Lu Weiying’s incantation ceased as he pointed at the banner with a finger. The banner trembled, its surface suddenly unfurling with a dazzling radiance. Countless tornadoes identical to the previous ones surged forth, transforming into over a dozen white wind dragons that charged menacingly toward the distant gray mist.
The golden giant sword, meanwhile, emitted a resonant hum as it shot forth from its original position, hovering uncertainly above the gray mist. It seemed Nanlong Hou was prepared to unleash a thunderous strike the moment the mist dissipated and the monstrous creature revealed itself.
Han Li, silent as ever, flicked his sleeve, releasing a small silver bell that flew out in a flash of silver light toward the distance.
The dozen or so wind dragons plunged into the thick mist first, causing the gray fog to churn violently. Large swathes of mist were swept high into the air by the tornadoes, torn apart and scattered. The gray sea of mist was gradually weakened by the relentless winds.
However, this situation lasted only briefly. A strange, hissing sound suddenly emerged from the mist, low and ominous. A massive snake tail, thick as a water vat, lashed out from the fog, striking one of the wind dragons and instantly dispersing it. Without hesitation, the tail whipped twice more, effortlessly obliterating two more wind dragons.
Seeing this, the old man surnamed Lu paled and swiftly formed a peculiar hand seal, uttering a single word: “Explode!” The remaining dozen or so tornadoes flashed white and simultaneously detonated.
The resulting tempest wreaked havoc within the mist, sending violent winds in all directions. Most of the gray fog was torn asunder, and the entire sea of mist finally collapsed, revealing the vague outline of the monstrous creature.
The creature’s enormous, pitch-black body, coiled like a small hill, was now exposed. Seizing the opportunity, the golden giant sword, which had been circling above the mist, descended silently toward the newly revealed serpent.
Meanwhile, Han Li activated his spell, causing the small silver bell to emit a brilliant silver light as it expanded to a size of several meters. A clear chime rang out, and a wave of silver energy surged from the glowing orb, rushing toward the serpent in tandem with the golden sword.
The serpent seemed sluggish, remaining coiled and motionless despite the incoming attacks. Nanlong Hou, delighted, poured more spiritual power into his sword, causing it to grow even larger. But before the golden light could strike true, a sudden flash of green radiance enveloped the serpent’s body.
A deafening explosion erupted as golden and green lights clashed. The green light flared brilliantly, repelling the golden sword with a forceful rebound. All three cultivators were taken aback.
The silver wave that followed struck the green light but similarly dissipated without effect. After these two attacks, the serpent finally stirred, slowly raising its massive head from its coiled body and turning its cold, emerald eyes toward the trio.
By now, the gray mist had completely dispersed, revealing the serpent’s true form. Its body was pitch-black, over fifty zhang long, and covered in palm-sized obsidian scales. Its pair of eerie green eyes gleamed with a chilling light.
Han Li felt a shiver of unease and was about to recall his silver bell when the serpent moved. A blur of motion flickered, and the bell, which had been thirty zhang away, vanished without a trace.
Startled, Han Li barely had time to react before Nanlong Hou’s golden sword met the same fate—disappearing into thin air after a similar flicker of movement. This time, however, Han Li caught a glimpse of the serpent’s body elongating and thinning in an instant, swallowing the treasures with lightning speed. The sheer speed of the action left the cultivators momentarily stunned.
Despite its massive size, the serpent moved with terrifying agility. Han Li’s expression darkened with concern.
Nanlong Hou, initially alarmed by the loss of his sword, quickly turned hopeful. His golden sword was a life-bound treasure, painstakingly refined over a century. If the serpent’s scales were impervious to external attacks, its decision to swallow the sword might prove fatal. With a mental command, he attempted to unleash the sword’s power from within the serpent’s belly—only to freeze in shock.
Though he could still sense his treasure, it was now immobilized, as if bound by some force within the serpent. The realization that his life-bound treasure might be damaged—and with it, his own vitality—sent a wave of tension through him.
“Fellow Daoists, my sword is trapped. This serpent is no ordinary beast—be cautious!” Nanlong Hou warned grimly, taking a deep breath before removing a jade-green ring from his finger. The ring hovered before him, its surface flickering with faint runes—clearly no ordinary artifact.
On the other side, Lu Weiying, alarmed by the loss of the others’ treasures, hastily recalled his banner. With a wave of his hand, several talismans fluttered out, exploding into dozens of eerie white fireballs that materialized before him. Han Li glanced at the fireballs, feeling a vague sense of recognition, but now was not the time for contemplation. He slapped his storage pouch, releasing four streaks of white light that landed on the ground.
Three white wolves, two red oxen, and a green serpent—these were the six ancient puppet beasts Han Li had acquired from Tianjing Zhenren during the trading session. Untested until now, they were perfect for gauging the serpent’s strength.
Nanlong Hou and the old man showed brief surprise at the puppets but quickly regained their composure.
The three cultivators, all seasoned in combat, exchanged solemn glances before preparing to attack in unison. But the serpent, its eyes now filled with malice, reared its head and exhaled a foul, nauseating stench toward them.
The trio instinctively flared their protective spiritual lights and held their breaths, only to realize the stench, though repulsive, was harmless. Their momentary hesitation proved costly.
The serpent’s maw gaped wide, its belly contracting as it inhaled violently.
In an instant, rocks and soil leaped from the ground, hurtling toward the serpent’s mouth. Caught off guard, the cultivators felt an irresistible force yank them forward, their bodies lifting helplessly into the air. Han Li’s puppets, unable to resist, were sucked toward the serpent’s jaws.
Han Li, though alarmed, remained calm. A flash of cyan light enveloped him, anchoring him to the ground. At the same time, he mentally commanded his puppets. The two red oxen’s horns glowed crimson, shooting forth as four scarlet beams that struck the serpent’s exposed tongue.
The serpent, focused on devouring its prey, barely reacted as the beams struck. A series of dull thuds echoed as the creature recoiled in pain, its tongue retracting. The suction weakened momentarily, allowing the three white wolves to regain control.
Their claws extended with razor-sharp gleam, and their fangs elongated into deadly blades. In a flash, they lunged at the serpent’s head.
A grating, metallic screech filled the air as their attacks landed—yet, curiously, the green protective light from earlier failed to appear. The wolves’ claws and fangs left only faint white scratches on the serpent’s obsidian scales, unable to pierce through.
Two of the wolves swiftly changed targets, darting toward the serpent’s unprotected eyes. But before they could strike, the serpent’s tongue lashed out like lightning, smacking both wolves aside.
With a tilt of its massive head, the serpent snapped up one of the wolves in its jaws. As it turned to devour the second, the green serpent puppet suddenly expanded to over ten zhang in length, lunging fiercely. The red oxen, meanwhile, fired their horns once more.
Enraged, the ancient serpent let out a low growl. Its head shook violently as a cloud of black mist spewed from its nostrils, enveloping its entire skull.
The remaining two white wolves tried to retreat, but from within the mist, two shadowy heads—smaller replicas of the main one—shot out, snatching the wolves mid-air.
All this transpired in the blink of an eye. As the black mist dissipated, the serpent’s true form was unveiled.
The three cultivators, now freed, gasped in unison. “This is—” “A Three-Headed Ebony Serpent!” “Impossible!” Their voices trembled with disbelief.
Before them loomed a monstrous serpent with three heads, its central one hissing menacingly while the side heads clenched their jaws, preparing to crush the puppets within.
At that moment, a cold voice uttered, “Explode.”
Two deafening blasts erupted as the puppets in the serpent’s mouths detonated, transforming into blinding spheres of white light.
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