The shadowy figure was actually a giant black snake with a triangular head resembling a huge arrowhead and a pair of emotionless, golden vertical eyes.
The giant snake was coiled in a cave below the cliff. As soon as the monkey entered the valley, the snake shot out like an arrow, its mouth wide open in an exaggerated way, with four long and sharp, curved fangs.
Zhou Wuji didn't use the Six Yang Spirit Eyes; relying solely on his keen eyesight and the reflection of his Mind Mirror, he had already seen the snake demon clearly.
The snake demon appeared to be at least six or seven zhang long, with the thickest part of its body measuring two chi in diameter. Its scales were black with a hint of blue, arranged in a dense and orderly fashion.
Such a giant snake, coiled up, is three or four zhang tall. Its sheer size alone is enough to intimidate people.
Even more terrifying was the Yao Qi; when it swallowed the monkey, it naturally exhaled a faint, smoky poisonous gas that almost covered the entire valley.
Even from this distance, Zhou Wuji could feel the intense and ferocious nature of the poisonous gas.
The giant snake was unaware of Zhou Wuji and the other two's presence. It slowly contracted its body and retreated into the cave, leaving its head at the entrance and slowly closing its vertical eyes.
The wisp of poisonous gas it emitted still lingered and swirled in the valley...
Zhou Wuji believed that the trees in the valley had purple leaves, a mutation caused by the giant snake's poisonous gas seeping into them day and night.
"I used Heart-Burning Grass wrapped in syrup and beeswax. This snake swallowed the monkey and needs some time to digest it. The Heart-Burning Grass won't show any reaction at first; only when the poison enters the heart will the yin fire erupt with each heartbeat..."
Su Wuyi's pretty face was full of joy. She used her Divine Sense to communicate with Zhou Wuji and Shui Wushang, "It may take two or three hours for the poison to take effect. Let's be patient."
Zhou Wuji and Shui Wushang both nodded slightly.
Waiting a few hours is fine; if we can poison the snake demon to death right now, that would be even better.
Such a huge snake demon must be at the Third Rank rank, which means that this thing can fly when necessary, which is extremely terrifying.
Zhou Wuji, however, felt it wouldn't be that simple. The snake demon didn't seem stupid; on the contrary, he saw a kind of intelligence in this giant snake.
Cultivators, however, can quickly acquire power and comprehend the universe by learning Secret Method.
This snake demon may not be less intelligent than a cultivator; the real difference between them lies in their knowledge structure.
The snake demon relies entirely on its own understanding of the world, which naturally imposes significant limitations on it.
However, once the snake demon senses something amiss within its body, it will be able to make adjustments, making it unlikely that it will be directly poisoned to death...
Zhou Wuji did not state his judgment, because he had no basis for it and was simply relying on his intuition.
Saying these things in advance would be more like offering discouraging words, and would have no real meaning. The three of them sat in silence for more than two hours, until the sun set behind the western mountains and the sky was darkening, when suddenly a strange roar came from the depths of the valley.
Zhou Wuji looked up and saw the giant black snake suddenly open its mouth and vomit, spewing out a large pool of yellowish-green pus, which looked disgusting.
An extremely foul odor filled the valley with the wind.
"Oh no, this guy has noticed something's wrong..." Su Wuyi immediately realized something was wrong, and a hint of unease appeared on her small face.
"Let's make our move. We can't wait any longer." Zhou Wuji was very decisive. Taking advantage of the snake demon's weakened state, it was the perfect time to strike.
Delaying it would only be detrimental to them.
Zhou Wuji immediately pointed and unleashed a bolt of Big Dipper Northern Dipper Heavenly Pivot Yin Thunder.
At the same time, he blessed himself with the Big Dipper Heavenly Gang Spirit Incantation.
The azure starlight swirled and transformed into a magnificent star-patterned garment draped over the golden silk raincoat.
Shui Wushang and Su Wuyi both cast the Big Dipper Heavenly Gang Spirit Incantation on themselves. Su Wuyi even chanted the incantation and stepped forward with the Big Dipper steps, facing the altar to begin casting the spell.
The internal Five Viscera Temple of a cultivator can serve as a substitute for a ritual altar.
However, a real altar can gather more Law Power, facilitate communication with the gods, and control the Eight Divisions of Soldiers and Horses of the Northern Pole Sect. The Eight Divisions of Soldiers and Horses are invisible and intangible, but they can form Law Domain to protect the caster, enhance the power of the Law Technique, and suppress demons and monsters.
Simply put, formally establishing a ritual altar is enough to double the power of Law Technique; if there is a formal Daoist temple and statue, the power of Law Technique can be increased more than three times.
Su Wuyi was mediocre in martial arts, but extremely proficient in Daoist magic.
At this moment, she was performing the ritual steps and chanting incantations. Her pretty face was solemn, and she held the Heaven-Measuring Jade Ruler in her hand, exuding an air of authority.
Shui Wushang, wielding the Mysterious Light Sword, stood in front of the altar, protecting its safety.
The Northern Dipper Heavenly Pivot Yin Thunder was incredibly swift; it had already covered a distance of a hundred paces and struck the serpent demon's triangular head directly.
Like a burst of lightning, the triangular snake's head trembled violently. It was about to vomit with all its might when the Yin Thunder struck it, leaving it dizzy and disoriented. The filth it was about to vomit was swallowed back down.
The filth contained the Earth Baleful Intent Heart-Burning Yin Fire, which constantly scorched its internal organs and intestines, causing it extreme discomfort.
In comparison, the damage from lightning striking from nowhere is negligible.
This snake demon had lived for hundreds of years and molted several times, making its scales exceptionally tough. Even the exploding Yin Thunder couldn't penetrate its scales. However, since the Yin Thunder was aimed directly at its life force and spirituality, it still had a certain impact on the snake demon's mind.
Zhou Wuji struck successfully and immediately flew forward diagonally for dozens of steps, creating distance between himself and Su Wuyi's altar.
Seeing that the Northern Dipper Heavenly Pivot Yin Thunder was not working well, he immediately switched to the Seven Star Demon-Slaying Spirit Sword. The two azure swords, each about a foot long, drew a famous and beautiful arc, aiming straight for the snake demon's eyes.
Attacking such a gigantic monster is pointless; only destroying its head can truly kill this behemoth.
The Seven Star Demon-Slaying Spirit Sword at its perfect level is incredibly fast, and the condensed light sword is even sharper.
Upon seeing two points of azure starlight fall, the snake demon hurriedly closed its eyes and shook its head violently.
The powerful Yao Qi, accumulated day and night through the absorption of spiritual energy, suddenly erupted under the stimulation of the snake demon's Divine Sense.
The black Yao Qi was like thick black smoke, enveloping the snake demon's entire body. The lightsaber entered the black aura but was almost completely melted away by it.
The remaining lightsaber barely managed to pierce the snake's head scales before shattering into countless streams of light.
Zhou Wuji was pleasantly surprised; the Demon Cultivator was truly formidable, able to unleash Yao Qi to protect its enormous body.
However, the snake demon's use of Yao Qi was too crude, relying entirely on instinct and lacking a sophisticated and stable structure, resulting in the waste of most of its Yao Qi.
When he activated the Seven Star Demon-Slaying Spirit Sword, the Law Power he wielded was only about sixty points. However, the amount of Yao Qi consumed by the snake demon when activating its Yao Qi was more than a thousand times that of the Seven Star Demon-Slaying Spirit Sword.
If this continues, the snake demon will complete its great cycle, and in no time, its demonic Yao Qi will be completely depleted.
Zhou Wuji knew the snake demon wouldn't be so foolish as to let him wear it down so easily. However, the snake demon's crude method of converting Yao Qi meant that this demon's potential was very low.
In the primitive Thousand Spirits Mountain, snake demons could dominate with their enormous bodies and powerful Yao Qi. However, such fighting methods were far too crude when facing cultivators.
He then unleashed the Seven Star Demon-Slaying Spirit Sword in succession, sending forth beams of light that aimed directly at the snake demon's eyes.
Even with the power of a lightsaber, it would be difficult to pierce the snake demon's scales. Only by attacking its eyes could the snake demon be forced to unleash its Yao Qi.
Su Wuyi was at the altar, but she could see clearly that she naturally recognized the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword.
This Law Technique is easy to learn, but it's very difficult to master it to the point where Zhou Wuji can unleash it instantly with a thought, let alone with a light sword that can travel a hundred paces away and pose a certain threat to even Third Rank snake demon.
Adding to the previous Northern Dipper Heavenly Pivot Yin Thunder, it was also extremely skillful.
She was also quite surprised. Her senior brother was skilled in Swordsmanship, alchemy, and medicine, so how could his Law Technique be so powerful as well?
In that critical moment, Su Wuyi didn't have time to think much. She suppressed her distracting thoughts and silently chanted an incantation.
"The essence of the Big Dipper shines forth, reflected in the mysterious mirror. Its profound light illuminates the vast emptiness..."
The Law Technique Su Wuyi unleashed was the Great Void Mysterious Mirror Seal, a secret and orthodox method passed down in the Taixu Scripture of the Great Void Scripture Tianxuan Lineage. She was only qualified to practice this method after becoming a True Disciple Candidate.
As she chanted the incantation, the Third Rank Law Treasure Great Void Gourd, on the altar shone with spiritual light, resonating with her Divine Sense. Shui Wushang remained motionless with his sword pressed down because the snake demon's Yao Qi was too strong; whether one person attacked or two people attacked, the snake demon's energy expenditure was the same.
With Zhou Wuji ahead of her, her attack would only be a waste of her own strength.
On the other hand, she was far inferior to Zhou Wuji in Law Technique, only knowing a few Law Technique to protect herself. If she wanted to fight, she could only draw her sword and fight head-on.
She was also somewhat puzzled. Zhou Wuji's Swordsmanship was so strong, how could he still have time to hone his Law Technique to such a high level?
Is it really true that geniuses are omnipotent?!
After being repeatedly attacked by the lightsaber, the snake demon finally caught its breath thanks to the protection of its Yao Qi. It then spat out a large amount of thick, yellowish-green pus, with faint black flames flickering within it.
While the snake demon opened its mouth to vomit, Zhou Wuji seized the opportunity to unleash the Yang Brightness Divine Lightning.
This time, he also used the Divine Thunder Bracelet for enhancement, and the timing of his activation of the Thunder Method was once again perfect. The azure Yang Brightness Divine Lightning was like a giant sword of light that pierced straight into the snake demon's throat.
The snake demon also realized what was happening and immediately began frantically spewing out Yao Qi to defend itself.
A burst of azure lightning erupted from the snake demon's mouth, shattering most of its two sharp, venomous fangs and tearing apart large chunks of flesh inside.
The excruciating pain from the lightning truly enraged the snake demon. It no longer cared about vomiting its own filth, and with a twist of its massive body, it shot straight toward Zhou Wuji like an arrow.
The two were no more than a hundred paces apart when the snake demon charged forward almost fifty or sixty paces. It opened its huge mouth and spewed out black Yao Qi, instantly engulfing Zhou Wuji. The black Yao Qi also contained the snake demon's deadly poison, and wherever the Yao Qi passed, the grass and trees instantly melted away.
Zhou Wuji hurriedly activated his Divine Movement Technique, stepping on the seven-pointed starlight, and flew diagonally backward.
The black Yao Qi followed Zhou Wuji forward, shattering rocks and melting vegetation wherever it passed, leaving a black burn mark tens of feet long on the ground.
The intense Yao Qi made Zhou Wuji uneasy. He dared not unleash any more Law Technique and instead used his Divine Movement to retreat with all his might.
The snake demon's attack failed, and its enormous body actually floated up, seemingly preparing to take flight.
Seeing that the situation was not good, Su Wuyi pointed her Heaven-Measuring Jade Ruler at the sky and activated the Great Void Mysterious Mirror Method.
On the altar, the Great Void Gourd flickered with spiritual light, spewing out a large swath of faint purple light that enveloped the snake demon from above.
The Great Void Gourd is Third Rank Law Treasure. The Great Void Chaos Qi it spews can seal the void and seal spirituality.
The snake demon was poisoned by the Heart-Burning Grass, and its mind was already unclear. When it was illuminated by the Great Void Mysterious Light, its mind went completely blank.
The purple light transformed from the Great Void Mysterious Light contracted and condensed, forming a giant three-dimensional light mirror that completely sealed the snake demon within.
The snake demon's Yao Qi was ten or even a hundred times stronger than Su Wuyi's, but its method of controlling the Yao Qi was too crude. Faced with the Law Power seal that directly targeted spirituality, it couldn't react at all.
The enormous body seemed to be completely sealed and locked away by countless mirrors of light. Zhou Wuji was also somewhat surprised; this Law Technique truly seemed extraordinary!
Shui Wushang and Su Wuyi had a tacit understanding; she knew that this seal would only last for a few breaths.
She immediately drew her Mysterious Light Sword, and together with the sword, thrust it towards the snake demon's exposed throat.
At the same time, Zhou Wuji also drew the Tianshu Sword and activated the strongest Limitless Star Sword among the Northern Pole Sword.
The surging Sword Qi of the Tianshu Sword transformed into a nine-pointed star, and Zhou Wuji, like a shooting star, struck the snake demon in a flash...