Demon Python

The sea breeze howled past, carrying a hint of salt.

After a little over half an hour, the Green Wind Gourd stopped above a small island.

The island was not very large. At its center was a lake spanning several acres.

A line of footprints crossed the beach, but there was no sign of any fishermen.

"The demon python is in that lake. As soon as we got close, it charged out." The middle-aged man pointed at the lake below, his eyes filled with terror.

Han Changming controlled the Green Wind Gourd and slowly descended near the lake.

He formed a hand seal. A dazzling white light shone from his right hand, and he slashed at the lake below. A broad swath of white light shot out and struck the water.

The area struck by the light quickly froze, and the ice spread rapidly.

The first-tier low-grade Freezing Technique could freeze an area, with its range depending on the caster's cultivation.

Rumble!

A deafening crash rang out as a huge volume of lake water splashed into the air. A gigantic Blue Giant Python burst out of the lake.

Its body was as thick as a water barrel and covered in fist-sized blue scales, marked with patterns like lines.

"A first-tier low-grade demon beast!" Han Changming breathed a sigh of relief. With his fourth-level Qi Refining cultivation, he could handle a first-tier low-grade demon beast without trouble.

The Han Clan had specialists who taught combat techniques. Clan members sent out on assignments all received a period of special training. Han Changming had sparred with his clansmen and fought Puppet Beasts, so he had some combat experience. He was no novice in the cultivation world.

At the sight of the Blue Giant Python, the middle-aged man's legs trembled. His face turned pale, and his eyes brimmed with terror.

"Find somewhere safe to hide. Once I've dealt with this beast, I'll take you back."

Han Changming's words lifted a great weight from the middle-aged man. He took off running at full speed.

Han Changming summoned a yellow flying knife and slashed at the Blue Giant Python. It did not even cut through its scales, and only succeeded in angering the beast.

The Blue Giant Python opened its cavernous jaws and spat out several Transparent Water Arrows at Han Changming.

Han Changming had been ready. He lightly tapped the ground with his toes and drifted backward like a passing breeze. The Blue Giant Python's attack missed.

He raised a hand. With a soft pfft, an egg-sized Crimson Fireball appeared in his palm and rapidly grew.

Once it had swollen to the size of a watermelon, the Crimson Fireball shot out and struck the Blue Giant Python.

One fireball was nowhere near enough to kill it, but Han Changming hurled more than a dozen Crimson Fireballs in succession, enraging the beast.

It let out a strange roar and charged out of the lake.

It was two zhang long, with a bulging belly. Though it looked cumbersome, it moved with great agility.

"I was just worried you wouldn't come out." Han Changming's lips curled slightly.

He cultivated an earth-attributed technique, while the Blue Giant Python was a water-attributed demon beast. Earth subdued water.

He directed the yellow flying knife at the Blue Giant Python's eyes. Though he failed to kill it, he managed to keep it occupied.

Han Changming took out five Fireball Talismans, his face full of reluctance. Those were worth five spirit stones!

He could cast the Fireball Technique, but his casting speed was slow, and he could not inflict much damage on the Blue Giant Python.

Spells were easy to learn but hard to master. Generally, they were divided into four stages: beginner, minor mastery, major mastery, and grand completion. A first-tier spell could be learned in a few days. Reaching minor mastery took at least a month, major mastery several months, and grand completion more than half a year. That was for first-tier spells; second- and even third-tier spells took longer to cast and longer to cultivate, though their power was greater.

The power of the same spell at the beginner stage and at grand completion was worlds apart. It was said that some cultivators devoted themselves to practicing spells, and were known as spell cultivators.

Han Changming had spent two months bringing his Light Body Technique to grand completion. His other spells had only reached minor mastery at best.

Because spells were easy to learn but hard to master, cultivators used talismans or magical artifacts when fighting. Talismans were the most common, but most were consumable items that could only be used once.

Han Changming flicked his wrist. The five Fireball Talismans flew out and transformed into five head-sized Crimson Fireballs, which struck the Blue Giant Python.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

Three tremendous booms rang out. Crimson flames engulfed half the Blue Giant Python's body, and it let out a series of agonized howls.

Han Changming summoned a palm-sized Yellow Seal. It quickly expanded until it was as large as a house.

The magical artifact was called the Mountain-Shaking Seal. It was a first-tier mid-grade artifact with considerable attacking power. Its drawback was its sluggish movement. The Blue Giant Python was frantically trying to extinguish the flames on its body and failed to notice the enormous Yellow Seal above its head.

"Fall."

With a scream, the Blue Giant Python's head was smashed into pulp. It was dead beyond any doubt.

Han Changming felt a surge of excitement. He had combat experience, but this was his first time hunting a demon beast.

He put away the two magical artifacts, then summoned a palm-sized blue gourd. It instantly expanded and flew above the lake.

The Han Clan cultivated many Gourd Vines, and gourd artifacts were among the clan's most common possessions.

A powerful suction force appeared out of nowhere, and a great volume of lake water surged into the blue gourd.

Before long, the blue gourd had drained the lake dry. Not a single fish or shrimp remained.

Han Changming walked over, summoned the yellow flying knife, and hacked at the mud on the lakebed. He found no second demon beast.

This uninhabited island was not far from Red Shrimp Island. The Han Clan had surveyed it long ago and found no spirit veins or cultivation resources of any kind.

By rights, without a spirit vein, no demon beast should have appeared on the island. Could there be some spirit item here? Or had the beast come ashore from the seabed?

If the island contained a spirit item or a spirit vein, reporting it to the clan would earn him merit, which he could exchange for cultivation resources.

Han Changming suddenly remembered something and hurried back to the demon python.

The demon python was far too large. The Storage Bag he carried had only five chi of space inside, nowhere near enough to hold its entire corpse.

Every part of a demon beast was valuable. The python's hide and scales could be used to refine artifacts, its blood to make cinnabar, and its meat could be eaten.

He used the yellow flying knife to cut open the python's belly and found the bodies of five fishermen inside, their flesh and blood mangled beyond recognition.

He cut the python's corpse into several pieces. The Storage Bag could hold only a little more than half, so he tied up the rest with rope.

Han Changming summoned the Green Wind Gourd and brought the middle-aged man back to Red Shrimp Island. He had Han Dong send people to collect the bodies and dispatch more men to search the island.

Hundreds of fishermen turned over every corner. They even searched the bottom of the lake from top to bottom, but found no other demon beasts, spirit veins, or metal ore.

Several days later, Han Changming returned to Red Shrimp Island with hundreds of fishermen.

Back at his residence, he took the python meat out of his Storage Bag, intending to cook it.

"Eh, is this a Wood Spirit Stone?" Han Changming found a bluish-green spirit stone inside the python's gallbladder. It radiated a wave of pure spiritual energy.

He picked up the blue-green stone and examined it carefully.

A good while later, Han Changming was trembling with excitement.

The Wood Spirit Stone in his hand was a high-grade spirit stone. Spirit stones were divided into low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, and supreme-grade varieties according to how much spiritual energy they held. Most currency in circulation was low-grade spirit stones, while high-grade ones were rare.

In theory, a high-grade spirit stone could be exchanged for ten thousand spirit stones, but few people would do that. High-grade spirit stones were commonly used to set up formations.

"I've struck it rich! This time, I've really struck it rich! I never thought I'd find a high-grade Wood Spirit Stone." Han Changming muttered to himself, wild with joy.

His annual stipend was only a little over twenty spirit stones. This high-grade spirit stone was worth several centuries of his stipend.