Chapter 774 – Three Thousand Mirror Ruins 41

Mo Lan, adhering to her philosophy of collecting one of anything she didn’t already have, dug up a stalk of sunlight flower.

The other classmates seemed long accustomed to this sight. Throughout the entire journey, Mo Lan and Su Yu had never once let up when it came to “scavenging” resources.

Whenever they encountered mirror beasts, those two were invariably the fastest to charge in and the most ruthless in their attacks.

When they came across magical plants, minerals, or other valuable materials, neither would let them slip by.

Mo Lan typically only took one or two specimens or small samples, as if driven by a collector’s compulsion.

Su Yu, on the other hand, left nothing behind wherever she went — whether common herbs or rare ores, as long as it could be exchanged for mirror coins and she spotted it, she’d strip the area clean.

Watching the two of them bury themselves in their work again, the others tacitly went about their own business.

They’d joined in the excitement at first, but by now they couldn’t be bothered — it wasn’t as if any of it was particularly precious.

Just then, Chen Xingye, who had been keeping a constant eye on the sky, suddenly called out: “The season is about to change again!”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than summer’s scorching heat receded like a tide, and a warm, humid, vibrant spring instantly enveloped the wetland area.

The moisture in the air swelled once more. The pools that had nearly dried up were replenished, water levels rising, and the vegetation turned lush and verdant at an astonishing pace.

“Croak— Croak—”

Several crisp frog calls rang out from a nearby pond. A number of water-tongue frogs — entirely cerulean blue with enormous tympanic-membrane eyes — emerged from the mud at the bottom or their hiding spots, hopping onto water grass and stones, inflating their vocal sacs and letting out resounding calls!

“Ren Miao!” Wang Jingnan called out in reminder.

This was her target mirror beast. To ensure her hunt went smoothly, no one else would make a move until she’d succeeded.

Ren Miao had been ready and waiting for some time.

She knew the water-tongue frog’s habits well and had made thorough preparations.

Water-tongue frogs excelled at spitting their troublesome Lesser Water Arrows from a safe distance. Once hit, the target’s movements would seize up, after which the frog would use its sticky, elongated tongue to drag its prey into deep water to drown.

And the moment they sensed a genuine threat, they’d immediately dive back underwater, using the complex aquatic environment to make their escape.

She had already changed into a low-grade protective suit resistant to water-attribute attacks, her entire body wrapped up tight. She swiftly retrieved a compact spray bottle from one of her personal mirror accessories, gave several quick spritzes across her chest and the outside of her arms, then locked her gaze on the nearest, most robust water-tongue frog — the one whose tympanic membrane vibrated the loudest.

A strange fragrance, faintly fishy and sweet, rapidly spread through the air.

This was a prized item she’d specifically asked the Wang Family to help her obtain. It could precisely mimic the scent that water-tongue frogs emitted during mating season or when their territory was under extreme threat, producing an intensely attractive and stimulating effect on them.

With this, she essentially didn’t have to worry about the target fleeing back into the water when things went south. The only risk was… she might stir up a hornet’s nest and get swarmed.

But Ren Miao wasn’t too worried, because she had reliable companions holding the rear. As long as she successfully took down the primary target, the others would naturally step in to handle whatever followed.

Sure enough, the water-tongue frogs that had been merely croaking and keeping a wary watch went berserk the instant they caught the scent.

The big one Ren Miao had her sights on reacted most violently of all. Its enormous tympanic membrane inflated and contracted rapidly, and its originally cerulean body even flushed with a tinge of furious red.

“CROAK—!!!”

It let out a roar many times louder than before, brimming with rage. Its massive webbed feet slammed the water’s surface with a tremendous splash, and its powerful hind legs unleashed astonishing force, propelling its somewhat ungainly body out of the water like a cannonball, lunging straight at Ren Miao!

At the same time, its mucus-coated maw gaped open, and a turbid, viscous yet blindingly fast Lesser Water Arrow tore through the air, hurtling toward Ren Miao’s face.

The sticky water arrow struck Ren Miao’s protective suit with a wet slap, and while the impact forced her back half a step, the Lesser Water Arrow failed to penetrate even slightly.

Having missed its mark, the water-tongue frog’s massive body was already upon her, trailing damp mist and brute force as it tried to use its weight to pin her down.

“Perfect!” Ren Miao dropped low, executing a nimble sliding tackle that carried her through the narrow gap beneath the frog’s lunge by the thinnest of margins.

In that split second as they crossed paths, the blood-grooved long knife in her hand slashed upward with pinpoint accuracy, carving a deep gash across its relatively soft underbelly.

Green blood and fragments of innards gushed out instantly!

“Croak—!” The water-tongue frog suffered a devastating wound and let out a short, agonized cry. As it landed, the searing pain and loss of balance inevitably caused its movements to freeze for just an instant!

Ren Miao sprang to her feet in a flash, circling around to the frog’s flank. She channeled every ounce of strength and psychic power into her arms, raised the long knife high, and brought it crashing down with everything she had on the lethal weak point where the frog’s neck met its body!

“Squelch!”

The blade sank in nearly halfway! Immediately followed by another lightning-fast strike, severing the last of its life force!

Having suffered two consecutive fatal blows, the water-tongue frog’s massive body went rigid. It let out one final, feeble, powerless whimper. The vicious red glow in its eyes dimmed and extinguished rapidly. It twitched and convulsed a few times, then collapsed completely to the ground, motionless.

A successful kill!

Ren Miao let out a long exhale, the tension draining from her as a radiant smile of relief spread across her face. She’d done it! She had independently completed the hunt of her target mirror beast!

But the smile had barely bloomed before it froze on her face!

“Croak croak croak!”

“CROAK—!”

From the surrounding pools erupted a chorus of furious croaking! The other water-tongue frogs, already driven to frenzy by the scent on her body, had now witnessed their companion’s slaughter. One after another they leaped from the water, glaring with crimson eyes, closing in on Ren Miao from every direction with menacing intent.

There were at least twenty or thirty of them!

While none were individually powerful, once surrounded, with countless Lesser Water Arrows and tongue strikes raining down, even a protective suit wouldn’t hold out for long.

The color drained from Ren Miao’s face instantly. Abandoning any thought of collecting her spoils, she turned and sprinted toward her teammates, screaming for help in a voice tinged with tears:

“Mo Lan! Su Yu! Lin Yue… help me! They’re all coming after me!!!”

Ren Miao’s voice was still echoing through the air when—

“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!” Several piercing sounds of blades cutting through the air arrived before her cries had even faded!

Three or four gleaming daggers, as if possessed of a life of their own, embedded themselves with unerring precision into the vulnerable spots of the frogs leading the charge — eyes, gaping mouths, and other weak points!

Mo Lan, hurling the daggers while sprinting forward with her knife, instantly blunted the most ferocious momentum of the water-tongue frog swarm.