Hiss! The Green Elder Python had once again overlooked the Frostburn Sword in Ye Xiuwen’s hands. To the Green Elder Python, Ye Xiuwen was nothing more than a prey that had been cornered with no more than moments left to live.
Therefore, the Green Elder Python opened wide its mouth as it attempted to swallow Ye Xiuwen whole!
However, Ye Xiuwen had by now lost a lot of blood, and his consciousness was quickly fading away. That one stab of his was weak and inaccurate, and it only cut off a thin layer of scales beside the Green Elder Python’s mouth, while his entire body fell towards the mouth of the Green Elder Python.
Squeak squeak! At this critical moment, the little packrat suddenly appeared by Ye Xiuwen’s side, and an immense amount of demonic energy erupted from its tiny, furry body. The demonic energy completely engulfed its little body as it sprung forward and collided head on with the Green Elder Python’s head. Surprisingly, the Green Elder Python was knocked aside by this sudden, powerful blow by the little packrat. Coupled with the fact that demonic energy was destructive by nature, the blind Green Elder Python could only writhe on the field of Firescale Gra.s.s in pain and fury.
At the same time, the little packrat’s entire body became limp after erupting with such immense demonic energy. It lay lifelessly on the floor and squeaked softly towards the entrance of the cavern where Jun Xiaomo had fallen to. After all, who knew whether there were any dangers waiting for Jun Xiaomo at the bottom of this pitch-black cavern? But diving headlong into the entrance was the only option available to them in such a life or death situation.
The little packrat was extremely worried for Jun Xiaomo’s safety right now. But having burst out with all the demonic energy it had, it no longer had any strength to even crawl to the side of the cavern’s entrance. These few meters between the little packrat and the entrance was perhaps only a single step for a man, but to the little packrat, this distance represented tens of steps – and it did not have the energy to make this journey at this moment.
Ye Xiuwen could also tell that the little packrat was worried for Yao Mo. He coughed out two mouthfuls of blood, before he hobbled over to the little packrat’s side, picked it up, placed it into his clothes, and then jumped into that pitch-black entrance to the cavern without any hesitation.
Within moments, the Green Elder Python slithered back over again. It hissed furiously as it slithered about the tiny entrance to the cavern that Ye Xiuwen and Jun Xiaomo had entered. It could still smell the scent of its prey, but it could not locate a way to get to them. Furthermore, the Firescale Gra.s.s around the cavern caused it to experience a burning sensation on its scales. Thus, after some time, the Green Elder Python could only give up on its prey and leave the cavern.
Inside the cavern, Jun Xiaomo who had been shoved in first by Ye Xiuwen had finally arrived at the bottom. There was a pile of straw at the bottom of the cavern, and Jun Xiaomo landed directly on this pile of straw unscathed.
The temperature within the cavern was extremely low, and gooseb.u.mps appeared on Jun Xiaomo’s skin as she shuddered and s.h.i.+vered. However, she couldn’t care less about this little discomfort she was feeling. She immediately looked towards the entrance of the hole as she shouted desperately, “Brother Ye! Packie!”
Jun Xiaomo was unaware of the situation at the entrance of the cavern. But given that the Green Elder Python had once again appeared, how optimistic could she be about Ye Xiuwen’s situation? Furthermore, her little packrat had somehow remained at the entrance of the cavern and not jumped down with her – this caused Jun Xiaomo’s heart to be filled with immense frustration and desolation.
We should have just used an Escape Scroll! Jun Xiaomo thought back regretfully – she had not thought to conserve the usage of these Escape Scrolls earlier, rather, she had just completely overlooked it! This Green Elder Python looked like it had just grown up and matured, and its abilities were not likely to be too strong. Jun Xiaomo had estimated that they would have been able to easily come out on top of this Green Elder Python with their combined abilities.
Yet Jun Xiaomo had neither expected Ye Xiuwen to suffer such a serious injury; nor that Ye Xiuwen would have ceded the first opportunity for escape to her!
“Brother Ye! Little Packie! ...” Jun Xiaomo called out again and again. Even though this cavern’s entrance was extremely narrow and long, and it was unlikely that Ye Xiuwen and her little packrat would be able to hear her, she still had to try.
As time wore on, Jun Xiaomo’s voice started to grow hoa.r.s.e and the rims of her eyes began to redden. Just as she began to lose hope, she suddenly heard a rapid rustling sound coming from above her – this was the sound made by the rustling of a person’s clothes against the walls of the cavern!
“Brother Ye!” Jun Xiaomo’s face lit up in joy as she clambered up to her feet and walked forward, peeking up at the hole. In the next second, a person emerged from the hole immediately and landed directly where Jun Xiaomo had been moments ago.
Jun Xiaomo: ……Should I be happy that I’ve stood up just in time?
“Cough…” Ye Xiuwen coughed out a few more mouthfuls of blood, and then immediately fainted there and then. The little packrat also fell out of Ye Xiuwen’s clothes, rolled over twice on to the floor, and lay there lifelessly.
“Little packrat! Brother Ye!” Jun Xiaomo’s heart tightened anxiously as she scuttled over to their side and squatted beside Ye Xiuwen. At the same time, she picked up the little packrat from the floor and placed it gingerly into her own clothes.
Squeak squeak… The little packrat opened its eyelids and looked at Jun Xiaomo, a.s.suring her with its squeaks.
The little packrat was relatively uninjured. Earlier, when it had mustered all of its demonic energy and surged forward to save Ye Xiuwen, it had drained too much of its energy, causing it to be lifeless and limp as it were right now.
Jun Xiaomo tenderly stroked her little packrat’s head. Even though she did not witness what happened earlier, she knew that her little packrat had definitely played a part in helping Ye Xiuwen escape his earlier predicament. Otherwise, the originally active and lively little packrat would not be as lethargic as it were right now.
“Thank you, little packrat.” Jun Xiaomo rubbed her nose on the little packrat’s fur. The little packrat’s ears twitched a little bit, and its face immediately flushed with embarra.s.sment. Unfortunately, Jun Xiaomo did not see this.
In fact, if not for the fact that Ye Xiuwen had saved Jun Xiaomo’s life once, the little packrat would not have saved Ye Xiuwen’s life. But now, it seemed that its efforts had paid off. Otherwise, it was quite likely that Jun Xiaomo might have been overwhelmed by Ye Xiuwen’s death and blame herself for the rest of her life. The little packrat rested in Jun Xiaomo’s bosom blissfully as it thought with a glimmer in its black, beady eyes.
Then, Jun Xiaomo temporarily set the little packrat aside as she helped Ye Xiuwen up and leaned his body against hers.
Ye Xiuwen’s veiled conical hat had disappeared, and that terrifying scar which sprawled across his face gleamed viciously even in the spa.r.s.e light that was available in the dark cavern. Jun Xiaomo bit down on her lower lip as she softly called out, “Brother Ye.”
Ye Xiuwen’s eyebrows were furrowed so tightly that creases formed on his forehead. His lips were now tightly pursed together, and his entire garment had been soaked through with blood. This entire scene was extremely shocking and worrisome.
The Green Elder Python’s poison was clearly wreaking havoc in his body. Even though the poison from these types of spirit serpents were not deadly, these poisons nevertheless subjected their preys to immense pain and torment within their bodies. Ye Xiuwen was presently experiencing just that. He was in a state of semi-consciousness because of the immense loss of blood, but he was still aware of what was going on around him. The pain from his wounds felt as though they spread through his limbs and permeated his bones, and all his blood vessels felt like they were on fire right now – “painful” could not even begin to describe what he was going through right now.
To make matters worse, this poison would linger for a few days before it slowly fading away. Naturally, this meant that Ye Xiuwen was currently faced with the prospects of experiencing a few days of this pain. Jun Xiaomo had experienced this once in her previous life, and she understood exactly what kind of pain and torment Ye Xiuwen was experiencing right now.
Jun Xiaomo sucked in a breath of cold air, collected her thoughts and braced herself. Sssst! She tore apart the garment on Ye Xiuwen’s shoulder. Then, she focused some spiritual energy on her palms, and beginning with the ends of Ye Xiuwen’s limbs, she slowly pushed the poison in Ye Xiuwen’s body towards the wound on his shoulder.
Using spiritual energy to expel the poison in a person’s body was not an easy process, especially to someone like Jun Xiaomo at only the first level of Qi Mastery. But Jun Xiaomo did not want Ye Xiuwen to experience this tormenting pain at all! Therefore, she had to do her best to expel the poison.
One incense of time pa.s.sed; two incense of time pa.s.sed; two hours pa.s.sed…
As the poison gathered near the wound on Ye Xiuwen’s shoulder, Jun Xiaomo found that the poison had started to congeal together and stiffen up. But this was to be expected, because the poison had become much more concentrated in one area, and the blood there had begun to clot.
At this moment, Ye Xiuwen’s wound even started to turn black and fester – this was a result of the corrosive properties of the poison taking effect.
Ye Xiuwen’s eyebrows were knit even more tightly right now. The pain had all become concentrated on one spot at his wound, and this acc.u.mulation of pain escalated his pain exponentially. To make matters worse, Jun Xiaomo realized that the true energy reserves remaining in her Dantian and her meridians were getting less and less, and she was almost completely drained of her energies.
Not good! Once all the energy is gone, all my efforts would be in vain!
Jun Xiaomo gritted her teeth, closed her eyes and moved close to Ye Xiuwen’s shoulder. Then, she placed her lips over Ye Xiuwen’s would and sucked hard!
A glob of black blood flowed straight from Ye Xiuwen’s shoulder directly into her mouth, and the thick, musky stench of blood mixed with the bitter astringency of the Green Elder Python’s poison caused her entire mouth to go numb very quickly!
Putt! “Cough, cough cough…” Jun Xiaomo spat out the glob of black, poison-filled blood to the side, and coughed a few times. Then, she immediately turned her head back to Ye Xiuwen’s wound, forced the poison in his bloodstream towards the mouth of the wound, and then once again sucked at the wound…
The little packrat did not expect Jun Xiaomo to go this far for Ye Xiuwen. It squeaked angrily on the side, angrily clutching at Jun Xiaomo’s clothes with whatever energy it had managed to recover and muster. Yet Jun Xiaomo was completely focused at this point, and she blocked out and ignored the fuss made by her little packrat. After her little packrat scratched at her clothes in frustration, it turned around and turned its back to Jun Xiaomo and ignored her altogether.
Jun Xiaomo repeatedly purged the black blood from Ye Xiuwen’s wound until the blood that she sucked out was no longer black in colour, before she finally stopped.
Then, Jun Xiaomo retrieved a Blood Regeneration Pill from her Interspatial Ring and placed it in Ye Xiuwen’s mouth, pressed on an acupoint on Ye Xiuwen’s neck and forced Ye Xiuwen to swallow that pill.
The cavern’s surrounding temperature was extremely cold. So, after Jun Xiaomo helped Ye Xiuwen to lay down, she took out a thick blanket from her Interspatial Ring and covered Ye Xiuwen’s body with it. Finally, she stood up and swept a substantial portion of the straw to the center of the cavern before setting it ablaze.
The lighting in the cavern was not great, and Jun Xiaomo could not identify what kind of straw this was. But at the very least, it seemed quite flammable. Once the straw had been set alight, Jun Xiaomo turned back to walk towards Ye Xiuwen’s side.
Just as she turned back towards Ye Xiuwen, her knees suddenly buckled and she stumbled to the ground! As she regained consciousness from her momentary stupor, she realized that she was now barely able to support her body.
It seems that even though I’ve spit out most of the poison, I might still have swallowed some inadvertently, huh. Jun Xiaomo grimaced as she chuckled bitterly to herself.
The first symptoms of manifestation of the Green Elder Python’s poison was a numbing and dazing effect. As the poison festered, it would later on cause immense pain to a person’s body.
Squeak squeak! The little packrat could not remain angry any longer and scampered over quickly to Jun Xiaomo’s side. But how would it be able to support Jun Xiaomo’s body with its small frame? Therefore, it could only look on as Jun Xiaomo’s head swayed about in discomfort.
Jun Xiaomo attempted to resist the poison for a little while, but eventually the effects of the poison overcame her, and she collapsed onto the ground. Soon after that, her surroundings started to fade away…
On the other side, having put his plans into motion, Ke Xinwen brought his band of brothers and looked around for one more hour before he finally managed to catch some rabbits and bring them back to their campsite.
Seeing these rabbits, Yu Wanrou and Zhong Ruolan’s faces were filled with joy as they welcomed their return. Ke Xinwen noticed Yu Wanrou smile softly at him as he walked over, and he could not help but feel proud of his accomplishments.
“Martial brother Ke, I’ve got something I want to ask you.” Qin Lingyu glanced over as he spoke indifferently to Ke Xinwen. At this moment, Ke Xinwen’s heart tightened because he noticed the joy on Yu Wanrou’s face beginning to subside.
Truth be told, he was quite afraid of Qin Lingyu right now because his fate completely depended on Qin Lingyu.
But because Qin Lingyu had spoken, Ke Xinwen could only laugh dryly at the others around him before walking over compliantly to Qin Lingyu’s side.
The martial disciples’ attention was completely focused on the results of their hunt at this moment, and n.o.body noticed how far Qin Lingyu and Ke Xinwen had walked to on the side.
“Have you managed to carry out the matters I’ve instructed?” Qin Lingyu questioned in a low voice with a commandeering look in his eyes.
“I…I tossed a fair amount of Frenzypani Gra.s.s towards them. We’re quite near the heart of the woods right now, and there are bound to be spirit beasts nearby. Don’t worry, they won’t come out of this alive this time.” Ke Xinwen hastily reported to Qin Lingyu as he imagined how pleased Qin Lingyu ought to be with his methods.
Unexpectedly, Qin Lingyu did not reveal a satisfied expression. Instead, he coldly rebuked Ke Xinwen, “Imbecile! Who told you to kill them off?!”
Ke Xinwen was stunned. He had not expected such a reaction from Qin Lingyu at all!
“That…that…” Ke Xinwen stammered, but he did not know what else he could say in the present circ.u.mstances.
Qin Lingyu took one step towards Ke Xinwen, gnas.h.i.+ng his teeth, he said, “If the spirit beasts kill Yao Mo, then who’s going to give me his Mirror of a Thousand Reflections? You?! Do you know that you’ve completely ruined my plans with your idiocy right now?!”
A s.h.i.+ver went down Ke Xinwen’s spine at that moment, and his entire back was now soaked through with cold sweat. He finally realized that Qin Lingyu coveted the possessions stored in Yao Mo’s Interspatial Ring.