Soon, the magical beast would surface.
"So big! Even bigger than I imagined!"
Andrew's gaze sharpened. He realized he had still underestimated this magical beast. Judging solely by the disturbance as it surfaced, it had to be over twenty meters long!
Gripping the Godslaying Saber, Andrew stared unblinkingly at the lakeshore. The ripples gradually grew into small waves that lapped against the bank. This was the disturbance caused by the magical beast rising.
Slowly, the waves grew larger. Soon, a distinct bulge appeared in the water near the shore, like a fountain about to erupt.
Splash!
The water suddenly erupted, sending lake water raining down nearby.
"A One-Horned Ice Python, a level nine magical beast of the water element!"
Behind the spray, a head as large as a car emerged from the water. It was unmistakably a python's head. White ice armor covered it, and a single white horn roughly two meters long stood atop it. Andrew immediately recognized the creature.
"I searched everywhere without finding it, and now it falls right into my lap. Fate really is strange!"
Rather than alarm, the sight of the One-Horned Ice Python brought Andrew delight, and fighting spirit surged in his chest. The purpose of his journey was to challenge a level nine magical beast. Now that one had delivered itself to his door, he had no reason to be unhappy.
After surfacing, the One-Horned Ice Python twisted its body and soon slithered ashore. It was enormous, fully thirty meters long! Its body was thick as well, nearly two meters across. With a physique like that, its strength alone was enough to inspire despair, never mind anything else.
"The One-Horned Ice Python is among the very best level nine magical beasts. Not only is it proficient in water magic, but its physical strength is no less than that of dragons of the same level. You could say it has practically no weaknesses. To kill it, I can only overpower it or break straight through its defenses."
Andrew backed away very cautiously, recalling the information about the One-Horned Ice Python. The magical beast section of Divine Grace Academy's library contained detailed descriptions of almost all of them.
"Fighting a water-element magical beast beside the water is hardly wise."
As a water-element magical beast, the lake was its home ground. Andrew naturally understood this and planned to get as far from the lake as possible. That would also diminish its advantage.
After coming ashore, the One-Horned Ice Python stretched its body, its enormous eyes never leaving Andrew. Its stare sent a faint chill through his entire body. He could even make out disdain and mockery on its face.
"What intelligence! A level nine magical beast already has emotions like these! Still, as long as you haven't reached Saint-level, you're destined to die beneath my saber today!"
Although a beast was looking down on him, Andrew did not grow angry. However, he had already sentenced the One-Horned Ice Python to death in his heart.
"From the looks of it, it clearly won't let me go. In that case, I can move farther away." Andrew had originally been somewhat worried that the One-Horned Ice Python might give up if he retreated too far. Now he cast that concern aside completely and leaped away, retreating a hundred meters.
The One-Horned Ice Python hesitated, swaying its massive head. But when it saw Andrew's provocative gesture, it immediately lowered itself and twisted its body in pursuit. Despite its immense size, it was fast, reaching Andrew within a few seconds.
"As long as you're willing to follow!"
Andrew retreated another hundred meters. The One-Horned Ice Python refused to give up and followed behind him. Wherever it passed, trees toppled, rocks shattered, and the ground froze over. Wisps of cold rose from the flattened grass, and some of it became encased in ice.
"What terrifying water magic! This is only what it gives off naturally. How powerful would it be if it cast a spell deliberately?"
Andrew felt some admiration for the One-Horned Ice Python. Although it was not a Saint-level magical beast, it was certainly among the mightiest level nine magical beasts. It was like the Spined Iron-Armored Dragon among dragons: immensely powerful, yet finding it difficult to reach Saint-level. But once it did, it would be a powerhouse even among those at Saint-level.
After moving a full kilometer from the lake, Andrew stopped. This area was a dense forest, crowded with towering trees and rocks. The cramped surroundings were highly unfavorable for the enormous One-Horned Ice Python.
The One-Horned Ice Python clearly realized this as well. In fact, its intelligence was no less than a human's. But it did not care. In its eyes, apart from human Saint-level experts, everyone else was a snack.
Clink, clink, clink, clink, clink!
The moment Andrew stopped, the One-Horned Ice Python spat out several ice arrows. They looked crystal clear and beautiful, but their power was considerable as well. In terms of water magic, the One-Horned Ice Python was absolutely qualified to challenge a Saint-level Magus. Even casually released ice arrows could easily kill a warrior of the seventh rank.
But Andrew was no ordinary eighth-level warrior. Facing the ice arrows that arrived in the blink of an eye, he formed a hazy blue-green barrier around himself that blocked every one. The ice arrows struck it with pleasant clinking sounds.
"Fast and hard-hitting. These ice arrows are powerful!"
Although he was unharmed, Andrew inwardly praised them. In his view, these ice arrows could already threaten an eighth-level warrior. An ordinary eighth-level warrior's battle-qi barrier could never withstand so many ice arrows.
"Too bad you ran into me. The strength of fusion battle-qi isn't limited to attacks!"
Andrew felt rather pleased with himself. Without fusion battle-qi, he would not have dared provoke a level nine magical beast.
Seeing its ice arrows prove ineffective, the One-Horned Ice Python grew angry. No matter how intelligent magical beasts were, they could not escape their bestial nature. They easily flew into a frenzy during battle.
Boom!
Bam!
Crash!
The One-Horned Ice Python moved, its massive tail sweeping forward from behind it. The white tail resembled a long whip made of solid ice. With a light sweep, it cleared away every towering tree and boulder around it. Under the tremendous force of its tail, the broken trees and boulders hurtled toward Andrew in a sky-filling barrage, shrieking through the air. This attack was far more terrifying than a hail of gunfire!
Andrew did not have an easy time facing the flying trees and boulders. He swiftly activated Explosive Steps, darting and shifting through the gaps in the attack. Fortunately, his speed and reactions were quick enough for him to evade the flying debris.
Before he could relax, another deadly attack arrived!
After sweeping aside the trees and boulders, the python's tail bore down silently on Andrew. Despite making no sound, it was anything but slow. The fierce gusts it stirred made Andrew's clothes flap loudly.
"Come on!"
Bold spirit surged through Andrew. Rather than retreating, he advanced, putting away the Godslaying Saber and meeting the tail with both fists.
The thick tail smashed down and finally met Andrew's fists... The sight was like a massive hammer striking a nail, stunning to behold.
Bam!
Without the slightest suspense, Andrew was sent flying backward into a tree so thick it would take several people to encircle it. The tree snapped at its middle. The tremendous force even shattered its trunk into countless pieces of wood roughly a foot long that scattered in all directions.
"It really deserves its place among the strongest level nine magical beasts. That strength is at least dozens of times mine!"
After hitting the ground, Andrew rolled with the impact and rose to his feet. At the same time, he activated Explosive Steps, leaping another several dozen meters away. Although his movements remained swift, that last blow had injured him.
Shaking his aching arms, Andrew did not wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. With a turn of his hand, he took the Godslaying Saber out of his spatial ring.
Shing!
Andrew swiftly drew the saber. Its blade, over a meter long, glowed blue-green with his lightning-and-fire fusion battle-qi. Having tested the One-Horned Ice Python's strength, Andrew now had a sense of it and held nothing back.
The One-Horned Ice Python was indeed highly intelligent and experienced in battle. Just after knocking Andrew away, it had swiftly spat out several more ice arrows at the spot where he would land. But Andrew also had considerable combat experience and immediately moved clear. Otherwise, his injuries would likely have been worse.
Seeing its ice arrows fail, the One-Horned Ice Python suddenly lunged, covering a hundred meters to arrive before Andrew. This time, it took the most direct approach, opening its enormous mouth and spewing out a white pillar of ice. White mist immediately spread around the ice pillar, soon condensing into snowflakes.
Crack!
Facing the ice pillar, Andrew slashed in a flash of saber light. His blade, over a meter long, struck the center of the two-meter-wide ice pillar! He had poured his full fusion battle-qi into this strike. With a faint sound, the Godslaying Saber and the ice pillar actually reached a stalemate!
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!
Andrew dared not withdraw his saber. The moment he retreated, the ice pillar would freeze him. The One-Horned Ice Python was unwilling to yield either and secretly increased its output of cold. Gradually, white mist enveloped the blue-green battle-qi on the Godslaying Saber. The two colors of energy made faint sounds as they met.
This can't go on. If I let this ice cover the blade, I'll probably lose!
Andrew understood his situation clearly and immediately devised a countermeasure.
"Aaah!"
With a roar, Andrew tensed every muscle in his body. Beneath his muscles, fusion battle-qi circulated rapidly. Within a few breaths, sweat seeped from his face.
"Break!"
Andrew's blade shuddered. In an instant, he withdrew it and struck again, displaying the explosive nature of fusion battle-qi to the fullest! This time, when the blade struck the ice pillar, fine cracks appeared on its surface.
The cracks soon widened and spread. In the blink of an eye, the ice pillar, two meters across and five meters long, shattered!