Xue Chang wasn't doing well.
Although he was able to hold off the snake's attack the first time, that was with the combined momentum of both him and Liu Yang working together.
And even then, they were only able to pause the attack and not stop it completely.
Now it was taking everything in his power to dodge each and every single of the serpent's strikes.
This was no laughing matter either. He had already completely removed his robes and thrown them over to the side.
He narrowly stepped aside to dodge another lunge from the beast but he was just a bit too slow.
The monster barely grazed him but even so the amount of power it held was enough to send him flying and crashing into a wall.
Suddenly he noticed several figures moving around behind him.
It seemed that the hunters who had chosen to stay behind had reach him!
Without saying another word, all of them jumped forward and released their strongest attacks onto the beast.
Sparks and broken chunks of metal flew into the air as most of their weapons shattered upon impact with the monster.
"Everyone fall back!"
The oldest among the group shouted to his companions to move back and get out of range of the creature's attack.
All of them ran back and surrounded themselves around Xue Chang who had fallen to the ground at this point.
A couple of them grabbed him by his arms and helped lift him up.
"Are you alright?"
"Why the hell are you guys here, you need to get out!"
Although Xue Chang was screaming this at them, none of them seemed to even be gazed by his words.
They just shook their heads and one of them responded, "We are hunters, not cowards. How can we just run when one of our comrades is left behind fighting for us? Besides you can use the help, you can't hold this thing off yourself but if we work together we can accomplish anything!"
Xue Chang was stunned by the words the hunter had said. He didn't realize it before but he really had always been fighting by himself. Maybe just this once he finally had some people he could depend on.
He nodded silently and smiled behind his mask.
Although the others couldn't see his expression, the light in his eyes told them all they needed to know.
"Let's do this, by ourselves we are nothing but together we are strong!"
And just as the hunter said that the tail of the serpent whipped past them and immediately knocked all of the hunters around Xue Chang aside.
Each and everyone of them crashed into the hard hot walls while coughing out mouthfuls of blood.
This single attack had incapacitated all of them while narrowly missing Xue Chang himself.
Seeing this, he couldn't help but feel his eye twitch as he mumbled, "As I thought, in the end I can only truly depend on myself. I won't forget the sacrifice all of you made today... thank you."
"We- *cough* aren't- dead..."
Xue Chang gave a sorrowful look as he helped the hunters speaking to him finish his sentence, "... yet. You aren't dead YET."
"Fuck- *cough* you!"
Jokes aside the situation really wasn't looking good.
Now that the meat shields were gone, Xue Chang really had no line of defense left.
And he was already weakened a bit thanks to the earlier attack. At this rate he wouldn't last much longer.
"Hey, do you have any ideas Yong Heng?"
Yong Heng had been silently watching the situation inside of Xue Chang's mind. Seeing the problem they were facing, he gave off a sigh as he said.
"Your best bet is to use that unique skill you made before, but even then with your strength you might not be able to pierce through the beast's tough scales."
"Not good enough, I need something to assure victory. Or at least help me get those idiots stuck in the wall out of here."
Looking at the serpent with a violent gaze, Xue Chang finally noticed something interesting.
"I have a better idea."
Before anyone could ask what was happening, Xue Chang shot forward at shocking speeds and rammed his entire body... passed the snake.
Slamming into the wall behind it, molten rocks bursted from the wall as Xue Chang let out a scream of pain.
"Hot! Hot! Hot!"
The cultivators who were stuck in the wall as well as the snake all looked in his direction as if they were looking at a madman. No one could understand what he was doing.
But he didn't mind, Xue Chang stood up from the crater formed by his crash and pointed arrogantly toward the snake.
"Next time I'll get you."
Once again he launched himself toward the snake, but this time he actually was right on target.
Aiming directly toward its head he gave off several slashes toward its eyes.
The first slash bounced off on its nose due to the monster moving its head back, but luckily his second attack made a clean slice through the pupils, causing the beast to scowl in anger and anguish.
Bringing up its large tail, the monsters began to slam it into the ground over and over again.
This caused the lava in the lake to begin to shake and tremble.
With one final roar, the snake plunged its tail right into the lake causing large waves of lava to fly out toward them.
Xue Chang didn't have to worry about this since he was sure his blade could black the condensed earth fire, but then he realized something.
The monster wasn't targeting him!
He charged forward in a rush toward the hunters stuck in the wall.
Bringing up his saber, he slashed away the lava flying straight toward one.
"This bastard is trying to kill everyone else!"
After saving the first Hunter, he grabbed the man and pulled him out of the wall and charged to the next one.
He did the exact same action again but the last two hunters were in the most danger.
Two globs of earth fire was flying to both of them, but they were too far apart from one another, he could only save one!
But he wasn't one to give up, he was given the duty to protect these people during the expedition and if there was one thing his father always taught him, it was to take his promises and responsibilities very seriously.
With a determined shout he tossed the two hunters on his shoulders into the opening in the cave that would lead to the entrance.
And using all of the strength he had at his disposal, he tossed his saber straight toward one glob of lava, completely dispersing it.
But the other one was still flying straight toward the other one.
Without a weapon in hand, Xue Chang only had one choice left.
He flung himself over toward the hole and used his own body to cover the hunter.
"ARGH! Dammit!"
He felt the skin on his back bubble and melt as a wet feeling flowed down his back.
He knew that his muscles and flesh had been melted off and all that was left was his spine opened to the air.
The hunter in the wall stared deep into the eye holes of Xue Chang's mask as he stared in shock.
"Why did you save me?!"
"Just shut up and get out of here!"
He grabbed the man and threw him toward the first Hunter he saved with the saber.
"Grab him and go!"
The man struggled to his feet and followed Xue Chang's instructions. He quickly picked up his friend and rushed toward the entrance of the cave, looking back once more he screamed to Xue Chang, "WE WILL COME BACK FOR YOU I PROMISE!"
Xue Chang said nothing as he was trying to deal with the pain of the earth fire. Unlike a normal wound the lava was still eating away and melting his flesh, it didn't give his regeneration enough time to take effect.
"What are you going to do now? This time you might seriously die, if that beast throws more earth fire at you you'll melt with nothing left to regenerate!"
Xue Chang chuckled as he coughed out some blood from his internal organs being injured.
Reaching into a sack he had tied to his waist, he pulled out a corked bottle filled with a strange blue powder.
"I just need to hold out right? Don't worry, I have one last trick up my sleeve."
Uncorking the bottle of blue crystal powder, Xue Chang poured the contents right into his mouth.