The sticky liquid under the feet of Meng Chao’s teammates formed long threads, and he suddenly stopped as he watched them while they moved in front of him. He shuddered.
As a sharp stab of pain bloomed in his head, he remembered.
Stone Statue Fungus were a unique fungus that grew near spirit energy ley lines. They did not take the initiative to attack, but once they were attacked, they would fire a large amount of sticky liquid.
This sticky liquid was not poisonous or corrosive. In the beginning, it would not affect the enemies in the slightest.
But very soon, a few seconds after the enemies stood on the liquid or were covered in it, the sticky liquid would turn firm and even freeze over. It would root the enemy tightly in the spot.
Based on the biologists’ speculations, after the sticky liquid from Stone Statue Fungus solidified, it was stronger than even reinforced concrete.
Small monsters like snakes, rats, and insects were not able to break free of it at all. They could only watch as they turned into a statue and in time became one with the Stone Statue Fungus.
This was the reason behind the name.
Even superhumans who wanted to break free of the Stone Statue Fungus’ sticky liquid after it solidified had a hard time doing so.
What was even more terrifying was that Stone Statue Fungus usually formed a symbiotic relationship with a monster known as Ten Thousand Blade Flying Spider.
They were small arthropod-type monsters, which had a unique hunting method.
Just like many spider-type monsters, the Ten Thousand Blade Flying Spiders were able to create sturdy and sticky spider webs.
But it did not wait for its prey to come to it. Instead, after it finished weaving its spider web, it would work with two or three other Ten Thousand Blade Flying Spiders to pull back that spider web like a slingshot, and by using the powerful spring of it, they would fire their spider web at their prey.
Their spider webs were created from a natural, single-molecule substance that was even sharper than blades.
The more a prey enveloped by it struggled, the more the spider web dug into their body. The prey’s strength might even end up in it being torn to shreds.
The Ten Thousand Blade Flying Spider and Stone Statue Fungus’ abilities complemented each other. When they worked together, they were usually able to kill large monsters that were more than ten times their size. Even low-grade superbeasts had a hard time breaking free from their hands, so they were one of the most dangerous hunters in the underground world.
Meng Chao’s body turned cold.
“Careful! Don’t step on the sticky liquid released by the fungi!” he shouted loudly as a warning and shoved a mine explorer who was about to step on it.
Almost at the same time, dozens of Ten Thousand Blade Flying Spiders jumped up from the depths of the Stone Statue Fungus forest. Like the most brilliant fishermen, they flung around eight webs that covered the entire area straight at the three Heaven Realm elites who were levitating in the air.
The three were affected by the powerful spirit energy magnetic fields and were already feeling incredibly dizzy. It was difficult for them to just remain levitating using the maglev principle, so they did not detect the Ten Thousand Blade Flying Spiders ahead of time.
When they saw the light, cotton-like spider webs that were about to touch them, the three finally displayed the powerful strength of Heaven Realm elites. They moved like phantoms and dodged the webs. Then, their weapons turned into millions of sparks and lightning arcs that reduced the Ten Thousand Blade Flying Spiders behind the spider webs into pools of blood.
But one of the spider webs still ended up entangling Scimitar’s combat boot.
His pupils shrank. He used the tremors in his calf and feet muscles to kick away his combat boot.
The boot was made of processed monster leather, and it even had steel plates embedded in it. But the spider web had sunk deep into it. When the three saw this, they gasped in amazement.
The mine explorers on the ground were not as lucky as the three Heaven Realm elites.
They had been moving through the Stone Statue Fungus forest, and at some unknown point in time, their bodies and soles were covered in the sticky liquid. When they realized it, the sticky liquid began to solidify and limit their movements.
And the number of Ten Thousand Blade Flying Spiders before them was growing. Spider webs shining with cold light came charging at them.
One of the mine explorers who was covered in the most sticky liquid was enveloped by a spider web.
He struggled instinctively, and the spider web sank into his uncovered face and hands like ten thousand soft blades.
His face was instantly covered in intersecting cuts, and he lost three of his fingers.
The mine explorer was in great pain, but he could no longer move. He fell to the ground, and coincidentally, he fell into a pool of sticky liquid flowing out of the Stone Statue Fungus.
Due to the stimulation of his fresh blood, the sticky liquid instantly solidified and blocked his entire face.
He could not breathe, and by pure instinct, he started struggling. The spider web tightened swiftly and cut into his flesh, exposing his bones.
Soon, the mine explorer died tragically from suffocation, pain, and blood loss.
Even the veteran hunters who had been hunting in the wild for ten years had never seen such a strange combination of a monster and a fungus, and they could not help but shudder.
“Don’t attack the fungus around you! Those flying spiders are afraid of fire! Everyone, charge forward! We’ll be safe after we get out of their hunting range!” Meng Chao shouted.
He activated the Fire Crystal on the Surging Lightning Flagship Model and released a slash that was nearly one thousand degrees Celsius. It cut into a spider web, and even the four Ten Thousand Blade Flying Spiders on it started burning.
Everyone became motivated to fight.
Creating high-heat flames was one of the most common offensive methods used by superhumans.
Many of Sharp Blade’s members had practiced fire-related skills or carried weapons embedded with Fire Crystals or fire-type crystals.
Even the mine explorers usually had combustion liners or blast burners to melt minerals and survive in the wild.
Once they understood the monsters’ weaknesses, they could target them.
Even though they still paid a devastating price, they were no longer helpless and forced to wait around like sitting ducks.
A number of mine explorers fell down because of the combined attacks from the sticky liquid and spider webs.
Once they fell down, it was very difficult to stand back up by relying on their own strength. Usually, they got stuck beside a Stone Statue Fungus. If they tore at the sticky liquid and webs, they would end up tearing at the Stone Statue Fungus, and it would spit out even more sticky liquid, which would catch even the person who came forward to save them.
But most mine explorers and hunters used flames to open the path, and they gradually broke free of the area with the Stone Statue Fungi.
Meng Chao had brandished his chain sabers like burning windmills to kill a lot of Ten Thousand Blade Flying Spiders.
He was about to leave when he saw that Lu Siya and the others were ahead of him and were about to get out of this terrifying hell made of sticky liquid, but a Stone Statue Fungus that was shining with a faint red light suddenly moved. It revealed a spider-type monster that was even larger than a washing basin residing under it.
“Demonic Stone Statue Spider!”
Meng Chao’s skin crawled.
It was the king of Ten Thousand Blade Flying Spiders. Under the great radiation from the crystal mine, it had mutated at a rapid pace, and its body swelled up dozens of times its original size. Then, it perfectly blended in with the Stone Statue Fungus.
Demon Stone Statue Spiders could fire super powerful liquid that could instantly solidify as well as sharp spider webs. They were at least Grade Two Nightmarish Beasts.
When it came to places where spirit energy ley lines gathered, Heaven Realm elites and Hell Beasts’ vitality magnetic fields were affected and suppressed. Because of this, the fierce and cunning Nightmarish Beasts were the most difficult hunters to deal with.
The Demonic Stone Statue Spider jumped up high and drew close to Lu Siya.
Based on what Lin Chuan said, Lu Siya was a Spirit Sensor, so she focused on spirit energy ley line explorations and crystal researches. She was not very powerful in terms of fighting.
And it was just as he said, she seemed to be dumbfounded and shocked by the Nightmarish Beast that suddenly appeared.
Her bodyguard, Lu Fengying, let out a loud shriek. A sword thrust shot forward and cut into the Stone Statue Fungus above the Demonic Stone Statue Spider.
The wound might have been deep, but it did not manage to cut the Stone Statue Fungus in half. Sticky liquid gushed out, and in an instant, it recovered her.
Lu Fengying wanted to turn around and provide reinforcement, but more than one hundred Ten Thousand Blade Flying Spiders dragged out dozens of spider webs to block her path.
When Lu Siya was about to be torn to shreds by the sharp spider web that the Demonic Stone Statue Spider released, Meng Chao, a puny one-star superhuman, was unaffected by the interference caused by the crystal mine. He swung his chain sabers from the left and right. The chains wrapped around the upper body of the Demonic Stone Statue Spider, and he yanked them, which made the spider web drop half an inch off its mark.
Lu Siya’s face was stark pale. She cast Meng Chao a deep glance.
The Demonic Stone Statue Spider bared its teeth and hissed.
With a shout, Meng Chao’s spirit surged into the offensive runic symbols on the chains. The fire snakes spread to the Demonic Stone Statue Spider and started burning it.
The Demonic Stone Statue Spider was soon burned so badly that it looked battered.
Its shell started cracking, but it did not wither as Meng Chao expected.
Instead, red tentacles shot out of the cracks and devoured the flames.
The Demonic Stone Statue Spider brandished the red tentacles, and it looked like a large sea anemone from a sea of blood.
‘A Blood Flower infested creature! An undead!’
Meng Chao’s thoughts raced, and he broke out in cold sweat.
The mine exploration team from Universe Corporation must have fought hard against the Ten Thousand Blade Flying Spiders and Demonic Stone Statue Spider when they passed through the forest of Stone Statue Fungi. They even killed the Demonic Stone Statue Spider.
But they did not expect that a Blood Flower scloretia had infested this Demonic Stone Statue Spider a long time ago, and after it died, the Blood Flower turned it into an undead, a creature that was even more difficult to deal with.
The mine exploration team from Universe Corporation managed to get through, but they left behind the zombified version of the Demonic Stone Statue Spider to those who arrived after them.
The monsters who turned into the undead possessed weaknesses that were different from when they were alive. The zombified Demonic Stone Statue Spider was not afraid of flames.
It was enraged by Meng Chao’s provocation, and it spared Lu Siya by jumping in front of a different target.
Meng Chao’s fingers controlled the chain saber like he was plucking at the strings of a zither. He attacked the joint connecting the Demonic Stone Statue Spider’s upper and lower body. That part was its weakest point.
The Surging Lightning Flagship Model released a cold, blue light that was at negative one hundred degrees Celsius before stabbing into the flesh.
The Surging Lightning Youthful Version could not handle the repeated impacts from the rampaging spirit energy and intersecting cracks appeared on the blade. It was destroyed by the Demonic Stone Statue Spider as it swung its bladed limbs.
Meng Chao had been creating his Thousand Moon Slash, but he was interrupted and stiffened up for half a second.
The Demonic Stone Statue Spider instantly released hundreds of spider threads that could cut even fine hair straight at Meng Chao’s face.
At that critical moment, Meng Chao heard the shriek of the Undying Bird by his ears.
Lin Chuan appeared in front of him to block the attack. He brandished his chain spear which looked like a burning vortex and swept down most of the spider threads.
The spear tip moved like a venomous snake and accurately stabbed the arachnidium in the Demonic Stone Statue Spider’s mouth. Then, it struck the aciniform gland.
The Demonic Stone Statue Spider was in pain. The Stone Statue Fungus on its back swelled up rapidly, and more blood-red tentacles came out through the cracks. They swung madly.
“Go!”
Lin Chuan’s expression changed drastically, and he grabbed Meng Chao to run.
The group stumbled out of the Stone Statue Fungi forest.
They ran for dozens of meters before they shoved each other into a crack in a crystal mine.
Deafening explosions came from behind them.
When the group looked there, they saw that the huge Stone Statue Fungus on the Demonic Stone Statue Spider’s back had exploded, and it was mixed with the sticky liquid of the Blood Flower bacterial flora. It spread through the entire Stone Statue Fungi forest.