Holding the Sword to Carry Away Senior Sister (Transmigration) - Chapter 35

The vast forest suddenly fell into a deathly silence. As a cold wind swept through, a thick scent of blood began to permeate the air.

In front of the carriages, the two sides that had been fighting fiercely a moment ago simultaneously withdrew. Everyone’s gaze fell upon the pool of blood on the ground, their expressions filled with shock and bewilderment.

The remaining rogue cultivators quickly snapped back to their senses. They exchanged glances, and upon confirming that the scene before them was not the work of anyone in their group, they realized something was very wrong.

Without a second’s hesitation, the group of rogues turned to flee, seemingly abandoning their plan to hijack the goods. However, in the very next breath, two of them collapsed to the ground.

“AAAAHHH!!”

They shrieked in agony, their bodies twisting into frantic, grotesque contortions, exactly like the guard who had died moments before. In the blink of an eye, their breath ceased, and their corpses rapidly dissolved into pools of bloody liquid.

At this, the expressions of everyone present shifted. The remaining rogues, realizing what was happening, immediately circulated their True Essence to envelop themselves completely. Being decisive, they didn’t spare their fallen comrades a second glance, vanishing into the deep forest instantly.

The rogue cultivators could leave without a second thought, but Fu Yan and her group could not. Though they sensed danger approaching, they couldn’t turn and run until the very last moment.

“Everyone, gather together!”

Han Shangzhi, as the Young Master of Luanjin Fort, remained relatively calm. He quickly directed the guards to huddle and joined forces with Han Shangde to erupt their True Essence, creating a defensive barrier to shield all the guards within.

Since these guards were only at the Foundation Building stage, they had no means of survival in such a situation. If Han Shangzhi abandoned them, they would simply be waiting for death.

However, a barrier of this size was too much for just the two Hans to maintain. Seeing this, the disciples from the various sects automatically joined in, contributing their power.

Just as Fu Yan was about to move, a dense, buzzing sound echoed from the deep woods.

Buzz— Buzz—

This sound…

Everyone paused. As they looked toward the forest, a dark, massive shadow entered their vision. A swarm of creatures the size of bees was rapidly surging toward them in a dense, suffocating cloud.

Fu Yan: “…”

Fortunately, she didn’t have trypophobia; otherwise, looking at that black mass, she felt she might have fainted on the spot.

As Fu Yan stared at the bee-like creatures, Bai Yueli suddenly flashed to her side. Before Fu Yan could react, Bai Yueli grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the center of the crowd.

By the time Fu Yan regained her composure, she was safely inside the massive True Essence barrier. Bai Yueli released her hand and gave a swift wave of her arm; her surging True Essence bolstered the barrier, adding another thick layer of protection.

Fu Yan looked at Bai Yueli somewhat blankly, the lingering warmth on her palm causing her thoughts to drift for a moment.

“What is it?” Bai Yueli asked.

“Nothing…” Fu Yan quickly snapped out of it, awkwardly averting her gaze. She then erupted her own True Essence, contributing her strength to the barrier.

She couldn’t exactly say she was reminiscing about the warmth of that brief touch.

Fu Yan realized something was wrong with her, but the situation didn’t allow for stray thoughts. The bee-like creatures arrived like a tidal wave, slamming relentlessly into the barrier. They completely covered the dome, turning the transparent shield into a pitch-black, lightless orb.

The atmosphere was incredibly oppressive.

Buzzzz!!

From outside the barrier came the sound of thousands of tiny wings, a high-pitched drone that made one’s skin crawl and mind fray.

“What kind of magical beasts are these?” Lin Qian of the Zilan Sect asked with lingering fear.

No one answered immediately. Fu Yan fixed her gaze on the nearest “bee,” but she couldn’t identify the species.

Finally, Wang Qingyang spoke: “Those at the Late stage or higher, follow me out to try and kill them. Those at the Middle stage, stay and stabilize the barrier. Remember, if you don’t want to die like those people earlier, keep your protective True Essence high. Do not let these insects touch you.”

With that, Wang Qingyang took the lead, lunging out of the barrier with his sword. A flash of clear light followed as he sliced through a dozen black insects in the air.

Seeing this, others followed suit. In an instant, flashes of blades and swords erupted within the black swarm, and tiny corpses began to rain down.

Fu Yan watched as Bai Yueli gripped her Moon-Sway Sword and joined the fray. She was worried, but she knew her strength wasn’t suited for the front lines, so she stayed inside, focusing all her energy on maintaining the barrier.

Time trickled by. Although Wang Qingyang and the others had killed a carpet of insects, the swarm in the sky showed no signs of thinning. It was as if they hadn’t been affected at all.

Worse, Bai Yueli and the others didn’t have infinite True Essence. They had to split their focus to maintain their personal shields to prevent a single, lethal bite. Killing them all was proving to be a pipe dream.

Just as Fu Yan realized this, a Late-stage Zilan Sect disciple reached his limit. He retreated into the barrier, gasping, and immediately took a pill to meditate.

With the first retreat, it took less than half a stick of incense before only Wang Qingyang and Bai Yueli were left outside.

Surrounded by the swarm, Wang Qingyang sent a voice transmission to Bai Yueli: “Junior Sister Bai, this is a war of attrition we can’t win. We’ll only exhaust ourselves. Let’s retreat and plan.”

Bai Yueli agreed. Without lingering, they withdrew their swords and safely returned to the barrier.

“What are these things? Why won’t they die!” Qian Xun wailed feebly, looking at the black swarm outside.

Upon her return, Bai Yueli swallowed a True Qi pill and regulated her breathing while asking Han Shangzhi, “Young Master Han, have you really never seen these creatures before?”

Logically, as frequent travelers of the Shadow Forest, they should know the local fauna.

Han Shangzhi gave a bitter smile and shook his head. “In all our trips, this is truly the first time we’ve encountered them.”

The group fell into a somber silence. Without knowing what they were up against, they couldn’t find a way out.

“They are Erosion Bees.”

“They are Erosion Bees.”

Two voices spoke simultaneously. Everyone turned to look at Fang Yu and Fu Yan.

After speaking, Fang Yu seemed surprised and cast a deep look toward Fu Yan.

Fu Yan wasn’t 100% sure; she simply recalled a description from the original novel about the protagonist’s training in the Shadow Forest, which included an entry on Erosion Bees.

Erosion Bees are Level 2 magical beasts, but they are gregarious. You never encounter one; you encounter thousands. Their individual attack power isn’t high—a Middle-stage cultivator can kill one easily—but against a swarm, anyone below the Middle Hedo stage can only flee.

The true terror lies in their toxicity. A single sting is lethal. Without immediate treatment, a cultivator below the Hedo stage will have their body dissolved into a pool of blood within moments.

“How can there be Erosion Bees here?” Han Shangde muttered in disbelief. “I remember they live in the deepest parts of the Shadow Forest. Why are they suddenly in the outskirts in such numbers?”

No one had an answer.

Zhong Shen of the Zilan Sect looked despairing. “What now? We can’t kill them all. If we keep this up, our True Essence will run dry.”

Fu Yan also had a headache. Breaking out was impossible for the convoy. While the sect disciples could use their own hidden trump cards to escape, the Luanjin Fort guards and the cargo would be lost. Until it was a life-or-death moment for themselves, they couldn’t just abandon the mission.

“Everyone…”

A voice broke the silence. Everyone paused and turned toward the source.

Shui Liuqing of the Shui Ling Sect stepped forward. She looked at the crowd and said, “I have a type of Fragrant Honey that should be able to lure these Erosion Bees away.”

At those words, the eyes of the group brightened. They stared at Shui Liuqing as if she were their last hope.

“If Fairy Shui truly has such honey, please use it to save us. Luanjin Fort will cover all costs and losses,” Han Shangzhi said. As a merchant, he knew such items were private property and required a price. In this crisis, they had no other choice.

Fu Yan watched Shui Liuqing quietly. She hadn’t expected the woman to be so “generous.” However, Shui Liuqing was fond of using poisons, so having such a substance wasn’t strange.

Despite Han Shangzhi’s offer, Shui Liuqing shook her head. “I can provide the honey, but who will lead the bees away? That is a major problem.”

The group fell silent.

Whoever carried the honey would become the target of the entire swarm. If thousands of Erosion Bees chased them, the chances of survival were slim. Although everyone had trump cards, humans are selfish; no one wanted to risk their life or expose their secrets.

After a long pause, Han Shangzhi stepped forward. “I am the leader of this escort. I will do it.”

“Is the Young Master’s movement technique exceptional?” Shui Liuqing asked.

Han Shangzhi hesitated. “I am at the Late stage, but my movement skills are… average.”

“Then it won’t work. If your speed isn’t high enough, the bees will catch you instantly, and the carriages won’t have enough time to escape,” Shui Liuqing analyzed seriously. She then added, “Only someone with top-tier movement skills can lead them far enough away.”

At this, everyone’s eyes drifted toward Bai Yueli.

It was common knowledge that Bai Yueli’s movement technique was peerless. Even Wang Qingyang, at the Great Circle, wouldn’t claim to be faster. In terms of speed, she was the first person everyone thought of.

However, Bai Yueli and Wang Qingyang were the pillars of the team. If either left, the team’s strength would be halved.

Sensing the complex gaze of the crowd, Bai Yueli spoke: “Give the honey to me.”

“No,” Wang Qingyang was the first to object.

Shui Liuqing didn’t move. Her gaze suddenly shifted to Fu Yan, and she smiled. “I recall that in the Ranking Tournament, Junior Sister Fu’s movement technique was also quite remarkable. Though not equal to Senior Sister Bai, her speed is far beyond ordinary people.”

Fu Yan felt a massive urge to roll her eyes. From the moment Shui Liuqing mentioned the honey, Fu Yan knew she had an ulterior motive. As expected, she was targeting her again.

Logically, for a Middle-stage cultivator to lure away an entire swarm of Erosion Bees was a suicide mission. However, under the watchful eyes of the group, if Fu Yan refused, she would instantly offend everyone.

“Alright. I also think Senior Sister Shui’s suggestion is excellent. I’ll be the one to lure them away.”

Fu Yan looked at Shui Liuqing and suddenly smiled.

She had just had a very bold idea.