Just as the infant serpent poised to strike again, an unexpected shadow enveloped its tiny frame, trapping it completely.
Xiao Chen moved swiftly, layering dozens of sealing talismans over the trapped serpent, creating a cocoon so thick that no vibrations or movement could escape. Only after the talismans settled did he let out a sigh of relief, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. The sheer speed and lethality of the serpent had shaken him.
If not for the Golden Seal's unparalleled detoxification abilities, I would have been dead a hundred times over, he thought, his expression lingering on the edge of terror.
"Seems the ancient texts were incomplete," he muttered wryly. "Not only is the infant serpent extraordinarily venomous, but its speed is absolutely terrifying."
He carefully stowed the sealed serpent into his storage pouch. Perhaps this creature could be of use someday.
With the serpent subdued, Xiao Chen turned his gaze to the lifeless infant fruit tree. Its once-vibrant branches had withered into brittle twigs, and the solitary Infant Transformation Fruit hung on a fragile stem. As he stored the fruit in a jade box, a flicker of triumph crossed his face. This journey had been fraught with peril, but the rewards—a wealth of ten-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs—were beyond his wildest dreams.
Deep within the jade altar, the mysterious woman's eyes snapped open, her teeth clenched in rage.
"The Infant Transformation Fruit... stolen!" she hissed, her voice trembling with fury. "After all these years of painstaking cultivation, that brat has plundered everything! When I break free, I'll flay him alive and make him suffer a thousand agonies!"
Yet as her anger simmered, a strange mix of emotions colored her face. Her cheeks flushed faintly, and the icy fury in her gaze softened with an inexplicable shyness. Her natural allure, heightened by the blush, gave her an almost girlish charm, a stark contrast to her usual domineering presence.
Her moment of distraction allowed the glowing patterns on the jade altar to surge forward, their blood-red tendrils pulsing like veins closing in on her. With a deep breath, she forced herself into a meditative calm, fending off the creeping influence of the altar's suppressive forces. The balance between her and the seal slowly stabilized once more.
"Roar!"
The sound shook the walls, sending cracks spiderwebbing through the stone. Shards of rock disintegrated into dust under the sheer force of the guttural howl.
Within the Path of Death, the corpse puppet had undergone a grotesque transformation. Its form now resembled a towering Jiangshi, standing over two meters tall with pallid skin and jagged fangs protruding from its twisted mouth. Its spiritual pressure had surged to the equivalent of a mid-Golden Core cultivator, though its aura fluctuated erratically.
The creature advanced relentlessly, navigating the deadly array with unnerving precision. Its massive frame displayed a bizarre agility, evading the most dangerous traps while shrugging off lesser attacks. The creature's durable corpse body absorbed blows that would have pulverized mortal flesh, leaving only scars oozing putrid green ichor. The corrosive liquid sizzled as it struck the ground, leaving pockmarks on the stone.
"Seal... Master's command... Intruders... KILL! KILL! KILL!" the creature rasped, its voice growing louder and more frenzied with each repetition of the word "kill."
Boom!
The array raged on, its intricate mechanisms activating in an attempt to halt the corpse's advance. Yet the relentless Jiangshi charged forward, heedless of the damage it sustained, tearing through the Path of Death with brutal efficiency.
"Look out! That ghost king's about to self-destruct!"
The corpulent Daoist, his face pale with fear, hurled a talisman forward. It expanded into a translucent barrier, but his hands didn't stop, layering additional spiritual shields in front of himself as he dashed deeper into the cavern.
The old crone's face darkened. Though reluctant, she gritted her teeth and activated a surge of dark light around her body, propelling herself after him at enhanced speed.
BOOM!
The ghost king exploded. The force of the detonation tore through the cavern, hurling boulders like leaves in a storm. The shockwave, like a tidal wave of destruction, raced after the fleeing pair.
The Daoist's shield cracked under the impact, the sound of its collapse sharp and jarring.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
The successive spiritual shields he had hastily erected were obliterated in an instant. The blast slammed into his chest, sending him flying backward with a cry of pain. Blood spurted from his mouth as he crashed into the rocky floor.
The crone, sensing the impending disaster, withdrew a pale bone fragment no larger than a finger. With a desperate surge of spiritual energy, she hurled it behind her. The fragment expanded into a towering bone shield that managed to hold the shockwave at bay for a few precious seconds—just long enough for her to cast a series of defensive talismans.
BOOM!
Her shields shattered one after another, but the crone emerged battered but alive, collapsing near the Daoist.
When the dust finally settled, the cavern had nearly doubled in size, the stone walls blown outward by the explosion. Though fortunate to survive, both Golden Core cultivators bore the marks of their ordeal.
Panting heavily, the corpulent Daoist exchanged a look with the crone. Both saw relief—and lingering fear—in each other's eyes.
"A ghost king's self-destruction," the Daoist muttered, his voice trembling. "Its power rivals that of a Golden Core cultivator detonating their core. If we'd been a moment slower, we'd have perished."
The crone scowled, her face etched with frustration. "That cursed thing! If I'd captured its core, I would've tormented it until it disintegrated into nothing!"
Her already sour expression darkened further, the lingering bitterness of their close call evident in her tone.