Chapter 167: Carlos Python Bloodline, Seed of Killing Intent
At the same time that Su Nan was under attack, the others in Secret Forest Hut were also ambushed.
Dark figures surged forth from the entrance, hissing and screeching as they charged toward the group.
Having taken the Photosensitive Potion beforehand, they quickly regained their vision in the dark and saw the attackers' faces.
They were enormous, thick-bodied pythons.
These pythons had semi-transparent bodies that stretched over a hundred meters long. The closer one looked to their heads, the clearer and more realistic they appeared. The scales, sharp as blades, stood erect, covering their heads. Their mouths were lined with teeth resembling swords, truly terrifying to behold.
Most of the group had focused their attention on the Multi-Winged Monster and, caught off guard, they were immediately bitten by the giant pythons.
But they quickly reacted and launched a counterattack.
Bang! Bang!
The grotesque heads of the pythons shattered one after another, their severed bodies twitching and retracting.
In the faint light, the semi-transparent snake heads slowly dissipated, but the group vaguely sensed that something had entered their bodies.
"What is this?" Black Forest's expression shifted slightly.
No one responded; everyone appeared surprised and uncertain.
Su Nan frowned, his gaze shifting toward the entrance a short distance away.
Two figures slowly emerged.
It was Saulo and Iro.
Saulo was still holding a severed head in his hand.
With a toss, he threw the head, and it flew over ten meters before hitting the ground and rolling a few times before coming to a stop, revealing a face still masked.
It was Undead.
Rose's expression shifted slightly.
She had just been wondering where Undead had gone, never expecting that he had already been killed by Saulo.
"Divine Being, huh."
Saulo's gaze swept over the group, finally resting on the Multi-Winged Monster. There was a slight inflection in his indifferent tone.
"It seems my luck is good. Besides the Star Tower Key, I've made some additional gains."
The unspoken meaning was that the Multi-Winged Monster was already considered to be in his pocket.
Black Forest was very displeased with Saulo's attitude and coldly sneered, "What a big mouth you have. There are only two of you left in the Eternal Life Society, while we are seven. Do you really think you stand a chance of winning?"
The others directed icy gazes towards Saulo and Iro.
While Saulo was indeed powerful and had a notorious reputation, the sheer number of their opponents was daunting, especially with Su Nan among them. It was clear that they held the advantage.
In fact, under these circumstances, it was puzzling that Saulo and Iro dared to show themselves instead of quietly escaping.
Su Nan's eyes flickered slightly as he recalled the earlier scene, feeling a vague sense of familiarity.
"A chance of winning?" A cold light flashed in Saulo's eyes. "Of course, we do."
As soon as he spoke, his robe flew open, revealing seven snake heads that shot out. Their mouths gaped open, forked scarlet tongues flicking in and out as they surged toward the group like lightning.
During their charge, the snake heads rapidly expanded. By the time they reached the group, each had ballooned to the size of millstones.
The members of the group unleashed their spells toward the snake heads.
The colorful spells struck the snake heads and vanished without a trace, as if absorbed into the sea. The snake heads, as though invigorated by some tonic, had scales growing darker and deeper, and their somewhat illusory bodies solidified.
Hiss! Hiss!
The snake heads became increasingly ferocious!
"What's going on?!"
Night Owl and the others changed expressions drastically and, in disbelief, cast a few more spells.
But these spells not only failed to harm the snake heads; they instead served as nourishment for the snakes, making them even stronger.
"Damn it! What kind of Bloodline Ability is this?" Black Forest cursed under his breath, his face pale with fury.
This bizarre ability was clearly not a spell or a trait of a magic item; it could only be some form of Bloodline Ability.
Yet, he had never seen such a strange Bloodline Ability before.
Could it be some kind of Ancient Bloodline?
Even Rose, who had exchanged blows with Saulo in the past, was now filled with shock.
Now she understood that Saulo hadn't used his full strength back then; otherwise, she and Red Heart might not have escaped at all.
But why did Saulo let them go?
For a time, everyone was thrown into a flustered chaos by the snake heads, unable to fight back yet unable to refrain from attacking.
Only Su Nan remained calm, a thoughtful glimmer in his eyes.
He tried attacking with Energy Particles and the Magic Pattern Core separately, but, without exception, the energy was absorbed by the snake heads.
Of course, not all attacks met the same fate.
For example, external objects like the Ice Seal Necklace and the High Rune Gem were not absorbed by the snake heads.
However, even if he smashed a snake head with a magical item, it would quickly regrow, with the only cost being the dimming of the other snake heads’ bodies.
Su Nan immediately deduced that the energy of these snake heads was interconnected, and unless they exhausted both their energy and Saulo's spiritual power, it would be impossible to destroy all of them.
Just then, a scream pierced the air.
Everyone turned to see that Saulo had appeared behind Black Forest, a hand piercing through his abdomen, stained with blood.
"Damn woman!" Black Forest shrieked, his skin suddenly bursting open as countless brown thorns erupted from within, enveloping him.
Saulo was pushed back by the thorns, retreating more than ten meters.
Light and shadow materialized beside him, slowly solidifying into Iro's figure.
It was she who had seized the opportunity to use Illusion to ambush Black Forest, creating a moment of distraction that allowed Saulo the opening he needed.
Su Nan glanced at Iro. Though she was average in one-on-one combat, she excelled in teamwork, achieving a synergistic effect greater than the sum of their individual abilities, making her the perfect support.
After being severely injured, Black Forest’s situation became extremely precarious. The snake heads relentlessly attacked him, leaving him struggling to cope, a pathetic sight.
However, what he feared more was Saulo and Iro, who were watching him like tigers eyeing their prey.
If he were ambushed by these two again, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Desperate, Black Forest loudly called out to the others for help.
However, the others were also preoccupied, busy dealing with the snake heads and unable to lend a hand.
After a dozen breaths, Black Forest was once again caught off guard by Iro's sneak attack using Illusion. Seizing the opportunity, Saulo moved in, and along with another snake head that struck from the other side, he tore Black Forest to shreds!
Less than ten minutes into the battle, despite having the advantage in numbers, the Secret Forest Hut side suffered their first casualty.
Seeing this, the hearts of Night Owl and the others sank.
They never imagined that Saulo's strength would be so terrifying.
Holding off seven opponents almost single-handedly, he still suppressed them to the point where they couldn't lift their heads. Such power was likely unheard of even across the entire Starlight Continent!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of loud sounds erupted suddenly.
Accompanied by a flash of Silver Light, all seven snake heads shattered almost simultaneously.
"Retreat!"
Su Nan shouted in a deep voice, simultaneously drawing the Magic Pattern Core into his body.
His already depleted Spiritual Power had been significantly drained by the previous attack. He couldn't use the Magic Pattern Core again, or it would completely exhaust his Spiritual Power.
Night Owl and the others were momentarily stunned but quickly reacted, gathering behind Su Nan.
Although they didn't fully understand Su Nan's intentions, his previous display of formidable power had already established him as the backbone of the Secret Forest Hut.
Under the current circumstances, everyone instinctively followed his lead.
"What, are you planning to surrender?" Saulo said expressionlessly, glancing at the snake heads slowly regenerating.
Su Nan chuckled, "The Carlos Python Bloodline, am I right?"
At this, Saulo, who had maintained a detached expression since the start of the battle, finally revealed a trace of emotion, his pupils contracting slightly.
Night Owl and the others immediately realized that the so-called Carlos Python Bloodline was the very Bloodline Saulo had fused with!
If they could identify the Bloodline Ability their opponent had fused with, they had a good chance of finding a way to counter it.
With this thought, everyone's spirits were instantly lifted.
Traveler hurriedly asked, "Su Nan, what are the abilities of the Carlos Python Bloodline?"
Su Nan said slowly, "The Carlos python is an Ancient Exotic Beast that feeds on the Killing Intent of its prey. It plants a Seed of Killing Intent within its victims. Once the Seed of Killing Intent is planted, as long as the host feels Killing Intent toward the Carlos python, they will continuously provide nourishment to it. Moreover, any attacks coming from the host will not harm the python; instead, the energy within those attacks will be absorbed, strengthening its body."
Night Owl and the others gasped, their faces filled with shock. Such a bizarre and powerful bloodline? So, the translucent snake heads that had previously entered their bodies and vanished were the so-called Seeds of Killing Intent. No wonder Saulo dared to reveal himself despite being outnumbered. The bloodline ability of the Carlos python was perfect for facing multiple opponents with just a few!
Within the range of the snake heads, the more opponents there were, the more nourishment the Carlos python would receive, making it even stronger. Especially when the opponents did not grasp the abilities of the Carlos python’s bloodline, it would be easy for them to inadvertently provide Saulo with a large amount of energy. They had unwittingly done just that moments ago.
Rose finally understood why Saulo had deliberately allowed them to escape before. It was all part of his plan to create the very situation they faced now.
"This is the first time I've encountered a Wizard Apprentice who recognized the Carlos python bloodline," Saulo remarked, looking at Su Nan with newfound respect. "Your knowledge is more extensive than I had imagined."
"Stone Scorpion is already dead at your hands, isn't it?"
Su Nan readily admitted, "That's right. Stone Singer's bloodline ability is formidable, but as long as you take precautions in advance, it is not difficult to deal with."
Hearing this, Night Owl and the others exchanged surprised glances. That mysterious Stone Scorpion had been killed by Su Nan? And what kind of bloodline did the Stone Singer possess?
For a moment, they all fell silent, unable to comprehend the implications. To ordinary people, a Wizard Apprentice was a symbol of profound knowledge. But standing next to Su Nan at that moment, they inexplicably felt a sense of shame, as if they were poor students.
Su Nan, however, paid no attention to the reactions of the others and simply waved his hand without looking back, saying, "You all should leave this place."
"This guy isn't someone you can deal with by throwing numbers at him. I'll take him on."
The others, including Night Owl, hesitated for only a moment before retreating obediently.
Despite having an understanding of Carlos's Python Bloodline abilities, they had no effective countermeasures.
After all, the best weapon against those snake heads was a Magic Item. However, this was precisely the weakness of many Other: Wizard Apprentices, including themselves.
They possessed only one or two Dim Magic Items at most, and those had already been used in previous battles. Against the snake heads, they were nearly defenseless and would likely end up as nourishment for their foe.
It was undeniable that Saulo's Carlos Python Bloodline was incredibly effective against Other: Wizard Apprentices. No wonder so many Level Three Wizard Apprentices had fallen to him.
Saulo acted as if he didn’t even notice Night Owl and the others retreating; his gaze was firmly fixed on Su Nan. In his eyes, Su Nan was the most troublesome enemy.
As long as he eliminated Su Nan, the rest of the Secret Forest Hut would pose no threat.
"Su Nan, can he do it?" Rose asked, her voice filled with worry.
Scepter whispered, "Don't forget, Su Nan still has his Mithril Golem."
The others were momentarily stunned, then their eyes lit up.
That's right!
The Golem was an external entity, inherently devoid of Killing Intent—a perfect counter to Carlos's Python Bloodline abilities. And Su Nan happened to possess a Mithril Golem!
The Golem's enormous size made it impossible to carry around in a Space Ring, which was why nobody had considered this option initially. It wasn’t until Scepter's reminder that they realized Su Nan had a way to transport the Golem.
However, their excitement quickly cooled.
A single Mithril Golem wouldn’t be enough to guarantee victory in a battle of this scale. At best, it could serve as a supplementary force, giving Su Nan slightly better odds.
After all, even without considering Carlos's Bloodline Ability, Saulo was still one of the top Level Three Wizard Apprentices.
The Cave fell silent.
Saulo's seven snake heads returned to their original state, their forked tongues flicking in and out, their cold, tyrannical eyes piercing through Su Nan like sharp swords.
At the same time, a figure emerged from thin air beside Su Nan.
Night Owl and the others were stunned by the sight.
The figure was not the Mithril Golem they had expected but a beautiful girl with snow-white skin.
"This is… Puppet?" Traveler asked, his face filled with astonishment.
The others also looked perplexed.
They could feel the distinct soul aura emanating from the girl, confirming that she was indeed a Puppet.
However, they had never seen a Puppet that resembled a human so closely.
To enhance their combat power, Puppets usually made trade-offs in their construction and appearance, often maintaining a humanoid form that was still easily distinguishable from a real person.
Only those Puppets not designed for combat or labor, but purely for aesthetic purposes or special uses, would be crafted to look exactly like a real human.
Such Puppets were typically called Dolls, to distinguish them from combat or labor-oriented Puppets.
The girl in front of them appeared to be a Doll.
But in this situation, why would Su Nan bring out a Doll?
For a moment, Night Owl and the others were completely baffled.
Meanwhile, Saulo stared at the girl Doll for a while, his eyes narrowing.
"Is this your trump card?"
"Doesn't it look like it?" Su Nan replied with a faint smile and issued an order to the Secret Puppet, "Let him see your power."
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