly: "There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

After leaving the Hunter Guild, Lu Miaoting felt a little strange and whispered, "I thought you would sell the crystal core to increase our guild points."

"I have other uses for those crystal cores. We'll talk about upgrading them later if needed."

Cheng Bai was reluctant to sell the crystal cores he harvested along the way. He planned to eat them himself and leave the best one for Lu Miaoting.

The two returned to the inn and saw Yun Juan, who was smiling, coming to greet them. There was another woman beside her, wearing an exquisitely patterned mask and her behavior was obviously much more mature.

Cheng Bai's heart skipped a beat. It seemed that that meal could not settle the old account.

"He stood alone at the city gate, killed 22 sand monsters in a sandstorm, and even the Sand King was left dead in the desert. The Thunder Blade King is now famous all over the world." Yun Juan started by praising him endlessly.

"I am just in time to meet you. I wonder what you two are talking about? Let's have some tea inside and talk slowly."

They came to him on their own initiative, of course, not just to flatter him. Cheng Bai invited them to sit in the private tea room of the inn and inquired about their real purpose.

Lu Miaoting's eyes wandered over Yun Juan's mask, guessing the other person's appearance and identity, and slowly sat down next to Cheng Bai.

Yun Juan was also observing Cheng Bai, sensing the subtle changes in him from the inside out, and praised him highly, "Yin and Yang are in harmony, your mind is returning to its roots, and your Dharma nature is clear. Your cultivation has improved greatly and has surpassed me. If you don't work harder, you will be left far behind."

Cheng Bai saw that her beautiful eyes were full of light, clear and gentle, and it was obvious that her cultivation had improved. He smiled and said, "You too, have made great progress since the last time we met."

"I want the Sand King Crystal Core. You took the Moonlight Blade back then, so I'll give it to you as compensation. I won't let you work for nothing. How about buying it at the guild price?"

After the greetings, Yunjuan stated her purpose directly and her request was reasonable.

"No." Lu Miaoting refused outright. The Sand King Crystal Core had already been agreed to be left to her.

Yun Juan looked at Lu Miaoting curiously, guessing their relationship, and said with a smile: "Your friend is very beautiful and has good taste."

The words were ambiguous. Lu Miaoting fluttered her long eyelashes, wanting to say something but stopping herself, not knowing what to say.

Cheng Bai thought for a moment and said, "If you want the crystal core, it's not impossible, but we are not short of money."

Yun Juan asked, "What do you want?"

Lu Miaoting was a little anxious. How could she let the duck fly away? She secretly raised her foot under the table and gently kicked Cheng Bai's calf.

Cheng Bai simply reached one hand under the table and gently pressed her leg. The gentle body temperature from his palm immediately made Lu Miaoting blush and her ears hot, her whole body numb and unable to move.

"The seven life-threatening gold coins of the Tianxuan Palace Master will be exchanged for the Sand King's crystal core." This was one of Cheng Bai's purposes for coming to Tianxuan City.

Yun Juan and the woman next to her exchanged a glance, surprise in their eyes. This condition was really too much.

"That's really unreasonable. Let's try something else." Yun Juan shook her head and refused.

The masked woman beside her had an old voice and spoke in a steady voice: "The price of the Sand King Crystal Core is not enough. The Life-Losing Gold is made of black gold and is inlaid with seven Lightning Demon Eagle Crystal Cores. The total value is far more than one Sand King Crystal Core."

The Hunter Guild has a clear measurement mechanism for monster crystal cores. The market value of a Sand King crystal core is barely close to three Lightning Demon Eagle crystal cores, and the purchase price is even lower. It cannot be compared with a whole set of Life-Losing Money.

Lu Miaoting couldn't help but secretly admire her teammates. Proposing such high conditions was also another way of rejection, and the initiative was firmly in their hands.

Cheng Bai smiled and said, "You two have something to ask of others, how can you blame me for being too ambitious? If it doesn't work, do you have any better suggestions?"

The masked woman suggested: "I will agree to your exchange only if I give you the Sand King Crystal Core, the Dark Hydra King Crystal Core from Dark Flame Lake, and two kilograms of Flying Shadow Stone."

Now that we have the Feiying Stone, we can just send it to the Qizong store and cut off a piece. How difficult is it to go to the Dark Flame Lake to hunt the Dark Hydra King? The price offered by the other party is still a bargain for me.

Cheng Bai thought there was no problem with the calculation, and nodded, "It's a deal."

The masked woman next to Yunjuan was naturally Liu Suyan. After the two of them reached an agreement, they left the inn. Cheng Bai could go to Tianxuan Temple to trade at any time.

"Palace Master Liu, are you really willing to give him the money for his life?"

Yun Juan was nervous. Even if she increased the price, she could not imagine that the warrior would give up his famous weapon.

Liu Suyan smiled and said, "Why not? I am old, and my successor has his own weapon. The money is just to accompany me to the grave. For the future of Palace Master Yun, it is urgent to exchange for better resources. In the future, I will get the immortal iron, plus the flying shadow stone, and I can upgrade the ghost light blade again, far surpassing the money, and even surpassing the Tianhuang sword."

Cheng Bai also had his own plans. He watched them walk away and chuckled, "The other masked man is most likely the Tianxuan Palace Master. His skills are not inferior to mine at all."

Lu Miaoting glared at Cheng Bai fiercely and said resentfully, "You are going to give away my crystal core. That woman is the Light Blade King, right? What are you going to use to compensate me? Sexual compensation?"

Cheng Bai wiped his sweat. He knew that what Lu Miaoting meant by sexual compensation was different from what the people on Earth said. It was just compensation with barbecued food. She had used this trick to deceive people before.

"I will get you something better in the future. The Sand King Crystal Core is nothing. Xiaoting, believe me." Cheng Bai grabbed Lu Miaoting's hand and promised with a sincere look.

Lu Miaoting's heart was melted by the burning gaze and she couldn't refuse.

The next day, she eagerly followed Cheng Bai to go hunting in Dark Flame Lake, working as diligently as a little follower.

A thousand miles northeast of Tianxuan City, you will reach the Thousand Faces Stone Forest, where huge stones stand in a row in all kinds of strange shapes, seemingly in a disorderly manner, but as if they were deliberately arranged. In the early morning or evening, when the light is soft, the stone forest in front of you is like a beautiful ink painting, with majestic and magnificent scenery, which can be called the work of nature.

The Stone Forest is full of Dendrobium, which is also a medicinal herb used to make tea, nourishing yin, clearing away heat, nourishing the body and moistening the throat. The two did not forget to collect it when they passed by.

In the midst of the busy work, they discovered a charred area several meters in radius in the stone forest, which was still steaming.

I have seen this scene twice. The diamond man turned into a meteor and descended. The burning air caused high heat and slowed down the landing, leaving similar traces, but this time the area was larger.

Cheng Bai became alert and looked around. In the distance, there was a black diamond man with a shiny black body, more than 4 meters tall, a muscular and smooth body, and a mysterious glow flashing. He stood with his back to him like a stone statue.

"Nice to meet you again. You are much stronger than last time. I can't believe your rapid progress." The Diamond Man said faintly.

Cheng Baiqi asked: "Have you seen me? Once or twice?"

The diamond man in front of him was shiny black, obviously different from the white one he had seen before, and was also a little bigger, so it was impossible that they were the same person.

Why do you say we've met?

The Black Diamond Man turned around and faced Cheng Bai, but did not answer. He just kept talking to himself: "Although it does not match the records, it may have slipped through the net. It is better to kill it than to let it grow."

Seeing that the situation was not right, Cheng Bai waved his hand to tell Lu Miaoting and Xiaobai to retreat as quickly as possible, and took out his knife.

The black diamond man approached quickly and attacked with great force. He was much more powerful than the white diamond man. His punches were as fast as thunder and his steps were as fast as the wind. His moves were extremely aggressive.

Cheng Bai blocked a few moves, only to feel a violent shock from the opponent's fist, challenging the endurance of his body and nerves like an electric shock. Fortunately, he was protected by the spiritual shield and was not affected by the spasm.

"The black diamonds are much stronger than the white ones. If Forest Watch had used such tactics at that time, he would have been knocked unconscious on the spot."

Now Cheng Bai's strength has improved by leaps and bounds. He is not afraid of the opponent's attack at all. He slashes out three layers of black spirits in succession, and the cross-shaped sword energy makes the black diamond man's body spark.

It seemed that he had the upper hand, but Cheng Bai was secretly shocked in his heart: "Its material has also been upgraded. Its hardness is not inferior to star gold. Even those with weaker skills will be powerless against it."

The Black Diamond Man fought and retreated, his body shining with light, and was about to perform the secret art of blazing light.

Cheng Bai knew that this move was incredibly powerful, so how could he let it do what it wanted?

This blazing light needs to concentrate the sun's thermal energy for a short period of time before it can launch a powerful attack, and the delay in energy storage becomes its fatal weakness.

Cheng Bai took this opportunity to become invisible instantly, flashed behind the black diamond man, and assassinated him with a triple sword energy, which hit the target's back with a strong impact.

The Black Diamond Man was hit by the knife and flew a long distance. He hit the stone wall with a loud bang, and was deeply sunken, exposing his back, and the crystal at the back of his head shattered.

Deadly killing moves followed one after another, and the laxative spiritual energy of the sword pierced through the damaged area and destroyed the core.

The Black Diamond Man shook a few times and could no longer move.

Cheng Bai secretly congratulated himself: "Fortunately, I learned the weakness of the Diamond Man in the Great Rift Valley that day, otherwise I might have been busy for a long time but still couldn't kill it."

After passing through the Thousand-faceted Stone Forest, we arrived at the Dark Flame Lake. The breeze blew, and the lake water rippled, as blue as bright brocade and as crystal as a bright mirror.

Due to the intermittent upwelling of underground hot springs, boiling bubbles appear in some places on the lake surface, and wisps of hot steam rise up. Occasionally, it gushes out of the water violently to a height of dozens of meters, just like a boiling boiler, with hot steam and a spectacular scene.

The Dark Flame Lake is dotted with underground hot springs. The water is clear and warm, and its depth is comparable to that of the near sea. A considerable area of ​​the water is hidden deep in natural caves, connected to underground rivers.

In addition to the Jiao crocodile, there are also powerful monsters such as the Dark Hydra that can rival the Sand Monster. They actually have nine heads, are huge in size, and are extremely powerful. Compared to them, the three-headed snake and six-headed snake of the Long Snake River are like cubs and are not worth mentioning at all.

The two men and the wolf stood on the stone pillar, piling them up to raise the height. Lu Miaoting rode on Xiaobai's back, while Chengbai rode on Lu Miaoting's shoulder and looked around, opening his spiritual eyes to search the lake.

There are many animal skeletons scattered on the shore, including the skeleton of a huge crocodile and the skeleton of a hunter who failed in a hunt, which shows that the Hydra occupies a high position in the food chain of Dark Flame Lake.

Unfortunately, it took a while to find the Dark Hydra King.

Most of these monsters hide deep in the lake or in caves. They rarely come out and are difficult to hunt. The king among them is even harder to see. Cheng Bai and others had to climb down the stone pillar and search slowly.