“This must be the Peng Serpent?” Ye Xiu finally got a clear look at the monstrous snake in its entirety. It was entirely blue-green, with a slightly reddish head, and a significant portion of its body was coiled in the center of the plaza, spanning an area as large as a football field. The raised head was remarkably elongated, and the scales on either side of its head were exceptionally conspicuous; in terms of sheer size, it completely dwarfed Xiao Sha. “This Peng Serpent is truly an ancient strange beast. I wonder how Xiao Sha plans to handle it.”

“Nonsense, my Xiao Sha wouldn't be afraid of this big dummy!” Hong Ling declared while shooting a silver needle from her hand towards Xiao Sha in the distance. The needle pierced deeply into Xiao Sha’s forehead and instantly melted away.

“Is that a Blood-Controlling Needle?” Birdman stared blankly at Hong Ling, his gaze peculiar. He pressed further, “I’ve long heard that the signature artifact of the Bone-Gatherer lineage for serpent control is the Blood-Controlling Needle. I finally get to see one today.”

“Aooo…” The shriek from Xiao Sha in the plaza suddenly deepened into a terrifying sound. After receiving Hong Ling’s needle, a sharp horn sprouted from its previously smooth forehead. This horn rose towards the sky, emitting a golden radiance, resembling the head of a unicorn.

“Holy cow, Xiao Sha can transform!” Old Liu exclaimed in amazement, clapping his hands.

“Pffft!” Just then, Xiao Sha suddenly reared up and rammed its head directly underneath the head of the Peng Serpent. Although its body was far smaller than the Peng Serpent’s, concentrating its power into that single point—the horn—it managed to flip the upper half of the massive Peng Serpent over. Caught off guard by the sudden assault, the Peng Serpent staggered, its entire body losing its stability.

Xiao Sha did not relent. It raised its head, opening its mouth wide. At this moment, its mouth held three swirling fireballs, shifting between three colors: one red, one blue, and one yellow. As these three flames converged, they erupted simultaneously, striking the head of the Peng Serpent heavily. Immediately, a mist arose, and the entire plaza plunged into a sea of fire.

“Xiao Sha is this formidable? Then what was the purpose of the Blood-Controlling Needle?” Ye Xiu asked Hong Ling, who stood there looking rather smug. “What did you do to Xiao Sha?”

Hong Ling placed her hands behind her back and smiled, “The Crimson Serpent is actually the ancestor of the serpent race. However, in ancient times, they were not serpents, but Qilin!”

“Qilin? You mean they were cultivated by you Bone-Gatherers into their current form?” Old Liu asked suspiciously.

Hong Ling ignored him and continued, “My father told me all of this. Originally, the appearance of the Bone-Gatherers was inextricably linked to the Qilin. However, the Bone-Gatherers, as descendants of Fuxi, held a faith that could not shift with changes in the environment. Fuxi worshipped the serpent totem, so our ancestors created the Blood-Controlling Needle. This needle can suppress Qilin blood. As for the exact method used to transform the divine beast Qilin into the current Crimson Serpent, I cannot say.”

Birdman, overhearing this, nodded in agreement and added, “That is indeed the case. But I heard that very few of the Crimson Serpents, which are incarnations of the Qilin, exist in this world. Since your Xiao Sha possesses Qilin blood, its lifespan must be calculable in centuries, I imagine.”

“Look quickly, that Peng Serpent…” While listening to Hong Ling’s explanation, Old Liu pointed towards the plaza in awe. “The Peng Serpent is getting up. It looks completely unharmed.”

“Impossible. Xiao Sha’s Three-Horn Fire is no ordinary flame!” Hong Ling sounded disbelieving as she tilted her head up to observe the battlefield, searching for the Peng Serpent’s shadow.

It turned out that the immense Peng Serpent had used the scales on its flanks to shield its head. Xiao Sha’s Three-Horn Fire had indeed hit its target, but its scales were too rigid. The flames merely generated intense, high-temperature heat against them, exerting no discernible force.

Ye Xiu had never imagined a duel between two divine beasts. But witnessing this, he realized that as an ordinary person, he could only watch. At this very moment, the Peng Serpent, which had been coiled, was now deliberately wrapping itself around Xiao Sha. It used its tail to lift up and began to coil around Xiao Sha again and again, binding it tightly. It had no eyes, yet it lifted the scales on its forehead and opened its mouth towards Xiao Sha’s horn. Its mouth was not structured like a typical snake’s; inside its mouth, there was another mouth, and that inner mouth possessed teeth resembling human teeth.

“Hiss!” Xiao Sha clearly could not withstand the Peng Serpent’s constriction; its body was beginning to tremble slightly. It tried to unleash the Three-Horn Fire attack again, but it was once more blocked by the Peng Serpent’s hardened scales.

“This is bad; that thing is still bigger!” Old Liu grew impatient and wanted to join the divine beast confrontation. He pulled out his Thin-Faced Blade, intending to sneak in a strike against the Peng Serpent, but Birdman blocked him.

“The Qilin blood hasn't fully boiled yet. Watch Xiao Sha’s body!” Birdman, ever calm, motioned Old Liu to look over there while explaining, “I suspect Xiao Sha has been suppressed by the Blood-Controlling Needle for too long; it has forgotten the fact that it is a Qilin.”

“Hong Ling?” Ye Xiu didn't fully grasp the implication of this statement and felt that Hong Ling should be the one to explain.

Hong Ling pursed her lips. “For as long as I can remember, Xiao Sha has been by my side. I have only seen Xiao Sha transform into a Qilin once, but that was ages ago, back when my father was still alive!”

“Waaah!” In the battlefield, the Peng Serpent roared fiercely and bent its head, intending to lunge and bite Xiao Sha’s neck directly. The restraint of its tail was so immense that one solid bite would secure itself firmly onto Xiao Sha, and indeed, it bit down, causing blood to gush forth from Xiao Sha.

Xiao Sha wailed mournfully but was powerless to escape the Peng Serpent’s coils. It struggled to shake its body but couldn't create even half a gap to free itself.

“Look at its body!” Old Liu shouted in shock again. At this moment, a golden radiance began to emanate from the spot where Xiao Sha had been bitten. In that instant, a golden Qilin claw stretched out from the wound.

Ye Xiu was paralyzed with shock. This was a battle between two colossal beasts. Xiao Sha was still serpentine, yet a limb had sprouted from one side. As soon as the claw burst forth, it clamped down hard onto the Peng Serpent's head, immediately creating a stalemate.

The Peng Serpent tried to lift its head, but the strength of the Qilin claw was immense, holding its vital point perfectly. For a moment, it was helpless. However, this opponent was not to be trifled with either. After a brief pause, it suddenly flared the scales on both sides of its head. These scales acted like shears aimed directly at Xiao Sha.

“Be careful!” Hong Ling cried out in alarm, her worry for Xiao Sha’s safety escalating.

“Pfft!” Unexpectedly, just as the Peng Serpent prepared to unleash its attack on Xiao Sha, the other Qilin claw on Xiao Sha’s opposite side lifted high. It brought its palm down heavily onto the Peng Serpent’s head in one sweeping strike. That blow slammed the entire Peng Serpent onto the ground, immobilizing it completely.

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