After the Golden Toad spoke, silver radiance appeared before the palace walls. Its form shifted to normal size, becoming a Lunar Golden Toad as massive as a giant bear. Silver light bloomed all over its body, icy to the bone.
"Outsider, leave this place, or die!"
The Nine-Headed Serpent's eighteen eerie eyes fell upon the Lunar Golden Toad. Rather than being startled, it showed a trace of surprise and greed.
"Today truly is my day for a feast. You will be the main course, and the rest of them will make excellent snacks!"
Amid its cold, hoarse words, the Nine-Headed Serpent's other eight heads simultaneously spat out torrents of water and fire, locking onto the Lunar Golden Toad. Clearly, it had chosen the Lunar Golden Toad as its principal opponent.
The Lunar Golden Toad's eyes were icy as it merely stared coldly at the snake monster. Behind it, a vast silver-white moonwheel unfurled, and layer upon layer of frigid radiance erupted from its back, instantly freezing the water and fire lights solid.
The frost even spread from the nine snake heads down onto the serpent's body.
With just one strike, the Nine-Headed Serpent suffered badly. Numerous coin-like blotches appeared across its nine heads. Clearly, the frigid light emanating from the Lunar Golden Toad's body was highly poisonous.
Though the poison affected the Nine-Headed Serpent, it was not enough to kill it. Growing ever more enraged, it suddenly spat nine bowl-sized beads, red or blue and blazing with light, which hurtled fiercely toward the Lunar Golden Toad.
Every single bead contained immense power.
Even from within the garden, Yang Huai could sense the power of water and fire contained deep within those treasure beads.
They were not ordinary inner cores tempered from water and fire.
The Lunar Golden Toad also sensed