Chapter 208: Chapter 207: Stone Cave
Wen Qingye sheathed his sword and walked forward.
A few rays of sunlight penetrated the forest, casting mottled shadows on the ground. Several birds chirped crisply in the trees.
Wen Qingye pushed aside a layer of thorns and walked forward.
Wen Qingye had no direction, walking aimlessly. He wanted to find the Ancient Dao, but the Thousand Rivers Forest was a complex, intertwining maze.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, even the Puppet Birds in the sky became fewer. The path Wen Qingye took grew more and more remote, and colder.
"Hmm?" Wen Qingye looked at the vines before him. Most of them had been cut by a sword, and judging by their stalks, someone had clearly passed by recently.
And by the looks of it, there had been quite a few people.
’Looks like there are quite a few Talisman Seals in here.’
Wen Qingye smiled faintly, then quickened his pace and walked forward.
The destruction in the area ahead became more and more obvious. The footprints were jumbled, suggesting it wasn’t a single group. This quiet forest seemed to be exceptionally lively.
After an unknown amount of time, Wen Qingye seemed to see a clearing ahead.
Wen Qingye’s eyes were extremely sharp; he immediately spotted a gleaming light in a corner.
’Is that a Cornerstone?’ Wen Qingye was delighted and took a few steps forward.
The Cornerstone was a type of Heaven and Earth Ore. If one were to assign it a grade, it could barely be considered Low-Level King Grade. Moreover, this Cornerstone had a special function: it was one of the important materials for refining simple Magical Artifacts.
An ordinary person wouldn’t recognize this Cornerstone, but how could Wen Qingye not know what it was?
Cornerstones usually grew on the heads of Horned Snakes. Horned Snakes typically buried themselves deep underground, with only the stone-like object on their head exposed.
Wen Qingye’s steps were slow and light. But with the Horned Snake rooted in the ground, how could it not know he was approaching? Yet, the Horned Snake remained perfectly still. Wen Qingye knew this was a protective measure for the Horned Snake, as well as a method for hunting prey.
Wen Qingye maintained a casual walking rhythm.
’Judging by the size of this Cornerstone, this Horned Snake’s strength is extraordinary.’
Before long, Wen Qingye was near the Horned Snake. Amidst the dense grass, a small, brown stone about the size of two fists was wedged between the blades, emitting a faint glow. An unobservant person wouldn’t notice it even if they were standing right beside it.
SWISH!
Wen Qingye’s arm shot out, lunging swiftly toward the Cornerstone.
Wen Qingye grabbed the brown Cornerstone, feeling as if it were connected to the ground.
"Up you go!"
Wen Qingye put his strength into his right hand, the veins on his arm bulging. The Cornerstone then fell directly into his palm as a spray of red blood shot up.
BANG!
HISSS! HISSS!!
From where the Cornerstone had vanished, rubble exploded and dust flew everywhere. A long body shot out—it was the Horned Snake. It was thirty feet long, with a body as thick as a water bucket.
The Horned Snake’s eyes were now cold and sinister. Its head was bare, with a trace of red blood. This Horned Snake was a Demon Beast at the Refining Spirit Sixth Layer Heaven and was extremely powerful.
Seeing the enraged Horned Snake, Wen Qingye subconsciously took a slight step back.
Knee-high bushes snapped and broke. The sounds of cracking wood, flying gravel, and the hissing shriek of the winding Demon Beast all mixed together.
The Horned Snake’s reddish-brown body had black and white patterns. Its python-like head was shaped like an inverted triangle. As its great mouth opened and closed, it constantly exhaled a bloody, soul-shaking stench.
SHING!
Seeing the Horned Snake charge, Wen Qingye pushed off with his feet and drew the One Thought Sword.
Wen Qingye’s sword slashed fiercely at the Horned Snake. The sword light flickered, carrying a silvery-white gleam.
"Profound Light Swordsmanship!"
The sword light erupted with an ultimate radiance. The silver glow was dazzling, and Primordial Qi overflowed. The light shone into the Horned Snake’s dark green eyes, blinding it for a moment.
However, at that very moment, the Horned Snake opened its mouth and spat out a cloud of black mist, which directly hit the Sword Qi.
TSSSS!
The swift sword light suddenly changed, black gas seeping into it. It then emitted a chilling sound and gradually slowed to a crawl.
CRACK!
The Horned Snake rammed its head forward, and the slow Sword Qi dissipated into the air, not harming the snake in the slightest.
Enraged, the Horned Snake’s small, ghostly green eyes were venomous and grim. Flicking its tongue, it smashed through the bushes in its path and shot forward frantically.
The Horned Snake was incredibly fast, and its breath of black mist was truly formidable.
Relying on the One Thought Sword in his hand and his swift Body Technique, Wen Qingye continuously fought and entangled with the Horned Snake. With every swing of his sword, a bloody gash would appear on the snake’s body.
Wen Qingye also knew how dangerous the black mist was, so he carefully dodged it every time. The Horned Snake looked at Wen Qingye, its eyes full of hatred, but it discovered it was completely unable to do anything to him.
The surrounding trees and rocks were constantly sent flying or shattered by the Horned Snake’s body and massive tail. Blood from its wounds slowly began to stain the ground.
The man and the snake were locked in a tight battle in the forest. Wen Qingye focused his entire Heart Spirit, not daring to be the slightest bit careless.
Bloody patches gradually appeared on the Horned Snake’s python-like body. As it writhed, its movements grew less agile, its speed clearly hampered by its injuries.
Wen Qingye’s sword was extremely sharp, easily slicing through the Horned Snake’s tough hide. Wen Qingye wore the snake down until it was exhausted. With more and more wounds covering its body, it gradually lost the ability to resist.
The battle quickly lost all suspense. Wen Qingye became unhurried, as the Horned Snake’s injuries were too severe and its movements had slowed. Finally, Wen Qingye wore it down to death.
Wen Qingye looked at the Horned Snake’s corpse and shook his head. The snake’s hide could be considered a treasure, but he had hacked it to pieces. It was impossible to take it with him now.
Wen Qingye used his sword to cut open the Horned Snake’s mouth. He carefully pried open its jaws and removed two sharp fangs. Then, his sword flashed again, cutting out a section of bone from the snake’s body.
These were all valuable treasures from the Horned Snake’s body, and Wen Qingye naturally wouldn’t let them go to waste. Finally, he swallowed the snake’s gallbladder, tidied himself up, and continued onward.
After walking for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Wen Qingye suddenly discovered what looked like a stone cave up ahead. It was dark inside and covered with vines.
Wen Qingye walked over quickly. The cave was pitch-black, making it impossible to see the situation inside, but a bone-chilling wind emanated from the entrance, making one’s bones ache from the cold.
There was a series of footprints at the cave’s entrance, indicating that someone had entered before Wen Qingye. There were no Puppet Birds from the Celestial Profound Sect inside the cave, so people on the outside couldn’t see the scene within.
