Just as Qing Hong was in a daze, Yang Ye swiftly moved and appeared in front of her. With a "clang" sound, his Dark Iron Sword was unsheathed and swiftly slashed towards the Double-Winged Snake, which was dangerously close. In an instant, a golden sword qi shot out from the tip of the Dark Iron Sword, slicing through the head of the Double-Winged Snake.
"Splurt!"
At that moment, the seemingly impenetrable scales of the Double-Winged Snake were easily sliced apart by the golden sword qi from Yang Ye's sword. The snake's massive body split into two halves and fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
Seeing this scene, Man Zi and Xiao Hei, who had rushed over, froze in place. They stared blankly at the eighth rank Double-Winged Snake that had been cut in half by Yang Ye's single strike, then looked at Yang Ye standing with his sword. For a moment, they couldn't react.
Among the group, Qing Hong was the first to snap out of her daze. She looked at Yang Ye's slightly slender figure, and her beautiful eyes flickered with a peculiar light.
The scene just now was truly shocking!
In fact, it wasn't just Qing Hong and the others who were shocked; even Yang Ye himself was somewhat astonished. He knew that his golden qi was powerful after the mutation, as he could already break through the defense of a sixth rank Mystic Beast when his qi was still a pale gold color. However, he didn't expect that this fully golden qi would be so terrifying. A single sword strike had cut the Double-Winged Snake, which was an eighth rank Mystic Beast, in half.
After thinking for a moment, Yang Ye roughly understood. His mutated qi had indeed increased in power, which was undeniable. However, the credit for severing the Double-Winged Snake should also go to the Splitting Blade Technique. Otherwise, even though he could break through the snake's defense with his normal attacks, it wouldn't be as terrifying as it was just now.
"Yang, brother Yang, are you a disciple of the Sword Sect?" Man Zi asked with a bitter smile as he and Xiao Hei approached Yang Ye. The scene just now had been incredibly shocking. The four of them at the ninth rank of the Mystic realm couldn't break through the defense of the Double-Winged Snake, yet this young man, who was only at the seventh rank of the Mystic realm, had effortlessly cut it in half with a single strike. It was undoubtedly a blow to them.
Putting away his Dark Iron Sword, Yang Ye shook his head and replied in a calm tone, "I'm not a disciple of the Sword Sect, at least not yet." He didn't have a good impression of the two men before him. Although Man Zi hadn't been as terrible as Xiu Yuan, his cold and distant attitude was quite evident.
Hearing Yang Ye's indifferent tone, Man Zi felt somewhat awkward. He knew that their attitude towards Yang Ye, along with Xiu Yuan's, had caused Yang Ye to have a negative impression of them. Thinking of this, Man Zi couldn't help but smile bitterly. He had missed the opportunity of recruiting a strong ally.
Man Zi forced a bitter smile, then looked at the Double-Winged Snake on the ground and said, "Brother Yang, this Double-Winged Snake..." The snake was slain by Yang Ye, so technically it belonged to him. They had only asked Yang Ye to clean up the battlefield and didn't include him in their team, so there was no agreement to divide the spoils. Thinking of this, Man Zi felt even more regretful.
Yang Ye glanced at the Double-Winged Snake on the ground, pondered for a moment, and said, "If there is an inner core, give it to me. You can have the rest." Yang Ye wasn't in need of money at the moment. The reason he wanted the inner core was out of curiosity. He had never seen an inner core before.
Upon hearing Yang Ye's words, Man Zi felt a surge of joy. Initially, he thought they wouldn't get any share of the Double-Winged Snake, but now Yang Ye only wanted the inner core. It should be noted that besides the inner core, the snake's skin was also quite valuable. For the three of them, it was already a significant gain.
Thanking Yang Ye, Man Zi and Xiao Hei hurriedly went to extract the tendons and peel the skin of the snake.
Yang Ye paid no attention to the two men and turned to look at Qing Hong. He felt a genuine fondness for this seductive and charming woman. He walked slowly towards her, observing her flushed face. When he saw the slight embarrassment and shyness in her eyes, his heartbeat quickened. Qing Hong could be considered the most beautiful person he had seen so far, with her enchanting face, slender figure, and especially the full bosom beneath her beast skin clothing, pushing against the fabric as if about to burst out.
Yang Ye's eyelids twitched, and he couldn't help but touch his nose, smiling as he asked, "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Qing Hong withdrew her gaze and shook her head, wearing a wry smile. "I didn't expect you to be so powerful. I was being meddlesome earlier." She recalled the moments when she repeatedly advised Yang Ye not to leave her side, and her beautiful face turned even hotter.
"I wanted to take action, but you kept stopping me. So, it's not my fault..." Yang Ye shrugged his shoulders and chuckled.
Upon hearing Yang Ye's words, Qing Hong's complexion softened. She glanced at him, thinking about her somewhat childish behavior earlier, and her cheeks turned even redder. Inwardly, she questioned herself, "What's wrong with me? Why do I care so much about his opinion?" Her face flushed even more, but after a moment, she shook her head discreetly.
Observing Qing Hong's blushing cheeks and her shy demeanor, Yang Ye's heartbeat accelerated further. He found her to be incredibly attractive, and his interest in her went beyond friendship.
"Yang, Brother Yang, are you a disciple of the Sword Sect?" At this moment, Man Zi interrupted their interaction, breaking the silence. He looked at Yang Ye with a bitter smile. The scene earlier had deeply shaken them. As Ninth Rank cultivators, they couldn't breach the defense of the Double-Winged Snake, yet this Seventh Rank cultivator had effortlessly cleaved it in half. It was quite a blow to their confidence.
Putting away his playful thoughts, Yang Ye nodded and replied, "I am not a disciple of the Sword Sect, at least not officially."
Upon hearing Yang Ye's response, Man Zi's expression became even more bitter. He realized that their previous attitude towards Yang Ye and Ren Xuan had likely left a negative impression. Though he wasn't as contemptuous as Ren Xuan, the aloofness and coldness were quite apparent.
Understanding Man Zi's embarrassment, Yang Ye gave him a faint smile and said, "It's alright. Don't worry about it."
Grateful for Yang Ye's understanding, Man Zi couldn't help but feel regret. He had missed the chance to recruit such a formidable ally. With a bitter sigh, he looked at the Double-Winged Snake on the ground and said, "Brother Yang, this Double-Winged Snake..."
Yang Ye glanced at the snake on the ground, pondered for a moment, and said, "If there is an inner core, give it to me. You can have the rest." Yang Ye wasn't in need of money at the moment. The reason he wanted the inner core was out of curiosity. He had never seen an inner core before.
Upon hearing Yang Ye's words, Man Zi felt a surge of joy. Initially, he thought they wouldn't get any share of the Double-Winged Snake, but now Yang Ye only wanted the inner core. It should be noted that besides the inner core, the snake's skin was also quite valuable. For the three of them, it was already a significant gain.
Thanking Yang Ye, Man Zi and Xiao Hei hurriedly went to extract the tendons and peel the skin of the snake.
Yang Ye paid no attention to the two men and turned to look at Qing Hong. He felt a genuine fondness for this seductive and charming woman. He walked slowly towards her, observing her flushed face. When he saw the slight embarrassment and shyness in her eyes, his heartbeat quickened. Qing Hong could be considered the most beautiful person he had seen so far, with her enchanting face, slender figure, and especially the full bosom beneath her beast skin clothing, pushing against the fabric as if about to burst out.
Yang Ye scratched his nose awkwardly as his gaze shifted down to Qing Hong's exposed waist. Perhaps due to her frequent hunts in the wilderness, Qing Hong's skin wasn't as fair as other women's; instead, it had a healthy wheat-like color. However, her complexion wasn't the focal point. It was the charm of her slender waist—there was not an ounce of excess flesh on it, smooth and flat. Even without touching it, one could feel the softness of her waist.
With her captivating and somewhat seductive face, ample bosom, slender figure, and the beast skin skirt she wore, Qing Hong exuded a mix of elegance, maturity, and charm.
Yang Ye hadn't paid much attention to Qing Hong's beauty before, nor had he closely observed her. However, her kind gestures had genuinely endeared her to him. In his mind, Qing Hong was someone who could become a friend.
But now, as he observed her up close, he realized that this potential friend was genuinely beautiful and alluring.
Upon seeing Yang Ye staring at her, Qing Hong suddenly felt self-conscious. She pondered for a moment and then revealed a charming smile. "Do you think Qing Hong is beautiful?"
At her words, Yang Ye subconsciously nodded. But just as he nodded, his heart skipped a beat, and he looked at Qing Hong intently. He noticed that she was gazing at him with a mischievous smile.
Blushing, Yang Ye awkwardly scratched his nose and was about to say something when Man Zi and Xiao Hei arrived in front of him. Man Zi took out a small, white bead about the size of a fingertip from his pocket and handed it to Yang Ye. "Brother Yang, this is the inner core of the Double-Winged Snake."
Taking the white bead, Yang Ye carefully examined the inner core of the beast. It was small, pure white, and emitted a faint energy fluctuation.
"What can this inner core be used for?" Yang Ye asked, looking at the inner core in his hand.
Man Zi smiled and replied, "The inner core has various uses. It can be used to refine pills, feed certain beasts, and, most importantly, it can be embedded in some profound treasures. However, that requires a runemaster to inscribe an array."
Yang Ye's eyelids twitched upon hearing this. He hadn't expected the inner core to have so many uses. After placing the inner core in his pocket, Yang Ye asked, "By the way, you frequently hunt beasts in this Ten Thousand Serpent Forest, so you must be quite familiar with the area."
Man Zi nodded and said, "Within a thousand miles, we are relatively familiar. However, beyond this range, we are unfamiliar. There are powerful mercenary groups in those areas, and we dare not enter. The majority of beasts there are already beast kings, or even stronger."
Beast kings!
Upon hearing those two words, Yang Ye's expression turned grave. Beast kings were equivalent to human innate experts, but their combat strength surpassed that of human innate experts.
After a moment of silence, Yang Ye asked, "How much more time do we need to leave the Ten Thousand Serpent Forest?" Yang Ye had already made up his mind to seek out powerful beasts. Only by battling such formidable creatures could he strengthen himself. At this point, he had an urgent need to enhance his strength.
Man Zi looked up at the sky and replied, "We can leave the Ten Thousand Serpent Forest tomorrow. Tonight, we need to rest here in the forest."
"Rest in the Ten Thousand Serpent Forest?" Yang Ye was taken aback. "Is it safe to rest here with so many snakes around?"
"You fool!" Qing Hong rolled her eyes at Yang Ye and said, "The Ten Thousand Serpent Forest is dense and impenetrable. Even moonlight can't penetrate it at night. It's more dangerous to travel in the dark with no light."
Upon hearing her words, Yang Ye awkwardly scratched his nose. This was his first time venturing out like this, and he was clearly unfamiliar with these matters. Being called a fool made him even more embarrassed.
Seeing Yang Ye's embarrassed expression, Qing Hong couldn't help but burst into laughter. She had realized that although Yang Ye possessed formidable strength, he was still a novice when it came to experiences like these. In many aspects, aside from his strength, Yang Ye was quite inexperienced!