Chapter 58: The Great Serpent

Lin Hao was unaware that shortly after he left, two figures swiftly approached the place where he had slain the tiger beast.

"No demon core..."

The two men crouched beside the corpse of the white tiger, exchanging glances. One wore a black, tight-fitting long robe, and spoke in a calm tone.

"This person managed to kill a fifth-layer Qi Condensation beast in such a short time. He must be someone not easily provoked. We'd better not pursue him further..."

The other man, dressed in rough black linen, a shadow of caution flickering in his eyes, replied with measured words.

"No outer sect disciple possesses such skill."

"The Wild Forest Trial is imminent, and the appearance of this person might change everything."

"Why don't we follow him to uncover his true strength? Better that than being taken by surprise when it matters most."

Though reluctant, the man in the tight black robe spoke coldly, a chill in his gaze betraying his lingering dissatisfaction.

"Let's chase him. If his strength is as formidable as it seems, the two of us together might still stand a chance."

With that, the man in black linen wasted no more time. As his voice faded, the two began searching the area for traces, then quickly followed the path Lin Hao had taken.

Meanwhile, after much searching, Lin Hao had already slain numerous third and fourth-layer Qi Condensation beasts, collecting nearly twenty demon cores.

Along the way, Lin Hao remained vigilant, ending battles swiftly so as not to reveal the power of Heaven's Punishment. He took the cores and moved on without hesitation.

Yet, as Lin Hao ventured deeper, the air grew increasingly humid, and a chilling coldness permeated the surroundings, sending shivers through him. The unnaturally dark trees added to the eerie atmosphere.

A guttural roar suddenly echoed through the woods. Lin Hao's pupils contracted sharply, his heart surging with dread.

Cold sweat broke out on his back, and Heaven's Punishment flashed into his hand. As the silver blade appeared, its strange blood-red patterns swiftly became visible.

Scanning his surroundings, Lin Hao realized that three giant pythons had somehow encircled him.

All three were fifth-layer Qi Condensation beasts. One even exuded a fierceness surpassing the fifth layer, nearly reaching the sixth.

A beast infinitely close to the sixth layer!

"Have you been following me for a while?"

Sensing the murderous chill in their eyes, Lin Hao's expression grew grave. He stood ready, his spirit alert to their every move.

But the pythons seemed unwilling to give Lin Hao any chance to prepare. Their eyes flashed with cold light, and they lunged, mouths wide, aiming to devour him whole.

A savage roar erupted as their fangs bared, intent on tearing Lin Hao apart.

"Courting death!"

Realizing the danger, Lin Hao's heart raced with terror. Unyielding resolve filled his gaze as he stepped forward, Heaven's Punishment gleaming with icy light.

"Die!"

The energy of the fourth-layer Qi Condensation surged around him as he struck the head of the most powerful python with a single slash.

A sickening sound of flesh and blood tearing filled the air. Blood sprayed across the earth, staining the dead wood crimson in an instant.

But the price for slaying the nearly sixth-layer beast was high: the other two pythons closed in, one tearing a chunk from Lin Hao's calf, the other slashing across his back.

Blood gushed out, and Lin Hao felt a piercing pain throughout his body as he rolled away, trembling. Sweat poured from him as he forced himself up, his eyes filled with an unprecedented intensity. Gritting his teeth against the agony in his leg, he summoned a faint ethereal energy.

Suddenly, both hands emitted a surge of azure energy, rapidly condensing into a small green cauldron before him.

"Go!"

With a gesture, the cauldron seemed almost sentient as it crashed onto one of the pythons.

"Die!"

Wasting no time, Lin Hao leaped towards the other python, Heaven's Punishment shining with cold light. Though the sequence seemed slow, it all happened in a flash—he summoned the cauldron and attacked the second python in the blink of an eye.

With a roar, Lin Hao unleashed his full power, slashing at the serpent.

A grisly sound echoed; the python could not react in time, never expecting Lin Hao to counterattack so fiercely despite his injuries. Its attempt to dodge was futile as Lin Hao's blade struck, severing its massive head.

Another roar resounded as the python struck by the cauldron recovered, fury blazing in its eyes. It raised its head and lunged at Lin Hao in a violent assault.

Though Lin Hao tried to evade, the wound in his leg slowed him. Blood poured out as the python tore a chunk from his shoulder.

"Beast..."

Enduring the unbearable pain, Lin Hao forced himself upright, murderous intent burning in his eyes. Gripping Heaven's Punishment tightly, he leaped again, pushing through the agony to strike at the python.

The serpent was relentless, its eyes ablaze with ferocity as it aimed to bite Lin Hao's weapon hand.

"Courting death!"

Lin Hao wasted no time, thrusting Heaven's Punishment into the python's mouth.

With a wrenching tear, the beast's sharp fangs met Lin Hao's blade, and he pulled, slicing the python in two.

"Crack..."

After finishing, Lin Hao could barely stand. Trembling, he staggered to his feet, his gaze grave. He quickly transformed Heaven's Punishment into a dagger and slashed at the seven-inch point of each python.

He extracted their gallbladders and demon cores, then hurried toward a secluded path.

Wild beasts are highly sensitive to the scent of blood, and demon beasts even more so. It was likely the blood from his earlier kills had drawn the three pythons.

Now, he could not linger. He had to leave quickly, or his life would be in danger.

Yet Lin Hao had barely gone far when his expression suddenly tightened, spiritual energy flowing faintly through him as he remained alert.

Rustling sounds came from the nearby grass.

Lin Hao retreated slowly, tapped his storage pouch, and placed a demon core in his mouth. His eyes flashed coldly, ready to summon Heaven's Punishment for a desperate fight if needed.

But when he saw the figure emerging from the grass, Lin Hao paused in surprise, a hint of caution flickering deep in his eyes as he spoke calmly:

"Why are you here?"

He gazed at the cool, sword-bearing woman in white before him, uncertain what to feel. Though she had never harmed him, he now carried dozens of demon cores and the priceless Heaven's Punishment; who could say what thoughts she might harbor?

Of course, this was only a hypothesis—assuming she hadn't followed him and didn't know about Heaven's Punishment, Lin Hao did not confront her.

The newcomer was Bai Li.

"I was worried about you coming to Black Mountain alone, so I followed your aura and came to find you," Bai Li replied, her brows furrowed, a trace of doubt crossing her eyes before she spoke softly.

"I'm fine," Lin Hao said quietly after a long silence, preparing to stand and return to the cave.

But just then, two men in black robes stepped out from the grass.

"Brother, I assume the dozens of beasts slain along the way were all your doing," said one, dressed in a tight black robe, a wicked smile curling his lips as he addressed Lin Hao with a hint of menace.

Hearing this, Lin Hao tensed. Before he could reply, Bai Li drew her sword, her eyes flashing coldly as she glared at the men behind, her voice icy:

"Never mind that a third-layer Qi Condensation cultivator could kill so many beasts, but if you dare harm him, have you considered the consequences?"

"Oh?"

The man in the tight black robe leered, his gaze lingering on Bai Li, a sinister smile playing across his lips as he replied disdainfully:

"Bai Li, even if you are at the fourth layer, what difference does it make if you reach the fifth? You cannot match the two of us."

"Is that so?"

Bai Li sneered, unmoving, her gaze colder than ever.

"Step aside. This man has killed dozens of beasts at the third layer, a feat beyond ordinary means."

"If we kill him, the three of us can split the spoils. What do you think?"

The man in black linen stepped forward, his long blade shimmering, a deep light in his eyes as he spoke quietly.

"Try to touch him and see what happens," Bai Li retorted, ignoring his words. Her voice was as cold as a winter's day, making hearts tremble.

"You should leave. You are no match for them," Lin Hao said, helpless, advising Bai Li.

But Bai Li raised her brows, surprise flickering in her eyes as she snapped coldly:

"I told you, no one can kill my people—not just anyone."

"Heh..."

The man in the tight black robe sneered, surprise flickering in his eyes as he raised his voice:

"Since you refuse to listen, you can die!"

A surge of fifth-layer Qi Condensation energy radiated from him as he approached Bai Li, a wave of heat emanating from his palm as flames suddenly appeared, reaching for Bai Li's head.

"Courting death!"

Bai Li, though only at the fourth layer, faced difficulty against a fifth-layer opponent. Her eyes flashed coldly as she forced herself to suppress her apprehension, deftly wielding her sword and slashing at the man's hand.

Clang!

But the next moment, a chilling hum rang out. Bai Li's pupils contracted as she realized her sword could not cut through the man's hand.

For a moment, the two were locked in a stalemate.

Yet the heat from the man's palm surged toward Bai Li, and her clothes began to show signs of burning under the flames.

A grisly tearing sound echoed as the man in black linen appeared behind Bai Li—she had sensed him, but was unable to evade. Though she avoided a fatal blow, he slashed her back, ripping her clothes and spraying blood.

She tumbled aside, looking utterly miserable.

"Despicable!"

Bai Li struggled to rise, biting her lip, her eyes flashing coldly as she cursed.

"Why put yourself through this?" Lin Hao, in dire straits himself, looked at Bai Li's battered figure with sadness, his voice filled with helplessness.

"I told you—I won't let you die, and I mean it," Bai Li replied coolly, not looking at Lin Hao, her gaze icy and fixed on the two men, her expression grave.

"I advise you to leave and observe from afar," said the man in the tight black robe, sweeping his cold gaze over Bai Li and Lin Hao, disdain in his eyes.

"Leave now. If you stay, the only outcome is both of you meeting your end," added the man in black linen, his voice devoid of emotion.