"Well now, so you can blow out gas too? Looks like that black mist of yours isn't simple!" Evan Chu halted his Heart-Sword technique and swiftly darted to the side.
Only after steadying himself did he see that wherever the black mist passed, the plants began to wilt and rot within just a few breaths—evidence of its intense toxicity.
If that black mist touched him, it would be no joke. Evan grew even more cautious toward this giant beast.
At that moment, Rhea Yang also sensed something was off. For a monster to have such attack and defense meant it was at least a fifth-rank beast—when facing one like this, the only option was to run.
"Evan Chu, we can't beat this thing, and if we try to run, it’ll definitely be faster than us. Are we really going to die here?" Rhea said, a little dejected.
"It’s just a little mudfish, what are you scared of? With me here, I’ll definitely kill it. Just watch out for its poisonous black mist and saliva." Evan replied casually, though inside he was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
The giant serpent was furious now. After failing to kill these ants several times, it felt humiliated. It raised its head and aimed its massive horn at Evan Chu once again.
But Evan was fully focused on sword control. His Earth Star Pellet spun wildly, pumping Chaos Qi nonstop into the Frostbane Sword.
Moments later, Frostbane Sword hovered in midair. "Go!" Evan shouted. The blade swept up a sword beam fully two meters long and slashed toward the giant serpent.
Boom! The devastating attack instantly tore a huge hole in the serpent’s massive body. Scales flew everywhere, and bright red blood poured from the wound as it thrashed in agony on the ground.
The serpent’s jaws split open, unleashing a roar so loud and guttural it nearly shook the night apart. As Evan saw the gaping wound his Heart-Sword had carved, a rush of satisfaction surged through him—he’d finally dealt real damage to this monster.
From a distance, Rhea Yang stared in disbelief at Evan’s attack. Her own full-force blow had only knocked off a few scales, but he’d blasted a giant hole straight through the serpent. Was their strength really worlds apart?
He really is some kind of freak... Maybe in three years, he’ll actually reach that realm. Only a peerless genius like him deserves me. I should treat him better from now on. Rhea secretly made up her mind, awe flickering in her heart.
But the serpent, driven mad by pain, snapped into a frenzy. Its ten-meter body whipped through rocks and trees, smashing everything in its path. Suddenly, its massive head twisted and lunged straight for Evan, determined to swallow the one who’d wounded it whole.
Evan’s reflexes kicked in—he darted backward more than ten meters. The serpent, seeing its prey retreat, let its horn flash with a cold gleam and charged at him with terrifying speed.
Its speed was almost impossible to describe—within a blink, it was right in front of Evan, nearly as fast as Shifting Position itself.
At this range, even Shifting Position couldn’t save him. Anxiety spiked in Evan’s chest; as the horn closed in, he could only bring up Frostbane Sword to block, bracing himself for the impact.
The serpent’s strength was terrifying. As Frostbane Sword met the horn, a tidal wave of force crashed through, blasting Evan off his feet and sending him flying over ten meters from the shock.
The force traveled from Frostbane, through Evan’s arm, all the way to his dantian. He spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot—he was badly hurt, no question about it.
Good thing I’ve reached Second Layer Starforge Body. Anyone else would be dead from that hit. Damn you, you actually managed to hurt your grandpa—tonight I’ll make sure you die for real! Evan cursed inwardly, indignant and burning with fighting spirit.
Rhea couldn’t see Evan at all—he’d been hurled too far, and the campfire had already gone out. But she was certain: he must be seriously injured.
"Evan, are you alright?" Rhea called out, her voice tinged with anxious worry.
Evan struggled up, forcing a bitter smile. "Not dead yet, but if I take two more hits like that, I’ll probably be toast. If you become a widow, don’t blame me!"
"Idiot! Is this really the time for jokes?" Rhea was both angry and amused—mad at his words, but relieved he was still alive and had the energy to talk back.
The serpent saw its prey stand up again and readied another savage attack, but this time, it wouldn’t have things its own way.
Just as the serpent made its move, Evan unleashed Shifting Position and Heart-Sword in tandem. Frostbane, lying on the ground, soared up and slashed at the serpent.
He struck the same spot as before, but this time the attack was much weaker—he’d acted too hastily, and only managed to widen the wound a little.
Already back at Rhea’s side, Evan gasped, "This thing’s an unkillable freak. Don’t you have poison? Use it to finish it off!"
Rhea shot him a glare. "Are you crazy? It’s a poison beast! Even if I dumped out every toxin I have, it probably wouldn’t hurt it at all."
"Oh, right, I totally forgot about that. Any other ideas?" Evan asked, frustration and urgency creeping into his voice.
"Nope. The only option left is a head-on fight, but that’s basically nine chances out of ten we die." Rhea’s voice was heavy with resignation.
"Evan, attack its jaw—the white patch is its fatal weakness. This thing’s actually a Spirit Beast. Hard to believe there’s a Spirit Beast here," Luna’s voice echoed in Evan’s mind.
"Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Luna, are you waiting for me to look pathetic before you help? This is life and death!" Evan complained, half joking, half desperate.
"I just wanted to see how much potential you had. It’s not too late to tell you now, is it?" Luna laughed, her voice teasing.
Even Heart-Sword couldn’t kill this thing—its strength was unreal. A Spirit Beast... Evan could hardly believe it. Only seventh-rank monsters can evolve into Spirit Beasts, so this serpent must be at least seventh rank.
A seventh-rank monster is at least as strong as a seventh-layer Earth Martial expert, and with its natural defenses and attack, it’s basically at eighth-layer strength. Beating someone five realms above me? That’s almost impossible.
Evan stared at the white patch under the serpent’s jaw and said to Rhea, "Let’s hit that spot together. That’s its fatal weakness!"
"How do you know? Why didn’t you aim there before?" Rhea demanded, her face full of questions.
"Long story. You draw its attention, I’ll go for the kill. But watch out for its horn and venom—this thing’s definitely seventh rank," Evan said seriously. This was life and death; he couldn’t afford any mistakes.
Rhea nodded. As the serpent charged, she spun her longsword into a flurry of sword flowers to intercept, while Evan waited for his chance to strike with a plain, decisive blow.
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