The emerald orb was blocked by a casual palm strike from Lu Xiaotian, but the thick, long tentacle whipping out from within came crashing down over him. Even though Lu Xiaotian's divine sense had detected it, there was no time to dodge.
Lu Xiaotian had prepared for just such a situation. A flash of light rippled across his body, and he let the thick tentacle lash him. Thump, thump, thump! Attacks powerful enough to split mountains and rend the earth struck his body, yet only produced several muffled thuds.
Lu Xiaotian's seemingly slender body felt as heavy as a mountain. As the tentacle tried to coil around him, a bone-chilling sword intent burst forth.
Another cry of pain rang out. Amid the dense swarm of green-leaf stinging snakes, the Third Elder stared toward Lu Xiaotian, eyes wide with terror.
"What happened to Third Brother?" The Stinging Snake clan leader glanced past Second Elder, a hint of gloom flashing in his eyes, then turned his gaze to Third Elder. By all rights, the Third Elder's timing had been flawless. With Lu Xiaotian using such a heaven-shaking ability to deflect an attack on Nine-Ren Mountain, the odds of the attack turning the tide should have been slim. Third Elder ought to have been able to gravely injure Lu Xiaotian in one strike, if not kill him.
But things had gone nowhere near as planned. Third Elder's ambush had not only failed; he had taken a hit himself, and seemed to have been seriously wounded.
"There's an incredibly sharp sword intent inside him. It can wound the body and destroy the soul. Luckily, I pulled back in time, or I might have lost my life." Third Elder looked toward Lu Xiaotian's position, still shaken, the terror not yet gone from his eyes. That