"When I first came in, I killed quite a few Silver-Ringed Snake Demons, but I didn't have time to collect their bodies. The other snakes must have eaten them by now. What a waste."
He hurried along, but when he couldn't find the bodies of the demons he'd slain, he felt somewhat disappointed.
Although the flesh of Silver-Ringed Demon Snakes wasn't worth much.
Their gallbladders and fangs, however, were in high demand among cultivators at the market.
He had killed at least fifty demon snakes last time. If he'd carefully kept their gallbladders and fangs, he could have sold them for a few Spirit Stones.
Unfortunately, he hadn't had time to deal with them before he ran into the Two-Headed Python and was forced to leave.
"Thud, thud!"
Using Thunderbolt Quickstep, Shen Mo shot past the fruit trees in the Spirit Field like a bolt of lightning.
Soon, he reached the center of the Spirit Field, where the Purple Sun Vermilion Fruit grew.
"Hiss! Hiss!"
Just as expected, the Two-Headed Silver-Ringed Python was still coiled around the Vermilion Fruit tree.
It had been resting, but it seemed to sense Shen Mo's arrival and suddenly opened its eyes.
Killing intent surged in its yellow-brown eyes.
This Two-Headed Silver-Ringed Python clearly hadn't expected Shen Mo to come back and disturb it after escaping with his life!
"It's only been a dozen days, but that beast's head seems to have developed."
As the python stared at Shen Mo, he studied it in turn.
Seeing the Two-Headed Python again, Shen Mo could tell its aura was much stronger than it had been a dozen days ago.
The head that had once drooped as if it were underdeveloped had gradually begun to show signs of life.
Most likely, it was because the python had been cultivating beside the Purple Sun Vermilion Fruit, absorbing the spiritual energy it released day and night.
Even the scant spiritual energy released by the Purple Sun Vermilion Fruit had such an effect. No wonder it was a treasure of heaven and earth!
"Separating Fire Talisman, activate!"
Facing the restless Two-Headed Silver-Ringed Python, Shen Mo didn't wait for it to attack. He quickly took five Separating Fire Talismans from his Qiankun Pouch.
Then, forming a hand seal, he activated them!
"Whoosh!"
The talismans in his hand burst into golden light, then were consumed by blazing flames in the next instant.
At the same time, a terrifying blaze took the shape of a fiery dragon and surged toward the Silver-Ringed Python, carrying the force of incinerating everything in its path.
"Hiss! Hiss!"
The enormous Silver-Ringed Python suddenly leaped off the tree and onto the ground, trying to dodge the Separating Fire Talismans.
But the Separating Fire blazed after it like a shadow.
"Boom!"
The Two-Headed Silver-Ringed Python failed to evade the attack. The flames exploded across its body.
Countless scales were scorched by the blaze and fell away, one after another.
"Roar!"
The searing pain made the Two-Headed Silver-Ringed Python open its gaping jaws and roar wildly.
"Pfft!"
As its forked tongue flicked out, it conjured a milky-white ripple of light that sliced toward Shen Mo.
"Separating Fire Talisman, activate again!"
Shen Mo didn't dare let his guard down. He activated another talisman in his hand.
"Fwoom!"
Flames swept in every direction, scattering the Silver-Ringed Python's Azure Water Lingbo. Still surging onward, they turned the entire central area of the Spirit Field into a sea of fire.
After using two Separating Fire Talismans in succession, Shen Mo felt hollow inside.
Activating a Separating Fire Talisman consumed a tremendous amount of the caster's spiritual energy. But cultivators in the Body Tempering Realm had yet to open their qi seas and dantians, so they couldn't store much spiritual energy.
They could only draw a little spiritual energy into their bodies through their meridians and internal organs, which was nowhere near enough.
After only two activations, his spiritual energy was already spent.
"Gulp!"
Fortunately, Shen Mo had come prepared.
He grabbed a handful of Qi Recovery Pills and popped them into his mouth like beans.
As the pills entered his stomach, his depleted spiritual energy rapidly recovered.
"Third talisman. Here we go!"
Feeling his spiritual energy gradually replenish, Shen Mo didn't waste a moment. He activated the third Separating Fire Talisman!
Another fiery dragon swept forth, bearing down on the Two-Headed Silver-Ringed Python.
"Rumble!"
Its body was like a speeding car, tearing wildly through the Spirit Field.
Its massive form kicked up endless clouds of dust.
Although the Two-Headed Python had one foot in the ranks of Second-Order Demon Beasts and possessed incredibly powerful defenses,
it was still fragile before fire-element talismans, which naturally countered it.
Every talisman strike inflicted severe wounds.
So, faced with such overwhelming firepower, the beast had no chance to fight back. All it could do was flee, trying to evade the endless rain of fire falling from the sky.
Damn you!
The Silver-Ringed Two-Headed Python fixed its other head on Shen Mo, who stood on a branch and kept activating Separating Fire Talismans. Its hatred surged like a flood.
Although it had yet to fully develop its intelligence,
it understood clearly that the terrifying flames weren't Shen Mo's own power. He was relying on an external object, which had to have a limited duration.
All it had to do was hold out a little longer. Once the talismans' power faded, it could swallow the man in one bite and tear him to pieces!
But it was in for a disappointment.
Shen Mo had come thoroughly prepared.
The suppressive barrage of fire was terrifying. There was no way the beast could withstand such a relentless, saturating assault.
One Separating Fire Talisman after another was activated.
He kept shoving Qi Recovery Pills into his mouth as if they cost nothing, while channeling spiritual energy through his body to activate the talismans.
In total, thirteen Separating Fire Talismans were activated.
The overwhelming flames blazed without end.
Looking down from above, one could see the Two-Headed Silver-Ringed Python trapped in an endless rain of fire, repeatedly scorched and battered by the flames. It was in a miserable state.
"I'll just wear it down slowly."
Standing in a high place, Shen Mo patiently waited for the Two-Headed Silver-Ringed Python to be burned to death by the Separating Fire Talismans.
He had no intention of taking advantage of its weakened state to rush in with his sword and finish it off.
Besides, finishing it off wouldn't earn him any experience.
On the contrary, the Two-Headed Silver-Ringed Python was far too powerful. Even badly wounded, it could still strike back with its dying strength—and Shen Mo wouldn't be able to withstand that.
"Wuu..."
This fiery feast lasted a full incense stick's worth of time.
By the time the flames from the Separating Fire Talismans gradually faded, the giant python trapped at the very center had been roasted into a blackened husk. Not a trace of life remained.
"Is it dead?"
"It's still weaker than I expected."
He put away the seven Separating Fire Talismans he'd been preparing to release next, then leaped down from the tree.
He had prepared twenty Separating Fire Talismans in all, but had only used thirteen.
"It's been roasted through. No one would want all this meat, even if I gave it away."
Standing before the Silver-Ringed Two-Headed Python, which had long since stopped breathing, Shen Mo examined it carefully and sighed regretfully.
Although a demon snake's fangs and gallbladder were its most valuable parts, the flesh of a Second-Order Demon Beast could still fetch a few Spirit Stones if it was undamaged.
"Hiss..."
Just as Shen Mo let his guard down and prepared to clean up the battlefield,
the sound of a snake flicking its tongue suddenly rang out.
His whole body stiffened. He turned and saw, to his shock, that the Two-Headed Silver-Ringed Python's tightly shut eyes had opened!
"It's not dead?"
"That beast was faking its death to trick me into coming closer!"
In an instant, a chill shot through him, and alarm bells blared in Shen Mo's mind.
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