Currently, under the confinement of the Locking Spirit Nails, the operation of spiritual power is extremely sluggish.
He was forced to resort to the power of his physique to enhance the power of the flying sword, but it was still far inferior to usual.
As for Sword Aura?
I’m afraid the moment it is unleashed, the spiritual power inside his body would be completely depleted.
And with danger lurking around every corner in Wuyan Ridge, the demon beast before him was merely one of many in the area.
"Hiss!"
The red glow in the demon snake’s eyes intensified. Not dodging or evading, it twisted its body covered in dark cyan scales, striking fiercely at the side of the Iron Sword like a steel whip!
"Clang!"
A clash of metal!
Chen Ye was caught off guard and spat out a mouthful of stagnant blood.
It wasn’t that Chen Ye was useless,
but because, after this strike, his Qi Sea was shaken, and his spiritual power surged turbulently.
On an ordinary day, it wouldn’t even be a problem at all.
But now there were Locking Spirit Nails in his Dantian!
In a split second, the demon snake abandoned the more powerful Chen Ye, its slender vertical pupils instantly locking onto Zhiwei.
A foul wind rushed forward, and with a mouthful of a stench-filled poisonous breath, it lunged to bite!
"Zhiwei, move quickly!"
Chen Ye’s eyes hardened, and he didn’t hesitate to summon back the flying Iron Sword.
The glow of the sword dimmed, seemingly swallowing the light.
But before he could risk everything,
Zhiwei remained calm and composed, reacting swiftly.
"Go!"
She shouted sharply, and without any visible spellcasting, a Water Element Shield as thick as an ice wall condensed out of thin air in front of her once more.
"Crack!"
The ice wall only blocked for an instant before it was shattered by the terrifying power of the demon snake!
But in just this moment, Zhiwei found the space to dodge!
The snake’s jaws brushed past the air in front of her, and the foul wind it stirred lifted the strands of hair on her forehead.
Beneath the strands of hair, her pitch-black eyes remained as calm as ever:
"Master, don’t worry."
Chen Ye steadied his stance, his eyes flashing fiercely.
Disregarding the backfiring pain the Locking Spirit Nails would cause if he manipulated spiritual power, he once again urged his spiritual power into the Iron Sword!
But without abundant spiritual power to support it, the power of the flying sword was greatly reduced.
Chen Ye simply gave up on the flying sword, and grasping it in his hand, his figure moved close to the ground like a swimming fish, stabbing at the demon snake’s jaws just as it had lunged at Zhiwei and was about to retract!
The angle was tricky, the timing perfect!
"Pshh!"
The Iron Sword drove deep into the soft tissue beneath the snake’s jaws!
"Ahhhh—!"
The demon snake let out an earth-shattering cry of pain!
The head that was about to bite Zhiwei suddenly jerked upwards, its movements completely disoriented!
The tail that was sweeping towards Zhiwei also lost its precision and most of its power, crashing heavily into the swamp beside her.
The black-haired young girl was splattered with mud.
A perfect opportunity!
"Strike its wound!"
Chen Ye shouted, trying to pull out the sword for another stab, but he felt the snake’s flesh clamping tightly onto the blade!
"Cold Water, Condense!"
Zhiwei’s face turned slightly pale, her hands forming seals!
She poured all her remaining spiritual power into it, forming several ice spikes.
The target was exactly the wound Chen Ye had inflicted on the snake’s jaws!
Pshh! Pshh!
The Ice Condensation Needles drilled into the wound with precision beyond compare!
An extreme chill burst forth instantly!
The massive body of the demon snake froze abruptly, the icy coldness spreading from the wound into its flesh and even its meridians!
This is the moment!
Chen Ye felt the force clamping on the blade loosen, and he fiercely pulled it out, drawing a gush of scalding, filthy blood.
Without sparing it a glance, he squeezed out the last ounce of strength in his body, and with a backhand slash, drove the sword deep into the wound again!
With a fierce twist of his wrist!
"Hiss... Roar!!!"
This time, it was a scream of utmost agony!
The demon snake’s vitality rapidly faded, its massive body writhing frantically, lashing out around it like a bloody storm, swathes of blood-red reeds being cut in half, whipped into the muddy ground!
Soon after, its gigantic head crashed heavily to the ground, sending up a splash of muddy water.
The scarlet vertical pupils gradually lost their light, fading into a dull, lifeless gray.
Chen Ye propped himself up with the sword, half-kneeling in the muddy water, gasping for air.
Dammit!
Ultimately, it was his own oversight.
Clearly in this danger-laden Wuyedang, he actually lingered too long with his apprentice...
One must know,
in this Wuyedang, the Divine Sense can’t extend beyond ten feet, causing the surroundings to be like a fog, and one never knows when a Demon Beast might suddenly appear.
If it weren’t for Xiao Bai alerting them to the Demon Snake in advance, it might have ambushed them, leading to significant losses!
Zhiwei’s situation was even worse.
She was only at the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer; though exceptionally talented, attuned with the Heaven and Earth, she could manipulate spiritual power beyond her own cultivation.
Yet, enduring two strikes from a Ninth-Layer Demon Snake was already her limit, and the final Ice Condensation Needle exhausted her Spiritual Power.
The little girl swayed, her slender legs nearly giving way as she almost collapsed.
Chen Ye, ignoring the excruciating pain from the Locking Spirit Nail, reached out his free left hand, catching her firmly in his embrace: "Zhiwei, this time, it’s all thanks to you..."
These words came from the bottom of Chen Ye’s heart.
Just a simple exertion of spiritual power had caused such a backlash from the Locking Spirit Nail.
If he had attempted a Sword Gang, he might have severely injured his Dantian without external intervention.
Moreover, this time Zhiwei also bore the brunt of the Demon Snake’s attacks.
Zhiwei, soaking wet and cold, lay in his arms with her eyes shut, her long lashes trembling uneasily, and her previously porcelain-white face was now pale without a hint of blood.
This was her first Magical Battle... yet she faced a Qi Cultivation Ninth-Layer Demon Beast on her very first encounter!
"Zhiwei! Zhiwei!" Chen Ye called anxiously, enduring the agonizing pain of the Locking Spirit Nail, forcing out Evergreen Technique Spiritual Power, transmitting it into her body.
Luckily, the Evergreen Technique Spiritual Power was full of vitality, quickly warming the apprentice’s icy body a little.
Zhiwei groaned faintly, slowly waking, and with difficulty, opened her eyes.
What met her eyes was her master’s face, right up close, mingled with sweat and bloodstains.
She, too, was filthy all over and in a miserable state.
Those awkward feelings she had moments ago seemed insignificant in this bloodstained reed marsh.
She... had lost her composure.
The dark-haired little girl’s lashes quivered slightly, her delicate eyebrows knitting together momentarily.
She didn’t react with the typical fear of ordinary girls; she simply raised her hand, using her cool fingertips to wipe her master’s face: "So dirty."
Chen Ye grinned: "You cheeky girl, you nearly scared your master to death earlier."
He instinctively wanted to hold her tighter, to soothe that lingering panic in his heart.
But Zhiwei had already shifted slightly, though her body was weak and limp, difficult to support herself, she stubbornly braced against her master’s chest, distancing her upper body a little.
She first looked towards the snake corpse, then returned her gaze to her master’s face.
Her voice calm and collected as she stated:
"Master, we narrowly escaped this time because the Demon Beast’s intelligence was low. If we encounter a formidable foe again, please remember to stay calm. I am not a burden and can contribute, without asking for..."
She seemed to want to say "without asking for a reward," but recalling her master’s earlier frivolous words, she paused abruptly, swallowing the latter part.
Chen Ye was stunned.
Zhiwei’s point had merit, he indeed... lost his composure when the Demon Snake attacked Zhiwei.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ended up in such a sorry state.
However, Zhiwei’s attitude seemed significantly colder.
The attachment she showed before entering the Grotto Heaven seemed merely fleeting.
But upon reflection, it aligned with the girl’s character.
She had always been emotionally reserved; it was only facing life and death that her inner feelings surfaced.
Zhiwei happened to be an extremely self-controlled girl.
Now, after entering the Grotto Heaven, and following the earlier attack.
She might have adjusted her mindset, retracting those useless emotions...
"I understand, as your master."
In Chen Ye’s heart, a vague sense of loss welled up.
She didn’t speak further, merely once again trying to prop up her weakened body, attempting to extricate herself from her master’s embrace.
Unable to, due to exhaustion, her arms weakened, her body swayed.
Chen Ye, quick-eyed and nimble, steadied her once more.
This time, Zhiwei didn’t struggle again, instead lowering her gaze slightly, her long lashes casting a small shadow beneath her eyes, concealing the complex emotions within them.
She pressed her pale lips together tight, quietly nestled beside her master.
A small fox peeked out from Chen Ye’s shoulder, feeling extremely guilty.
It tried to sneak away quietly but was caught swiftly by Chen Ye.
Already somewhat perplexed, Chen Ye chuckled coldly:
"Well, you little fox, sleeping all day, waking just to cause such trouble for me."
He spoke thus,
but knowing well, the Demon Snake had indeed targeted their group, Xiao Bai merely leading it out early.
In truth, this little fox ought to be considered a contributor.
The little fox, unaware of Chen Ye’s thoughts, nervously rubbed its front paws together, head down, not daring to meet his gaze:
"Ji ji..."
Chen Ye said expressionlessly: "Tell me, did you do something wrong?"
The little fox nodded its head sincerely.
Chen Ye squinted slightly: "If you did something wrong, shouldn’t you apologize?"
The little fox raised its head dumbfoundedly; it was just a little fox, how could it apologize?
Chen Ye’s smile softened, beginning to show his true intentions:
"Oh, Xiao Bai, Xiao Bai, how could I bear to punish you?"
"Ji ji??"