Chapter 322 – Beheading the Python
The Scarlet Flood Python was over 200 feet long, and its writhing body was thicker than a century-old tree. Every red scale of its body was larger than a soldier’s tower s.h.i.+eld, and its sharp fangs were like spears. When it opened its mouth, it was wide enough to swallow an elephant.
This python monster was only the weakest of the fourth-level vicious beasts. Still, its strength was equal to a middle Houtian realm martial artist. Within the entire Sky Fortune Kingdom – if one didn’t include the masters of the Seven Profound Martial House – it would be difficult for anyone to defeat this beast.
It had to be known that even the State Marshal Qin Xiao and the magnificent Mister Muyi had a cultivation at the middle Houtian realm. But as for Green Mulberry City, there were no Houtian masters stationed there.
“Lin Ming, be careful!” Lin Wanshan screamed from behind, as he watched Lin Ming rush in.
“Young Hero Lin, that is a fourth-level vicious beast! Wait for us brothers to come over and we will fight together with Young Hero Lin!” s.h.i.+ Linkai was far away, but he immediately began to slash his way towards Lin Ming. If this python monster managed to reach the army, it would be able to sweep away the entire tower s.h.i.+eld defensive line with a single swing of its tail. Once the defensive line was broken, the army’s loss would be immeasurable; they would all be overwhelmed!
Now they could only rely on Lin Ming.
Lin Ming watched that python that was like a small hill, and his eyes narrowed. This vicious beast’s strength was at the middle Houtian realm. At most, it would be equal to Huo Yanluo’s level. To the current Lin Ming, instantly killing it was simple!
However, Lin Ming didn’t want to reveal the hidden cards in his hands to the pair of eyes that was lurking within the bustling crowd.
Pu pu pu!
Lin Ming’s spear swept out, making a killing circle. As all of the Corrupt Wolves around him were swept away, he aimed his spear and thrust towards the Scarlet Flood Python!
“Young Hero Lin, be careful!”
The martial artists of Green Mulberry City had no idea what the limit of Lin Ming’s strength was. To them, the geniuses of the Seven Profound Valleys were too remote of an existence. Although they knew that Lin Ming was absurdly powerful, everyone still held their breath as they watched Lin Ming charge towards the Scarlet Flood Python alone with their own eyes.
Those grim eyes that were hiding in crowd locked onto Lin Ming. “A mere Scarlet Flood Python is absolutely not his match. Let’s see just how much of his strength he uses.”
This chess piece that Ouyang Boyan arranged to stay here originated from the Seven Profound Valleys, so he understood just how terrifying a direct disciple of the Seven Profound Valleys truly was. With his status, when he was young he simply didn’t have a chance to fight against talents like Jiang Baoyun. He only understood the power of a direct disciple from rumors and watching these geniuses fight.
But during this Total Faction Martial Meeting, he had been forced to stay behind in Sky Fortune Kingdom, and hadn’t seen the battle between Lin Ming and Jiang Baoyun. Because of this, he didn’t have a personal concept of just how strong Lin Ming was, and had to personally judge him through watching him.
“Saaa!”
The Red Flood Python cried out with a grating scream, and its ma.s.sive tail swung towards Lin Ming like whip.
Golden Roc Shattering the Void!
Lin Ming had deliberately suppressed the speed of Golden Roc Shattering the Void, but he still easily dodged the Scarlet Flood Python’s strike.
Bang!
The python’s broad tail smashed the ground, cracking the earth and causing the battlefield to shake. Several unlucky Corrupt Wolves were crushed into b.l.o.o.d.y piles of goo!
As s.h.i.+ Linkai saw this scene while rus.h.i.+ng over, he felt chills run up his spine. A fourth-level vicious beast was truly a fearful existence. If he was struck by that tail, not even his bones would be left over. Not only that, but its attack speed was so quick. With his piddling movement techniques, he had no idea if he could dodge it…
A moment ago, s.h.i.+ Linkai had shouted out that he would join forces with Lin Ming and kill the vicious beast, but now that he saw just how deadly it was, he wondered to himself: could he really help? He would probably die as collateral damage!
It was not just s.h.i.+ Linkai, but the other martial artists were in a worse situation. Zhuang Fan and the other were mostly at the early Pulse Condensation period; their own individual strength were all less than s.h.i.+ Linkai’s. If they were even scratched by that Scarlet Flood Python’s tail, they would probably die on the spot!
Besides Lin Ming, no one had the qualifications to tangle with the Scarlet Flood Python. Whoever came up would die!
Boom!
Boom!
The Scarlet Flood Python repeatedly smashed the ground with its brutal tail. Lin Ming dodged using his superior movement. It looked like everywhere he went there was a danger that put him in a dead end, but every time he would just manage to barely dodge the Scarlet Flood Python’s attack.
Lin Wanshan began to sweat from all pores. If Lin Ming mistimed a dodge even once, he would die!
Lin Ming was the Lin Family’s future hope. If he died here then… not only would the Lin Family suffer an immeasurable loss, but they might not even be able to defend Green Mulberry City.
Lin Wanshan gulped. Right now he was incomparably nervous, but he was also completely helpless.
Dozens of ma.s.sacred Corrupt Wolf corpses lay b.l.o.o.d.y and grotesque on the ground. None of the other Corrupt Wolves dared to approach, leaving a wide s.p.a.ce that was several hundred feet wide for Lin Ming and the Scarlet Flood Python to fight. At this time, the entire beast tide stampede has slowed down.
“Not planning on using your trump cards?” The grim shadow in the crowd muttered to himself. He didn’t even believe that there was the slightest chance that Lin Ming would be defeated. He only wondered how much Lin Ming would preserve his strength. After all, this beast tide had just begun, and there were bound to be more vicious beasts behind that were even fiercer.
Fwaaa!
The Scarlet Flood Python opened its gaping maw and suddenly spat out a large glob of venom. This human didn’t even dare to fight it head-on, but was actually jumping all around; this caused the Scarlet Flood Python to be thoroughly enraged.
The glob of venom flew into the air and then scattered, falling like driving rain; it was undodgeable.
As Lin Ming was about to be enveloped by this storm of venom, he suddenly turned his spear. Purple arcs of lightning roared out!
Chi chi chi!
Under the clouded skies of the evening, the bright illumination of the Purple Flood Dragon Divine Thunder’s lightning arcs was even more dazzling!
All of the venom around Lin Ming was burnt away by the power of thunder, his entire body twined with purple lightning. With his spear, he thrust towards the Scarlet Flood Python.
Electric light sparked!
With the ashen clouds as his backdrop, Lin Ming was like a war G.o.d of thunder. The Scarlet Flood Python widened its jaws, biting towards Lin Ming!
Pa!
Lin Ming dodged the Scarlet Flood Python’s fangs, thrusting his spear into the python’s lower jaw. Then he stepped over the python’s body, dragging his spear behind him, the spear tip embedded into the python, dragging a deep b.l.o.o.d.y crevice in its body. Flesh and blood flew into the sky.
This single spear strike had split the python from head to tail!
“Saa!”
The Scarlet Flood Python issued a horrifying scream, its hissing shriek breaking apart stone. Ma.s.sive purple arcs of lightning wound around its body, and blood erupted like a waterfall from the giant fissure left behind by the spear, gus.h.i.+ng out dozens of feet high!
Lin Ming’s entire body was bathed in blood, and his hair tie had loosened during the attack. At this moment, he was like a demonic lord that crawled up from the Ashura h.e.l.l, infernal and unstoppable!
Seeing this distant one-sided great battle take place, the 10,000 soldiers were left speechless. This 200 foot long great python reached to the skies, its blood raining to the earth. This scene was too impactful on their minds.
He won?
Lin Wanshan was jumping in joy.
Lin Ming had actually won! He had cut down a fourth-level Scarlet Flood Python!
As soon as the Scarlet Flood Python died, the offensive charge of the Corrupt Wolves immediately died down. After a few more symbolic rushes, they began to retreat like an ebbing tide.
“The wolves are retreating!”
“We’ve defended!”
After withstanding the impacts of tens of thousands of Corrupt Wolves, the exhausted soldiers began to cheer. The archers still shot their arrows, but chasing them was impossible. The soldiers had reached the limits of their strength, and even if they were at top condition, it was impossible to chase a stampede of Corrupt Wolves over a long distance while wearing their heavy equipment.
Lin Ming carried his spear on his shoulder and walked back from the battlefield alone. During this battle, he had killed over a thousand Corrupt Wolves, while killing dozens of third-level vicious beasts and even the fourth-level Scarlet Flood Python. The combined efforts of all the other Pulse Condensation period martial artists didn’t even add up to half of this.
Of course, there was no simply no comparing them. Their strength and was not on the same level as Lin Ming’s.
“He finally used the power of thunder, but he didn’t use that thunder energy weapon of his…”
As the soldiers were returning, the figure in the shadows was mumbling to himself. Although he hadn’t seen Lin Ming when he had partic.i.p.ated in the Total Faction Martial Meeting, he still had a great deal of information. Lin Ming’s trump card was not just his power of thunder, but also a needle-like weapon that was condensed from thunder energy. This weapon was Lin Ming’s true killing move.
“If I don’t factor in that needle-like thunder energy weapon, then what Lin Ming revealed so far should be his complete strength. He should be able to defeat an ordinary late Houtian realm master, which is actually the same cultivation as me. But, he still isn’t my match. If I want to kill him, I have to make sure it succeeds… otherwise, it will be too troublesome!”
The subordinate that Ouyang Boyan had left behind had a cultivation at the late Houtian realm. But he was still a disciple of the Seven Profound Valleys, and his combat strength was much more formidable than a normal late Houtian master.
The wolves receded, the casualties were tallied. More than 800 soldiers had sacrificed their lives and perished on the field.
After Lin Ming returned to Green Mulberry City, he went into seclusion and quickly began to mediate. The truth was his consumption of strength wasn’t too high. In addition to his already formidable endurance, he had nearly his complete true essence reserves remaining afterwards. This seclusion was all an act of his.
To lure the snake from its hole and then kill it instead – this was Lin Ming’s plan.
After the victory of the first battle, the morale of Green Mulberry City’s garrison army had sharply risen. But now was not that time for celebrations. There was likely to be other groups of vicious beasts incoming, and they had to persist until reinforcements arrived.
Dinner was lavish. All of the major families had pooled together their resources, bringing good meat and other satisfying foods. There was enough for everyone.
Although the soldiers regretted that they could not drink, they still heartily ate their fill, taking water instead of wine.
At the banquet, the soldiers frantically talked about how Lin Ming had used a single spear to slaughter the Scarlet Flood Python in the chaos of the battlefield while being surrounded by tens of thousands of wolves. In the minds of an ordinary soldier, Lin Ming was simply a legend come to life.
“Old Lin, your Lin Family have truly produced a hero that will be recorded in history.” After dinner, Zhuang Fan spoke as he smoked from a pure gold pipe, walking over to Lin Wanshan’s side. Out of all the major power players of Green Mulberry City, the Lin Family and Zhuang Family were closest because of their cooperation in many fields of business.
“I didn’t think that our experience would be so shallow. The strength of a Seven Profound Valleys direct disciple can actually reach such a level.” As Lin Wanshan gazed off at the warm light within the tent that Lin Ming had retreated to, his mood was complex.
This gap was too amazing! He was unable to comprehend that a direct disciple of the Seven Profound Valleys who was only at the Pulse Condensation period was actually much stronger than the Houtian masters of Sky Fortune Kingdom!
“The frontier army set out two days ago, they should arrive in another seven or eight days. With Lin Ming, we should be able to defend until then. Today, the number of vicious beasts that Lin Ming killed were a tenth of the army’s total, but all of the high level vicious beasts were killed by him alone.”