Chapter 011 The Mantis Stalks the Cicada

Seeing Yang Zhen acting so earnestly, Liu Ruoning's spirit was chilled. She looked towards where Yang Zhen was pointing, but there was no sign of a person or even a ghost, indicating that she had been tricked.

"Junior Brother, you…" Liu Ruoning quickly turned her head, her mouth wide open and her face full of frustration. Within that moment, Yang Zhen had already run thousands of meters away.

Watching Yang Zhen running so swiftly at the foot of the mountain, Liu Ruoning chuckled and stamped her foot in vexation.

"Who knows what kind of chaos Junior Brother will bring to the Nether Continent..."

Liu Ruoning murmured to herself, watching Yang Zhen's retreating figure gradually become more distant. These days, he'd seemed like a different person, much different from his usual clumsy and wooden self. The only thing that remained the same was his clumsy movements, even though he had already reached the ninth level of the Nascent Stage.

"Damn it, this mountain road is tough to walk,"

Yang Zhen spat out the grass in his mouth, glanced back at the slope, and could no longer see the figures of Liu Ruoning and the others.

Changyue Real Man would soon be in Nether State for a large gathering with Liu Ruoning and others. With her around, Yang Zhen wouldn't be able to do as he pleased. It would be far more convenient to act alone.

While Yang Zhen didn't have any experience surviving in the wilderness, he had watched plenty of wilderness survival shows in his previous life. A short-term survival attempt should make his life more interesting.

It was a three to five-day journey to Nether City, and Yang Zhen would have to spend those three to five days in the forest.

The environment on the Nether Continent was nearly primitive, exuding a savage atmosphere everywhere. Just like this, Yang Zhen gathered a lot of daily necessities in a short time. Common items like salt and peppers were in abundance, even cumin was found and it smelled exceptional, causing Yang Zhen's mouth to water incessantly.

On this pleasant day, Yang Zhen was slowly progressing through the forest. Aside from food, he hadn't found any animals, even a single rabbit fur wasn't seen, which seemed rather strange.

In such circumstances, there was only one possibility, Yang Zhen had entered the territory of a strong beast.

Upon this thought, Yang Zhen's eyes instantly brightened. In his view, a powerful beast was almost the same as treasure. Not to mention, the beast could potentially be guarding some valuable treasures.

Since he had arrived there, Yang Zhen was in no hurry, naturally he decided not to pass through unprepared. Consequently, Yang Zhen started following wherever the air felt densest.

While walking, Yang Zhen felt a sudden movement in his heart, and quickly climbed a large tree.

In the forest, the vegetation was lush and the scene full of rocky peaks. It was too easy to hide.

BOOM!

As soon as Yang Zhen had steadied himself, an earth-shattering roar echoed through.

The terrifying sound rolled over him, causing numerous plants and trees to rustle. Following this was a deafening roar.

BAAAAA!

"Baa?"

Yang Zhen heard this angry, indignant sound and nearly tumbled from the tree. Out of curiosity, he looked down the hill and was instantly dumbfounded.

A massive, goat-like beast with blood-red eyes was coldly staring at two groups of people. One group, dressed in black robes, consisted of about a dozen people, each with a sinister and mysterious look. The other group was much weaker, consisting of only three people, all women.

The woman leading the trio wore a white dress. Despite the beast's ferocious roars, her sleeves waved with great vigor and the long sword in her hand radiated a brilliant blue light. At a glance, she was clearly extraordinary.

The young woman appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen years old. Amid her stern expression, she eyed the line of people dressed in black. Facing both enemies and fierce beasts, her countenance remained unruffled.

"A three-way standoff, how interesting!" Yang Zhen was intrigued and sat in a tree enjoying the spectacle. He even pulled out a deep red fruit to eat with gusto.

The fierce beast, resembling a mountain goat, seemed unwilling to leave the giant rock. Although it was ferocious, it glared with blood-red eyes at the two groups of people.

Among the men in black, a man banded with gold on his clothing stepped forward, and addressed the young women in a frosty tone: "Zhen Ping'er, the Heiyan Sect has tracked this Gale Sheep for days. Now, you claim to have found it first. Are all of you in the Demon Sect nothing but thieves?"

Zhen Ping'er's long sword in her hand suddenly erupted with a dazzling light. She laughed scornfully: "Lihuo, if you want to snatch the Gale Sheep, just say it. When did the Heiyan Sect stoop so low? You act like villains, yet claim righteous motives for your actions!"

Yang Zhen found it amusing. Zhen Ping'er, dressed in snow-white attire with fiery spirit understanding the situation, was to his liking. But the next moment, Yang Zhen reconsidered his initial impression.

Zhen Ping'er watched as Lihuo and his companions burst into mocking laughter. With a whoosh, she rushed forward with her sword in hand, even though she was held back by a senior sister from behind. Struggling fiercely, she stared straight ahead, her long sword seemingly threatening to create multiple injuries on Lihuo.

"Have at you!" she cried.

Boom!

At that moment, a man in the crowd around Lihuo, wearing a black mask, suddenly erupted with a terrifying wave of energy. His aura was intense and fearful, and eerily strange.

"Foundation Establishment stage!"

The senior sister who was desperately holding back Zhen Ping'er gasped. Her face turned pale, and even Zhen Ping'er became subdued, her face serious as she observed the masked man.

The corners of the masked man's mouth twitched into a cruelly cruel smile, speaking in a raspy voice, "The Gale Sheep is mine, and so are your lives. Since you're here, you might as well stay!"

"Pah, who do you think you are? Trying to show off because you've reached the Foundation Establishment stage? Senior Sister Fang, let me go. I'll deal with this eccentric weirdo," she spat out defiantly.

Sister Fang sighed, her face even paler. Turning to the person behind her, she commanded, "Take Ping'er and get out of here!"

"What?" Zhen Ping'er was startled. "No way, if anyone leaves, it should be you two!"

"Think you can still escape at this point?" The masked man gave a cold huff, and a terrifying wave of black and purple energy surged from his body, sweeping towards the three women in a blink.

"Look out!" Sister Fang exclaimed in shock. A burst of blue light abruptly burst from her long sword, merging into the black and purple fog, emitting sizzling noises.

Yang Zhen watched, shaking his head. Both sides were at a disadvantage, one side creepy with black attire, and the other side even worse: only three of them, one of whom was a reckless ghost. Even the masked man who had reached a Foundation Establishment stage used only ground-level martial skills. They looked flashy, but did not possess deadly force.

Just then, the situation changed abruptly. Zhen Ping'er stopped struggling, and Sister Fang no longer held her back. The members of the Heiyan Sect looked on in bewilderment.

Chuckles passed Zhen Ping'er's lips as she looked at the masked man. "Jie Gang, you've been tricked!" she announced.

"What?" The masked man, who was called Jie Gang, was startled: "How did you know I was Jie... Ghost Vine!"

After Jie Gang finished speaking, countless purple vines burst from the ground around them. In the blink of an eye, Jie Gang and his men were engulfed. Lihuo had the worst fate, hung upside down in a strange position, his legs pointing skywards, and a look of horror spread across his reddening face.

Yang Zhen was taken aback when he saw the Ghost Vine. This was a wicked thing indeed.