The Frost Python slowly glided towards Nie Tian.
It examined him silently, yet didn’t try to kill him.
Nie Tian’s attention was more concentrated than ever as he stared wide-eyed at the Frost Python. He secretly circulated his spiritual power, preparing to react at any moment.
“Scales...!” Nie Tian was shocked inwardly.
As it approached, he noticed that the more than ten-meter-long silver python had actually grown silver, crystalline scales!
Days before, when he was still traveling with Pan Tao and others in the glacier area, searching for the Frost Python, he learned many of its secrets from Pan Tao.
According to Pan Tao, in the second grade, Frost Python should be silver in color from head to tail, but completely lacking in scales.
However, once scales appeared on the Frost Python, it would mean that it had successfully broken through into the third grade.
Third grade spirit beasts could be as powerful as Qi warriors with a Heaven stage cultivation base, their formidable power increasing by several times!
The Frost Python in front of Nie Tian’s eyes had already grown dozens of ice-like scales after hiding for a long time, which meant after a period of hiding, it had already become a third grade spirit beast!
If it was still in the second grade, he might still have the audacity to fight it, and perhaps, he could kill it with the rage punch.
However, now that the Frost Python had stepped into the third grade, he knew that he wouldn’t even have a ten percent chance to win, even with the rage punch.
With that fist strike, he could only kill Qi warriors of the Lesser Heaven stage, whose strength was far inferior to third grade spirit beasts.
No matter what, it would be impossible for him to kill this third grade Frost Python. Engaging in battle with it meant death!
After having a clear understanding of the situation, Nie Tian didn’t dare to hesitate any more, and started fleeing at the fastest speed possible.
SHEW!
He blurred into action, das.h.i.+ng toward the direction of the Ghost sect and the Blood sect people, without wasting one second.
He knew perfectly well that he couldn’t possibly contend against the Frost Python alone.
The only possible way to kill the Frost Python would be with the help of the Cloudsoaring sect, the Spiritual Treasure sect, and maybe even the Ghost sect and the Blood sect.
HISSS! HISSS!
The sound of the Frost Python slithering across the sand could be heard from behind him. But then, after only about ten seconds, it surpa.s.sed him, and was silently waiting for him on the sand dune in front of him.
After reaching the third grade, it was faster than him by a great margin!
Seeing that the Frost Python had surpa.s.sed him and was now waiting there in front of him, staring at him oddly, Nie Tian’s scalp began tingling so hard it felt like his head might explode.
Without any further thought, he immediately turned around and dashed in the opposite direction.
SSS! SSS!
After about ten seconds, the Frost Python surpa.s.sed him again, and yet again came to a stop in front of him.
Flabbergasted by what was happening, Nie Tian once again turned around, madly drawing power from his spiritual sea and fusing it with the energy roaming within his body to run at full speed.
However, the Frost Python was still much faster than him!
No matter how hard he ran, the Frost Python could always easily surpa.s.s him, and wait up ahead for him.
After a few more tries, Nie Tian was still unable to get rid of it, and thus gave up.
He finally understood that there was no way that he could escape from the third grade Frost Python.
“Bring it on!”
After giving up on running, Nie Tian a.s.sumed a battling posture, since he had no other option.
To his surprise, despite his battle posture, the Frost Python didn’t make a single move.
Its eyes flickered with intelligence, as though it were contemplating some plan it had hatched.
Since it didn’t move, Nie Tian also didn’t dare to move. All he could do was stare at it with rapt attention, in case it launched an attack.
After a long moment, the Frost Python’s eyes suddenly flickered, and it turned and slithered off toward the depths of the desert.
Before long, it stopped and turned around to look at Nie Tian, seemingly waiting for something...
Nie Tian was full of confusion.
HISS! HISS!
The Frost Python kept flickering its forked tongue and making hissing sounds, while simultaneously looking back.
Staring at it, puzzled, Nie Tian suddenly read from its eyes what it wanted to express: follow me.
Nie Tian was stunned.
The Frost Python actually wanted him to follow it?
HISS! HISS!
The Frost Python kept making hissing sounds, which were now filled with impatience, as if it was urging him to get moving.
It took a moment for Nie Tian to react, and followed obediently with a wry smile.
He wasn’t sure what trick it was playing, but he knew for sure that if he engaged in battle with it, he would definitely be the one to die.
Having reached the third grade, the Frost Python was definitely not something he could handle. He had already had a clear understanding of that from the way that the Frost Python had easily outrun him.
If he were to run away, he wouldn’t be successful. If he were to fight, he would die beyond a shadow of a doubt.
In this situation, behaving obediently was definitely the smartest choice.
Even though he was full of reluctance, in order to survive, he could only follow the Frost Python into the depths of the desert.
Time flew by... it felt as if he had already followed the Frost Python for quite a long time.
During this time, he knew that the Frost Python had been intentionally moving at a speed that he was able to keep up with.
Whenever he stopped or had reservations, the Frost Python would always look back at him.
Under its frightening gaze, he would usually force a smile and continue to move forward, abandoning any plans to escape.
With the Frost Python in the front and Nie Tian behind it, they marched forward silently at a fast pace.
After an unknown period of time, the Frost Python suddenly halted, so Nie Tian also stopped.
He adjusted his breathing, and stealthily observed the surrounding area, wis.h.i.+ng to know why the Frost Python had stopped here.
It was a tiny oasis with a small lake, which was filled with mysteriously green-colored water that emitted a fishy smell.
On the perimeter of the oasis, there grew a large number of short plants which were spa.r.s.ely spread, and from the look of them, they were on the verge of dying.
Soon after the Frost Python stopped, it slowly swam to the center of the lake.
Suddenly, it raised its tail high into the air, and drops of blood seemed to be forced out of the end of its tail.
PLOP! PLOP! PLOP! PLOP!
As soon as its blood dripped into the lake, the pungent, fishy lake water started to ripple.
A misty, green aura then rose above the surface of the lake, which looked quite frightening.
PUFF!
The raised tail pierced violently down towards the bottom of the lake like a sharp awl.
Observing with rapt attention, Nie Tian discovered that the python’s tail had pierced through the ground at the center of the lake, and kept going downwards.
Its ten-meter-long body followed its ground-piercing tail, and sunk smoothly into the earth.
When it only had its giant head above the water, it looked over toward Nie Tian, eyes conveying the message same as before: Follow me!
Nie Tian’s expression flickered, intending to escape.
However, it seemed that the Frost Python could read his mind as it sprang its mostly submerged body violently out of the earth.
Then, at the bottom of the lake, a giant tunnel leading downwards appeared as the python retracted its body. However, for some reason, the water didn"t flow into it.
It moved aside, giving Nie Tian a clearer look at the tunnel, and indicating with its gaze that it wished for him to enter.
Realizing that his intentions had been discovered, Nie Tian smiled wryly and nodded before entering the lake, swimming slowly to the center.
When he reached the center of the lake, he discovered that the water level only reached his chest. He heaved a sigh, and looked at the tunnel leading downwards, before closing his eyes to jump in.
It felt like he was sliding towards the center of the earth, and along the way down, everything was filled with a pungent, fishy smell.
BAAAAAM!
After a long while, he fell heavily into a pool of water.
He quickly opened his eyes.
There was a enormous stone palace in the deep underground region of the desert!
In the middle of the stone palace, there stood numerous giant stone statues of spirit beasts.
Apart from the statues, there were also numerous stone columns, which had life-like stone dragons wrapped around them!
He was in a corner of the stone palace floating inside a crescent-moon-shaped well, observing the ancient stone palace from the mouth of the well.
WHOOs.h.!.+
At this very moment, the gigantic Frost Python suddenly fell from the heavens.
He immediately looked up.
He saw a big stone tunnel mouth at the top of the stone palace which seemed to be the link between this place and the lake above it.
When the Frost Python fell, it wiggled in midair and avoided landing on Nie Tian, instead landing in the empty s.p.a.ce in the middle of the stone palace.
After hitting ground, the Frost Python took a look at one of the stone columns, and then looked over towards Nie Tian, giving orders with its eyes again.
Following the Frost Python’s gaze, Nie Tian also looked over towards the stone column, and immediately noticed that there was a splendid flame dragon coiled around it.