Chapter 185: Rock-Scale Giant Python
Zhou Ming put away the Ironthread Snake swarm that had “eaten and drunk their fill,” leaving only Silver Scale, this huge fellow, to continue carrying him.
After leaving the underground lake where the sound of water roared incessantly, Zhou Ming began exploring the plain before him, which covered several square kilometers.
Pitch-black wild chickens, gray rabbits that could leap several meters at a time, plants that emitted a faint white glow, moss and lichen that could freely writhe across the ground, rhinoceroses whose entire bodies were covered in armor-like plates…
There were beasts comparable to mutated animals, as well as Ferocious Beasts at the top of the food chain. Whether animals or insects, everything could be found within this plain before his eyes.
However, when Zhou Ming stood atop Silver Scale, every place he passed through turned chaotic, with chickens flying and dogs jumping. The oppressive presence of a high-tier Ferocious Beast toward low-tier Ferocious Beasts and ordinary beasts was simply too overwhelming.
Without Zhou Ming even needing to act personally, Silver Scale relied solely on the aura of a high-tier Ferocious Beast to disperse these non-threatening existences.
Toward this, Zhou Ming paid little attention and did not carefully explore the hidden resources in the surroundings.
Right now, he was eager to find the location of the Dimensional Rift and determine its level, so as to gauge the danger level of this place.
If it were a large Dimensional Rift, even if no leader-level Ferocious Beast appeared, he would temporarily abandon this area.
Zhou Ming also did not want one day for a leader-level Ferocious Beast to suddenly appear before him and casually swallow him whole as a snack.
Not long after Zhou Ming rode Silver Scale forward, a passage about several hundred meters wide and roughly two hundred meters high appeared before his eyes.
This did not look like a passage so much as a canyon leading to an unknown land.
Seeing this, Zhou Ming’s gaze flickered. After a brief moment of thought, he immediately summoned an ordinary Ironthread Snake.
Previously, he had not sensed any danger, which was why he had ridden Silver Scale recklessly. Now that he did not know what existed beyond the passage, caution was naturally required.
The descending-spirit power of the Dark-gold Serpent Pupils was activated, and Zhou Ming’s consciousness entered the dispatched Ironthread Snake. Images of what the Ironthread Snake saw immediately appeared in his mind.
A rugged passage, special plants that bloomed with light, and small animals he did not recognize.
As the Ironthread Snake continued forward, after crawling only a few hundred meters, a vast plain appeared in Zhou Ming’s mind.
Straight ahead, a Dimensional Rift emitting a silver glow stood at the very center of the plain.
It was exceptionally eye-catching within the dim cavern.
“About ten meters tall, roughly five meters wide, a small Dimensional Rift.”
Zhou Ming immediately withdrew his consciousness, jumped directly onto Silver Scale’s back, and rushed toward the opposite side of the passage.
A small Dimensional Rift could not support the passage of beings above high-tier Ferocious Beasts. Moreover, the environment here could not sustain the survival of high-tier Ferocious Beasts, so Zhou Ming naturally did not need to fear any existence that could threaten him.
Even if danger were hidden, with his current strength, self-preservation was more than sufficient.
Urged on by Zhou Ming, Silver Scale rapidly swung its tail. Amid the violent friction between snake scales and rock, it quickly passed through the passage.
Before Zhou Ming could even approach the Dimensional Rift, the ground suddenly began to shake violently, and a giant python over thirty meters long burst out from the earth.
This was clearly because it had sensed the threat brought by Silver Scale, prompting it to reveal itself proactively to drive Silver Scale away.
“Rock-Scale Giant Python.”
Zhou Ming immediately recognized the giant python’s background, because the opponent was far too easy to identify.
A body length of thirty meters, scales across its entire body resembling shattered stones pieced together, mastery over earth-element energy particles, feeding on precious ores, and excelling in strength and defense.
“That makes sense. Given this small underground world before us, it simply cannot support the survival of ordinary high-tier Ferocious Beasts. Only a Rock-Scale Giant Python that feeds on ores would not need to worry about food.”
“Unfortunately, this time you happened to meet me.”
Facing the Rock-Scale Giant Python whose size far exceeded Silver Scale’s, a faint smile instead appeared at the corner of Zhou Ming’s mouth.
In the next moment, the shadows around Zhou Ming began to writhe, and the entire Ironthread Snake swarm was summoned.
“Gathering Sand.”
Within the Spiritual Sea, the Secret Technique model was driven by Zhou Ming with Spiritual Power, and the Snake Swarm Will began to command the Ironthread Snake swarm.
As the snakes writhed together, a thirty-meter-long Dark-gold Purple-patterned Python appeared.
“Perfect timing to test the changes in strength after the Ironthread Snake swarm’s fusion.”
Zhou Ming retreated on his own initiative, leaving the two colossal beings to face each other.
As a violent aura erupted, the low-tier Ferocious Beasts and wild beasts in the surroundings fled rapidly, directly forming a small beast tide.
When the aura reached its peak, the Rock-Scale Giant Python launched the first attack, its enormous snake mouth—large enough to swallow a cargo truck—biting toward the Dark-gold Purple-patterned Python.
Zhou Ming did not choose to retreat, instead opting to confront it head-on.
“Bang…”
A sound like a massive drum being struck rang out. The terrifying impact force caused the ground within a hundred-meter radius to quake violently.
There were no fancy techniques, only the most primitive and bloody slaughter.
However, compared to the Rock-Scale Giant Python, the Dark-gold Purple-patterned Python possessed slightly more methods.
Corrosive venom capable of turning the ground into massive pits, scales comparable to super-strong special alloys, and bone blades able to tear through the Rock-Scale Giant Python’s terrifying defense.
Each of these methods helped the Dark-gold Purple-patterned Python gain the upper hand.
The only shortcoming was that Zhou Ming noticed the Dark-gold Purple-patterned Python could only use energy particles to enhance itself, and was unable to manipulate energy particles to form spells.
The earth-spike spell mastered by Silver Scale was clearly impossible to cast.
“In the end, it’s a fusion product.”
Various elemental energy particles interfering with one another, along with other factors, made it difficult for the Dark-gold Purple-patterned Python to use spells.
For this situation, Zhou Ming found it barely acceptable. As long as the Dark-gold Purple-patterned Python could display corresponding strength, that was enough.
Just as the Rock-Scale Giant Python fell into a disadvantage, earthen-yellow light suddenly burst forth from its body, and several-meter-high earth spikes instantly erupted from the ground.
The earth spikes advanced from far to near, rapidly approaching the Dark-gold Purple-patterned Python.
Facing the innate spell cast by the Rock-Scale Giant Python, the Dark-gold Purple-patterned Python’s tail returned to its normal state, and earth-element energy particles gathered and shone.
As the tail was raised high and then smashed down like a meteor striking the ground, the flat terrain rolled like ocean waves.
The earth-element energy particles gathered by the Rock-Scale Giant Python instantly became violent, ultimately preventing it from continuing to cast the spell.
At the same time, Zhou Ming, who was watching the battle from afar, finally chose to act.
His goal was to test the Dark-gold Purple-patterned Python’s changes in strength, not to let his Ironthread Snake swarm suffer losses.
The Dark-gold Serpent Pupils erupted with terrifying pressure, and the Throne Power appeared across the plain.
The Rock-Scale Giant Python, whose spellcasting had been interrupted, instantly felt an oppressive fear.
With Zhou Ming stepping in to assist, the Dark-gold Purple-patterned Python immediately launched another attack, its tail once again transforming into a bone blade that swept out.
Under Zhou Ming’s utterly unsportsmanlike maneuver, the Dark-gold Purple-patterned Python’s bone blade finally broke through the Rock-Scale Giant Python’s defense and stabbed directly into its skull.
With a booming roar, the upper half of the Rock-Scale Giant Python’s body collapsed heavily to the ground.
At this moment, Zhou Ming approached the Dark-gold Purple-patterned Python and pressed his palm against its body.
The Dark-gold Purple-patterned Python visibly shrank at a speed discernible to the naked eye. The snake swarm entered Zhou Ming’s body, and the Serpentfolk form appeared.
Zhou Ming planned to extract the Rock-Scale Giant Python’s bloodline.