“Let me teach you something. Don’t wear this kind of mask in front of someone stronger than you.” The woman spoke with a hint of laughter. However, although she could see that Li Jiangying was wearing a mask, she didn’t remove it.
“Is that so?” Li Jiangying’s head felt like it would explode from the headache and drowsiness. She murmured a response, then suddenly, a cold glint flashed in her eyes. Her hand, hidden beneath her body, shot out, already gripping the hilt of a Short Sword!
The essence of “strike when unprepared, attack when unexpected”—Li Jiangying suddenly slashed towards the woman’s calf. Immediately after, she heard the woman in front of her let out a questioning “Hmm,” before she deftly hopped back a small step. The Short Sword regrettably only cut through the air and her cloak, revealing a flash of snow-white skirt hem underneath.
Having failed in her first strike, Li Jiangying struggled to get up and flee but was kicked flying away by the black-cloaked woman. In that instant of her attack, Li Jiangying keenly sensed a terrifying aura. Among all the people she had met, this woman’s strength was definitely near the top!
The powerful force kicked her in the chest, causing Li Jiangying’s blood and qi to churn violently. She crashed to the ground and sprayed out a large mouthful of stagnant blood. Her vision darkened repeatedly, and Li Jiangying was on the verge of fainting. Yet, the hand holding the Short Sword remained tightly clenched, never loosening.
Damn it… why am I always so unlucky?
Li Jiangying felt unwilling.
Such a pity… if it weren’t for this Pure Fire Spiritual Body… things wouldn’t have come to this today…
Covered in wounds, Li Jiangying’s consciousness descended into a haze. She didn’t notice the movement in the fabric over her chest as a small black snake slithered out.
It was the Snake Demon, who had fallen into a deep sleep due to her unhealed injury, frequent transformations, and the effects of the smoke poison. The pain and the familiar scent of blood in her nose from Li Jiangying being brutally kicked by the unknown black-cloaked woman finally woke her.
After crawling out, Li Yueying immediately looked at her Jiangying. And this sight froze her.
At some point, her Jiangying had ended up miserably on the ground, covered in dirt and blood. Her hair was messy and disheveled. Her cheeks, mouth, nose, neck, and collar were smeared with large patches of blood. She was so weak, her brow tightly furrowed as if enduring immense pain, causing her to show a pained expression with every breath.
Jiangying… Jiangying… Jiangying!
Li Yueying’s breathing grew rapid. She trembled as she took in the sight of her Jiangying. Her hands, her pants, her knees—all wounded!
Her Jiangying… was injured!
This terrifying, undeniable fact struck her mind like a bolt of lightning, piercing Li Yueying with such agony she could barely breathe. She couldn’t control her trembling. Her tiny black snake body started to expand bit by bit, until she had become larger than any state Li Jiangying had ever seen.
A massive black python, as if threatening to swallow heaven and earth, slowly coiled around the unconscious human on the ground. Her tyrannical scarlet eyes blazed with a murderous intent so strong it seemed tangible. She faced those black-cloaked figures, opening her mouth in rage to reveal ghastly white, terrifying fangs:
“Roar—!”
The enraged roar shook the very world. A violent gale swept through, forcing the grass and trees to bow low. One black-cloaked figure couldn’t hold back and attacked the giant black python with a magical artifact.
The others were about to step forward to help but were stopped by the bow-wielding leader raising her hand. With just a slight gesture of her arm, the group obediently halted, moving no further.
The impulsive black-cloaked figure pressed forward under the pressure. A flash of purple light, and a sword of ice entwined with lightning fiercely slashed onto Li Yueying.
The pain fueled Li Yueying’s rampage. A ferocious light flashed in her eyes. She swiftly raised her tail tip, but then, seemingly remembering something, lowered it again.
No. If she struck, he was too far. It would expose Jiangying.
Jiangying, Jiangying, Jiangying! I absolutely, absolutely won’t let Jiangying get hurt. I absolutely, absolutely won’t allow her to leave me!
The black-cloaked figure immediately dodged after attacking, only to find his efforts were useless. This vicious, terrifying giant python foolishly guarded the mortal on the ground, too afraid to move.
“So it’s a stupid one!” The black-cloaked figure began attacking the same spot repeatedly. Soon, the snake scales there were damaged and fell off, revealing the pink flesh underneath. Unconsciously, he drew closer to this dumb snake.
The black-cloaked figure couldn’t help but show a delighted grin. As the saying goes, strike while the enemy is weak. Just as he was about to call his companions to attack together, he suddenly heard a sharp, piercing whoosh.
Before he could see or understand clearly, a tremendous force slammed into him, sending him flying. The terrifying power struck his body with such destructive force that it collapsed. By the time he hit the ground, he was nothing but a pile of mangled flesh.
“Xuanji!” The other black-cloaked figures cried out in grief and rage but dared not disobey their leader’s command. They could only clench their fists and stand in place.
Their leader watched the scene before her, murmuring: “As expected of the Moon Shadow Devil Venerable. Even in such a state, she cannot be underestimated.”
“Senior Master, what should we do?”
The bow-wielding leader sighed: “Let’s just watch for now.”
The giant black python hissed at them threateningly. Then, still without lowering her guard, she lowered her head and carefully picked up the human on the ground in her mouth.
Li Jiangying had been driven to her limits by the earlier noises. Her consciousness repeatedly flickered—awake, then fainting, fainting, then awake again. Feeling herself wrapped in something damp, cold, slick, and soft, the bizarre sensation made her uneasy. She struggled to barely crack her eyes open and raised her left hand to touch something hard and cold next to her.
She tried to clear her head and found she was being held inside a snake’s mouth.
Li Jiangying: “Yue… Yueying.”
Her weak call successfully caught Li Yueying’s attention. Holding her in her mouth made it difficult to speak, so Li Yueying could only squeeze out a low, muffled sound from her throat. Even this sound rumbled in Li Jiangying’s ears like thunder.
She was inside the snake’s mouth; what she touched earlier was a snake fang. She should be thankful that Li Yueying didn’t have much saliva in her mouth, otherwise… ahem.
Li Jiangying’s head was outside the mouth. She tilted her head to look back and saw those black-cloaked figures still standing in place, watching the direction the snake and human left, refusing to leave for a long time. At their feet, the earth burned with clusters of small flames.
It seems like one person is missing? Her agonized mind was too lazy to think. Li Jiangying weakly instructed: “Find a safe place… somewhere deserted… cough… hide… hide…”
She didn’t say much more. Feeling slightly more at ease, Li Jiangying completely succumbed to slumber.
Following Jiangying’s instructions, after getting far away from those people, Li Yueying found a cave and gently put Li Jiangying down.
There was no light inside the cave; it was pitch black. But this didn’t affect Li Yueying; she could still see clearly.
Li Yueying shrank her size and huddled close to Li Jiangying, rubbing against her dependently. In the silent darkness, apart from their breathing, there was almost no other sound.
Li Yueying opened her mouth, extended her forked tongue, and began licking the scrapes on Li Jiangying’s hand. Suddenly, a bitter murmur sounded in the darkness:
“So uncomfortable… I want beef noodles…”
Li Yueying slowly moved closer to Li Jiangying’s face. Her dark-red vertical pupils saw a few drops of clear liquid slide down the face that, though unfamiliar, was still her Jiangying’s.
She licked it. Slightly salty, slightly bitter, slightly warm.
“Hungry…” Li Jiangying mumbled deliriously.
Li Yueying hesitated for a moment. Finally willing to part from Li Jiangying, she raised her hand and laid down a Restriction. Immediately after, she trembled slightly in place, as if this act caused her great discomfort. But after enduring for a moment, she slithered outward, moving with extreme speed…
Li Jiangying didn’t know how long she had slept before finally waking. She groggily opened her eyes and suddenly felt that something was off.
In the dark shadows before her, there seemed to be the outline of a massive object. Li Jiangying cautiously strained her eyes to see and finally made out the shape of a cow, its body horribly deformed.
A black python opened its dark-red eyes. It hissed at her, then used its tail to push the cow closer to Li Jiangying, as if saying, “Eat quickly.”
