Hiss!
The giant serpent flicked its several-meter-long tongue as it darted toward Ling Yun. With a sudden lash of its tail, it struck him with tremendous force.
With a loud crash, Ling Yun was sent flying. "This serpent is powerful; that strike had the force of at least a fifth level Cave Heaven cultivator!"
Unfazed by its missed strike, the serpent lunged at him again.
"Earth Flame Explosion!" Ling Yun summoned pillars of flame, but the serpent deftly dodged, bending its body in an arc. Ling Yun charged forward, engaging the serpent in fierce hand-to-hand combat.
One human and one serpent battled from midday until nightfall, leaving a trail of toppled trees in their wake. Ling Yun noticed that each time the serpent attacked, a faint glow emitted from the bracelet around its neck.
He tried to remove it during the fight, but it was firmly fastened, resisting even his Venomous Needle.
Hiss! The serpent spat a stream of poison, which Ling Yun narrowly dodged.
Boom!
Seizing an opening, he climbed atop the serpent's head, unleashing a relentless barrage of attacks. The serpent was left reeling, its eyes filled with stars as it thrashed wildly. Forced to dismount, Ling Yun turned back only to see the serpent had vanished into the dense forest.
"Damn! It actually ran away!" Ling Yun fumed. This was his first time feeling helpless, and it was against a mere beast. He had the power to slay it, but it wasn't worth the cost. The Soul Devourer Art and the Solitary Sword Technique could kill it instantly, but using either would leave him exhausted—a dangerous state in the Scarlet Secret Realm.
To vent his frustration, he caught a few small snakes and made a hearty snake stew.
"So fragrant!"
The aroma wafted for miles, drawing attention.
"Where's that delicious smell coming from?" Gu Xiaoxu wondered aloud.
"Smells like food," a sixth-level Cave Heaven cultivator noted.
"Who's stupid enough to cook in the Scarlet Secret Realm? Do they have a death wish?" she scoffed. "Let's go check it out."
...
"Young Master Ling!" Gu Xiaoxu exclaimed, posing dramatically upon spotting Ling Yun.
Ling Yun squinted. "Aren't you… Gu Yan's daughter, Gu Xiaoxu?"
He remembered her as the woman who often stirred up trouble near his cave residence. She had a memorable, if peculiar, presence.
"Young Master Ling, it must be fate bringing us together again," Gu Xiaoxu declared, boldly helping herself to a bowl of snake stew without invitation.
"It's truly delicious!" she shouted with gusto.
Ling Yun sighed, mildly regretting not walking away. Her companions, equally perturbed, only tolerated her presence due to the perks Gu Yan had promised them.
"Remember to wash the pot when you're done. I'm off to rest," Ling Yun remarked, leaping up to a nearby tree branch to close his eyes.
"Rest easy, Young Master Ling; I'll keep watch!" Gu Xiaoxu pounded her chest in assurance.
But as for who would clean the pot, that was left to be settled. Reluctant to stoop to the task, the other women's glances quickly settled on the lowest-ranking disciple, Zhao Anni, who grudgingly complied under intense peer pressure.
By morning, Ling Yun awoke to find Gu Xiaoxu asleep like a log. Seizing the opportunity, he snuck away.
Noticing him leaving, Zhao Anni kept silent; perhaps Gu Xiaoxu would be more manageable without him around.
Around midday, a black pillar of light shot into the sky, visible for hundreds of miles around. Ling Yun spotted it too.
"An artifact must be emerging," he mused, deciding to head toward the pillar.
As he traveled, he noticed other Cave Heaven cultivators flying in the same direction. No one engaged in conflict; everyone's focus was on the treasure.
When Ling Yun arrived, dozens had already gathered, most of them female Cave Heaven cultivators. Floating close to the source were two ninth-level Cave Heaven cultivators he recognized: Lu Ruo from the Spirit Beast Peak and Xie Leyao from the Sword Peak.
Seeing Ling Yun on the ground, Xie Leyao descended. "Young Master Ling, it's dangerous here. Would you like my protection?" she teased, her fox-like eyes sizing him up.
"Thank you, but I'm just here to observe. I'll stay out of the fray," Ling Yun replied politely.
Xie Leyao smirked and returned to her position. Nearby, Lu Ruo shot Ling Yun a look of disdain. In her eyes, he was just a man who used his looks to gain cultivation resources, casting his net far and wide.
The source of the black pillar was a sphere of light, obscuring something inside. As the light dimmed, a pair of black gloves materialized, radiating the power of a high-grade profound artifact.
"A high-grade Profound level artifact!" Lu Ruo's eyes gleamed with desire.
Around them, the other cultivators' eyes filled with greed. Xie Leyao struck first, reaching for the gloves.
"How dare you!" Lu Ruo unleashed a fiery slash, forcing Xie Leyao to defend herself.
"Just you wait, Lu Ruo!" Xie Leyao fumed as their fight escalated, sending shockwaves through the area that instantly killed weaker cultivators nearby.
"I got it!" a seventh-level Cave Heaven cultivator shouted triumphantly, only to be blasted to pieces by a flurry of attacks seconds later.
The scene descended into chaos. Ling Yun skulked at the edge, quietly using the Soul Devourer Art and Blood Refining Technique to strengthen himself amidst the fray.
"Look at that Sword Sect pretty boy! Check out that body," snickered a group of five female cultivators, encircling him.
The leader, a fourth-level Cave Heaven cultivator, smirked. "Young Master Ling, if you serve us well, we might just spare your life."
One of them reached out to touch him, but a swift sword stroke left her hand severed.
"Sun Devouring Sword!" Ling Yun activated his skill, creating an intense burst of light. When it cleared, four of them lay dead.
Only the fourth level cultivator survived, her defensive artifact in shambles, terror in her eyes. What she thought would be an easy target had turned into a deadly mistake.
"Mercy, Young Master Ling! Let's talk this out!" she begged.
Ling Yun remained silent, advancing with intent. "You asked for this," the woman muttered, releasing the power of her four Cave Heavens.
"Swift Win—urk!"
Blood pooled at her brow, her attempt interrupted by Ling Yun's Venomous Needle. With practiced efficiency, he concealed her body, slipping away.
Overhead, Xie Leyao and Lu Ruo were still locked in a fierce battle, neither willing to yield. The black gloves lay on the ground, unattended, their gleaming surface almost beckoning to him.
The perfect chance!