Hunting the Fire Cicada Snake

Gu Xuan's expression was grim and severe.

He wasn't joking with the two of them. Even though a commander-level escort always accompanied them, every year, young martial artists leaving the city for the first time lost their lives due to carelessness. The cunning and terror of those demons and mutant beasts were simply unimaginable to anyone who hadn't experienced them firsthand.

Seeing Zhu Ping'an and Leng Tianjiao both nod, Gu Xuan finally cracked a smile.

"Don't worry. As long as you don't stray too far from me, I guarantee you'll leave the city in one piece and come back in one piece."

At Gu Xuan's signal, the massive city gate creaked open slowly.

Zhu Ping'an had expected to see a hellish scene of mountains of corpses and seas of blood the moment the gate opened, but instead, a fresh fragrance of osmanthus flowers hit his nose.

Outside the city, birds sang and flowers bloomed under a bright sun—there was no sign of danger at all.

If not for the dried, dark red bloodstains covering the city wall behind him, Zhu Ping'an might have suspected the rumors about the danger outside were just exaggerated hearsay.

"Don't let your guard down. The mutant beasts and demons near the city wall are all shot dead by the garrison, which is why it's so quiet here."

Gu Xuan spoke calmly, then asked Zhu Ping'an what mission he had taken. Upon learning that Zhu Ping'an was hunting a Fire Cicada Snake, Gu Xuan let out a surprised grunt.

"Miss Leng, if I recall correctly, your mission is also to hunt a Fire Cicada Snake, isn't it?"

Leng Tianjiao nodded expressionlessly.

"Haha, that saves trouble." Gu Xuan laughed heartily. "A Fire Cicada Snake isn't too hard for a First-Rank Warrior to handle. With the two of you working together, it'll be twice the result with half the effort. You handle the mission yourselves. I'll only step in if your lives are threatened."

Gu Xuan led the two toward a valley. As soon as they entered, the temperature noticeably began to rise, and even fine beads of sweat appeared on Leng Tianjiao's fair forehead.

"That's the Fire Cicada Snake." Gu Xuan pointed to a crevice in a cliff ahead.

There, a three-meter-long, fiery-red snake with four short legs was lying on its belly, dozing off.

Despite its name, the Fire Cicada Snake looked more like a lizard in appearance.

"Should we attack together?" Out of politeness, Zhu Ping'an asked Leng Tianjiao.

"No need. I'm not used to cooperating with men." Leng Tianjiao didn't even glance at Zhu Ping'an. "Just stand here. After I kill eight Fire Cicada Snakes, I'll give you four of the gallbladders."

With that, Leng Tianjiao charged toward the Fire Cicada Snake alone.

"That arrogant?" Zhu Ping'an chuckled wryly.

"Don't take it to heart." Gu Xuan patted Zhu Ping'an on the shoulder. "She's the eldest daughter of the Leng Family, Old Master Leng's only child. A little arrogance is normal."

"The Leng Family?" Zhu Ping'an's gaze sharpened.

The Leng Family was unquestionably the top family in Qingcheng. The family head could even sit on equal footing with the Lord of Qingcheng.

There was a saying in Qingcheng: "The Leng Family stands ironclad, while city lords come and go."

Offend the mayor of Qingcheng, and you might not die. But offend the Leng Family, and you'd never see the light of the next day.

To be fair, Leng Tianjiao had every right to be proud. As she struck, countless dazzling Ice Lotuses bloomed slowly, completely overwhelming the Fire Cicada Snake. It was only a matter of time before she finished it off.

If he hadn't trained in sword techniques with Old Yin and Old Yang for over half a month, Zhu Ping'an knew he'd have no chance against Leng Tianjiao.

"Look, there's another Fire Cicada Snake over there!" Gu Xuan pointed in a direction where another Fire Cicada Snake was eyeing them warily.

Without another word, Zhu Ping'an grabbed his sword and strode forward.

Man and snake sized each other up. The Fire Cicada Snake's fangs carried fire venom. If bitten and not treated in time, even a Second-Rank Warrior would be in mortal danger.

So Zhu Ping'an didn't underestimate his opponent. His gaze sharpened as he stepped forward, thrusting his longsword straight at the snake's eye.

Sensing danger, the Fire Cicada Snake let out a hoarse hiss, dodging sideways with its massive body and whipping its huge tail at Zhu Ping'an with full force.

That tail was like a steel whip. If it struck him, at the very least, his bones would crack.

Zhu Ping'an reacted instantly, retracting his sword and immediately executing the Nine Mountain Divine Sword.

"Nine Mountain Divine Sword, First Form: Sword Out, Mountain Split!"

A flash of sword light streaked by. With a puchi, a massive fiery-red snake tail fell to the ground, still writhing.

The wound on the Fire Cicada Snake was as smooth as a mirror, blood gushing out. Enraged by the pain, the snake went berserk, opening its massive maw and lunging at Zhu Ping'an.

To be fair, the Fire Cicada Snake was extremely clever, choosing its moment perfectly. Zhu Ping'an had just finished executing the Nine Mountain Divine Sword, caught in the gap between old strength spent and new strength not yet born, with no time to defend.

Gu Xuan was already preparing to intervene when suddenly, an unexpected turn occurred!

A short sword had somehow pierced through the Fire Cicada Snake's lower jaw, driving straight into its skull. Blood sprayed everywhere.

Gu Xuan was stunned. Even he hadn't seen when that short sword had appeared.

"You can dodge the first day, but you can't dodge the Fifteenth Day."

Zhu Ping'an calmly pulled Fifteenth Day out of the Fire Cicada Snake's body, then gutted it, extracting a gallbladder and stowing it in his backpack.

He felt no fear at the bloody scene before him. Instead, a faint thrill stirred within him.

A first-rank Fire Cicada Snake, and he had taken it down without a scratch.

Becoming a disciple of the Yin and Yang Elders was definitely the right choice. If he had just trained in isolation, his progress wouldn't have been nearly this fast.

Even Leng Tianjiao couldn't help but cast an extra glance at Zhu Ping'an. He had started later than her but finished killing his Fire Cicada Snake at the same time—didn't that mean she was inferior?

Leng Tianjiao's delicate brows furrowed slightly.

From then on, it was as if Leng Tianjiao was silently competing with Zhu Ping'an. She only went all out on her prey after Zhu Ping'an had found a new Fire Cicada Snake of his own.

Only when she saw that Zhu Ping'an had not killed the Fire Cicada Snake faster than her this time did Leng Tianjiao's brow finally relax.

Her little move naturally did not escape Zhu Ping'an's notice. He gave a silent laugh and shook his head, having no intention of competing with Leng Tianjiao. Instead, he began to train his practical combat ability.

When facing the second Fire Cicada Snake, he only used Longsword First Day to deal with it. This time, the time he took to kill the Fire Cicada Snake was twice that of the first.

When facing the third Fire Cicada Snake, he deliberately did not use Longsword First Day, only Shortsword Fifteenth Day. This time, the time needed to kill the Fire Cicada Snake was even longer.

When facing the fourth Fire Cicada Snake, Zhu Ping'an even went barehanded, wrestling and fighting the Fire Cicada Snake like a savage.

He was soon injured, but driven by the spur of life-and-death crisis, his practical skills rapidly improved. This training method, like tying his own hands, made Gu Xuan, watching from the side, feel his heart leap into his throat, hesitating all the while whether to step in.

Only Zhu Ping'an himself understood clearly: if he did not desperately improve himself while he had the protection of the plot and could not die, then in the future, he would truly die in the jaws of some alien beast.