Phantom Snake King

"This... the reasons were complicated, not something I could explain in a sentence or two. Let's focus on treating Flower Civet first. The treatment will take a day or two as well. Look at Flower Civet's current condition..."

In the end, Ye Zhen still did not reveal the true cause of Flower Civet's illness. Facing Fairy Caiyi's pair of crystal-clear eyes, he simply could not say it.

"Then hurry and treat it. What medicine do you need?" The moment she heard Flower Civet needed treatment, Fairy Caiyi immediately stopped caring about the cause.

"No medicine is needed, but we do need a few Flower Civets. Do you know where Flower Civets often appear?" Ye Zhen had considered how to treat Flower Civet. The only way was to find its kind.

"Where do Flower Civets often appear?" Fairy Caiyi pressed a glistening fingertip to her chin and pondered for a moment. "It should be the back mountain. I found Su'er there back then. If there are Flower Civets about, that can only be the place."

After a pause, Fairy Caiyi added, "But Monster Beasts often appear in the back mountain. It is extremely dangerous for ordinary animals like Flower Civets. Must we find its kind to treat it?"

"I only know this method..."

"Fine, let's go."

His shoulder tightened, and Ye Zhen was once again lifted into the sky by Fairy Caiyi. This time, however, she gave him no chance to flail about. The instant they rose into the air, an inexplicable force restrained his entire body, leaving him unable to move in the slightest.

At that very moment, Fan Chuyu, gazing out from Spirit Sword Peak, watched Fairy Caiyi take Ye Zhen away. His teeth ground together with cracking sounds. For more than a year, he had busied himself constantly around Caiyi, yet he had never been this close to her, much less spent time alone with her.

And now, an Outer Disciple as insignificant as an ant had obtained it so easily. Though Fan Chuyu knew this was to save Flower Civet, the discomfort in his heart refused to fade.

Qi Yun Sect had been founded atop Qi Yun Mountain. Yet Monster Beasts ran rampant throughout the Qi Yun Mountain Range. Even after nearly a thousand years of development, Qi Yun Sect had only thoroughly cleared a few hundred peaks of Monster Beasts.

Moreover, those few hundred peaks all lay in the front mountain, close to the mortal world.

The back mountain of Qi Yun Mountain, on the other hand, had gradually become a place for Inner and Outer Disciples to train in the martial path because Monster Beasts frequently appeared there. For that reason, Inner and Outer Disciples often met miserable deaths in the back mountain.

As for the depths of the back mountain within the Qi Yun Mountain Range, even True Disciples did not dare venture there lightly.

"This should be the place." After descending into a dense forest in the back mountain, Fairy Caiyi held Flower Civet in her arms and began searching all around. Perhaps it sensed something; the Flower Civet, which had been wildly agitated earlier, suddenly became quiet, filling Fairy Caiyi with delight.

"Ye Zhen, your cultivation is weak, so be careful. This place is already close to the depths of the Qi Yun Mountain Range, where Monster Beasts often appear. Human-tier Monster Beasts are common, and even great Earth Grade demons occasionally show up.

"It would be best if you did not stray farther than ten feet from me. Within ten feet, even if an Earth Grade great demon appears, I can keep you safe. But beyond ten feet, I cannot guarantee it."

Ye Zhen hurriedly nodded and followed closely behind Fairy Caiyi.

Fairy Caiyi was not trying to frighten him. Ye Zhen had heard that in the past year alone, more than ten Inner Disciples had vanished in the back mountain. It was said that, years ago, even a True Disciple had fallen there.

Furthermore, martial artists cultivating like Ye Zhen possessed exceptionally vigorous blood and qi. In the eyes of Monster Beasts, they were supreme blood-food, like Tang Monk's flesh, and were exceedingly likely to attract Monster Beasts.

"Last year, I saw several Flower Civets in these woods. Why aren't they appearing now?"

"Fairy Caiyi, why not release Flower Civet and let it search for its own kind? That might be faster," Ye Zhen suggested.

Fairy Caiyi rejected his suggestion without hesitation. "No. This place is too dangerous. If we do that, Su'er will be in danger."

Ye Zhen pursed his lips, somewhat speechless. These five hundred Sect Contribution Points really were not easy to earn.

Hiss!

As Fairy Caiyi lightly stepped onto a pile of fallen leaves, several green shadows abruptly shot upward like arrows. Several green snakes over two meters long lunged at Ye Zhen and Fairy Caiyi.

Without any visible movement from Fairy Caiyi, a ring of green light scattered out. The six green snakes were instantly severed into several pieces, their blood spraying across the ground.

"They are only a few vicious snakes that are not even Monster Beasts. What are you afraid of?" Seeing Ye Zhen's nervousness, Fairy Caiyi gave a soft laugh.

At this sight, Ye Zhen relaxed slightly. Yet in that very instant, a sudden change erupted.

Whoosh!

A thunderous tearing sound suddenly exploded through the air. A blue-black snake tail split into countless phantom tails, lashing down like lightning at Ye Zhen and Fairy Caiyi.

Ye Zhen's vision blurred. A fragrant breeze swept over him, and his body had already been lifted into the air.

"Phantom Snake King?"

Boom!

The blue-black snake tail smashed viciously into the ground, shaking several nearby trees until they snapped apart. With a flick of its tail, a snake head the size of an ox's head suddenly emerged from the distance, icy light gleaming in its triangular eyes.

Hiss!

Its long tongue flicked out. With an explosive sound, the triangular snake head abruptly bit toward Ye Zhen.

The triangular snake head was incredibly fast. The instant it moved, it pierced the air so sharply that ripples seemed to spread through the atmosphere. More deadly still, the pitch-black venom dripping from its mouth turned every plant in its path to ash.

The Phantom Snake King was fast, but Fairy Caiyi was faster.

Her figure danced through the air as the longsword in her hand swept out. A sword light over ten meters long shot forth like lightning, piercing down through the Phantom Snake King's vital spot and nailing it to the ground in one motion.

Meow!

Almost at the same time, a rather shrill, excited cat cry suddenly rang out. The moment it sounded, Flower Civet, which had been resting peacefully in Fairy Caiyi's arms, brightened its eyes and let out an equally excited meow. Taking advantage of Fairy Caiyi's battle with the Phantom Snake King, it suddenly leaped from her embrace.

Flower Civet was incredibly fast. In virtually an instant, it vanished into the depths of the forest. Only its increasingly resonant meows revealed its direction.

"Su'er, it's dangerous! Come back!"

Having just dealt with the Phantom Snake King, Fairy Caiyi cried out in alarm. Without a moment's thought, she shot into the air and raced after Flower Civet.

One person and one Flower Civet vanished into the depths of the forest in the blink of an eye, leaving Ye Zhen alone to face the Phantom Snake King, nailed through its vital spot.

"Fuck!"

Watching Fairy Caiyi and Flower Civet disappear, Ye Zhen could not help swearing. This was downright screwing him over. He was only an Outer Disciple who had yet to condense even a single drop of True Essence. What was Fairy Caiyi thinking, leaving him here alone?

If another Phantom Snake came along, even if it was not a King, it could easily take Ye Zhen's life. Phantom Snakes were not only immensely strong, but also swift as lightning. Ordinary Phantom Snakes were already Human-tier Low Grade Monster Beasts.

As for the Phantom Snake King, it was a Human-tier High Grade Monster Beast. None but peak True Essence Realm experts could contend with it.

But the worst part now was that the Phantom Snake King was still alive.

Fairy Caiyi's longsword had pierced through the Phantom Snake King's vital spot and nailed it to the ground, but it had not killed the beast.

Most critically, having its vital spot pinned only paralyzed the Phantom Snake King's body and prevented it from moving. Yet the ox-head-sized snake head before that point was still struggling nonstop.

The snake head possessed tremendous strength. Every struggle loosened the longsword pinning its vital spot by a fraction. At this rate, it would not be long before the Phantom Snake King broke free.

If the Phantom Snake King broke free...

Ye Zhen was horrified!

He looked toward the depths of the forest, but there was not the slightest movement. Meanwhile, the Phantom Snake King's struggles grew increasingly violent. It was clear that it would soon free itself.

Gritting his teeth, Ye Zhen took a wide detour, then leaped onto the back of the Phantom Snake King, whose body was as thick as an adult's waist. He threw a punch at the longsword embedded in the Snake King's vital spot.

The Phantom Snake King let out a mournful cry, and its head crashed back onto the ground. It tried to shake Ye Zhen off, but with its vital spot pinned, its snake body could not move at all.

Thus began Ye Zhen's grand endeavor of tormenting a snake.

Though the Phantom Snake King's vital spot was pinned and it could not move, killing it was not easy at all. Even Ye Zhen's strongest Five Peaks Divine Fist, combined with Qi Gang, could not shake its scales in the slightest.

Fortunately, the longsword Fairy Caiyi had left behind was a divine weapon. With a light twist, it could tear open a wound at the Phantom Snake King's vital spot.

So Ye Zhen rode atop the Phantom Snake King's back, continuously twisting the longsword Fairy Caiyi had left behind, causing the Phantom Snake King to emit one helpless wail after another in agony.

When Ye Zhen felt he had twisted it enough, he lightly raised the longsword. Urging the blood and qi within him, he pressed down on the hilt and fiercely stabbed diagonally through its vital spot. Fairy Caiyi's longsword instantly pierced through the Phantom Snake King's head and out through its brain.

Its triangular eyes widened, and the Phantom Snake King immediately breathed its last.

At the exact instant the Phantom Snake King died, a sudden change erupted.