"Heh, you're so young, yet you recognize this formation."
Lao Chongyuan's smile faded. At that moment, with a tearing sound, a hole burst open in the giant python's belly. Accompanied by a gush of viscous fluid, Zuo Quanyi crawled out from inside the snake, then stood beside Lao Chongyuan, panting heavily.
"Let me handle this. You're badly injured—go rest for a while."
Zuo Quanyi nodded, then walked a little farther along the edge of the formation and sat down.
"Finish off that kid quickly. He's one of Nai Luo's people—I don't know what he's done, but as long as we take care of him, this formation should restart. Otherwise, if we wait too long, the situation outside will turn against us."
Zuo Quanyi shouted. I opened my mouth, wanting to speak, but no sound came out. I felt something strange about my body—part of it no longer seemed to belong to me.
"Hah..."
Yu Mingxuan roared. In an instant, the Spirit Snake Deployment Platform in his hand activated—the spirit snake on it bit into his own neck, and suddenly, golden scales began to grow all over Yu Mingxuan's body.
"You won't last much longer, kid."
Yu Mingxuan was already in front of Lao Chongyuan. With a squelch, Lao Chongyuan's severed right hand grew back. But just then, his expression changed drastically—the newly grown hand suddenly turned to mush, dissolving into a white, sticky liquid that dripped onto the ground.
"You..."
Suddenly, Mason Yu grabbed Lao Chongyuan by the throat. In an instant, his hand transformed into a black snake, biting into Lao Chongyuan's neck. The twisting, coiling snake grew larger and wrapped around Lao Chongyuan. Mason Yu ignored him, charging straight toward me.
Zuo Quanyi darted in front of Mason Yu, his hands turning into clawed fists. A flurry of punches followed, but Mason Yu's body moved with snake-like agility, twisting and dodging every attack.
"Behind me, huh?"
Mason Yu calmly said, then quickly dodged to the left. With a bang, Lao Chongyuan broke free and swung his left fist, nearly hitting Zuo Quanyi. Zuo Quanyi managed to pull back just in time. Mason Yu had already reached the edge of the formation, making quick hand gestures.
A sizzling sound rang out—some force seemed to block Mason Yu from getting through.
"I am the Snake Zodiac Heir of Nai Luo. Lord Celestial Phenomenon, if you can hear me, please allow me to enter."
Mason Yu shouted. Suddenly, Lao Chongyuan and Zuo Quanyi attacked. Mason Yu leapt back, dodging Lao Chongyuan's kicking right leg, then twisted his body and raised his head to avoid Zuo Quanyi's punch. Still, the fierce gust from their attacks sent him spinning through the air before he landed on the ground.
Lao Chongyuan glanced at his still-unhealed arm, his smile returning.
"So that's it? The Snake Zodiac Heir's power is being suppressed."
Mason Yu seemed to suddenly understand.
"So, you can regenerate severed limbs because you have the power of the Nai Luo Snake Zodiac in your bodies. Who told you? When did Nai Luo's people start working with you?"
"That, you don't need to know. Because you'll be dead here soon enough."
Suddenly, with a thunderous crash, Lao Chongyuan appeared in front of Mason Yu, left fist raised. He punched Mason Yu's head, which exploded—not with blood, but with white, sticky fluid.
Then Mason Yu's body went limp, like a discarded skin, falling away. Farther off, Mason Yu crouched, panting heavily.
"Even though you have the Snake Eyes and can see through all our moves, your speed still can't keep up, kid."
Lao Chongyuan said as he stood up. Mason Yu was breathing heavily—his current power was clearly taking a heavy toll on his body.
"Hah..."
Mason Yu roared, then transformed into a golden snake, speeding toward me. Suddenly, Lao Chongyuan grabbed the snake's head with one hand and its tail with the other, driving his knee into the snake's head.
With a crack, the snake Mason Yu had become was snapped in two—once again, it was just a shed snake skin.
"You just stay put. This kid's goal is to destroy the formation."
Lao Chongyuan said, his golden eyes scanning the area, but Mason Yu was nowhere to be seen.
"Hiding won't help you."
Lao Chongyuan kept searching, but still couldn't find Mason Yu's location.
"Right beneath you."
Suddenly, Lao Chongyuan roared. Zuo Quanyi immediately leapt up. I saw a black snake shadow darting across the ground, then suddenly rising. As soon as Zuo Quanyi jumped aside, Mason Yu charged at the barrier.
A sizzling sound rang out—Mason Yu was still blocked outside the formation. He screamed in pain, his head poking through, and a large patch of his cheek was already burned away.
Lao Chongyuan grabbed Mason Yu's snake tail with one hand.
"This time, you won't escape."
With a thunderous crash, I stared wide-eyed as Mason Yu was smashed to pieces by a single punch, blood splattering through the air.
Mason Yu's body returned to normal. He sat on the ground, blood streaming from his nose, ears, and eyes. I watched him, shaking my head over and over.
"Hurry up and finish him off. He's trying to buy time."
Zuo Quanyi shouted. Lao Chongyuan rushed toward Mason Yu. Mason Yu looked at me and smiled, his eyes serious and wide.
I opened my mouth but still couldn't speak, shaking my head repeatedly. Lao Chongyuan was already in front of Mason Yu, fist raised.
(Irrelevant passage about reading the next chapter—skip translation.)
"Remember our promise..."
As soon as Mason Yu finished speaking, I opened my mouth wide, sobbing, still unable to make a sound. Lao Chongyuan's fist punched through Mason Yu's heart. Mason Yu stood before Lao Chongyuan, raising a hand, smiling, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
"Everyone... is my... family..."
Tears poured from my eyes in large drops. Lao Chongyuan pulled out his fist, and Mason Yu's body slowly collapsed. Just then, a tremendous roar rang out.
It was the spirit snake. Its body was also starting to collapse. At that moment, a streak of red light flashed at the spot where Mason Yu had just attacked the formation.
I sobbed, unable to stop the tears. The formation trapping me began to expand, forcing Lao Chongyuan and Zuo Quanyi to jump away, but soon the formation returned to its original state.
I stared blankly at Mason Yu's body lying motionless on the ground, his face peaceful.
Grief surged in my heart, tearing at my chest. I glared angrily at Lao Chongyuan and Zuo Quanyi.
"It's that kid. I've heard that if one of Nai Luo's Twelve Zodiac Heirs dies in battle, their resentment erupts after death and, driven by the caster's will, accomplishes a final task. It's unbelievable."
Lao Chongyuan spoke while Zuo Quanyi glared at Mason Yu's body, gritting his teeth.
"What now? We're running out of time."
Lao Chongyuan pondered in silence for a long time, then suddenly smiled.
"There's still a way to speed up the extraction of Instinct. When that man gave me this item and this formation, he said if the formation is interrupted or extraction fails, it will reset. All I need to do is smash the two objects on the palm. Doing so means the Instinct won't be fully extracted—it will accelerate death. But at this point, it's our only option. If the Instinct isn't completely extracted, Zhang Qingyuan will die."
Lao Chongyuan spoke. I glared at the two of them in fury. Zuo Quanyi nodded.
"It's the only way. Even if it's incomplete, there's still a solution. Time is running out—the situation outside is getting worse."
With a thunderous crash, I looked up at the ceiling as cracks began to spread—outside, a fierce battle seemed to be raging.
Lao Chongyuan spoke, immediately walking toward me, his eyes cold and unfeeling.
"Farewell, Zhang Qingyuan."
Two crisp cracking sounds—the black and red gems at both ends of the staff shattered. Lao Chongyuan quickly left the formation. Instantly, red and black energy swirled before my eyes. I screamed in agony.
The formation around me began to contract rapidly. My body was wracked with unbearable pain as immense pressure squeezed me, threatening to tear me apart. My bones creaked loudly.
Something was trying to drain me completely. My consciousness felt like it was melting away, pain fading from my body—just then, I suddenly snapped awake.
"What's going on?" Lao Chongyuan and Zuo Quanyi stared in shock. The formation had shrunk to barely ten meters in diameter, but then stopped contracting.
Vaguely, I saw a white hand extend from my body. I stared at it in astonishment.
"What is that?"
Zuo Quanyi immediately asked. Lao Chongyuan shook his head.
"That thing is resisting."
"Heh, what's wrong, Zhang Qingyuan? Still looking half-dead? Don't come bothering me every time."
I stared in shock at the white hand. Suddenly, I remembered—during the Ghost Rakshasa incident, it was this same white hand that wiped out so many of Ghost Rakshasa's spirits.
"Who... who are you, really?"