CHAPTER 300: CHAPTER 20: FOES, FRIENDS, AND BONDS

The sandstorm was howling, and amidst the noises of the wind, Yue Jinghua could also hear the shouts of people, as someone was fighting with all their might; by the sound of it, it seemed there was only one person.

Was this person a friend or foe?

How many Dark Demon Beasts were there in front?

As Yue Jinghua hastened on, her mind continued to race.

According to the memories of Snake Woman Gore, Dark Hell was immensely vast, with areas even Dark Holy Beasts dared not tread—like a minefield buried with countless mines, a land where the slightest carelessness could invite lethal danger.

Utmost caution was the only way to survive here; even a hint of negligence might mean staying here forever, buried by the Red Flowing Sand.

Yue Jinghua had only about three days’ time to find a suitable breeding ground for Flower Spot Mosquito King and then return to Fengdan County. If lucky, she might also be able to contract one or two Dark Element Demon Beasts.

But the prerequisite was that she could leave Dark Hell alive.

The living conditions in Dark Hell were harsh; the water and plants here were all highly poisonous—eating them could at best destroy one’s throat, or at worst, result in death by poisoning. Fortunately, Yue Jinghua had prepared plenty of water and food in her Desire Gourd.

Unable to use Nine Revolutions Creation Technique, Yue Jinghua felt her Cultivation decline significantly; it seemed as if her Cultivation had fallen back to the level of Jade Dark Realm, compared to the time on the Canglong Continent.

Not knowing if it was Jue Shang keeping secrets, the Sha Technique she taught Yue Jinghua was just the most common kind, equivalent to the Basic Dark Skills of Low-level Dark Beasts. Yue Jinghua’s only means of survival now lay in her Basic Martial Techniques.

It was unclear how strong the Dark Demon Beasts of Dark Hell were, but if she encountered one or two Low-level Dark Beasts, she could manage. If she stumbled upon a large group of Dark Beasts, alone she would likely not be able to defend herself.

Under the imperative of not making enemies needlessly, the only choice for Yue Jinghua was to join outsiders and venture deeper into Dark Hell together.

About thirty minutes of sprinting later, the situation of the battle ahead became clear.

What a blood battle it was, with seven or eight Heavenly Dog Jackals radiating a murderous aura surrounding an unclearly-faced man.

Heavenly Dog Jackals were a common kind of carrion-eating Dark Beast in Dark Hell; they possessed strong limbs and sharp teeth.

Heavenly Dog Jackals were greedy, preferably gnawing on the rotten flesh from corpses. Their saliva contained corrosive Poison Liquid, which upon contact with flesh, would rapidly spread, turning people or Dark Beasts into a puddle of rotting blood.

This kind of jackal enjoyed attacking in packs, and once surrounded, they were quite troublesome.

Every being has its strengths and weaknesses, the weak point of a Heavenly Dog Jackal was three inches below its throat bone.

All this information was told to Yue Jinghua by Snake Woman Ge’er. It seemed that the man had only recently encountered this group of Heavenly Dog Jackals and was fighting hesitantly, unsure of where to strike.

It appeared she needed to lend him a hand. Seeing that the person’s strength was not weak, and he was also of the Human Race, Yue Jinghua was inclined to help. It wasn’t that she wanted to play some overly good Samaritan; rather, she felt this person could still be useful to her.

"Huh!" Before Yue Jinghua could take action, she saw the man surrounded by the jackal pack suddenly change his form. His previously hesitant fighting style abruptly shifted.

The man’s movements were incredibly fast, like a hurricane weaving through the Heavenly Dog Jackals. In his hands, he wielded two weapons resembling Emei Stabs, unleashing two streaks of cold light, aiming precisely at one of the wounded Heavenly Dog Jackals in the pack.

The stinging thorn flashed by like a shooting star, and a gash immediately opened beneath the throat bone of the injured Heavenly Dog Jackal, spurting out a foul-smelling black blood as the creature collapsed to the ground dead.

"Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh," after a successful strike, the man’s body rose from the ground like a spinning top, his twin Emei Stabs whirling into a tornado shape, six crisp sounds followed, and the throats of the remaining six Heavenly Dog Jackals split open in response.

The man’s palm fiercely grabbed one of the Heavenly Dog Jackals, his two fingers exerted strength, and the already dying Jackal’s wound tore apart, black blood flowing out like a small river.

Ignoring the creature’s coarse black bristles and tough skin, Liao bit down on its throat, his taste buds detecting a blood flavor that was spicy and bitter. In this damned place, even the blood was hard to swallow.

Liao, the 23rd century, the King of Spies of the Galaxy, Liao, was sucking on the Dark Beast blood without any regards.

In the time he had been stranded in Dark Hell, he had become accustomed to drinking this peculiar "water".

Liao had no idea where he was, nor did he have any clue as to why, after dying in a Cosmic Shuttle explosion, he suddenly entered another body.

A body that bore nearly a hundred percent resemblance to his own but was desperately seeking death.

In the initial days of arriving in this desert, because of the assault by the Evil Wind upon entering Dark Hell, his body was shattered and fragmented, like a broken puppet.

For nearly half a month, he lay still like a corpse, barely recovering by relying on the Dark Power remnants of the body’s original owner.

The severe damage to his body caused him to lose his usual vigilance and, after finding a spring, who knew that the seemingly clear water contained a potent poison.

His mouth and throat felt as if they were filled with concentrated sulfuric acid, nearly rotting away, and his face broke out in numerous poison blisters. He writhed in pain on the ground and passed out.

During his unconscious state, he felt like he was about to die. To die twice in just a few days, the irony was too much.

Just when he thought he was going to die in this unknown and dangerous place, the image of Yue Xiaoqi flashed through Liao’s mind.

Xiaoqi, he had been on his way to Gamma Star in search of Xiaoqi, and though he hadn’t reached Gamma Star, his shuttle had already entered its atmosphere when it exploded.

He died, and then inexplicably came to this place.

So what happened to the missing Yue Xiaoqi? Could she also have come here?

When he realized this, Liao let out a beast-like roar. Even in death, he had to find out if Xiaoqi, like him, had ended up in this hellish place.

He held on to his last breath until a copper-headed vulture, mistaking him for dead, landed beside him. With the last bit of his strength, he grasped the vulture’s throat and bit down.

Gulping down the warm blood with its rich Dark Power, it flowed into his body through his throat, injecting new life into his poisoned body.

Liao felt as if he had come back to life once again.

His memory abruptly stopped; having drained several Heavenly Dog Jackals of blood, Liao wiped his mouth. His gaze suddenly shifted, on guard like facing a formidable enemy, he turned his body and stared deathly at the two strange sets of eyes fixed on him from behind.