A wave of foul, scorching heat almost knocked me to the ground! I steadied myself, my heart still pounding, and finally saw the behemoth before us: a giant python covered in black scales, thick enough for a dozen people to wrap their arms around, coiled right in front of us and looking down at us with a condescending gaze. Its forked scarlet tongue darted in and out, and its slit-like green pupils gleamed with a chilling, cold light.
"B-Black Snake Spirit!" I gasped involuntarily, a cold sweat breaking out across my palms where I gripped the hilt of my sword. Rumor had it that a Black Snake Spirit, having cultivated for centuries and grown fiercely cruel, infested the Black Wind Ridge, but I never expected the rumor to be true!
"Hiss, hiss—" The Black Snake Spirit flicked its tongue, its voice as harsh as a broken bellows. "Miserable humans, how dare you trespass into my territory! You are truly courting death!"
Before the echo of its words had even faded, the Black Snake Spirit abruptly opened its blood-red jaws and lunged right at us!
"Get back!" A-Chen shoved me aside, drawing his sword from its scabbard in one fluid motion, and charged straight at the Black Snake Spirit.
"A-Chen!" I cried out, watching as A-Chen moved with agility, his sword flashing like lightning as he locked in combat with the Black Snake Spirit.
I took a deep breath, telling myself not to panic—this was no time to be afraid! Gripping my long sword tightly, I joined the fray as well.
However, the Black Snake Spirit was, after all, a Demon Beast that had cultivated for centuries, and its strength was far beyond what the two of us could withstand. With agile movements, it swept its giant tail across the space, and the two of us were like a single leaf in a violent storm, in danger of being swallowed whole at any second.
"A-Chen, watch out!" I felt my heart tighten as I saw the Black Snake Spirit open its gaping maw to snap at A-Chen.
At the very last split second, A-Chen sidestepped the attack, but its sharp fangs still grazed his arm, and fresh blood instantly stained his sleeve crimson.
"A-Chen!" I cried out, throwing caution to the wind as I rushed to his side and swung my sword to force the Black Snake Spirit back.
"I'm fine," A-Chen said, his face pale as he gritted his teeth against the pain. "Go! I'll hold it off!"
"No way! We go together!" I shook my head stubbornly, shielding A-Chen behind me.
"Hiss, hiss—" Seeing how "deeply devoted" we were to each other, the Black Snake Spirit flashed a mocking glint in its eyes, its voice turning even more chilling and bone-chilling. "Since you both want to die together, then I will grant your wish!"
With that, the Black Snake Spirit launched another attack against us. This time, its offensive was even more ferocious than before, as if it intended to crush us completely to pieces...
I felt a crushing wave of pressure descend upon me, making it difficult even to breathe. Could it be that today was truly going to be the day we met our end here?
No, I couldn't give up! I still had many things left to do—I couldn't die in this place!
Clenching my jaw, I channeled all my Spiritual Power into my sword and desperately fought back against the Black Snake Spirit's assault.
"A-Li, get out of here! Don't worry about me!" A-Chen suddenly shouted, giving me a fierce shove.
Before I could even react, I watched as the Black Snake Spirit's massive tail lashed viciously against A-Chen...
"A-Chen!" "A-Chen!" With my own eyes, I watched A-Chen get struck flying by that giant tail, crashing heavily to the ground several yards away as blood stained the earth red. My heart felt as though it had been violently clenched by an invisible hand, gripping me with excruciating pain.
"A-Chen! Are you alright?!" I rushed to A-Chen's side like a madman, completely forgetting that the Black Snake Spirit was still lurking nearby.
A-Chen's face was ashen, his lips utterly drained of color, and his breathing feeble. The clothes across his chest were soaked through with blood. He tried his hardest to prop himself up, but his arms dropped limply back down, and he shook his head weakly. "I'm... fine... Just go..."
"Don't talk nonsense!" My eye sockets burned and my voice choked. With injuries like this, how could he possibly be fine! I hurriedly reached into my robes and pulled out a pill emitting a gentle white glow—a supreme treasure for healing given to me by Master, which I had always been reluctant to use.
"A-Li, don't waste it. I..."
"Take it down!" Fighting back my tears, I shoved the pill into his mouth. The pill melted the moment it touched his tongue, transforming into a warm current that surged through every bone and limb in A-Chen's body. I stared at him anxiously, praying for a miracle to happen.
"Hiss, hiss—" The impatient voice of the Black Snake Spirit rang out once again. "Little girl, do you still not realize your situation? Surrender obediently, and this lord might even leave your corpse intact!"
I turned a deaf ear, concentrating all my attention entirely on A-Chen. The medicinal pill proved effective indeed: the color gradually returned to A-Chen's face, and his breathing steadied significantly, though his injuries remained too severe for him to make a full recovery anytime soon.
"A-Li..." A-Chen labored to speak, intending to say something, but I cut him off.
"You don't need to say anything. Just rest well, and leave the rest to me." I helped him lean against a large tree, stood back up, and gazed with determination at the Black Snake Spirit.
"You beast! I'll make you pay with blood!" A surge of fury welled up from the depths of my heart. I gripped my sword tighter, and a piece of advice Master had once given me flashed through my mind: "All things in this world are mutually reinforcing and restraining; even a powerful Demon Beast is bound to have its weakness..."
Its weakness? I carefully observed the Black Snake Spirit. Its entire body was covered in hard, impenetrable scales, except... I noticed that a patch of scales on its belly was slightly paler in color, appearing somewhat more fragile than the rest.
Could that be its weakness? Joy flared in my chest, but I calmed down just as quickly. The Black Snake Spirit was massive and agile; how difficult would it be to strike its belly!
"A-Li, watch out!" A-Chen's weak voice reached my ears, pulling my thoughts back to reality.
The Black Snake Spirit launched another attack, the foul-smelling gust of wind hitting me full in the face, and I hastily dodged to the side. This won't do—if this keeps up, I'll never get an opening to strike its weak spot!
"A-Chen, can you still move? I need your help!" I shouted out loud.
"I can!" A-Chen struggled to his feet; though his face remained pale, his gaze was exceptionally resolute.
"Good! Let's kill it together!" A flicker of hope ignited within me.
I shared my plan with A-Chen, and he nodded without the slightest hesitation. We exchanged a glance, each understanding the other's intent.
"Hiss, hiss—" Seemingly sensing our intentions, the Black Snake Spirit flashed a trace of wariness in its eyes, though it hardly believed these two feeble humans could pose any real threat to it.
"Overestimating yourselves!" the Black Snake Spirit roared, its massive body hurtling toward us like an arrow loosed from a bow.
"Now!" A-Chen and I struck simultaneously...
The long sword in my hand erupted with a dazzling radiance, thrusting straight at the Black Snake Spirit's vital spot beneath its chin—the most vulnerable point in its defenses. The Black Snake Spirit clearly had not anticipated that I would target this specific spot, and it let out a shrill, miserable screech, its massive body thrashing violently as it tried to shake me off.
Right at that moment, A-Chen seized the opportunity, his sword transforming into a flash of lightning that pierced accurately into that slightly paler scale on the Black Snake Spirit's belly...
"Aroo—" The Black Snake Spirit let out a deafening, agonizing shriek, its colossal body crashing heavily to the ground and sending up a cloud of dust...
I staggered back a few steps, looking at the scene before us with a complex mix of emotions. We had won, but this victory had come at a heavy price.
"A-Li, are you alright?" A-Chen walked over to my side, asking with concern.
"I'm fine..." I shook my head and looked off into the distance. Suddenly, my expression changed and I cried out, "Oh no!"
A figure clad in gray Taoist robes had appeared not far away. He was lean and gaunt with a gloomy expression, his eyes fixed on us with the cold, chilling gleam of a venomous snake.
"Elder Qu..."
"Elder Qu..." I gasped, my heart sinking heavily. Why would he appear here? Could this unexpected disaster not have been a coincidence after all? There was no time to overthink; instinctively, I shielded A-Chen behind me, glaring vigilantly at Elder Qu.
A sinister smile hung on his lips as he slowly walked closer, his gaze falling greedily upon the long sword in my hand. "This sword should belong to me."
Enduring his pain, A-Chen struggled to his feet and stepped up beside me. "Elder Qu, what do you mean by this? This sword belongs to A-Li!"
"Audacious!" Elder Qu's expression darkened. "You two juniors dare speak to me in such a tone!" A flash of murderous intent crossed his eyes. "This sword is an Ancient Divine Artifact—how could it ever be something mere wet-behind-the-ears brats like you deserve to possess? If you know what's good for you, hand it over obediently, and I can spare your lives!"
"In your dreams!" I gripped my sword tighter, glaring angrily at Elder Qu. "This sword was left to me by my master, so don't you dare harbor any thoughts about it!"
"Hmph, since you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!" Elder Qu let out a cold snort, his figure flickering like a phantom as he lunged toward us. His speed was so great that I had no time to react; before I could even process it, feeling a blur before my eyes, Elder Qu was already right in front of us.
"A-Li, watch out!" A-Chen shoved me aside forcefully, taking the full brunt of Elder Qu's palm strike himself.
"A-Chen!" I cried out, watching helplessly as A-Chen was sent flying once again, crashing heavily a few paces away and lying there with his life or death unknown.
"You're courting death!" My eyes split with fury, the rage in my heart erupting like a volcano as the sword in my hand burst with dazzling brilliance, thrusting straight at Elder Qu's chest.
Clearly, Elder Qu had not expected that a Qi Condensation stage junior like me could erupt with such formidable power. Caught off guard, he was actually forced back a few steps by my thrust.
"Interesting." A trace of surprise crossed Elder Qu's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by an even deeper greed. "It seems this sword is indeed extraordinary. Today, I'll finish both of you off together and take both the sword and its secrets!"
With that, he attacked me once more. This time, he unleashed his full strength; every single move was vicious and fatal. Although I held the divine sword in my hand, my cultivation was ultimately shallow, and I quickly found myself at a disadvantage.
"A-Li, never mind me—run!" A-Chen's voice drifted over weakly, but I acted as though I hadn't heard it at all. Only a single thought filled my mind: I must never hand the sword over to him!
I tried my utmost to block Elder Qu's onslaught; however, my strength before Elder Qu was like a mayfly attempting to shake a giant tree—utterly negligible. Just as I was about to collapse, a warm hand grasped mine...
"A-Li, let's fight together!" It was A-Chen! He had somehow managed to stand back up. Though his face remained pale, his gaze was exceptionally resolute, and the sword in his hand erupted with a dazzling radiance that resonated with the light of my own sword, faintly forming a barrier that kept Elder Qu's attacks at bay...
"A-Chen..." Warmth flooded my heart, and an unprecedented strength surged from the depths of my being. I gripped A-Chen's hand tightly, gazing resolutely at Elder Qu. "Today, even if we must stake our lives, we will protect each other and never take half a step back!"
Yet, neither of us noticed the cold, sinister smile that crept onto the corner of Elder Qu's mouth. He slowly raised his hand, chanting under his breath as a bizarre aura spread through the surrounding air...
I felt the air around us freeze as if turning solid, and a suffocating pressure bore down upon us. Elder Qu's chilling laughter echoed in my ears like a death knell from hell. "Overestimating your own capabilities! Let me show you what true power really is!"
He formed hand seals rapidly, chanting obscure, incomprehensible incantations. The surrounding trees began to shake violently, and the ground started to tremble. With a resounding boom, a bottomless fissure tore open right beneath our feet, and rolling black qi spewed forth from the crevice, carrying a nauseating stench of decay.
"Oh no, this is..." A-Chen's expression changed drastically as he gasped.
Before he could finish speaking, that black qi coiled around us like something alive. Waving the sword in my hand, I tried to slash through the black qi, only to find that it was like a sticky bog—impossible to strike.
"Ah!" I felt a piercing pain as the black qi surged into my body like venomous snakes, devouring my Spiritual Power. My consciousness grew increasingly hazy, and my body began to plummet downward out of control.
"A-Li!" I heard A-Chen's heart-rending cry and felt him grab my hand tightly, trying to pull me back up. But the pull was far too powerful; both of us were plunging endlessly downward into a boundless abyss of darkness as despair washed over me like a tide.
"A-Chen..." Gathering my very last shred of strength, I gripped his hand back tightly. "I'm sorry... I've dragged you down..."
"Don't talk nonsense!" A-Chen's voice trembled, yet it was filled with unwavering resolve. "Even if we die, I will die with you!"
His words acted like a warm current, thawing my frozen heart. Indeed, even in death, to be able to die alongside him—what was there to fear?
At this life-or-death juncture, all fear miraculously vanished from my heart, replaced only by an infinite yearning. Greedily, I gazed at the youth before me; his face still retained a trace of youthful immaturity, yet his gaze was unshakeably steadfast.
I had fallen in love with this youth—in love with his bravery, his kindness, and his warmth. Even within this desperate abyss, he remained the sole light in my heart.
"A-Chen..." Using my final bit of strength, I gently caressed his face. "Promise me... even if only for my sake... you must... survive..."
"No, I won't!" A-Chen's tears finally broke through the floodgates. "I want to stay with you, always and forever!"
He pulled me into a tight embrace, and scalding hot tears dripped onto my face, burning like a brand deep into my heart. I could no longer contain my emotions, and tears streamed uncontrollably from my eyes.
Suddenly, we felt the speed of our descent slow down, and the surrounding darkness began to dissipate, replaced instead by... a bizarre, eerie crimson glow...
"This is..." Before A-Chen could finish his sentence, we crashed heavily onto the ground. Every bone in my body felt shattered, the excruciating pain making it nearly impossible to breathe.
"Cough, cough..." I struggled to stand up, only to find myself utterly immobilized, forced to watch helplessly as everything unfolded around us...