Arc 15: Heavenly Secret Realm | Chapter 258: Fight Together
Translator: Lynn
Xu Ziqing only realized he was still in his shixiong’s arms. Though he enjoyed being close to him, he knew this wasn’t the right time or place. He released his hold, raised his hand to recall the Qingyun needles, and let them float around his body.
Yun Lie said, “The Valley of Ten Thousand Snakes.”
Xu Ziqing nodded seriously, “Yes, I will be careful.”
This place was indeed the Valley of Ten Thousand Snakes.
Before Xuan Ze released the phantom of the broken map, within the mountain range shaped like a fierce tiger, several monster lairs were marked in red.
One of them was the Valley of Ten Thousand Snakes.
At this moment, Xu Ziqing realized that the force within the black hole was very strong; everyone had entered it, but they never landed on the same ground. If he hadn’t held on tightly to his senior brother, he might have been separated from him. When looking at the fragmented map, the area seemed small, but now that he was in it, he couldn’t see the end.
With such a vast area, finding others would be challenging.
However, he couldn’t dwell on that. Although Yun Lie’s sword intent expanded a line of defense, the number of poisonous snakes was increasing. They were gradually forming small snake mountains, their smooth bodies entangled, hissing, and exuding such intense venom that it formed clouds of poisonous mist.
In the Valley of Ten Thousand Snakes, these poisonous snakes weren’t ordinary. Even the weakest was a first-rank monster. There were countless large and small bosses of poisonous snakes, and a pair of king snakes known as “Yin Yang Zimu Snakes,” divided into male and female.
Fortunately, Xu Ziqing was a wood cultivator, and the wood energy permeating his body had the magical effect of filtering out poison, allowing him to endure. Otherwise, as soon as he landed, the poisonous mist would have blocked his seven orifices, and the poison would have invaded, killing him instantly.
Even so, it wasn’t safe to stay here.
Yun Lie took the lead, protecting his body with sword intent and extending his fingers, transforming them into countless white threads. These threads, flexible and slender, were his sword energy. Wherever the sword energy reached, the snakes were strangled, and the blood mixed with the venom, creating an even more pungent smell.
Xu Ziqing wasn’t idle either. He followed Yun Lie closely, directing Qingyun Needle to scatter and kill the snakes. Though not as calm as Yun Lie, he could still remove obstacles quickly, allowing them to move faster.
They didn’t know how many dangers lay within this secret realm, so conserving true energy was crucial. The attacking snakes were only at rank one, two, and three, and although numerous, they didn’t consume much energy. Xu Ziqing and Yun Lie aimed to pass through the Valley of Ten Thousand Snakes as quickly as possible without alarming the pair of king snakes.
Walking along the mountain wall, the two quickly covered a great distance. When encountering poisonous snakes above the fourth rank, they didn’t kill them but bounced them away with sword intent.
The two pair of cultivation brothers knew that the pair of king snakes had bred here for many years. While the lower-level descendants might be inconsequential, higher-level snakes above the fourth rank likely had names among them. Killing them in large numbers would attract unwanted attention from the king snakes. Thus, it was safer not to harm these high-level snakes.
The Demon Vine, already familiar with Yun Lie, did not need orders to avoid attacking him.
His shixiong’s trust struck Xu Ziqing. In the past, he had always relied on Yun Lie’s protection, but now, if he could use the Demon Vine to break through this barrier, he would be protecting his shixiong for once. No matter how gentle his temperament is, a man must show his strength. Yun Lie’s silent approval motivated him further. With a determined look, Xu Ziqing pointed and commanded, “Go!”
The Bloodthirsty Demon Vine surged forward, its tendrils flying, turning half the sky red.
The thousand-faced bats, merely first-order monsters, had thrived here due to their numbers and rapid reproduction. In large swarms, they could overwhelm even a Golden Core monk.
Unfortunately for the bats, they encountered formidable opponents this time. The Bloodthirsty Demon Vine had long since merged with Xu Ziqing’s dantian, becoming his lifeline and deeply intertwined with his cultivation.
Once released from his body, the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine could draw energy from the earth, requiring minimal effort from Xu Ziqing. This was the true power of the “Ten Thousand Woods Great Heart Planting Technique,” a legendary technique renowned for its heaven-defying capabilities.
At this moment, the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine reveled in its task, its energy sustained with ease. This was why Yun Lie had stepped back, allowing Xu Ziqing to take the lead.
As the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine danced wildly, the thousand-faced bats, like moths to a flame, charged relentlessly at the two young monks. However, the Bloodthirsty Demon Vines swiftly intercepted them. Any bat that recklessly continued its assault was swallowed by the leaf buds atop the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine, reduced to a puddle of blood to sate its hunger.
These bats, accustomed to preying on everything in the sky and on the ground, met their match here, becoming mere sustenance for the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine.
Xu Ziqing remained vigilant, ensuring not a single thousand-faced bat escaped.
Yet, where there were lesser bats, there had to be a Bat King. In the largest cave dwelled the Bat King, a peak sixth-rank monster, accompanied by dozens of concubines, also fifth and sixth-order monsters. These female bats were deadlier, their poison more potent, and their hunger insatiable.
Sensing the demise of its offspring, the Bat King, leading its concubines, emerged from the cave. It saw the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine’s rampage and was instantly enraged. Having refined its bones and gained the ability to speak human language, it roared, “Human cultivators, how dare to destroy my kin! I will suck your flesh, refine your soul, and ensure you never reincarnate!” This Bat King had a half-human form, with bat wings stretching wide behind it.
The concubines spread their wings as well. They had white complexions, stunning features, and blue eyes like precious gems, exuding an alluring charm. But their snow-white arms ended in iron claws like hooks, and when they opened their mouths, three-inch fangs gleamed menacingly, transforming their beauty into ferocity.
Despite the Bat King’s threats, Xu Ziqing did not retract the Demon Vine. His shixiong stepped forward, sword intent surging.
With a spiritual sword in hand, the white-clothed swordsman ruthlessly slashed at the Bat King.
“The Bat Demon will die,” he declared coldly, his murderous intent piercing to the bone.
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