Chapter 2257: Caught

The construction materials for the Tongyue Town mine warehouse were specially treated to be resistant to water, fire, acid, corrosion, and weapons. The entire warehouse was also protected by multiple layers of formations. Even Commander Chen, striking with all his might, would barely be able to leave a few white marks on its inner walls.

Yet, this centipede demon managed to corrode a large hole in the warehouse using its acidic venom. If that were sprayed on a person, wouldn't they instantly be reduced to nothing?

Just as they feared, it happened.

After the pink mist was sprayed, it rapidly spread in all directions, seemingly intent on engulfing the entire camp.

While the Spider Queen entangled it, hundreds of watchful soldiers stood by. The centipede demon naturally sought a way to reduce the number of its opponents. Moreover, the spreading mist could provide cover, making it easier for it to escape amid the chaos.

"Everyone, back off! This is Peach Blossom Incense Miasma!" As the poisonous mist spread, Granny Zhu kindly warned everyone before resuming her fierce assault on the centipede demon. Soldiers protected by elemental energy might not die from inhaling the miasma, but they would certainly feel unwell, as it also possessed hallucinogenic properties.

Commander Chen immediately barked, "Wind pillars, rise!"

Since the Spider Immortal didn't need their help, they would guard the formation.

Several sorcerers behind him immediately formed hand seals and activated a formation.

The formation artifacts, already buried underground, activated to form four wind pillars, each five feet in diameter, circling the warehouse.

The powerful suction they generated immediately drew in the mist, instantly turning it pink.

Commander Chen dared not use the Wind Summoning Art. If the mist proved too toxic and spread to the town, there was no telling how many people it might kill.

With spider silk scattered across the ground, the guards dared not approach closely, instead aiming their arrows at the giant centipede.

The centipede's hide was incredibly tough; ordinary blades and spears simply bounced off. However, the guards were using "Poison Whirlwind Arrows," specialized weapons whose arrowheads were imbued with potent venom. Augmented by the soldiers' elemental energy, these arrows, once lodged, would continuously spin, drilling deeper into the wound to inflict greater pain and more severe secondary damage.

Its body was covered in stiff bristles, like a boar's mane, which blocked most arrows. Yet, the few that occasionally pierced through still made it writhe and whimper in pain.

What it found most unbearable were the Spider Queen's sharp claws, which glowed with a faint reddish light, creating eight holes with each grasp.

The giant centipede spoke in human tongue, "You, the esteemed Queen of the Cave Spiders, why do you risk your life for these weak and foolish humans?!"

"Have you been cultivating in that cave for so long that your brain has rotted?" Granny Zhu retorted sarcastically. "Even three thousand years ago, when you tried to steal something that already had an owner, didn't you still get a good beating?"

The centipede was momentarily speechless, but sensed something was amiss.

Granny Zhu continued, "Surrender immediately, and I will spare your life!"

"Such a good deal?" The centipede demon asked, half in doubt, "Then why are you still trying to catch me?"

"You raided four mines and seven large warehouses, stealing over three thousand three hundred catties of profound crystals, and injuring more than two hundred people. The Lord of Cangyan intends to settle this account with you!"

The centipede demon froze, its movements slowing by half a beat. Granny Zhu seized the opportunity to stab it twice in the belly with her claws. It shrieked in pain as a stream of green blood splattered onto the ground with a sizzle.

"Are you insane? I only went to four mines and five warehouses. I don't know who took the other two, so don't pin that on me!" It wouldn't take the blame for this! "And I certainly didn't take over three thousand catties of profound crystals!"

Granny Zhu persisted, "Then how much was it?"

"…I can't remember!" It had only just emerged from seclusion; it was merely stealing a few profound crystals to get by. Did she expect it to borrow a scale from humans and weigh them out pound by pound? "At most, it was only half!"

While the two demons wrestled, Pu Hua seized the opportunity to grab a large bow, firing three arrows in rapid succession.

The centipede dodged one arrow, but another struck it squarely on the forehead.

The arrow didn't pierce its skull, but it ignited the centipede's ferocity. It suddenly coiled back, attempting to entangle Granny Zhu, who promptly leaped clear. The centipede demon immediately exhaled a breath around it.

Unlike the previous pink mist, this breath carried an intensely cold aura. The nearby spider silks instantly froze, even forming ice beads.

No matter how tough the spider silk, once frozen like this, it became brittle.

The centipede crashed through the nearest spider web and fled.

Even Granny Zhu was somewhat surprised; this creature had hidden its abilities well, possessing an ice affinity!

However, before the centipede had fled two hundred zhang, a cold gleam flashed in mid-air. It swiftly dodged, but to its surprise, the gleam, upon closing in, suddenly split into over a dozen rays. At least two of them pierced its body, pinning it firmly to the ground!

Only then did the pursuers realize it was a giant axe, its head wider than an ordinary door plank.

Immediately after, the tall grass parted, and a mountain-like figure burst forth. It lowered the giant axe in its other hand, chopping horizontally at the centipede's legs.

This was a giant clad in a grass skirt, over two zhang tall, corpulent and robust, with a mouth full of yellow teeth. Its skin was cracked like tree bark, resembling the color of gray sandstone.

With its first strike, it generated a terrifying gust from the axe, accompanied by the faint rumble of wind and thunder.

The centipede's rear tail was pinned by the axe blade. It violently struggled free, and its front half scurried away, leaving only a segment of its tail twitching on the ground.

Even Granny Zhu, who had followed closely, muttered to herself, "Did this creature learn that trick from a gecko?"

However, no sooner had the centipede darted into the tall grass than another cold gleam flashed, and an entire row of its abdominal legs was severed.

There were more enemies in ambush?!

Sun Hongye, watching from the small hill, saw the tall grass part again, revealing another figure.

This person looked remarkably similar to the giant, essentially a scaled-down version, standing only four feet tall with an axe in hand that looked like a toy.

Yet this toy-like axe had just severed the great demon's legs.

Despite being shorter than a human, his movements were quicker than a spinning top.

Granny Zhu grumbled, "Maoye Giants, you're late!"

The big fellow scratched the back of his head. "It was dark, we took a wrong turn."

The little savage snapped, "I told you before, don't travel at night!"

With that, it leaped onto the large savage. In the next instant, they merged, forming a two-headed giant.

Sun Hongye, witnessing this, could only marvel at the vastness of the world and its endless wonders.

The centipede on the ground writhed, still attempting to escape. However, its body surface was suddenly coated with a layer of red light, making it a hundred times heavier and unable to even lift its head.

This was the military formation's Earth Binding Art taking effect. It still hadn't escaped the camp's formation range.

What was happening? The last time it emerged into the world, the army's formations clearly weren't capable of covering such a vast area!

This directly led to its misjudgment.

Seeing it had no power to resist, Granny Zhu leaped over and sprayed several layers of spider silk, wrapping the large centipede directly into a white cocoon.

With the battle decided, Commander Chen ordered the sorcerers to raise the wind pillars into the sky.

The pink mist would be dispersed by strong winds at high altitude, no longer posing a threat to Tongyue Town.

The sorcerers were about to cease their efforts when Granny Zhu interjected, "Wait!"

She then turned to the Maoling Giant and instructed, "You collect the mist."