Chapter 68: Slaying the Serpent (Congratulations to the Alliance Leader of the Heavenly Firmament Cloud Sea! )
Chapter 68: Slaying the Serpent (Congratulations to the Alliance Leader of the Heavenly Firmament Cloud Sea! )
Dingzhou, Old Dragon Pond.
It was precisely when the night stars were scarce; a dark cloud drifted from afar and halted above the pond.
Fang Xi, controlling his black cloud shroud, concealed his figure and silently observed Old Dragon Pond.
Of course, he wouldn't foolishly come to battle a demon king just based on intelligence.
What if the Flood Dragon, being unreasonable, had already broken through to Foundation Establishment?
Therefore, he absolutely had to see it for himself to be sure!
Time passed, an unknown duration.
Beneath the bright moon, the moonlight shimmered like water.
Suddenly, ripples spread across the surface of Old Dragon Pond, which had been as calm as a mirror.
The water burst open, and a massive, ferocious, pitch-black serpent's head emerged, followed by a body as thick as a water vat, nearly ten zhang long!
The Old Dragon Pond Flood Dragon King!
“What a water serpent! ”
Within the black cloud shroud, Fang Xi felt greatly relieved. Although its aura was strong, it had not surpassed the limits of Qi Refinement!
At this moment, the giant serpent coiled into a circle, its head held high, its infinitely cold vertical pupils staring at the moonlight, and flicking out a purple forked tongue!
Hiss. . . Hiss. . .
Hiss. . . Hiss. . .
This giant python seemed to be absorbing moonlight essence beneath the moon!
What astonished Fang Xi even more was that on top of the giant python's head, there were actually two bulging bumps!
“No wonder it's called a Flood Dragon. . . it truly possesses a trace of Flood Dragon bloodline! ”
“I'm rich, I'm rich! This demon beast is worth a fortune in spirit stones! ”
“If other cultivators saw this, they'd surely go crazy trying to capture it and tame it as their own spirit pet, right? After all, demon beasts with dragon blood are very powerful and ascend quickly, almost all are second-order or higher. . . ”
Fang Xi estimated that the reason this Flood Dragon couldn't advance to the second-order was entirely due to the Da Liang world's limitations!
If it were in the South Barrens Cultivation World, it might have broken through to the second-order long ago, or even the third-order!
“That's enough! ”
The next day, the morning sun rose.
Watching the Flood Dragon King lazily crawl back into the pond, Fang Xi controlled his black cloud shroud and slowly drifted away.
Not far from Old Dragon Pond, in a valley, there was an army camp.
Hundreds of Yuan He Mountain disciples, clad in leather and metal armor, moved with strict discipline and followed orders rigidly.
Fang Xi landed near the edge of the camp and approached its entrance.
After announcing his arrival, Linghu Shan immediately came out to greet him.
This person was also clad in a full set of metal armor, looking as if a monkey lived inside an iron can, which somehow gave off a comedic air.
Fang Xi, however, knew that this armor was precisely forged to match Linghu Shan's physique when his blood-qi erupted.
“Young friend, how do you like my five hundred 'Wind-Thunder Army'? ”
Linghu Shan proudly introduced: “My Yuan He Mountain has over ten thousand disciples, and from them, only the best of the best were selected to form this five hundred-strong Wind-Thunder Army. United, even a Grandmaster could contend against them! ”
This was, in essence, an imitation of Dingzhou's martial artist army.
Fang Xi swept his gaze over the armors, bows, spears, and even two siege crossbows, and directly stated: “I'm thinking. . . Da Liang is probably doomed! ”
In ancient times, privately possessing armor was a capital offense!
Given the Wind-Thunder Army's setup, exterminating the entire Yuan He Mountain sect, along with their nine generations of relatives, would be about right.
“Hahaha. . . Even the imperial court, if it wants Dingzhou to be stable, it still needs to curry favor with my Yuan He Mountain! ”
Linghu Shan answered with domineering confidence.
“So be it. . . ”
What happened to the Da Liang imperial court was none of Fang Xi's concern anyway: “I've already figured out the patterns of that little serpent's movements; the plan can begin. ”
“Thank you for your assistance! ”
Linghu Shan solemnly cupped his fists: “I have already sent your message via flying eagle letter to the Grandmaster Society; I presume someone from there will contact you soon! ”
...
Old Dragon Pond.
Near the serpent-dragon's foraging grounds.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Cattle and sheep, each having been heavily drugged with anesthetics, were dragged by armored Wind-Thunder Army soldiers and carelessly discarded in the wilderness.
Fang Xi watched this scene, somewhat speechless: “This trap. . . isn't it too crude? ”
Linghu Shan, standing beside him, chuckled: “That beast is incredibly stupid; it's fallen for this exact same trap three times. . . Unfortunately, each time it relied on its thick hide and tough flesh to escape. ”
According to Linghu Shan, this serpent-dragon had extremely high venom resistance, and there were simply no drugs that could poison it to death.
Even these anesthetics, which could fell a herd of elephants, might only make it slightly sluggish for a short period.
Furthermore, once this serpent-dragon sensed danger, it would rely on its impenetrable scales and directly flee into Old Dragon Pond.
Once it entered the water, there would truly be no way to deal with it.
“It seems. . . these demon beasts are quite foolish. . . ” Fang Xi thought to himself, “Could this be a unique characteristic of the Da Liang world? ”
“Demon beasts are all like this. . . Only demons are truly cunning and unpredictable, with no discernable patterns. ” Linghu Shan then asked Fang Xi: “Are you really not going to wear armor? Are you sure your secret art will also work on that beast? ”
He was deeply impressed by Fang Xi's protective light barrier.
“It should be mostly effective. ”
From his observations that day, Fang Xi confirmed that the serpent-dragon was likely a late-stage Qi Refinement, or even a Great Circle, demon beast.
Ordinary defensive talismans might not work, but fortunately, he still had a mid-grade defensive artifact—the Profound Iron Shield!
At the very least, it could block one or two attacks!
If, after one or two attacks, he still couldn't eliminate this serpent-dragon, then he could consider the matter of retreat.
...
Hunting required a great deal of patience.
Fang Xi and Linghu Shan waited for seven consecutive days, but the serpent-dragon did not appear.
It wasn't until the night of the eighth day.
Hiss!
A serpentine path emerged from Old Dragon Pond, winding its way to the trap's location.
In the darkness, a yellow ox was swallowed whole by the serpent-dragon in one gulp.
After swallowing this yellow ox, it remained unsatisfied and began devouring the white sheep nearby, each consumed in a single bite, eating with great relish.
More crucially, even after consuming so many 'enhanced' cattle and sheep, it still moved like the wind, its speed showing little change compared to before, leading Fang Xi to briefly suspect Linghu Shan had bought counterfeit medicine.
Fortunately, his eyesight was extraordinary, and upon careful distinction, he could still discern that the serpent-dragon seemed a bit more sluggish.
“Now! ”
Linghu Shan roared and charged directly forward, wielding a great sabre for splitting mountains that was taller than himself.
“Control! ”
At the same time, a general in the Wind-Thunder Army let out a fierce shout, and a Martial Master immediately slammed a hammer down, activating a siege crossbow that had been drawn back by the combined strength of over a dozen martial artists!
Whoosh!
Amidst the piercing sonic boom, a dark, shadowy beam of light arrived in an instant, striking the serpent-dragon and producing a bright spark!
Fang Xi could clearly see that under this strike, the serpent-dragon had merely lost a few scales, with only a tiny, insignificant bloody mark appearing on its body.
“Beast, surrender your life! ”
At this moment, Linghu Shan also arrived, unleashing his attack.
The great sabre in his hand, in the darkness of the night, suddenly erupted with a ring of bloody light.
Grandmaster True Vigor!
“Secret Technique: Heaven Cleave! ”
The massive sabre, like a bolt of lightning, struck directly onto the serpent-dragon's body.
Pfft!
A wound deep enough to expose bone appeared!
Hiss!
The serpent-dragon's scales all over its body quivered, and its tail suddenly lashed out!
Whap!
The ground churned, as if it had been plowed repeatedly.
A terrifying force slammed into Linghu Shan, and even with his double layer of defense—armor and True Vigor—he was sent flying as if swatted like a fly!
“Wind Division, advance! ”
Within the Wind-Thunder Army, the general immediately gave the order without hesitation.
A hundred-man squad immediately advanced with spears, great axes, and other weapons, and began to entangle the serpent-dragon!
“Thunder Division, block their retreat! ”
Following the command, martial artists charged forward one after another, inflicting insignificant wounds on the serpent-dragon, only to be easily torn apart and devoured by the demon beast. . .
Overall, it was a strategy of using human lives to prevent the serpent-dragon's escape!
“Hiss! ”
The serpent-dragon took another strike from the returning Linghu Shan, and in a fit of rage, opened its maw, swallowing most of a Wind-Thunder Army soldier, and raising its head high, it let out a threatening hiss.
“It's time. . . ”
Fang Xi, who had been cloaked in camouflage, observed coldly from the edge of the battlefield.
When the serpent-dragon reared its upper body in a threatening posture, his eyes lit up, and he raised his hand, releasing the Golden Flood Dragon Sword!
Whoosh!
The golden sword light, like a meteor, tore through the dark night sky and directly pierced the serpent-dragon's vital spot!
Pfft!
After all, the Golden Flood Dragon Sword was a superior-grade artifact and incredibly sharp. The serpent-dragon's scales only slightly hindered it before it was violently pierced through, with a large amount of serpent blood gushing out.
“Hiss! ”
In pain, the serpent-dragon immediately spat out the half-swallowed corpse and violently thrashed.
Rumble!
Like an earthquake, the Wind-Thunder Army soldiers were sent tumbling, men and horses alike, with the unlucky ones directly crushed into pulp.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the serpent-dragon violently burst out of the encirclement and frantically darted towards Old Dragon Pond!
Once it slipped into the water, it would be fearless!
“Stop this beast! ”
Linghu Shan roared, standing in front of the giant serpent and slashing repeatedly with his long sabre.
But the serpent-dragon paid no heed whatsoever, letting several more bloody marks appear on its body, and desperately crawled towards Old Dragon Pond!
To it, this little ant, though capable of causing damage, was far weaker than that golden light.
“Damn it, it's like this again, always like this! ”
Linghu Shan's eyes were about to split open with rage.
The last time they encircled it, it was the same; even though he could break through its defenses, the injuries were nothing to the serpent-dragon's massive body, and it stubbornly endured the wounds to burrow back into Old Dragon Pond.
This time, would they have to repeat the same mistake?
“Go! ”
At this critical moment, Fang Xi struck again.
This time, the Golden Flood Dragon Sword was like a golden needle, piercing through the serpent-dragon's resistance and embedding itself in its left eye.
“Hiss! ”
In agony, the serpent-dragon suddenly took a deep breath, and a cloud of black mist emerged from its maw, then exploded with a boom!
Streaks of black smoke, like chains, forced the concealed Fang Xi to reveal his true form: “Demonic art? ”
Having dealt with many demon beasts in the Da Liang world, he had almost forgotten that demon beasts in the cultivation world could use demonic arts!
Of course, perhaps due to the Da Liang world's scarce spiritual energy, previous demon beasts hadn't possessed this ability.
But it was clear that this serpent-dragon, with its rich bloodline and extraordinary talent, had awakened a certain bloodline demonic art in this critical moment!
Thump!
Upon seeing the detestable ant that had truly ambushed it, the serpent-dragon hissed, and its enormous tail violently slammed down.
“Profound Iron Shield! ”
“Golden Bell Cover! ”
“True Vigor! ”
Fang Xi activated three layers of defense on himself in succession, and immediately felt a force like a landslide and a tidal wave surge towards him, sending him violently flying away.
The Profound Iron Shield was the first to fly off, and the Golden Bell Cover instantly tore apart.
Even his protective True Vigor was shaken to its limit!
Fortunately, Fang Xi's own physique was also at the Martial Saint level, his internal organs resilient, and unafraid of slight tremors.
He stabilized himself in mid-air, summoned his black cloud shroud, and with its aid, lightly leaped.
With his True Vigor erupting, Fang Xi had already reached the serpent-dragon's back, and saw the bleeding wound at its vital spot.
“Entanglement Art! ”
Strands of iron-chain-like Iron Net Grass leaves grew wildly, like iron claws emerging from the ground, firmly pinning the serpent-dragon in place.
“Secret Technique: Primordial Limitless! ”
Wielding the Golden Flood Dragon Sword, he became one with his sword, like a golden bolt of lightning, he slammed down with a crash towards the original wound!
“Hiss! ”
The serpent-dragon hissed and roared, its enormous body had already reached the edge of Old Dragon Pond, its remaining vertical pupil staring intently at the pond water, but ultimately, it was one step too late.
Whap!
Its massive corpse collapsed, smashing heavily onto the edge of the pond.
One of Dingzhou's Eight Great Demon Kings, perished thus!
With gratitude, I thank Elvin2016 for the Silver Alliance Leader's reward. *Sob sob sob. . . *
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