Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Violet Venom Scorpion

In a dense and silent forest, Chen Yi moved forward with cautious steps, the Long Rainbow Sword in his hand making no sound as he approached the golden-leafed herb ahead.

This golden-leaf herb had been discovered by Chen Yi through the Heart of the World. It was about five centuries old, and after centuries of growth, absorbing the spiritual energy between heaven and earth, its medicinal potency had become formidable. Consuming it would greatly enhance one's spiritual power, enabling a breakthrough to a new realm, all without any side effects.

After much cultivation, Chen Yi’s current strength had reached the peak of the eighth level of Qi Refinement. He needed only a single opportunity to break through to the ninth level, and that opportunity was the golden-leaf herb before him.

Moreover, with the aid of the Heart of the World, Chen Yi had already detected the guardian beast of the golden-leaf herb—a Foundation Establishment-stage Violet Venom Scorpion, its body striped in black and purple. Despite its beautiful appearance, the scorpion’s tail harbored an unimaginably lethal venom.

The venom in the tail of the Violet Venom Scorpion was so potent that even a single drop could silently kill a cultivator at the Qi Refinement stage. Its corrosive power was equally terrifying, capable of dissolving the flesh of its victims completely.

If the tail of the Foundation Establishment-stage scorpion were to sting him, Chen Yi could not be certain he would survive unscathed. Thus, before seizing the golden-leaf herb, he had to be vigilant to prevent a sneak attack from the scorpion lurking in the shadows.

In truth, Chen Yi could have used the formidable power of the Heart of the World to seize the golden-leaf herb outright, or even to kill the Foundation Establishment scorpion in an instant. Yet, seeking to temper himself, he chose not to rely on the Heart of the World. Instead, he traveled here in person, determined to defeat the Violet Venom Scorpion and claim the golden-leaf herb by his own strength.

As he drew closer, he used the spiritual sense he had gained after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage to discover the scorpion lying in ambush among the trees to the left of the golden-leaf herb.

There, on a large, leafy tree, the Violet Venom Scorpion—about the size of a wolfhound—clung to a thick branch with six sharp claws. Its long tail swayed restlessly, the stinger at its tip gleaming coldly, ready to strike Chen Yi with a fatal blow at any moment.

Seeing the scorpion poised to attack, Chen Yi calmly approached the tree. Channeling his spiritual energy, he unleashed the perfected Wind and Thunder Phantom Sword toward the scorpion above.

After countless life-and-death battles with fiendish beasts and witnessing the evolution of small worlds, Chen Yi's comprehension and talent had allowed him to perfect the Wind and Thunder Phantom Sword.

“Wind and Thunder Phantom Slash.”

Three streaks of purple-blue sword energy flickered in and out of sight, whistling through the air toward the Violet Venom Scorpion. They cut through the dense foliage and struck the scorpion’s back, but did not cleave it in two. Instead, a sound like clashing steel rang out.

The Foundation Establishment-stage scorpion had not expected a mere Qi Refinement cultivator like Chen Yi to discover its presence, let alone counterattack instantly. Had it not reforged its body with demonic power over the years, it would have been split in two by the Wind and Thunder Phantom Sword.

With intelligence akin to a child of seven or eight, the scorpion realized it had nearly been slain. Enraged, it kicked off with its six legs, leaping into the air. In mid-leap, it swung its two massive pincers at Chen Yi’s head.

Chen Yi saw that his sword energy had failed to bisect the beast, but he was not disappointed. If a casual strike could kill a Foundation Establishment fiend, there would not be so many Qi Refinement cultivators who met their end at their claws.

As the scorpion’s pincers swept toward him, Chen Yi swiftly executed the Golden Swallow Nine Steps, dodging aside. Then, sword in hand, he thrust at the scorpion’s eye.

Had the strike landed, the beast would have been gravely wounded, if not killed. But a Foundation Establishment fiend such as this was no easy prey—it had survived countless battles, slain many of its kind, devoured their demon cores, and advanced in strength to break through Qi Refinement.

Just as the sword was about to pierce its eye, the scorpion jerked its head aside. The tip of the Long Rainbow Sword glanced off its brow, sparking as it struck. Seeing this, Chen Yi activated the Dragon Elephant Art, channeling its might into his blade, and struck the scorpion’s head with all his strength.

With a thunderous crash, the scorpion was sent crashing to the ground by the force of the Dragon Elephant Art, leaving a large crater and sending a shockwave outward.

The scorpion shook its enormous head as it crawled from the pit. It had not expected Chen Yi to possess such overwhelming strength. A moment’s lapse had left it at his mercy.

Emerging from the crater, the scorpion attacked again. Its long tail whipped forward with lightning speed, whistling through the air as it struck at Chen Yi’s head.

The scorpion’s tail moved so swiftly—it was like an arrow loosed from a bow. Chen Yi had no time to react; relying on sheer instinct, he raised the Long Rainbow Sword across his chest to block the attack.

A deafening crash rang out as the scorpion’s tail struck the sword. Chen Yi felt a surge of immense force, and was hurled backward, crashing through a nearby tree before landing on the ground.

Slowly, Chen Yi rose and dusted himself off, his expression calm. Though the scorpion’s blow was fearsome, his body—tempered to the first great perfection of the Dragon Elephant Art—had suffered no harm.

The scorpion watched Chen Yi emerge unscathed from the dust. With the mind of a child, it could not comprehend how its venomous strike had failed, but it knew only that this human must die.

Once more, the scorpion lunged with its venomous stinger. But Chen Yi, having learned his lesson, would not make the same mistake twice. The instant the scorpion’s tail moved, he activated his spiritual power and performed the Golden Swallow Nine Steps, darting toward the beast.

Relying on the spiritual sense of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Chen Yi pinpointed the scorpion’s eye. Before it could react, he thrust the Long Rainbow Sword at its vulnerable spot.