Chapter 121: The Core of Extreme Cold


    The Nine-Headed Serpent Emperor writhed in agony on the ground, its massive body thrashing as the crimson arc from Han Ming’s sword slashed across one of its heads. The translucent, immature skin split open, revealing a shallow wound.


    "It’s working!" Han Ming exclaimed excitedly, quickly coating his sword with more blood and swinging again.


    This time, the crimson arc struck the serpent emperor’s neck, and a spray of pale yellow fluid gushed out.


    The serpent emperor rolled in pain, its body burning from the combined effects of the six fire-attributed beast cores and the Blazing Grass powder. Its translucent skin now glowed faintly red.


    "This thing has nine heads. Do I have to cut off all of them to kill it? If so, I’ll bleed to death before it does," Han Ming muttered, his anxiety growing. Two strikes had barely fazed the beast, whereas a fourth-tier magical beast would have been decapitated by now.


    "Unfortunately, yes. As long as even one head remains, the others can regenerate over time. This creature is notoriously difficult to kill," the demon soul replied.


    "Damn it! I’m not a blood bank! All I’ve done these past few days is bleed. If I weren’t a water mage with healing spells and a steady supply of magic crystals, I’d be a dried-up husk by now," Han Ming grumbled, though he didn’t stop swinging his sword.


    The serpent emperor was too consumed by pain to retaliate, rolling on the ground and spewing black, charred substances from its mouths.


    "Judging by its condition, the serpent emperor must have been severely injured before it cocooned. I wonder what could have done that," the demon soul mused.


    Her words sparked an idea in Han Ming. Before it cocooned, the serpent emperor had been in its Profound Sky Ice Silkworm form, heavily injured by the three-colored Destruction Butterfly. While he no longer had the butterfly, he still had its larva, Xiao Jian.


    Xiao Jian was nowhere near as powerful as the three-colored butterfly, but it was better than nothing.


    "Xiao Jian! Go, suck it dry!" Han Ming ordered eagerly.


    Xiao Jian wriggled out of the pouch, its red body twisting and turning as it landed on the ground. It had been wreaking havoc on Han Ming’s pursuers, leaving a trail of psychological scars in its wake.


    "Stop showing off and get to work! Or I’ll kick your butt!" Han Ming scolded, though he couldn’t help but chuckle at Xiao Jian’s antics.


    Xiao Jian rolled onto its back, then scurried over to the serpent emperor, leaping onto its body and beginning to feed. Black threads extended from Xiao Jian’s mouth, spreading across the serpent emperor’s skin. When the threads reached its heart, a faint white light emerged, pushing the black threads back.


    Han Ming was stunned. This had never happened before.


    The demon soul was equally surprised, her expression shifting as she watched the red larva. "What kind of creature is this?" she wondered. Xiao Jian’s fearlessness was unprecedented. Even the Nine-Headed Serpent Emperor, a rare and formidable beast, couldn’t intimidate it.


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    Xiao Jian, now irritated, stood upright, its tail raised high as it bit into the serpent emperor’s skin. The black threads multiplied, but the white light continued to resist, pushing them back.


    "Are you just going to stand there and watch? Or do you want your little bug to get torn apart?" the demon soul snapped.


    Han Ming snapped out of his daze and resumed slashing at the serpent emperor with his sword. The white light weakened under the combined assault, and Xiao Jian’s black threads began to gain ground.


    However, Xiao Jian’s body started to show white patches, a sign of frostbite from the serpent emperor’s intense cold.


    "Damn it, I refuse to believe I can’t take down this newborn beast!" Han Ming growled, stepping closer despite the biting cold.


    With a roar, he slashed his hand deeply, letting blood drip onto his sword.


    "Go!"


    A more powerful crimson arc shot out, striking the same wound Han Ming had been targeting. One of the serpent emperor’s heads rolled to the ground.


    The white light weakened further.


    "Ha! I’ll wear you down!" Han Ming laughed triumphantly.


    "Keep it up, Xiao Jian!" Han Ming cheered, continuing to slash at the serpent emperor while carefully conserving every drop of blood.


    Under their combined efforts, the serpent emperor’s struggles grew weaker, and Xiao Jian’s frostbite began to fade. The black threads finally broke through, penetrating the serpent emperor’s heart.


    Half an hour later, Han Ming, pale and exhausted, stared at the motionless serpent emperor and burst into laughter.


    "I did it! I actually did it!" he exclaimed before collapsing unconscious.


    The demon soul shook her head at the sight. "This kid is insane. Does he have a death wish? Cutting himself like it’s nothing. But I have to admit, his determination is impressive. Most people would have passed out long ago."


    By the cave entrance, Han Ming and the serpent emperor’s corpse lay on the ground, while Xiao Jian anxiously circled Han Ming, unable to help.


    As dawn broke, sunlight bathed Han Ming’s body.


    "Ah... that was a good sleep," Han Ming murmured, stretching as he sat up, his expression dazed.


    "Good sleep? I don’t know what your body is made of. You lost so much blood, yet you look perfectly fine after one night. The serpent emperor is dead. Hurry up before your enemies catch up," the demon soul scolded, annoyed by Han Ming’s carefree attitude.


    Han Ming blinked, then slapped his forehead. "Right! I almost forgot!"


    He scrambled to his feet, his excitement returning. "The core! My extreme cold core!" he shouted, practically drooling.


    After nearly two years of relentless effort, he was finally about to reap the rewards.


    Tears welled up in Han Ming’s eyes, but he forced them back. "I’m going to become a powerful mage," he whispered.


    He smeared the remaining powder on his hands and pulled out a small dagger from the storage bag Merlin had given him. He stabbed at the serpent emperor’s skin, but the blade bounced off.


    "Use your Cyan Rainbow Sword. Even though the serpent emperor just emerged from its cocoon and its skin is still translucent, it’s still a sixth-tier beast. Ordinary weapons can’t harm it," the demon soul advised.


    Han Ming sheathed the dagger and drew his sword, cutting his hand again to coat the blade with blood. The sword hummed as he plunged it into the serpent emperor’s skin.


    With a grunt, Han Ming put all his strength into the cut. The serpent emperor’s skin was incredibly tough, and the sword dragged a deep groove into the ground as he worked.


    "Damn, this thing’s skin is like steel! If I weren’t unnaturally strong, I’d never get through it," Han Ming muttered, staring at the small wound he had managed to make.


    He reached into the wound with his hand, the intense cold biting into his flesh. The powder on his hand neutralized some of the frost, but it was quickly wearing off.


    "Almost there!" Han Ming trembled as he pulled out a deep blue, spherical core from the serpent emperor’s body.


    The powder on his hand was nearly depleted by the cold.


    "Quickly!" Han Ming urged himself, closing his eyes as he held the core.


    The demon soul, knowing this was a critical moment, loosened the threads binding Han Ming’s core without being asked.


    This core was a dangerous artifact. One misstep, and Han Ming could lose his life—and she would be dragged down with him. Now was not the time for hesitation.


    With the core unbound, a surge of magical energy flooded Han Ming’s body, flowing from his hand into the serpent emperor’s core.