Hearing these words, Yao, who was beside him, also swung his weapon. He had recovered quite a bit and could continue fighting. He was very displeased with the stinky bug flying in the sky, as it was genuinely bothering him with its odor.
"This stinking bastard is flying all over our sky, it's simply too annoying. It would be a disservice to myself not to take it down," he declared.
As he finished speaking, Yao decisively threw the small knife in his hand at the creature. He thought a single strike would hit it, but to his surprise, the knife bounced back upon impact, nearly hitting Jiang Fan. Fortunately, Jiang Fan was quick enough to dodge it.
"Are you trying to kill me or it? If this continues, you might hit me a couple more times and I'll be dead. Why don't you just stab me to death directly?"
Yao was also extremely embarrassed. He hadn't expected the carapace of the stinky bug to be so tough.
"My apologies, I didn't anticipate it would reflect my weapon. In that case, let's engage it in a proper fight."
With that said, Yao prepared to pick up his other weapon and climb, but before he could, the beetle seemed to sense that Jiang Fan and the others were about to attack and initiated its own assault.
"Watch out."
Yao, who hadn't noticed the beetle flying towards him, was warned by Jiang Fan, who was on the wall preparing to dodge around the beetle.
Realizing the beetle's attack, Yao immediately stomped on the wall, executed a stylish turn, and landed on the ground, thankfully unharmed. Otherwise, being hit by that charge might have cost him his life.
From a distance, the beetle didn't seem particularly large, but as it approached Jiang Fan and the others, Jiang Fan realized how enormous their adversary truly was.
If measured by proportion, this beetle's size was likely comparable to that centipede they had encountered earlier.
Their combat strength seemed to be on par as well. Although they lacked direct, bloody attack methods, Jiang Fan suspected the beetle harbored toxins within its wings and constantly monitored for this. Yao also dared not let his guard down.
"Be careful, the toxins in its wings haven't been released yet. If they are, and we inhale them, we might die here." Upon hearing Jiang Fan's warning, Yao nodded quickly. He was already extremely cautious, as Jiang Fan had previously mentioned the toxic nature of its carapace.
At this moment, Jiang Fan and Yao were engaged in combat while Zhou Niannian and Dai Xiaomei observed from within the cave.
"See, I told you. As long as these two are here, we'll be safe. They'll easily defeat this beetle."
"It's a stinky bug, after all. If it were a normal insect, Jiang Fan and the others wouldn't be attacking it."
Just then, Jiang Fan quickly attacked the stinky bug with his axe. A single blow was expected to sever its carapace, but unexpectedly, the shell suddenly became incredibly hard. As it spread its wings, a cloud of powder flew out, stunning Jiang Fan.
It was fortunate that Jiang Fan was fast; had the poison been directly applied to him, he would likely have lost his life.
"Be careful, this thing is extremely dangerous. If it touches us, both of us will die."
Yao, who had been consistently vigilant, grew very concerned after seeing Jiang Fan in such peril.
"Use the same method as before to pierce its eyes."
"We should only attack its vulnerable spots and not its body, which is too hard for us to penetrate."
Upon hearing this, Yao nodded quickly.
The two leaped up and then sliced into the wings of the large insect.
At this point, they knew their weapons were already coated with poison. They then struck at the creature's head again. The poison instantly spread into its brain.
Although this beetle could produce toxins, it would die if it ingested them, much like the venom.
The beetle died on the spot. Jiang Fan and Yao let out a slow sigh of relief. However, they distinctly felt a powerful tremor from the ground.
"What's happening? Could something else have arrived?"
Hearing this, Yao instinctively retreated, looking at the shaking ground. It seemed the creature that had arrived was a behemoth.
Upon seeing this colossal creature, Jiang Fan and Yao were instantly dumbfounded. If they had to fight this thing, they likely wouldn't survive even with ten lives.
It was a giant spider, and this was no joke. If it spat out its web and bound Jiang Fan, he would be doomed.
Fortunately, the spider didn't immediately unleash its webbing, giving Jiang Fan and Yao optimal time to escape. After ensuring the others were hidden within the cave, the two began to flee in another direction.
Seeing them run, the spider immediately pursued them. They successfully lured the spider away, saving everyone else from harm.
"What should we do? Should we go help Jiang Fan and the others now? If Jiang Fan is alone there, it might be too dangerous. Let's hurry!"
"Yao's condition doesn't seem right today. They must have done something this morning. Yao's strength should be completely depleted now."
Zhou Niannian and Dai Xiaomei had both witnessed Jiang Fan and Yao in combat, so they understood their current state. The moment they saw Yao, they knew his mental state was not good. If the fight continued like this, it would only create trouble for Jiang Fan. It would be better to quickly pull Yao back and rescue Jiang Fan.
"Your physical condition isn't good right now. Don't go up and fight recklessly. If you lose your life, it won't be worth it."