Boom!
The air churned, and the heavens and earth shook violently.
Large masses of white mist exploded, turning the entire valley into a realm of clouds and mist.
Ying Chen took a step back, while the Xuan Yin Gou She swayed, its coiled head almost falling to the ground.
The two were evenly matched!
The Xuan Yin Gou She seemed surprised that a mere human could withstand its full-force strike.
Its vertical pupils flickered repeatedly, its massive head trembling slightly as if it were observing Ying Chen's weaknesses.
This was the instinct of an animal hunting.
When faced with an equally matched opponent, it would seek out the enemy's vulnerabilities.
At the same time, Ying Chen was also observing the Xuan Yin Gou She.
Due to its special environment and its innate uniqueness, this Gou She was exceptionally powerful.
In the past, Ying Chen could have killed it with a flick of his finger.
However, now, Ying Chen's strength was less than a tenth of what it used to be, and he couldn't find a good way to deal with this Gou She for the moment.
The man and the snake were locked in a stalemate.
Meanwhile, Cang Juezi and the others in the main hall were still respectfully waiting for Ying Chen to return victorious from his "fight for love."
Even though the position of Grand Elder would undoubtedly go to Aunt Tang, there were other positions to be filled, were there not?
Perhaps if Ying Chen was in a good mood, he might even create a few more "Grand Elders"!
Then everyone would be a Grand Elder, leading to a harmonious and joyful atmosphere, wouldn't that be wonderful?
Just as everyone was happily envisioning the future, a world-shattering roar echoed from the back mountain.
It was accompanied by a low-frequency growl.
That growl was at a frequency similar to that of a whale; if those present were not cultivators, they would have found it difficult to detect!
"This sound..."
"It doesn't sound human!"
"Bad! Something has happened in the back mountain! Go and see!"
Cang Juezi's expression changed, and he was the first to leap up, soaring towards the back mountain.
The others, after a moment of stunned silence, followed suit.
In the blink of an eye, only Min Ziqing, Nannan, and Professor Li, who had no cultivation, were left in the main hall.
The three looked at each other and finally decided against joining the commotion.
If something truly serious were to happen, they would only be a burden and unable to help;
If nothing major occurred, then they had no need to worry, as Ying Chen would have easily resolved it.
Therefore, staying put and waiting for Ying Chen's return was the wise course of action.
...
"Found it!"
In the back mountain, in a mountain hollow.
Ying Chen's eyes suddenly lit up, his gaze fixed on the area beneath the Xuan Yin Gou She's neck.
It seemed that a transformation was taking place in that area of the Xuan Yin Gou She, as its scales were not fully covering it, and the color of the scales in that area was noticeably different from the rest.
The scales in other areas were dark blue-black, looking incredibly hard.
However, the scales in this area were reddish-blue, much like the skin of a newborn infant, clearly indicating that it had not yet fully developed and was extremely vulnerable!
Ying Chen made a beckoning gesture.
The Xuan Pin Lie Que Sword appeared in Ying Chen's hand.
Upon seeing the Xuan Pin Lie Que Sword, a clear look of apprehension flashed in the Xuan Yin Gou She's eyes.
It was evident that it also recognized the formidable power of this sword!
Its body slowly recoiled, seemingly intending to retreat back into the depths of the flower field!
"Trying to escape now? Don't you think it's a little late?"
Ying Chen said coldly.
Then, the Xuan Pin Lie Que Sword in his hand suddenly unleashed a sword energy, vast and covering the sky, sweeping across the horizon.
All light between heaven and earth seemed to dim, leaving only the resplendent sword energy, like the scorching sun in the sky, like the bright moon hanging high.
The sharp sword intent spread out, reaching every corner of the entire valley!
"Such sword intent... truly terrifying!"
Cang Juezi and the others, who had rushed over upon hearing the noise, looked at each other in horror as they witnessed Ying Chen's sword strike.
In the past, Cang Juezi dared to call himself a "swordsmanship master" in front of others; now, even if he were forced to drink ten bottles of strong liquor, he wouldn't dare to say it!
His swordsmanship was simply not worth mentioning in front of Ying Chen!
However, there was one thing Cang Juezi couldn't understand: what kind of item or person in the Shennong Sect was worth Ying Chen going to such lengths for?
Swish!
The sword intent rained down like a torrential downpour.
It struck the Xuan Yin Gou She, colliding with its scales and emitting crisp cracking sounds.
Although each droplet of sword intent left a shallow white mark on the Xuan Yin Gou She's scales, it ultimately failed to break through its defense.
However, Ying Chen was unconcerned.
Because the true killing move was about to be unleashed!
The preceding sword intents, like raindrops, were merely a smokescreen.
There was only one true killing sword intent.
That sword intent was hidden in the void, waiting for an opportune moment.
Its target was precisely the weak spot on the Xuan Yin Gou She's neck!
"Go!"
Ying Chen roared.
The hidden sword intent instantly tore through the void, reaching the Xuan Yin Gou She's neck.
Before it even touched the Xuan Yin Gou She's neck, the sharp sword intent had already sliced open a small wound on its neck skin!
This was indeed the Xuan Yin Gou She's weak point!
Ying Chen was overjoyed.
However, in the next second, Ying Chen's expression changed instantly.
The sword intent that should have heavily injured the Xuan Yin Gou She suddenly felt like it had struck an iron plate, exploding into a mass of blinding white mist.
It turned out that the Xuan Yin Gou She had spread its scales open at the critical moment, shielding its neck like shields and blocking the sword intent!
Concurrently, the Xuan Yin Gou She revealed a mocking expression.
It seemed to be ridiculing Ying Chen.
Ying Chen frowned slightly, then shouted, "Not good!"
But it was too late. The Xuan Yin Gou She, using the posture of its spread scales, surged into the air!
Transforming into a dragon soaring through the sky, it lunged at Ying Chen!
Its speed was so great that Ying Chen had no time to dodge!
He could only hastily form a hand seal, and an instant later, a golden bell-shaped phantom enveloped Ying Chen.
Bang!
The Xuan Yin Gou She's massive body collided with the bell-shaped phantom, emitting a deafening bell chime.
The bell-shaped phantom flickered a few times before shattering with a crash.
Ying Chen, seizing the opportunity, retreated a hundred meters, distancing himself from the battlefield.
The Xuan Yin Gou She, whose sure-kill attack had failed to kill Ying Chen, seemed exceptionally annoyed.
It glared with its eyes, staring intently at Ying Chen.
Its scales writhed up and down, as if preparing to soar once more.
Cang Juezi and the others, who had just arrived, were greatly alarmed and quickly assumed defensive stances.
However, to their surprise, the Xuan Yin Gou She only feigned an attack. In the next moment, it swayed its tail and disappeared into the depths of the flower field.
"Phew..."
Cang Juezi and the others collectively let out a sigh of relief.
Such a unique creature had truly terrified them.
Most importantly, even Ying Chen was not its match; would they not simply become a meal for that snake?
"Quite interesting. I didn't expect this beast to be capable of trickery."
"Its first escape was actually a feigned retreat. In reality, it deliberately retreated to a higher ground, which allowed it to gain momentum and take flight when its scales spread open."
"And the second attack was a feigned advance. Seeing that we had numbers on our side, it lost its courage. It made a feint and turned to leave."
"It's a shame I couldn't subdue it; otherwise, with its combat power, it would be at least equivalent to a Heavenly Rank expert, as you call them!"
Ying Chen watched the retreating figure of the Xuan Yin Gou She and said.
Cang Juezi and the others were all greatly shocked by this remark.
A snake at the level of a Heavenly Rank expert?
What virtue or merit did the Shennong Sect possess to have such a monstrous beast?
Thinking back now, the Shennong Sect's survival must be credited to the blessings of its ancestors!
And also to the fact that this snake preferred eating plants over meat!
Otherwise, not a single one of the Shennong Sect's eight hundred disciples would have survived!
"Old... Old Ancestor... What on earth is this creature?"
"It seems even you are not its opponent... Should our Shennong Sect then relocate its entire sect and leave this place? To avoid a collective demise by snake jaws one day."
Cang Juezi asked fearfully.
Ying Chen glanced at him sideways and held up two fingers, saying, "Two points. First, this creature is called the Xuan Yin Gou She. It is born from the consumption of Earth Fiend energy and is an innate unique species."
"Second, it's not that I can't defeat it. If I truly wanted to kill it, I have no less than ten methods to subdue it. However, killing it would also destroy that patch of flower field, making it not worth the effort."
"Let's return for now. Once I devise a foolproof plan, I will come back to take its life!"