C9 Assemble and Fight

Ye Xuan gazed at the four mutated corpse flowers before him, their gaping maws bristling with sharp teeth, dripping with revolting saliva—a telltale sign of their craving for the delectable prey they had spotted.

"I'll hold off one of them," Ye Xuan said to the girl beside him. "You need to quickly take care of the other three."

He didn't wait for Bai Lan'er to respond before darting toward the nearest mutated corpse flower, one at the early period of the fifth level of the Whispering Souls.

"Hey..." Bai Lan'er watched his swiftly moving figure and instinctively reached out, attempting to call him back.

She had intended to face the four mutated corpse flowers alone, allowing Ye Xuan to strike from the shadows during the battle, which would likely yield significant advantages given the limited spiritual wisdom of the mutated corpse flowers compared to theirs.

But it was too late. By the time her words fell, Ye Xuan was already engaged in combat with the mutated corpse flower.

Bai Lan'er swiftly intercepted the three mutated corpse flowers that sought to join the fray. "You're dealing with me," she stated, her voice cool and detached.

The three mutated corpse flowers let out furious roars and launched an onslaught of thorn-covered vines at her.

Lan'er charged, meeting their assault head-on.

She knew she had to dispatch these three mutated corpse flowers swiftly to assist Ye Xuan. Their previous advantage had stemmed from their tight formation, leaving no weak spots for her to exploit, making the battle challenging.

But now...

"With one less ally, you can no longer overpower me," Lan'er declared, slicing through the vines with her longsword. She lifted her gaze to the three mutated corpse flowers before her, her tone unwavering.

The mutated corpse flowers roared again and lunged at her, but Lan'er, sword in hand, stood ready to clash. A fierce battle ensued.

Meanwhile, Ye Xuan was contending with a mutated corpse flower at the early period of the fifth level. Though it was the weakest among the three, it still possessed the formidable strength of the fifth level of the Whispering Souls.

Ye Xuan's face was etched with gravity. At this critical juncture, any slip-up against the mutated corpse flower could cost him his combat effectiveness.

With a swift side-step, he evaded the rapidly sweeping thorny vines.

Bang!

The vines struck the ground, leaving a noticeable indentation. Ye Xuan eyed the dent, a shiver running through him. A direct hit would have left him severely injured.

The corpse flower, enraged by Ye Xuan's successful dodge, let out a series of roars.

This time, it wasn't just a single vine—it unleashed all five in a furious assault. Clearly, Ye Xuan had provoked it.

To the plant, the sight of a seemingly frail human dodging its attacks was a blatant insult and challenge. It was no surprise that it lashed out with full force.

The oncoming vines, whistling sharply through the air, loomed larger and larger in Ye Xuan's vision.

Meanwhile, Bai Lan'er was locked in her own battle. She caught a glimpse of Ye Xuan's predicament but found herself overwhelmed. The three mutated corpse flowers were relentlessly attacking her, preventing any chance of aiding Ye Xuan.

Their coordination and offense had weakened without their fourth, allowing Bai Lan'er to hold them at bay. Yet, a swift victory was still out of reach. As long as they could keep Bai Lan'er occupied, they could wait for Ye Xuan to fall to their ally. Then, regrouping, they would force Bai Lan'er to retreat.

Bai Lan'er, with her sharp intellect, was well aware of their strategy but was unable to lend support to Ye Xuan.

Her aura intensified, signaling her resolve to dispatch the three vile creatures quickly so she could turn her attention to helping Ye Xuan.

"Hang in there, Ye Xuan... I hope you can last a bit longer," she thought.

Back with Ye Xuan, he watched the five vines hurtling towards him, the sound of their passage slicing through the air.

Unfazed, Ye Xuan began to form intricate hand seals.

"Now's the time to test this out..." he murmured, his gaze lowered in concentration.

His hands moved with increasing speed as he formed the charm, and numerous light spots began to emerge around him. Initially, these spots were dim, but as Ye Xuan perfected the charm, they grew brighter and eventually connected to form a Spirit Circle.

"First Level Spirit Circle: Binding Rune Circle!" Ye Xuan mentally exclaimed.

The Spirit Circle that hovered before him transformed into a faint blue spider web, positioning itself as a barrier in front of Ye Xuan.

The vines hurtling towards him became ensnared by the delicate-looking web. Despite appearing fragile, the web withstood the vines' forceful impact, bending dramatically and developing tiny fractures.

Yet, the spider web held firm for a moment, a testament to its astonishing resilience.

Ye Xuan hadn't anticipated the First Level Spirit Circle to be so effective, and he was taken aback by its performance.

It was worth noting that his necromancy was still in its infancy. He had practiced over the past few days, but he was nowhere near the threshold of a First Level Spirit Weaver. Had he been, he could have produced even more webs. Nevertheless, the binding circle's potency had surpassed his expectations.

But the restraint was fleeting.

And yet, it was sufficient.

Snap!

The spider web finally gave way.

Ye Xuan darted to the side, and with a swift turn of his palm, a longsword tip gleaming with a frosty light appeared in his grasp. It was a fortuitous find in a valley on the outskirts, and now was the perfect time to test its might.

With a subtle twist of his wrist, he launched the sword tip.

Whoosh!

The tip sliced through the air with a piercing whistle, racing towards the vines. Upon contact, the seemingly supple vines were effortlessly severed by the sword tip, leaving behind a cut as smooth and even as glass.

The mutated corpse flower shook violently, emitting thunderous roars as it broke free from the constraints of the rune circle.

As Ye Xuan observed the few vines still quivering on the ground, the creature's shaking intensified.

This was the gravest injury it had ever sustained. It had assumed that subduing this human, as insignificant as an ant, would be effortless. Yet, to its astonishment, the human had inflicted severe damage upon it.

This human had to perish!

That was the sole thought echoing in its mind.

Ye Xuan grasped the sword tip that had returned to his hand. Despite having already overestimated its sharpness, he was still taken aback by the extent to which it surpassed his expectations.

With the sword tip in hand, Ye Xuan looked up at the mutated corpse flower before him, which was thrashing about furiously. A faint smile played at the corner of his mouth; he no longer needed to fear the creature's tendrils.

The roles of hunter and prey had now been dramatically reversed!

"Monster, show me what you've got left," Ye Xuan taunted, gripping the sword tip as he charged at the mutated corpse flower, now equipped with the means to confront it.

Roar!

The mutated corpse flower responded to Ye Xuan's provocation with a thunderous roar. As Ye Xuan drew nearer, it opened its gaping maw wide, attempting to devour him. With several of its vines already severed, this was its only remaining method of attack.

Ye Xuan looked up at the looming jaws, tensed his arm, and hurled the sword tip into the gaping maw of the mutated corpse flower.

Whoosh!

The creature's mouth engulfed the sword tip, but in a mere moment, the tip burst out from the rear of its mouth.

Boom!

The mutated corpse flower collapsed to the ground, its vitality ebbing away until it lay lifeless.

In the wake of the light's dance, the corpse flower that had been sprawled on the ground vanished, leaving behind only a Spirit Bead radiating with potent spiritual energy.

Having dispatched his foe, Ye Xuan swiftly joined the fray alongside the young girl.

Soon after, the remaining three corpse flowers fell under their combined assault.