The Soul Devouring Snakes' ambush came without warning. These ferocious beasts were pitch-black from head to tail, their scales gleaming with a ghostly sheen. Swift as arrows, they surrounded Chen Fan's group in the center of the stone chamber in the blink of an eye. Black venom dripped from their mouths, sizzling as it struck the ground. The stone bricks were instantly corroded into tiny pits, showing just how vicious the poison was.
"Quick, use Fire Talismans! Soul Devouring Snakes fear fire!" Li Mo reacted first. He hurriedly pulled talismans from his storage pouch. The instant spiritual power flowed into them, flames blossomed in his hand like lotus flowers, and he hurled them at the nearest Soul Devouring Snake. The other disciples followed suit. For a time, flames soared through the stone chamber, and the scorching heat made some of the Soul Devouring Snakes instinctively recoil.
But there were simply too many Soul Devouring Snakes—more than a hundred of them. The flames could only temporarily hold back the snakes at the front. The ones in the rear actually trampled over their companions' corpses and continued charging, mouths gaping wide to reveal sharp fangs as they lunged at Lin Xiaohu. In their eyes, this youth with the weakest aura was the best point to break through.
"Xiaohu, watch out!" Chen Fan's pupils constricted. He was currently entangled by three adult Soul Devouring Snakes. Their scales were as hard as iron, and even ordinary True Qi attacks could leave no more than pale marks on them. He wanted to break free and save Lin Xiaohu, but a snake tail smashed viciously into his waist and abdomen. He staggered back two steps, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
Lin Xiaohu watched the Soul Devouring Snakes pounce, fear flashing through his eyes. Yet Chen Fan's instructions for the basic fist art suddenly surfaced in his mind: "Guard the center to attain harmony; use stillness to control motion. The flesh is a shield, and blood vitality is the blade." He drew a deep breath and clenched his hands into fists. The faint power of blood vitality within him circulated through his meridians. Though he had yet to condense True Energy, it still carried the fierce courage unique to youth.
"Hah!" Lin Xiaohu shouted and, following the fist art's movements, drove both fists at the Soul Devouring Snake's vital spot seven inches below its head. This blow had no True Qi behind it, yet it was incomparably precise—during the previous battles, he had already committed the "weakness identification" Chen Fan taught him to heart.
"Bang!" His fists collided with snake scales, and Lin Xiaohu's arms immediately went numb. Yet the Soul Devouring Snake was staggered by the sudden strike. Seizing the chance, he swiftly twisted aside to evade its bite, then kicked hard at its belly. The Soul Devouring Snake shrieked in pain, turned, and lunged again.
"Xiaohu, use the Body Tempering Pill I gave you!" Chen Fan's voice came from ahead. Only then did Lin Xiaohu remember that before setting out, Chen Fan had given him three Body Tempering Pills, saying they could temporarily strengthen his physique at a critical moment. He hurriedly took out a pill and swallowed it. It melted the moment it entered his mouth, and a warm medicinal force instantly spread through his entire body. His numb arms filled with strength once more, while his blood vitality circulated several times faster.
With the medicinal power supporting him, Lin Xiaohu's fist art became increasingly fluid. He no longer fought head-on, instead using the stone pillars throughout the chamber to dodge nimbly. Whenever there was a gap in a Soul Devouring Snake's attacks, he struck its weak points with his fists or the tips of his feet. Though he could not kill the snakes, he successfully bought time for Chen Fan.
Seeing Lin Xiaohu's performance, a trace of gratification flashed through Chen Fan's eyes. Then his gaze sharpened. True Energy surged wildly within him, and True Qi condensed around his body into thick golden armor. He slammed a fist into the ground, and the force of Sky Shattering Fist: Earthquake spread through the stone bricks. The ground shook violently, knocking scales off the three Soul Devouring Snakes surrounding him and exposing their mangled flesh.
"Li Mo, lead the disciples and protect Xiaohu! I'll clear a path!" Chen Fan roared, charging into the snake horde like a whirlwind. His fists struck out in alternation, every punch landing precisely on the Soul Devouring Snakes' vital spots or eyes. Pale golden True Qi was like a sharp blade, instantly tearing through their scales. Cries of agony rose and fell one after another. Black snake blood splattered across the stone chamber floor, and the air filled with a pungent stench of blood.
But the Soul Devouring Snakes seemed to know no fear, still charging forward wave after wave. Chen Fan fought until his arms ached, and nearly half the True Energy in his body had been exhausted. Yet dozens of Soul Devouring Snakes still rushed toward the Dragon Bone Flower atop the stone platform—they seemed to want not only to attack the group, but to destroy the Dragon Bone Flower as well!
Not good! Their target is the Dragon Bone Flower! Chen Fan's heart tightened. He wanted to rush over and protect it, but five adult Soul Devouring Snakes tangled around him. These snakes were far stronger than ordinary Soul Devouring Snakes. Their scales were hard as steel, their venom even thicker, and Chen Fan's True Qi attacks could barely break through their defenses.
Just then, Lin Xiaohu suddenly shouted, "Brother Fan! Look at that mural!"
Chen Fan looked in the direction Lin Xiaohu pointed. On the mural along the western side of the stone chamber was a martial artist holding a flame totem, forcing back a group of snake-shaped ferocious beasts. Beneath the mural was a line of ancient seal-script text. It was the "Fire Pattern Rune" recorded in the Martial Path Elixir Scripture—a rune of the ancient Martial Path capable of drawing forth flames through the power of blood vitality!
"Xiaohu, do you remember the blood vitality circulation method I taught you? Follow the rune's path on the mural and draw a fire pattern with your blood vitality!" Chen Fan shouted urgently. He knew that although Lin Xiaohu had no True Energy, the medicinal power of the Body Tempering Pill and his recent training gave him enough blood vitality to activate the rune.
Lin Xiaohu nodded, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. Recalling the fire pattern's path on the mural, he simultaneously mobilized the blood vitality in his body and gathered it at his fingertips. He slowly opened his eyes. A faint red glow surrounded his fingertips as he drew the fire pattern rune upon the stone wall before him.
"Buzz!"
The moment the final stroke was completed, the rune suddenly lit up. A red flame burst from it and flew toward the snake horde like a fire serpent. Wherever the flames passed, the Soul Devouring Snakes let out miserable shrieks and were instantly burned into charcoal. This fire differed from the spell flames of immortal cultivators. It contained the power of Martial Path blood vitality, a natural bane to the Soul Devouring Snakes!
"It worked! Everyone, follow the runes on the mural and use blood vitality or spiritual power to draw forth flames!" Chen Fan shouted excitedly. Seeing this, Li Mo and the disciples hurriedly imitated Lin Xiaohu. Though they did not understand Martial Path blood vitality, they could use spiritual power to mimic the rune's path. Before long, flames lit up throughout the stone chamber, blanketing the snake horde like a net of fire.
The Soul Devouring Snakes fled in all directions amid the flames, yet they could never break through the fiery net. Chen Fan seized the opportunity. His figure flashed as he charged into the snake horde, his fists raining down like a violent storm and slaughtering every remaining Soul Devouring Snake.
When the final Soul Devouring Snake fell, everyone let out a breath and collapsed onto the ground. Lin Xiaohu lay flat on his back, gulping down air, but his face was full of excited smiles. "Brother Fan, I did it! I can fight too!"
Chen Fan walked over to Lin Xiaohu and patted his shoulder, his eyes filled with gratification. "You did very well, Xiaohu. You're no longer the child who could only hide behind me."
Li Mo also came over and gave Lin Xiaohu a thumbs-up. "Brother Xiaohu, that was incredible! If you hadn't discovered the rune on the mural, we probably would have had a hard time escaping today."
Lin Xiaohu smiled sheepishly, climbed up from the ground, and looked toward the Dragon Bone Flower on the stone platform. "Brother Fan, let's pick the Dragon Bone Flower quickly. This place is too dangerous. We should leave as soon as possible."
Chen Fan nodded and walked to the stone platform. The Dragon Bone Flower emitted a faint purple spiritual glow, and the patterns on its petals were as clear as dragon bones. He carefully reached out, intending to pick it, but the instant his fingertips touched a petal, the stone chamber began to shake violently. The Dragon Bone Flower atop the platform suddenly bloomed, and a beam of purple light shot from its pistil, illuminating the entire chamber.
"This is..." Chen Fan's heart trembled. The purple light gathered in midair into a phantom figure—a martial artist clad in golden battle armor. He held a long spear, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's, and an air of looking down upon the world radiated from his body.
"I am Zhao Lie, the ancient Martial Immortal known as Blazing Spear. Since you, one fated to meet this place, have passed through my ruins and slain the Soul Devouring Snakes, it is clear that your heart upon the Martial Path is steadfast." The phantom spoke, his voice booming through the stone chamber like a great bell. "Though your Martial Path has no spiritual energy to aid it, you can still shake heaven and earth with your flesh alone. That is truly rare. Within my ruins lie the Blazing Spear Art, which I cultivated throughout my life, and my insights into breaking through to the Martial Saint Realm. If you can pass my trial, you may take them."
Before his words had faded, the long spear in the phantom's hand suddenly fired a streak of golden light toward Chen Fan. Chen Fan's heart tightened. He hurriedly circulated his True Qi and clenched his fists, ready to receive the attack. He knew this was the ancient Martial Immortal's trial. Only by passing it could he obtain the inheritance—and only with that inheritance and the Dragon Bone Flower could he break through to the Martial Saint Realm sooner.
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