Chapter 1704: Dark Beast Emerges

Although Dark Beasts are not the most powerful exotic creatures in the Guanghan Realm, during nighttime, even ancient ferocious beasts would never willingly face a group of adult Dark Beasts alone, as their strength suddenly multiplies several times.

For reasons unknown, two-thirds of the hours in the Dark Beast Forest are shrouded in pitch-black night, making the daytime exceptionally short.

Thousands of Dark Beasts inhabit this forest, with adult Dark Beasts making up a considerable portion of the population.

Consequently, even powerful neighbors like Ten Thousand Birds Ridge and Eight Fiend Sea, led by ancient ferocious beasts, have no intention whatsoever of encroaching upon this territory.

In this forest, Dark Beasts are like masters in their own backyard. Other creatures living there exist almost exclusively as prey for the Dark Beasts.

Only a very few exotic beasts, those that also possess amplified transformation abilities at night, can barely contend with Dark Beasts and pose a semblance of a threat.

Of course, these exotic beasts are far from comparable to Dark Beasts in the Dark Beast Forest, whether in terms of numbers or actual strength.

On this particular day, in a spot only about a hundred li from the edge of the Dark Beast Forest, a giant python, seven to eight *zhang* long and covered in greenish-blue scales, was confronting a Dark Beast, its eyes glinting with cold light.

This python appeared no different from an ordinary python, but in reality, it was one of the few exotic beasts in the Dark Beast Forest capable of contending with Dark Beasts: the "Green Night Python."

As its name suggests, as soon as night falls, this giant python's already formidable physical body gains immense supernatural abilities, allowing it to undergo a berserker-like transformation by leveraging the power of night.

The transformed python possesses strength almost equal to that of an adult Dark Beast, and once it engages in combat, it becomes extremely bloodthirsty and frenzied.

However, for the Green Night Python, this transformation naturally comes with significant side effects.

Not only does its strength greatly diminish for several years afterward, but it also consumes a portion of its lifespan. Therefore, the python would not undergo such a transformation unless its life was truly in peril.

Coincidentally, the Green Night Python's inner core possesses immense nourishing power for Dark Beasts. As soon as they encounter each other in the Dark Beast Forest, it immediately becomes a life-or-death struggle.

The two beasts currently facing each other had accidentally run into one another at the edge of the Dark Beast Forest.

This Green Night Python held its head high, its dark-purple tongue flicking continuously. Its greenish-blue scales bristled, almost standing on end.

It presented a menacing posture, ready to devour its opponent.

The Dark Beast confronting it resembled a giant wolf enlarged three or four times. Its entire body was pitch black, and its tail was slender and leopard-like, giving it an elegant and mysterious aura.

Judging by its size, this Dark Beast had clearly only recently reached adulthood and appeared slightly thinner than others of its kind. However, its distinct black and white eyes stared coldly at the Green Night Python, a fierce glint flickering constantly within them.

Strangely, however, the beast merely stared at the python and did not immediately pounce.

The clashes between adult Dark Beasts and frenzied Green Night Pythons usually end with the former acquiring the inner core, but there have also been instances where the Dark Beast was devoured by the Green Night Python instead.

When the two suddenly encountered each other here, the Dark Beast was indeed overjoyed but was not eager to attack immediately.

Although the Green Night Python would gain immense strength during its frenzied state, at that instant, it would also expose its own weakness.

If one could seize this opportunity, it would not be impossible to kill the opponent with a single claw strike.

And while the Green Night Python had adopted a posture ready for transformation, it did not actually dare to act rashly.

Thus, the two remained in an eerie standoff.

Various beasts in the Dark Beast Forest had long developed the habit of being active at night and resting quietly in their dens during the day.

Furthermore, the forest's unusually tall trees, even at its edge, meant that the dense foliage almost completely obscured the sky; looking up, only a patch of blackness could be seen through the gaps in the branches and leaves.

It was currently the deepest part of the night.

If not for some low-lying vegetation nearby emitting faint glows, the area would have been utterly pitch-black, where one couldn't see their hand in front of their face.

Time passed slowly as the giant python and the Dark Beast remained motionless, locked in a stalemate for what felt like the time it takes to eat a meal.

Such a prolonged standoff was an unpleasant experience.

The Dark Beast finally ran out of patience first.

It let out a low growl, then moved its limbs, slowly circling the giant python. Its movements were utterly silent, as if its body were an invisible entity.

Seeing this, the Green Night Python's tongue flickered even more rapidly, and it let out hissing threats.

A fierce glint intensified in the Dark Beast's eyes. Its front claws twitched, revealing half-foot-long dark glows. At the same time, its slender black tail whipped through the air, leaving a series of afterimages and astonishingly producing a ripping sound that seemed to tear through space.

The Green Night Python's head also turned as the Dark Beast moved, keeping its opponent entirely in sight. As soon as it saw the Dark Beast whipping its tail, it seemed suddenly provoked, and its hissing grew sharper.

Its black-green scales shimmered and began to pulsate, and its body instantly inflated as if being pumped with air.

Its entire snake skin stretched incredibly taut.

In almost the blink of an eye, a sharp ripping sound emerged.

Its entire snake skin cracked apart inch by inch, revealing a body nearly half again as large as before.

It still possessed dark greenish-blue scales, but the patterns between them had turned silver-white. These intertwining patterns formed small runes that sparkled with a faint silvery glow.

Looking above the Green Night Python, a pure white, jade-like horn had also emerged on its head, with spiraling patterns coiling upwards from bottom to top.

It appeared exceptionally sharp.

The python's eyes also changed from their original emerald green to crimson, emitting a crazed intensity.

Almost the instant the python's transformation was complete, the Dark Beast, which had already circled to one side, acted without hesitation.

A dark glow flashed, and the beast's body instantly vanished into the night.

The next moment, a dark light flashed at the side of the python's head, and the Dark Beast suddenly emerged from the darkness. Simultaneously, several black claw-streaks shot out first, fiercely striking at the neck area beneath the python's head.

In the spot resembling the python's vulnerable 'seven-inch' point, there were several light red scales. These were the python's weak points after transformation.

Even if an ordinary flying sword were to strike these few scales, it could severely wound the python. If truly struck by the Dark Beast's sharp claws, it would immediately be crippled.

Of course, this weakness only lasted for a fleeting moment after the Green Night Python's transformation, quickly becoming the same color as the other scales.

In fact, these scales would subsequently become far tougher than any other part of its body.

With a few dull thuds, the claw-streaks solidly struck the python, making its body tremble. However, the claw-streaks merely grazed just below the 'seven-inch' point, as the python instinctively flicked away quickly, barely dodging the fatal blow.

Only a few shallow, light red wounds were left on the python's neck, with a few trickles of blood emerging.

Such a sneak attack naturally enraged the already somewhat frenzied python. With a roar, its tail flicked into the air.

In an instant, streaks of greenish-blue tail-shadows appeared in the air. Sweeping across, they enveloped the Dark Beast.

A resounding boom echoed through the entire sky.

Seeing that its attack had failed and its opponent's counterattack was imminent, the Dark Beast did not panic. Instead, its body swayed, and two black lights immediately flew out from it. With a roll, they surprisingly transformed into two shadowy monsters.

These two shadow-like monsters closely resembled the Dark Beast in appearance, though their bodies were somewhat indistinct and flickered with black-grey spiritual light.

As soon as they appeared, they coordinated with the Dark Beast, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws as they pounced into the air.

A loud sound of striking claw-streaks arose as they immediately collided with the greenish-blue shadows in the air.

After a series of astonishing explosions, the claw-streaks and greenish-blue shadows dissipated simultaneously, indicating an evenly matched result.

Immediately afterward, a ball of green light erupted above one of the black monsters. A giant python head flashed out from the green light and, with lightning speed, swallowed the black monster whole. Then, with another shake of its neck, it shot towards the other black monster, seemingly intending to swallow it too.

Just then, the Dark Beast strangely shot over from the side. Opening its mouth wide, it surprisingly stretched it a *zhang* wide, revealing sharp, blade-like fangs. It lunged to bite the python's body.

If truly caught by this enormous mouth, it was believed that even the immense Green Night Python would be utterly unable to resist being torn into two pieces.

But the transformed Green Night Python's speed was absolutely no less than that of the Dark Beast. Its head suddenly retracted, then twisted, and it opened its own mouth unusually wide, meeting the attack directly without showing weakness.

At this moment, its original target, the other black monster, twisted its body, which elongated incredibly, and shot towards the giant python like a thick rope.

Amidst rumbling roars, the two exotic beasts simultaneously displayed their unique abilities, locked in an inseparable and fierce struggle.

However, neither of them knew that about a dozen li away, inside a seemingly ordinary giant tree, there was inexplicably a huge tree hole, two *zhang* in diameter.

Within this mysterious space, three people were sitting cross-legged, constantly gazing at a mirror suspended low in the air.

The back of the mirror glittered with silver light, while its surface flowed with a faint green light, displaying an exceptionally clear image.

It was precisely the scene of the Dark Beast and the Green Night Python fighting.

Everything was identical to the distant scene, only scaled down countless times.

The three individuals consisted of one wearing a green robe, another draped in a white cloak, and a third with dark yellow skin.

These were Han Li, Liu Shuier, and Shi Kun, who had finally arrived at this location after traveling for over half a month.

Their expressions were solemn as they gazed at the mirror without blinking.

Nearly half an hour later, the Dark Beast in the mirror split into hundreds of black bats, finally wearing down and killing the battered Green Night Python. It then opened the python's belly, swallowed its beast core, and gleefully departed.

"Well?" a soft sigh escaped Liu Shuier's lips. "You two have now witnessed the Dark Beasts firsthand. What do you make of them?" She raised a hand and cast a spell onto the mirror. Immediately, the image in the mirror flashed and vanished.