Facing Mu Xueyi's surging, tidal assault, Lord Snake had no choice but to divert his attention from Nie Kong. His serpent tail coiled back, his body spiraling into a thick streak of crimson light as he wriggled and darted amidst the myriad branches and roots of the "Ancestral Heaven Divine Luo Tree," narrowly dodging one razor-sharp leaf after another.

Following closely behind Mu Xueyi, Mu Qingyi from the north of the city and Mu Jinzhu from the south simultaneously launched their attacks, striking towards the city's edge.

As for Nie Kong, he strode forward with great purpose towards the crater left by the fist imprint. With each heavy footfall, the natural origin power erupted, blasting away the surrounding snake hordes, which subsequently collapsed into bloody messes upon hitting the ground, not a single drop of gore managing to stain Nie Kong.

Not far away, Snake Jun, who had just caught the giant serpent thrown by Nie Kong, saw his expression change drastically.

The Cave Spirit realm master of the Serpent Spirit Clan had reverted from his spiritual form to his true body. His physique now hung limply over Snake Jun's arms like a piece of wet noodle; every joint in his body had dislocated, and the seeping blood had thoroughly soaked his green robe. Weak, painful moans occasionally escaped his lips.

Snake Jun’s face grew grim. He frantically pulled out a medicine vial from his robes and began administering aid.

Nie Kong, concerned for Nie Shenggong, paid him no mind. In the east, north, and south sections outside Jiyang City, the eastern front, where the battle had initially erupted, was strangely quiet.

In mere moments, Nie Kong reached the lip of the fist-imprint crater.

Deep within the pit, Nie Shenggong lay prone, utterly still. Fortunately, a faint spark of life still flickered within his body, providing Nie Kong a slight measure of relief.

With a whoosh, Nie Kong leaped down.

Nie Shenggong’s face was ashen, his back a mess of crimson wounds. After only a brief examination, Nie Kong discovered that his three spiritual apertures and meridians were riddled with cracks, threatening immediate collapse. His organs, muscles, and bones had all suffered severe internal trauma, while snake venom relentlessly eroded his vitality.

It was only because Nie Shenggong was a Celestial Spirit Master that he hadn't already perished; for any spirit master below the Cave Spirit realm, such injuries would have meant instant soul dissipation. However, sustaining such grievous harm meant even a Celestial Spirit expert could not endure for long. Nie Shenggong was barely clinging to life; without immediate treatment, death was imminent.

Nie Kong wasted no more time. He instantly shed his Crimson Star Battle Form, summoned nine golden needles, and drove them into Nie Shenggong’s body with lightning speed, one after the other. With a resonant hum, Nie Kong began employing the Nine Revolutions Golden Needle Technique, simultaneously activating the "Yin-Yang Spirit Devouring Art" within his own core.

"Hah!"

Verdant life energy rapidly converged toward the fist-imprint crater, then flowed inexorably through Nie Kong's fingertips, which were deftly manipulating the Heavenly Needle, seeping into Nie Shenggong’s body.

Outside the crater, the life force of the snake horde rapidly dissipated.

In just a brief span, hundreds of snakes, large and small, ceased their advance, lying motionless on the ground, lifeless. Moreover, this plague-like death spread outward from the crater, consuming the surrounding serpent masses with terrifying speed. Soon, within a hundred-meter radius, not a single living snake remained.

"Hmm? What is this..."

The moment Snake Jun noticed the anomaly, he sensed the draining of life essence and jumped in fright. He violently dragged his injured clansmen and retreated rapidly backward. When he stabilized himself a hundred meters away, he was horrified to see that his clansmen, who had just regained a sliver of vitality, had gone still once more. A quick probe confirmed their demise.

Shocked, Snake Jun glared at the crater with increased venom, then suddenly fumbled in his robes and pulled out a blood-red banner.

"Collect!"

The instant this single syllable left his mouth, the threads within the banner writhed unnervingly like earthworms, releasing wisps of crimson aura. In the next second, every remaining large and small snake in the eastern sector dissolved into hazy streams of essence, flowing into the banner.

In an instant, not a single serpent shadow remained in the east.

Rolling up the banner and tucking it away, Snake Jun exchanged a look with Snake Weng, who had just circled around from the west. Like phantoms, they darted toward the fist-imprint crater, one on each side.

"Gone?"

Nie Kong raised an eyelid slightly in surprise, but paid it no mind. If the snake horde was gone, so be it. The life essence he had gathered from the thousands of snake spirits was more than enough to keep Nie Shenggong alive. Once this was settled and he repaired his apertures and meridians, he would recover.

Suddenly, the voice of the Ninth Elder, Nie Xingdong, echoed from afar: "Nie Kong, two people are attempting a stealth attack!"

"Stealth attack? Not so easily done?"

Nie Kong loosened his grip on the Heavenly Needle, which he had been twisting slower and slower, a cold smile touching his heart. His spiritual sense had already detected the movements of the two Serpent Spirit Clan experts. Nie Kong had merely feigned ignorance, intending to catch them off guard when they thought they had succeeded. He hadn't expected Nie Xingdong to betray their positions.

However, Nie Xingdong had only meant well out of concern for his safety, so Nie Kong held no resentment.

Since the counter-ambush was foiled, he would simply eliminate them openly!

"Damn it!"

An angry curse rose from outside the crater, followed immediately by a swirl of black and red mists pouring down from above the pit. Above the stench-filled poison fog, two gaping maws appeared, their blood-red forked tongues flickering erratically, sharp fangs flashing in and out of the mist.

Nie Kong’s expression remained unchanged. A faint layer of divine power enveloped Nie Shenggong's body, and his own physique instantly reverted to the "Crimson Star Battle Form." He drove his foot violently against the cave wall.

"Boom!"

Fierce power surged from his sole, tearing through the earth like a cannonball exiting its barrel. A soil wave, towering over ten meters high, rolled outward in turbulent fashion on both sides. In the next moment, Nie Kong shot out like an arrow from a bowstring, carrying Nie Shenggong's body, emerging onto the surface dozens of meters away atop the rising earth wave.

Snake Jun and Snake Weng were both shocked and enraged that Nie Kong had broken through their encirclement in such a manner, and they swiftly gave chase.

Nie Kong did not slow his pace, merging into the void twice to instantly appear atop the east city wall.

"Patriarch, Ninth Elder, look after the Great Elder."

Pushing Nie Shenggong’s body forward, Nie Kong turned and leaped down from the city wall.

Nie Qingsong hastily cradled Nie Shenggong's body. Exchanging a glance with Nie Xingdong, he felt as if he were dreaming. Just a few years ago, Nie Kong had been an insignificant Spirit Gathering Master. Now, beyond his illustrious status, he could effortlessly rescue someone from the grasp of a Celestial Spirit Master attack.

"Thump!"

His feet struck the ground heavily. Nie Kong watched the two Serpent Spirit Clan experts streaking toward him, his expression exceptionally calm.

While surging onto the wall, Nie Kong had taken a moment to survey the wider situation. The Serpent Spirit Clan experts in the north and south were clearly losing ground under the attacks of Mu Qingyi and Mu Jinzhu. Meanwhile, the battle between Lord Snake and his mother, Mu Xueyi, high in the air, was an even deadlock.

However, on their side, there was another expert lurking west of Jiyang City, one who could rival Lord Snake...

If the Serpent Spirit Clan insisted on courting death, they might suffer a devastating loss here!

... ...RO