Facing the sharp claws of the Second-tier Fire Mane Rat, Di Yi Ye's expression remained unchanged. He decisively threw the longbow in his hand aside and firmly stepped on a protruding bluestone with his left foot.
After a series of mechanical sounds and the vibration of steel plates, the ground beneath the Fire Mane Rat suddenly cracked open, revealing a deep pit several zhang in area—this was another preparation Di Yi Ye had made to deal with exotic beasts.
From Di Yi Ye's perspective, he could only see three zhang down into the pit, but it was still not the bottom. It was clear that this pit was more than three zhang deep. Even if the Second-tier Fire Mane Rat was very powerful, it would be difficult for it to climb out quickly if it fell in, allowing Di Yi Ye to focus on dealing with the other Fire Mane Rats.
However, the Fire Mane Rat had good jumping ability and could easily leap over the deep pit. It wasn't that easy to make it fall in.
Di Yi Ye seemed to have anticipated this situation. He directly took a step back, grabbed the spear stuck in the ground beside him, twisted his body, and spun the spear shaft. With a Turning Spear move, he thrust directly at the Second-tier Fire Mane Rat suspended in the air. Cold gleams flickered at the spear tip, extremely sharp, clearly infused with pure Qi.
The black spear was incredibly heavy, and Di Yi Ye generously infused it with his Qi. It was no exaggeration to say that this thrust was no less than a full-power strike from a Cultivator in the Early Soul Condensation stage. Its power was no less than the arrow feathers he had shot before. If it could hit the Fire Mane Rat's neck, even if it didn't pierce through, it would at least penetrate a few inches of flesh, causing it to bleed profusely.
The Fire Mane Rat fell into the deep pit and was stabbed in the neck, bleeding profusely. If nothing unexpected happened, after Di Yi Ye dealt with the other two Fire Mane Rats, even if it didn't die, its strength would be greatly reduced due to excessive blood loss. Killing it afterward would be much easier.
The idea was good, and the spear thrust forward like a dragon. However, the Fire Mane Rat twisted its body, and its sharp claws directly met the spear. A sound of metal clashing against stone rang out, and faint sparks flickered at the spear tip. The heavy impact transmitted through the spear shaft forced Di Yi Ye to take a step back. This alone indicated that the Fire Mane Rat possessed immense strength.
Although the spear missed the Second-tier Fire Mane Rat, disappointing Di Yi Ye, his movements did not stop. Using the momentum from stepping back, he leaped high into the air, and then slammed the spear down onto the Fire Mane Rat with the force of Mount Tai Crushing Down.
The spear was already incredibly heavy, and now Di Yi Ye, from a high vantage point, smashed it down with immense force, likely weighing several hundred to a thousand jin. However, the spear hit the Fire Mane Rat as if striking cotton. The stark contrast made his chest feel heavy, and he almost suffered an internal injury because of it.
The reason for this feeling was not that the Fire Mane Rat's mane was as soft as cotton. The most important thing was that at the critical moment, the Fire Mane Rat twisted its body, narrowly avoiding its vital part. The spear only hit the side of its body and then slid along its mane. This meant that eight-tenths of the force was diffused, with only two-tenths acting on the Fire Mane Rat.
Fortunately, the Fire Mane Rat was already in the air with no leverage. Although enduring only two-tenths of the force wouldn't cause a serious injury, its body uncontrollably descended and fell into the deep pit, which was exactly what Di Yi Ye had intended.
Seeing the Fire Mane Rat fall into the deep pit, Di Yi Ye was overjoyed. He suppressed the discomfort in his chest and swept his spear, hitting the bluestone. Then, with another mechanical sound, two thick steel plates quickly closed, sealing the deep pit.
The deep pit was more than three zhang deep, and with the thick steel plates sealing the opening, even if the Fire Mane Rat was extremely powerful and had great jumping ability, it wouldn't be able to get out for a while. This would give Di Yi Ye time to focus on dealing with the other two Fire Mane Rats.
Suddenly seeing their leader disappear, the two following Fire Mane Rats roared in anger. Then, one Fire Mane Rat leaped directly at Di Yi Ye, its fangs aimed straight for his neck. If it had bitten him, it would have pierced straight through, and his fate would have been the same as the Fire Mane Rat whose neck was previously pierced by an arrow.
At this moment, Di Yi Ye had just sealed the pit, and coupled with the discomfort in his chest, his movements were slightly sluggish. Facing the Fire Mane Rat's attack, he only had time to raise his spear horizontally to block in front of him.
The spear directly blocked the Fire Mane Rat's bite, but it was bitten on the shaft. The spear, made of special metal, actually had a tooth mark on it. Although it wasn't deep, it was enough to show how terrifying the Fire Mane Rat's bite force was. If it were Di Yi Ye's neck, it would have been bitten through.
It was worth mentioning that the Fire Mane Rat bit down hard on the spear shaft and refused to let go. Even with Di Yi Ye's great strength, he couldn't shake it off in a short time. What was more troublesome was that the other Fire Mane Rat had already charged over and was biting directly at Di Yi Ye's arm. It was clear that the Fire Mane Rat biting the spear shaft was meant to hold it back and create an opportunity for its companion to attack Di Yi Ye. Their intelligence was evident.
Decisively abandoning the spear, Di Yi Ye drew the long saber at his waist. With a sound like a dragon's roar, the Tang Heng Saber was unsheathed, its cold light permeating the air. The extremely sharp blade erupted with a vast saber aura. The long saber swept horizontally, directly towards the neck of the other Fire Mane Rat.
The Tang Heng Saber was incredibly sharp, and the pure Qi infused into it further enhanced its sharpness with every inch of saber aura. The long saber attacked the Fire Mane Rat's softest spot, its neck. Even if it couldn't behead it in one strike, it could cut open its throat, achieving a swift kill.
However, the Fire Mane Rat reacted extremely agilely. Even while leaping in the air, it could slightly twist its body and narrowly dodge the saber's edge, avoiding the crisis of its throat being cut open.
It dodged the saber's edge, but not the saber aura. The saber aura flickered and grazed the Fire Mane Rat's neck, scattering strands of its mane and drawing specks of blood. It was clear that the target had been hit.
Although this strike successfully grazed the Fire Mane Rat's throat, it only cut it slightly, less than half an inch deep. For an exotic beast known for its strong physique, this was merely a minor injury.
Even so, the Fire Mane Rat felt a strong sense of danger. The fear of death drove it into a frenzy. It roared and lunged at Di Yi Ye, its sharp claws slashing towards Di Yi Ye's throat like blades, just as its own throat had been grazed by the Tang Saber. This showed how strong the vengeful nature of these exotic beasts was.
As for the other Fire Mane Rat, it had long since abandoned the extremely heavy spear. However, it did not charge forward while Di Yi Ye was dealing with its companion. Instead, it retreated slightly, its belly bulging. Flames permeated its entire body, and the surrounding air became intensely hot.
Familiar with this movement of the Fire Mane Rat, Di Yi Ye's expression immediately changed. He retreated without hesitation, stepping back repeatedly while chanting words.
"Heaven and Earth Xuan Sect, Myriad Qi's Root, Cultivate for countless eons, attain my divine abilities. Within and beyond the Three Realms, only the Dao is supreme. My body shall be clad in Golden Light, reflecting upon me..."
As he chanted, a vast golden light emanated from around Di Yi Ye's body. The golden light was substantial, as if solid, and even his long saber was covered in it. As the golden light enveloped him, his speed increased slightly, and his entire demeanor transformed, becoming imposing and deadly.
"The Golden Light Spell will surely be able to withstand the flames controlled by the First-tier Fire Mane Rat, but I must end this quickly. With my realm below Soul Condensation, I cannot sustain it for long." Di Yi Ye's expression was solemn, and he felt a sense of urgency.
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