Golden-Light Python

A short while later, Xiao Yu arrived before a small stone hut concealed by dense forest. It measured only ten feet in length, width, and height, with a man-high doorway at the front. Thick trees screened it so completely that it could not be spotted from a distance.

After waiting there for a while, Xiao Yu gritted his teeth, activated the Aura Concealment Technique and Concealment Technique, and slowly walked into the hut.

Inside the stone hut, there was nothing except a passage that seemed to lead underground. Streams of cold, damp air blew out of it, making Xiao Yu shiver despite himself.

Those two must have gone down here. After all this time, they should already be fighting the Demon Beast inside. Otherwise, they would have come out long ago.

With that thought, Xiao Yu cautiously entered the passage.

The moment he stepped inside, he discovered a gray-white stone staircase leading straight underground. Moonlight stones were set into the walls at regular intervals, casting a faint glow that barely allowed him to see with the naked eye.

Those moonlight stones seem to have been set there by those two. After considering this for a moment, Xiao Yu made his way down the stone steps with light footfalls.

After descending another thousand feet or so, he suddenly came upon a cavern several hundred feet across. Numerous stalactites hung from its ceiling, while stones of every shape and size littered the floor.

Near the far end of the cavern lay a small pool, its surface still and unruffled. More than a dozen spirit herbs grew around it. Among them were fully ripened heavenly spirit fruits, and every other plant was likewise a rare variety useful to Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators.

Normally, discovering so many spirit herbs should have filled him with wild delight. Yet Xiao Yu felt nothing of the sort. Instead, he immediately hid behind the nearest large rock and suppressed his aura with all his strength, not daring to draw even a loud breath.

For at that moment, a fierce battle was raging on the open ground a hundred-odd feet in front of the pool.

On one side was a giant python as thick as a bucket and a hundred feet long. Three rows of gleaming golden scales ran along its back, and it radiated immense spiritual pressure. It was actually a peak first-tier Demon Beast, a Golden-Light Python!

On the other side were Zhang He of Spirit Beast Mountain, whom Xiao Yu had seen before, and a young man in his twenties from the Blade Transforming Dock, dressed in blue.

At that moment, Zhang He was directing the White-Haired Giant Bear and a Flying Fork that radiated astonishing spiritual pressure in a relentless assault on the python. At the same time, he controlled a Prismatic Shield to protect both men, blocking every one of the python's attacks.

The young man from the Blade Transforming Dock controlled two flying sabers that shone with blood-red light, sending them spinning around the python's body in a ceaseless flurry of slashes.

Yet the attacks from Zhang He and the young man from the Blade Transforming Dock seemed unable to inflict much damage on the giant python.

Each strike from the Flying Fork and flying sabers left only a white mark on its body, utterly failing to breach the protection of its hide and scales.

The White-Haired Giant Bear, however, managed to knock the python back a little with every collision. It could shake the python through sheer bodily strength, truly living up to its nature as a strength-oriented Demon Beast.

The Golden-Light Python, meanwhile, displayed its fearsome might, keeping both men and the beast firmly suppressed.

A casual sweep of its enormous tail easily knocked their attacking magical artifacts aside. Then it swiftly slithered forward, closing in on the two men, clearly intent on grappling with them at close quarters. Each time, it frightened them into flying backward to either side.

After the two sides had fought fiercely for a short while, a jet-black water spike suddenly shot from the python's mouth and reached Zhang He in an instant!

Zhang He jumped in fright and hastily dodged aside. The black water spike missed him, striking the ground and splashing into countless black droplets.

As ill luck would have it, several droplets landed on Zhang He. In an instant, a large hole burned through his sleeve, followed by an injury to his arm as the flesh beneath was corroded away.

Centered on the wound, the flesh of his arm dissolved at a speed visible to the naked eye. In the blink of an eye, a hole as wide as the mouth of a bowl had formed.

"Aah!" A miserable scream burst from Zhang He's mouth! Fighting the dizziness in his head, he hurriedly retreated, not forgetting to pull a handful of healing and antidote pills from his storage pouch and stuff them into his mouth.

The black liquid spat out by the python was actually this formidable!

The young man from the Blade Transforming Dock was also startled, and his offensive faltered. He was already thinking of retreating, and hesitation showed on his face.

"Brother Wu, sorry for the trouble, but hold this beast off for a moment. I'm going to use a Talisman Treasure to kill it!" Zhang He saw what the young man intended and immediately spoke.

The Golden-Light Python guarded more than a dozen highly valuable spirit herbs, and he had no wish to give them up lightly. Besides, he had just suffered at its hands. He had to slaughter this beast.

"Well... all right! I hope you can hurry, Brother Zhang. I can't hold it off alone for long." The young man from the Blade Transforming Dock hesitated before finally agreeing. He, too, coveted those spirit herbs.

Then the young man took an iron plate from his storage pouch and formed a hand seal. Black light flashed, and in the blink of an eye, the iron plate became a door-sized slab roughly ten feet across, shielding the two men.

He then joined forces with the giant bear, and for a time, they actually managed to fend off the python's attacks.

Meanwhile, Zhang He sat cross-legged and took out an exquisite brocade box. With a gentle sweep of his hand, the box opened on its own, revealing a talisman with the image of a brick drawn on its surface.

With a pained expression, Zhang He took out the talisman and frantically poured magical power into it.

Within moments, the talisman transformed into a giant brick five feet across, floating above Zhang He's head.

The giant brick emitted dazzling golden light and an astonishing aura of power. One glance was enough to tell that its might was considerable.

The man and python locked in battle naturally noticed the commotion. At the sight, the young man from the Blade Transforming Dock was overjoyed. With such a treasure, they would surely be able to slay this brute.

By now, the python had stopped attacking. Its enormous head turned toward Zhang He, its forked tongue flicking in and out with a hiss. Two fist-sized eyes stared fixedly at the golden brick above his head. Its body began to retreat slowly. Clearly, this python was no fool. Sensing the tremendous threat, it intended to withdraw for now.

"Hmph! Trying to leave? Not a chance!" Seeing that the python wanted to flee, the young man from the Blade Transforming Dock immediately took out an Earth Prison Talisman, activated it in one breath, and sent it toward the python. An earthen-yellow barrier descended from above, instantly enclosing the python.

Enraged, the python immediately battered the barrier with its body and tail. The barrier shook violently under the blows, looking as though it would not last more than a few breaths.

But it was already too late. The golden brick above Zhang He's head had now grown to ten feet across, and the golden radiance streaming from it grew even more dazzling.

Zhang He's face was pale, his magical power clearly depleted. Not daring to delay any longer, he pointed at the python and barked, "Go!"

At once, the giant golden brick became a streak of golden light, appearing above the python's head in an instant before smashing down without mercy.

With a bang, the earthen-yellow barrier shattered. The golden brick then crashed toward the python. It barely managed to move its head and upper body aside before the brick struck.

"Aooo..." A shrill, agonized cry escaped the python's mouth. The rear half of its body had been crushed into a meat patty, plastered against the bottom of a huge pit five feet deep.

Despite its grievous injuries, its ferocity remained undiminished. It struggled to writhe its upper body and raised its head, intending to keep attacking the two men and create an opportunity to escape.

Naturally, Zhang He would not give it that chance. He sent the golden brick floating upward until it reached the cavern ceiling, then brought it hurtling down toward the python's head, intent on smashing its skull flat.

But then an unbelievable scene unfolded. Halfway through its descent, the golden brick suddenly spun, changed direction, and smashed toward the young man from the Blade Transforming Dock...