Chapter 99: Compromise


    The violent movements of the serpent soul sent shockwaves through the area, affecting even Han Ming, who was quite a distance away. The snake clansmen, who were much closer, suffered even more. The Viper Beast Soul, passed down through generations of the snake clan, was not something they could easily withstand.


    Every time the serpent’s tail slammed into the ground, it created a trench several meters deep. The flying debris pierced through the bodies of snake clansmen, killing them instantly.


    This was truly a case of "killing a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of your own."


    The problem was that the serpent soul was fighting in an area densely populated with snake clansmen. The serpent couldn’t unleash its full power without harming its own people. Even so, the number of snake clansmen was rapidly dwindling. From what Han Ming could see, only about a thousand remained.


    "If this continues, the snake clan will be finished," the veiled woman thought, her anxiety growing.


    She had initially wanted to kill Han Ming first, but the strange sword in his hand kept barely deflecting the serpent soul’s attacks. She knew that with a bit more effort, she could kill him, but she didn’t have the time to waste. The red larva was slaughtering her people, and to make matters worse, it seemed to mock her by spinning in circles after each kill, as if flaunting its achievements.


    Every time the larva spun, the woman’s eye twitched. She was on the verge of losing her mind.


    What she hadn’t expected was that the five-stage serpent soul, a legacy of her clan, couldn’t even kill the larva.


    "What kind of monstrosity is this!? It’s harder than diamond!" The woman felt a wave of helplessness.


    "Heh, heh," Han Ming chuckled darkly as he watched the scene unfold.


    He knew full well that he was no match for the woman, let alone the serpent soul. But he wasn’t afraid because the woman had a burden—her people.


    If this dragged on, Han Ming would inevitably die, but the woman’s clan would also suffer heavy losses.


    He was gambling, betting that the woman couldn’t afford to drag this out. She didn’t have the luxury of time.


    "I’ll show you that a five-stage beast soul isn’t as simple as you think!" the woman hissed through gritted teeth.


    Han Ming’s heart tightened.


    He had been wondering why the five-stage serpent soul only seemed to attack by headbutting and tail-slamming. Now, hearing the woman’s words, he realized the serpent soul had a more devastating move.


    Han Ming guessed that since the serpent soul was formed from the woman’s combat aura, using a powerful skill would drain her significantly. That’s why she had held back until now.


    *What kind of move is it?* Han Ming’s heart raced with fear.


    "Death Ray!" the woman shouted.


    The massive serpent soul, following her command, began to shrink rapidly. From its original length of dozens of meters, it condensed into a mere half-meter-long form.


    *What’s it doing?* Han Ming thought, his eyes fixed on the serpent soul as it turned its head toward him. A sense of impending doom washed over him.


    *Sss…*


    A faint whistling sound filled the air.


    Han Ming barely saw the serpent soul transform into a thin line before he felt a searing pain in his abdomen. A hole the width of two fingers had been punched straight through him. The serpent soul had already reappeared some distance behind him.


    Han Ming screamed in agony and collapsed to the ground.


    *Too fast! It’s way too fast!*


    Han Ming hadn’t even seen the serpent soul’s shadow. By the time it transformed into a line, he had already been pierced. He quickly cast a healing spell on himself, his heart pounding with terror. Fortunately, he had absorbed the Seed of Life, and every time he meditated, a portion of his magic power was converted into life force, strengthening his body. This was the only reason he survived the attack.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    The veiled woman, meanwhile, was breathing heavily, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Using such a powerful skill had drained a significant amount of her combat aura.


    "Kill! Kill them all! Damn it, I’ll take you all down with me!" Han Ming, knowing he had no hope left, screamed madly, ordering the larva to slaughter the snake clansmen.


    The larva, sensing Han Ming’s desperation, seemed to awaken a fierce rage. The pride of the Devouring Rainbow Butterfly had been provoked. Its small body began to move at double its previous speed, darting across the ground.


    Every time it lunged, another snake clansman fell.


    The snake clansmen with combat prowess were fast enough to evade the larva, but those who were weaker weren’t so lucky.


    "You’re asking for death!" the woman shouted, commanding the serpent soul again.


    The serpent soul transformed into a thin line once more.


    Han Ming barely had time to think about dodging before another hole appeared in his chest, this time just a finger’s breadth from his heart.


    Han Ming spat blood and collapsed. The powerful life force within him began to work, and with the help of his healing spells, the bleeding gradually slowed.


    "Kill! Kill! Kill!" Han Ming roared.


    The woman stared at Han Ming in shock and disbelief. "What are you made of!? Why won’t you die!?"


    "Ha! Come on, hit me again! I’m not afraid of you! Right here!" Han Ming laughed maniacally, slapping his chest despite the blood pouring from his mouth and wounds.


    The woman was panting heavily. Controlling the five-stage Viper Beast Soul with her four-stage, fifth-tier combat soul was incredibly taxing.


    "Fine! I’ll make sure you die!" she screamed.


    Han Ming knew the serpent soul was about to attack again. There was no way he could dodge it, so he didn’t even try. Instead, he pulled out his giant battle axe, positioning it in front of him, and spat blood onto the Cyan Rainbow Sword. "I’ll fight you to the death!" he shouted.


    As Han Ming swung the sword, the serpent soul attacked.


    At the same time, Han Ming tapped the battle axe with his foot, tilting it slightly. The serpent soul collided with the axe.


    *Clang!*


    A faint metallic sound rang out.


    Han Ming felt an immense force slam into the axe, sending him and the weapon skidding across the ground. They carved a meter-deep trench into the earth.


    The red energy wave from the Cyan Rainbow Sword shot toward the woman.


    Having seen the power of the red wave before, the woman didn’t dare take it lightly. She expended a large amount of combat aura to defend against it.


    The intense crescent of red energy collided with her aura, shattering her defenses instantly. The red wave dissipated as well.


    The woman, being a fifth-tier combat soul, was only slightly shaken by the attack. What truly shocked her was that Han Ming’s battle axe, made from the bark of the World Tree, had withstood the Death Ray without a scratch.


    "This kid is full of treasures!" the woman thought, her legs trembling as she struggled to stand. The massive drain on her combat aura had left her barely able to support her own weight. In truth, with her strength, she could have easily killed Han Ming in a direct fight, albeit with some effort.


    But her people were her greatest burden. She couldn’t afford to drag this out. Meanwhile, her clan had lost another hundred members.


    Han Ming, covered in dust, crawled out of the trench, feeling as though his internal organs had been rearranged. He vomited violently, but only a few mouthfuls of bile came out.


    "Cough… come on, hit me again!" Han Ming gasped.


    "Enough! Stop!" the woman shouted, her arm trembling as she recalled the serpent soul.


    "If you don’t stop now, I’ll kill you even if it costs me more of my people!"


    Han Ming wasn’t stupid. He didn’t want to die. Seeing the woman compromise, he quickly called the red larva back.


    "Take that damned bug and get out of my territory!" the woman roared.


    Today was the most frustrating day of her life. To be pushed to this point by a human who wasn’t even that strong, yet refused to die and was loaded with treasures, was infuriating. Even the insect swarm, the snake clan’s secret weapon, had been completely neutralized by the red larva.


    "Cough… what about my two brothers who died? Your serpent soul collapsed the hall, killing dozens of human women. You owe me compensation," Han Ming said weakly.


    The woman, hearing Han Ming’s unreasonable demand, laughed bitterly. "What about the dozens of my clansmen you killed earlier, and the hundreds more slaughtered by that larva? Shouldn’t you compensate me?"


    "You’re the one who captured us. This is your fault. I’m half-dead anyway, so it’s your call! We can keep fighting if you want," Han Ming said, swaying as he stood before plopping back down. His attitude was clear: if she didn’t compensate him, he’d fight to the death.


    The woman trembled with rage, pointing at Han Ming. "Don’t push me! Do you really think I won’t sacrifice a few hundred more clansmen to kill you?"


    The snake clansmen, terrified by the red larva, fell to their knees, begging. "Elder, please spare us! Our clan is on the verge of extinction because of humans and other beasts. We can’t take any more losses. How will we face our ancestors? How will we face Medusa, our supreme ruler? Our branch of the snake clan can’t end like this!"


    Han Ming, initially pleased by their pleas, froze when he heard the name "Medusa."


    *Holy crap! The desert snake clan is just a branch? They have an even bigger boss!?*


    Medusa—a legendary seventh-stage awakened being. It was said that anyone who met her gaze would turn to stone. She was a figure straight out of myth, and yet she truly existed in this world. And she was the supreme ruler of these snake clansmen.


    *Did I just stir up a hornet’s nest? If Medusa comes after me, even my big brother Sagus won’t be able to save me. A seventh-stage awakened being…*


    Han Ming was starting to regret his actions. In truth, he was overestimating his importance. A seventh-stage awakened being wouldn’t even glance at a third-stage warrior and second-stage mage like him. His worries were unfounded, but Han Ming had a habit of overestimating his own significance.


    The woman, hearing her people’s pleas, felt a pang of guilt. The snake clansmen who had fought in the hall were those who had opposed her rise as clan leader. They had been swayed by other branches of the snake clan. If not for her strength and determination, she would have been overthrown long ago. She had used this opportunity to eliminate the disloyal, so while she was angry about the deaths, she wasn’t overly concerned.


    "What do you want as compensation?" she asked.


    Hearing her tone soften, Han Ming quickly replied, "Give me a fire-attribute magical beast core!"