Cultivating Immortality in a World of Chaos

Chapter 68: Killing the Snake

In Ding Province, at the Old Dragon Pool.

Under the sparse stars of a moonlit night, a dark cloud drifted from afar and paused above the pool’s surface.

Fang Xi, concealed within the Black Cloud Pocket, stealthily observed the Old Dragon Pool.

He certainly wasn’t foolish enough to confront a Monster King based solely on intelligence reports.

What if the Dragonfish had unexpectedly reached Foundation Establishment, defying reason?

Therefore, personally verifying the situation was essential for safety!

Time seemed to pass unnoticed.

Beneath the bright moon, its light shimmered like water.

Splash!

Suddenly, ripples appeared on the mirror-like surface of the Old Dragon Pool.

The water erupted, revealing a massive, menacing black serpent’s head, followed by a body as thick as a large vat, stretching nearly thirty meters long!

It was the Dragonfish King of the Old Dragon Pool!

“What a formidable water snake!” From the Black Cloud Pocket, Fang Xi felt reassured; although the creature’s aura was strong, it hadn’t surpassed the limits of Qi Refinement!

At that moment, the colossal serpent coiled around itself, its head raised high, icy vertical pupils gazing at the moon while exhaling a purple forked tongue!

Hssss…

Hssss…

This giant python appeared to be absorbing lunar essence under the moonlight!

Even more astonishing to Fang Xi was the sight of two small bulges atop the python’s head!

“No wonder it’s called a Dragonfish… It truly possesses a trace of dragon bloodline!”

“Jackpot! This mythical beast must be worth a fortune in spirit stones!”

“If other cultivators saw it, they’d surely go mad trying to capture and tame it as their own spirit pet, right? After all, beasts with dragon blood tend to be incredibly powerful and advance rapidly, often reaching at least tier-2…”

Fang Xi surmised that the only reason this Dragonfish hadn’t yet ascended to tier-2 was due to the limitations of the Great Liang World!

In the southern wilderness’s cultivation realm, it might have already broken through to tier-2, or possibly even tier-3!

“That’s enough for now!”

The next day, as the morning sun rose,

Fang Xi watched lazily from his Black Cloud Pocket as the Dragonfish crawled back into its pool.

Not far from the Old Dragon Pool, nestled within a valley, stood a military encampment.

Hundreds of Yuanhe Mountain disciples clad in leather armor and heavy plate mail moved with disciplined precision, responding swiftly to strict commands.

Fang Xi descended near the camp and approached the entrance. Upon notification, Linghu Shan immediately emerged to greet him.

Linghu Shan donned full metal armor, giving off an amusing image akin to a monkey inside a tin can, despite the serious demeanor.

Fang Xi knew that this armor was specifically crafted to fit Linghu Shan’s enlarged form when his blood qi surged.

“Xiao You, what do you think of my five hundred ‘Wind Thunder Army’?” Linghu Shan proudly introduced, “Out of Yuanhe Mountain’s tens of thousands of disciples, only the cream of the crop were selected for this Wind Thunder Army. Together, they can challenge even a Zongshi!”

In essence, it closely resembled Dingzhou Army’s formidable martial force.

Fang Xi glanced at the array of armors, bows, arrows, long spears, and even two crossbow carts, then bluntly remarked, “I’m thinking… Great Liang might be doomed!”

Privately possessing such military equipment was punishable by death in ancient times!

Given the Wind Thunder Army’s configuration, it could potentially lead to the extermination of the entire Yuanhe Mountain sect, along with their extended families.

“Hahaha… Even if the imperial court desires stability in Ding Province, they must align themselves with our Yuanhe Mountain!” Linghu Shan responded assertively.

“Well then…” The fate of the Great Liang court mattered little to Fang Xi. “I’ve figured out the movement patterns of that young serpent. It’s time to begin the plan.”

“Many thanks for your assistance!” Linghu Shan solemnly bowed with clasped fists. “I have already sent messenger hawks with your information to the Zongshi Association. They should contact you promptly!”

Near the Old Dragon Pool, at the snake-dragon’s feeding grounds.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Soldiers of the wind and thunder army, clad in armor, dragged heavily sedated cattle and sheep one by one, carelessly tossing them into the wilderness.

Watching this scene, Fang Xi was somewhat speechless. “Isn’t this trap… too crude?”

Linghu Shan chuckled beside him, “That beast is incredibly stupid; it has fallen for identical traps three times already… Unfortunately, each time it managed to escape due to its tough scales.”

As Linghu Shan explained, the snake-dragon had extremely high resistance to toxins, making it nearly impossible to find a poison lethal enough to kill it. Even these powerful sedatives, capable of incapacitating a group of elephants, might only slow it down briefly.

Moreover, once sensing danger, the snake-dragon would rely on its impenetrable scales and swiftly retreat into the Old Dragon Pool.

Once it reaches the water, there would truly be no way to deal with it.

“It seems… these mythical beasts are quite dim-witted…” Fang Xi mused inwardly, wondering if this was unique to the Great Liang World.

“Indeed, mythical beasts behave predictably… Only devils exhibit unpredictable and varied tactics, lacking any discernible pattern,” Linghu Shan replied. He then asked Fang Xi, “Are you really not wearing armor? Are you certain your secret technique will work against that monstrous creature?”

Linghu Shan was deeply impressed by Fang Xi’s protective aura shield.

“I believe it should be effective.”

Based on his observation, Fang Xi confirmed the snake-dragon to be at Late Stage Qi Refinement, possibly even reaching great perfection stage for mythical beasts.

Ordinary defensive paper talismans might not suffice, but fortunately, he had a mid-grade defensive magical artifact—the Black Iron Shield!

It could certainly withstand at least one or two rounds of attack!

If after one or two rounds the snake-dragon still persisted, he would consider retreating. Hunting often requires immense patience.

Hunting requires immense patience.

Fang Xi and Linghu Shan waited for seven consecutive days without any sign of the snake-dragon.

Finally, on the eighth night:

Hisss!

A winding snake-like path emerged from the Old Dragon Pool, leading directly to the trap location.

In the darkness, the snake-dragon swiftly swallowed one of the cattle whole.

Unsatisfied after consuming the first cow, it proceeded to devour the nearby white sheep, each devoured with a single gulp, relishing its meal.

Critically, despite feasting on this surplus of cattle and sheep, the snake-dragon moved as swift as wind, showing no significant decrease in speed. For a moment, Fang Xi suspected that Linghu Shan might have purchased counterfeit medicine.

Fortunately, his exceptional eyesight allowed him to discern a subtle change - the snake-dragon seemed slightly more lethargic than before.

“Now!” Linghu Shan roared, charging forward with a massive mountain cleaver taller than himself.

“Launch!” Simultaneously, a commander of the wind and thunder army bellowed, prompting a martial artist to forcefully strike down, activating the trebuchet-style crossbow powered by over a dozen cultivators working together.

Whoosh!

With a piercing sound akin to a sonic boom, a jet-black streak instantly appeared, striking the snake-dragon and producing a brilliant shower of sparks!

Fang Xi could clearly see that from this strike, the snake-dragon merely lost a few scales, leaving behind only a negligible blood streak on its body.

“Beast, prepare to die!” Linghu Shan charged forward at that moment.

His giant cleaver erupted with a burst of crimson light amidst the darkness - Zongshi Astral Qi!

“Secret Technique: Heavenly Slash!”

The massive blade descended like a bolt of lightning, striking squarely onto the snake-dragon’s body.

Thud!

A deep wound, exposing bone, appeared instantly!

Hiss!

The snake-dragon’s scales trembled violently as its tail whipped fiercely.

Crash!

The ground churned, as if plowed multiple times by the force.

Despite his armor and true astral energy providing dual layers of defense, Linghu Shan was flung away effortlessly, akin to a fly swatted aside!

“Wind Battalion, engage!” Without hesitation, the commander of the wind and thunder army issued the order.

A hundred-man squad armed with long spears and axes immediately advanced, entangling the snake-dragon!

“Thunder Battalion, block its escape route!”

Following the command, cultivators surged forward one after another, inflicting insignificant wounds on the snake-dragon before being effortlessly torn apart and devoured…

In essence, they were sacrificing lives to prevent the snake-dragon from escaping!

“Hisss!”

The snake-dragon endured another strike from Linghu Shan’s returning blade, then enraged, opened its serpent jaws wide and swallowed nearly half of a wind and thunder soldier. Rearing high, it emitted a menacing hiss.

“The moment has come…”

Fang Xi, draped in his camouflage robe, had been observing coldly from the edge of the battlefield.

As the snake-dragon arched threateningly, Fang Xi’s eyes lit up, and he swiftly unleashed the Golden Flood Dragon Sword!

Shoo!

Like a streaking meteor, the golden sword gleamed through the dark night sky, striking precisely at the vulnerable spot just behind the snake-dragon’s head!

Pshhh!

Being a high-grade magical artifact, the Golden Flood Dragon Sword was exceptionally sharp. The snake-dragon’s scales offered minimal resistance before being brutally pierced, causing a torrent of blood to gush forth.

“Hiss!”

Overwhelmed by pain, the snake-dragon instantly spat out the partially consumed corpse and violently thrashed.

Boom! Boom!

It felt like an earthquake as soldiers of the wind and thunder army stumbled, with some unfortunate ones crushed into pulp.

Seizing this opportunity, the snake-dragon burst through the encirclement, frantically darting towards the Old Dragon Pool!

Once it reached the water, there would be no stopping it!

“Stop this beast!” Linghu Shan roared furiously, blocking the giant snake with successive slashes of his long blade.

However, the snake-dragon paid no heed to the additional wounds, enduring the bloodied gashes as it relentlessly crawled towards the Old Dragon Pool! To the creature, although this tiny ant could inflict damage, its power paled in comparison to the golden light’s potency.

“Frustrating! This again, just like before!” Linghu Shan seethed with anger.

In the previous siege, despite being able to breach the snake-dragon’s defenses, the injuries inflicted were negligible given its massive size. The beast had stubbornly endured the wounds and retreated back into the Old Dragon Pool.

Was history about to repeat itself once more?

“Now!” At this critical moment, Fang Xi struck again.

This time, the Golden Flood Dragon Sword acted like a golden needle, piercing through the snake-dragon’s defense and impaling its left eye.

“Hissss!”

The snake-dragon, writhing in pain, drew a deep breath, releasing a cloud of black mist from its mouth that explosively expanded!

The tendrils of black smoke resembled chains, forcing even the hidden Fang Xi to reveal his true form. “Mythical beast magic?”

Having encountered numerous mythical beasts in Great Liang, he almost forgot that those in the cultivation realm possessed such abilities! Likely due to the scarcity of spiritual energy in Great Liang, none of the beasts there exhibited these powers.

But evidently, this snake-dragon, with its potent bloodline and exceptional talents, awakened a specific type of ancestral magic during perilous times!

Bang!

Having identified the despicable ant responsible for the sneak attack, the snake-dragon hissed fiercely and swiftly struck with its massive tail.

“Black Iron Shield!”

“Golden Bell Barrier!”

“True Astral Field!”

Fang Xi rapidly activated three layers of defense. Moments later, he felt an overwhelming force akin to mountains collapsing, hurling him violently through the air.

The Black Iron Shield shattered first, followed by the Golden Bell Barrier tearing apart. Even his protective true astral field was pushed to its limits!

Fortunately, as a Martial Saint, Fang Xi’s physical resilience was formidable, allowing him to withstand such impact without harm.

Regaining control mid-air, he summoned the Black Cloud Pocket, using it to gently propel himself forward.

With the burst of true astral energy, Fang Xi reached behind the snake-dragon, noticing the still-bleeding wound near its vulnerable spot.

“Entangling Spell!”

Iron gauze grass sprouted like chains, growing wildly from the ground, ensnaring the snake-dragon securely, akin to iron claws emerging to hold it fast.

“Secret Technique: Primordial Infinity!”

Wielding the Golden Flood Dragon Sword, Fang Xi merged with the blade, becoming a streak of golden lightning that slammed directly into the existing wound!

“Hissss!”

The snake-dragon roared, its colossal body reaching the edge of the Old Dragon Pool just as its remaining eye fixed desperately on the water below - but it fell short by mere inches.

Thud!

Its enormous corpse collapsed heavily at the poolside.

Thus, one of Ding Province’s Eight Great Monster Kings met its demise!