There were hundreds of shadow bugs crawling towards them, each with a different color. Most of them were pink, and they had just killed a vibrant red bug, which was now nowhere to be found. Zhang Lei was getting anxious. He had the protection of the Red Flame Dragon Shield, so he was not in much danger, but the other two could not withstand them. Dozens of golden eagles hovered above them, and whenever a large bug approached, one of the eagles would immediately scream and dive down to blow it up. Mei Jingjing was afraid and bravely swung her whip, catching the bugs that got too close, while Zhao Hao ran back and forth, knocking away the sharp spikes that were shot at them. Zheng Peng's long weapon was shining brightly, and he chopped the bugs that were caught, shouting, "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" The teamwork of the four of them was very smooth, and in a moment, the smoke was everywhere, and flesh was flying.

Finally, Zhang Lei set up a defensive formation and shouted, "Everyone, come to me! The formation is about to start!" He raised his hand, and the golden eagles scattered and dived down, exploding in a series, blasting the bugs far away. Zhang Lei used his true element power to activate the formation. Zhao Hao panted and said, "Master, it's all our fault for bringing everyone to this place." Zhang Lei breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Don't talk nonsense, no one will blame you. The person who stole the wine led us here on purpose."

The bugs hit the defensive formation, and the four of them looked like they were trapped in a glass bowl, no matter how the bugs attacked, they could not step in. Mei Jingjing patted her chest and said, "It's so scary. Fortunately, brother knows how to set up the formation. With so many bugs rushing over, we wouldn't survive. Brother is amazing!" Hearing her flattery, Zheng Peng laughed and said, "I killed a lot of bugs too. Big Sister, praise me too." Mei Jingjing glanced at him and said, "In your dreams!" Zhao Hao thought to himself, "These young people are too naive. The shadow bugs that appeared now were just ordinary monsters. If a large monster appears, it will be difficult to deal with."

Zhang Lei smiled and said, "Your words are so sweet, Nuanuan. Do you have any purpose behind it?" Mei Jingjing clapped her hands happily and said, "Wow, you guessed it! Brother, teach me how to set up the formation, okay?" Zhang Lei asked, "Nuanuan, what level have you reached in your cultivation?" Mei Jingjing was a little embarrassed and said, "I'm practicing blindly. My mother said I'm almost at the Opening Radiance level." Zhang Lei was a little surprised and said, "That's not right. I thought you were already at Fusion level. Don't move, let me take a closer look." Zhang Lei carefully examined her with his true element and thought to himself, "Her way of cultivation is so strange. Her level is only at the Opening Radiance stage, which is lower than Zhao Hao's level. However, her true element is at the level of Fusion, which is only achievable at that stage." He also looked at her whip and found that it was exquisite in design and cleverly conceived, allowing the whip's power to increase with her cultivation level. Zhang Lei couldn't figure out the mysteries behind it and shook his head, thinking, "If Brother Fu was here, he would understand." He said to Mei Jingjing, "Nuanuan, I don't know if you can learn it. However, if there is free time in the future, I will make a protective gear for you to protect yourself." Mei Jingjing smiled happily.

Zheng Peng asked, "Can I stand in the formation and kill the bugs?" Zhang Lei shook his head and said, "No, you can't." Suddenly, Zhang Lei thought that although weapons could not be used in the formation, the energy emitted by them could still be used. He tried to shake his Hundred-Blade Spear and shot out an energy-converted spearhead. With a light sound of "bang," the spearhead dissipated inside the defense formation. Zhang Lei sighed, "We're trapped. Everyone rest first, and let me think if I can come up with a solution." Mei Jingjing played with two blue beads in her hand. Seeing this, Zheng Peng said, "Big sister, this big bead is for you. I was just joking with you earlier." Mei Jingjing took the bead and said sadly, "I know." Zhao Hao looked at Zhang Lei, lost in thought, and said regretfully, "Alas, it's my fault that I dragged everyone down." Mei Jingjing gently comforted him, "Old man, don't blame yourself. Don't be discouraged. I have faith in my brother! Look, so many bugs haven't hurt us yet." Zheng Peng also said, "Yes, I know Little Brother will find a way." After a long time of contemplation, Zhang Lei stood up and said, "None of you move, stay in the formation and wait for me." Mei Jingjing pouted her little mouth, her eyes turning red. Zhang Lei thought it wouldn't be good if the little girl cried, so he tried to comfort her with gentle words, "Don't worry, there won't be any problem. Don't you believe in your brother's ability? Just listen to me and wait. After I kill the bugs, I will go find the beads to play with you." He used all sorts of sweet words to stop her tears. Zhao Hao whispered, "Master, don't go too far. If something goes wrong, come back immediately, and we'll come up with another plan. Be careful!" Zhang Lei activated the Red Flame Dragon Shield, held the Hundred-Blade Spear, and leaped into the swarm of bugs. Mei Jingjing nervously covered her eyes and dared not look again. Zhao Hao and Zheng Peng were closely watching Zhang Lei. They planned to rush over and help out as soon as they found that something wasn't right. The shadow parasites saw that someone had come out and were excitedly screaming, charging up in a dense and orderly manner. Zhang Lei's scalp tingled. He shouted, "Excellent!" and wielded his Hundred-Blade Spear. Countless silver-white spearheads flew out from where he stood, "ping ping" echoed, and the bugs were knocked back far away. As he fought, Zhang Lei pondered. He suddenly realized that the design of this weapon had flaws. The power of the weapon that he had cultivated this time could not be adjusted, nor could it release energy corresponding to the strength of the opponent. The true element consumption rate was too high, which made it hard to engage in a long and tough battle. Zhang Lei decided to re-cultivate the weapon for the future. Disturbed by his thoughts, one shadow parasite suddenly jumped onto his back. Seeing this through the gaps between her fingers, Mei Jingjing's heart ached. She screamed and rushed out, whipping her horse in the air. Zhao Hao and Zheng Peng were shocked and quickly rushed out of the formation. Zhao Hao's treasure sword was swung like a violent storm, immediately forcing the surrounding bugs back. Zheng Peng wielded a long axe, relying on his strong built, rotating his waist to roundly chop. The three of them fought together in a tough battle.

The effectiveness of the Crimson Flame Dragon Shield was extraordinary, its counterattack force was incredibly powerful. The sharp mouthparts of the Shadowshooter insect struck towards Zhang Lei's neck like lightning, just as it was about to pierce through, a huge force rebounded and the bug was crushed to death. Zhang Lei was overjoyed; this was a good solution. He put away his gun and focused on operating the Crimson Flame Dragon Shield. Zhang Lei slowly realized why the Crimson Flame Dragon Shield was so powerful. The phantom energy emitted by Hundred-Blade Spear and Eaglestrike Crossbow were all the same size. It could kill weak opponents with one strike, but the excess energy would be wasted. If it encountered a strong defensive opponent, the phantom energy would not be fatal enough, causing even more waste of energy. But the Crimson Flame Dragon Shield was different. It was a passive defensive weapon that could adjust to the strength of the attack, and react accurately without wasting any energy, unless the opponent's strength was stronger than one's own.

A scream, it was Niu Niu's voice. Zhang Lei was shocked when he heard it and found that Zhao Hao and the others had run out of the formation, and they were in danger. Zhang Lei was so anxious that his eyes turned red, and he wasted his true element to launch the Golden Eagle. In an instant, the sky was full of Golden Eagles, he was desperate. Zhang Lei rushed to the three people like a whirlwind, holding Mei Jingjing with one hand and grabbing Zheng Peng's collar with the other, throwing him into the formation first. Zhao Hao was a smart person, he flew back to the formation before the Master came, and smashed one Shadowshooter insect with a casual blow. Mei Jingjing was unexpectedly held by Zhang Lei, and made a "yin" sound. She blushed and felt so embarrassed that her hands went limp. Her heart was pounding like a drum, thumping and chaotic. Zhang Lei, back in the formation, turned pale from excessive consumption of true element. He put down Mei Jingjing, sat down without saying a word and took out a piece of Immortal Stone to restore his consumed true element. Mei Jingjing, blushing, whispered to Zhao Hao, "Old man, if my brother scolds me, you must help me." Zhao Hao nodded, thinking to himself, "The Master probably won't scold you, but I'll be the first to bear the brunt." The flock of eagles outside the formation screeched and rushed towards the Shadowshooter insects, the deafening sound of explosions shook the sky. The exploding Golden Eagles ignited the surrounding trees and grass. A large fire broke out. Zhao Hao marveled at the power of this defensive formation. The raging fire and thick smoke outside the formation had no effect on the inside of the formation. The Shadowshooter insects could not stand the scorching heat and smoke, and fled one after another. The injured and weak ones were mostly dead. The fire gradually went out. Mei Jingjing looked worriedly at Zhang Lei and asked, "Old man, do you think my brother is in danger?" Zhao Hao shook his head and said, "There is no danger, the Master has consumed too much true element, but he will recover in a while. Don't worry, Niu Niu." Then he added: "Don't disturb him." Zheng Peng said, "The fire is out, let me go and take a look." Zhao Hao said anxiously, "I'll go with you. Niu Niu, take care of the Master, we won't go far." Mei Jingjing nodded and suddenly remembered to say," Blackie, help Niu Niu find some shiny pearls." The little girl just liked shiny things. Zhang Lei slowly absorbed the exquisite energy in the Immortal Stone in his hand, slowly replenishing his true element. In fact, he had not fully mastered the function of the Purple Flame Heart, he didn't even need to use other Immortal Stones to replenish true element, the energy of the Purple Flame Heart itself was only absorbed and fused with less than one-sixth. Unfortunately, Fu Shan was not around to guide him, so Zhang Lei had to explore blindly.

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Although his eyes were closed, Zhang Lei's senses became more and more acute. Suddenly, a bright light appeared in front of his eyes and he seemed to sink into his own body, surprised to find a tiny person sitting cross-legged inside him. The figure was only the size of a fist, wrapped in purple flames, and had delicate features that were identical to his own. Zhang Lei realized that this was his purple mansion Nascent Soul, which had just formed and was enveloped by the purple flame of his heart. He tried to sink his spiritual sense into the Nascent Soul and discovered that it was another self, made up entirely of pure vital energy. He attempted to exchange energy with the Nascent Soul and was amazed as it began to emit a continuous stream of purple light, gradually infusing into his body, allowing him to gain even greater power and purer true essence. Unbeknownst to him, he had already reached the state of an undying soul. Mei Jingjing watched anxiously, refusing to disturb Zhang Lei. She didn't understand why she had grown so concerned about him in just a few short days. Zhang Lei opened his eyes to see her worried gaze and reassured her, "Don't worry, Niu Niu, I'm fine. Hey, the bugs are all gone?" Mei Jingjing replied happily, "Yes, they're all dead. Master and Hei Zi are checking outside. Are you really okay?" Zhang Lei stood up and replied with a smile, "Yes, I'm fine. Ah, they're back." He thought to himself, "This time, I've really lucked out. Not only have I advanced to the middle Nascent Soul stage of the sixth layer of purity, but I've also formed a purple mansion Nascent Soul. The greatest gain, however, was making these three friends who are willing to risk their lives for me." In fact, he would also do the same for them. Zhao Hao returned and said to the master, "We need to leave here as soon as possible. We only had an insect infestation this time and no monsters appeared. If we encounter monsters, it will be even harder to deal with." Mei Jingjing was scared and exclaimed, "Monsters too? No wonder this place is called the Scary Slope. It scares Niu Niu to death." She saw Hei Zi and said, "Wow, so many beads, they're beautiful. Give me some!" Zhang Lei and Zhao Hao smiled at each other; this little girl is really interesting. The beads ranged in size and color. Zhang Lei picked one up and wondered if animals on Earth had this kind of shiny translucent beads. The moment he infused his true essence into it, he was shocked and threw it out, exploding and forming a pile of thick ice shards. "What happened?" everyone asked in surprise. A low echoing sound followed, and a gust of cold wind blew towards them. Mei Jingjing exclaimed, "Ah, it's so strange. How did it freeze?" Zhang Lei realized, "The structure inside the bead was too strange. It had two layers, which combined and exploded because of my true essence." He suddenly thought, this is a great attack bomb. Mei Jingjing laughed, "This is an ice bomb! Fantastic, if a monster appears, we can use it to freeze it to death!" "I'm hungry, let's go!" "Alright, let's go together." Zhang Lei deactivated the defensive formation, and the four of them walked forward. A faint smell of alcohol wafted in the air.

Zhao Hao sniffed and asked in a low voice, "Have you smelled anything? Yes, it must be the person who stole the wine yesterday. He is still here. Let me show him who's boss." Just thinking about it made him angry. He had fought a fierce battle for most of the day, and this guy was just hiding here, drinking. The four of them tiptoed over.

"Don't bother looking. I'm here!" a nonchalant voice came from a tall tree. The man sat on a high branch, swinging his legs, holding a wine bottle and taking the last sip, smiling and saying, "Good wine! Good wine! Really good wine! Hey, kid, do you still have this wine? I'll buy it."

Zhao Hao was furious. He stepped on the trunk and climbed up with a slanted sword ready to strike. The man did not bother to look, but circled his toes to force Zhao Hao down from the tree, shouting, "Come on down, and we'll have a good fight!"

Zhang Lei had been observing silently. He realized the truth that there were always people more experienced and better than oneself since Fu Shan took him away from Earth. He dared not underestimate anyone.

"You're not yet qualified. Even if all four of you attack together, it won't work!" He said. His feet still firmly on the tree, he asked, "What country is this China? And where is Sichuan Province? I'm really ignorant."

Zhang Lei was frightened, and only then noticed the label on the wine bottle.

Zheng Peng couldn't climb up the tall tree, so he spat in his hand, rubbed it, raised his large axe, and shouted, "Hey!" He began to chop the tree. The tree was big, but Zheng Peng's axe was also large.

The man on the tree shouted, "Hey, big boy, do you need firewood at home? There are small trees nearby. Don't cut this one. If you break it, I'll fall down!"

Mai Jingjing impatiently snapped her whip and said, "Come down here!" A white shadow flew towards the man. Unexpectedly, it disappeared silently.

Zhang Lei calmly took out a bottle of Moutai and opened it, laughing and saying, "Come over here, and taste this top-notch wine I've brought. Blackie, don't cut the tree. Let him stay up there."

This was a brilliant move by Zhang Lei. Moutai was of the strong aroma type. When the bottle was opened, the aroma filled the air. Zhao Hao applauded saying, "Master, this wine is great, really fragrant. I've been so tired. Let me have a drink." Mai Jingjing sneered, "Men always love alcohol. What's so fragrant about it?"

"Save some for me!" said Zheng Peng, running over to grab the wine. The man was foolish, not expecting Zhang Lei to have wine. He smelled the aroma and felt an itch in his throat, desiring to taste it himself. He had been set up and trapped since leaving Bada Star, and he was desperate for booze. But he couldn't get to drink this heavenly wine by himself. He turned his eyes, thinking, "If I can't have this bottle, it'll be too embarrassing." He then leaped gently like a leaf and floated down from the tree. But Zhang Lei and the others didn't even look at him. He cursed inwardly, put on a fake smile, and walked over with a swagger.

Zhao Hao admired his master in his heart. No matter how hard the three of them tried, they couldn't get him to come down from the tree. But when the master took out a bottle of good wine, he obediently came down. The man coughed and said: "This, that, um, wine and so on..." Zhang Lei thought to himself: "This person must be a super alcoholic. Judging from how he dealt with Niu Niu's whip, he is a rare cultivator. He loves wine so much, yet he refuses to use force to snatch it. Although he used deception yesterday, he still left ten taels of gold. Let's have some fun with him." In fact, Zhang Lei did not hold a grudge against him. The four of them were incredibly taciturn and ignored him as if they hadn't seen him, leaving the man dumbfounded. He was usually quick-witted and feared by everyone, but this time a bottle of wine had him stumped. Suddenly, a white light flashed, and he was gone. "Hey, he's gone," exclaimed Zhao Hao. The four of them knew he wouldn't leave so easily. Sure enough, a moment later, the man came running back, shouting and hollering. Behind him was a huge monster! The man ran to Zhang Lei, made a face, and said happily, "I accidentally angered the Gold Crystal Beast. Haha, I scared it away. Let's go!" A white light flashed, and he was sitting on the tree again, leisurely watching the excitement.