High Martial Arts 2077: I Rely on Beast Taming to Cultivate While Lying Down

Chapter 124, Level 15 - Earth Demon Spider! Lightning Release Advancement

The orange-red afterglow of the setting sun streamed in through the broken window, casting dappled silhouettes on the cobweb-covered floor.

This six-story school building, which was a community primary school before the apocalypse, is now covered with gray and white spider silk on its walls and has countless spider cocoons hanging in the corridors.

Each cocoon is half a person's height and contains an unknown prey.

Su Chen stood at the top of the stairs on the second floor and cut the spider silk that was rushing towards him with a single stroke.

The blade cut into the spider silk, producing a piercing, metallic sound.

These grayish-white threads are even tougher than steel wire!

The demons here are gregarious demonic insects—earth spiders, starting at the high-ranking servant level.

Their individual combat strength is only slightly below average among those of the same level, but their numbers are quite large, and they are adept at using spider webs to build traps.

Once entangled in spider silk, the surrounding companions will swarm in within three seconds and dismember the prey with their fangs infused with paralyzing toxins.

"Three more are coming down the left corridor!"

Wang Yichuan's voice came from behind, followed by an arc of electricity that swept past Su Chen's ear and accurately struck a ground spider that was hanging down from the ceiling.

The spider convulsed from the electric shock, its eight legs curled up into a ball, and it fell to the ground from mid-air, its charred shell emitting blue smoke.

Su Chen didn't turn around. He used the Shadowless Step technique and his figure quickly moved through the spider web.

Just as he was about to continue moving forward, a piercing screech suddenly came from above.

In a classroom at the end of the second-floor corridor, two exceptionally large earth spiders pounced out at the same time.

They were a full size larger than ordinary ground spiders, with eight legs covered in barbs and fangs as thick as an adult's arm.

High-ranking soldier!

One of them lunged straight at Su Chen's face, while the other circled around to his side and rear, hugging the wall.

The two spiders worked together seamlessly, sealing off all his escape routes.

Su Chen gripped the knife hilt tightly, preparing to take the blow head-on.

"Roar~!"

A furious roar exploded from behind him.

Xiao Zi transformed into a streak of purple lightning and charged past Su Chen.

Its entire body was enveloped in violent lightning power.

Lightning Release!

In a few flashes, it smashed through the abdomen of the spider in front of it, and then used the impact to bounce back and run over the carapace of the spider on the side.

Two muffled thuds exploded almost simultaneously!

The first earth spider had a hole the size of a washbasin punched in its abdomen, and dark green blood mixed with fragments of internal organs sprayed all over the ground.

The second Earth Demon Spider's carapace was torn apart by the power of lightning, revealing the charred muscle tissue underneath. Its eight legs twitched twice and then stopped moving.

Little Purple suddenly stopped at the end of the corridor, its four paws carving furrows in the ground.

It shook its head, its ears standing straight up.

Before Su Chen could speak, it moved again.

A flash of purple lightning, and Xiao Zi's figure vanished from its original spot, appearing in the center of three giant spider webs the next second!

Those were three spider webs covering the entire cross-section of the corridor, each strand of which was as thick as a chopstick.

Ordinary weapons couldn't cut through this spider web at all, but Little Purple didn't even try to tear it with her claws.

It stood at the intersection of three spider webs, and purple arcs of electricity suddenly expanded all over its body.

Purple lightning instantly engulfed the entire corridor, and the spider silk curled and broke rapidly, like plastic being burned.

Turn to ashes.

Xiao Zi emerged from the lightning, her fur standing on end.

It opened its mouth and let out a low growl.

"Roar~!"

Gone were the usual whining and dependence in his roar; only pure fighting excitement and the release of pent-up anger from the previous night!

[Pet Beast - Wind and Thunder Fierce Hound, Lightning Release Iv1→lv2]

Su Chen was stunned for a moment when he saw the notification.

During the practical assessment last Saturday, the experience bar for Lightning Release was already full.

But after a full week, the skill still hadn't leveled up.

Now...it's finally done!

"Well done!"

Su Chen grinned.

Little Purple's tail immediately wagged like a windmill, but this time it didn't pounce on him and rub against his legs as usual.

It simply wagged its tail, then turned and continued to stare at the dozen or so creepy earth spiders deep in the corridor.

Last night, it was locked in a room on the seventh floor, listening to the deafening explosions and roars downstairs. This incident clearly agitated it.

It could smell the blood in the air and feel every tremor from the floor, but it couldn't go down to help...

Because Su Chen wouldn't let it go down, it now wants to make up for all the fights it missed yesterday!

"Buzz"

The purple arcs on Little Purple's body expanded again, and this time even its eyes turned into a glowing purple-white.

Heavenly lightning protects you!

Thunderous body rams!

Start simultaneously!

It transformed into a bolt of purple lightning and plunged headlong into the swarm of Earth Demon Spiders deep within the corridor.

Wherever it passed, the Earth Demon Spider's carapace cracked from the intense heat of the lightning, and its dark green blood evaporated into mist in the electric arcs.

Just as Zhang Yan raised her spear to stab a demon spider that darted out from the side, before the spear tip even touched the ground, the spider was blasted away by a bolt of purple lightning. It tumbled twice in the air and crashed into the wall, where it lay motionless.

She blinked: "Wow! Xiao Zi's kill efficiency is amazing!"

Beside him, Yang Xin, wielding a heavy sniper rifle, fired three shots in quick succession, quickly taking down three high-level giant spiders hanging from the ceiling.

She put down the gun, watched Xiao Zi wreak havoc, and laughed: "Haha~ She must have been really stimulated last night. But with so much blood on her body, she'll have to wash herself thoroughly tonight! Give her a good rub!"

"Awoo~" Little Purple let out a slightly protesting cry, but its tail wagged even more enthusiastically.

As soon as Yang Xin finished speaking, two completely different roars came from the end of the corridor.

The all-black Shadow Panther—Black Spirit—darted up the stairs.

It was twice the size of Xiao Zi, with a shoulder height of nearly 1.5 meters. Its body was covered with jet-black fur, and there was a row of bony spikes protruding from its back.

In another classroom next door, a Crimson Tiger emerged, its stripes a deep crimson like magma.

These two big cats are both at the peak of the soldier level, but now they've been outshone by Little Purple, who is at a higher soldier level!

"Roar~!"

The Crimson Tiger let out a proper tiger roar. It looked down at the charred spider web fragments at its feet, then raised its eyelids to look at Little Purple.

His eyes were full of resentment.

Then...they fought their way out!

The battle ended 25 minutes later.

The sun had completely sunk below the horizon, leaving only a last sliver of dark red afterglow on the horizon.

Su Chen severed the last Earth Demon Spider's fangs with a single strike and shook off the slime from his blade.

[Task 2: A Multitude of Troops, Progress: 2529/10000]

Today we've been killing low-level monsters on the edge of the buffer zone, and even with Xiao Zi's help, we've only managed to kill about 500!

At this rate, by next Thursday, the training will probably only amount to around five or six thousand, barely halfway through the progress bar.

It was already terrifying, but... it wasn't enough!

Su Chen glanced at the rewards for this quest: [Pet Energy x500, Heavenly Thunder Spell Pill x3, Earthly Fiend Wind and Cloud Pill x3, Skill Stone - Wind and Thunder Heavenly King Slash]

Little Purple is working really hard right now! If I could get my hands on it now, it would be great to give it a helping hand.

He thought to himself, "There's still no news from Zhang He and Huang Cheng's teams of college students."

"My supervisor, Feng Yujun, hasn't contacted me again since."

"Looks like... my plan has fallen through for now?"

"Sigh~ If we could continue, I wonder if the kill count from using the Divine Jade Slip would count as mine..."

Su Chen didn't think any further, sheathed his sword, and glanced at the battlefield.

Nearly a hundred corpses of earth spiders lay scattered haphazardly in the second-floor corridor, their dark green blood pooling in the corners, emitting a faint glow.

The spiderweb was burned to pieces by Xiao Zi's lightning, and a few pieces of the web that were not completely burned off still hung on the ceiling, swaying gently in the night wind.

In 25 minutes, a nest occupied by three or four hundred earth spiders was wiped out!

Their kill speed is getting faster and faster.

Of course, Beast Taming is undoubtedly a great help in dealing with these low-level, fragile monsters that live in groups.

The Shadow Panther and the Crimson Tiger were already lying on the open space on the first floor, panting and sticking out their tongues.

I'm exhausted!

Xiao Zi was lying at the top of the stairs on the third floor, and Lin Xiyue used a damp cloth to wipe the spider slime off its body.

Its ears were drooping, its mouth was open and it was panting, but the light in its eyes was still bright.

Zhang Yan stroked the little purple head, rubbed it hard, praised it, and helped it regain the confidence it had lost last night.

Seeing this heartwarming scene, Su Chen smiled but did not join their conversation.

He glanced at his watch.

17: 21.

He turned to look at the people who were cleaning up the battlefield.

Zhou Chengjie's team is using daggers to dig out the silk sac from the abdomen of the Earth Demon Spider.

Earth Demon Spider silk is quite valuable; a mid-grade soldier-level Earth Demon Spider silk sac can sell for around 1,000 Federal Credits, and a high-quality one can fetch over 2,000.

Jiang Yunxin's team was collecting the venom glands and shell fragments of the Earth Demon Spider on the other side.

The venom glands of the Earth Demon Spider can be used to make paralyzing potions, and the shell fragments can be used as inlay materials for low-level psionic armor. Although these odds and ends are not expensive individually, they are plentiful!

Watching their busy figures, Su Chen said, "Let's collect the materials quickly and then head to the nearby East 5 rest area. I've already contacted the businessman from last night—Sun Youcheng."

"Sun Youcheng?" Yang Xin peeked out from behind a pile of spider silk cocoons, blinking. "But our harvest today only adds up to five or six hundred thousand, which is a huge difference from yesterday. Won't someone like him try to drastically lower the price?"

She asked a very practical question.

Yesterday, Sun Youcheng really pushed the price down hard. If Zhou Chengjie hadn't brought a shipment later and used Su Chen's persuasion, that deal would have been in serious trouble!

Su Chen smiled, his tone relaxed: "Haha~ We're only operating in the outer perimeter of the buffer city today. This place is only about eight kilometers from our base. There's not much transport cost to begin with! How can he possibly manage?"

"If he really doesn't know what's good for him, is short-sighted, and puts too much pressure on him... wouldn't you guys think that would be more interesting?"

'

"To be honest, I don't expect him to offer a high price at all; I'd rather see his shrewd businessman face. If he messes with me, I'll make him regret it!"

"Life is about finding some fun!"

"Of course, all I know right now is his contact information as a businessman. Maybe he's a good businessman?"

Yang Xin couldn't help but laugh at his confident demeanor, then deliberately made her voice sweet and cloying, saying in a high-pitched voice, "Captain Su Chen is so naughty~! I like him so much~"

"Hehe~ This is valuable social experience, you guys should learn from it! We didn't even charge you tuition."

Yang Xin's eyes darted around, and she deliberately made her voice even more strained: "Eh~ Are you trying to turn us into bad girls? And you're so cunning, how can Xi Yue, Xiao Yan, me, and... Sister Yun Xin and so many other girls feel at ease leaving themselves..."

Before she could finish speaking, a hand reached out from behind and gently patted her head.

"Snapped!"

Jiang Yunxin walked up behind her and withdrew her hand expressionlessly.

Yang Xin shrank back instantly, her voice returning to normal immediately: "I'm going to harvest the spider silk!"

After saying that, he ran away.

Zhang Yan was laughing so hard she couldn't stand up straight.

Very good!

Finally, someone has taken care of Yang Xin!

Get slapped like me!

Yay! Yay!

Zhou Chengjie, standing to the side, also shook his head with a light laugh.

He continued to skillfully cut open the scrotum from the abdomen.

Li Yu leaned over from the side and said with a serious expression, "Isn't my brother Jie handsome? Isn't he popular?"

Zhou Chengjie's smile froze on his face.

He put down the dagger and rolled up his sleeves.

He twirled the hilt of the Moon Shadow Blade at his waist with his right hand...

Upon seeing this action, Li Yu's serious expression vanished instantly, and he turned and ran.

"Brother Jie, I was wrong! I was really wrong!"

Su Chen took in all of this.

Last night's battle resulted in no casualties for any of the three teams, mainly due to luck and a combination of skill.

But this world is cruel.

The girl with the bun hairstyle named Xiao Wan, the gaunt, tall face conjured by the Green Vine Demon King, the two adventurer underlings dragged down the stairs by the vines, and the South Lake University girl who might have already died in the Green Vine Demon King's clutches...

Their lives vanished so easily.

The more friends you have and the deeper your friendships, the more tragic your future may be!

Often, the better the class's grades, the fewer people attend the reunion ten years later, because... almost everyone has passed away!

With this thought in mind, Su Chen clenched his fists, involuntarily recalling the comments from the eighth level:

A "good" combat rating is an acknowledgment of the decisions you made under limited conditions.

But you must understand—excellence doesn't guarantee victory. Victory always comes from greater strength.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his chaotic emotions, and his gaze returned to Xiao Zi's skill panel.

【Wind and Thunder Fierce Dog】

Status: Contracted; Strength Rank: Second Realm - High-Rank Soldier; Racial Potential: Fourth Realm - General; Attribute: Wind/Thunder; Growth Potential: 9.8 → 10.0

HP: 389→501

Attack: 65.7 → 70.5

Defense: 32.5 → 34.4

Talent: None Special Abilities: None Skills:

雷牙1v4（2166→3582/4000）

疾风步 1v3（950→1850/3000）

雷吼1y2（320→1895/2000）

风刃1v3（1125→2085/3000）

天雷护体 1v2（287→885/2000）

风雷爪1v3（1300→2253/3000）

Lightning Release 1v2 (28/2000)

Thunderous Charge 1v1 (808/1000)

Lightning Release has successfully advanced to Level 1v2, and its effect at this moment is quite impressive.

Just now, we dealt a heavy blow to several high-level Earth Demon Spiders at the soldier level.

This is a creature of the same level as Xiao Zi! Although the Earth Demon Spider is indeed relatively fragile, this is its true skill!

In addition, he also learned a new skill, Thunder Body Charge.

In the past two weeks, Su Chen has spent a considerable amount of resources on it.

Bone-Shaping Pills, Vitality-Nourishing Pills, and Body-Dominating Pills—these are low- to mid-level pills that humans can consume, but most exotic beasts can digest them.

Anyway, now that he has the cheat code, he runs more dungeons and is practically a wholesaler of elixirs!

"Skill Stone - Windwing, it feels like it's usable now."

"After learning this skill, Xiao Zi will be even more powerful!"

Just as he thought of this, a familiar notification sound rang in his mind.

[Level 15 - Level Name: Earth Demon Spider Nest]

[Level Introduction: Earth Spider, the most common low-level gregarious demonic insect on the outskirts of Buffer City No. 16.]

Nested in abandoned buildings, they secrete extremely tough spider silk, which is the basic material for making low-level psionic armor.

Individually, their combat strength is mediocre, but their numbers are extremely large. Their spiderweb traps, combined with paralyzing toxins, pose a deadly threat to careless adventurers.

[Difficulty: One star]

[Battle Rating: Perfect]

[Comment: You and your team have honed true teamwork in battle.]

The spider web traps of the Earth Demon Spider are useless in front of you: After the Thunder Hound's lightning escape broke through Iv2, it turned the entire battlefield into its own hunting ground, and the speed at which its combat instincts awakened was astonishing.

After two dungeons and over twenty levels of real combat, you have developed considerable fighting skills and are no longer the novice who relied solely on brute force.

Score: 5 points

[Prize pool drawing in progress... Drawing complete...]

[Level 15 Reward:]

Pet Energy x10

Qi-boosting pills x3

5m² Pet Space

Su Chen glanced at the reward, his mood remaining unmoved.

The intensity of the battles today was indeed not high; not a single two-star or higher level was triggered.

After fifteen levels, I've accumulated some points, but the quality of the completion rewards is clearly declining!

He roughly figured out the pattern: as the number of levels accumulates to a certain extent, the rewards for lower difficulty levels will gradually decrease.

If you can consistently get high scores, and reach levels with scores of 100 or higher three to five times, the score will gradually decrease.

Unless you can get a thousand points, or even ten thousand points, in one go!

"That makes sense."

"The system is not a charity; it doesn't support lazy people. If you want better things, you have to fight stronger enemies."

He silently recited a phrase to himself and then closed the panel.

In the corridor, the group had almost finished looting.

Su Chen glanced at the sky, then at the group who had finished getting ready, and stood up, saying, "Let's go! To East 5 rest area!"

This time, clean the rest area thoroughly, check it inside and out!

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