The sword was held horizontally across Ming Yu Han's chest, gripped tightly with both hands.
Clang!
The clash rang out as the Light Refractive Snake's tail slammed against the blade with a force that reverberated through the cave.
Hissing with fury, the snake lashed out again.
Lin Feng Qiang, who was right behind Ming Yu Han, watched with narrowed eyes as his rival was sent flying backward. A cold sweat ran down his back; thank heavens he wasn't in front, he thought.
Ming Yu Han crashed heavily onto the stone floor, skidding a few meters before coming to a halt. Though the impact was fierce, he was miraculously unharmed.
His sword, however, vibrated violently in his grip. The tremors traveled up his arms, making his hands shake uncontrollably.
Lin Feng Qiang smirked wickedly.
Without hesitation, he dashed forward, seizing the moment now that one of his competitors had been thrown back.
Zhao Yu Xuan had just regained her balance. She once again activated Willow Steps Dancing Through the Wind, her figure turning into a graceful blur as she surged ahead. The distance between her and the others quickly narrowed to almost nothing.
No one dared to attack the Light Refractive Snake directly. They all understood—if they made a move, they'd be forced to stop, giving others a chance to overtake them.
"Ahhh!"
Screams echoed from deeper within the cave. It was clear that the group of weaker cultivators was being slaughtered by the Darkshade Panther.
"Sssssss…"
The Light Refractive Snake hissed sharply, the sound rising in pitch as if calling for aid. It couldn't handle the pressure of fending off so many intruders alone.
"Roar!"
The Darkshade Panther, which had been slaughtering the cultivators in the shadows, suddenly froze as it heard a cry for help echoing from the other side of the chamber. Its deep, obsidian eyes shifted toward the brighter area of the cave.
There, in the light, it saw what looked like a swarm of audacious mice—daring to approach the treasure it had long protected.
A guttural roar erupted from its throat, shaking the cavern. Rage surged through its beastly body.
How dare they?
It blended into the shadows, heading directly toward them.
The Light Refractive Snake didn't stop its assault. Its serpentine body coiled and uncoiled with fluid grace, shimmering as it moved like a ribbon of living light. Each twist of its muscles sent it darting across the cave floor in eerie silence, leaving only shifting glimmers in its wake. It flicked its tongue into the air, tasting the Qi of its enemies, and launched forward again with terrifying speed, its tail blurring like a whip of glass and fire.
It easily caught up with one of them, its eyes gleaming with bloodthirst. It opened its wide mouth, fangs bared—each one longer than a dagger, curved and wicked. The tips were sharper than a Medium Yellow Tier spiritual sword, glinting with deadly precision. If one looked closely, they'd see an almost invisible sheen of liquid clinging to the fangs—venom so potent it made the air shimmer faintly, and just one glance at it sent a chill down the spine—like staring into certain death, waiting to strike and ready to be injected into the unfortunate victim with a single bite.
The target of the attack was Ying Zi Yi. Her scalp went numb with danger—her senses screaming at her.
Time seemed to stand still between the attack and her reaction.
She didn't have time to look back and was forced to give up the chase for the spiritual herb, dodging quickly to the side.
The sharp tip of the fangs wasn't fast enough.
Cold light flickered in the snake's eyes as it decided to spray its venom. After releasing the poison, its head dropped to the ground, and with fluid motion, it coiled its serpentine body, directing its tail toward another target.
"Ahhh…!"
After narrowly escaping death, Ying Zi Yi felt a burning sensation at her back. Her dress smoldered, and a visible hole appeared; her skin looked as if it had been scorched by intense acid.
She quickly pulled a vial from her storage bag and popped a pill into her mouth. The burning pain at her back dulled almost immediately as a soft golden light radiated from within her body, knitting the scorched flesh back together without leaving a scar.
Knowing one pill wouldn't be enough, she swallowed another in quick succession. The Golden Salve Pill—a rare but reliable remedy prized among cultivators for curing poison and healing severe burns without leaving scars. Though not as potent as higher-tier medicines, its dependable healing could mean the difference between life and death.
The snake's tail whipped through the air, aiming straight for Liu Yu Han's chest.
Liu Yu Han knew she wasn't the snake's match and had to be decisive. Seeing the tail poised to mercilessly smash into her, she chose to back down and retreat. She could feel that even if she were in the same realm as the snake, she would surely lose without using a high Yellow Tier spiritual weapon.
Bang!
As she halted her pursuit and turned to retreat, the dull thud of the tail striking the ground echoed, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Ssssssss!"
The Light Refractive Snake hissed sharply, issuing a stern warning. It did not pursue the remaining two—Lin Feng Qiang and Zhao Yu Xuan.
Those forced to stop their chase were surprised and a little confused that the snake wasn't chasing their rivals. But they understood why soon enough.
"Roar!"
A fierce roar echoed through the cave as a dark demonic beast leapt out from the shadows cast by the rocky walls.
The dark demonic beast's muscular paw shot forward with deadly precision, its thick pads silent against the rocky ground. As it extended its claws—razor-sharp and gleaming like black obsidian—they seemed to shimmer with a faint, eerie glow, cutting through the stale cave air like blades of shadow.
The beast aimed directly at Zhao Yu Xuan's chest, every movement exuding raw power and lethal intent.
Zhao Yu Xuan knew she couldn't dodge, and a chill ran down her spine. If she failed—those claws would surely pierce her heart.
Gritting her teeth, she channeled her spiritual energy into the bracelet on her wrist.
The bracelet emitted a soft glow, and a golden substance quickly spread across her body, forming a protective shield.
The Darkshade Panther's eyes gleamed with cunning. It understood it couldn't break through the shield protecting her, so it chose instead to repel her.
Retracting its claws, it landed on Zhao Yu Xuan's chest using its two forelimbs.
Caught off guard and unable to react in time, Zhao Yu Xuan's expression turned cold. This demonic beast is too bold.
Noticing the change in her eyes, the Darkshade Panther's gaze flashed with mockery.
After taunting her with a disdainful look, it twisted its body using its forelimbs and then kicked off with its powerful hind limbs, launching her backward. In the same motion, it borrowed the momentum to propel itself toward Lin Feng Qiang with its extended claws heading directly toward his neck.
Lin Feng Qiang was the closest to the Twilight Harmony Fruit—his eyes burned with greed as he reached out instinctively.
He was just about to step onto the black-and-white soil when a shiver ran down his spine. A tremor surged from the depths of his soul, and his heart skipped a beat. A chill crawled up the back of his neck—it felt as if death itself was about to descend, ready to take his life.
At the very moment the claw was about to pierce his neck, a curtain of light suddenly emerged from his chest and rapidly expanded to envelop his entire body.
Boom!
A deafening sound erupted as Lin Feng Qiang was violently hurled backward, crashing into the ground far from where he had been standing.
"Roar!" the Darkshade Panther roared in fury. Why do these humans always have life-saving treasures? The last one had a shield too, and now even this fool—whose head should have been rolling on the ground—was still alive. The beast was deeply frustrated.
It slowly walked over to the Light Refractive Snake.
"Sssss…" the snake hissed skyward, its head reared high, fangs bared like twin daggers glistening with venom. Its tongue flickered, tasting the tension in the air.
"Roarrr!" The Darkshade Panther bellowed once more, its obsidian eyes glowing with bloodthirst. It extended its claws fully, each one gleaming dangerously, poised to strike.
---
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield:
Lin Feng Qiang slowly struggled to his feet, clutching his neck in pain. Although the shield had saved his life, the neck was always a vulnerable point. Given the lethal intent behind the Darkshade Panther's strike, it was a miracle he had survived at all.
The others were in slightly better condition, but none of them looked pleased.
Ying Zi Yi's back had healed completely, but she still stared at the Light Refractive Snake with unrestrained hatred. Her skin had been nearly destroyed—and for a girl, that was the worst kind of nightmare.
If she hadn't prepared pills that not only cured poison but also prevented scarring, her fate might have been much worse.
Ming Yu Han walked over to the group. His hands had finally stopped trembling, and his expression had grown serious.
Zhao Yu Xuan stood silently, her eyes burning with cold hatred as she stared at the Darkshade Panther. How dare a mere beast!
Liu Yu Han appeared the calmest. She had evaded the Light Refractive Snake's attacks with ease and retained her composure.
"They've each broken through the 13th striped core," Ming Yu Han said, his voice grim.