68: Fierce fighting

The night was pitch black, devoid of light.

Qi Ling Star's night was like stagnant water, lifeless.

In the mountain forest.

The Spirit Pattern Python's horn glowed with a green light, and the next moment, its body rapidly melted, completely merging with the surrounding stream-like trees!

Hmm?

What's going on?

Chen Qing's heart sank; he was a bit confused about the state of this Spirit Pattern Python.

According to the information he knew, the Spirit Pattern Python had no such Heaven-Defying ability.

A wood-attribute Spirit Pattern Python could actually completely merge with the surrounding trees!

Trouble!

An enemy hidden in the dark is the most difficult to deal with!

Chen Qing's Mental Energy spread out; with his current Mental Energy strength, it could only extend a maximum of 10 meters in radius.

Suddenly, he stomped his left foot on the ground, leaped to the right, and at the same time, slashed his saber at a thick branch to his left!

“Clang!”

The sound of metal colliding rang out, and a series of green scales appeared on a emerald-green branch!

The scales were incredibly hard, emitting a green luster.

It retreated after one strike, the scales disappeared, and the branch quickly returned to its original state.

In Chen Qing's Mental Energy perception, there was a brief life aura on this branch just now.

It must have been that Spirit Pattern Python!

Without time to think, Chen Qing, before even landing, stepped on ice shards, quickly adjusted his posture, and slashed several times behind him.

“Crack! Crack! Crack!”

Several branches were instantly severed.

“It seems not all branches possess defensive capabilities comparable to the main body!”

Chen Qing landed, holding a section of the branch he had cut off, and made a judgment.

This was the best news so far.

However, he frowned slightly as he looked at the seemingly endless branches around him; the snake was now hidden among the branches, making it extremely difficult to find.

But he had to quickly find a retreat route, otherwise, once his stamina ran out, he would only be left to be slaughtered.

Chen Qing steadied his mind and quickly began to think.

This Spirit Pattern Python had a powerful physique and strong Mental Energy, displaying overwhelming strength against him during their first encounter; if he hadn't left an Ice Mirror outside, he wouldn't have escaped its control.

But in the subsequent pursuit, it abandoned the most brutal and simple combat method, instead choosing this flexible but strenuous approach.

What was the reason?

Was it afraid I still had a way to escape and wanted to block my retreat, trapping me like a turtle in a jar?

Chen Qing recalled the Spirit Pattern Python information he had researched earlier.

Spirit Pattern Pythons are naturally cunning, known for their intelligence, and skilled at disguising themselves, but they still retain the innate combat nature of pythons, preferring to solve problems with violence.

Moreover, most critically, the information provided by the school regarding the Spirit Pattern Python's combat strength and methods was completely different from the Spirit Pattern Python he encountered.

It made no mention of low-level Spirit Pattern Pythons being able to project their Mental Energy, let alone having such a strange combat method!

He couldn't be the first person to encounter a Spirit Pattern Python, and the school couldn't possibly deceive him with false information.

This level of combat power also couldn't be successfully hunted by simple teamwork.

Could it be... Chen Qing thought of a possibility; perhaps this wasn't the kind of Spirit Pattern Python mentioned in the mission information!

He had only identified it based on the relatively similar physical characteristics of the opponent.

“Pfft!”

Just as Chen Qing was thinking about how to retreat, several branches suddenly stabbed towards him.

Chen Qing only managed to cut off most of them but still couldn't avoid being impaled through his left arm by one branch.

A large amount of blood instantly flowed from his left arm.

A bit of sweat appeared on Chen Qing's forehead as he stared at a thick branch in front of him.

There, the Spirit Pattern Python's head slowly condensed.

Chen Qing's Mental Energy stirred, and an Ice Soul Spear quickly condensed, then shot towards the snake's head with a “whoosh.”

“Crack!”

The sound of shattering branches rang out, and the snake's head was completely pierced by the Ice Soul Spear, turning into fragmented branches.

The surrounding branches surged, and suddenly, behind Chen Qing, a branch opened its gaping maw, revealing two sharp fangs, and bit towards Chen Qing's head!

Chen Qing's hair stood on end, and he instantly leaped forward.

However, the giant mouth behind him suddenly returned to its original state, and on a branch in front of Chen Qing, the Spirit Pattern Python's giant mouth reappeared!

Blade-like teeth pierced through Chen Qing's body and closed fiercely!

However, it was only an afterimage!

Three meters away, Chen Qing's figure appeared from an Ice Prism Mirror, seizing the opportunity to slash at the head.

“Crack!”

The branch split into two, like noodles cut by a knife.

Chen Qing gasped, his expression grim.

He was constantly expending Mental Energy and physical strength, yet he still couldn't find the opponent's weakness.

If this continued, he would surely die!

What to do?

He scanned his surroundings and suddenly noticed countless Spirit Pattern Python heads appearing, glaring at him menacingly!

Seeing this, Chen Qing's Mental Energy erupted, and within the narrow space surrounded by trees, one Ice Prism Mirror after another suddenly condensed!

The Spirit Pattern Python's offensive burst forth, and Chen Qing, perceiving the direction of its attacks with his Mental Energy, constantly dodged and weaved, avoiding the onslaught.

Slash after slash fell, cutting off many branches, yet many of these slashes also struck the Spirit Pattern Python's head!

“Pfft!”

In mid-air, the Spirit Pattern Python, with several cracks on its head, bit Chen Qing's left shoulder.

Chen Qing instinctively wanted to perform an Ice Prism Mirror jump, but the last Ice Prism Mirror not far away was mercilessly shattered by a branch!

Through continuous combat, the Spirit Pattern Python had figured out Chen Qing's fighting style and had been looking for opportunities to shatter the Ice Prism Mirrors Chen Qing conjured.

Damn it!

Chen Qing cursed under his breath; the sound of bones breaking came from his left shoulder, and his left arm completely drooped, unable to move!

Fortunately, he had long been accustomed to the pain of battle in the Ice God Space, so he didn't bother with his shoulder, which had been pierced by teeth.

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, gritting his teeth, Chen Qing poured all his remaining Mental Energy into the ice crystals on the surface of his shark tooth, stabbing with all his might towards his left shoulder!

He wanted to pierce through his own left shoulder and directly into the Spirit Pattern Python's mouth!

This Spirit Pattern Python's defense was extremely strong, and external attacks were too ineffective; being bitten now was both his weakness and the Spirit Pattern Python's weakness!

“Pfft!”

The shark tooth, imbued with a frosty aura, pierced through Chen Qing's left shoulder and into the Spirit Pattern Python's giant mouth.

This was not enough; Chen Qing gritted his teeth, cold sweat pouring down, and vigorously twisted the shark tooth embedded in the Spirit Pattern Python's mouth, using the serrated side of the shark tooth to inflict secondary damage on the Spirit Pattern Python!

The Spirit Pattern Python's clear eyes suddenly turned blood-red, and it bit off a large chunk of flesh from Chen Qing's left shoulder!

Chen Qing fell to the ground, swaying twice before barely steadying himself.

His eyes were slightly clouded, he coughed up blood continuously, and his left shoulder was devoid of flesh, causing his entire left arm to dangle precariously.

He leaned on his saber with one hand, his back covered in cold sweat, and slowly raised his head, looking at the surrounding trees that were gradually receding like a tide, revealing a smile.