The Giant Venomous Centipede

Chapter 197: The Giant Venomous Centipede

Two hours later, Han Li stood atop a half-man-high black rock, sizing up the entrance of a cave several zhang tall not far away. "This should be it," he murmured to himself.

"It doesn't look like anything special," he muttered, not rashly charging in. He carefully observed the surroundings for a while. Though time was pressing, carelessness could still trap him in danger.

From the outside, the secret cave mentioned in the records looked utterly unremarkable, identical to the wild caves he had passed on the road, with nothing eye-catching about it. He couldn't help but feel a grudging admiration for whoever had originally found this place.

After the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Han Li was certain there were no demon beasts or human ambushers lying in wait nearby. Only then did he cautiously approach the entrance.

The opening was entirely natural, carved from pale cyan mountain stone, without a single trace of artificial chiseling. After stepping inside and glancing at the walls on either side, Han Li came to this conclusion.

With a flicker of movement, he quietly slipped deeper into the cave. But after just a dozen or so steps, he stopped again. A turn or two later, the area around him had plunged into total darkness.

Frowning, Han Li reached into his storage pouch and pulled out an egg-sized Moonlight Stone. The moment it appeared, its soft white light illuminated the surrounding area clearly. He shook his head in resignation.

His original plan had been to silently infiltrate the depths, check for any demon beasts guarding the place, and if there were, deliver a fatal blow by surprise, saving himself unnecessary trouble. But with the Moonlight Stone out, he had become an obvious target. How could he launch a sneak attack now?

Hesitating for a moment, he patted a earth-element protective barrier talisman onto his body, then continued forward, one foot low, one foot high, his hand holding the shimmering Moonlight Stone.

Inside a cave, unlike open wilderness, high-speed movement techniques were somewhat limited. Having a layer of protection on his person was far more reassuring. Though this greatly reduced his physical agility, Han Li understood the principle that one could not have both the fish and the bear's paw, so he had no complaints.

The cave was extremely long and narrow. After a full half-incense stick's worth of time, Han Li still saw no sign of reaching the end. Doubt began to creep into his heart. He couldn't help wondering if he had come to the wrong place, and had stumbled into the lair of some top-tier demon beast.

Fortunately, this worry was dispelled after he advanced another several dozen zhang. Up ahead, a large bend in the tunnel came into view, and faint streaks of white light filtered through from beyond it. This meant his target was close at hand.

Joy flickering in his heart, Han Li quickly put away the Moonlight Stone and stealthily crept forward. Since there was light here, and the terrain included a bend, his original plan might still be feasible.

When Han Li cautiously poked his head around the corner, what he saw first delighted him, then made him groan inwardly.

Ahead lay the end of the cave, a naturally formed stone hall of considerable size. Not only did it contain many sparkling stalactites, but at the far end, on a small patch of purple stone wall, grew three or four pale-azure herbs, each with a single stem and several leaves.

These herbs were only an inch or so in size. Their several petals curled strangely in the same direction, forming a unique shape. From a distance, they looked like several comical, tiny little monkeys hanging there. It was truly a breathtaking sight.

"Those must be the 'Purple Ape Fruit,'" Han Li thought with delighted certainty. "The leaves and stems are still green, which means they're too young and haven't matured yet."

But when his gaze shifted downward and landed on the ground beneath the purple stone wall, his expression soured. Lying there was a giant centipede several feet long. Its pitch-black, gleaming carapace, its several-foot-long antennae, and its fierce, terrifying form made Han Li's skin crawl even before he made a move.

Though he had never killed a venomous insect-type demon beast before, he had heard plenty about their infamous reputation.

According to what others said, venomous insect-type demon beasts were far more troublesome than same-tier beast or bird-type demons. Most of them possessed obscure, extremely lethal venom arts. With a single touch, they could inflict a fatal poison, ending one's life instantly. Unless absolutely necessary, it was best to avoid provoking such demon beasts altogether.

This centipede in front of him was so large that it was at least a mid-tier demon beast, and it wasn't impossible that it was a high-tier one. How could Han Li not suck in a cold breath of air and grimace for a long while?

It wasn't that he wanted to provoke it. This centipede demon had become the guardian beast of these "Purple Ape Fruit." If he didn't deal with this giant poisonous insect, any thought of harvesting the spiritual herbs on the wall was pure fantasy.

Suppressing his aura, Han Li slowly pulled his head back, making his movements as gentle as possible so as not to wake the giant centipede, which appeared still to be dozing.

Pressing his back against the stone wall, he furrowed his brow slightly and lowered his head to think of a complete strategy to deal with this demon beast.

It wasn't that he couldn't simply rely on the power of his top-grade magic tools and brute force his way through. Just by activating the Golden Light Brick Talisman Treasure, he was fully confident he could flatten the demon beast with a single strike. But after such a fight, his mana would be considerably drained, and he wouldn't be able to maintain his peak condition.

The road ahead was still long. The dangers he would face were sure to increase. And because he was pressed for time, he couldn't afford to spend another half a day sitting in meditation to recover his mana. So, exchanging victory for such a heavy mana expenditure wasn't something Han Li was eager to do.

After a long, hard think, a flash of inspiration struck him. He had an excellent idea.

Before acting, he cautiously stuck his head out to take another look at the centipede. Seeing it still lying motionless in its original spot, he relaxed a little. Then, with a faint smile, he vanished back into the darkness from which he had come.

Not long after, Han Li returned, his face beaming with satisfaction.

This time, the protective barrier on his body was gone. Instead of acting furtively, he strode openly around the corner and walked directly into the hall where the centipede demon was waiting.

With such a commotion from Han Li, it would have been strange if the centipede demon hadn't noticed. The giant creature immediately raised its head in alert, facing Han Li. Its two thick, long antennae waved furiously, and it let out a series of hissing, eerie sounds that sent chills down the spine.

Han Li didn't say a word. With a flick of his wrist, several small fireballs shot out with incredible speed, striking the demon beast directly on the head in a chain of explosions.

When the flames subsided, Han Li clearly saw that the spot on the demon beast's head where the fireballs had struck was still pitch-black and gleaming. There wasn't even a scratch on its carapace. He clicked his tongue in astonishment. It seemed what people said was true: venomous insect-type demon beasts were indeed extremely troublesome!

Though the giant centipede was unharmed, Han Li's provocation had thoroughly enraged it!

Its two sharp, deadly fangs parted, and a cloud of red venomous mist erupted from its mouth, surging toward Han Li with overwhelming force. It looked as though the beast intended to dissolve him into a pool of poisonous liquid.

Han Li, of course, had no intention of standing there like an idiot and letting even a trace of this obviously deadly poison touch him. Released from the drag of his protective barrier, he pushed off the ground with his toes and shot backward out of the hall, a few steps faster than the approaching venomous mist. Then he turned and fled back down the passage he had come from, as if frightened by the centipede's poisonous attack and running for his life.

The giant centipede had no intention of letting Han Li get away. Its countless legs churned with incredible speed, and its body shot after him like the wind, its speed fully matching Han Li's own frantic retreat. Startled by a glance backward, Han Li was forced to pour on even more speed just to keep a certain distance between them before disappearing around a bend in the tunnel.

Letting out a series of low, hissing cries, the centipede demon pursued without hesitation. It had traveled this tunnel countless times and was naturally far more familiar with it than Han Li. In no time at all, it had closed the gap, catching a clear glimpse of Han Li's retreating back.

Delighted, the centipede moved its limbs even faster, charging forward with savage intent.

Just then, Han Li suddenly came to a stop. He turned around and grinned at the demon beast, no longer running. He seemed to have completely abandoned his escape.

In the blink of an eye, the giant centipede was only three or four zhang away from him. Just as it was about to sink its fangs into the small man and tear him to pieces, a sudden, intense pain erupted from its underbelly. Its momentum was broken as it tumbled to the ground in agony, writhing and thrashing. A torrent of black, venomous blood rapidly gushed from beneath its body, spreading across the floor.

Unbeknownst to it, the weakest part of its body—its underbelly—had been neatly sliced open by a razor-sharp blade, completely disemboweling the demon beast. Such a fatal wound explained the centipede's terrible suffering!

Han Li, standing by, was not about to miss the chance to finish off a cornered beast. He raised his hand, and a circular golden light and a blue, shimmering flying knife shot out, streaking straight for the centipede's two thick antennae.