Strange Serpent, Die!

There was no helping it. The black snake was simply too big—calling it a python would have been more fitting.

There was no telling how long it was, but its thickest part was as broad as an adult's thigh.

At that moment, the enormous black snake lay coiled atop a pile of rocks, its triangular head raised high and its tail swishing incessantly.

The White Marten kept darting around the black snake, provoking it into striking with either its head or its tail. The noises Zhao Er had heard earlier had come from this snake.

Only the White Marten's sheer speed allowed it to evade every attack.

Even the White Marten's occasional swipes left not the slightest mark on the black snake, showing just how extraordinary the snake's defenses were.

As for the White Marten's teeth and venom... against a snake this big, even if it wanted to bite, it had nowhere to sink its teeth.

As Zhao Er watched the White Marten and the black snake battle, his gaze was involuntarily drawn to the slight bulges on either side of the snake's triangular head. Those protrusions at the back of its head looked as though horns were about to sprout.

"A Variant Beast!"

Seeing this unmistakable feature and the black snake's strength, Zhao Er's heart pounded wildly.

A Variant Beast meant more than strength—it meant money, too. Variant Beasts often contained blood essence, one of the most important cultivation resources for orthodox body-tempering martial artists. Whether made into medicine or consumed directly, it offered tremendous benefits.

Besides blood essence, the other materials all had their uses.

I can't rush this. I need to find out how strong this black snake is first...

Zhao Er silently repeated this to himself, soothing his heart, which had grown restless at the prospect of money.

A Variant Beast was a fine prize, but he had to live long enough to claim it.

So far, the black snake had displayed only tough skin and tremendous strength, though the power of its whipping tail was no ordinary thing either.

Just moments earlier, Zhao Er had seen the black snake lash its tail at the White Marten. The White Marten dodged, and the tail struck a rock instead, smashing it outright.

But that strength alone did not measure up to the Variant Beasts of rumor.

“A snake, and it looks like this isn't the White Marten's first time coming to trouble it, so there must be some connection between them...”

So if the black snake has another killing move, it should be venom...

Either it's immune to venom, or it carries deadly venom itself—or both... apart from that, the most important thing is not to let it coil around me!

Watching the black snake and the White Marten fail to get the better of each other, Zhao Er began analyzing the situation.

The White Marten fed on venomous snakes and carried venom itself, so anything capable of opposing it was very likely both venomous and resistant to venom.

Looks like... I can take it!

As it happened, dealing with both hardened bodies and venom attacks was Zhao Er's specialty. After watching for a while, he began to feel tempted.

Then let's do it!!

Having made up his mind, Zhao Er tightened his grip on the Twin Iron Halberds and prepared to act.

A martial artist had to fight for what he wanted. He was already worrying about money; with an opportunity like this before him, he had no reason to let it pass.

Besides... he seemed to have just the right abilities to counter this black snake. With the White Marten drawing its attention from the front, Zhao Er had no reason not to strike.

Having decided to act, Zhao Er did not intend to simply charge in. Instead, he began circulating his cultivation method.

Within a few breaths, Zhao Er's healthy complexion turned ashen gray.

He was coating the surface of his body with venom containing yin qi, lowering his body temperature.

As someone who had transmigrated, Zhao Er knew very well how snakes detected enemies. With the black snake busy fighting the White Marten, he did not need to worry about scent. If he lowered his body temperature and crept over, he would have a perfect chance for a sneak attack.

Only once yin qi completely covered his body did Zhao Er begin moving along the lakeshore toward the battle. Before long, he reached a large tree not far from the two combatants.

The black snake and the White Marten were still fighting, but after repeated fruitless attacks, the snake no longer struck as frequently. Instead, it held its head high and its tail upright, its eyes fixed on the White Marten's movements.

The White Marten was clever, too. Seeing this, it stopped attacking and instead paced back and forth beyond the black snake's reach.

After all, the black snake could make countless mistakes, but one blow from its tail or one bite would end the fight for the White Marten.

Whether deliberately or not, the White Marten kept moving about in front of the black snake, preventing it from paying attention to anything behind it.

"..."

Standing behind the large tree, Zhao Er extended a hand and pointed at the black snake for the White Marten to see.

"Hsss, hsss!!!"

After spotting Zhao Er, the White Marten rolled its large, glossy black eyes, then arched its back and let out threatening hisses like a kitten bristling its fur.

With its attention drawn to the White Marten, the black snake swayed its head from side to side. Even its tail began tapping lightly against the ground.

"Hsss!!"

The White Marten hissed again, then bared its teeth and charged at the black snake.

The black snake drew its head back, then suddenly opened its jaws wide and lunged to bite the White Marten.

Now!!!

Seeing this, Zhao Er leaped high with both halberds raised, their points aimed downward. One drove toward the snake's head, while the Iron Halberd in his other hand targeted its vital spot.

The so-called "seven inches" of a snake did not actually mean a point seven inches from its head. It meant the location of its heart.

Zhao Er had caught plenty of snakes lately and understood their anatomy extremely well, making this strike exceptionally precise.

His ambush came suddenly, right as the black snake attacked, when its old force was spent and fresh force had yet to arise. As expected, both halberd points struck its head and the area over its heart—but the result was not quite what Zhao Er had anticipated.

Clang!! Shhk~~

Two sounds rang out in succession as the Iron Halberd's point struck the black snake's exceptionally tough skin.

Its head was especially hard. The Iron Halberd striking it actually produced a metallic clang. The Iron Halberd aimed at its heart pierced the skin, but failed to penetrate through its body.

In other words, Zhao Er's strike had not reached the black snake's heart.

Before the black snake could understand what was happening, an Iron Halberd smashed into its head. While it was still dazed, a sudden pain tore through its body.

"Hiss!!!"

The black snake did not even turn around. The moment its vital area was injured, it opened its mouth and sprayed a stream of pitch-black venom.

Sss~~

The pitch-black venom had barely touched the ground before a fierce corrosive hiss sounded. Thick black smoke rose, instantly spreading to envelop the snake's body.

At that same instant, the black snake began writhing and thrashing.

Zhao Er had just landed on the black snake's body. His entire body instantly turned gray-black, making him look as though he had been forged from pig iron.

The Iron Halberd in his left hand had already slipped from his grasp after failing to pierce the snake's head. Unable to worry about anything else, Zhao Er seized his remaining Iron Halberd in both hands and clamped his legs tightly around the snake, straddling its body.

His eyes fixed on the black snake's only wound, he repeatedly hacked and smashed down with his Iron Halberd, striking the spot where its point had pierced the skin.

Bang, bang, bang, bang!!!

Zhao Er had eyes for nothing else. He poured all his blood energy and strength into his arms, smashing down again and again with the Iron Halberd. Even when the black snake coiled around him, his attacks did not pause in the slightest.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak!!!"

Only when the White Marten's urgent cries rang out did Zhao Er notice the coils around him weakening. Then, at last, he stopped hacking.

He looked up. The black venomous smoke had begun slowly dissipating, and the White Marten sat upright on the black snake's head, looking at him.

Clearly... the black snake was dead!!