Fan Debiao's eyes bulged wide. "Damn it all, this evil creature is blocking the road! What do we do?" Ge Shuanwa held his mountain-cleaving knife sideways and asked, "The five of us go together, can we beat it? If not, I'll just chop its head off first!"

Young Master Liu shook his head. "I heard this thing can spit poison mist when it's old. Looking at its stance, it's probably much older than us!"

While these men were consulting, Su Yougui, who was watching from over there, suddenly whispered, "Oh dear, it's spitting..."

Young Master Liu turned his head just in time to see the giant centipede opening its mandibles, spewing out two faint streams of black smoke. Before long, it spat out a small bead from its mouth, tossing it between its jaws, seemingly playing with it in the moonlight.

Cold sweat beaded on Young Master Liu's forehead. "This fiend—just what we feared would happen! It's actually achieved Core Formation, it's become a demon!"

Fan Debiao quickly asked, "What is Core Formation?"

Young Master Liu frowned. "I heard it from my master. Some things, given enough time, can grow a core. Ordinary cultivators dare not provoke things like this; if you run into one, it's a straight path to death!" The others were so terrified their faces went pale. Just as they were caught between a rock and a hard place, they heard the sound of something moving in the nearby brush. They looked up. A young man, bare-chested, was staggering step by step from the other side of the valley. In the moonlight, they could see clearly: wasn't that Huang Peng?

He was covered in countless scars, his eyes wide open, yet utterly devoid of pupils.

Huang Shitou instantly panicked and opened his mouth, ready to shout. Fan Debiao, seeing it was Huang Peng, had already anticipated Huang Shitou’s move. He immediately pulled Huang Shitou into his embrace, covering his mouth, and whispered fiercely, "Are you tired of living, you idiot? Your brother isn't alive anymore, don't you know that!" Tears welled up in Huang Shitou’s eyes. Since Huang Peng was walking without using his eyes, everyone had long realized something was terribly wrong.

Young Master Liu felt this was definitely not a case of reanimation. He felt the entire area was saturated with strangeness. He racked his brain until it ached, but couldn't fathom any explanation.

Huang Peng slowly walked up to the centipede, his face blank. The centipede circled him slowly a few times, then reared up, probing Huang Peng's abdomen a couple of times with its head. It then turned, raising its tail, which shimmered with a metallic sheen. Watching the centipede's bizarre actions, the group felt their mouths go dry, a suffocating sense of anxiety welling up in their chests.

The giant centipede fussed about for a moment longer, then suddenly its mandibles opened, and it lunged, biting down onto Huang Peng! At that instant, Huang Shitou wrenched himself free from Fan Debiao's grip and cried out, "Brother!"

This commotion was significant. The centipede immediately crawled off Huang Peng and, with its long feelers tasting the air, darted toward the rock where the others were hiding, moving as fast as the wind. They could hear continuous rustling sounds, with vegetation on both sides being flattened as it approached. Before the centipede arrived, two plumes of black gas sprayed out.

Young Master Liu shouted, and the others were already ashen-faced with terror. They took off in a frantic sprint, their flight truly astonishing in its momentum. Fan Debiao, who had hung back, turned tail the moment he heard the order to run and shot ahead, moving like a fierce tiger, swift as a charging bull. He immediately put a dozen meters between himself and the rest. Young Master Liu inwardly groaned; none of these men had practiced movement techniques, so how could they all run faster than him?

Su Yougui, running second, felt the wind roar past his ears. Suddenly, he remembered: there was an illusion array in this forest. Should they enter it or not? This moment of hesitation allowed Fan Debiao to disappear entirely up ahead. Caught between retreat and advance, he couldn't dwell on it; he rushed forward.

Suddenly, a dark figure lunged straight towards him. The shock nearly tore Su Yougui’s heart in two. He cried out, "Ouch!" and collided with it. The three men trailing behind caught up and gasped—wasn’t that Fan Debiao? He was clutching his jaw, while Su Yougui rubbed his head. Both were sucking in sharp breaths, tears welling up from the pain.

Fan Debiao’s jaw was clearly injured, making his speech slurred. He waved his hands frantically, calling out, "Water... water..." Huang Shitou quickly untied his waterskin and offered it. Fan Debiao, sweating profusely in agitation, exclaimed, "No, not water... it's to... retreat!"

Young Master Liu urgently asked, "Why?"

Fan Debiao gasped, scrambling and rolling to the side, mumbling incoherently, "Something... something fiercer is coming from behind!"

The five men froze and instinctively looked down the valley. They saw the centipede crawling over the large rock, advancing toward them. Looking further ahead, they heard the sounds of undergrowth being violently pushed aside in the forest, accompanied by a sound like a bellows being pumped. They exchanged anxious glances, realizing their plight was dire—they truly didn't know who was stronger, and survival was uncertain!

Just as they were pondering what to do, a section of grass parted in the woods ahead, revealing a triangular, greenish snake head. The head was as large as an adult's fist, topped with a fleshy, foot-long comb, vividly colored like a cockscomb. Ge Shuanwa let out a startled yell, "Good heavens, a Cockscomb Snake! And such a huge one!"

At this point, no one needed to give orders. All five stumbled and bolted toward where Fan Debiao was. The snake, however, slid out, holding its head high and chest puffed, stretching nearly ten feet long and as thick as a man's arm. It moved with an air of supreme indifference, not sparing the group a single glance.

Ge Shuanwa muttered, "I heard this Cockscomb Snake grows an inch a year. For one to get this big, damn it, how many years must it have lived?" Young Master Liu felt utterly miserable; tonight he had encountered every strange thing imaginable. As a child, he'd heard elders speak of a snake with a cockscomb on its head that loved to climb high and gaze at the sky. If it saw someone passing below it who wasn't as tall, it would strike, and its venom was potent enough to make you "set down your bowl at dawn and be in the coffin by noon." If one encountered such a snake and had to pass underneath it, the only way out was to take off your shoes and throw them higher than the snake. The snake, enraged, would supposedly crawl down and leave.

Whether this story was true or not, Young Master Liu quietly slipped off one shoe, holding it in his hand, just in case.

The snake paid them no attention whatsoever. It was panting, the sound loud like a bellows, heading straight into the valley. Fan Debiao, terrified of snakes, held his breath, clutching Young Master Liu’s sleeve. "Mr. Liu, this snake looks so monstrous, is there any special custom for it? Also, this snake really stinks, damn it, worse than my sweaty feet!"

Su Yougui chimed in, "The son of a bitch, just smelling it could kill a person. It must be incredibly venomous!"

Young Master Liu blushed, and seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he secretly put his shoe back on. He turned back and said, "Let's go. If the snake isn't looking for us, we can follow behind and see what happens!" Seeing the reluctance on their faces, Huang Shitou, still worried about his fate-tempting brother, spoke up, "Let's go, this snake isn't scary at all!" Fan Debiao asked in alarm, "How do you know? Have you seen one?"

Huang Shitou summoned his courage and said, "This snake has asthma! Listen to how loud it's panting, it definitely can't run fast..." The others nearly collapsed in disbelief.

A sound of crushed vegetation followed as the snake descended into the valley. The group mustered their courage and quietly followed to watch from behind.

In the moonlight, the giant centipede was spread over the large rock, its mandibles open. Hearing the sound of the approaching snake, it lowered its head slightly and began to crawl back. The snake, however, moved without deviation, heading straight for the centipede. Its speed increased, causing the surrounding grass to sway violently in its wake.

Young Master Liu's eyes lit up. "There's a chance here! This Cockscomb Snake is probably going after that centipede! We don't need to be afraid, let's follow it!"

The five men brightened, their spirits lifting. They all recalled an old saying: when the snake and the centipede fight, we brothers profit!

The centipede sensed the ill intent of the approaching creature and raised the front half of its body, waving its long feelers. Its mandibles spread wide, spitting out a faint black smoke, radiating full fighting spirit. For some reason, Young Master Liu was suddenly reminded of the steam locomotives he had seen years ago.

When the Cockscomb Snake approached, it didn't dare attack immediately. It coiled a few times, its head bobbing constantly. The foot-long fleshy crest suddenly fanned out like a small fan. As the crest opened, the snake let out a sharp hiss and reared its body up nearly a meter high, sending a chill down the spines of the onlookers. Young Master Liu secretly congratulated himself; luckily, he hadn't had the thought of throwing his shoe at the snake's head earlier, or he wouldn't dare imagine the outcome now.

The snake coiled on the ground, its upper body swaying back and forth, hissing repeatedly. Seeing the aggressive posture of its opponent, the centipede dared not take it lightly. Its dozens of pairs of legs churned rapidly, and it spat out that bead from its mouth again, suspending it in the air, the orb undulating. The bead rolled between the centipede's mandibles, emitting an eerie red glow in the moonlight. The snake's reared body softened, and it slithered to the side, as if avoiding the bead.

Young Master Liu inwardly cried out that things were bad. "This snake is probably going to lose! That demonic centipede has brought out its demon bead!"

Fan Debiao immediately began to tremble in fear. "Then will it retreat this way? Maybe we should slip aside first? ... As the saying goes, a good man doesn't fight a snake..."

The Cockscomb Snake panted heavily, its neck swelling rhythmically as if swallowing eggs, one after another. With a continuous hiss, the snake opened its mouth and spat out a greenish bead, which glowed with a sickly green light under the moon.

Young Master Liu immediately squatted down. "Oh, my dear ancestor, this one is a demon too! ... How did we run into two demons at once?"

Hearing this, Fan Debiao's eyes glazed over. "Damn it, this... this... are people even allowed to live anymore?"

Huang Shitou suddenly began to cry. "Brother Biao, Brother Ge, Brother Gui, Mr. Liu, maybe we should just go back?" The others turned to look at him. They heard Huang Shitou whisper, crying softly, "I think my brother is beyond saving... even if we saved him, he’d probably be a monster... This, this, for the sake of someone already dead, you all have to worry so much... I... I really feel terrible..."

In the moonlight, the group felt a mix of five parts fear and five parts sorrow. Young Master Liu clenched his teeth, then suddenly declared, "I might have an idea!"

Everyone pricked up their ears. Young Master Liu whispered, "No matter who wins between these two monsters, neither outcome will be good for us. It’s better to take advantage while they are fighting fiercely. I'll set up an array to confuse these demons for a while, making them forget to trouble us. Then we'll wait until morning to get that... Huang Peng out. What do you all think?"

Fan Debiao gritted his teeth and said, "Mr. Liu, we'll do whatever you say!"

Young Master Liu watched the snake and centipede battle while telling Huang Shitou, "Come here, Little Shitou, let’s draw a few more talismans..." Huang Shitou thought to himself, if this continues, I’ll be bled dry by you before a monster gets me! But since everyone was here for their own reasons, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.

Young Master Liu tore off a few sheets of newspaper, crouched down, and slipped away from the rock. Fan Debiao and the others watched the intense battle in the arena with bated breath. The Cockscomb Snake, empowered after spitting out its core, reared its triangular head even higher, looking down on the centipede, its tail whipping the ground with loud cracks. The centipede showed no weakness, spreading its mandibles and spitting poison mist, then moving like lightning, attacking the snake’s coiled body on the ground.

The snake, having held its body too high and projecting too much majesty, was caught off guard by the attack on its lower body. It managed to twist its body aside, nearly losing the bead in its mouth. Having suffered a sneaky blow, the Cockscomb Snake’s rage intensified, its hissing shaking the heavens. It lowered its body, and its head shot forward like an arrow, snapping at the centipede. This strike was truly lightning-fast. The centipede couldn't dodge in time and was bitten directly on its carapace, the plate covering its head. They heard several ear-piercing scraping sounds, enough to make everyone's teeth ache. This bite, however, failed to pierce the centipede's shell. The centipede, greatly alarmed, jerked violently to the left. Its dozens of pairs of legs churned up the grass and dirt as it moved.

Young Master Liu held his breath and slowly crept to the edge of the combat zone. He listened intently to the sounds from the arena while pressing a talisman down with a small stone. He thought smugly, "With my 'Resting Talisman' placed around here, no matter how great your power, you'll probably only be confused here for a while!" This Resting Talisman, also known as a Ghost-Guiding Talisman, was used to lead ghosts. Legend had it that ghosts and demons who reached a certain level did not rely on sight for movement. To guide a ghost, one had to artificially alter the flow of Yin and Yang energy in a specific area, forcing the spirit onto a predetermined path. Young Master Liu had deliberately placed these guiding talismans in a haphazard manner, intending to throw off any pathfinding ability. The sudden shift in earthly energy would confuse the demon, trapping it for the night, which Young Master Liu was confident he could achieve.

Young Master Liu placed all the talismans except one; that spot was too close to the Cockscomb Snake, and he dared not risk it. He cautiously monitored the movements in the field. At this moment, the Cockscomb Snake had a clear advantage, its head repeatedly striking at the centipede's vital points. The centipede, unable to withstand the assault, even saw its bead dim slightly, forced into continuous retreat!

The Cockscomb Snake was moving further and further away from the location of the last talisman.

Young Master Liu was overjoyed. He quickly began to jog cautiously, but failed to watch his footing. He snagged on something and tumbled into the grass, hitting his forehead on a small rock, causing him to cry out in pain. He dared not make a loud noise. He strained his ears and heard that the snake and centipede were still fiercely locked in battle, paying no attention to him. He silently congratulated himself on his luck. He then turned to see what had tripped him.

The sight instantly made Young Master Liu's hair stand on end: it was Huang Peng! His body was completely blackened, making him hard to spot while running. Why was Huang Peng’s skin and flesh like this after being swept by the centipede earlier? But now, he was truly dead, because when Young Master Liu poked him with his toe, he found the muscles rigid—not at all like the almost-alive feeling he'd had when fighting him the other night.

Ah, Young Master Liu breathed a sigh of relief. He was almost grateful to the centipede monster; it had resolved this difficult problem for him. To be honest, dealing with something that was neither dead nor alive like that had given Young Master Liu a real headache.

Young Master Liu turned back to place his talismans when he felt a disturbance behind him. Before he could turn around, a tremendous force yanked him backward from his belt, flipping him over unprepared. In a panic, Young Master Liu twisted his head to see Huang Peng’s face right next to his own. Huang Peng’s blackened eyes stared unblinkingly at him. Before Young Master Liu could react, Huang Peng opened his mouth and lunged straight for his throat!

Young Master Liu let out a shriek like a slaughtered pig and erupted with incredible force, shoving Huang Peng’s head away. His body sprang up like a taut bowstring. With a thwack, he felt his waist loosen. He looked back to see half of his belt snapped, held tight in Huang Peng's blackened claws. He pulled up his trousers, ripped off several talismans stuck to his body, and slapped them all onto Huang Peng, regardless of whether they were effective.

Huang Peng let out a mournful cry, stood up, and fled, running straight to a large rock near the opposite cliff face. He flashed once and vanished. Seeing this bizarre scene, Young Master Liu dared not pursue. He held up his trousers, a thought flashing through his mind: Oh no, I forgot about the two ancestors fighting in the arena!

The Cockscomb Snake, which had been gaining ground and growing complacent, suddenly heard the loud disturbance behind it and froze, stunned into inaction. The centipede had been desperately waiting for such an opportunity. It didn't give the snake any time to recover; it raised its head and bit down hard on the snake’s vital spot, its 'seven inches.' A gush of foul-smelling snake blood erupted, splashing onto the bead clinging to the centipede’s feelers. The bead immediately regained its brilliance. The Cockscomb Snake, its vital point struck, cried out in agony and twisted its body, tightly coiling around the centipede. The centipede held on without letting go. As streams of snake blood flowed out, the snake gradually lost its strength, and the coil around its enemy loosened.

Fan Debiao and Ge Shuanwa showed true loyalty; they had long since run over from the rock and helped support Young Master Liu.

At this moment, the centipede slowly crawled to the snake’s head, swallowing the now dull, lightless green bead in one gulp. It shook its body excitedly, its long feelers waving triumphantly. This snake had been its sworn enemy, frequently provoking it. This night, it had not only defeated it but also swallowed its core! The centipede was immensely pleased with itself. Suddenly remembering the earlier noise, it shook its feelers and reared its body up again, intending to locate the source of the disturbance. As it looked up, it felt a sudden wave of chaotic energy; the familiar valley had transformed into something entirely alien.

Young Master Liu exclaimed, "My Resting Talisman fell off! Hurry up and help me find it!" By then, Huang Shitou and Su Yougui saw the centipede circling erratically in the arena, realizing the talisman array had taken effect. They calmed down and rushed to Young Master Liu's side. Fan Debiao turned on his miner's lamp and began searching the grass, but nothing could be found. Huang Shitou asked, "Hasn't the centipede lost its way and can't get out? What do we need the talisman for?" Young Master Liu said, "We're still missing one. This old monster will break free soon!" Huang Shitou timidly asked, "Mr. Liu, was that my brother just now?"

Young Master Liu jumped three feet high with a cry of "Ouch!" The sudden sound startled Hu Beikang and Su Yougui, who spun around ready to flee, thinking some new monster had appeared. Fan Debiao broke out in a cold sweat. "Mr. Liu, must you keep startling us like that? We haven't been scared to death by the monsters, but we might be scared to death by you!"

Young Master Liu slapped his forehead. "I was thinking... I might have slapped that talisman onto Huang Peng!"

When Huang Shitou heard that it was truly his brother, his eyes turned red. "Why has my brother turned into a black man again..."