Yan Xiao Liu lay limp on the ground, a broken rag doll amid the smell of rotting earth. Every faint breath dragged at his caved-in chest, bringing agony that tore through him. Dark-red froth bubbled from his mouth, proof of the terrible damage to his internal organs. His unfocused eyes struggled to settle on Ye Yun as he bent close.
Ye Yun moved swiftly and steadily, without a trace of panic. He said nothing, quickly reaching out with one hand to support Yan Xiao Liu's shoulder and neck, careful not to worsen his injuries by moving him. With the other, he precisely took Yan Xiao Liu's pulse. The beat beneath his fingertips was faint, rapid, and erratic, like a candle about to gutter out in a storm. It showed severe blood loss and internal injuries, but his stubborn vitality had not yet been extinguished—these were not wounds that would kill him on the spot.
Ye Yun's heart eased slightly, but that did not mean they were safe. His gaze, two icy probes, instantly left Yan Xiao Liu's terrible injuries and pierced the air, heavy with blood and a rank stench, locking onto the dark-green Giant Snake coiled beneath the shadows of an ancient tree!
The Giant Snake raised its vicious triangular head high, its dark-golden vertical pupils like two cold moons of the underworld, gazing down indifferently at the tiny creatures that had intruded on its territory. Metallic dark-green scales covered its enormous body, gleaming with the sheen of death in the dim light. Its belly, swollen from just swallowing the Shadowless Leopard, rose and fell gently with each breath, silently proclaiming its terrifying strength. Its crimson forked tongue slid slowly in and out of its mouth, making a skin-crawling hiss. Each flick stirred a rank wind steeped in poison and rotting flesh, so overpowering it was almost suffocating.
Ye Yun's senses sharpened to their utmost. He felt the oppressive force radiating from the Giant Snake, as heavy as a mountain made real. It was a terrifying aura far beyond that of the Shadowless Leopard chief! The savagery within it, the level of its strength, and the crushing pressure it exerted on the very essence of life let him reach a clear conclusion in an instant:
A Second-Order Demonic Beast!
And an exceptionally savage one, even among Second-Order Demonic Beasts! Its physical strength, defensive scales, and terrifying bursts of speed were far beyond those of a First-Order Demon Beast! Yan Xiao Liu's grievous injury from a single blow had been no accident!
Just as Ye Yun reached his conclusion in a flash, the situation in the clearing changed abruptly.
"Useless!" A low voice, dripping with undisguised contempt, broke the silence. It was Li San. He glanced with disgust at Zhao Si, sprawled on the ground with his pants soaked, still trembling like a leaf. His eyes regarded him as if he were a heap of filth. Then his sharp, hawklike gaze, now gleaming with an unusual light, swept over the gravely wounded Yan Xiao Liu and Ye Yun, kneeling beside him.
The corner of Li San's mouth lifted in a barely perceptible curve, cold and cruel, nothing like the "comrade" he had pretended to be before. Turning to Wang Wu, silent as a mountain at his side, he spoke in a deliberately lowered voice, yet loud enough for everyone present to hear. "Fifth Brother, looks like we can't count on anyone else. This beast's got thick skin and tough bones. I'll go test its mettle first, shall I? You cover me." His words carried a "casual" ease utterly at odds with their desperate situation—and a hint of eagerness to try.
Wang Wu's gloomy face showed no expression. He merely gave a muffled "Mm" through his nose, as if agreeing. His eyes, like hooks dipped in poison, lingered on Ye Yun for a brief moment before returning to the Giant Snake.
"Fine!" Li San barked, his eyes blazing! He stamped hard on the ground and shot forward like a cannonball, charging straight at the terrifying Second-Order Snake Demon! His speed and lithe movements far surpassed anything the others had seen from him before. The heavy-backed saber in his hands hummed low as he poured his surging inner strength into it!
In a flash, he leaped toward the Giant Snake, closing the distance in a few bounds! When he was still several yards from its body, he sprang into the air. His figure carved a sharp arc as he gripped the saber's handle in both hands and raised it high above his head!
"Cleave Mount Hua!"
His roar cracked like thunder! The move Li San used was none other than the fierce and unyielding "Cleaving Mount Hua"! His stance, his imposing presence, even his resolve to pour his entire being into a single strike—all were exactly like Yan Xiao Liu's!
Yet in the smallest details, they were worlds apart!
Yan Xiao Liu's strike had been a desperate gamble, carrying the pathos of a doomed charge and the will to press forward without retreat. Li San's, however, had an effortless fluidity and precise control. His movements in midair were more nimble, his command of his strength exquisitely precise, and the shriek of his blade cleaving the air sharper and more focused! Clearly, his cultivation and understanding of martial techniques far surpassed Yan Xiao Liu's!
"Clang—!"
A deafening clash of metal rang through the forest once more!
The heavy-backed saber, carrying the force of a thousand jun, crashed into the Giant Snake's neck just below its dark-green scales! Sparks flew! The shrill scrape set teeth on edge!
But the result was completely different from Yan Xiao Liu's!
The Giant Snake's scales had only caved in slightly, leaving behind a shallow white mark! The rebounding force surged back like a rushing tide. Li San's body jerked to a halt in midair, then the tremendous force sent him skidding backward several steps. His feet carved two deep furrows through the damp humus. But his stance was extremely steady. He turned his saber and shed most of the force; though he looked disheveled, he did not lose his balance!
"What tough scales!" Li San shook out his numbed arm. Far from showing fear, his eyes burned with even hotter battle lust—or perhaps the excitement of having confirmed something. He took a deep breath, his inner strength surging once more in his dantian, and charged again before the Giant Snake could counterattack!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Saber light flashed like bolts of silk, instantly engulfing the area around the Giant Snake's head! Li San moved so fast he almost left afterimages, circling the Giant Snake at high speed. His blade flicked like a viper's tongue, striking with vicious precision—chopping, slashing, sweeping, and thrusting at its relatively vulnerable eyes and nostrils, as well as the gaps between its scales!
The Giant Snake was thoroughly enraged! Its dark-gold pupils blazed with murderous fury! Its enormous body twisted violently, and its massive tail swept and lashed like a steel whip, unleashing a terrifying sonic boom as it tore through the air! Every attack held enough force to split mountains and shatter stone. The ground burst apart beneath its blows, sending dirt and broken rocks flying!
For a time, figures darted through the forest, saber light flashed, and serpentine shadows whipped wildly! Bursts of force swept fallen leaves and dust high into the air!
Li San displayed astonishing skill! His movements were like a ghost's as he dodged and wove through the Giant Snake's storm of attacks, evading its lethal bite and tail lashes by the narrowest margins. His saber techniques were vicious and cunning. Though he could not seriously injure the Giant Snake, his blade left deep scratches in its scales, harder than fine steel, and several times came within a hair's breadth of its eyelids, forcing it to shut its eyes in defense!
"Cough, cough... Th-this can't be..." Sprawled on the ground, Yan Xiao Liu fought through the pain and forced his eyes open to watch the breathtaking battle. His face was full of stunned disbelief! He had always thought Li San was merely an experienced comrade, perhaps a little stronger than himself, but he had never imagined he could be this powerful! To move so freely beneath a Second-Order Demonic Beast's frenzied assault—and even inflict effective damage? No ordinary martial artist could do that! For the first time, he looked at Li San and Wang Wu with deep fear and overwhelming doubt.
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