"Oh no, we've run into a group of pythons."
Zhang Ruochen stared at the surface of the water and his face became very grim.
The Abyss Ancient Sword sensed the danger and trembled continuously, emitting sword sounds.
The Xixuan Sea was the territory of redcloud pythons. Without having to guess, it must have been the Spiritual Blood coming from the dead redcloud python that had attracted the group.
Zhang Ruochen had not expected to be suddenly surrounded by a python group when he had just been lamenting that it was impossible to find 30 redcloud pythons.
If it had just been two or three, Zhang Ruochen would have been able to handle them.
However, with dozens of them, even a superior in the Seventh Change of the Fish-dragon Realm would immediately escape, let alone Zhang Ruochen.
Huang Yanchen also felt the dangerous aura. Looking at Zhang Ruochen, she said, "Let's return to the Yin Yang Wooden Graph!"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and said, "You go ahead into the Scroll World. I have the Dragon Pearl to protect me, and I am proficient in Space Moving. Protecting myself is not a problem."
"Swoosh - "
The Yin Yang Wooden Graph flew out from between Zhang Ruochen's brows and hovered in the air.
Above the scroll, a space door appeared.
Huang Yanchen knew that given her strength, she would definitely be defeated by even the weakest redcloud python. If she stayed, she would be of no help to Zhang Ruochen and would probably distract him instead.
Thus, she quickly entered the space door and returned to the Scroll World.
Zhang Ruochen did not enter the Scroll World. After all, he had come to the Xuanwu Primitive World to train in order to charge into the Ultimate Realm. How could he hide from danger?
Sometimes, one had to face challenges head-on. He would not hide in the Yin Yang Wooden Graph unless there was no other choice.
Zhang Ruochen held onto the scroll and wrapped the Yin Yang Wooden Graph around his body.
The Yin Yang Wooden Graph was not only a scroll but also a defensive treasure. As long as it was wrapped around one's body it could block even an attack from a Holy Weapon.
The next moment.
"Roar!"
A huge, red shadow broke through the surface of the ocean. There were two enormous eyes that looked like lanterns, and on the redcould python's head was a red "magic lantern".
The redcloud python was right beside the boat. It lowered its body and stared at Zhang Ruochen.
Its eyes were only 30 meters away. When it opened its big, ferocious mouth, thick Spiritual Blood dissipated from it. In a deep voice, it said, "Extraterritorial human, did you kill that redcloud python?"
Zhang Ruochen stood calmly on deck. He looked at the redcloud python closely and said, "That's right."
Zhang Ruochen's body was not even as big as one of its eyeballs. Despite being tiny in comparison, he appeared very calm, not showing any glimmer of fear.
Although it was also a redcloud python, this one's body was even thicker and the aura it gave off was stronger.
Its cultivation was about the same as a Monk at the Fifth Change in the Fish-dragon Realm .
Killing it would be enough to gain 300,000 military merits.
Of course, given Zhang Ruochen's present cultivation, it would not be easy to kill it even if he used the power of time and space.
The redcloud python's nature was aggressive and it had boundless strength. It could call the wind and the rain, it could flip the rivers and overturn the oceans. It would not be as easy to defeat as the treeman.
"You dared to kill a redcloud python in the Xixuan Sea? You are looking to die."
The redcloud python roared angrily and struck out with a claw.
Zhang Ruochen did not dare to meet it head-on. He immediately executed Space Moving and appeared 99 meters away, hovering above its head.
"Crash!"
The redcloud python's claws tore the 30-meter-long boat into pieces. With a crash, the mast, the deck, and the cabin all sank to the bottom of the ocean.
Upon finding Zhang Ruochen gone, the redcloud python was slightly confused.
"Die!"
Zhang Ruochen gathered all the strength in his body and channeled it into his arms. He chopped down and aimed straight at the red crown on its head.
That was the redcloud python's Achilles Heel - its life spot.
If he could pierce through the crown, the redcloud python's fighting strength would decrease by at least half.
Zhang Ruochen's attack was very fast, but the redcloud python's reaction was even faster. Even before his sword landed, the python's tail had whipped around and landed on his body, sending him flying outward.
Fortunately, he was wrapped in the Yin Yang Wooden Graph and had the Dragon Pearl to protect him. Otherwise, a full-strength attack from a redcloud dragon at the Fifth Change of the Fish-dragon Realm would have heavily injured him, if not kill him.
"Such quick reaction time and such terrifying power."
Zhang Ruochen wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He decided that this redcloud python was not an easy target, so he executed a bodily movement and charged toward one with a relatively weak aura.
Dozens of redcloud pythons had gathered in the sea area. Naturally, their strengths ranged from strong to weak.
Among them, there were a few redcloud pythons who only had the cultivation of the Third Change in the Fish-dragon Realm. Zhang Ruochen set his sights on them.
One redcloud python at the Third Change of the Fish-dragon Realm was equivalent to 100,000 military merits.
"Swift and Neat."
Zhang Ruochen flew toward the head of one such redcloud python. He incorporated the Time Mark and executed Swift Swordsmanship, stabbing forward quickly.
"Pffff!"
His body followed the Abyss Ancient Sword, piercing through the redcloud python's head and flying out the other side, leaving a bloody hole over a meter in diameter.
White brain fluid and red blood surged out of the bloody hole.
"I've earned 100,000 military merits."
Zhang Ruochen was in dangerous territory and his entire body was covered in blood, but he was extremely excited. The war intent in his heart grew stronger.
Zhang Ruochen used the power of Space Moving and Swift Swordsmanship and succeeded in killing two more redcloud pythons in the Third Change of the Fish-dragon Realm, one after the other, earning another 200,000 military merits.
Just as he was about to continue attacking, purple lightning suddenly surged out of the sky above him like thick lightning dragons twisting through the dark clouds. They made faint rumbling sounds.
A monster with a snake body and human head was flying through the clouds, controlling the lightning.
Its cultivation was very powerful, it exceeded that of a Monk in the Sixth Change of the Fish-dragon Realm. It had the head of a fierce human elder that was connected to the neck of a snake. Its eyes were deeply sunken and revealed a cold and ruthless light.
Zhang Ruochen had long known that some highly intelligent groups of savage beasts that managed to reach Sixth Level Savage Beast were able to practice some mysterious ancient skills and have a human shape.
The fact that this redcloud python was only a Fifth Level Savage Beast yet it could form a head and become half-human in shape was truly astonishing.
Under the control of that redcloud python, dense lightning surged down from the sky like a waterfall heading straight for Zhang Ruochen.
The other redcloud pythons also attacked at the same time. Some spat wind blades from their mouths, some spat fire, and others spat ice knives...
Zhang Ruochen kept using Space Moving and dodged quickly, but a dozen attacks still landed on his body. His neck, legs, and arms were left mangled and bleeding. Every inch of skin on his body was burnt black.
"Extraterritorial human, where are you running to?"
The creature with the head of a human and the body of a redcloud python charged out from the clouds and extended a flame-like claw. A giant purple hammer was grasped by this claw. It suddenly struck ferociously toward Zhang Ruochen's head.
The giant hammer was square, over 10 meters long. Its surface was carved with inscriptions and gave off the light of hundreds of lightning bolts.
Zhang Ruochen felt suffocated. All the hair on his body stood up, feeling as if the sky was crashing down and the ground was falling away.
"Swoosh!"
The brilliance of the Yin Yang Wooden Graph flashed and the space door opened. Zhang Ruochen quickly jumped inside and entered the Scroll World.
"Boom!"
The giant hammer fell and landed on the sea.
A powerful wave of energy emanated from the giant hammer, spreading out and forming concentric layers of connected Yun Tian waves.
Three of the redcloud pythons were blown out of the water by the wave of power. Some others were struck by the fallout from the impact of the giant hammer - their scales split open and they suffered minor injuries.
With even just the aftermath having such an effect, one could tell how terrifying the destructive power of that strike was.
"Has he turned into ash and smoke?"
The creature with the human head and redcloud python's body raised the giant hammer and hovered over the void space. Its eyes fired out two columns of light and closely observed the roiling surface of the ocean below.