Slaying the Plum Blossom Snake

Chapter 10: Slaying the Plum Blossom Snake

"Snake Eye Fruit!" Before him, a small tree was densely packed with fruits the size of a thumb. The fruits were a vibrant, oily green, looking exactly like snake eyes. Luo Mu was completely stunned by the sight.

Snake Eye Fruit was a first-grade, high-tier spirit fruit. While it looked small and charming, it was highly toxic. A single Snake Eye Fruit was enough to poison a ferocious beast to death. How could Luo Mu, this "little poison-master," not be overjoyed at such a discovery?

Moreover, the tree was laden with these fruits—there had to be at least eighty, if not a hundred. Such a massive quantity was the source of Luo Mu's shock.

The joy on his face flashed and vanished, replaced by a look of vigilance. The environment in which the Snake Eye Fruit grew was unique; it only thrived where highly venomous demonic beasts roamed. It could not survive anywhere else.

Seeing how lush this tree was, Luo Mu didn't even need to think to know that a highly venomous beast must be lurking nearby. His heart tightened.

He instinctively reached into his robe and pulled a dagger from his storage bag. Because the origin of this storage bag was unknown, Luo Mu dared not hang it at his waist like other cultivators. Instead, he kept it hidden in his robes, wary of being spotted by someone who might recognize it and cause unnecessary trouble.

As for the dagger, he had brought it with him when he arrived. Although it was just an ordinary blade, it had already claimed the lives of several first-grade, low-tier demonic beasts in his hands.

Gripping the dagger, Luo Mu released his pitifully weak divine sense, scanning his surroundings with a solemn expression. Unfortunately, his sense was too weak, and the area he could monitor was very small.

Just then, a "rustling" sound came from behind him, reaching his back in the blink of an eye.

Luo Mu was shocked!

Without looking back, he pushed off the ground with his toes, his body shooting forward like an arrow released from a bow. Stabilizing his stance, he whipped his hand back and slashed with the dagger.

He injected his Poison Spirit Power into the blade, causing a faint green mist to rise from it—a mist so subtle it would be invisible to anyone not looking closely. The dagger sliced through the air with a sharp hiss and struck something.

Clang! A crisp sound rang out as the blade was blocked, and Luo Mu felt a jarring pain in his wrist. At that moment, he finally saw what was behind him.

A snake as thick as a water barrel was staring at him with cold, icy eyes. Those emotionless, frigid eyes sent a chill down Luo Mu's spine.

The great snake was about three zhang long, its smooth scales covered in spots that resembled plum blossoms. As it writhed, it churned up the soil, snapping the grass and small trees in its path.

The snake flicked its tongue, staring fixedly at Luo Mu as if he were its prey.

It seemed to sense the spirit power fluctuations radiating from Luo Mu's body and realized this human was not an ordinary person, but a cultivator. Thus, it did not strike rashly, instead watching his every move, waiting for a flaw to strike him down in one blow.

Luo Mu didn't know what the snake was thinking, but sweat was already beading on his forehead, and his lips felt dry.

A first-grade, peak-tier demonic beast, the Plum Blossom Snake! Luo Mu identified the creature in his mind while cursing the Wanfa Sect. Didn't they say the mountains near the towns had long been cleared of powerful demonic beasts? How was there a living, breathing monster right in front of him?

Perhaps Luo Mu hadn't realized that he had ventured deep into the mountains, far from any town, so encountering a first-grade, peak-tier beast wasn't actually strange. But he didn't dwell on it; after a mental outburst, he began frantically thinking of a way to escape.

Although the Plum Blossom Snake was massive, its speed was terrifying. If it caught its target, it would surely crush them to death with its powerful coils. Furthermore, what made it most troublesome for cultivators was that it was a highly venomous beast!

Luo Mu didn't have the guts to fight this first-grade, peak-tier beast one-on-one, nor did he believe he had the strength. He would be content just to escape with his life. As for the Snake Eye Fruit he had coveted, he didn't even dare to think about it now.

His own life was far more important than the fruit!

While Luo Mu racked his brain for an escape plan, his feet began to shift slowly to the side. Every movement was captured clearly by the Plum Blossom Snake.

As if sensing his intent to flee, the snake's ferocity flared. It lunged forward, its body lashing out at Luo Mu!

Whether the snake was hungry and wanted to eat him, or was simply annoyed that an intruder had entered its territory, it clearly had no intention of letting him go.

The snake charged with overwhelming momentum. Since Luo Mu was only a few paces away, he was caught off guard. With no room to dodge, he was tightly "bound" by the snake's massive body!

At the same time, a cloud of emerald-green poison mist erupted from the snake's maw, enveloping the trapped Luo Mu completely. Based on its past experience hunting, these two moves were usually enough to kill its prey quickly, turning them into a meal.

Satisfied, the snake stopped moving, simply tightening its coils and waiting for Luo Mu to stop breathing so it could swallow him whole.

A moment later, the Plum Blossom Snake was surprised to find that its prey was still alive. Irritated and impatient, it opened its massive jaws, revealing two snow-white fangs like sharp swords, and lunged to swallow Luo Mu alive!

Without any surprises, Luo Mu was ruthlessly swallowed into the snake's belly in an instant.

After consuming him, the snake lost interest in hunting. Perhaps it had already eaten its fill earlier and Luo Mu was just the final bite it needed. It slithered away toward the Snake Eye Fruit tree.

Not far behind the tree was a massive cliff face, and at its base lay a cave five meters in diameter. The satiated snake slowly wiggled its body and entered the cavern.

A cup of tea's time later, the entrance of the cave began to tremble slightly. The shaking grew more violent, causing loose rocks to tumble from above.

The tremors lasted for a full quarter of an hour before slowly coming to a halt. The massive cave returned to its former silence.

Inside, Luo Mu sat on the ground, his hair disheveled, gasping for air. His simple, clean robe was soaked in sticky, foul-smelling fluids, and a pungent stench radiated from him, filling the entire space.

Beside him lay the barrel-thick Plum Blossom Snake. However, the snake was now motionless, a dead carcass. A large hole had been torn open in its belly, spilling filth all over the ground.

Thinking back on the events, Luo Mu felt a lingering sense of terror. After being coiled by the snake, he had struggled to breathe, his bones creaking under the pressure. If the snake hadn't been impatient and swallowed him whole, he would surely have been crushed to death.

As for the poison mist the snake was so proud of, not only did it fail to harm him, but the stimulation had actually allowed Luo Mu to break through to the second layer of the Qi Refining stage at that critical moment!

Having already reached the peak of the first layer, it was only natural that the snake's poison acted as the catalyst for his breakthrough.

As for what happened afterward, Luo Mu had no intention of surrendering once inside the snake's belly. He had brandished his dagger, pouring his Poison Spirit Power into it without restraint until the pale blade turned a deep, emerald green. He had stabbed the snake's insides again and again.

Whether it was because he had used too much force or the snake's internal flesh was too fragile, every strike sank deep into the meat, leaving only the hilt visible. This had caused the snake to thrash in agony, which was why the cave entrance had been shaking so violently.

With such a massive creature thrashing for its life inside, it would have been strange if the cave entrance hadn't moved.

However, that wasn't what killed the snake. A few stabs were painful, but not enough to kill a first-grade, peak-tier beast.

What truly ended the snake was its own "pride"—its poison!

As Luo Mu frantically injected his Poison Spirit Power into the dagger, the toxins spread rapidly with every strike. He hadn't just stabbed it once; every blow left a massive amount of poison inside the snake's body. Ultimately, this beast, famous for its venom, died at the hands of Luo Mu, who was even more toxic than it was!

After the snake died, Luo Mu used his dagger to slowly cut open its abdomen and successfully crawled out of the carcass.

He could have escaped sooner, but the snake's hide was incredibly tough. It had taken every ounce of his strength to slice through it and finally escape.

Even now, Luo Mu found it hard to believe he had killed a first-grade, peak-tier beast. While the method wasn't exactly honorable, he had undeniably slain the beast!

With a surge of excitement, Luo Mu turned his gaze toward the snake's corpse, his eyes burning with heat. When his gaze accidentally swept over a pile of snake eggs behind the carcass, he was startled at first, then a realization dawned on him. Finally, the corners of his mouth curled upward.

He smiled.