Chapter 1263: Fierce Beast

After speaking, he leaped out, his bare upper body charging straight toward Sky Snake’s face.

But as White Snake’s movement had just begun, Sky Snake had already anticipated it. He took a step back, casually picking up a rusty scalpel from the table.

Unsurprisingly, White Snake’s attack missed. His heavy punch merely grazed past Sky Snake, leaving his own back exposed.

Sky Snake plunged the scalpel into a long-festering eye on White Snake’s back. Black blood splattered instantly, and White Snake let out a muffled groan before twisting away and leaping back.

White Snake paused, a slight grimace crossing his face, but he didn’t hesitate. This time, he lowered his gaze to the ground, concealing his eyes, and charged again.

Yet Sky Snake had already read his intention before he even looked down. With another backward step, he dodged the attack range, then reversed his grip on the scalpel, slicing a deep, long gash from White Snake’s fist to his wrist.

In just two brief exchanges, White Snake had already sustained multiple injuries—a situation he had expected. How could an ordinary person fight against “mind-reading”?

Unless his fists were fast enough to outpace the opponent’s evasion, there was no way he could win.

But if he could just land a single hit…

“That’s an interesting thought,” Sky Snake nodded. “You think that if you hit me, ‘Mourning’ will temporarily paralyze me. But even then, do you really think you can kill me?”

White Snake remained silent, clutching his injured fist.

“I haven’t even started using ‘Immortal Arts,’ and you’re already dying,” Sky Snake shook his head, pointing at White Snake’s arm. “A blade wound over a dozen centimeters long—you know what that means, right? Without immediate treatment, your life is already counting down.”

White Snake’s expression darkened, and he turned his gaze toward Xiao Ran.

If anyone could help him now, it would be this pitiful woman.

With a fate similar to his own, perhaps she would empathize.

“Hey…” White Snake called out weakly, “Are you really willing to end up like this?”

Xiao Ran seemed surprised that White Snake had spoken to her. She paused briefly before breaking into a grin.

This smile was far more arrogant than any she had ever worn before—as if she no longer needed to feign sweetness, only to follow her own heart.

“Speaking to me like that… How dare you?”

Her question made White Snake hesitate.

“You…” He stared at her for a few seconds before asking, “What exactly are you?”

“I am… ‘Qiongqi,'” Xiao Ran smirked. “A mere ‘Earth-level’ like you, daring to question me directly… Aren’t you afraid I could slap you to your knees right now?”

White Snake’s confusion only deepened.

“‘Qiongqi’… What kind of status is that?” He frowned. “I’ve been here for so long, yet I’ve never heard of any ‘Qiongqi.'”

“That’s because your rank is too low.”

Xiao Ran took a step forward. Though she found this blood-soaked “Zodiac” disgusting, she had nothing left to fear. She simply smiled and said, “Listen well… I am a ‘Divine Beast,’ personally appointed by the Azure Dragon.”

“You’re saying ‘Qiongqi’… is a ‘Divine Beast’?” White Snake paused, recalling the books he had read. “But that’s the name of a notorious ‘Monstrous Beast’…”

“How insolent! A lowly creature like you… How could you possibly know who is a ‘Divine Beast’ and who is a ‘Monstrous Beast’?” Xiao Ran scoffed, stepping forward and slapping White Snake across the face.

But the slap felt like striking iron, sending a jolt of pain through her palm.

White Snake barely registered the touch, only feeling mild irritation. He grew even more bewildered by Xiao Ran’s actions.

Such feeble strength… from a “Divine Beast”?

“What’s going on…?” Xiao Ran looked at her hand in disbelief. “Where is my power…?”

“Idiotic woman… When did I ever have time to find ‘Twin Flowers’ to replicate a powerful body for you…?” Sky Snake muttered under his breath, frowning.

Protecting this woman was proving even harder than protecting himself.

If White Snake realized just how weak and foolish she was, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Sky Snake gave White Snake no time to think, immediately launching an attack, slashing with the scalpel toward his chest.

White Snake instinctively dodged to the right, only to find Sky Snake had anticipated the move. The blade redirected, slicing another deep wound into his chest.

Blood trickled down, staining White Snake’s abdomen. He didn’t bother covering the wound—his eyes simply grew colder.

An enemy like Sky Snake, impossible to hit and impossible to evade, required more than brute force to defeat.

But this woman… claiming to be a “Divine Beast” appointed by the Azure Dragon—that was something worth scrutinizing.

Why hadn’t he noticed it earlier?

Her back bore four active eyes—a number surpassing even the “Heaven-level.”

“A still-unhatched ‘Monstrous Beast’ cub…” White Snake let out a bitter laugh. “I’ve stumbled upon something truly astonishing.”

“Your thoughts are dangerous right now,” Sky Snake twirled the scalpel in his hand, speaking softly. “If ‘Qiongqi’ dies, the Azure Dragon will surely take my life. So I will protect her at all costs.”

“Sky Snake, I’ve followed you for so long. You’ve told me countless stories about the Black Tortoise,” White Snake pressed a hand to his chest. “This ‘Monstrous Beast’… She’s only missing ‘losing her sanity’ and ‘replicating a body.’ I can’t let her escape…”

Sky Snake hesitated, then shot Xiao Ran a look. “I’ll hold him off. You run—go report to the Azure Dragon. Tell him, ‘The masterpiece is complete.'”

“What are you afraid of?!” Xiao Ran retorted, baffled. “You’re ‘Heaven,’ he’s ‘Earth’—you can’t even kill him?”

Sky Snake’s temper flared. “Stop making things worse! Don’t you realize how dire the situation is?”

“Watch your tone!” Xiao Ran snapped. “Since we’re allies now, I won’t stand by idly. If you’re about to lose, I’ll step in—but I’ll also report everything truthfully to the Azure Dragon.”

“You—”

Xiao Ran still didn’t grasp that she was the root of all their problems, leaving Sky Snake too furious to speak.

Strangely, the moment she said “allies,” Sky Snake’s vision blurred momentarily.

Before he could figure out what was wrong with his eyes, White Snake had already seized the opportunity.

As the two argued, he crouched low, then exploded forward in a burst of speed, blood spraying in his wake.

A pale fist struck from an unexpected angle. Sky Snake barely had time to react before realizing he couldn’t dodge.

The punch landed squarely on his jaw, sending his glasses, scalpel, and years of White Snake’s pent-up hatred flying into the air.