"It... ate it!" Xiaoqing stammered, her voice filled with shock.
"Yes," Mu Chen replied calmly.
"It actually ate the Flaming Soulbreaking Scale!" Xiaoqing repeated, still in disbelief.
"Yes," Mu Chen echoed again nonchalantly, stroking the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python coiled around his arm.
"That's the Flaming Soulbreaking Scale! Without an antidote within three days, the victim will die from shattered meridians!" Xiaoqing warned.
"I know. It's just the Flaming Soulbreaking Scale," Mu Chen replied casually, his focus still on the snake.
"What kind of snake is this?" Xiaoqing asked, her curiosity piqued.
She had seen countless snakes in her life—hundreds, maybe even thousands—but she had never encountered anything like the one in Mu Chen's hands.
"Sister, can you tell what kind of snake this is?" Xiaoqing asked Xiaobai.
"I can't," Xiaobai said, shaking her head as she looked at the colorful serpent, waiting for Mu Chen to explain.
"It's called the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python," Mu Chen said.
"Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python?" Xiaobai and Xiaoqing repeated in unison.
"Yes. It's an ancient and rare species from the prehistoric era. It's no surprise you haven't seen it before," Mu Chen explained briefly.
"Human, let me ask you one last time: what will it take for you to leave my sister?" Xiaoqing asked firmly.
"Unless Xiaobai tells me herself that she doesn't want me, I won't leave her," Mu Chen replied.
"Are you sure you truly love my sister?" Xiaoqing asked, her tone sharp as she prepared to try another tactic.
Suddenly, Xiaoqing's body began to change. Her True Qi surged as her forehead and the skin around her eyes grew green scales. Her legs fused together, transforming into a long green tail, raising her upper body higher off the ground.
"Oh? What's the meaning of this?" Mu Chen asked curiously.
"This is our true form as snake demons. Do you still dare to say you love my sister?" Xiaoqing challenged, her serpentine tail looming ominously.
"The seas may dry, and the rocks may crumble, but I will not part from Xiaobai," Mu Chen replied with unwavering determination.
"Mu Chen!" Xiaobai was deeply moved. She stepped forward, grabbing his hand.
"Xiaobai!" Mu Chen responded, wrapping an arm around her waist.
Watching the heartfelt scene unfold, Xiaoqing was seething with frustration. Her efforts to drive them apart had backfired, bringing them even closer.
"You've really angered me now!" Xiaoqing hissed, raising her tail high before slamming it down toward Mu Chen.
Heavenly Tier Skill: Wind Palm.
Mu Chen extended his hand, and a powerful gust of wind burst forth, pushing Xiaoqing's tail back the way it came.
Boom.
The tail struck the ground with such force that it created a large pit.
"Wait, the ground here is hollow!" Xiaobai exclaimed, noticing the sound of the impact.
Xiaoqing paused her assault, following Xiaobai's observation.
Boom.
Mu Chen stomped down hard, causing the ground beneath them to collapse.
Xiaobai, held securely in Mu Chen's arms, floated gently down into a chasm about 30 meters deep. Xiaoqing, however, tumbled down and hit the ground with a loud thud, leaving her shaken and disoriented.
"A snake demon!"
From the edge of the collapsed ground above, a young man peered down at them—none other than Ah Xuan.
"That beautiful woman in white is in danger! Come on, Dudou, we need to hurry to the city and report this!" Ah Xuan exclaimed, grabbing his dog and running off toward the city.
---
In the underground space, Xiaoqing gazed around in astonishment.
"This place is incredible!" she said, marveling at the vast underground palace they had stumbled into.
The interior was dimly lit, the visibility low. The crimson walls and pillars gave the place an eerie atmosphere, more akin to a Taoist temple than a palace.
"Do you still want to fight?" Mu Chen asked, turning to Xiaoqing with a casual expression.
"Hmph!" Xiaoqing snorted, glaring at him.
She had already realized she was no match for Mu Chen. Continuing to fight would only result in her embarrassment—and worse, him taking even more liberties.
"Xiaoqing, Mu Chen is no ordinary person. I trust him," Xiaobai said, stepping in to diffuse the tension.
"Fine, fine. I won't meddle in your affairs anymore," Xiaoqing said, throwing up her hands in surrender.
She had lost her leverage with the Flaming Soulbreaking Scale now gone. Returning to the snake den was no longer an urgent matter for her.
"What is this place?" Xiaobai asked, scanning her surroundings with curiosity.
"There's a door over there," Mu Chen said, pointing to the far end of the hall.
With the aid of his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he could see the layout of the entire chamber clearly.
"Shall we take a look?" Xiaoqing suggested.
"Let's go," Mu Chen replied, taking Xiaobai's hand as they walked toward the door. Xiaoqing followed behind them begrudgingly.
"This place even has snakes!" Xiaoqing muttered under her breath, glancing at the intertwined hands of Xiaobai and Mu Chen. Her mind wandered back to the moment she had tried to seduce Mu Chen earlier. Just the memory made her heartbeat quicken.
"Danger!" Xiaobai suddenly shouted.
Whoosh.
Reacting instinctively, Mu Chen extended his hand, releasing a powerful suction force that pulled Xiaoqing to safety.
"What are you doing?" Xiaoqing exclaimed indignantly, though there was a hint of delight in her voice. Teasingly, she added, "You've already got my sister. Now you're going after me too? Planning to conquer both sisters?"
"Don't overthink it," Mu Chen said flatly, pointing behind her.
Xiaoqing turned to see a massive stone door had fallen, sealing off the path they had entered from. If not for Mu Chen's quick reaction, she would have been crushed.
"This place is full of traps," Xiaobai noted, her brow furrowed.
"The runes on this stone door are unsettling," Xiaoqing observed. She struck the door with a concentrated blast of True Qi, but it didn't even budge.
"What now?" Xiaoqing asked, looking to Mu Chen and Xiaobai for a solution.
"Let's keep moving forward. We'll figure things out as we go," Mu Chen suggested.
As they advanced, the corridor grew darker, littered with countless skeletal remains. Some belonged to humans, others to unrecognizable beasts. The atmosphere became heavier with each step.
"Mu Chen, why aren't you afraid at all?" Xiaoqing finally asked, unable to bear the tension.
"Afraid? Of what? These bones?" Mu Chen chuckled.
"Humans are supposed to be terrified of monsters and ghosts," Xiaoqing said.
"Monsters a
nd ghosts?" Mu Chen smiled, raising his hand intertwined with Xiaobai's. "I'm literally holding hands with a snake demon right now!"