Earth Spirit Stone Python

The area beneath the Underground Cave was extremely vast. Stone pillars rose from the ground one after another, making the cave resemble an ancient palace.

This beast sure knew how to enjoy itself. It found itself quite a nice place. Liu Bai smiled inwardly, then became even more cautious.

Whoosh!

A fierce wind suddenly swept through the cave. The grayish-white spiritual wind made Liu Bai and An Ran feel a heavy pressure bearing down on them.

After turning past a corridor, Liu Bai and An Ran's vision was suddenly filled by an enormous object—a coiled serpent several dozen zhang tall...

"Earth Spirit Stone Python!"

Before them stood a giant grayish-white python, like iron and stone.

Its body was covered in rock-like scales. A grayish-white spiral-patterned horn grew from its head, while its grayish-white eyes were cold and merciless, like a man-eating demon from the depths underground.

Screech, screech, screech...

The instant the two spotted the enormous python, a piercing sound of friction rang out.

Very soon, the massive coil before them spread apart. The sleeping giant python had awakened...

"Not good. Serpent Spirit Beasts have powerful senses. It's noticed us!"

An Ran immediately warned him.

Liu Bai nodded. He had already considered that possibility, so the instant he saw the Earth Spirit Stone Python, Spirit Seals had rapidly flown from his hand.

An Ran was slightly stunned by this, but she quickly understood and immediately said, "I'll draw its attention. You set up the array!"

Before Liu Bai could respond, the girl shot forward. Thick spiritual energy formed into a spiritual-energy spear in her palm, radiating an astonishing presence.

"Spirit Breaking Spear!"

An Ran's cold shout left her red lips. With a swing of her slender jade-like arm, the spiritual-energy spear burst forth with light, tearing through the air like a streak of brilliance before stabbing fiercely into the giant python's grayish-white scales.

Clang!

The instant the spiritual-energy spear struck the scales, sparks erupted.

Yet upon closer inspection, the strike had not harmed the Earth Spirit Stone Python at all. It had merely left a shallow white mark on those ironstone-like scales.

"Hiss!"

Faced with the sudden provocation of a tiny human, the Earth Spirit Stone Python let out an enraged hiss. Its enormous tail then crashed down like a towering wave.

An Ran clearly had not expected her attack to be so powerless against the Earth Spirit Stone Python. Sensing the terrifying gale, she immediately leaped away to evade it.

Boom!

The entire cave shook. Stone pillars several meters thick were toppled by the Earth Spirit Stone Python's blow, while great amounts of dust fell trembling from the ceiling.

Amid the billowing dust, five massive Light Wheels tore through the air with sharp ripping cries, instantly leaving a wound each on the giant python's body.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss!"

The intense pain across its body immediately made the Earth Spirit Stone Python let out an even more terrifying roar. The python, dozens of zhang long, reared up and instantly smashed everything in the cave to pieces. Even the massive rocks in the ceiling were struck loose and fell like rain.

"Tch, we can't let this thing run wild any longer!"

After narrowly dodging two huge rocks in succession, Liu Bai frowned in frustration. If such a colossal creature started rampaging underground, it would truly be like the earth overturning!

Moreover, judging from the previous attacks, it was likely impossible to kill the Earth Spirit Stone Python with the Five Wheel Sky Splitting Array. This thing's defense was simply too terrifying.

No sooner had he thought this than he saw golden light scattering through the air. One of the five wheels in the Five Wheel Sky Splitting Array had been bitten apart by the Earth Spirit Stone Python.

Seeing this, Liu Bai did not dare delay. Spirit Seals rapidly flew from his palm one after another.

The Demon Vine Strangling Array required a full fifty Spirit Seals. Even with Liu Bai's current intermediate Heart Array mastery, it would still take him several dozen seconds to set it up.

Meanwhile, An Ran hid behind a stone wall. Seeing this, she gritted her teeth, her beautiful eyes turning icy. Thick spiritual energy gathered in her jade-like hand, seemingly forming a wave-like spiritual-energy blade, which she then swung down...

"Wave Cutting Slash!"

The blade of light tore through the air and struck the Earth Spirit Stone Python. The clang of metal rang out, and as the light swept past, it cut a wound into the Earth Spirit Stone Python just like Liu Bai's array wheels had.

"Hiss!"

Grayish-white light gathered atop the Earth Spirit Stone Python's horn, then transformed into a beam of light that blasted toward An Ran.

An Ran's heart jolted. Feeling the terror of that grayish-white spiritual-energy beam, she moved her delicate body and darted into the air. Her pretty face gradually turned grave, then she took a light breath as her beautiful eyes became cold.

The spiritual energy around her turned violent. An enormous ice-blue eagle suddenly appeared behind her, and astonishing spiritual-energy ripples swept outward.

The ice-blue giant eagle seemed to be covered in ice armor from head to toe. It radiated a chill so intense that even the air seemed frozen.

This was the Spirit Beast Core An Ran had fused with—the Northern Nether Golden Patterned Eagle!

The instant the frost eagle appeared, An Ran's spiritual-energy aura surged explosively, even reaching the peak of the Divine Soul Realm for a moment. She was only one step away from entering the Heaven Fusion Realm...

The Northern Nether Golden Patterned Eagle's appearance also immediately drew most of the Earth Spirit Stone Python's attention. Eagles and serpents were natural enemies, to say nothing of the fact that the Northern Nether Golden Patterned Eagle and the Earth Spirit Stone Python were bitter hereditary foes. The two had clashed countless times in the Northern Cang Realm. In the past, the Earth Spirit Stone Python had always been defeated and forced underground. Now that it saw its old enemy, it instinctively stopped attacking and shifted to defense.

Although Heavenly Beasts possessed intelligence comparable to ordinary humans, they still retained the instincts of beasts. They held an innate fear of their natural enemies and did not even notice that something was wrong with the Northern Nether Golden Patterned Eagle's current state.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Liu Bai's spirit array was finally complete. Greenish-blue spiritual-energy lines rapidly traced a mysterious pattern throughout the Underground Cave.

The next moment, massive green demon vines dozens of zhang long burst from the ground. The vines were covered with sharp barbs, and the instant they emerged, they wound around the Earth Spirit Stone Python like spiritual serpents, tightening rapidly like a hunting python.

This sudden development threw the Earth Spirit Stone Python into momentary panic. It was the true giant python—so how had it suddenly been wrapped up by other snakes?

Furthermore, as the demon vines constricted tighter and tighter, their barbs continuously pierced into the Earth Spirit Stone Python's body. They even tore away its supposedly indestructible grayish-white scales piece by piece before hooking deeply into its flesh.

"Hiss, hiss!!"

The excruciating pain made the Earth Spirit Stone Python struggle madly. Yet the more it struggled, the tighter the demon vines constricted, just like a real hunting python. As the Earth Spirit Stone Python's muscles expanded and contracted, countless barbs kept tearing chunks of flesh from its body.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The wildly twisting Earth Spirit Stone Python repeatedly slammed into the surrounding stone walls, leaving vast bloody smears behind.

Liu Bai frowned. Although the Demon Vine Strangling Array could trap an enemy, it could not kill with a single strike. To kill the Earth Spirit Stone Python, they would still have to slowly wear it down over time.

He sensed the still-abundant spiritual energy within his body. If he conserved it, he could probably set up this Third-Grade Spirit Array several more times.

Setting up arrays might seem easy, but the expenditure was no less than that of powerful Attack Spiritual Arts. Third-Grade Spirit Arrays in particular required dozens of Spirit Seals at a time. Only because Liu Bai possessed far more spiritual energy than ordinary people could he manage it. Otherwise, someone like Mu Chen from the original story would not have been able to set up several Third-Grade Spirit Arrays in succession even at the Heaven Fusion Realm!

Chirp!

Naturally, An Ran would not let such a good opportunity pass. The Ice Eagle behind her gave a cry, and layers of ice crystals formed around it as even the moisture in the air froze.

A cold shout emerged from An Ran's alluring red lips. The ice-blue giant eagle then spread its wings and soared into the sky. Layer after layer of frost continuously covered the Ice Eagle's body, making it look from afar like a lifelike ice sculpture.

When a core gained physical form, that was when it became most dangerous.

"Frozen Wings!"

When the ice-blue giant eagle was completely covered in frost, its wings suddenly trembled. It transformed into a dazzling beam of icy light and plunged madly toward the Earth Spirit Stone Python's vital point.

Bang! Bang!

Huge rocks shattered one after another under its terrifying dive. Frosty air filled the cave, and layers of ice appeared along its path, forming what seemed like a road of ice.

Liu Bai glanced sideways, clearly somewhat astonished by the Northern Nether Golden Patterned Eagle's power. Like a ferocious creature from the North Sea, it carried endless cold capable of freezing the earth as it descended into the world.

Boom!

Its icy wings were like the sharpest blades in the world, instantly slashing into the Earth Spirit Stone Python's vital point. Scales flew everywhere, and flesh split open.

That single strike left a wound deep enough to expose bone on the Earth Spirit Stone Python's body... and it had struck precisely at its vital point!

In an instant, the Earth Spirit Stone Python, which had been struggling violently, stiffened all over. Its entire body seemed to lose its strength.

At the same time, the Ice Eagle in the sky exploded, turning into chunks of ice that rained down from above.

Amid that icy rain, a red figure also fell helplessly from the sky. Judging by where she was falling, she would land right beside the Earth Spirit Stone Python.

If she truly fell there, even a single twist of the Earth Spirit Stone Python's body might crush the severely depleted An Ran to death.

At that critical moment, brown spiritual light transformed into a rope and instantly wrapped around the girl's slender waist.

The next moment, the spiritual light contracted, pulling An Ran's body to Liu Bai's side. He caught her in his arms.

Of course, Liu Bai did not act like those ancient idol dramas, where a man and woman embracing had to be followed by spinning, leaping, and closing their eyes...

He did not even have time to enjoy the softness and fragrance of the girl in his arms before tossing her aside. His hands rapidly formed seals, activating a new spirit array. Demon vines once again burst through the ground and wrapped around the Earth Spirit Stone Python.

As for the previous vines, they had already dissipated after Liu Bai's hand seals were disrupted when he saved An Ran.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss... Roar!"

Though there had only been a gap of several seconds, the Earth Spirit Stone Python, which had appeared powerless moments ago, suddenly sprang up and rammed straight toward Liu Bai.

"Mountain God Art!"

Liu Bai was in the middle of reactivating the grand array and could not dodge at all. He could only rely on the Mountain God Art's powerful defense to take the blow head-on.

A yellowish-brown mountain had barely risen around his body when the massive python's head charged in like a speeding train.

Dong!

With a tremendous crash, the mountain around Liu Bai shattered almost instantly. The violent force struck him directly, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood. His internal organs felt as though they had twisted together in pain, nearly making Liu Bai pass out.

Pfft!

After spitting out another mouthful of blood, Liu Bai was filled with lingering fear.

"This Earth Spirit Stone Python is far too powerful. Fortunately, this place is too cramped, so it couldn't unleash its true strength from the start. Then the demon vines strangled it and completely restrained its movements. Otherwise, for the two of us to try to kill it would have been nothing but wishful thinking!"

Moreover, if the Earth Spirit Stone Python had not already been severely injured, that blow would have been more than enough to make Liu Bai lose all combat ability. He could not even withstand a single move himself, so An Ran stood even less of a chance.

Now both of them were injured. An Ran had even lost her fighting strength for the time being. Liu Bai could only rely on his arrays to keep deadlocked with the Earth Spirit Stone Python and see who gave out first...

Time passed bit by bit. In the blink of an eye, half a day had gone by.

By then, An Ran had recovered almost completely, and the spiritual energy within her once again felt full.

Liu Bai, however, was in terrible condition. If not for the White Jade Spirit Light cultivated through the Ice Muscle Jade Bone Art constantly repairing the injuries in his body, Liu Bai might already have lost half his life.

In the end, An Ran leaped above the Earth Spirit Stone Python once more and struck its vital point with another Wave Cutting Slash, finally ending the Earth Spirit Stone Python's life.

In the end, An Ran still got the kill!

Liu Bai was extremely annoyed. He had even been injured all over this time, yet in the end, he had not gained any experience!

However, Liu Bai also knew that given the situation at the time, if An Ran had not recovered quickly, he might have been the first to fail. By then, forget experience—he himself might have become a lump inside the creature's stomach. He could only accept it helplessly.

"You absorb the spiritual energy this time. That should let you raise your mark to level seven as well. I'll recover first, then fuse with the Earth Spirit Stone Python's core here. I'll try to finish everything before the agreed time."

"I'll have to trouble you, An Ran, to guard me for a while."

Earth Spirit Stone Python