Jiang Qingfeng lowered her body, quieted her steps, and tried to hide behind a huge rock as she moved toward where the sounds of fighting were coming from.
With a crashing sound, fragments of rocks flew up and then fell down, as if it were raining stones.
"Senior Brother Fang, stab its eyes!" Chen Xingshan's voice came from the front. Jiang Qingfeng hid behind a large rock, cautiously poked her head out, almost letting out a cry of surprise.
In the center of the scene, a water-barrel-thick, dozens of yards long Ink-Scale Python was thrashing about, swinging its tail, biting and attacking. Its sharp poisonous fangs gleamed coldly under the moonlight, chilling to the bone. Fang Lingkong and Chen Xingshan each stood at their own position, magical artifacts from their hands flying through the air, striking at the giant serpent.
So this is the Snake Demon? Where is my junior brother?
Jiang Qingfeng cautiously avoided the fierce battle in the center, scanning front and back, left and right, but still did not see Lu Qian, nor did she see the old Taoist.
Her heart grew increasingly anxious, but she felt that the two in the scene were not good people, so she was unwilling to make a move and could only suppress her anxiety and continue to wait.
Fang and Chen were also very annoyed at this moment. Previously, they were idly waiting outside the Grand Array. Suddenly, the Spiritual Qi within the array surged wildly, dissipating like a bubble.
The two knew the Array had been broken, but they did not see Master Xuan Ji or Lu Qian come out. Worried that there might be other changes, they continued to stay outside the array. Little did they know, they did not wait for people but a Snake Demon leaped out from behind a rocky mountain peak, spraying venom from afar.
Fang Lingkong couldn't dodge in time and had to use the Protective Jade Ring to block it for a moment. The ring instantly became pitted, venom seeping into the jade essence, and fractured into several pieces. Before he had time to lament, the Snake Demon swooped down, forcing the two to employ their tactics, battling fiercely.
Fortunately, spraying venom seemed to be the Snake Demon's special move and couldn't be used continuously, otherwise, the two would only have been able to flee.
Even without the venom, the battle was tense. The Snake Demon's body was covered in scale armor, impervious to swords and spears. Fang Lingkong's Flying Sword, Chen Xingshan's Treasure Pearl, couldn't cause substantial harm to it. Combined with its great strength, stones flew all over as it thrashed around. Fang Lingkong lost his Defensive Spiritual Artifact and had to defend with magic techniques, appearing quite embarrassed for the moment.
Chen Xingshan maneuvered the Treasure Pearl, smashing several spots on the Snake Demon's scale armor. Green smoke from inside the pearl coiled around the wounds but couldn't penetrate. The pain made the Snake Demon even more frantic, and another swing of its tail caused several large rocks to fly towards Chen Xingshan.
At Chen Xingshan's waist, a small lamp emitted an orange glow, protecting her all around. As the rocks were illuminated, they seemed to fall into a muddy swamp, greatly reducing in speed. She seized the opportunity to retreat several steps, avoiding them.
Fang Lingkong took the opportunity, the Flying Sword sped, flames blazed across the air, straight towards the giant serpent's eyes. But the Snake Demon's body lunged, its neck twisted, and with a clang, the Flying Sword knocked off several scales, leaving only a mark.
The Snake Demon let out a roar, its body pouncing with the weight of a mountain, straight towards Wang and Chen, forcing them to dodge hastily. Yet the Snake Demon showed no inclination to fight, squeezing through gaps and rushing out, attempting to descend the mountain.
"It's trying to run!" Chen Xingshan shouted, "We can't let it escape, otherwise the deaths of two junior brothers will be in vain, and we won't be able to account to the sect!"
Fang Lingkong hurriedly performed the Gang Step with his feet, forming a hand seal, chanting incantations, and amidst the agitation of Spiritual Power, a dense wall of green wind roared up, transforming into a barrier to trap the Snake Demon.
Chen Xingshan also formed a hand seal and cast her magic technique, whirlpools surged, waves roared, and a turbid stream mixed with sand and mud wrapped around the giant serpent's body. Amidst the chaotic slaps of the waves, Fang Lingkong ended up drenched all over.
Fang Lingkong had no time to worry about this. Seeing the Snake Demon unable to escape, its ferocity erupted, and amidst its roars, it tore through the turbid waves, smashed through the wind wall, and charged at the two.
Chen Xingshan activated the small lamp at her waist, the yellow light slowed the Snake Demon's figure for a moment, and her Treasure Pearl roared towards the Snake Demon's head. Fang Lingkong, having lost the Defensive Spiritual Artifact, could only form seals with his hands, raising earthen walls in front of him.
This way, in the giant serpent's eyes, Chen Xingshan became a more troublesome opponent. It decisively abandoned Chen Xingshan and lunged to attack Fang Lingkong, shattering the earthen walls in an instant.
"Junior Sister, save me!" Fang Lingkong shouted for help while his Flying Sword swung wildly, creating a chaotic trail of shadows.
"Senior Brother, don't worry, I'm coming!" Chen Xingshan flew to stand behind him, "I'll handle defense, you just focus on attacking."
Without hesitation, Fang Lingkong stabbed the Snake's belly with his Longsword, while talismans flew from his hand, fireballs, earth spikes, golden blades, all swarming towards the giant serpent.
The Snake Demon's body twisted, scales clashing with the Flying Sword, ringing loudly, enduring a round of attacks with its sturdy physique. But it was wounded, blood splattering wildly. Yet these injuries made it even more fierce, letting out a roar, opening its massive mouth, snapping towards Fang Lingkong like lightning.
"Junior Sister!" Fang Lingkong shouted.
"Rest assured, Senior Brother!"
Hearing Chen Xingshan's response, Fang Lingkong's heart relaxed.
However, in the next moment, he felt a pain in his back, a huge force knocked him flying straight into the Snake's mouth!
He only had time to let out a miserable scream before the giant serpent bit through his spine, venom injecting and instantly wiping out his vitality.
With a few crunching sounds, Fang Lingkong's body was swallowed by the giant serpent.
The giant serpent hissed, confused, coiled its body, and gazed towards Chen Xingshan, hesitating to continue the attack.
Hiding behind the giant rock, Jiang Qingfeng covered her mouth tightly, suppressing her scream, staring in disbelief at everything before her, feeling her heart tumble.
Why? Faced with a fellow disciple who lowered his defenses and trusted her, Chen Xingshan suddenly turned vicious, using the Treasure Pearl to shove him into the snake's mouth!
The giant serpent didn't move, nor did Chen Xingshan. She simply stared silently at the giant serpent, the Treasure Pearl spinning in her hand, expressionless.
After a moment of confrontation, the giant serpent twisted its head, attempting to escape again. With a swish, the Treasure Pearl flew up, fiercely smashing into the giant serpent's body, knocking off several scales.
The giant serpent, in pain, turned back towards Chen Xingshan.
Just as it swam out a few yards, suddenly its body went limp, feeling all its Spiritual Power draining away in just a few breaths!
The giant serpent unwillingly roared, unable to sustain its demonic body, falling amidst the stones.
Chen Xingshan laughed loudly: "Finally fell for my Drunken Immortal Powder! Ah, Senior Brother, in the end, you helped Junior Sister a lot."
Suddenly, she pointed to where Jiang Qingfeng was hiding: "Fellow Daoist Hex, after watching for so long, why do you still not reveal yourself?"
Since she was exposed, Jiang Qingfeng didn't hide anymore. She maneuvered the Cold Frost Sword and walked out, glaring at Chen Xingshan, cursing: "You harmed your fellow disciples, you're worse than a beast!"
Chen Xingshan chuckled, suddenly her delicate eyebrows raised, and she shouted harshly: "Isn't this all your fault? If you hadn't taken those children away, why would I need to smear Drunken Immortal Powder on Senior Brother, using him as bait? You pretended to save a few mortals, but caused the loss of a cultivator. This is all your doing!"