Volume Two: Embarking on the Journey Chapter 12: Joy and Worry

Meanwhile, Wang Jue had already engaged the Scaled Rat.

"Whoosh!"

The Scaled Rat charged at high speed, slamming directly toward Wang Jue. Its terrifying momentum whipped up a violent gust of air that crashed into Wang Jue’s body.

"Swoosh!"

Wang Jue immediately utilized his footwork, moving with the agility of a nimble ape to dodge the assault. As he sidestepped, he found himself right beside the creature. He swung his Bloodthirsty Sword, aiming a downward strike at the beast's neck.

The Scaled Rat was bulky and unable to turn in time, forced to endure the blow. Su Yu and the others had previously demonstrated combat techniques to him, emphasizing that to kill Star Beasts quickly, one must identify and strike their weak points. For most Star Beasts, these were the abdomen, eyes, or neck.

Unfortunately, the effect of Wang Jue’s strike was disappointing.

"Clang!"

Wang Jue heard a sound like striking a steel plate, and his expression shifted slightly. He looked at the spot he had just hit; there was only a faint white mark. He cursed inwardly, "What the hell? Are its scales harder than steel?"

It had to be said that the Scaled Rat’s armor covered almost its entire body and was exceptionally hard, making it extremely difficult to pierce.

Wang Jue’s failed strike gave the rat time to react. It whipped its head around, took a few steps, and leaped, its two thick front claws swinging toward Wang Jue like sharp knives. If those had connected, Wang Jue would surely have ended up with several deep gashes; if they had struck his abdomen, he would have experienced what it feels like to be disemboweled.

Even so, Wang Jue watched the lunging rat without a shred of fear or panic. Instead, he remained remarkably calm, raising his longsword to block his chest. Utilizing the force of the impact, he vaulted backward, relying on his superior speed to circle the beast and search for a true weak point.

The Scaled Rat was run ragged by Wang Jue, growing increasingly irritable as it let out a series of shrill, squeaking roars. In truth, the Scaled Rat had a very singular attack pattern: its claws. Its only notable feature was its defense. To other Star Beasts, it would be invincible if they couldn't penetrate its armor. However, Wang Jue was an exception. His peak speed completely overwhelmed the creature. Even when the rat charged blindly, it couldn't touch him, let alone injure him.

The rat was covered in thick, steel-like scales. Even its usual weak points—the abdomen and neck—were armored. As for the eyes, Wang Jue dismissed the idea; even without sapience, the beast knew how to protect its vitals. Engaging it head-on would only put him at a disadvantage.

Before long, just as Wang Jue began to feel slightly dizzy, he spotted the perfect opening: the anus.

This weak point was, in fact, effective against almost any Star Beast. Had Wang Jue’s strength been enough to bypass the creature's armor, he wouldn't have resorted to such a desperate measure. Sneaking an attack from behind when you couldn't win a frontal assault was, after all, a bit low.

The legendary ultimate technique: The Thousand Years of Death!

"Pffft..."

The longsword thrust home, right where the sun doesn't shine!

The Scaled Rat felt an indescribable, agonizing pain.

"Aoooo!"

The beast’s massive body suddenly sprang into the air as if it had been launched from a catapult, carrying Wang Jue—still gripping his weapon—along for a ride. It let out a wretched, soul-piercing shriek that would make anyone weep.

With its only true weakness compromised, the rat landed, but its thick hind legs dared not bear weight, twitching and lifting off the ground repeatedly. Such a legendary move was something even gods could not withstand, let alone a mere Scaled Rat.

"Pffft..."

Wang Jue, not wanting to continue the jumping game, drove his Bloodthirsty Sword deep into the creature's body. He channeled his Star Power, shredding its internal organs in a single, fatal blow.

"Hahaha, it's over." Shen Feng checked the time and laughed aloud, "Less than a minute. Hurry up, cough up the Star Energy Stones; I don’t offer credit!"

"Sigh..." Su Yu had a strange expression and sighed quietly. A bet was a bet; he shook his head and handed ten Star Energy Stones to Shen Feng.

"Ugh..." The sisters Jiang Yunyan and Jiang Yunxin flushed with embarrassment and spat in disgust, completely defeated by Wang Jue’s shamelessness. To use such a cheap trick—did he have no shame left?

"Don't dally, pay up!" Seeing the strange looks on the sisters' faces, Shen Feng laughed and held out his hand, as if reading their minds. "Don't look at Wang Jue’s move as cowardly; in reality, it is the most effective and energy-efficient method!"

"Captain, you really are birds of a feather with him!" the sisters rolled their eyes and said in unison.

Games were games, and teasing was teasing, but they honored their bets. They reluctantly handed over their Star Energy Stones, exchanging glances that seemed to say, "What a huge loss!"

Just then, Wang Jue walked over after finishing off the rat and saw the scene. He said, speechless, "Can you guys act like human beings for once? I was out there fighting for my life, and you were using me as a betting chip?"

"Ahem..." Shen Feng coughed a few times and said shamelessly, "You really can't blame us. You know how boring it is in the forest; we have to find ways to liven up the atmosphere."

"Wang Jue," Jiang Yunyan said, feeling a bit annoyed at the person who caused her to lose 'money.' "Why didn't you just use your Star Power to attack instead of using such a vile move?"

The ten Star Energy Stones meant nothing to her; she just wanted to hear Wang Jue’s reasoning—what kind of 'deranged' mind would come up with that?

"No, no, no. Whether a move is vile or not doesn't matter; what matters is that it works." Wang Jue blurted out, then realized it sounded a bit off and rubbed his nose. "It’s not that I didn't want to, but there was no need. In my view, one should save where one can. I’m only at the fourth level of Spirit Accumulation, so my Star Power is limited!"

"Besides, since I could solve the problem more simply, why waste the energy? We still have to hunt the Unicorn Rhino later; having more Star Power means more safety."

"See? I told you so." Shen Feng smugly opened fire on the others, saying, "Wang Jue sees things more clearly than you two, and you’re supposed to be veterans!"

"Cut it out. There are many ways to save Star Power; why did he have to use that one?" Jiang Yunyan argued back, unconvinced.

Wang Jue, unashamed, replied, "No, no, I think this move is exceptionally useful and very handy. It seems I should try it more often in the future."

"Don't, just don't! Never use that move in front of us again, it’s an eyesore!" the sisters snapped.

"Hahaha..." Shen Feng and Su Yu couldn't help but roar with laughter. This Wang Jue was truly a unique specimen!

After laughing for a while, Shen Feng spoke up, "Alright, quickly harvest the soft scales from the rat's abdomen, then we pull out."

Hearing this, Su Yu walked over to handle the carcass, and Wang Jue followed to assist. The Scaled Rat's armor was incredibly tough; without skillful technique, harvesting it was extremely difficult. As Su Yu worked, Shen Feng and the others stood guard.

It had to be said that Su Yu’s technique was incredibly proficient. He soon had the scales off and packed into his bag. His pack was instantly filled to the brim—and that was without even taking all the scales from the Earth-Scaled Pig earlier, otherwise, it would never have fit.

"Huh..." Su Yu suddenly let out a soft cry of surprise. "Looks like we hit the jackpot! There's a Beast Core!"

With that, he sliced through the meat of the rat's abdomen and pulled out an irregular, fist-sized sphere.

"Hahaha..." Su Yu held the core up to the others, laughing, "Captain, look at this! I never expected this rat to have a Beast Core!"

"Oh?" Shen Feng and the others were shocked and immediately crowded around.

"Well, I'll be!" Jiang Yunyan exclaimed in surprise. "Wang Jue, your luck is truly something else!"

"Huh?" Wang Jue was a bit bewildered himself. They had killed many Star Beasts on the road without finding a single core, yet this time, they had found one. Could he really be a child of destiny?

Shen Feng cautioned him, "Since you killed the rat, the core is yours to keep. Put it away quickly—don't flaunt your wealth."

"Oh, right." Wang Jue nodded and tucked the core away. The Hurricane Squad did not divide loot individually; whoever killed the beast kept it until they returned to sell it collectively, at which point the proceeds were split based on contribution. This was how they operated. With this Beast Core, even if they didn't encounter the Unicorn Rhino later, this trip would still be considered a decent success.

At Shen Feng’s signal, the group continued toward the center of the region.

...

Three hours passed quickly.

Around noon, Wang Jue and the others arrived outside a valley shaped like a gourd. The narrow neck of the gourd was the only entrance, flanked by cliffs that were difficult to climb.

"Whoo..."

Gusts of wind howled out from the valley like ghosts and wolves. Shen Feng stood at the entrance, observed for a moment, and his expression shifted. "No good. Someone has been here."

"Indeed, there are traces of people having passed through," Su Yu said, crouching down to inspect the ground. He looked worried. "Have we made this trip for nothing?"

"Captain, should we still go in?" Jiang Yunyan asked, looking gloomy.

Su Yu stood up, his expression grave. "If they are still inside and we happen to run into them, it might lead to a fierce battle. We don't know their strength."

"Heh, since we're already here, we might as well take a look," Shen Feng said with a cold glint in his eyes. "Who has our Hurricane Squad ever feared?"

With that, Shen Feng led the way into the valley. As they moved, he seemed to remember something and specifically cautioned Wang Jue, "Wang Jue, be careful!"

"Don't worry, Captain," Wang Jue nodded. "If a fight breaks out, don't worry about me. Trust me, with my speed, no one can keep me here if I want to leave."

He wasn't lying. Before his footwork had broken through to the 'Micro' level, he wouldn't have dared to say that, but now that his footwork had fully entered the Micro realm, he didn't fear anyone when it came to speed!

Hearing this, Shen Feng said no more and continued to lead the way, with Wang Jue and the others following closely behind.