Golden-Scaled Armored Python

The two of them resumed their long journey in search of a Soul Ring.

The Mixed Region of the Star Dou Great Forest was fraught with danger. Ten-thousand-year soul beasts possessed an extremely strong sense of territoriality, and a single misstep could bring about fatal disaster.

She Long and Zhang Fei moved through the forest, doing their utmost to avoid the terrifying high-age ten-thousand-year soul beasts.

Heaven rewarded the persistent. More than half a month later, deep within a hot, humid swamp, they finally discovered an eleven-thousand-year Golden-Scaled Armored Python occupying its territory.

The python was over thirty meters long, its entire body covered in palm-sized golden scales. Each scale seemed forged from refined metal, gleaming with a cold, hard metallic sheen amid the dim forest.

Its head was raised high, and its pair of vertical pupils resembled two golden lamps, emanating a savage aura.

The strength of a ten-thousand-year soul beast was roughly equivalent to that of a Soul Emperor-level soul master.

This Golden-Scaled Armored Python was a relatively high-ranking sub-dragon soul beast. Thin Golden Dragon blood ran through its body, and its strength should have reached the level of an advanced Soul Emperor, perhaps even nearing the threshold of a Soul Saint.

She Long sized up the giant python and nodded in satisfaction. "Eleven thousand years. It only passed ten thousand years not long ago, so its age is right within your tolerance. Its attributes are a perfect match for your Golden Dragon. Xiaofei, what do you think?"

Zhang Fei's eyes gleamed. "Perfect!"

"Good, then we'll choose this Golden-Scaled Armored Python." She Long took half a step back and smiled. "But before Grandpa makes his move, you need to try it yourself first. Let me see how much you've improved these past six months."

At his words, Zhang Fei's fighting spirit surged.

He truly had not experienced such a high-pressure battle in a long time. During his half-year at Beast Academy, he had beaten up weak opponents so much that he had grown a little overconfident. He needed a genuine life-and-death battle to test himself!

"Just what I wanted!"

Zhang Fei shouted low and shot forward, leaping straight onto the enormous boulder.

The Golden-Scaled Armored Python was enraged by this sudden provocation. Its head jerked up as it released an earthshaking hiss!

Hiss! Roar!!

The battle erupted!

Zhang Fei had already completed Martial Soul Possession.

Golden dragon scales covered his body, while one yellow and one purple Soul Ring rose beneath his feet.

"First Soul Skill, Golden Armor Body!"

The yellow Soul Ring lit up, boosting both his defense and strength by one hundred percent!

"Come!"

Zhang Fei threw a punch at the python's head. Golden fist force tore through the air, carrying a howling gale.

However, the Golden-Scaled Armored Python was astonishingly fast.

Its massive body displayed agility completely at odds with its size. Its tail swept toward him like a gigantic golden whip, carrying overwhelming force!

Bang!!!

In their very first exchange, Zhang Fei was struck hard by the Golden-Scaled Armored Python's tail. He flew backward like a cannonball, tumbling several times before barely coming to a stop.

"Cough, cough... What tremendous strength!" Zhang Fei climbed out of the grass, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, yet an even fiercer fire burned in his eyes.

The Golden-Scaled Armored Python pressed its advantage. Its body sprang forward as it pounced at Zhang Fei like a bolt of golden lightning, jaws wide open, determined to swallow this little insect whole.

Zhang Fei did not dare take it head-on. His body flickered as he darted through the forest.

He tried to find an opening, but the Golden-Scaled Armored Python's scales possessed absurdly strong defenses. Several of his punches landed on its body with ringing metallic clangs, yet he failed to knock off even a single scale.

"No, ordinary attacks can't break through its defense at all!"

Zhang Fei gritted his teeth and stopped holding back.

"Right arm, Dragon Transformation!"

Crack!

The bones in his right arm exploded with sound as golden dragon scales surged forth wildly, transforming his entire right arm into a savage dragon claw.

"Second Soul Skill, Dark Gold Dragon Claw Hand!"

The deep-purple Soul Ring lit up, and his left hand also transformed into a sharp dragon claw. His strength increased by two hundred percent!

"Heaven-Rending Claw, activate!"

Attack power increased by fifty percent, and piercing power increased by twenty percent!

Dark golden patterns flowed between the dragon scales. Heaven-Rending Claw fused perfectly with Dragon Transformation, turning the entire dragon claw dark gold and radiating an indomitable, tyrannical aura.

With multiple enhancements layered upon him, Zhang Fei's aura soared at that moment, already reaching the level of a Soul King!

With the terrifying piercing power of his Second Soul Skill and Heaven-Rending Claw, he was confident he could tear through steel!

"Again!"

Zhang Fei stomped down, cracking the ground beneath his feet. He turned into a streak of golden light and charged at the Golden-Scaled Armored Python once more!

This time, Heaven-Rending Claw scraped across the python's body, finally producing a teeth-grinding sound!

Riiip!

Five dark golden claw marks left five shallow grooves in the Golden-Scaled Armored Python's scales, and several drops of golden blood even seeped out!

But that was all.

The Golden-Scaled Armored Python howled in pain, its fury intensifying.

Its body twisted, and its enormous head crashed toward him like a battering ram. At the same time, its tail swept in from the other side, forming a pincer attack.

Zhang Fei struggled to fend it off, his dragon claws constantly colliding with the python's scales as sparks flew in every direction.

Relying on the terrifying defense of Golden Armor Body, he withstood several impacts head-on, but every blow sent his blood and energy churning violently.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Zhang Fei's Soul Power finally ran dry.

Maintaining Dragon Transformation, his Second Soul Skill, and Heaven-Rending Claw at the same time consumed far too much.

The dragon scales on his right arm began to recede, and his movements slowed as well.

"I can't keep going..."

Zhang Fei panted heavily. He endured another sweeping tail strike, borrowing the force to fly backward and retreat from the battle.

Just as the Golden-Scaled Armored Python was about to pursue, a blue-purple figure blocked its path.

She Long finally made his move.

He did not even release his Martial Soul Avatar. He merely thrust out his spear casually.

Pfft!

The spear tip pierced precisely into a gap in the Golden-Scaled Armored Python's scales, seven inches below its head. Lightning power surged in, instantly paralyzing half its body.

With his second strike, he swept the spear shaft across, smashing it into the python's head with a muffled boom. The Golden-Scaled Armored Python's massive body was knocked sideways, and a flash of fear appeared in its vertical pupils.

With his third strike, the spear tip tapped the reverse scale on the python's head, the force controlled with perfect precision. The Golden-Scaled Armored Python did not even groan before its massive body went limp and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Three moves were enough to subdue a ten-thousand-year soul beast comparable to an advanced Soul Emperor!

Zhang Fei stared in utter disbelief before giving a bitter smile. "Grandpa, that's far too discouraging..."

She Long stood with his spear in hand and glanced back at him with a smile. "You weren't bad either. Facing a ten-thousand-year Golden-Scaled Armored Python with the strength of level thirty and holding out for the time it took an incense stick to burn is already incredibly impressive."

He pointed at the unconscious Golden-Scaled Armored Python and continued, "This beast won't die for now. I'll watch it for you, so hurry and restore your Soul Power."

"Understood!"

Zhang Fei immediately sat cross-legged where he was. He took three Dragon Ganoderma Leaves, picked from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, from his green gourd and stuffed them into his mouth. They were excellent medicine for rapidly restoring Soul Power.

The leaves melted as soon as they entered his mouth, transforming into a warm current of Soul Power that flowed into his dantian and swiftly replenished his depleted meridians.

Meanwhile, She Long used Snake Lance to firmly pin the Golden-Scaled Armored Python to the ground, preventing it from waking up and fleeing.

Half an hour later, Zhang Fei rose to his feet. His Soul Power had recovered to seventy or eighty percent.

He walked up to the dying Golden-Scaled Armored Python and clenched his right hand in the air. A pitch-black Eight-Foot Serpent Spear condensed in his palm.

Holding the spear, Zhang Fei aimed at the reverse scale on the python's head and thrust down with all his strength!

Pfft!

The spear tip penetrated its skull. The Golden-Scaled Armored Python's enormous body suddenly stiffened, then completely relaxed, never to move again.

A pitch-black Soul Ring slowly rose from the corpse, emanating dense, tyrannical Soul Power fluctuations.