Chapter 160: Chapter 148: Capturing the Electric Fire Cannon Insect (Part 3)

"Yes, its Spiritual Power is very strong. I’ve already decided to focus its training on the path of Illusion Techniques." Lü Xiuning was also quite satisfied with his Wood Demon.

RUSTLE RUSTLE~

The crawling sounds from all around grew more intense.

Worried about attracting the attention of other, stronger Soul Beasts, Han Ning didn’t want to linger and said,

"The vibrations from Egg Pancake’s movement must have attracted their attention. Don’t get tied up in a fight. Just charge through."

THUD. THUD. THUD.

"SKREEE!"

Like a speeding truck, Egg Pancake crashed into one fearless Rock Viper after another, killing any that dared to block its path.

Meanwhile, Yin Yi and the Wood Demon continuously sent out their vines to collect any Crystal Stones that might be inside the Rock Vipers’ bodies.

After fending off the first wave of attacks, the vipers could no longer keep up with Egg Pancake. They were left far behind, seething with helpless rage.

It was just a minor incident that hardly fazed the two of them.

After that encounter, Egg Pancake learned its lesson. It lightened its steps as much as possible, scrambling swiftly up the rock face.

After a vertical climb of about one kilometer, the backs of Han Ning’s and Lü Xiuning’s clothes had become soaked through by the mist without them noticing.

"We should be somewhere around here."

Gradually, a relatively flat, rocky platform came into view.

It was a relatively flat, open area with sparse trees. A dozen or so meters ahead lay a pile of jagged boulders, and just beyond them was the edge of a cliff.

Their journey so far had been uneventful, and they hadn’t run into any dangerous Soul Beasts.

"Electric Fire Cannon Insects tend to come out during thunderstorms. After they’ve eaten their fill, they like to lie on the rocks, bask in the mist, and... engage in some amorous activities..."

Recalling the detailed descriptions of the Electric Fire Cannon Insect’s habits in Taman’s notes, Lü Xiuning walked over to the jagged boulders. He took off his waist pouch, rummaged inside for a moment, and pulled out a small plastic bag filled with a pale green meat paste.

As he opened the plastic bag, a heavy fragrance mixed with a faint, pungent odor assaulted Han Ning’s senses, making him instinctively hold his breath.

Fragrant Bait. In theory, it was capable of attracting Electric Fire Cannon Insects.

Trying to find the Electric Fire Cannon Insects in these deep, ancient forests would take who-knows-how-long. Their plan was to lure them out instead.

Han Ning, meanwhile, directed Yin Yi and Egg Pancake to stand guard and protect Teacher Lü.

After placing the Fragrant Bait in a windy spot on the large boulder, Lü Xiuning gave a signal. The two of them quickly walked over a dozen meters away and crouched down in a patch of dense bushes, silently waiting for their target to appear.

The mountain wind blew, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees, now laced with wisps of the bait’s heavy fragrance as it drifted through the deep mountain forest.

About twenty minutes passed. By then, Teacher Xiuning’s face and arms were covered in large welts from who-knows-how-many bites from the tiny mountain insects. Suddenly, Han Ning’s ears twitched. He heard the faint, rustling sound of wings vibrating at high frequency.

"They’re here!" Han Ning held his breath, looking toward the giant boulder.

Several one-meter-tall figures suddenly appeared in the dim light.

They had spindle-shaped bodies and rather large compound eyes, with pitch-black markings all around them. They had a pair of wings on their backs, and with every flap, specks of gray dust from their scales rustled down.

’Gray-winged Sand Moths?’

’What rotten luck!’

Han Ning complained to himself as he got a clear look at the arriving "guests."

This was a low-level insect that wasn’t even F Level.

’The scent of the Fragrant Bait doesn’t just attract Electric Fire Cannon Insects, after all.’

To prevent the Gray-winged Sand Moths from eating the Fragrant Bait, he whispered to Yin Yi, "Knock these moths out and toss them away."

"Ling~"

Yin Yi drew its body in, waiting. When the three moths crept closer, it suddenly sprang from the bushes, leaves quivering, and lashed out lightly at them with its vine.

"Ling~"

Yin Yi picked up the moths’ bodies, casually tossed them into the distant woods, and then returned to Han Ning’s side.

The forest fell quiet once more.

’I hope no other creatures show up...’

Han Ning prayed silently.

Perhaps his prayers worked.

「Another ten minutes later.」

From the pockmarked holes near the cliff, the sound of buzzing wings arose.

Before long, four azure figures appeared together in their line of sight.

Of the four azure figures, one was large and three were small.

The one in the lead was a ground beetle-like insect. It had curved antennae atop its head, a pair of translucent wings on its back, and a long, sharp tail resembling an inverted triangle. The very tip of its tail flashed with tiny blue sparks of electricity.

’Electric Fire Cannon Insect!’

Each Electric Fire Cannon Insect was no more than two meters long. Compared to many giant insects, they were considered quite small.

According to the Taman Insect Master’s notes, an adult Electric Fire Cannon Insect could possess power equivalent to Awakening IV. Their leader, through special breeding methods, could just barely reach the Extraordinary Level.

They possessed the ability to manipulate lightning. During thunderstorms, they would absorb the abundant electrical energy in the atmosphere and store it in their bodies’ Electric Sacs to use in battle.

Additionally, their own body tissues could also generate a certain amount of electricity, though it was a relatively small amount compared to a natural thunderstorm.

’Ordinary Electric Fire Cannon Insects aren’t my target,’ Han Ning thought. ’Even if I capture them, I can’t take them back to breed. I have to find the queen.’

’Still, finding traces of the Electric Fire Cannon Insects means there must be a nest nearby!’

Seizing a moment when one of the smaller, feeding Electric Fire Cannon Insects was distracted, Yin Yi’s vine shot out, bound the creature, and dragged it over.