Silent Kill! . . .
Erhuo seethed with anger, a tempest of emotion surging through its tiny frame. Its qi erupted like a clap of thunder, causing hundreds of snakes to be paralyzed by its might. They were so terrified that they dared not make a move. Even after Erhuo had departed, they remained motionless, frozen in place by a potent fear.
Amidst this spectacle, Xiao Mufei continued his grueling battle against the formidable snakes. He strained to turn the tide of the conflict, but a ring of level seven snakes, each akin to a Dream Origin Stage cultivator in terms of power, encircled him. Their impenetrable defenses and deadly venom made it a grim fight for survival, and Xiao Mufei's movements were hindered.
Unbeknownst to him, a mere few paces away, a diminutive white cat was gracefully traversing the field of snakes. Xiao Mufei, a Dao Origin Stage cultivator, was utterly oblivious to the cat's presence.
However, within the heat of battle, Xiao Mufei gradually sensed something peculiar unfolding.
The snakes, which had initially fought with fervor, appeared to weaken. At first, he attributed this to a potential build-up for a final, desperate assault, but the behavior of the snakes soon became more perplexing. Some began to glance around in confusion, their serpentine heads swiveling as they panicked.
Xiao Mufei, for his part, was baffled.
[We are in the midst of combat...]
[Have you not noticed my presence? I am a Dao Origin Stage cultivator, after all!]
[It's as though they are underestimating me! Very well, then. Let them avert their gaze. It may grant me the opportunity I need to break free, challenge the snake king, and conclude this seemingly hopeless battle once and for all.]
Yet the situation grew progressively stranger.
The once-eager big snakes, which had fought with such intensity, suddenly began to retreat. They lowered their heads and commenced hissing.
And then...
– Zoom! –
The snakes fled the battle scene as if their lives depended on it. They resembled miscreants who had just discovered that their adversary was none other than the boss of their own boss—the sort of boss who could annihilate them with a mere cough!
In this unexpected turn of events, the snakes, in their hasty retreat, bore an uncanny resemblance to dogs with tails tucked between their legs. Of course, snakes were not akin to dogs, but their behavior mirrored that of frightened canines.
Xiao Mufei watched in bewildered amazement. It was as though he had become the boss of these unruly subordinates, and they would follow his orders at the drop of a hat to preserve their own lives.
When he swung his sword for the next attack, there was nothing to strike, for there were no snakes before him. He spun around and realized that the snakes behind him had also swiftly withdrawn from the battle scene, as though they had been given the order to retreat.
The snakes were in full retreat, dispersing in all directions. It was an unusual resolution to their predicament, and Cha Eun Xiao couldn't help but find it absurd, though hardly amusing.
[But wait, there's still one loose end—alive, the snake king!]
This thought quickly crossed Xiao Mufei's mind, prompting him to make a beeline for the golden snake. However, when he arrived at the spot where the creature had been, it had mysteriously vanished.
[What?]
[Even the snake king has fled?]
[Is it over?]
[This feels like a nightmare. Is it truly finished?]
Xiao Mufei stood there, baffled and disoriented. On the other side, the disciples of Cold Moon Palace were struck by a wave of relief. The snakes had vanished, and their relief was palpable. In the air hung only the scent of blood and a lingering fog. Lifeless snake bodies sprawled on the battlefield, while no living snakes could be seen.
Over a dozen men seated themselves upon the ground, drained of all energy. The battle had taken its toll. They had expended their strength, their spirits depleted. With the cessation of the fight, they lacked the vitality even to lift a finger. While they knew the battle was over, the abrupt turn of events left them perplexed and bewildered.
Meanwhile, a diminutive, white creature made its way back to Cha Eun Xiao. In its mouth, it carried half of a golden snake's body, its severed head visible. It appeared somewhat disgusted as it mumbled, "You take things from a cute little cat... You're so... stingy..."
Cha Eun Xiao remained unfazed, accepting the offering with an outstretched hand and stowing the golden snake's head in his spatial storage. Unconcerned by its remarks, he playfully tapped Erhuo's head. "What else have you got? Hand it over!"
Erhuo's countenance turned somewhat sorrowful.
[What kind of person are you? How did you know I was keeping something for myself? You've already taken the best part. Can't you leave me something? Why must I serve such a miserly master?]
Erhuo opened its mouth, emitting silver light as it spat out an assortment of items. Cha Eun Xiao pinched its wet nose and remarked, "You fool! Place them into the spatial storage. Snake skin is tough and leathery. How can you swallow it whole? Removing the skin will make it taste much better."
Upon hearing this, Erhuo, seeing the logic in the explanation, slinked into Cha Eun Xiao's garments and vanished into the spatial storage. It then ejected the dozens of large snake corpses inside.
Cha Eun Xiao and Erhuo were both unaware that Erhuo could now enter the spatial storage at its own discretion. While Brother Egg needed Cha Eun Xiao's command to enter and exit the spatial storage, Erhuo had developed the ability to come and go as it pleased.
Erhuo gazed upon the horde of snake corpses within the spatial storage and eagerly anticipated the scaleless snakes Cha Eun Xiao would create for it. It was absolutely delighted.
[So much food! Delectable food!]
[This is going to be a feast!]
[Meow meow!]