694 Two Choices

"From the looks of it, all of you are blinded by treasures. You would rather forgo your lives for a try at these treasures," the deep voice continued.

"You are even greedier than us," said Hou Yi coldly. "You've had divine fruits for ages, but you still wish to monopolize the trees."

"You want us to give up over just a few words? You must be in dreamland," said Kong Xuan with a scoff.

"Sigh."

A deep sigh resounded.

"I knew I would eventually have to do something." Accompanied by the voice, an abnormal fluctuation began to stir inside the Illusion Fiend Mountain Valley.

"Oh?" Having suddenly sensed something, Qin Yun turned his head and saw a mountain peak warp. It turned into a rock serpent that was coiled a distance away. Its huge eyes were calmly looking down on Qin Yun and company. "Since you do not wish to leave after being given the chance, die."

As it spoke, array formation stone columns appeared out of thin air around the rock serpent. A total of thirty-six columns instantly stirred the spatial energies inside the Illusion Fiend Mountain Valley.

"This serpent is skilled in spatial array formations." Qin Yun instantly understood. "The array formation seal from before was likely set up by this serpent."

"Collect." A glimmer flashed in Kong Xuan's eyes.

The Five-colored Divine Light flashed through the Illusion Fiend Mountain Valley and the stone columns which floated around the serpent vanished one after another.

"Huh?" The serpent was slightly taken aback as he looked at Kong Xuan in surprise. "Your Dharmic formulation is rather special. You actually managed to take away my treasures. If you are agreeable... to handing that treasure-snatching Dharmic formulation to me, I can spare your life."

"Try defeating us first," said Kong Xuan with a smile.

By the side, Hou Yi had already begun drawing his huge bow.

When the stone serpent saw Hou Yi, its irises constricted. It had seen how Hou Yi had used overwhelming force to crack the array formation. Immediately, it lunged forward. Although it was huge in size, it moved at astounding speeds! It far exceeded Qin Yun and company. While flying, time seemed to stop as it instantly appeared before them.

"Swoosh." An arrow beam flashed and struck the stone serpent's body. An invisible energy protected the serpent's body, stopping the arrow before it even touched its scales.

In midair, the stone serpent flung its tail and lashed it down at them.

Kong Xuan used his Five-colored Divine Light domain to suppress the enemy, while Goumang had extended his vines which went out of the Misty Rain domain to block the stone serpent.

"Bam!" Accompanied by a loud boom, the tail instantly tore through seven vines, but even more vines began winding themselves around the massive snake's tail! But despite all the vines, the snake tail still managed to strike the Misty Rain Array.

The Misty Rain Array trembled slightly but completely withstood the blow.

"Whew! Whew!"

Hou Yi had already shot the third arrow, but it still failed to tear through the serpent's protective energy.

"Your array formation is interesting, but it wouldn't be able to stop me." The serpent's voice boomed as its massive body slithered away in midair before charging forward again.

As for the vines? They bound the serpent, but they were ignored by the serpent as it continued lashing out at the Misty Rain Array! Even Hou Yi's arrows were ignored.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The serpent repeatedly slammed and lashed out, each blow causing the land to quake. Its might made Qin Yun get serious as he hurriedly sent a voice transmission, "This serpent's strength is very powerful. It's far more powerful than Bohan Island's Third Supremacy."

"Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!"

Hou Yi had already shot his eighth arrow.

The might of the eighth arrow finally tore through the invisible protective energies that covered the serpent's surface. It struck its scales but only left cracks in them before the eighth arrow lost its momentum.

"The ninth arrow." Hou Yi also wore a solemn look. He had never encountered anyone with such a powerful body. Be it the Ancestral Dragon or the Third Supremacy, none of them could face the eighth arrow with such ease.

"Boom!"

The first eight arrows had culminated to the complete eruption of the ninth arrow's might.

The ninth arrow's strength was indisputably at the Heavenly Dao realm!

The arrow beam flashed.

It was unavoidable.

The serpent made a rare pause on its assault of the Misty Rain Array. Instead, it carefully faced the arrow, but even so, there was no way to dodge Hou Yi's arrow. There was not even a way to stop it, it could only take the blow directly.

"Pfft." The arrow beam tore through the serpent's protective energies before shattering its scales. It tore through the serpent's body as it flew in the opposite direction.

The beam had bored a huge bloody hole in its body.

There were even annihilative forces that began causing wanton damage in the serpent's body.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" The serpent remained in midair as azure-colored streams flew out from the surrounding mountain range. They kept flying into the serpent's body and restored it to peak condition.

"What?" Kong Xuan's expression changed when he saw this scene. "How did this serpent recover in a blink of an eye."

"The Illusion Fiend Mountain Valley's powers are constantly entering his body," said Hou Yi solemnly. "Unless I kill him in one shot to prevent his recovery, he is unkillable. However, I can only kill him in one shot if my ninth arrow has its strength increased several times..."

"It needs to be strengthened several times?" Kong Xuan looked at Hou Yi. "Do you have the confidence to try that?"

"Even if I risked my life to the point of injuring my Essence Soul into deep sleep, I wouldn't be able to kill it." Hou Yi shook his head with a nasty expression on his face. "If we were outside, killing it wouldn't be difficult. But in the Illusion Fiend Mountain Valley... it's unkillable."

When Qin Yun and Goumang heard that, they realized that the situation was anything but reassuring.

They knew very well that the nine successive arrows were considered Hou Yi's ordinary attacks. He still had means available to him if he risked his life.

But clearly, risking his life showed no hope either.

In a situation without confidence... Qin Yun and company could not allow Hou Yi to risk his life to the point of entering deep sleep. After all, they still needed to return!

"Hahaha, your arrow actually harmed me. Unfortunately, I have infinite power in this mountain valley," said the serpent with a laugh. "Since you can't kill me, all of you will die."

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

The serpent no longer showed any worries as it completely released its strength as it ignited its powers. It charged the Misty Rain Array maniacally as the Goumang's vines wound around its body began snapping. However, the vines continued growing and continued the entanglement, affecting the serpent's strength in the process.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Blow after blow caused the Misty Rain Array to quake like it was about to crumble.

"If his attack were to strengthen another thirty percent, I'll have to ignite my Essence Soul Dharmic powers." Qin Yun did his best to resist the blows.

Hou Yi also repeatedly shot his arrows, and in a blink of an eye, he shot his ninth arrow again. However, the ninth arrow had the same effects as it predecessor. Although it bore through the serpent's body, the azure-colored streams flew from the Illusion Fiend Mountain Valley into the serpent's body, restoring it to perfection once again.

Moments after the serpent unleashed its barrage of attacks on the Misty Rain Array.

"What, it still isn't cracking?" The serpent was alarmed. It had already ignited its energies and used all its strength. However, the Misty Rain Array was only pushed to the verge of collapse while holding strong.

Qin Yun gradually relaxed. Although the serpent's attacks were powerful, its might did not rise any further.

"From the looks of it, that's its limit," said Qin Yun via a voice transmission. "Although its offensive might's limit is potent, it's still a distance away from the Heavenly Dao realm."

"Its body is already this strong. If its offensive might can match that of the Heavenly Dao realm, that would be a surprise," Kong Xuan heaved a sigh of relief and said.

"But we can't do anything to him either." Hou Yi frowned.

"We can forcefully make our way over and pluck the divine fruits." Qin Yun controlled his Misty Rain Array as he led everyone deep into the mountain valley.

Boom! Boom! Although the serpent attacked with all its might, Qin Yun and company still managed to approach the three divine fruit trees.

"I thought they would need my help." Palatial Lord Myriad Flower sighed when he saw this happen.

"Stop! Stop!"

When the serpent saw Qin Yun and company approach the fruit trees, it immediately shouted. "The fruits haven't ripened. If you were to consume them, you would only be wasting them. You'd gain no benefits whatsoever."

"They haven't ripened?" The hearts of Qin Yun and company palpated when they heard that.

In fact, a visual inspection made them feel that the divine fruits were still drawing on the divine fruit tree's powers. They were still maturing and had yet to ripen.

However, they still held a sliver of hope.

After all, the divine fruits could provide them with immense help, especially for Qin Yun. To Qin Yun, these divine fruits increased his chances of transcending the tribulations drastically.

"They haven't ripened?" Qin Yun felt a little anxious as he looked at the three fruit trees. His heart stirred when he saw the serpent stop its attacks. Immediately, he bellowed, "For you to entrench yourself in Illusion Fiend Mountain Valley, you must have collected a number of divine fruits, right? I'm giving you two choices. Either you hand over the divine fruits you have, or we will take the three divine fruit trees away."

"Take away the fruit trees?" The serpent's irises constricted.