After Ma Hongjun obtained his fourth spirit ring, the group packed up their camp and continued their journey to hunt for spirit rings.
Except for the tense atmosphere between Liu Erlong, who walked with a grim expression at the rear of the team, and the Master, the mood among Ma Hongjun and the others ahead was relaxed.
Oscar, who had not yet obtained his fourth spirit ring, curiously inquired about Ma Hongjun's experience absorbing it. Ma Hongjun boasted that he felt little pain and absorbed it with ease.
The group chattered excitedly about the possibility of obtaining spirit bones without pain or injury, maintaining a lighthearted atmosphere, completely unaffected.
"Host."
The dormant system reappeared. Tang Sui, sensing something, preempted the system by asking, "Is it the Pink Ladies, are they coming?"
"...They have already surrounded you. The Pink Lady is also hidden deep underground within detectable range."
Tang Sui's footsteps gradually halted as she surveyed the dew-kissed morning mist still lingering amongst the foliage.
"I'm telling you, my fourth spirit ability is really good. If I get the chance, I'll let you guys... Ouch!" Ma Hongjun, who was enthusiastically chattering with Oscar, didn't notice Tang San's sturdy back and bumped into him, clutching his bruised nose. He grumbled, "Third Brother, why did you stop?"
Tang San's attention was also on the morning mist swirling around the grass. He squinted, took out a small porcelain bottle from his Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night, uncorked it, and poured out a few jade-green pills. "These are Goji Berries I made myself. They can prevent the invasion of poisonous miasma and also help maintain clarity. It's still early, and the mist hasn't dispersed. Everyone take one just in case."
"Brother, it's not miasma," Tang Sui said, turning her head to look at Oscar. "Xiao Ao, Detoxification Sausage."
"Ah? Oh, oh! Fresh and delicious, little sausage." Oscar snapped back to attention and busied himself making detoxification sausages without any doubt about Tang Sui's judgment.
"Sui Sui, you say this isn't miasma?" Tang San was slightly taken aback. Seeing his sister's solemn expression, a flash of inspiration struck him. "Could it be that this is a poisonous fog released by some kind of spirit beast?"
"It's a psychic toxin mist released by spirit beasts," Tang Sui said, extending her spiritual perception. As she scanned the dense, tiny pink scorpions amongst the plants, a dark glint flashed in her eyes.
'Scram!'
A powerful wave of demonic energy with immense pressure emanated from Tang Sui. The Pink Ladies, hidden by the mist, trembled. Their waving pincers slowly lowered, and the poison-tipped scorpion tails they were brandishing ceased their shaking. Like startled birds, they immediately turned and fled, ignoring the summons and angry urgings of their leader, the Pink Lady.
A rustling sound continuously echoed from the mist. The group had already alerted and formed a defensive formation, enclosing the three auxiliary spirit masters in the center, warily observing movements from all directions.
"Strange, why do those sounds seem to be getting farther away?"
Xiao Wu, whose rabbit ears were perked up and whom Tang Sui had deliberately shielded from the pressure, listened to the receding sounds around them with a confused expression.
The Pink Lady, abandoned by its subordinates, also felt the warning that had made even it tremble.
But... the hatred for its deceased mate had completely consumed it. The Pink Lady, hidden deep underground, let out a furious roar. Its scorpion pincers, flashing pink light, waved. The hardened soil above its head was dug open like water by its massive pincers, instantly creating an underground passage.
"No more movement?" Flanders scanned the surroundings as the mist slowly dispersed, revealing a clear view. Just as he relaxed his stance and straightened up, the ground beneath their feet suddenly trembled.
"Careful! It's beneath us!"
Tang Sui, whose spiritual perception covered their group, detected movement beneath their feet. She pulled Ning Rongrong with her left hand and scooped up Oscar with her right. With a step, she leaped into the air from the ground. In mid-air, she exchanged Ning Rongrong with Zhu Zhuqing, who had reacted and dodged, and tossed Ning Rongrong to Zhu Zhuqing. Oscar, however, was made to stand on her ape-like face, and was not released for the moment.
"Xiao Ao, Flying Mushroom Sausage!"
Tang San reacted quickly while dodging and urgently shouted.
Oscar didn't delay. He immediately began chanting the incantation for the Flying Mushroom Sausage, producing it. Tang Sui then expertly distributed them, accurately projecting one to each person's hand with just the right force for them to catch.
"Roar—!"
The culprit that had attacked them revealed its true form.
A scorpion spirit beast, its body covered in fine scales and entirely pink, with a head resembling an open-faced carnivorous flower, waved its pink-flashing pincers on the ground. It glared at the ascending group, its six dark red eyes shimmering with human-like hatred.
"This is also a scorpion spirit beast. Could it be friends with that Earth King from yesterday?" Ma Hongjun asked, his heart still pounding as he looked at the Pink Lady raising its venomous tail.
"Together? Heh." Liu Erlong, who hadn't had enough yesterday, let out a bloody smirk, her knuckles cracking as she clenched them. "Then it's perfect, you'll stay here too!"
With that, Liu Erlong charged out before anyone could stop her.
The Master, knowing he was powerless to intervene, could only shout, "Remember to leave one life for a spirit ring!" The Pink Lady, which had rushed up for revenge, was once again met by Liu Erlong and was unilaterally beaten down.
As Oscar approached the fallen Pink Lady with a sharp dagger, the six dark red vertical pupils of the Pink Lady all reflected Tang Sui within the crowd. A unique language of communication between spirit beasts emerged from its final roar—
'Why... you clearly... are one of us...'
Tang Sui, unable to understand the spirit beast language, only heard a sharp sound echo in her mind. Meanwhile, Xiao Wu, her face slightly pale, looked at the Pink Lady's dimming six eyes and opened her mouth, then closed it.
The consumption and slaughter of spirit beasts among themselves was not uncommon. But... witnessing the death of another intelligent spirit beast with her own eyes, she still felt somewhat unaccustomed to it.