Chapter 1 Critical Moment

In that critical moment, an explosion suddenly came from the cave outside the demon tomb. The rolling demon energy and the screams of the transforming demon snake before its death rushed into the center of the tomb one after another.

The water python was momentarily stunned, then darted toward the outside of the cave amid a furious roar.

The ear-piercing sound of scales scraping against the rock echoed, and the entrance to the outside world was shattered, riddled with cracks by the water python.

How long had that water python been slumbering in the tomb? Its size had already exceeded the snake tunnel it had opened when it entered. The fact that it rushed out of the cave without transforming showed how important that demon snake outside was to it.

I took the opportunity to glance at the outside world through the bronze mirror once more.

The array I had drawn outside had been activated by a large amount of demon snake blood, erupting into a vortex of blood in the middle of the snake's lair.

Blood and snake corpses covered the ground, rolling towards the center of the vortex like flowing water.

Ying Gou said urgently, "Master, be careful, someone is summoning a foreign demon snake! I..."

Ying Gou probably wanted to say, "I'll break the array."

Before he could finish, Jiang Chen stopped him, "A mere demon snake, what is there to fear?"

"But..." Ying Gou had only said two words when the water python burst through the snake tunnel and lunged at Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen's palm was still stained with the fragments of the demon snake's Neidan (internal elixir), which was enough to make him the water python's primary target.

Jiang Chen raised his hand to block the water python, and the man and snake collided in a burst of force, both being knocked backward.

Jiang Chen retreated two steps before regaining his footing.

The water python, however, was sent flying backward by the impact, crashing into the rock wall. Fragments of stone exploded and tumbled down around it.

Before the Jiangshi (zombie) and the great demon could collide a second time, the array, now filled with snake blood, exploded from the bottom up, and a blood-red monster snake with a single horn on its head and a claw on its abdomen rose roaring from the array.

"A spirit body!" Ying Gou exclaimed, "It's a snake spirit!"

The thing I summoned was indeed a snake spirit. Moreover, I used the snake king's forbidden secret technique.

When the Wu (shaman) sect, or beast-controlling sects summon snake spirits, they generally choose to use San Sheng (three sacrificial animals) or live human sacrifices.

The snake king, however, went against the grain, not only not offering sacrifices, but also trying every means to anger the snake spirit. His most common method was to use snakes as sacrifices.

When the snake spirit discovered that its own kind were being killed and sacrificed, it would inevitably be unable to withstand the provocation, and would be enraged from the moment it appeared, devouring all living beings it saw.

I deliberately summoned a snake spirit in order to have it cooperate with the water python—one real, one illusory, one body, one soul—attacking Jiang Chen from different directions.

I knew that Jiang Chen's physical body was unparalleled, but I didn't believe that his divine soul was also invulnerable.

It would be even better if the water python and snake spirit could release poison at the same time.

If two kinds of snake venom simultaneously eroded Jiang Chen's physical body and soul, could he remain unscathed?

After the snake spirit appeared, the water python suddenly let out a low roar. The sound wave it condensed into a line shot toward the tomb, and the stone slabs in the tomb shattered, large and small pieces of rock falling like hailstones. A massive amount of quicksand also squeezed into the tomb.

The water python was indeed a great demon in its formed state. Seeing the snake spirit appear, it judged that someone had sneaked into the tomb.

In order to protect the entrance to the demon tomb, it simply destroyed its own tomb chamber, intending to bury the entrance with boulders and quicksand.

If the water python succeeded, the few of us would undoubtedly be buried here. It, however, could dig through the sand and rebuild its snake lair.

I didn't have time to see the results of Jiang Chen's battle against the two snakes. I put away the mirror and rushed to where the water python was coiled up.

Zhao Yue Zhu stood in the middle of the snake tomb one step ahead of me, "Help me block the sand and stones, I'll open the lock!"

The rocks falling from above the demon tomb were easy to block, but how should we deal with the quicksand?

Just as I was at a loss, Ye Yang shouted, "Use Zhenqi (true energy) to push away the quicksand, don't let the sand bury the passage!"

I learned from Ye Yang, pushing my palms outward repeatedly.

Although most of the sand was pushed away, my vision was also obscured by the dust and smoke flying everywhere. Wherever I looked was a chaotic blur.

At the same time, Jiang Chen's stern voice came from the mirror I had put away, "Ying Gou, go check the cave over there, is anyone inside?"

Crap!

Ying Gou was coming too!

Just as my heart was rising in my chest, I heard the Nine-tailed Fox's scream rapidly approaching me, "Li Po, run! Ying Gou is coming. He's about to come in."

My heart was instantly filled with rage!

The Nine-tailed Fox was doing it on purpose!

With her abilities, it wouldn't be difficult for her to avoid Ying Gou and find us.

Running and shouting like this was the same as leading Ying Gou directly to us.

Even if we won while blocking and fighting Ying Gou, we wouldn't have time to rush into the tunnel and avoid his pursuit!

When I suddenly looked towards the cave entrance, the Nine-tailed Fox had already appeared in the dancing dust.

Her voice was unusually cold and slow, "Li Po, are you planning to leave me behind?"

"I'm risking my life for you outside, but you're planning to abandon me here?"

A vengeful spirit!

I suddenly sensed a trace of the unique aura of a vengeful spirit on the Nine-tailed Fox.