The Hengduan Mountains.
Here, primeval forests blotted out the sky and sun. Even the midday sunlight could not penetrate the gaps in the canopy.
Yinshuang, a Dark Moon Envoy, followed a long-dried river valley deeper into the mountains. Without exception, every demonic beast she encountered along the way was frozen into an ice sculpture.
The ice crystal in her hand, which sealed a drop of Qiongqi's blood essence, gave off a faint, dark red glow in the dense forest. Its aura was enough to drive any demonic beast mad.
The deeper she ventured into the mountains, the denser the demonic aura around her became. By dusk on the third day, she stopped before a swamp shrouded in inky green miasma.
The swamp water was murky. Bubbles rose from its depths from time to time, releasing wisps of dark green poisonous mist as they burst.
There had long been no trace of birds or beasts for miles around. Even the chirping of insects had vanished. Only the long, drawn-out sound of breathing came from the center of the swamp, rolling across the water like muffled thunder.
Standing at the edge of the swamp, Yinshuang raised the ice crystal before her. The savage aura of Qiongqi's blood essence spread through the miasma, forming rings of dark red ripples visible to the naked eye.
"Beast King Swallowing-Heaven Python, please show yourself!"
At her words, the water at the center of the swamp suddenly erupted. An enormous head rose from the muddy water, covered entirely in dark blue-green scales, each the size of a millstone.
Its head was shaped like an inverted triangle, with a curved horn on either side. Faint rings of markings could be seen on the scales between its horns.
The Swallowing-Heaven Python slowly opened its slit pupils, a cold light