novelapdf Chapter 67 Bait
Chapter 67 Bait
"Clang clang clang clang—"
The sound of metal clashing echoed like a torrential downpour through the mountain stream.
Countless tiny sword blades slashed at the slippery scales of the Ink-Scaled Water Swamp, sparks flying everywhere.
All that remained were faint white marks.
The beast's scales were exceptionally slippery, causing many sword blades to slip and deflect upon impact, reducing their force by six or seven tenths. However, several fine blades still managed to burrow into the gaps in the scales, leaving behind streaks of dark red blood.
"hiss--"
The black-scaled water python, in pain, let out a low growl.
Its long tail suddenly lashed out of the water, sweeping across with immense force.
"quick……"
The two outer disciples' expressions changed, and they simultaneously changed their hand seals. The golden sword river suddenly dispersed, transforming into a rapidly spinning storm of sword blades that blocked their way.
"Bang!"
The snake's tail crashed into the stream of swords, splashing up a sky full of golden light.
Dozens of sword blades were shattered and turned into nothingness, but more sword blades surged out from the center of the storm, continuing to tear apart the flesh and blood on the snake's tail.
In excruciating pain, the black-scaled water python suddenly retracted its tail and plunged back into the deep pool, leaving behind only a pool of churning blood.
However, the golden light shimmering in the Sword River was also rapidly dimming. The two outer disciples were pale, with beads of sweat the size of soybeans on their foreheads, and their true qi had been nearly half depleted.
"Don't hesitate, hurry up and leave!" one of them shouted in a deep voice.
The few rogue cultivators in front no longer hesitated and took the opportunity to rush into the depths of the mountain stream.
"hiss!!"
The water behind them churned violently, and a more furious roar came from the bottom of the pool, causing the rocks on both banks to tumble down.
The expressions of relief on the faces of those rogue cultivators hadn't yet faded when they witnessed the last scene of their lives—
It was as white as a sword or halberd, and a gaping, foul-smelling maw suddenly appeared behind it.
It was that black-scaled water python.
Instead of retreating to the bottom of the pool, it used the splashing water as cover to flank and reach the retreat route of the rogue cultivators.
Those ferocious, cold snake eyes flashed with a fierce light, their vertical pupils shrinking into two narrow slits.
Amidst the horrified, frozen gazes of the group, and under the indifferent, even cold, gazes of the disciples from the immortal sect on the opposite bank, the gigantic maw closed.
"Crunch... Crunch..."
In just a few bites, the person was torn to pieces.
The sound of bones cracking was chilling. A handful of blood gushed from between the gaping teeth of the giant mouth, dripping onto the rocks by the pool, where it was quickly diluted by the cold water.
Just as the Ink-Scaled Water Anaconda tilted its head back to swallow its prey, the Spirit Sword Sect finally made its move.
The two outer disciples who were using Taoist magic exchanged a glance, then stepped back to make way for each other.
Behind them, seven or eight outer disciples, who had been prepared beforehand, each held a jade cone array eye. The cones were wrapped with green silk and emitted a faint, intertwined wave.
Xue Zhen stood behind his disciples, his face expressionless, but his eyes revealed a sinister and ruthless light.
"Form the Jade Silk Entangling Formation! Quickly trap this beast!" he shouted sternly.
Upon hearing the order, several outer disciples quickly formed hand seals and simultaneously unleashed the jade cones in their hands.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Seven or eight streaks of emerald light pierced the mist above the mountain stream, precisely embedding themselves in the crevices of the rocks and mudflats surrounding the deep pool.
The black-scaled water python had just swallowed the last mouthful of flesh and blood when it sensed something was wrong and instinctively tried to retreat back to its lair at the bottom of the pool.
But its movement triggered the array's core that had just been positioned—
A bright emerald light suddenly shone from the depths of the pool, like a spider web instantly ignited.
"This black-scaled anaconda is doomed."
Miao Wuniang's expression was complicated. Her fingers unconsciously pressed on the array plate at her waist. She whispered, "The Jade Silk Pulling Array is a first-grade high-level trapping array. It is good at absorbing the essence of earth water to generate strands of jade silk pulling threads."
The silk threads were virtually inexhaustible; once entangled, there was no chance of escape.
Her words seemed to confirm her judgment—
As soon as the black-scaled water python entered the water, almost instantly, seven or eight invisible threads spread out from all directions of the pool.
At first, those silk threads were as thin as willow catkins, drifting gently in the water, looking completely harmless.
However, once they touched the hard, dark scales on the anaconda's body, they sprouted and spread like wild grass, burrowing into the flesh through the gaps between the scales.
"hiss!!!"
The black-scaled water python twisted its long body wildly, creating huge waves on the green pool.
Water splashed onto the shore, drenching several nearby rogue cultivators.
However, its struggles were ultimately in vain.
Those tough, invisible threads tangled tighter and tighter, multiplying until they grew from seven or eight to dozens, and from dozens to a dense clump.
As time went on, the growing silk threads wrapped the giant python, which was over ten feet long, into a huge cocoon.
Layers of white silk threads overlapped, and only the dark scales beneath could be vaguely seen trembling slightly.
After only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the black-scaled water python stopped moving.
Its body was wrapped in silk threads so tightly that it was like a cocoon that had been abandoned in a corner and left to fend for itself.
The essence of the demonic beast within its body has been completely drained and is now slowly being fed back into the jade cones that serve as the core of the array, following the silk threads.
After absorbing the essence of blood, the jade cones shimmered with spiritual light, becoming crystal clear and rosy, their entire bodies as translucent as rubies, radiating an eerie glow in the dim mountain stream.
Xue Zhen stepped forward, bent down, and pulled a jade cone from the mud. He examined it against the light for a moment and nodded in satisfaction.
He leaned over for a look and clicked his tongue in admiration, saying, "Senior Brother Xue, what skill! You've drained that monster's essence blood clean in one go."
Wei Ziyu quickly chimed in, "If it weren't for Senior Brother Xue's decisive command, how could we have captured this mid-stage Nascent Soul demon beast so easily?"
Xue Zhen put the jade cone into his waist pouch, a smug look on his face. He turned and bowed in a gesture of respect towards Yao Ye, saying loudly, "It's all thanks to Young Master Yao for bestowing this array weapon. I was merely following orders."
Even though Chen Bai and the others were extremely dissatisfied with Xue Zhen and his group's behavior of using the lives of rogue cultivators as bait, they had to admit that these disciples of the immortal sects did indeed possess some skills.
That black-scaled water python was far more troublesome than imagined, given its strength at the mid-stage of the embryonic breathing realm.
With the advantage of terrain, without this trapping formation, even if we could eventually wear it down, the casualties would be far greater than what we have now.
however--
Having "some skills" and "doing things right" are two different things.
A strong stench of blood permeated the mountain stream, and the pool water had been stained dark red.
A few tattered pieces of clothing floated on the water's surface, swaying gently with the ripples.
That was the only trace left by the few rogue cultivators who had just been swallowed by the water python; now, not even a single bone could be found.
The independent cultivators stood in twos and threes on the shore, their faces all looking unwell.
Some people gripped their weapons so tightly their knuckles turned white; some lowered their heads, unable to look at the pool of blood; and some trembled, wanting to say something but ultimately remaining silent.