The poisonous flowers, vines, and explosive spiders were highly toxic to Su Luo and the others, but the giants were indifferent. The minor toxicity was negligible to their massive bodies and formidable physiques.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The giants strode forward, crushing the explosive spiders into paste under their colossal feet.
Abu grabbed a poisonous vine as thick as his arm and roared, tearing it into several pieces. To him, the fearsome vines and poisonous flowers were no more than weeds.
The giants were filled with novelty. They rarely ventured out, let alone to help a friend. King Giant had instructed them to go all out to protect Su Luo, and each of them was brimming with excitement, stomping on the small crawling creatures on the ground as if playing.
Wen Ruchu and Sun Jian watched in stunned silence.
"This, this... giants?!" They never imagined that such towering giants existed in the world, more than thirty feet tall! They made light work of killing these insects and vines.
Qin Yuanshu and Lin Yao, along with other outer disciples, were also awestruck. Although they had seen a giant once in Qingxu Heavenly Realm, it was only the Giant King, and he hadn't displayed such power. They finally witnessed the terror of the giants. Relying solely on their physical strength, they could trample poisonous insects and flowers into mud. This was true power determining everything, with no fear of poison or explosive attacks.
Li Tianjue hadn't expected Su Luo to call upon giants for help. Now, there was no need to worry. Chu Tianshu and the others watched with surprise and finally breathed a sigh of relief. Junior Sister was truly amazing, making such unique and powerful friends as the giants, who could lend a hand in critical moments. Wonderful!
However, Su Luo and the others were unaware that other parts of the mining area had also encountered ghost-faced red flowers, poison arrow vines, and more. From the insect nests buried deep underground, countless explosive spiders were drawn out. They relentlessly pursued and attacked any contestants who entered the mining area, treating them like prey.
"Where did all these spiders and poisonous flowers and vines come from?" the gathered geniuses exclaimed in shock. The mining area was already dangerous with its endless冥火 (Ming Huo), and now it was infested with poisonous spiders and vines. What was going on? But they had no time to ponder, only to flee and fight desperately.
In a short span, the number of deactivated teleportation beads increased, and the number of contestants teleported back from the mining area surged. Some were even poisoned, dying even after managing to escape.
"What? The mining area has poisonous flowers and grasses, and a large number of explosive spiders?" The four Emperors were shocked. How could this happen? The Sun Moon Plaza instantly descended into chaos, with the crowd erupting in discussion and agitation.
Emperor Beiming suddenly recalled something. "Could this be a scheme by the Demonic Sect? They've laid traps in the ancient mining area in advance, aiming to poison the geniuses of the righteous path!" When Tianshu had mentioned the Dark Demonic Ridge participating in the Heavenly Pride Competition, he had denied it. It turned out the Demonic Sect had been secretly making arrangements long ago!
Emperor Haiyao's face also darkened, and he said angrily, "Undoubtedly, it must be the Demonic Sect! We're going to suffer heavy losses. But why would the Demonic Sect make arrangements in the ancient mining area beforehand? How would they know that our finals this time would be held in the ancient mining area?"
Emperor Hongyue asked meaningfully, "How would the Demonic Sect know? Was there an early leak?" He scanned his surroundings, seemingly suspecting someone.
Emperor Tianyan, anxious and furious, immediately declared, "Dispatch people to the ancient mining area at once to rescue the contestants. We absolutely cannot let the Demonic Sect's treacherous plot succeed."
"No! This is the quadrennial Heavenly Pride Competition, how can it be terminated midway?" To his surprise, Emperor Hongyue immediately vetoed Emperor Tianyan's decision, stating sternly, "The contestants who entered the ancient mining area are already the crème de la crème, facing a dangerous task like extinguishing the冥火. They should have been prepared. If they are scared off by the Demonic Sect's schemes, then they shouldn't have participated."
There was logic to his words, and for a moment, the other three Emperors fell silent. After a brief pause, Emperor Haiyao said, "Indeed, if the Demonic Sect has a scheme, it's a good opportunity for us to eliminate them! Moreover, the contestants have positioning beads, and if they are truly in danger, they can teleport back. There's no need to send people."
After much deliberation, the four Emperors finally reached a consensus: the competition would continue.
...
In the area where Xiao Jingchen and Hua Xiangrong were located, there were no signs of poisonous insects.
"Rong'er, we've been away for so long, it's time to return." Just as he and Hua Xiangrong were about to leave, he suddenly heard explosions. Seeing the chaos in the distance and tentacles in the sky, he exclaimed in alarm, "Not good, Brother Li and the others are in danger! We have to hurry back and help..."
Turning back, Hua Xiangrong clutched her head, groaning in pain, "Xiao Lang, I don't feel well, my head hurts so much!"
Xiao Jingchen, disregarding the situation ahead, rushed to support her. "Rong'er, what's wrong?" Hua Xiangrong looked pained, fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead. "I don't know, Xiao Lang, I... I feel so uncomfortable... Help me sit down, I can't stand anymore."
Xiao Jingchen looked ahead, then at Hua Xiangrong, his heart filled with worry, but he could only sit beside her. "Rong'er, you were fine just now, why did you suddenly feel unwell?" Unsure of what was happening, he dared not administer any pills to Hua Xiangrong and stood by, anxiously waiting.
A rustling sound approached... A few explosive spiders, the size of washbasins, crawled over. Xiao Jingchen's expression changed, and he quickly charged forward, dispatching the explosive spiders. He turned back to support Hua Xiangrong. "Rong'er, we must hurry to help. I'm afraid Brother Li and the others are in trouble, but you are like this now..."
A flicker of dark light flashed in her eyes as the pale Hua Xiangrong clutched him. "Xiao Lang, don't leave me..."
"But Brother Li and Miss Su... alas!" Seeing Hua Xiangrong's distress, Xiao Jingchen could not bear to leave her alone to help. He said sternly, "Rong'er, I won't leave you. Brother Li is very capable, they should be fine. I'll take you to a safe place to wait for them." After saying this, Xiao Jingchen picked up Hua Xiangrong and walked away.
...
It was an hour later when the surroundings finally calmed down. Su Luo thanked the more than ten giants and sent them back to the Giant King's Court. As they departed, Abu and the other giants were reluctant to leave, asking Su Luo to visit them soon. Although Su Luo visited the Giant King's Court every three days, it felt like a long time to the giants. Fortunately, their lives were long, and they could wait.
"Are you alright?" Li Tianjue looked at Su Luo.
"I'm fine, Senior Brother." Su Luo smiled, then noticed Sun Lulu being carried by Lin Yao. The others from Qingxu Heavenly Realm had only sustained minor injuries at most. Wen Ruchu and Sun Jian were even unharmed. Only Sun Lulu had been entangled by the poisonous vines, not only disfiguring her but also poisoning her. Su Luo confirmed she had been poisoned by the poison arrow vine and immediately used her Xuan Mai Needles to extract the poison for her. However, Sun Lulu's face was ruined, making her almost unrecognizable. Su Luo applied medicine to her face and told her to ask the Third Elder for a rejuvenation pill upon their return, which should help. She seemed to feel a bit better.
As dawn broke on the horizon after a night passed. Lu Jixing looked around. "Hmm, where have we ended up?"