I currently have five hundred thousand words in reserve, and by December, I estimate reaching eight hundred thousand. Beginning January 1st, I will resume publishing three chapters daily. To those still following the story, I ask for a little more patience. If the current pace is unbearable, you may also choose to wait until the novel is fully completed. Thank you very much. ^0^

"Vermin!"

Nie Kong let out a cold sneer, swinging his fan-like right palm outward. His fingers hooked like talons, lightning-fast, seizing the mottled giant serpent by the neck. The wide-open mouth hissed twice with a sharp shriek, and the massive snake’s tail thrashed violently. Its body suddenly exerted tremendous force, seemingly intending to crush Nie Kong into powder.

For anyone else, the coiling grip of the giant snake might have burst their ribcage, but for him, it was like a mayfly attempting to shake a great tree. Nie Kong flicked his right arm upward, and the serpent’s body wrapped around him was smoothly flung away. It exploded in the air with loud crack, crack sounds as bone after bone snapped into dislocation.

Long Xuechan’s gaze was sharp. Seeing only this much, she understood that the peak Seventh Grade giant serpent Ghost Beast posed no further threat.

"What kind of monster is this!"

She Ming grasped the situation of Cai Lian more clearly, his expression instantly changing drastically. He cursed inwardly, a flicker of genuine apprehension rising in his heart. No wonder Nie Kong dared to venture here so brazenly—was this his reliance? Could his colossal physique possess the strength to contend with a Celestial Spirit realm expert?

As the thought crossed his mind, She Ming shot toward his opponents.

However, his target was not Nie Kong, but Long Xuechan and Tai Yan beside him. Regarding the unknown, She Ming was excessively cautious. Without absolute certainty, he would never make a move—and it was precisely this discipline that had kept him from suffering even a minor injury for over a hundred years.

At this moment, She Ming lost all interest in provoking Nie Kong. His only thought was to seize the two beautiful women, Long Xuechan and Tai Yan, as quickly as possible.

"Swish!"

She Ming moved like a shooting star, shortening the distance of several dozen meters to mere feet in an instant.

Long Xuechan’s delicate body tensed. The phantom image of the green dragon above her head opened its mouth and roared, lunging forward to meet him. Upon seeing She Ming, a Celestial Spirit expert, she held no confidence within her heart, but Nie Kong’s bizarre physical transformation gave her a sliver of assurance; she probably wouldn't die this time.

"Chii!"

The dark silhouette pierced the green dragon’s body as directly as an arrow. The distance shrank again, and Long Xuechan could clearly see the ugly, sinister grin on She Ming’s aged face. She never believed her Heart Manifestation or her power could resist She Ming; she only hoped to impede him for a brief moment to buy Nie Kong time.

A Pill Spirit Master was considered a decent expert, yet before a Celestial Spirit expert, there was truly no power to resist. If she had known, she should have immediately activated 'Body Fused with the Void.'

Long Xuechan’s heart contracted sharply, but before she could react, she saw a flash of red shadow before her eyes. Tai Yan’s tall figure had strangely interposed herself right in front of her. This sudden turn of events stunned Long Xuechan. Nie Kong’s "sworn... sister" was clearly no ordinary person?

"Eh?"

She Ming registered a slight surprise, but his movement did not stall in the least. His withered right hand reached out without hesitation to grasp Tai Yan’s left shoulder. The moment his fingertips touched Tai Yan’s shoulder, a trace of regret flashed in She Ming’s eyes. In truth, based on the thoughts swirling in his mind, he should have gone straight for Tai Yan’s prominent, sculpted chest. But he knew such a notion was absurd; that area was soft and slippery—too light a grip wouldn't hold, and too hard a grip might damage it... So, while these thoughts spun in his mind, his actions remained undisturbed.

However, as his fingers began to exert force, She Ming realized a cloud of blood-red erupted from Tai Yan's body. Along with that crimson light, an utterly terrifying aura swept toward him with frantic intensity.

"Ah?"

She Ming’s face changed to one of horrified dismay, and his body retreated violently...

Moments later, he discovered with absolute terror that his body remained frozen in place. His right hand, which had been grasping Tai Yan’s left shoulder, was already submerged in that boundless crimson aura, utterly devoid of sensation... To She Ming’s despair, the cloud of red was still closing in on him!

"Who are you?"

She Ming’s face turned ashen. He screamed in panic, "In just those three words, the crimson light had already engulfed his shoulder." This bizarre sight broke She Ming’s composure. His legs trembled uncontrollably, and a warm stream leaked from between his thighs. He tilted his head back as far as possible and roared with all his might: "Viper Heart Manifestation!"

A shadowy image of a small black serpent instantly shot from above his head, charging frantically toward his opponent. In the next instant, the serpent shadow vanished like a stone in the sea, failing to create even a ripple in that field of crimson energy.

"Viper Heart Manifestation!" Another black serpent phantom shot out. Just as it was about to be swallowed by the crimson energy, it suddenly exploded, yet it was still utterly useless.

"Viper..."

She Ming was shattered by terror. He tried to roar a third time, but before the last two syllables could leave his throat, his entire body was submerged in the crimson. Before his consciousness completely faded, She Ming saw a beautiful eye... No, a beautiful flower shaped like an eye.

It was a pity that the flower did not wilt; instead, the flower picker was the one to perish.

"Whoosh!"

The crimson energy retracted instantly. As Tai Yan’s graceful form was revealed once more, She Ming’s body dropped to the ground with a dull thud, utterly lifeless.

"..."

Beside her, Long Xuechan stood like a statue, her beautiful eyes wide open, her red lips slightly parted, staring in disbelief at the mass of crimson energy. She remained silent for a long time, but the shock churning in her chest was like monstrous, surging waves, making it almost impossible to believe what she had witnessed.

A dignified Celestial Spirit expert—gone just like that! What was the true origin of Tai Yan, who appeared so harmless and utterly pure? Her strength was unfathomably deep!

"Sister Chan, the danger is over," Tai Yan said, smiling brightly.

"Oh, oh..."

Long Xuechan nodded woodenly a few times before snapping back to reality. She glanced at Tai Yan, then quickly turned her gaze to Nie Kong beside them. She saw his massive body rapidly shrinking, and the serpent, thick as a water bucket, lay limp on the ground, just like its master, completely still.

Soon, Nie Kong’s body returned to its original size. He walked over to Long Xuechan with a smile. "Sister Chan, the matter is settled. We can continue our journey peacefully." As he spoke, Nie Kong’s demeanor was utterly relaxed, as if dispatching a peak Seventh Grade spirit beast and a Celestial Spirit expert were nothing more than trivial tasks.

Seeing this, Long Xuechan took a deep breath, but could no longer suppress a wry smile. "Younger Brother Nie Kong, Sister was truly worried for nothing. With a top-tier expert like Tai Yan by our side, never mind one She Ming, even four or five Celestial Spirits would pose no threat."

Nie Kong chuckled. "Sister Chan, you exaggerate. Four Celestial Spirit experts would be manageable, but five would certainly cause some trouble. Young Sister Tai Yan is indeed incredibly formidable, but the pity is she has almost no capacity for active offense; she can only wait passively for others to make a move."

Tai Yan patted her forehead with some distress. "That’s true, Sister Chan. Otherwise, I could help Brother even more effectively." Long Xuechan was greatly surprised, but even if she couldn't attack proactively, the power she unleashed when attacked could easily dispatch a Celestial Spirit expert—that alone was horrifying enough.

... ...RO

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