Zhou Lin watched it being swallowed whole, his anger instantly ignited. He unleashed a torrent of curses at the Snake King opposite him.
After consuming the item, the Snake King's scales began to sprout sharp protrusions, resembling thorny armor.
They were covered in spikes.
Its eyes started to close, and horns began to emerge from its head.
Above the horns, a faint black aura shrouded them.
Seeing the Snake King's increased power, Zhou Lin's expression darkened.
"Ah, my money!"
Zhou Lin glared at it with furious eyes, raising his Ling Shuang sword high and advancing towards the Snake King.
The black aura above the Snake King's horns surged towards Zhou Lin.
Zhou Lin muttered an incantation, his movements becoming lightning-fast. He effortlessly encased the black energy in ice.
Then, with a powerful stomp, Zhou Lin pressed his attack, the Ling Shuang sword thrusting directly at the Snake King. A horizontal sweep severed one of its horns, which instantly froze into frost.
In the livestream.
The viewers watched the camera pan back and forth, feeling dizzy.
"Holy crap, the boss is angry now. That speed is insane, I feel like throwing up."
"The boss wasn't angry before, but now it's because the Snake King ate the inner core? Has he gone mad?"
"Money is really that important? Witnessing the boss's crazy actions, damn, even the Snake King must be trembling, right?"
"Boss, you're awesome! Beat this Snake King soundly."
...
Seeing the severed horn frozen into frost, Zhou Lin let out a cold snort.
He then used the Ling Shuang sword in his hand to attack the Snake King's mouth.
The Snake King, enraged, let out a roar that shook the entire space.
Zhou Lin had been waiting for this moment. Just as the Snake King was about to spit out its young, Zhou Lin froze its mouth shut, effectively blocking the exit for the baby snakes.
Unable to emerge, the young snakes were trapped at the entrance of the Snake King's mouth, causing it immense discomfort.
"Ah, give me back my inner core!"
Zhou Lin relentlessly hacked at the giant Snake King with his Ling Shuang sword.
A cacophony of clanging sounds echoed from its body.
Zhou Lin's speed was incredible, appearing as mere blurs of motion.
The viewers watched the scene unfold, feeling disoriented.
A few minutes later.
Zhou Lin slowly stopped, looking at the Snake King before him. Its black scales had transformed into frost, tinged with a faint blue hue.
Zhou Lin chanted softly, and the Snake King's body was instantly covered in ice.
Finally, Zhou Lin approached the Snake King's body and gave it a gentle kick.
A cracking sound was heard, and it began to grow.
Cracks appeared all over the Snake King's body, and it eventually shattered into pieces, falling beside Zhou Lin.
Upon seeing this, Zhou Lin frantically began searching the area around the Snake King, paying no attention to the livestream.
"Holy crap, what's wrong with the boss? He's risking his life for money, but that move was so satisfying."
"That was the Snake King, and it was frozen into ice and then shattered?"
"Damn, the boss is so powerful, and that speed! It's true that this person's potential is limitless, but I never imagined the boss would do this for money."
"Me neither. He looked so noble and grand, but his actions... I can't bear to watch."
...
After a great deal of effort, Zhou Lin found the inner core, which hadn't been fully absorbed yet. He also picked up a piece of snake meat, then contentedly placed them in his bag.
The moment the inner core was secured, the snake cave began to collapse. Zhou Lin, sensing the danger, quickly turned to flee.
Zhou Lin was busy escaping and was unaware of the situation outside.
Meanwhile, the internet across Da Xia was abuzz with videos of Zhou Lin defeating the Snake King.
Baike Baijia: Shocking!! A novelist from Da Xia has defeated the Snake King and successfully retrieved the inner core from its body???
Tencent Video: A novelist possesses magical abilities, finding the inner core inside a Snake King's belly and successfully snatching it away. The novelist's heaven-defying skills!!!!
Longma Jingshen App: Da Xia's prowess, the novelist's mysterious operation, where will the inner core go next???
Grapefruit Baihui: With the emergence of the inner core, what kind of turmoil will it cause?
The comments below the videos had also multiplied.
"Damn, the boss found the inner core! Will this thing now face the world?"
"It seems so, but will this thing be very expensive?"
"Oh my god, I'm going to prepare money. As long as the boss likes money, I'm willing to go bankrupt to buy these inner cores."
"I'm so excited. Will this have any impact on Da Xia?"
The president of the Biological Association, witnessing this, immediately called the dean of the Archaeological Institute.
Upon receiving the call, the dean of the Archaeological Institute had already dismissed the experts in divination.
"Old friend, I need to research this inner core. Please save some for me."
The president of the Biological Association was eager to inquire further.
"I just received a call. The higher-ups want it preserved. Many foreigners are now paying attention to this inner core, so we must handle it carefully and not let it fall into the wrong hands."
The dean replied with difficulty. Did he not want to research it himself? But he had to follow orders.
"Hmm? These people are truly detestable. They want to snatch away anything that emerges from Da Xia. I think this item is best left with Zhou Lin. Only in Zhou Lin's hands is it truly safe. His skills are unmatched by ordinary people."
The president paused, then finally spoke.
"That kid will sell it."
The dean, seeing Zhou Lin 'escaping', immediately saw through his intentions.
"So foolish. You just need to pay to buy it from him and let him keep it. That kid has patriotic sentiments and is trustworthy. And you figure out the money, don't ask me."
After a barrage of words, the president of the Biological Association successfully hung up the phone, preventing the dean from asking him to jointly apply to the higher-ups.
Dean of the Archaeological Institute: ...
They usually acted like strangers, but when something important came up, their true nature showed. How could this unscrupulous behavior not change?
The dean paused, then dialed Elder Tang's satellite phone.
Inside the tomb.
When Zhou Lin emerged from the mercury, he saw everyone staring at him, dumbfounded.
Especially the Taoist priest and the other participants, who looked like fools.
This made Zhou Lin feel uneasy.
What was going on? Why were they all looking at him like that?
"Young friend Zhou Lin, you got the inner core? The Snake King is dead?"
Elder Tang looked at him with great excitement, his eyes like those of someone who had discovered a rare and precious specimen.
Zhou Lin instinctively shielded his backpack. What was going on?