Xu Que was also sent flying by the sudden lash of the serpent's tail. He crashed onto the searing flames, and with a swift, painful jolt, he sprang to his feet.
At that moment, his mouth was filled with curses. Though the flames did not immediately pose a lethal threat, the searing pain was all too real.
Leaping back onto his black long sword, Xu Que managed to return to the relative safety of the central path. However, he did not rush to attack the Fire-scaled Serpent; instead, he patiently waited.
The serpent's thrashing slowly weakened, while Xu Que's senses expanded in turn.
"Why is this kid at the entrance?"
Fortunately, this forsaken place had few plants, allowing Xu Que's perception to quickly lock onto Ye Gou.
Noticing the serpent's breath steadily diminishing, Xu Que decided to abandon his concern and headed toward the entrance.
Meanwhile, Ye Gou, crouched amidst withered grass, muttered repeatedly to himself, "You can't see me, you can't see me…"
"Hey, what are you doing?" Xu Que approached Ye Gou, kicking him squarely in the rear.
"Wait a minute! Boss, didn't that giant snake eat you?" Ye Gou asked in shock.
"..."
Xu Que's face darkened. He had thought Ye Gou hadn't seen him, but it seemed his awkward predicament had been entirely witnessed.
"I deliberately entered its belly, otherwise how could I have slain it?" Xu Que said, his expression a mix of embarrassment.
Ye Gou didn't seem to notice anything amiss in Xu Que's expression. Instead, he asked, "Did that beast die?"
"Yes, it's nearly finished, which is why I came to find you." Xu Que replied.
Just as he finished speaking, a notification popped up in his system, seemingly to confirm his words:
*Normal Kill: Super A-Rank Boss, Fire-Scaled Serpent x1. Honor Reward: x350.*
"Boss, you're amazing! To kill that giant serpent, you even dared to dive into its stomach!" Ye Gou gave Xu Que a thumbs-up, admiration gleaming in his eyes.
Xu Que feigned indifference, though inside, he felt a rush of fear. "Good thing it was a Fire-Scaled Serpent. Had it been any other creature, I might've been digested by now."
As the two approached the Fire-Scaled Serpent's carcass again, Ye Gou asked, "Boss, the path we passed earlier—was that the one leading to the Ultimate Boss in the underground?"
"Yes." Xu Que nodded. "Next, I need you to face the creatures guarding the altar. Remember, don't be careless. One mistake and you might not make it out alive."
"Boss... can I not do it? I'm really scared." Ye Gou said with a hint of fear in his expression.
For Ye Gou, this was an A-rank space, and he was still a B-rank. Even with the flame plants to cover him, he wasn't sure he could handle the guarding task as Xu Que had instructed.
Xu Que clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry. The Fire-Scaled Serpent is dead, so it should be much easier."
In truth, Xu Que wasn't certain about the accuracy of the past life's records. According to those records, the guardian beast of the altar was the Fire-Scaled Serpent. But now that he had killed it prematurely, he couldn't say for sure what would happen next.
"You said it yourself. If something goes wrong, I'll smash the Return Stone." Ye Gou remarked.
"Fine," Xu Que nodded. "Let's go. We don't have much time."
...
As the two pressed on, they encountered no creatures along the way, as if this desolate place was void of life. Standing at the altar, Xu Que surveyed the surroundings. Just as the records had stated, he felt reassured and stepped into the underground chamber.
Once the stone door to the chamber closed, the flames surrounding the altar immediately flared, engulfing the entire structure.
Seeing this bizarre scene, Ye Gou felt a chill run down his spine.
Following Xu Que's instructions, he began placing flame flowers around his waist. At that moment, over a dozen A-rank flame creatures slowly appeared around the altar.
"Roar!"
A massive flowered leopard, its entire body covered in fiery patterns, roared and leapt onto the altar, its claws dripping with magma-like flames. Each step it took left searing marks on the ground.
The Fire-Flame Leopard roared at Ye Gou before swiftly charging toward him.
"Scoundrel! Take this!" Ye Gou shouted as he swiftly moved, creating distance between himself and the leopard, then unsheathing his sword for a slash.
Though his sword style only possessed the strength of one stroke, the boost from the flame flower made him feel as though he had been granted an enhancement.
"Boom!"
The sword beam struck the Fire-Flame Leopard, lifting it off the ground.
Seeing the creature float in the air as Xu Que had described, Ye Gou's heart surged with joy. He gripped his sword tightly and charged forward.
Although the Fire-Flame Leopard hung in midair, it was far from idle. Its fiery claws slashed at Ye Gou, sending waves of heat toward him.
"Sizzle!" Ye Gou's sleeve was torn as the fiery claws passed.
But that was all!
As the claws slashed his sleeve, Ye Gou's sword also cleaved through the leopard's neck.
The sword's cutting energy severed the Fire-Flame Leopard's head, which shot into the air, trailing scorching blood.
Before Ye Gou could celebrate, another fiery beast, a rhinoceros covered in flames, charged onto the altar.
"Damn it! I haven't even rested yet!" Ye Gou spat, quickly tossing a flame flower onto the Fire-Flame Leopard's corpse.
As the flower touched the carcass, a boiling energy sphere surged into Ye Gou's body.
Ye Gou was astonished but had no time to check his status.
The Fire-Flame Rhino bellowed and charged at him.
Ye Gou swiftly dodged behind a stone, his sword spinning as he slashed toward the rhino's massive head.
The cross-shaped sword beam hit the rhino's head with precision, exploding on impact.
This cross-slash was a technique Ye Gou had learned shortly after reaching B-rank, and he had since favored it over defensive moves, preferring aggressive attacks.
The Fire-Flame Rhino's head shook violently, hot blood dripping from its nostrils.
Seeing the effect of his attack, Ye Gou grinned and tossed his sword into the air. Using his sword technique, he appeared at the rhino's head in the blink of an eye.
"Slash!"
"Boom!"
The rhino's head exploded like a watermelon, sending hot blood spraying everywhere, while its flaming horns turned to ash.
Before Ye Gou could relax, another roar echoed through the air.
Swallowing a stamina potion, Ye Gou quickly placed another flame flower on the Fire-Flame Rhino's corpse. This time, however, the flower didn't emit a scorching energy, but instead, a dark energy ball entered his body.
Feeling this strange force enter, Ye Gou's eyes bulged, and he let out a soul-shattering scream.
In an instant, his once-lean frame swelled with muscle, transforming him into a hulking figure.
"Come on!" Ye Gou growled, staring down the approaching Fire-Flame Wolf.
The wolf, once ferocious, now seemed to hesitate before advancing.
Ye Gou's excitement soared as he felt the boundless strength coursing through his body. He was eager to tear the wolf apart with his bare hands.
"Awooo!" the Fire-Flame Wolf howled, but it was undeterred and charged straight for Ye Gou.
"Just in time. Let's see what you're capable of!"