novelapdf Chapter 199 Emptying Out? Xiao Zhu's Methods
Chapter 199 Emptying Out? Xiao Zhu's Methods
The startled flock of birds dispersed like a dark cloud; it was clear something was moving in the woods, heading this way.
Chu Lingzhu tried her best to calm herself down.
She remembered there was a hidden cave near the left cliff face.
"We have no choice but to give it our all!"
Chu Lingzhu made a decisive decision.
She first ran to the nearly extinguished campfire, dragged over the two snake demon corpses, and piled them on the fire.
Then he took out two thumb-sized, round pills wrapped in copper from the medicine box.
"What a waste! It could have been remodeled."
A flicker of heartache crossed the girl's eyes.
The ingredients inside were refined by her over three months.
Although it hurt, Chu Lingzhu gritted her teeth and stuffed the two copper pills into the abdominal wound of one of the snake demons.
She then went to Jiang Mu's Blood Frenzy Blade, took out a glass bottle containing a clear liquid, poked a small hole in the seal with a needle, and tied the bottle upside down to the tip of the blade.
Then, he pulled a thin, long hemp rope from the medicine box.
One end was tied to her slender waist, and the other end was bound to the hilt of the knife.
After doing all this, she shouldered her medicine kit and returned to Jiang Mu's side.
"Silly boss, this is really heavy."
Chu Lingzhu knelt on the ground, draped one of the man's arms over her neck, and with almost all her strength, gritted her teeth, and forcefully lifted half of Jiang Mu's body.
She dragged her feet with difficulty.
The blade, bound to his back with a rope, dragged along the ground.
The liquid from the medicine bottle dripped down the tip of the knife, leaving an invisible trail on the ground.
halfway.\
Chu Lingzhu estimated that the distance was about right, so she untied the rope around her waist and casually tossed the Blood Mad Blade aside.
Then, she gritted her teeth and, supporting Jiang Mu, trudged towards the hidden cave, her steps uneven.
Each step felt like it took all my strength.
Her once neat dress was now soaked with sweat, clinging tightly to her body and outlining her youthful yet graceful curves.
The girl felt as if her legs were filled with lead.
Jiang Mu's arm was pressing down on her neck, causing her excruciating pain and making her feel like she was suffocating.
After much effort, Chu Lingzhu finally managed to drag and pull Jiang Mu into the hidden cave.
The cave was extremely small, barely three square meters.
It was dark and damp inside.
Chu Lingzhu carefully laid Jiang Mu flat on a relatively dry, flat stone at the deepest part of the cave.
Without even taking a break, she took a bottle of powder from her medicine box, ran to the cave entrance, and carefully sprinkled it around the perimeter of the cave.
After confirming that nothing was missed, the girl ran out of the cave again.
They quickly returned to the spot where they had thrown down the Bloodthirsty Blade, following the path they had come from.
She picked up the long knife, deliberately changed direction, and headed towards the depths of the dense forest on the opposite side of the cave.
We wandered around and around in the woods, making several large circles.
Then he wiped the medicinal liquid off the knife, picked it up, and returned to the cave.
"thump!"\
Upon entering the cave, Chu Lingzhu collapsed next to Jiang Mu, panting heavily.
She looked as if she had been pulled out of the water.
His face was flushed.
Sweat streamed down his forehead, trickling down his long neck and into his clothes.
Her once neat updo was now disheveled.
Chu Lingzhu took out her water bag from the medicine box, uncorked it, and gulped down two large mouthfuls of water.
He turned his head and looked at Jiang Mu, who was still unconscious.
"Hmph, you had the nerve to say you'd protect me... and what happened? In the end, you still have to rely on me to protect you!"
Although the girl complained, her eyes revealed worry.
She rested for a moment, then approached the cave entrance, straining her ears to listen to the sounds outside.
……\
……\
Not long after Chu Lingzhu hid in the cave.
At this moment, a man and a woman appeared beside the campfire where the two had been.
The man was the purple-robed man who had left and returned.
His once handsome face was now covered in cracks, like skin that had been baked dry and cracked, emitting a faint black aura.
Beside him was a tall woman.
The woman wore a blue scale-patterned leather armor that accentuated her alluring figure, highlighting her voluptuous chest and slender waist.
Her face was alluring yet carried a chilling aura.
The pupils appeared as vertical lines.
Judging from its appearance, it is clearly a snake demon.
The surrounding dense forest, thickets, and even tree trunks were teeming with countless snakes of varying thicknesses.
They flicked their scarlet tongues and hissed.
Pairs of eyes gleamed with a cold, eerie light in the darkness, completely surrounding the area.
Staring at the two charred snake demon corpses on the ground, the purple-robed man's face turned ashen, his fists clenching so tightly they cracked: "Damn it, those two guys ran pretty fast!"
The woman beside him furrowed her slender, arched eyebrows, her nostrils twitching slightly, and said softly:
"They haven't gone far; the scent of a living person's life force is still very strong."
They were here not long ago; they must have heard us approaching and hidden themselves beforehand.
The purple-robed man's eyes were filled with resentment:
"Lord Left Envoy, immediately order a search of this area!"
The Serpent Envoy waved his hand.
"Hiss hiss hiss—"
Received the command.
The group around
The snake demon surged forth like a tide, twisting its body and rapidly dispersing in all directions.
Some smaller snake demons came to the campfire and sniffed carefully.
They attempted to trace the direction the two had fled from the remaining clues.
The Serpent Envoy asked in a cold voice:
"Young Master Zi, are you sure the person you fought earlier was just a fifth-realm cultivator?"
Could it be that some expert at the seventh or eighth realm is deliberately concealing their aura? Or perhaps you're deliberately lying to me.
Otherwise, how could a mere ant at the fifth realm possibly wield a power like the Dharma Form, a skill possessed only by great beings?
Upon hearing this, the man in purple robes' expression darkened.
But he dared not vent his anger on this highly respected Left Envoy, and could only suppress his rage, explaining in a deep voice:
"My lord, I cannot be mistaken."
That kid was indeed only at the early stage of the fifth realm. But he was incredibly strange; his cultivation far surpassed that of others at the same level.
As for that Dharma image…”
A hint of apprehension flashed in the purple-robed man's eyes.
"I reckon he must have used some kind of magical artifact, or perhaps cast some kind of forbidden spell."
The Serpent Envoy said calmly:
"Since he used forbidden techniques, he must have suffered a severe backlash and is in a weakened state; otherwise, he wouldn't have rushed to run away upon hearing the commotion."
Don't worry, as long as they're in this forest, they won't be able to escape.
The two were talking.
Suddenly, a faint cracking sound came from inside the two charred snake demon corpses on the fire.
It's like some kind of hard shell is about to crack.
Both the purple-robed man and the Serpent Envoy were taken aback.
Before they could even react, the corpses exploded in a burst of light.
A violent shockwave, accompanied by dazzling sparks, charred remains, and a pungent green smoke, swept wildly in all directions.
Fortunately, both the Serpent Envoy and the purple-robed man were highly skilled and reacted extremely quickly.
In the instant of the explosion, the two retreated several meters away.
But the lower-level snake demons searching for clues nearby weren't so lucky.
The force of the explosion sent more than twenty snake demons flying into the air, while others were covered in the spewing green smoke, which emitted a corrosive sound.
In just a few breaths.
A dozen or so low-level snake demons were corroded into pools of pus and blood as they writhed in agony.
The man in purple robes stared in disbelief at the scene.
Damn it.
That's so insidious!
The Serpent Envoy stared at the corpse-filled water on the ground, his vertical pupils blazing with murderous intent:
"What a treacherous and cunning fellow!"
The man in the purple robe looked at the green poisonous mist, recalling the fear he had felt earlier, dominated by that "stinking stench of feces."
A strange chill ran down my spine, and I even felt a slight urge to back out.
He swallowed hard, and hesitantly said to the Serpent Envoy:
"Lord Left Envoy, this kid's methods are truly unpredictable and difficult to guard against. Perhaps... we should wait for Lord Painted Skin to arrive in person before making a move? Just to be on the safe side..."
"idiot!"\
The Serpent Envoy glanced at him coldly, his eyes filled with disdain.
"A mere fifth realm has scared you this much?"
A fifth realm cultivator is always just a fifth realm cultivator; how much stronger can they get? If he were truly powerful, he wouldn't resort to such underhanded tactics.
Clearly, our guess was correct; that kid used the forbidden technique, Dharma Form, and must be very weak now.
The woman paused, staring at the man in purple robes, and said:
"But I still need to confirm one thing with you. Are you sure only that kid has cultivation? Are his companions really just ordinary people?"
The man in purple robes nodded and said:
"Rest assured, Your Excellency, I can absolutely guarantee that."
That girl didn't have any star power fluctuations on her; she should just be an ordinary healer.
"Since he's just a burden with no cultivation, what's there to be afraid of?"
The Serpent Envoy snorted coldly.
The man in purple robes opened his mouth, then reluctantly closed it.
Not long after.
Other searching snake demons have tracked down clues.
To prevent encountering similar insidious explosive traps on the road, the Serpent Envoy and the Purple Prince simply followed behind, letting the lower-level snake demons act as cannon fodder for mine clearance while they pursued ahead.
However, the process of tracking them only made them more and more agitated.
The snake demons coiled and twisted in the dense forest.
It veers east one moment, west the next, and then circles in place.
They circled around for almost half an hour, but found nothing.
"waste!"\
The Serpent Envoy kicked the snake demon who was leading the way away, his face grim.
"We've been tricked. That kid's got some skills; he actually knows how to use these false clues to confuse our pursuit."
The man in the purple robe was also very aggrieved.
He, a dignified sixth-level demonic cultivator, was actually made a fool of by a mere fifth-level youth.
Not only can we not beat them, but now we can't even find them.
"Lord Left Envoy, what should we do now?" the purple-robed man asked.
The Serpent Envoy's gaze was fierce:
"Keep searching. The more he acts like this, the more it shows he doesn't dare to confront us directly. Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we must find him."
I refuse to believe they can teleport or fly!
……\
Inside the cave.
Chu Lingzhu lay prone at the cave entrance, peering through the dense bushes.
By the faint moonlight, she could see shadows writhing on the tree trunks and the ground, like a large net slowly approaching.
"It's all over, it ......"
The girl's face turned pale with anxiety. "With so many monsters, they'll find this place sooner or later."
She turned to look at Jiang Mu.
The man's eyes were tightly closed, his face was pale, and although his breathing was steady, he showed no signs of waking up.
"Wake up already!"
Chu Lingzhu wanted nothing more than to punch him.
She then brought out her beloved little medicine box and emptied out all the bottles and jars inside.
I hope to find something that can be used to set traps, or a powerful poison that can be used to deal with monsters.
But after searching for a long time, I couldn't find anything useful.
The two copper pellets she had previously used to make bombs were her most treasured stock.
"If I had known something like this would happen today, I should have taken all those treasures out before leaving the house."
Chu Lingzhu was extremely annoyed.
Looking at Jiang Mu lying on the ground, the girl suddenly felt a stirring in her heart.
"Since it's not in my medicine kit, could this guy be hiding some kind of magical artifact?"
Thinking of the endless array of methods Jiang Mu had previously displayed, a glimmer of hope rose in the girl's heart.
"Master, please forgive me, I'm only doing this for our own lives."
Chu Lingzhu clasped her hands together and whispered an apology to Jiang Mu.
Then, she reached out her little hands and began to explore Jiang Mu's body.
After a thorough search, the girl did indeed find quite a few odds and ends on Jiang Mu.
Silver fragments, demon cores, talismans, healing pills...
And a folding fan.
As for the bronze Buddha lamp and other items, Jiang Mu stored them in his small storage ring.
Chu Lingzhu naturally couldn't open the storage ring.
However, the girl still discovered something.
It was a small black porcelain bottle containing fine powder.
If Jiang Mu were conscious at this moment, he would definitely recognize this small porcelain bottle as the one he had taken from He Shuangying's corpse.
At the time, I was busy acquiring star positions and didn't know what this thing was for, so I just kept it in my pocket.
Chu Lingzhu poured some medicinal powder into her palm and examined it carefully.
As a doctor...
Especially Little Fairy Doctor, who is proficient in poisons.
She possesses a natural curiosity and keen awareness of any unknown medicinal powder.
The powder has no taste and feels cool to the touch.
Chu Lingzhu observed for a while, then placed the powder on a nearby stone, took out a water bag from her medicine box, and poured some onto it.
The powder immediately clumped together into dark red lumps.
Then, like red-hot coal, it emitted high temperatures.
And the temperature is still rising.
"This is……"\
Chu Lingzhu's pupils dilated, and shock welled up in her bright eyes.
She quickly took out a bottle of medicine and poured it on it; the high temperature immediately extinguished, and the coal turned into a pile of waste powder.
"Karmic Fire Burns the Heart!"
Chu Lingzhu looked at the small porcelain bottle, her bright, sparkling eyes shining. "I never imagined that my master would possess such a treasure."
As a young healer who had been well-versed in medical books since childhood, she recognized the origin of the powder at a glance.
Ancient medical texts record that this substance is rare and poisonous, requiring the hearts of thousands of fire-elemental demons as a catalyst, and then being refined day and night with the fire of the Buddhist Azure Lotus, to produce powder. The success rate is extremely low.
As the young master of the Divine Sword Sect, He Shuangying likely carried this item to temper and sharpen certain magical artifacts.
"I remember the medical record notes said that this thing would boil if it came into contact with water, and if water wasn't added in time to extinguish it, it would cause a powerful explosion..."
Chu Lingzhu bit her slender fingertips, her brows furrowed tightly.
"But the outside world is full of demons; ordinary water alone can't cause a fatal injury."
How can we increase its power?
The girl irritably banged her head.
"If only I were in the family pharmacy, I could definitely concoct a potent igniter, like extracting the sap from lightning-struck wood, or mixing in pure yang energy..."
"etc!"\
Chu Lingzhu's movements suddenly froze, a flash of inspiration striking her.
She turned her head, her gaze fixed intently on Jiang Mu, who lay unconscious on the flat stone.
Pure Yang Qi?
The master is a legitimate Star Official who has reached the Fifth Realm at a young age.
His vital energy was as deep and boundless as the sea.
The pure yang energy within his body is incredibly abundant; it's a top-grade medicinal ingredient.
But... how do we get it?
If she were a cultivator herself, she could easily use a spell to absorb it.
The problem is, she's just an ordinary doctor.
Chu Lingzhu's gaze traveled down the man's chest.
As a doctor, she knew very well that the place where a man's purest yang energy was most concentrated and easiest to extract through conventional methods was three inches below his abdomen.
or……\
"No, no! Absolutely not!"
Chu Lingzhu turned her face away in a panic, covering her burning cheeks with her hands; the skin peeking out between her fingers was so tender it seemed to glow with moisture.
I am a pure and innocent virgin.
How could you touch that...?
It just won't work.
Besides, the master is currently unconscious, so he might not be able to absorb pure yang energy.
"Sizzle..."
Just as the girl was struggling with an internal conflict, the sound of scales scraping against gravel came from outside the cave entrance.
The snakes have already approached!
Chu Lingzhu's delicate body trembled, and she leaned closer to the edge of the cave entrance to peek out.
Under the moonlight, several pairs of eerie green vertical pupils slowly approached, their tongues flicking, and a foul, demonic aura wafted in on the wind.
"That's enough!"
The girl stomped her foot hard.
Approaching Jiang Mu, he clasped his hands together and bowed repeatedly:
"Master, please forgive me. I did this to save our lives. Please don't blame me."
Having mentally prepared herself, Chu Lingzhu trembled as she reached out her small hand and touched Jiang Mu's belt.
"Oh my god!"
The next moment, Chu Lingzhu was so frightened that she was thrown backward and fell to the ground with a thud, staring in horror at Jiang Mu's lower abdomen.
The girl almost thought...
The python demon outside has secretly sneaked in.
It took Chu Lingzhu several seconds to regain her composure after her brain had shut down from the shock.
"This...this is way too exaggerated!"
But hearing the hissing sound getting closer and closer outside the cave, she could only suppress her heart palpitations and grit her teeth to move forward again.
At the same time, he took out a row of silver needles from the medicine box and inserted them into several major acupoints.
"The Foot Jueyin Meridian, Huiyin, Qihai..."
The girl chanted the acupoints, her movements as swift as lightning.
Then, she took out an empty small bottle and held it over, pressing important acupoints with the other hand while holding the bottle in one hand.
Time seemed to stretch out.
A moment later.
Chu Lingzhu plugged the full bottle and collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted.
She looked at her slightly trembling hands.
I felt completely numb, as if I had just done a physical task that was more exhausting than climbing to the heavens.
"This pure yang energy is too overwhelming..."
The girl muttered to herself as she deftly began mixing the ingredients.
She mixed the pure yang liquid into clear water and shook it vigorously until well combined.
They grabbed a few handfuls of pungent, dry grass, crushed it, and threw it in to mask the odor.
Next, she took out a dozen or so blank prescription sheets from her medicine box, smeared them with a layer of medicine, and laid them flat on the ground.
Then pour the "Karmic Fire Burning Heart Powder" evenly onto the paper.
Add the prepared pure yang water droplets to the powder.
"Sizzle—"
Upon contact with water, the powder instantly condensed into dark red, hard lumps, emitting a scorching heat.
Chu Lingzhu quickly wrapped the hard lumps in paper and crumpled them into balls.
"Hiss—!"
Just as she crumpled the paper into a ball, several enormous black snakes approached the cave entrance and sent a signal to their companions behind them.
"Go to hell!"
Chu Lingzhu grabbed a crumpled piece of paper and threw it towards the cave entrance.
The crumpled paper arced through the air before landing in the area where the snakes were most concentrated.
The specially made paper ball shattered upon impact, and the karmic fire powder inside, compressed to its extreme by pure yang energy, completely spiraled out of control.
"Boom—!"
A deafening, earth-shattering explosion resounded through the mountains and forests.
The crimson flames, interspersed with dazzling golden light, resembled a roaring fire dragon, instantly engulfing the space within several feet of the cave.
Those first and second-tier low-level snake demons at the forefront didn't even have time to scream before they were vaporized into ashes.
The raging fire showed no signs of abating.
After the explosion, a towering wall of fire, two zhang high, was formed, protecting the cave entrance.
The snakes behind were startled by the sudden explosion and retreated in disarray.
……\
Ten zhang outside the cave.
The Serpent Envoy and the purple-robed man, who were following behind the swarm of snakes, had their robes fluttering wildly from the shockwave of the explosion.
The purple-robed man nearly had his newly opened folding fan blown away by the wind.
His eyes widened, his face filled with astonishment: "What the hell is this?!"
"It's nothing more than a fire talisman."
The Serpent Envoy snorted coldly, and a layer of blue snake scales appeared around his body, transforming into a stream of light that attempted to penetrate the wall of fire.
However, the moment she touched the wall of fire, her protective scales turned black and curled up.
A scorching, masculine energy seeped into her skin through the gaps in her scales, bringing a burning, stinging pain.
The snake's left envoy's expression changed drastically.
His body was abruptly turned back in mid-air, retreating several dozen feet before regaining his footing.
She looked down.
He noticed that a large patch of scales had fallen off his right arm, revealing charred, bleeding flesh.
"The Left Envoy?" The purple-robed man was shocked.
The Serpent Envoy gritted his teeth, staring coldly at the burning wall of fire, his eyes filled with apprehension.
She could certainly risk serious injury to force her way in, but this fire was far too evil, specifically designed to counteract malevolent and demonic energy.
If I were to actually rush in, I would at least suffer a severe injury and my cultivation would be greatly damaged.
The Painted Skin Lady is currently at a crucial moment in plotting her grand scheme. If I were seriously injured, it would definitely ruin everything, and the loss would outweigh the gain.
"Surround this area!"
The Serpent Envoy gave a cold order,
"This wall of fire was activated using some kind of consumable magic item; it absolutely cannot burn indefinitely."
I refuse to believe this kid's magic weapons are endless. Once the fire's out, I'm going to devour them alive!
……\
Inside the cave.
Chu Lingzhu peered out at the raging wall of fire outside, her delicate brows furrowed.
"The power seems a bit low; it appears the proportion of pure Yang energy isn't adjusted correctly."
She then turned to look at Jiang Mu, who was lying on the ground.
"Boss... I'm sorry, it's because of our little..."
"Fate, you... just bear with it a little longer, hang in there a little longer."
The girl gritted her teeth, gripped the silver needle, and once again sharpened her blade as she approached Jiang Mu.
Time passed, second by second.
Each time the fire at the cave entrance weakened and was about to go out, a crumpled piece of paper would be thrown out from inside the cave.
"boom!"\
The wall of fire shot into the sky once more.
Moreover, it burned more fiercely with each passing flame, and the golden aura within the flames grew increasingly intense.
The Serpent Envoy outside the cave was absolutely furious.
Twice during the battle, she saw only a sliver of fire remaining on the wall of flames, and thought the enemy had finally run out of ammunition and supplies.
Just as I was about to rush in to grab the person, a fireball exploded right in front of me.
Not only did she fail to rush in, but the flying debris and sparks also scorched off several of her precious scales, enraging her so much that she cursed loudly outside, almost revealing her true form and going berserk.
"Just how many magical treasures does this damn kid carry?!"
"Is this never going to end?!"
The Serpent Envoy roared in exasperation, "Keep surrounding him! Let's see how long he can keep throwing them!"
……\
Inside the cave.
Chu Lingzhu was also almost completely exhausted.
While she kept a close eye on the fire outside, she also continued to exploit Jiang Mu.
To expedite the extraction, the silver needles were continuously used.
Fortunately, I was well-versed in medical principles and knew how to extract the substance most efficiently and quickly using acupuncture.
If it were anyone else, given the owner's abilities, it probably wouldn't have taken even half a day.
"Boss, you're a bottomless pit..."
The young girl used silver needles to insert acupuncture points, watching in awe as pure yang energy was continuously extracted.
After all, she's a gynecologist, so she's familiar with many things.
She believed that probably only her employer could provide such a continuous supply of energy.
The others would probably have died from vomiting blood long ago.
However, no matter how profound Jiang Mu's resources were, the supply of that bottle of "Karmic Fire Burning Heart Powder" was limited.
Even though Chu Lingzhu meticulously calculated and adjusted the proportions to the extreme, the powder eventually ran out.
Fortunately, at that moment, Jiang Mu, who was lying on the ground, suddenly twitched her eyelids a few times.
I finally woke up.
"What kind of place is this?"
Jiang Mu opened her eyes, looking completely bewildered.
He could still feel his head buzzing.
The faint sigh he had heard in the bronze mirror felt as if a steel needle had been forcibly shoved into his brain.
It shook him to his core.
It took a lot of effort to recover using the clear energy of the Daoist temple.
Jiang Mu tried to sit up, but suddenly felt weak and sore all over.
It felt like I had just finished a marathon.
It also felt like he had engaged in some kind of intense exercise that had overexerted his physical strength.
Even more deadly is...
He felt a chill on his thigh.
Looking down, I saw my head was covered in question marks.
"Why did I take my clothes off?"
"Boss!"
When Chu Lingzhu saw Jiang Mu wake up, her tired face lit up with joy, and she rushed over to him.
"You're finally awake! That's great!"
Jiang Mu looked at Chu Lingzhu, who was covered in sweat and had a flushed face, and asked in confusion, "What's going on? Why are you taking my clothes off?"
"Well……"\
Chu Lingzhu guiltily looked away.
"I...I don't know what happened to you, you suddenly fainted."
Then many monsters chased after us, so I dragged you into this cave. Now the outside is full of snake demons, but thankfully I used poison to fend them off…”
The girl spoke faster and faster.
He tried to cover up his insecurity by muttering to himself.
Jiang Mu followed her gaze to the cave entrance.
Goodness.
Flames roared at the cave entrance.
The firelight illuminated the cave, making it appear like a living hell.
"Master, I'm almost out of ideas. You must go and slay the demon!" Chu Lingzhu urged.
Jiang Mu withdrew her gaze and said:
"You hold on for a bit. I just suffered a shock to my soul, and my meridians are still a bit disordered. I need to recuperate for a while."
Having said that, he immediately closed his eyes, sat cross-legged on the ground, and began to circulate his internal energy to recover.
"Huh? We need to push it up again?"
Chu Lingzhu wanted to cry but had no tears; she could only grit her teeth and stare at the fire at the cave entrance.
About half an hour later.
Chu Lingzhu threw out the last crumpled piece of paper.
As time passed, the dark red flames gradually shrank, finally extinguishing completely with a hissing sound.
"This is really the end..."
Chu Lingzhu looked at the completely exposed opening and sighed, "Master, are you even capable?"
Jiang Mu remained seated cross-legged with her eyes closed, starlight swirling around her.
Outside the cave.
Seeing that the wall of fire had finally been completely extinguished, a sinister smile appeared on the Serpent Envoy's alluring face.
"Heh heh, finally exhausted?"
However, she did not rush forward, but instead sent her subordinates to investigate first.
After all, there had been several times before when the fire was about to go out, but when she rushed in, the fire would reignite, almost seriously injuring her.
Fortunately, this time, his men successfully entered the cave.
Relieved, the Serpent Envoy walked to the cave entrance, his cold, vertical pupils immediately spotting Jiang Mu, who was sitting cross-legged, healing his injuries.
"Just as I expected, this kid forced himself to use a forbidden technique and is now suffering a backlash."
p
The Serpent Envoy felt greatly reassured.
Her gaze then swept over Chu Lingzhu, and she sneered:
"This little girl is quite beautiful. Taking her back to present to the madam and having her refined into a superior furnace cauldron would be a great achievement."
Watching the swarm of snakes closing in.
Although Chu Lingzhu's face turned deathly pale with fright, she gritted her teeth and picked up the knife from the ground.
The blade was too heavy, and she was exhausted, so she could only grip the hilt with both hands, dragging the tip of the blade on the ground.
Like a mother hen protecting her chicks, she stood in front of Jiang Mu.
"You...you all stay away!"
Chu Lingzhu shouted sweetly at the Serpent Envoy, "My master will wake up soon! Once he's awake, he can chop you all down with one stroke!"
"You brat, get out of my way!"
The Serpent's Left Envoy waved his sleeve.
A powerful, foul-smelling gust of wind swept out, sending Chu Lingzhu, who was blocking its path, flying.
The girl flew backwards like a light, drifting leaf.
Just a second before she was about to fall, a long, strong hand grabbed her arm and pulled her down.
He pulled her into a broad, warm embrace.
Still shaken, Chu Lingzhu instinctively turned her head. When she saw the familiar handsome face so close to her, her previously pale face instantly lit up with a look of surprise and joy:
"Boss!"
Jiang Mu wrapped one arm around the girl's slender waist, shielding her behind him. "Alright, hide in the back. Leave the rest to me."
After calming Chu Lingzhu down, Jiang Mu turned her head away.
He first glanced at the Serpent Envoy, then his gaze passed over her and landed on the purple-robed man outside the cave, whose expression was uncertain.
Jiang Mu grinned and said:
"I thought you'd run away with your tail between your legs. Turns out, you've come crawling back to me?"
What, you think you weren't quite dead enough last time, so you came back specifically to finish me off?
Upon hearing Jiang Mu's teasing remark, the purple-robed man's eye twitched.
Recalling the horrific scene of barely escaping after using the Blood Demon Disintegration Technique, he almost instinctively took a half-step back.
Jiang Mu chuckled, then turned to look at the Serpent Envoy before her, her eyes cold:
"Even a sixth-tier Grand Perfection cultivator like him suffered greatly at my hands, almost losing his life. You're just a mid-sixth-tier nobody, yet you dare to come looking for trouble with me?"
"Arrogant!"
The Serpent Envoy's face turned ashen.
"You dare to speak so arrogantly even when you're about to die. I can see from your fluctuating aura that you've clearly suffered a backlash from forcibly using a forbidden technique, and your injuries haven't healed yet."
"To kill someone as exhausted as you, I alone am enough!"
Before he could finish speaking, the Serpent Envoy opened his blood-red maw.
"Sizzle—"
A long, thin, scarlet tongue tore through the air, carrying a pungent venom as it hurtled straight at Jiang Mu's face.
"Is that all the tricks you have?"
Jiang Mu snorted coldly, activating the [Serpent's Movement Step] under her feet, slightly shifting her body to the side to avoid the opponent's attack.
"Zheng!"
The Blood Frenzy Blade was drawn, bringing with it a crimson sliver of moonlight.
A flash of light appeared.
A section of the long tongue was sliced off.
The foul-smelling black blood spurted out, spilling onto the ground and corroding into pits.
The Serpent Envoy covered his mouth and staggered back, somewhat astonished.
Just as Young Master Zi said, this guy's apparent cultivation level is the fifth realm, but his true strength far surpasses others.
The Serpent Envoy roared, his clothes bursting open.
A stunningly beautiful, fair body was thus revealed in a blatant display.
Jiang Mu's eyelids twitched.
What kind of move is this? Is it to lure the enemy?
Amidst the sounds of bones stretching and flesh tearing, her body rapidly expanded, transforming in the blink of an eye into a giant black python over ten zhang long and as thick as a water vat.
As she revealed her true form, her demonic aura surged wildly, actually reaching the peak of the sixth rank.
In some respects, his physical demonic power was even stronger than that of the purple-robed demonic cultivator.
"Oh? It can even boost cultivation through a burst of power?"
A look of surprise flashed in Jiang Mu's eyes.
Feeling the immense pressure emanating from the giant python, Jiang Mu gripped the Blood Frenzy Blade tightly with both hands.
Within his dantian, the [Primordial Heavenly Gang Blood River True Qi] surged into the blade.
The originally dark blade was now stained a striking scarlet, exuding a strong aura of bloodlust.
"cut!"\
Jiang Mu roared and, facing the giant python that lunged at him with its gaping maw, slashed down fiercely with his blade!
"boom!"\
The blade's energy clashed with the enormous snake's head.
Sparks flew as the giant python's scales, as sharp as refined steel, were slashed open by the crimson blade, leaving a bloody gash.
"hiss--"\
The giant python winced in pain, its massive body writhing.
The thick snake tail, like a giant steel whip, lashed towards Jiang Mu's waist.
Jiang Mu instantly teleported several feet away.
"Dharma Image!"
He let out a low growl.
boom!\
A towering phantom of a divine general, several meters tall and engulfed in fiery crimson flames, suddenly appeared behind him.
"Dharma... Dharma form?!"
The serpent envoy, who had transformed into a giant python, was filled with shock.
She had initially thought that the boy's previous display of his magical form was merely a result of using some kind of consumable, one-time-use magical artifact.
Or it could be a forbidden technique that came at a great cost.
But now, this power of Dharma form has not only reappeared, but its might is even more profound and solid.
"Damn it!"
The Serpent Envoy cursed under his breath, gritted his teeth, and pounced, "I don't believe you can hold out forever."
\
A fierce battle ensued between a human and a demon.
The blades flashed like snow, demonic energy surged, and the surrounding rock walls crumbled continuously under their impact, rubble falling in a shower.
After exchanging blows for more than ten rounds, the giant python grew increasingly alarmed.
It discovered that the young human before it possessed seemingly inexhaustible power.
It had originally planned to exhaust the opponent's star power, but now it seemed that while the opponent hadn't been worn down, it was likely to be worn down itself.
"What kind of monster is this kid?!"
A thought of retreat crossed the giant python's mind.
If she had known this kid was a monster beyond the comprehension of ordinary standards, she would never have acted so rashly.
But now the arrow is on the bowstring, and it must be released.
The Serpent Envoy roared fiercely at the purple-robed man:
"Young Master Zi, what are you standing there for? Go grab that girl and use her to blackmail this brat!"
Now, the only chance of survival might be to capture that helpless girl and use her as leverage.
However, the purple-robed man's legs went weak when he saw the fire god's image rise again behind Jiang Mu.
He swallowed hard, stamped his foot, and fled into the depths of the forest.
"Damn it!"
Seeing the purple-robed man desert his post, the giant python was so enraged it nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
But now it is isolated and helpless, and can only place all its hopes on the snakes under its command.
"Charge! All of you, charge!"
"Grab that girl!"
The giant python issued a death order to the surrounding serpent demons who were still observing.