85: Chapter 85 Comparing goods will only lead to discarding them; comparing people will only lead to ruin.

Xiang Tian, with only half his head exposed, looked in the direction Qin Ding had been knocked flying, his eyes widening with excitement.

"Flying towards me? It's truly Heaven that wants to take your life."

"Qin Ding, oh Qin Ding, you're just someone from a Tier 3 City, why on earth did you have to cultivate your Mental Energy so quickly?"

Cui Yan was hiding and hadn't come out, Qin Ding had been knocked away, and Qin Ding's beast was entangled with the Golden Underworld Python. The current situation was, for Xiang Tian, simply a god-sent opportunity!

The moment Qin Ding was sent flying, Xiang Tian and his Sha Jin Wolf, as well as Cui Yan and her Red Chain Snake, moved almost at the same time.

One side wanted to kill Qin Ding, while the other wanted to catch him.

But what Cui Yan never expected was that the moment she got up, she saw Xiang Tian and his Sha Jin Wolf emerging from the mud.

"Damn it! This piece of trash actually wants to kill Qin Ding!"

At this moment, Cui Yan was both shocked by the accuracy of Qin Ding's perception and annoyed by Xiang Tian's trashy behavior.

She didn't want to die in the spirit realm and be buried in a beast's belly; she wanted to rely on Qin Ding, who understood the spirit realm, to take her out alive. How could she possibly allow Xiang Tian to ruin her hope?

Xiang Tian flipped onto the back of his Sha Jin Wolf. He heard the splashing water behind him, but without even turning his head, he pointed his spear at the falling Qin Ding.

"Sha Jin Wolf, charge!"

"Damn it!" Cui Yan was so angry she felt her lungs were about to explode. "It's one thing for Qin Ding to think I'm weak, but what are you, to dare ignore me?!"

Qin Ding had originally said she was too weak to help and could only keep an eye on the surroundings for Xiang Tian. Now, knowing she was chasing him from behind, Xiang Tian ignored her and went straight for Qin Ding.

Cui Yan completely snapped, her eyes turning red with rage as she whipped her Red Chain Snake directly toward the Xiang Tian in front.

"Red Chain, bite him down for me!"

She shouted sharply. The Red Chain Snake, originally only six meters long, instantly and eerily expanded to twelve meters the moment it was whipped out!

It was no longer a snake, but a steel whip burning with crimson flames. With a whistling sound, it instantly wrapped around the end of the spear in Xiang Tian's hand.

"Cui Yan!"

Xiang Tian was terrified and tried to struggle free from the Red Chain Snake wrapped around his spear.

But as a Tier 1 Beast Tamer, how could his strength compare to that of a high-tier beast?

With a loud splash, Xiang Tian and his spear were forcefully dragged off the wolf's back by the Red Chain Snake and slammed heavily into the mud.

The Sha Jin Wolf, sensing its master was in danger, immediately abandoned the pursuit of Qin Ding and turned to pounce toward where Xiang Tian had fallen.

Cui Yan was quick-witted. As the Red Chain Snake retracted, she grabbed the spoils it had snatched and put them directly into her Storage Ring.

"What a waste of this Sha Jin Wolf." Looking at Xiang Tian struggling to get up in the mud, she said with a face full of disdain, "Truly, comparisons are odious."

"Although Qin Ding isn't as reliable as a mute, compared to a piece of rubble and filth like you, he's much better."

Another splash sounded. Relying on his Life and Death Contract and the advantage of his scales, Qin Ding hadn't suffered any serious injuries from the fall.

Qin Ding had already flipped up from the mud, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and cast a cold glance at Xiang Tian, who was now fighting with Cui Yan.

The biggest taboo right now was failing to distinguish between primary and secondary priorities. Xiang Tian was only a potential threat, but this Level 20 Golden Underworld Python was the fatal danger.

"No need! I must personally kill him today…!"

Qin Ding, who had just turned around, almost twisted his ankle upon hearing this.

At this moment, the Golden Underworld Python was on the verge of a frenzy because its skull had been injured. Its massive tail slapped the surface of the swamp, sending up sprays of water. Finally, its gaze locked onto Qin Ding, who had just gotten up.

It remembered very clearly that just a moment ago, this creature had used a stick to stab and injure it.

"Hiss!"

The Golden Underworld Python's speed was astonishing. Its massive body moved through the mud as if it were on flat ground, charging toward Qin Ding with a very clear objective.

"Awoo!"

At the same time the Golden Underworld Python moved, Da Hei also moved. In the swamp, Da Hei's speed was not inferior to the Golden Underworld Python at all. Taking advantage of the fact that the Python's attention was entirely on Qin Ding, Da Hei, its wolf eyes sharp as blades, pounced fiercely from the side toward the Golden Underworld Python's head.

In an instant, an extreme sense of deathly crisis dispersed the rage clouding the Golden Underworld Python and awakened its reason. It wanted to turn back to defend, but it was already too late.

Puchi.

The Gold-Breaking Claw didn't take much effort to tear apart the Golden Underworld Python's head scales, even leaving striking claw marks on the stark white bone beneath.

"Hiss!"

In an instant, the Golden Underworld Python let out a deafening shriek. This time, the excruciating pain—far exceeding that of Qin Ding's spear strike—drove it completely mad. It coiled its massive body, tightly entangling Da Hei, who hadn't had time to pull away, attempting to crush Da Hei into pieces.

"In your dreams!"

A cold voice sounded from the side of the Golden Underworld Python.

This spear strike was fast—so fast that the incredibly furious Golden Underworld Python had no time to release its constriction on Da Hei to dodge.

The spear blade, radiating a cold glint, thrust into the wound Da Hei had clawed open. This time, it didn't get stuck; instead, it completely pierced through the Golden Underworld Python's skull, and a large amount of blood instantly spilled out from the python's eyes.

Da Hei, who had been struggling to breathe while being constricted, was finally freed and collapsed on the corpse of the Golden Underworld Python, panting heavily.

"Woof… woof…"

[Boss, this thing is so strong, it had me unable to breathe…]

"Does it hurt? Do your bones hurt?"

The recovering Sha Jin Wolf got up and shook its head. "Awoo."

[It hurt while being squeezed, but it doesn't hurt now. I feel like if you had been any slower, Boss, some of my bones would have broken.]

Hearing this, Qin Ding nodded slightly. "That's good. We still have something left to kill."

Hearing this, the previously exhausted Sha Jin Wolf somehow regained its energy. It turned its head, its cold wolf eyes fixed on Xiang Tian's figure.

Elsewhere.

The Red Chain Snake was whipped out by Cui Yan. Relying on its ability to freely extend and retract while being swung, as well as the property of its body being able to ignite with high-temperature flames, it made the Sha Jin Wolf, which was trying to protect Xiang Tian, somewhat hesitant.

"What are you dodging for? Without a weapon, are you even more of a sissy than a woman like me? You piece of trash, come and face me!"

Cui Yan, her emotions having completely erupted, attacked continuously while her mouth remained merciless.

Not knowing how to retort, Xiang Tian took a moment to glance over at the Golden Underworld Python. Discovering that the python was dead and that Qin Ding's Sha Jin Wolf was now looking at him, his pupils suddenly contracted.

Completely ignoring the Red Chain Snake whipping in from the side, he braced himself against a fire whip that tore his skin and flesh and emitted a burnt smell, then flipped onto the back of his Sha Jin Wolf.

"Run!"

In almost an instant, Cui Yan, who had just landed a hit and was preparing to whip him again, saw the Sha Jin Wolf carrying Xiang Tian dash out more than ten meters, escaping the maximum attack range of her Red Chain Snake.

Cui Yan was stunned for a moment. Immediately after, a fleeting black shadow chased after them at a speed far exceeding that of Xiang Tian's Sha Jin Wolf.

"That is… Qin Ding and his Sha Jin Wolf?" Cui Yan widened her eyes in astonishment. "Wait, why is the speed difference so absurd?!"