Chapter 10, Unable to Compete with Dragons and Snakes

All beings seem to crawl like ants beneath their feet, while they themselves perceive as the sovereign of all things

Hong Lian was driven to a dead end, her eyes bloodshot as she frantically sold her wares, completely disregarding whether the vortex of spiritual energy within her could withstand it. She maximized the force of her spiritual energy in her hands, finally matching the little snake in a fierce struggle.

Are you afraid that there are even more terrifying beings there? Are you worried that I might not be able to defeat the monsters there, leading to your demise as well?" Hong Lian scoffed.

Treading on the crystal-clear mountain stones

As the vortex of spiritual energy within her darkened, Hong Lian's speed and strength rapidly diminished, ultimately resulting in her being struck on the head by the serpent's tail, leaving her severely injured and unconscious.

The gesture of nodding by Heizi expresses: I have never even touched the claws of a beautiful dragon, I cannot die

Dark Dragon Serpent? Haha, do you think that just because you say not to harm, I will not harm? You must not forget that we are natural enemies; you are of darkness, and I am of light. Why should I listen to you!" The little white snake was taken aback upon seeing the black figure

Since a cultivator has made the decision to pursue this path, they must not be afraid or hesitate; otherwise, the tribulation of confronting their inner demons in the future will be exceedingly difficult

As I take the first step onto the mountain, there is a sense of illusion that this place seems to be closer to the sun than others, absorbing the energy of sunlight much more rapidly than elsewhere

At the moment before the blazing sunbird fell into the lake, Hong Lian was utterly shocked

"Heizi, have you ever seen snake skin like this? It is surprisingly resistant to high temperatures," Honglian said, waving a piece of snake skin in front of Heizi.

"Hmph, how would I know who you are? I don't care who you are. You say this is your territory, but on what basis?" Hong Lian expressed disdain compared to planting.

It would be wonderful if the stones here were precious stones, then I wouldn't have to worry about money. Hong Lian, a little miser, thought to herself.

"You cannot ... ... harm ... ... him ... ..." Heizi said this with great difficulty

Hong Lian struggled to walk halfway up the mountain, where the temperature was even hotter than at the base. Not far away, there was a section of white, semi-transparent filament, an object that seemed completely out of place in this environment, making it immediately apparent that something was amiss

Is that so? You should not forget that you are injured. Although what you said makes sense, I still want to fight for it. Heizi said stubbornly

The bird's nest was previously collapsed by the fiery feather arrows of the Sunbird. However, the current bird's nest was created by Honglian using her spiritual power.

"Is this person really worth your desperate protection? Is it worth it?" The Bright Dragon and Serpent looked on with disdain

With a loud bang, the energy claw struck the body of Honglian, kicking up a large cloud of dust that obscured the little snake's vision. After a while, as the dust dispersed with the wind, an inexplicable sense of desolation emerged. Honglian remained lying there, undamaged, while a small black dragon hovered above her, blocking the energy claw. The claw, supported by the black dragon, gradually dissipated, with the black dragon standing protectively in front of Honglian.

"Cut it out, has your brain been pinched by a door? I don't even know what you are, why should I be afraid of you?" Hong Lian felt frustrated

Sometimes, people are quite strange; they know there is danger yet still choose to move forward, always harboring a glimmer of hope in their hearts said Hong Lian as she ascended

There was still no sound in her arms, and Hong Lian was just about to reach out to catch Hei Zi.

Heizi's gaze was confused as he shook his head

You slander me, and the consequences will be severe

Then am I not doomed? Not to mention whether I can defeat that pervert above, if I kill that pervert, the horde of beasts below will rush at me, and I will definitely be torn apart and devoured

Heizi nodded and shook his head, gesturing with his claws.

The phrase "having one's head caught in the door" means that one is not very quick-witted; a more pleasant way to say it is "not very bright," while a less pleasant way is to call someone "mentally ill." Hahaha... you are indeed something else. Hong Lian was taken aback for a moment and then burst into laughter.

The Bright Dragon and Serpent waved their claws: "Then let's fight, after all, we are destined to have a battle upon meeting." After saying this, they were ready to engage in combat

The red lotus gasped as it saw that the excrement could block the light blades, executing the Tai Chi step, weaving through the light blades and continuously approaching the little snake

You are seeking death! The little snake exclaimed, then shot two beams of light at Hong Lian.

The yellow hexagram's radiance rapidly dimmed, seemingly on the verge of collapsing, yet the energy wave continued to surge. Honglian grew anxious, channeling her spiritual energy into the hexagram formation beneath her feet, causing the yellow light to flare up once more, barely withstanding the impact of the energy wave. After the yellow light wall of the hexagram had withstood the entirety of the energy wave, it too came crashing down.

Turning around to see who disturbed his rare moment of elegance, he found no one, and wanted to turn back. With a shift in his mind, he became alert: this is Liyang Peak, who is speaking? Upon realizing this, Honglian felt as if she had stepped in dog feces and jumped three meters away.

As the red lotus drew near, the little snake halted its glowing blade attacks. Its mouth opened, and a surge of energy gathered within, slowly forming a silver orb of light

The little snake watched as its shining blade was blocked each time by a burst of yellow light, realizing that Honglian possessed a superior defensive treasure

Hong Lian was about to speak as a beam of light flashed by, when more beams of light came rushing in. With a twist of her right hand, she formed a rotating shield of spiritual energy to block the incoming beams. With a grip of her left hand, a spiritual energy arrow appeared in her palm, which she then thrust towards the small snake.

The fiery spirit of the Blazing Sun Mountain continuously nourished the Blazing Sun Bird, rapidly restoring its demonic essence. A sound emerged from the depths of the bird's cave, and the Blazing Sun Bird awakened. Upon seeing the red lotus at the cave entrance, a glimmer of hatred appeared in its eyes as it struggled to rise and pounce towards the red lotus

Hehe, do you think I need to use underhanded tactics to defeat you? You are overestimating yourself too much?" The silver-white little snake expressed its disdain.

Why am I so unlucky... Red Lotus has even forgotten how many times she has said this herself

"It's nothing, it doesn't think highly of you. You are too old."

In the blazing sun of the mountain, the fiery sunbird's cave, Honglian was toying with the bird egg in her hand

The small snake painfully rose again, its eyes shifting from silvery white to blood red. Silver light emanated from its claws, forming a gigantic translucent silver claw in the air, which was larger than ten red lotuses.

The little snake was also disregarded, lazily flicking its tail in a circular motion, emitting a silvery-white ripple. The tornado dissipated immediately upon encountering the ripple

A beam of silvery light, akin to the mountain, shot forth. Hong Lian finally beheld the source of the voice; it was a small snake, even smaller than the black one. Its entire body was covered in silvery scales, blending seamlessly with the surrounding silvery stones. Had it not moved, Hong Lian would not have noticed that such a small snake existed here.

The presence of snake skin here indicates that there are indeed demon beasts on this main peak, and they have even evolved. The surrounding blazing sun birds are already so abnormal in this Blazing Sun Mountain; what about the demon beasts on the main peak? Aren't they the most abnormal of all? However, having walked halfway, why have we not seen a single demon beast?

The Red Lotus's power, utilizing all its strength and techniques, ultimately still got struck by the little snake's tail. The halo of excrement on its body blocked this strike, and the excrement fell into a dormant state

The black creature hidden in the embrace wore a proud expression, its meaning quite clear: I do not regard ordinary little snakes, let alone consider them as my companions; my standards are quite high.

Hong Lian walked over and picked up the translucent thread-like object, gasping in surprise. It was actually snake skin, shed during the snake's evolution.

What does it matter to me what you think? You say you won't scheme against me, but why should I believe you, fool? I really don't know if you're just an immature little brat. Hei Zi, I really found a match for you, what do you think of this light beauty snake?

Hong Lian looked at the mountain rock in front of her, which emitted a blinding silver light. She reached out to touch it; it was very hot, so hot that even the defensive light layer of her feces trembled

"Heizi, haven't you always been hoping to find a partner? Now that you have one, why don't you come out? Are you bleeding to death from your nose?" Hong Lian called.

There is no sound in the embrace

This is certainly not ordinary snake skin; its high-temperature resistance alone can be used to forge defensive magical artifacts. The crafted items, whether inscribed with formations or not, will inherently possess fire-resistant properties. Heizi has snake skin here, which might really help you find a suitable match. Honglian placed the snake skin into her storage bag and continued her ascent up the mountain

Ultimately, one cannot betray one's own conscience, and thus the Fiery Sun Bird was rescued from the lake. When the Red Lotus saw the Fiery Sun Bird leave the City of Fiery Sun without any reservations due to the bird's egg, Red Lotus had no intention of striking a lethal blow. In the end, there was no attack made; instead, there was a constant display of forbearance. It was only to preserve one's life that the Fiery Sun Bird was reluctantly brought down.

Hong Lian looked at the increasingly blinding silver orb, knowing that the little snake was about to unleash a powerful attack. However, Hong Lian did not want to stop, and even if she tried to evade, it might not be successful. She continued to think about getting closer to the little snake, aiming to strike it away before the powerful attack could take shape.

"Wow, so fierce." Hong Lian's entire body was filled with spiritual energy, and a spiritual energy blade appeared in her hand. Her hands moved rapidly, as this spiritual energy blade could not last for long. Hong Lian continuously unleashed energy towards the blade, hoping to end the battle quickly.

You are the little brat, I am almost one hundred years old, and you, a little brat under ten, dare to call me small. Nonsense.

The black cat's claws moved again

Not yet, let me show off a bit more. Hmm? What does it mean to show off, who is being such a killjoy?" Hong Lian looked into the distance without turning her head.

Who are you? Where are you? What do you want to do? Hong Lian asked several questions in succession

"One day I will stand higher than here, you up there, I will bring you down!" Hong Lian raised his hands high and shouted to the heavens. In fact, he was not sure whether there really were Golden Immortals above.

The little snake's claws moved in unison, yet it appeared languid and fatigued. The light blades of its claws countered the knife blades, and it seemed as if the little snake was quite at ease, generating as many light blades as it wished. Gradually, Hong Lian could no longer hold on, as several light blades struck her, but were blocked by the defensive light circle of excrement.

Heizi, this mission can be considered a complete failure. However, returning empty-handed is unsatisfactory; why don't we go to that main peak and take a look? Perhaps we might encounter the blazing sunbird.

The blazing sunbird gazed at the silhouette of the red lotus and suddenly felt that this person might truly lead its child to greatness

From the moment Hong Lian rescued the Fiery Sun Bird and brought it back to Fiery Sun Mountain, there had been numerous complaints, yet they were merely verbal grievances, and she never took any lethal action against it. At critical moments, she even channeled her spiritual energy to assist the Fiery Sun Bird in its recovery. Many years later, Hong Lian felt quite fortunate that she had not killed the Fiery Sun Bird.

Heizi: "It doesn't matter, whether it's worth it or not, he and I are friends, that's all."

Heizi stammered: "Bright Dragon and Serpent... do not... go too far in bullying others... I am not afraid of you. This person, I will definitely... protect. I will do my utmost, and you may not necessarily... benefit from this."

A day has passed since the battle with the Fiery Sun Bird, and the Crimson Lotus, having defeated the Fiery Sun Bird, has not returned to the Eastern Emperor City

The little snake emitted a sphere of light, and Hong Lian was just three steps away from catching the little snake. The sphere of light was sprayed from the snake's mouth, and a wave of extremely pure light attribute energy surged from small to large towards Hong Lian, which could certainly not be resisted by the aura on its surface

The atmosphere of Liyang Peak has calmed down, as if it is about to迎来 a storm

Hong Lian watched as the small snake fell, her hands moving incessantly. A massive spiritual energy arrow formed in her hands, and as she rubbed the shaft of the arrow, it began to spin. The spiritual energy arrow struck the small snake like a drill. The arrow continued to penetrate the snake's body until it finally dissipated, yet the small snake astonishingly stood up again, its surface adorned with a circular, silvery-white, translucent halo. Just as Hong Lian was about to breathe a sigh of relief, her nerves tightened once more.

Are you almost one hundred years old? Oh, I know why Heizi hasn't come out; it must be because it knows you are an old hag snake, so it is hiding away.

The fiery sunbird may truly understand what Honglian is saying and no longer struggles

Hong Lian cast a spell with her hands, and a hexagram illuminated beneath her feet. A yellow wall of light surged upward from the hexagram, encasing Hong Lian within. As soon as the wall of light was formed, an energy wave struck against it.

You said that this Fierce Sun Peak must have a formidable beast, and it is of a very powerful kind. Since we have not encountered any beasts here, there is only one explanation: the beasts here are so strong that other beasts submit to it and do not dare to cross its territory. This powerful beast should be located at the very top of the peak.

I will not harm your children, and I can leave one for you, but I must take the other four. If I defeat you and save you without taking anything, I do not think I am that great. Your love for your children compels me to save you. Hong Lian, seeing that it understands human nature, took out a bird's egg and placed it beside the blazing sun bird

"I never expected you could force me to this point," said the little snake. As soon as the words were spoken, a flash of white light appeared, and it had already vanished from its original position. Hong Lian felt a sense of crisis from behind; with a swift movement of the Tai Chi hand, she blocked the little snake's claw, but waves of pain surged through her hand. The little snake's speed and strength had both increased.

"What nonsense are you talking about, you colorfully foolish creature? Do you think I can't defeat the monsters there? Look, with such powerful punches, I can kill as many monsters as come my way." Red Lotus shook her fist after giving a light tap on Blackie's head.

Moreover, this little snake approached without making a sound, causing Hong Lian to break out in a cold sweat

With a push of her hands, Hong Lian sent a whirlwind crashing towards the little snake. The whirlwind transformed from one to two, and then to four, continuously multiplying. By the time it was about to overwhelm the little snake, its numbers had become overwhelming.

Every time the little snake strikes, Hong Lian must use her dominance. However, using dominance consumes a significant amount of spiritual energy, forcing her to abandon the idea of engaging the little snake in close combat. Hong Lian stops and uses both hands to perform Tai Chi, summoning a tornado that causes the surrounding rocks and stones to spin.

"What did you just say? My dear, whom did you say I should be close to?" The little snake ignored him

The spiritual energy arrows spread out along the way, forming countless small arrows that shot towards the little snake. The little snake flicked its shining claws and said: "A mere trick of a skilled artisan." A multitude of small silver beams were unleashed. The beams collided with the spiritual energy arrows, causing them to fall and disappear. The little snake swiped its claws, sending five silver-white light blades crashing towards the astonished Red Lotus. Red Lotus unleashed its might, using a powerful spiritual energy wall to deflect the claw-shaped light blades, leaping forward to approach the little snake. The little snake moved both claws in unison, and the light blades continued to fly towards Red Lotus.

The temperature at Liyang Peak is so high that not to mention filamentous substances, even slightly inferior refined metals would melt, yet this particular segment, which appears to be a flammable material, remains completely intact

The little snake, likely fearing that Hong Lian would play tricks and strike it again, did not approach Hong Lian. It raised its claw and aimed to crush the unconscious Hong Lian. The gust of wind generated by its claw sent rocks flying in all directions. If it hit this time, there was no doubt that Hong Lian would be flattened beyond recognition.

The Bright Dragon Snake laughed heartily: "You? Do not forget that this is the Fiery Sun Peak, where I am invincible. My attack and speed are doubled, while you are suppressed by the light spiritual energy here, managing to utilize only half of your abilities is already commendable. Moreover, you are merely an underage Dark Dragon Serpent; you cannot possibly defeat me. Just wait for your demise."

Oh? You really do not know who I am, and you are not afraid of me? The voice seemed to draw a little closer

Heizi nodded in agreement, looking at him with a teasing gaze: Are you scared? If you're scared, then just run away.

Hong Lian swiftly captured the small snake, enduring the unbearable high temperature in her hands. Suppressing the pain, she performed a Tai Chi maneuver with both hands, spinning the small snake and then pushing it. A tremendous force struck the small snake against a large rock like a ball. The rock developed numerous cracks, and the small snake fell down, leaving an inverted imprint of itself on the stone

What does it mean to have one's head caught in a door? And I am not an object, the voice said softly

"I am right in front of you. You entered my territory and yet you do not know who I am?" The voice seemed to drift from the field ahead.

"Have you had enough of your nonsense? The consequences of waking me up are quite serious." A delicate, sweet voice of a little girl came from behind.

In the deepest part of the bird's nest, a completely fiery red bird lies there half-alive, yet it is the blazing sunbird that sank into the lake yesterday

On the way to the summit, no demon beasts appeared. Hong Lian stood atop the blazing sun peak, feeling a surge of pride. The blazing sun peak was much higher than the surrounding volcanic group, and as Hong Lian gazed at the smoking volcanoes around her, she experienced a sense of unparalleled superiority.

Hong Lian stood outside the cave, gazing at the chaotic scene of Liyang Mountain, and then looked at the nearby main peak of Liyang Mountain—Liyang Peak

I do not know if you can understand, but it is best for you to calm down now and focus on healing and recovery. In your current condition, you cannot defeat me. It would be better to preserve your life and think about how to save your child.

Damn, the attacks are all silver-white, the likelihood of being ambushed here is quite high. Hong Lian swiftly dodged the light attack

The small snake approached the red lotus, raising its silvery claws to strike down, intending to crush the head of the red lotus. Just as the claws were about to reach the head, the unconscious red lotus unexpectedly delivered a powerful palm strike to the small snake's head. The head of the small snake caved in, leaving an imprint of a hand, and its body was sent flying back, leaving another mark on the stone. After delivering the punch, the red lotus truly suffered severe injuries and fell into a coma.

I will take good care of your child, and one day you will be proud of what happened today. Hong Lian turned to leave, but halfway through, she turned around and walked out in a rather flamboyant manner