Chapter 819: Slaying the Python Beast

Upon seeing the white wolf puppets restrained, Han Li unhesitatingly formed hand seals and directly detonated the two puppets with his spiritual sense.

While the three-headed giant python's body was incredibly tough, its mouth lacked such defensive capabilities. Furthermore, these two white wolf puppets were crafted from many unknown and rare materials, making their self-detonation power extraordinary. Therefore, after the explosions, two of the snake heads simultaneously let out piercing screams, clearly in immense pain.

The middle snake head, however, remained unaffected but became even more enraged.

It swayed its body, sweeping its enormous tail forward. With a flash of black, it sent the just-pounced green python puppet flying back over ten zhang, where it crashed to the ground, unable to get up.

At the same time, the python's main head lunged forward and bit down forcefully, crushing a red ox puppet into pieces. Han Li didn't even get a chance to detonate it.

Meanwhile, Marquis Nanlong and the elderly man surnamed Lu, having gained precious time thanks to Han Li's puppets, finally launched their attacks in their state of shock.

First, dozens of scorching white fireballs in front of the elder shot out, showering the sky as he uttered the word "Go!"

Marquis Nanlong, with a flick of his hand, struck a spell into the emerald green ring. The ring then shook, suddenly splitting into two, then four, then eight... quickly manifesting hundreds of identical illusions. The real ring was mixed among them, turning into a streaking blur of emerald light.

Han Li calmly flipped his palm, offering a dark, indistinct object into the air.

This object expanded against the wind, transforming into a black mountain over ten zhang tall amidst dark light, and continued to surge in size under the activation of a spell.

It was precisely the ancient treasure, the Thousandfold Peak.

Facing a monster of such immense size and tough hide as the giant python, this magical artifact seemed most suitable.

However, the giant python was by no means slow, so they first needed to find a way to trap it.

As Han Li pondered, the left and right heads of the three-headed giant python seemed to have recovered from the recent detonations. With a wide opening of their mouths, two thick, gray beams of light shot forth.

The white fireballs first collided with the light beams, causing loud explosions. The fireballs instantly transformed into white fire waves, intertwining with the gray light, creating a stalemate.

Meanwhile, the emerald green rings bypassed the struggle between the gray light and the fire waves, directly shooting towards the three python heads.

Han Li's colossal black peak, unhurried, floated slowly behind the green blurs.

The giant python, seeing the aggressive emerald light, seemed to sense a threat. Its main head let out a low roar, and with a flash of spiritual light, azure mist enveloped its entire body. Then, opening its massive maw, it abruptly lunged forward.

The light illusions formed by the emerald rings vanished upon slight contact with the python's aggressive lunge.

Only one ring, which had lingered behind, subtly flickered, instantly vanishing from its spot and reappearing above the python's head.

The ring then radiated a brilliant light, transforming into a streak of green energy that descended with lightning speed.

At the python's "seven-inch" vital spot, a green jade ring, magnified countless times, suddenly appeared. It then fiercely tightened, desperately constricting, sinking deep into the python's flesh.

Even for a snake of such immense size as the giant python, having its vital "seven-inch" spot constrained was an unbearable agony.

It immediately thrashed on the ground in pain, its main head violently ramming against the earth. Simultaneously, green light pulsed continuously around its seven-inch spot, as if it desperately tried to break free from the jade ring's restraint.

The two smaller heads also showed signs of pain from this impact.

Consequently, the gray light beams, which had been stalemated with the white fire waves, abruptly ceased.

Upon seeing this, Lu Weiying's eyes brightened. Seizing the opportunity, he activated a spell, and the white flames surged forward in waves over ten zhang high.

The sea of fire instantly engulfed the giant python.

However, the azure mist covering the python's body was exceptionally potent. Although the white fire completely surrounded it, for a moment, only the flickering azure light could be seen. Even though the python was writhing on the ground due to the green ring tightening its vital spot, its body showed no signs of damage.

Suddenly, black light flickered above the giant python, and a black mountain, tens of zhang high, appeared out of nowhere.

The mountain spun in the air, and black mist erupted from its base. It instantly enveloped the giant python below.

Within the black light, the python's movements became sluggish and heavy, as if each action carried a thousand jin of weight.

The black mountain, seizing this chance, plummeted downwards.

The three-headed monstrous python sensed trouble. Its three heads reluctantly lifted, frantically spewing several light orbs into the air, attempting to halt the falling giant peak.

However, as soon as these light orbs entered the black mist, they began to disintegrate and dissipate little by little before even reaching the mountain.

Seeing this, the giant python was still unwilling to surrender to its fate.

It used all its strength to forcefully slap its massive tail against the ground, and its body shot out within the mist. But at that moment, the surrounding white flames suddenly transformed into over a dozen thick fiery chains, instantly coiling around the python's body. This allowed it to only fly out a mere ten zhang before crashing heavily back to the ground.

The mountain finally crashed down with an oppressive blackness.

Where the mountain landed, a brilliant black light erupted, making it impossible to look directly at it for a moment.

Each of the three python heads only managed to let out a single cry before being overwhelmed by the thunderous roar.

Marquis Nanlong's face revealed joy, while the elderly man surnamed Lu let out a long breath.

Only Han Li gazed at the scene, a subtle frown appearing on his brow.

The black light gradually faded, revealing the situation in the distance.

Beneath the black peak, the three-headed giant python had not immediately perished. One of its python heads was still exposed from under the massive peak, frantically hissing and swinging its head back and forth, its eyes filled with madness.

The python's powerful vitality was truly astonishing.

Lu Weiying grunted, raised his hand, and a white beam of light shot out, arriving above the python head.

It gently encircled the python head, and without the azure mist protecting it, the head easily fell off. Snake blood spurted several zhang high from the remaining body, which then ceased to move even an inch.

"It's finally resolved. But it's a bit surprising; this three-headed black snake doesn't seem as formidable as rumored," the elderly man surnamed Lu mumbled, his expression relaxing.

"This might not be a true Black Snake. Don't forget! The genuine three-headed Black Snake has a pair of fleshy wings in addition to its three heads. It's said that its three heads can simultaneously unleash great divine abilities of different attributes. This python doesn't resemble that at all. Otherwise, how could we have dealt with it so easily?" Marquis Nanlong also shook his head, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

"Perhaps this python is a mutated form of another snake beast; just because it has three heads doesn't mean it's the three-headed Black Snake. We don't need to clarify its origins. Let's just enter the passage quickly," Han Li said calmly. He then pointed at the massive peak, which rapidly shrunk and transformed into a black streak of light, flying into his sleeve and disappearing. On the spot, the giant python's mutilated corpse, now reduced to a bloody pulp, was revealed.

Marquis Nanlong also extended his hand, and a golden light and a mass of green light suddenly rose from the corpse. After a hum, they flew back one after another. These were precisely the golden flying sword and the emerald green ring.

The flying sword directly re-entered his body. The ring reverted to its original form and slipped back onto his finger. Lu Weiying looked at the corpse, and after a brief contemplation and a few flashes, he appeared beside it. With a casual grasp into the void within the python's head, a thumb-sized azure inner core appeared in his hand.

The elder revealed a hint of satisfaction. After examining the other two heads, he likewise extracted an inner core from each.

At this point, Han Li, who had been collecting his remaining puppets, and Marquis Nanlong also flew over.

Without a word, the elder tossed an inner core to each of them.

Han Li took the object with one hand. After a quick glance, he calmly put it away.

Marquis Nanlong naturally accepted it without ceremony.

He casually released a fireball, incinerating the giant python's body into ash. Only then did the elderly man surnamed Lu speak:

"This time, if any one of us had faced this beast alone, it would have been quite troublesome. But with the three of us cooperating, eliminating an ancient beast of this caliber shouldn't be difficult. If that Fire Toad is also this easy to deal with, this trip would be much simpler!"

"I hope so. However, it's highly likely that the Fire Toad beast will be even more troublesome. After all, no matter how much Lord Cang Kun was weakened back then, a demonic beast that could force him to flee in disarray certainly won't be too simple." Marquis Nanlong sighed, speaking with a wry smile.

The elderly man surnamed Lu pondered for a moment, then nodded silently.

At this moment, Han Li transformed into a streak of green light, retrieving all the array flags he had set up around them. He then flew back and said:

"Let's go. We'll soon find out just how formidable that Fire Toad beast is," Han Li said in a deep voice. He then took the lead, striding forward.

Marquis Nanlong and the elder exchanged glances, then immediately followed closely behind.

After all, the Arctic Primordial Light below could only be traversed with Han Li's Two-Form Ring. With the giant python eliminated, the previous gray mist naturally completely vanished, and everything ahead became perfectly clear.

It was still a stone path, over a hundred zhang wide. To the sides and above, blood-red restrictive light permeated, making it impossible to see anything clearly.

Han Li and the other two slowly flew forward at a low altitude of five to six zhang. Only after flying for over twenty li did the scenery before them change, revealing a tall, light-yellow stone wall.

The stone wall revealed a dark, indistinct cave entrance, about seven to eight zhang wide.

"This is the place. Passing through this cave should lead to the inner valley. However, within the cave, there's over ten li of Arctic Primordial Light. Fellow Daoist Han! Soon, everything will depend on your Two-Form Ring," Marquis Nanlong said to Han Li, letting out a long breath.

"Since we know there's Arctic Primordial Light in the cave, can't we pass through the stone wall from another spot? Do we absolutely have to go through this cave?" Lu Weiying asked, stroking his chin, his eyes flickering.

"That method won't work at all. Brother Lu, if you just casually attack this stone wall with a magical artifact, you'll understand why," Marquis Nanlong said calmly, shaking his head.

"Oh, let me try," the elder said, clearly unwilling to give up. With a flick of his sleeve, the white beam of light shot out once more, striking violently against the stone wall.

Han Li now clearly saw that the beam of light was actually a short blade of peculiar design, resembling some rare flying dagger artifact.