Chapter 120: The Nine-Headed Serpent Emperor
The pursuers, seeing the sudden appearance of a mysterious woman whose strength they couldn’t fathom, halted in their tracks, too wary to approach.
Han Ming, burdened with a critical mission, couldn’t afford to waste time. Seeing the woman’s immense power, he quickly spoke up, “I don’t care who you are, but the demon army is gathering in the Ghost Domain. If you believe me, go to the Monte Empire and find an old man named Merlin. Tell him what’s happening.”
The woman chuckled. “Why don’t you go yourself?”
Han Ming replied urgently, “I’m not strong enough. It would take me at least two months to get out of the Desolate Forest, and with so many people chasing me, I’d only delay things.”
The woman tilted her head, studying Han Ming for a moment. His desperation seemed genuine.
“I can protect you. If I go to deliver the message, what will you do?” she probed.
Han Ming shook his head. “Don’t worry about me. This is too important. Just go. I’ll handle my own problems.”
The woman’s expression turned serious. “Are you sure about the demon army gathering? Is this real?”
Han Ming nodded emphatically.
The woman’s face showed disbelief. “Wait here. I’ll be back.” With that, she transformed into a streak of light and dashed into the Desolate Flame Prison.
Han Ming knew the matter was too grave for her to take his word for it. She must have gone to verify it herself.
While she was gone, Han Ming took the opportunity to absorb several small crystals, replenishing his energy and healing his wounds. He felt somewhat restored.
Seeing the woman leave, the pursuers resumed their chase.
“Damn these idiots!” Han Ming cursed under his breath, speeding up as he continued to treat his injuries.
This time, he didn’t have the task of hunting magical beasts, and he was somewhat familiar with the terrain of the various perilous regions. It had taken him over half a year to reach this point, excluding the year he spent learning from Li Xiaotian. Now, his return journey was much faster.
Along the way, the Desolate Storm dispatched two more city lords to pursue him.
Han Ming raced ahead, a massive crowd of pursuers hot on his heels.
Ten days later, Han Ming reached the edge of the Desolate Storm, where it bordered the Ancient Desolate Forest. He bore several deep wounds, mostly inflicted by the two city lords. Reluctantly, he had the demon soul delay the city lords while he continued his desperate run.
Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared before him.
It was the woman.
“You were right. The demon army is indeed gathering. The seal is weakening, but for now, only fourth-tier demon soldiers can pass through. The situation isn’t catastrophic yet. I’ll go find that old man Merlin. Take care of yourself.”
She tossed Han Ming a strange herb before vanishing into the distance.
Han Ming examined the herb. Trusting that the woman had no reason to harm him—she could easily kill him with a wave of her hand—he chewed and swallowed it.
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A cooling sensation spread through his body, revitalizing him. Though his wounds remained, he felt significantly better and picked up his pace.
A month later, Han Ming finally arrived at the Desolate Ice Plains. Along the way, he had no choice but to pass through the Desert Snake Clan’s territory again, as it was the only route he knew to the outside world.
The snake people, recognizing Han Ming, were furious and sent their warriors after him, adding to his pursuers.
The tracking mark for the Profound Sky Ice Silkworm was growing fainter.
Han Ming knew the silkworm might be emerging from its cocoon. Glancing back, he saw that the demon soul and Xiao Jian had successfully delayed the pursuers, who were now nowhere in sight. It seemed he had bought himself some time.
With that, Han Ming sprinted toward the fading tracking mark.
As he approached the ridge where he had first encountered the ice silkworm, the mark suddenly vanished.
Panicking, Han Ming slowed down and hid in a crevice within an ice mountain. He took out the five fire-attributed beast cores, the three Blazing Grass plants, and the Crimson Flame Eagle’s corpse.
“I wonder if the Crimson Flame Eagle has a core,” Han Ming thought, reaching into the eagle’s body. Soon, he pulled out a fire-attributed core.
Delighted, Han Ming realized this would enhance the potion’s potency. The ice silkworm’s strength upon emerging was uncertain, but the extra core would make the concoction even more effective.
He took out a large ceramic bowl, placed the cores and Blazing Grass inside, and used the hilt of his Cyan Rainbow Sword to crush and grind them into powder.
“The Crimson Flame Eagle is dead, so I can’t feed it the powder. I’ll have to apply it directly. It shouldn’t affect the potency too much.”
After some hesitation, Han Ming carefully spread the powder throughout the eagle’s body, ensuring every part was covered.
Once done, he set aside a small amount of powder for later use and quietly approached the cave where the ice silkworm had cocooned.
The cave no longer emitted the white mist, which relieved Han Ming. At least he could enter.
He threw the prepared Crimson Flame Eagle corpse near the cave entrance and hid behind an ice block, holding his breath as he waited for the ice silkworm to appear.
Half an hour passed, but there was no movement.
“Has the ice silkworm left? Or has it evolved and no longer craves the Crimson Flame Eagle?”
Han Ming’s heart sank. If so, his two years of effort would have been for nothing.
As the sky darkened, despair set in.
“Two years… wasted,” Han Ming sighed deeply.
*Rustle… rustle…*
A faint sound reached Han Ming’s ears. His body stiffened, and his ears perked up. The hope he had nearly abandoned flared again.
He peered toward the cave entrance and saw a tall, shadowy figure slowly emerging.
The figure moved awkwardly, clearly weakened from just breaking out of its cocoon.
Han Ming’s eyes widened as the figure stepped into the light, revealing its true form.
His heart nearly stopped.
“W-what is that!?” Han Ming stammered, his voice trembling.
Before him stood a massive creature, five meters tall, with four thick legs and nine long necks, each crowned with a serpent’s head. Its yellow eyes glowed with an eerie light, their pupils slit like a snake’s.
“The Nine-Headed Serpent Emperor! What’s it doing here!?” the demon soul’s voice echoed in Han Ming’s mind, startling him.
The Nine-Headed Serpent Emperor!? A sixth-tier magical beast!? How could the ice silkworm have evolved into this? Snakes lay eggs—how did it emerge from a cocoon? This defied everything Han Ming knew.
He barely dared to breathe. A sixth-tier beast! The first of its kind to appear in the Northern Alliance in thousands of years!
“If you’re after its core, now’s the time. It’s at its weakest, just out of its cocoon. Look, it’s unsteady on its feet, and its skin is still translucent. By tomorrow, it’ll be too late. A mature Nine-Headed Serpent Emperor can grow up to a hundred meters tall,” the demon soul warned.
The serpent emperor approached the Crimson Flame Eagle’s corpse, its nine heads sniffing the carcass.
“A sixth-tier beast… Can six beast cores and three Blazing Grass plants really deal with it?” Han Ming worried.
The demon soul replied, “It’s severely injured and at its weakest. Killing it outright might be impossible, but we can seriously wound it. Use your Cyan Rainbow Sword to attack from a distance. Don’t get close, or its freezing aura will turn you into an ice statue. Once it’s dead, retrieve its core.”
Han Ming was puzzled. How did the demon soul know so much? She was only a fourth-tier water spirit. There was no time to dwell on it, though. The serpent emperor’s nine heads began tearing into the Crimson Flame Eagle.
In moments, the eagle’s corpse was devoured.
*Roar!*
A pained cry erupted from the serpent emperor’s nine heads.
“Now!” the demon soul urged.
Han Ming’s eyes gleamed. He leaped out from behind the ice block, drew his Cyan Rainbow Sword, and slashed his arm. With a swift motion, he sent a massive crimson arc hurtling toward the beast!