Chapter 1430: Between Reality and Illusion

Everyone was shocked by the sheer contrast.

Just moments before, the elephant had been an imposing presence; now, it looked like a mere snack in that gaping maw.

The elephant struggled desperately, but two powerful bites from the enormous mouth produced a clear sound of bone shattering, and the elephant went still. A quick, decisive crunch.

The elephant herd let out mournful cries, clearly distressed by their leader's fate. However, none dared to intervene; they all scattered in panicked flight.

With a few deliberate swallowing motions, the enormous mouth then consumed the entire elephant.

It then seemed to notice Zu An and his companions. Instantly, a long body rose erect, and a pair of eerie vertical pupils fixed on them.

Only then did Zu An and the others get a clear view of the creature. It was a colossal black snake, many times larger than the one they had encountered in the Marquis Sui’s tomb swamp.

Its dark brown head resembled a massive locomotive. The vertical pupils in its yellow-brown eyes appeared menacing, and its occasional flicking of a black forked tongue sent shivers down their spines.

Zu An swallowed hard. The saying "a snake trying to swallow an elephant" refers to insatiable greed, yet he had just witnessed a snake actually swallowing an elephant…

The colossal snake seemed to disdain them, perhaps finding them too small or offering too little meat. It merely glanced their way before turning and swimming off.

How had this creature concealed itself in such shallow water?

There was no time to ponder that question, however; they swiftly gave chase.

This colossal snake was clearly the Xiu Snake they sought, and they couldn't possibly allow it to escape.

With Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen having recovered much of their power, they naturally held no fear of such a behemoth. Both attacked in quick succession, their Crescent Wheel and Flying Snow Sword simultaneously striking at the great snake’s vital points.

The enormous snake, however, appeared oblivious to their assaults, ignoring them as it continued to glide forward.

A flicker of anger rose in Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen. Was the creature completely disregarding them?

They were, after all, grandmasters of long-standing renown. Even an Earth Immortal would sustain significant injury if they failed to evade their attacks.

What happened next made their eyes almost pop out: both the Crescent Wheel and the Flying Snow Sword passed directly through the great snake’s body, as if striking empty air.

The colossal black snake’s form gradually faded, becoming almost transparent, and then vanished completely.

"What happened?" They gathered, exchanging bewildered glances.

"Could it possess an invisibility skill and be lying in ambush, preparing to attack us?" Yu Yanluo asked.

They scanned their surroundings warily. Yan Xuehen shook her head. "That's unlikely. I can't sense its presence at all. Moreover, the Xiu Snake is too massive; even if it were invisible, it couldn't hide completely. The surrounding aquatic plants and trees would surely betray its presence."

"Precisely. I also can't sense it." Still uneasy, Yun Jianyue waved her hand, and the Crescent Wheel expanded its patrol radius, humming as it circled in the distance. Unfortunately, it found nothing.

Zu An looked at Yu Yanluo. "Can you communicate with it?"

Yu Yanluo's face showed confusion. "I can indeed sense its serpentine nature, but when I tried to communicate with it just now, I failed. I don't understand why."

"Could this Xiu Snake be a legendary spatial-type expert?" Yun Jianyue’s expression suddenly turned grave.

Yan Xuehen’s face changed. "That would be troublesome."

Cultivators in this world typically awaken an affinity for a certain element. While elements like metal, wood, water, fire, and earth are common, rarer categories exist, such as space, and even the fabled time element. Such cultivators are exceedingly rare throughout history, but when they do appear, they are typically formidable opponents.

A spatial-type cultivator, for instance, can teleport at will and perform spatial jumps to escape if overcome. Furthermore, their body constantly shifts between a tangible and ethereal state, making it incredibly difficult to strike their physical form. Such individuals are a constant source of headaches for their adversaries.

The Xiu Snake’s state moments ago seemed to be precisely that — an oscillation between the tangible and the ethereal, which explained why all their attacks passed through it.

The thought of facing such an opponent made their heads feel a bit numb.

Following the direction where the great snake had vanished, they continued their pursuit. Along the way, they noted that the water was not particularly deep, making it difficult to conceive how such a massive body could be accommodated. This observation further reinforced their belief that the creature possessed spatial abilities.

The group searched for a long time, but unfortunately found no trace of the Xiu Snake. Just as they were at a loss, they suddenly spotted a small boat up ahead.

A person was standing on it!

The group was startled, their initial thought being that they had encountered the Demon Emperor again, given that only a select few had entered this Unknowable Land.

However, they quickly realized it wasn't the Demon Emperor, but someone dressed as a fisherman.

"Be careful," Yun Jianyue said gravely. "Any human capable of existing in this Unknowable Land could be a super-expert."

Yan Xuehen and Yu Yanluo nodded in deep agreement, ready to strike at any moment.

Zu An, however, felt a sense of déjà vu. He recalled encountering other humans in the secret realm behind Bright Moon City Academy, where he had even resolved the seemingly insurmountable crisis following the First Emperor's death and the division of his empire.

Just then, the person also spotted Zu An and his companions, gesturing at them with what appeared to be anger.

Yan Xuehen and the other women became even more tense, bracing themselves for an immediate attack.

Zu An couldn't help but remark, "It might not be as terrifying as you imagine."

The women were somewhat puzzled, but as they drew closer, they suddenly noticed that despite the person on the small boat appearing agile, there were no energy fluctuations emanating from them.

There could only be two explanations for this: either the person had achieved a state of profound mastery, their cultivation so high that it was beyond the women's perception, making it impossible to gauge their true power;

Or, they possessed no cultivation whatsoever and were simply an ordinary person.

"What are you doing? You've scared all my fish away!" the person exclaimed with considerable displeasure as they approached. Their tone was very peculiar, like a regional dialect, but still barely comprehensible.

Only then did they confirm that he was indeed an ordinary person with no cultivation. Instantly, the three women's faces flushed hot with embarrassment, realizing how much they had overreacted.

Zu An seized the opportunity to apologize, simultaneously slipping the person a silver ingot. The fisherman’s displeasure immediately vanished, replaced by a wide smile. "You're too kind, too kind," he said. "Those fish weren't even worth that much."

Zu An chuckled inwardly. He had once read that while gold and silver weren't intrinsically currency, currency was intrinsically gold and silver—a concept he hadn't fully grasped. Now, his personal experiences across different worlds had taught him that gold and silver were indeed universal currencies.

"No need to be polite, Uncle," Zu An said. "I just wanted to ask you a few questions." Given his current standing, Zu An naturally didn't care about the cost of a single silver ingot.

"Please speak, young master. I'll answer whatever I can," the fisherman replied eagerly.

Zu An asked, "Uncle, do you happen to know about the Xiu Snake—that large black snake? Where does it typically appear? Where can we find it?"

The fisherman paused. "Why are you looking for the Ba Snake?"

Ba Snake?

They wondered if this was the local name for the Xiu Snake.

His tone, however, clearly indicated he knew of the Xiu Snake, which brought a surge of delight to the group. Yan Xuehen seized the opportunity to explain, "We heard the Xiu Snake was wreaking havoc in the Great Lake of Dongting, causing immense suffering. So we specifically came here to eliminate this menace for the people."

They had expected a warm welcome upon revealing their intentions. Instead, the fisherman's face instantly contorted. "I knew you were dressed oddly," he spat, "but I never expected you to be those loathsome Dongyi! I don't want your filthy money; get out!"

With that, he pulled the silver from his pocket and threw it directly at them.

This sudden shift left the group utterly bewildered. Zu An quickly interjected, "Uncle, there must be some misunderstanding. Dongyi people? We've never even heard of them."

"Go on, go on! I don't care if you're Dongyi or not. If you're here to kill the Ba Snake, you're not welcome here. Get out!" he barked, brandishing his bamboo pole to shoo them away, as if another word with them would bring ill fortune.