Chapter 197 The Hunt

Chen Mu did not strike immediately from within the formation. Instead, he calmly scanned the battlefield, assessing the speed, strength, and attack patterns of every snake.

These black snakes possessed astonishing strength and hard scales. Ordinary swords would only leave faint white marks upon striking them. They were also agile, particularly skilled at lunging, biting, and tail constriction.

More troublesome was the pale green poisonous mist they occasionally spat out. Though suppressed by the Detoxification Pills everyone had taken beforehand, it still obstructed their vision and slowed their movements.

“Ah!”

With a cry of alarm, an old soldier named Zhao Si on the left was struck by a black snake's tail. He was sent flying, crashing against a wall and coughing up blood as he fell to the ground.

The snake immediately turned around and lunged at the unprotected Ling Xiaoning. It seemed to have decided that this pale-faced youth, whose sword-holding posture was somewhat immature, was the easiest prey to devour.

“Xiao Ning!”

Bai Junyi was locked in a struggle with the largest lead snake. Seeing this, his eyes nearly split with rage, but he was pinned down by the poisonous mist and the wild lashing of the snake's tail. He couldn't break away. Lu Dachuan and Feng Qing were also entangled by fierce opponents and could not provide rescue in time.

It looked as if the hideous snake's maw was about to swallow Ling Xiaoning whole.

Ling Xiaoning's face was terrifyingly pale, but after a slight tremble, his hand gripped his sword tightly. A desperate ruthlessness flashed in his eyes as he let out a low shout. His footwork changed as he actually charged diagonally toward the snake's head.

This was the 'Avoiding the Solid and Striking the Void' technique that Lu Dachuan had repeatedly emphasized during their drills over the past few days. Snakes lunged quickly in a straight line, but were slightly slower when turning sideways.

This response could be considered clever, but his experience was ultimately too shallow. The bluestone slabs beneath his feet were slippery from being corroded by snake venom. As he stepped out, he stumbled slightly.

The black snake's lunge was already before his eyes. A foul wind hit his face, and the venomous fangs were grim and cold.

Just as the fangs were about to touch Ling Xiaoning's shoulder, a streak of dark light quickly cut between him and the snake's head.

With a 'dang' sound, a crisp explosion rang out, making Ling Xiaoning's eardrums buzz.

It was Chen Mu.

He did not choose the grand Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique. In this chaos, precision and efficiency were the priorities.

He pushed the Divine Void Step to its limit. His figure left several afterimages amidst the foul poisonous mist and the wildly dancing snake shadows. It was as if he could anticipate every turn of the snake's head. At the moment the snake's mouth was about to close, he had already reached Ling Xiaoning's side.

His Dao followed the angle of the giant python's open maw, piercing with extreme precision into the weak spot on the roof of its mouth.

“Puchi!”

The blade entered the flesh with a dull thud. The black snake, in intense pain, let out a shrill hiss. Its massive body writhed frantically, attempting to shake Chen Mu off.

Chen Mu twisted his wrist, giving the Dao a fierce stir inside the snake's mouth before decisively pulling it out and retreating, bringing with it a spray of foul blood and shredded meat.

The black snake was in agony, its offensive completely collapsed. It rolled and crashed to the side, knocking down half of an earthen wall.

Ling Xiaoning took the opportunity to roll away clumsily, escaping the range of the snake's mouth. His heart was pounding wildly, but he didn't forget to shout.

“Thanks, Chen Mu!”

[Killed a Black-Scaled Serpent Demon. Looted Martial Lifespan: Sixty-seven years.]

The System prompt rang out coldly.

Chen Mu didn't respond to Ling Xiaoning. His gaze was like lightning, already sweeping toward the other side.

Shen Suning was currently fighting a slightly smaller black snake. She swung her soft whip into a blur, attempting to bind the snake's body, but she had underestimated the demon snake's strength.

Just as the tip of the whip wrapped around the snake's neck, the black snake exerted a sudden force. The massive pulling force caused Shen Suning to stumble forward a few steps.

In the moment she lost her balance, another black snake that had been forced back by Lu Dachuan's blade light actually craftily abandoned its frontal assault. Its tail swept out silently, aiming straight for Shen Suning's waist and abdomen.

If this strike landed solidly, her bones and tendons would likely snap on the spot.

By the time Shen Suning noticed, it was too late. Her pupils constricted, and she only had time to hold her soft whip horizontally in front of her.

“Bang!”

Amidst the muffled sound, the expected pain did not come. A figure stepped between her and the snake's tail. Chen Mu clenched his left fist and, without dodging, punched the middle of the sweeping tail.

The black snake's thick tail felt as if it had struck an iron pillar. Its forward momentum came to a sudden halt, several scales shattered and flew off, and the snake's body was even knocked into a momentary mid-air suspension.

Holding his blade in his right hand, Chen Mu used the counter-force to swing upward. With a single stroke from top to bottom, he sliced open the abdomen of the black snake in front of him.

Foul blood mixed with organ fragments splashed out. The black snake let out a deathbed wail and writhed frantically for a few moments before finally twitching and falling still.

[Killed a Black-Scaled Serpent Demon. Looted Martial Lifespan: Seventy-five years.]

Shen Suning was still shaken, her gaze toward Chen Mu filled with shock.

That lightning-fast response, the punch that met the snake's tail head-on, and that precise, ruthless blade strike that went straight for the vitals... Was this really a newcomer just transferred from the county?

“Thank you!”

Shen Suning, still reeling, thanked him hurriedly and immediately stood back-to-back with Chen Mu to guard their surroundings.

Chen Mu nodded slightly, his eyes already locked onto the remaining black snakes in the field.

After the previous round of combat, although Team C was somewhat disheveled and their formation slightly scattered, their core combat power was intact and their cooperation remained.

The greatest threat, the lead snake, was currently being pinned down by Bai Junyi, Lu Dachuan, and Feng Qing, leaving it temporarily unable to free itself.

The remaining smaller ones were the perfect targets for harvesting.

With a thought, Chen Mu no longer held back. His figure flashed again as he actively lunged toward a black snake that was attacking Shi Yong.

Shi Yong was strong. He held his iron shield and met the snake's head with a dull thud. Although he blocked it, the impact made his Qi and blood churn, forcing him back repeatedly.

Chen Mu closed in and swung his Dao. The trajectory seemed ordinary, but it was so fast it was merely a streak of light. The blade didn't chop directly; instead, it cut through the gaps in the neck scales, curving and flicking.

“Puchi!”

A palm-sized pitch-black scale, along with some flesh, was forcibly flicked away, revealing the pink, tender meat beneath.

The black snake writhed in pain. Chen Mu followed with a backhand strike, accurately piercing the wound that had lost its scale protection. With a shake of his wrist, Hunyuan Calamity Astral Qi surged into its body.

The black snake's movements suddenly stiffened, and it then slumped limply to the ground.

[Beheaded a Black-Scaled Demon Snake. Looted Martial Lifespan: One hundred and three years.]

Chen Mu didn't stop. His footwork was unpredictable as he wove through the chaotic battlefield.

His blade techniques were concise, efficient, and lethal. Every strike aimed directly at the eyes, mouth, old wounds, or weak points in the scales of the monsters. He could often resolve one in just a few strokes.

With the addition of his unstoppable spearhead, Team C's pressure was greatly reduced. The experienced old soldiers immediately adjusted their strategy and began to consciously cooperate with Chen Mu.

Some were responsible for drawing attention, others for creating openings, and Shen Suning's soft whip was particularly elusive, specializing in restraint and harassment.

Ling Xiaoning caught his breath and also became ruthless. He no longer pursued flashy Moves but instead imitated Chen Mu, holding his Short Sword and looking for opportunities to stab the snakes' bellies or wounds. Although his efficiency was far below Chen Mu's, he was gradually getting the hang of it.

“Chiss!”

The continuous loss of its kin finally enraged the lead snake fighting Bai Junyi's trio. It let out a sudden roar, its scales bristling as the color of the poisonous mist it spat out deepened abruptly. At the same time, its tail lashed out wildly, forcing Lu Dachuan and Feng Qing to temporarily retreat.

Bai Junyi's pressure intensified. The lead snake's attention was focused more on him, and its attacks became increasingly frenzied.

“Feng Qing!”

Bai Junyi shouted sharply. Gripping his blade with both hands, his Protective Aura surged as he forcibly blocked a powerful strike from the lead snake. His palms split and blood flowed, but he also created a fleeting opportunity for Feng Qing.

Feng Qing, who had been hovering on the flank, had already drawn his bowstring to a full moon. Spotting the scales under the lead snake's neck that had lifted due to its lunge, he released his fingers.