A sound came. Su Yan instantly concealed himself in the bushes. From the crack in the mossy cliff face, an exotic insect resembling a scorpion, covered in reddish, soft fur, crawled out. It was entirely crimson, possessing a pair of pincers and a slender tail hook. Its body was segmented, about a palm's length.
'The Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug.'
Su Yan recognized the exotic bug instantly and grew wary, holding his breath to observe. The Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug crawled out of the crevice, looked left and right, its pincers and tail hook twitching. Seeing no movement, it quickly scurried toward the Cinnabar Ganoderma. Though small, it was fast. It reached the Ganoderma in a flash, clamped down with its pincers, tore off a large piece of the fungi, and stuffed it into its mouth. In just a few bites, it devoured the Ganoderma.
'No wonder Uncle Guo Yun was injured trying to collect the Ganoderma. Exotic Bugs feed on medicinal herbs and flesh. They had trespassed into its territory.'
Su Yan watched the Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug. It hadn't strayed far from the rock crevice. He frowned slightly.
'That won't do.'
Although he was prepared with the fine steel net, attacking from this distance risked the Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug escaping into the rock crevice, which would mean he'd lose his chance. Moreover, the Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug looked quite powerful.
His eyes flashed, and he immediately formed a plan. A command was sent to the Dark Water Centipede.
The Dark Water Centipede in the bushes immediately moved, rustling the weeds as it climbed onto a moss-covered rock opposite the Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug.
The Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug was startled and nearly retreated, but seeing another exotic bug, it immediately reared up, raising its pincers and tail hook menacingly. If it had been another type of Desolate Beast, the Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug might have retreated. But how could it tolerate an intrusion into its territory?
The Dark Water Centipede shook its antennae and raised its body, hissing. The Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug flicked its tail hook, spraying a crimson mist of fire poison straight at the Dark Water Centipede. The mist was small in range but extremely fast, reaching the centipede instantly.
Sizzle, sizzle. The burning fire poison mist immediately scorched the Dark Water Centipede's carapace.
Struck by the attack, the Dark Water Centipede was enraged. It charged through the fire poison mist toward the Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug. Although the poison mist was formidable, since it was a poison, the fire poison's effectiveness was weakened by seven parts against the centipede. It couldn't truly penetrate the Dark Water Centipede's body.
The Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug's first attack failed, and before it could try another method, the two bugs were locked in combat. The two Exotic Bugs, though small, fought fiercely like dragons and tigers. They coiled around each other, violently wrestling. One had pincers like knives, the other had mouthparts like a sword. Under the brutal fight, their carapaces cracked, and poisonous blood oozed out.
'The Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug has also achieved a rank!' Su Yan was pleasantly surprised. If it was ranked, refining it would add another powerful asset.
Seeing the two bugs' ferocity, Su Yan immediately gave a command. The Dark Water Centipede sprayed its black, arrow-like venom, which corroded the Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug's carapace with a loud sizzle. It then abruptly changed direction and fled toward the clearing.
The Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug was fully enraged. Seeing the Dark Water Centipede retreat, it regarded the other bug as its meal. Consuming the Dark Water Centipede would allow the Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug to advance further.
The two Exotic Bugs chased and fled, quickly leaving the rocky area and reaching a mossy clearing.
'This is my chance.' Su Yan was swift. The moment the Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug approached, he threw out the fine steel net he had prepared. The Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug couldn't dodge and was completely enveloped by the net.
It immediately began to struggle, but since the net was made of metal wire, the more it thrashed, the tighter the net constricted, making movement difficult. It raised its tail hook, intending to spray poison mist to burn through the net. But Su Yan had anticipated this. He swung his staff, striking the tail hook. The blow interrupted the Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug's attack, only allowing a small amount of fire poison venom to spray out, which corroded a few threads of the fine steel net. If it had been an ordinary fishing net, it would have been instantly destroyed.
Su Yan struck the bug, using precise force. In just a few blows, he subdued the Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug. He reached out and grabbed it. The moment he touched it, the bug's information appeared before him.
[Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug][A bug that thrives in dry, highly poisonous environments, consumes yang-attributed herbs and poisons, refines them into fire poison concentrated in its tail hook, which can be sprayed as a flame-like poison mist…][Can be Refined]
Su Yan had waited a long time for this Exotic Bug. With the 100 jin of Beast Blood Essence fully accumulated, this bug was a perfect fit. He didn't hesitate for a moment. He activated his intention to refine the Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug.
The Ominous Bug Cauldron vibrated slightly. The carvings of vicious bugs on its surface seemed to vie for the kill. The Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug sensed the cauldron's aura, instantly went limp, and was completely unable to resist. It transformed into a beam of white light and vanished into the Ominous Bug Cauldron. Threads of blood and the cauldron's power invaded its body, refining it in an instant.
[First-Order Bug Master: 19/100][Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug: 1/200 (Growth Stage) ]
Su Yan's eyes lit up with joy. He hadn't expected the Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug to already be in the Growth Stage. Although slightly less advanced than the Dark Water Centipede, it saved him a lot of effort.
"The Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug is also in the Growth Stage, roughly equivalent to Skin Refining level combat power. Combined with the Dark Water Centipede, even a Tendon-Bone stage martial artist might not escape their poisonous assault. I finally have more power to protect myself."
He released the Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug to examine it. The fight with him and the Dark Water Centipede had left many cracks on its carapace and pincers. However, these injuries would slowly heal in the Ominous Bug Cauldron. That wasn't a major problem.
Su Yan's mind was settled. With only half a month until the assessment, having two threads of Bug Essence daily, plus the supplements, he would quickly break through to Great Accomplishment in Skin Refining. When that happened, he wouldn't fear the competition for the Inner Door spot.
'First, I'll collect the remaining Cinnabar Ganoderma here, then descend the mountain.'
Much of the Cinnabar Ganoderma had been consumed by the Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug, but there was still some left. Even if he didn't eat it himself, it could serve as food for the Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug.
Su Yan collected the fine steel net, took his basket, and walked toward the ganoderma cluster on the cliff face. He gathered all the ganoderma, which grew like stacked red flowers on the fallen log and the mossy rock face, and placed them in his basket. Suddenly, a glint of red light caught his eye in a rock crevice, illuminated by the moonlight. If the moonlight hadn't struck it just right, creating that faint glow, he could have walked past it a thousand times and never noticed it.
"What is that?"
Su Yan grabbed his broadsword, wedged it into the rock crevice, and subtly pried. Seeing the rocks around the crevice loosen, he knew he could open it. He exerted force and successfully pried open the loose crevice.
The faint red light was revealed to be a fleshy, fiery red lingzhi mushroom.
"Flesh-like leaves, a red glow like flame... Fire Flesh Ganoderma. No wonder the Velvet Fire Scorpion Bug stood its ground. It was guarding a Treasure Plant."