Strangulation!
One of the deadliest techniques of serpents, its lethality to weak creatures is no less than that of venomous fangs.
Even a mighty tiger, once ensnared by a giant python, could never escape the fate of being strangled to death.
Though the green snake demon, like its entangler, the wasp demon Tang Fei, was also a transformed being, it remained immobilized in its struggle, forced to unleash its demonic fire in a desperate attempt to perish together.
Li Xiaobai performed a swift leap, gazing at the scene before him. Without hesitation, he raised his hand, his sword-like fingers aiming directly at the entangled wasp and green snake demons.
Crimson demonic flames enveloped the two transformed beings, the scent of roasted flesh unmistakably filling the air.
"Quick!"
The green snake, scorched and torn to pieces, seemed to have reached its limit. Unable to bear the agonizing burn of the demonic flames, its wounds were now far worse than in its battle with the bear demon.
Having expended most of its venom on the buffalo demon, the meager remnants could not pose a threat to the venomous wasp demon. Thus, the green snake pinned its last hope of victory on Li Xiaobai, just as it had done before, lacking the strength to launch further attacks.
"Green Snake, let us die together!"
Sensing the increasing pressure of the strangulation, the wasp demon, realizing its inevitable demise, desperately ignited its own demonic flames, causing them to surge fiercely.
Li Xiaobai furrowed his brows slightly, his sword-finger involuntarily swaying.
"Xi He!"
With a single thought, an unseen, mysterious force rapidly coalesced, and a faint white light flickered briefly just a mere inch from the tip of his sword.
Between the wasp demon's massive compound eyes and its two long antennae, a small hole about an inch wide suddenly appeared.
The sword light pierced through its head with lightning speed, not even giving it a chance to react. In an instant, its soul was obliterated. Its death mirrored that of the black horse demon's decapitated head—a hole between the brows, as if a karmic cycle had played out.
The scarlet demonic flames that had wrapped around the wasp and green snake demons lost control, dissipating into wisps of demonic energy.
"SSss!"
Li Xiaobai inhaled sharply, not yet having the time to rejoice over his successful sword strike. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.
The cost of this sword strike had drained him of all energy, leaving him feeling as if he had been hollowed out. The sensation was worse than death itself. His inner "flower," once blooming, now faded again, silently waiting for the next surge of spiritual energy.
But unlike the last time, after releasing the sword light, he was not completely immobile. Even so, his condition had not improved by much.
"Master, hurry! The demon lord, the Three-Eyed Evil Lion, will soon arrive. We stand no chance against it."
The green snake demon, its body charred and torn, urgently called out, knowing this was not the time for rest.
If that Three-Eyed Evil Lion, Mu Du, arrived, there would be no hope for Li Xiaobai and the snake demon, Qing Yao, who had barely survived the killing of two demons. Both of them had no strength left to resist.
"Alright! Let's go!"
Li Xiaobai gasped for breath, struggling to rise to his feet, wobbling toward the green snake demon.
Just moments ago, his sword finger had intentionally avoided the wasp demon's neck and the green snake's vulnerable spot. He had had the chance to kill two birds with one stone and finish off the vile female demon, but for reasons unknown, he had inexplicably let her go.
Through two life-and-death encounters, a silent, inexplicable understanding had developed between him and the demoness.
"Master, I cannot transform!"
The faint, ethereal glow around the green snake flickered but failed to return her to human form.
She knew that without transforming, she would be unable to leave with Li Xiaobai. He could never drag her heavy serpentine form with him.
"Keep going!"
Li Xiaobai, stumbling, yet unwavering, continued toward her. He had no energy left to speak further.
"I will not give up, I will become a great demon, I will…"
The green snake coiled and twisted her body, murmuring in a voice only she could hear, her inner resolve growing stronger with each passing moment. As her belief deepened, the ethereal glow of her transformation brightened, alternating between her alluring human form and her serpentine body, until it stabilized.
When Li Xiaobai neared her, Qing Yao had finally succeeded in taking human form, though her body was badly burned and covered in charred scales. Her torn, scaly garment could barely conceal her beauty.
"Let us go!"
Li Xiaobai bent down, ignoring her state, and with gritted teeth, hoisted the soft, fragile form of the snake demon onto his back, heading toward the hidden cave.
Unlike last time, when he was immobilized after releasing the sword light, this time, possibly due to the lingering effects of the bear demon's gall, his stamina was recovering faster with each step.
Without this improvement, he would never have had the confidence to leave this perilous place with the demoness.
The wildfire, stoked by the demonic flames, raged ever stronger, soon engulfing the bodies of the buffalo and wasp demons, erasing any trace of their existence. The fire consumed all signs of Li Xiaobai and Qing Yao's presence.
Just as they departed, a foul wind swept across the area, weakening the flames as though they had been suppressed by some unknown force.
"What's going on? Tang Fei! Tang Fei! Get out here!"
The Three-Eyed Evil Lion, Mu Du, with blood-red eyes, growled in fury, its filthy, matted mane swaying with each breath. Parasites crawled in and out of its fur, and despite its boastful title, it seemed nothing more than a foul, stinking lion.
In this place, where the residual demonic energy was thick, it found no trace of the intruders.
Suddenly, it felt something underfoot. Looking down, it saw a fragment of a wasp demon's claw still smoldering in the ashes, half-burned, with black and yellow still visible on its surface.
"Who did this? Who dared to kill my subordinates? Come out now!"
Furious, Mu Du roared to the heavens, its heavy demonic energy quashing the flames within a dozen yards, darkening the sky.
But all it heard in return were the occasional cracking sounds of burning trees, no other response.
By now, Li Xiaobai and Qing Yao had long since fled, leaving no trace behind as the fire consumed everything.
The cave, far from the flames, was shielded by thick vines and massive rocks. Li Xiaobai, carrying Qing Yao, stumbled through the thick underbrush and into the cave, collapsing as soon as he entered.
"I'm exhausted… completely exhausted!"
Li Xiaobai, drenched in sweat, rolled his eyes. He had no mind to reflect on the suffocating, intense pressure or the soft warmth he had just experienced. Instead, he gasped heavily, focusing only on regaining his breath.
His left hand, bracing himself on the ground, touched something unusual. Looking down, he realized it was the torch he had discarded earlier, now long extinguished.
He hadn't expected to have the chance to use it again.
After resting for over an hour, the two of them managed to recover enough strength to rekindle the torch. Li Xiaobai led the way deeper into the cave.
Thankfully, he had enough firewood in reserve, and by maintaining only two small campfires for light and roasting the remaining bear demon meat, they didn't need to worry about their basic needs. Li Xiaobai and Qing Yao spent the next two days resting in the cave.
Due to her second serious injury and the lack of sufficient demonic food, as well as the lingering wasp venom in her system, Qing Yao's recovery was much slower.
Meanwhile, Mu Du, the Three-Eyed Evil Lion, enraged by the loss of four transformed demons, vented his frustration by senselessly slaughtering dozens of smaller demons, but still found no leads. His anger only grew as nearly half of his remaining subordinates fled to other powerful demons nearby, leaving him increasingly irritable and without a target for his wrath.
-
Turning inward, Li Xiaobai sensed that the first petal of the mysterious flower within his heart had regained a small portion of its spiritual glow, and he exhaled a relieved breath.
Even without the bear demon's gall or other strengthening materials, this flower could slowly regain its power, though it would take time.
Once the spiritual glow reached full capacity, his "Xi He" sword strike would once again be formidable.
But he was even more eager for the next petal to bloom, as it might signify the second sword strike, and the end of his reliance on a single blow.
Li Xiaobai withdrew his attention and turned his gaze toward a stone platform nearby.
Qing Yao had sat up, holding something in her hands. Wisps of green
energy swirled around the object, and her scarlet lips occasionally parted, releasing thin wisps of black smoke that coiled around it, swiftly merging with it.
After more than an hour, the green energy dissipated, and a powerful howling sound echoed through the cave. Li Xiaobai felt a violent gust of wind rush toward him, making his breath catch, almost suffocating him.
Despite his newfound ability to release a sword strike that could pierce anything, he remained an ordinary mortal and could not withstand the aftereffects of a transformed demon's magic.
Sensing his discomfort, Qing Yao extended her hand, halting the wind's force as if it had never existed.
"What… what are you doing?"
Li Xiaobai coughed twice, looking at the object in her hands, which had shrunk by half.
The strange object, once a foot long, now appeared more like a "chopstick," leaving him completely puzzled.
"I am refining the wasp demon's stinger," Qing Yao said, her sly, calculating nature returning. She flaunted the still-unrefined stinger with a glimmer in her eyes.
"What?"
Li Xiaobai froze for a moment, then his expression darkened.
The ancient saying echoed in his mind: *The green bamboo snake's bite, the wasp's stinger; both harmless, yet the deadliest is a woman's heart.* Once again, he felt the overwhelming malice of this world.