The despair in Gongsun Mai’s eyes was undeniable. His mouth opened, seemingly to utter something, but no sound emerged. His entire body slowly slumped to the ground…
“Aaaah…” The very instant Gongsun Mai lost his life force, a piercing shriek echoed through the canyon…
The sound was saturated with fury, laden with sorrow, bursting with savage intensity…
Nangong Shang and Yi Ruoshui’s expressions instantly shifted, but Ye Jingyu merely frowned, feeling an immense, crushing pressure bearing down upon them…
“Rumble…” Granting Ye Jingyu no chance to react, a colossal force violently slammed into his chest, instantly propelling his entire body backward in a spray of blood…
Another gout of blood erupted, the sound of his sternum faintly cracking accompanying the spray…
Finally, his body crashed heavily onto the ground, wracked with agonizing pain throughout…
Gritting his teeth against the shattering agony in his bones, Ye Jingyu struggled to lift his head. He saw a gigantic silhouette moving out of the darkness—a snake, a cobra so enormous it defied comprehension, stretching over ten zhang long. The wings on its back alone spanned seven or eight meters wide, giving the impression it could take flight at any moment…
The cobra’s maw opened slightly, revealing two fangs gleaming with cold menace. A crimson tongue flicked out from its mouth, a truly terrifying sight…
The massive serpentine tail swayed rhythmically back and forth… Ye Jingyu realized that this very tail had just struck him, yet he could barely fathom how the creature possessed such blinding speed, delivering the blow without any discernible warning. And the force—it was staggering. What in the world was this…
What shocked Ye Jingyu even more, however, was the massive crown growing atop the serpent’s head. This crown flared out to the sides, resembling a soft, plush chaise lounge, upon which a woman was currently reclining…
A woman of exquisite figure, whose skin was flawlessly smooth, yet she was completely unclothed… Her only covering was a cascade of long, vibrant green hair that coiled around her body like a mass of small serpents, obscuring her most vital areas…
Even so, the sight of her maddeningly perfect physique was inescapable, and her face was beyond reproach…
A small, exquisite mouth, a charmingly delicate nose, eyes that were neither large nor small but intensely refined—everything about her screamed that this was a peerless beauty…
An utterly bewitching woman…
However, Ye Jingyu had no inclination to admire such an ethereal creature, for fury was etched onto the woman’s features, and her refined eyes radiated an absolute, chilling coldness…
An intense killing intent, utterly unrestrained, locked onto Ye Jingyu…
Meeting the woman’s icy gaze, even the steadfast Ye Jingyu felt a slight tremor deep within. Who was this woman?
Nangong Shang and Yi Ruoshui had already retreated a considerable distance, their eyes reflecting a mixture of apprehension and awe, clearly wary of the sorcerous woman lounging on the serpent’s crown…
“You actually killed him, you dare kill him, you… you… you…” The woman finally rose, her posture enhancing the allure of her already stunning form. Sadly, her green hair remained coiled around her body, revealing nothing untoward…
But observing her wrathful demeanor, several words flashed across Ye Jingyu’s mind: Queen…
“Killed him, so what? What are you?” Ye Jingyu struggled to rise, the Samsara Eye in his brow faintly shimmering with silver light. He noted that although this woman could command a venomous cobra of at least a sixth-level mutated species, her own cultivation level seemed to be, at most, only the Innate Realm… Killing her might not be impossible if the right opportunity arose…
Of course, Ye Jingyu generally disliked the act of crushing delicate beauty, but when his own life was on the line, that consideration vanished…
“Nangong Shang, I want you to kill this man immediately, or you can forget about ever obtaining the Infant Spirit Flower,” the woman atop the cobra crown commanded, addressing Nangong Shang, who had withdrawn far away…
Nangong Shang frowned, about to raise his spear and advance, but Yi Ruoshui, standing beside him, seized his arm…
“Don’t, Shang, you are already grievously wounded. You are no match for him,” Yi Ruoshui pleaded, her eyes filled with supplication…
“But without the Infant Spirit Flower, your appearance…” Nangong Shang hesitated, his brow furrowed with indecision…
“If something were to happen to you, what good would regaining your beauty be?” Yi Ruoshui’s eyes began to glisten with tears…
“Ruoshui…” Nangong Shang turned to look at Yi Ruoshui, his face etched with deep affection. Disregarding the distant Ye Jingyu and the bewitching woman, he leaned down and pressed his lips against Yi Ruoshui’s pale mouth. Yi Ruoshui was momentarily stunned, before feeling a sharp pain at the back of her head, and her consciousness blurred…
“Ruoshui, I promised you, I will give you the most beautiful visage in the world, and I will fulfill that promise. And I also promised you, nothing will happen to me…” Gently laying the woman in his arms onto the ground, Nangong Shang lifted his long spear once more and strode toward Ye Jingyu…
Ye Jingyu’s mouth fell open. He was utterly impressed by Nangong Shang’s audacity—to dare kiss the face of a woman who was practically a corpse. This fellow’s courage was truly commendable…
Yet, Ye Jingyu vaguely surmised that this pair of lovers must share some extraordinary history, and they were likely bound to this enchantress through some form of vested interest… What exactly was this Infant Spirit Flower?
Watching Nangong Shang’s resolute expression, Ye Jingyu unexpectedly felt a flicker of deep respect… Respect for his dedication to love, how he still cherished the one he loved even after she became so hideous… And moreover, how he was prepared to sacrifice his own life for her sake… What noble, true love this was…
However, as Nangong Shang advanced step by step, Ye Jingyu knew that this devotion to love was built upon his own demise. He was certainly not the sort to willingly sacrifice himself for others. Seeing the increasingly near Nangong Shang, the injured Ye Jingyu knew that even if he managed to kill Nangong Shang, facing the colossal cobra meant certain death…
With a sharp swish, Ye Jingyu pulled a miniaturized cannon from his Qiankun Bracelet and set it firmly before him, gripping a flint striker in his hand, ready to ignite the weapon at any moment…
The moment he saw the small cannon appearing before Ye Jingyu, Nangong Shang’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. What the hell was this? Setting out on an adventure but bringing along a cannon? Was there any sense of reason left in the world?
(Recommend the song Yushu, Don’t Be Sad and Cry—let us pray together for Yushu!)