Chapter 311: Extinguishing the Ice Wind Python

Wang Ruyan took the *Cloud Sky Talisman Arts*, flipping through a few pages. She was secretly delighted, but her expression remained calm as she frowned and said, "A talisman-making manual? Only talisman masters can use this kind of thing. Your Ye family has been around for so many years; do you really rely on this *Cloud Sky Talisman Arts*? Fellow Daoist Ye, we just wanted a cultivation method. You could simply make a copy. Compared to your family's safety, is it truly that difficult to copy a cultivation method?"

Ye Zhanling smiled bitterly in her heart, yet kept a pleasant smile on her face. She took a yellow jade slip from her sleeve and handed it to Wang Ruyan, saying, "This *Yellow Sand Art* is a Yellow-grade second-tier cultivation method. It allows cultivation up to the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment. It's an ancestral method of our Ye family and the best cultivation manual we possess."

Wang Ruyan scanned it with her divine sense and nodded in satisfaction. She had requested a Yellow-grade second-tier cultivation method and a book of talisman-making insights, the value of which already exceeded a thousand spirit stones.

She managed a smile and said, "Fellow Daoist Ye, you've shown such sincerity. It would be too formal for us to decline now. Fellow Daoist Ye, we are willing to help. Please tell us in detail about this monster's supernatural abilities."

Ye Zhanling breathed a sigh of relief and truthfully recounted her encounter with the Ice Wind Python.

"It's just a second-tier low-grade monster, Fellow Daoist Ye. Please lead the way! We'll depart now to eliminate it."

Wang Ruyan had brought three second-tier mid-grade puppet beasts on this trip, and Wang Qingshan and Wang Changhao also carried several second-tier puppet beasts. Dealing with a second-tier low-grade Ice Wind Python would be a piece of cake for them.

Ye Zhanling breathed a long sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoists, please follow me. I'll take you to the Ice Wind Python's lair now."

A short while later, Wang Ruyan and her group appeared in a desolate valley, flanked on both sides by steep cliffs.

At the far end of the valley was a dark, shadowy cave entrance, obscured by weeds taller than a person, making it hard to notice without careful observation.

"The Ice Wind Python's lair is inside," Ye Zhanling said, pointing to the entrance. "We don't know where it came from; White Cloud Ridge has never had a second-tier monster appear before."

"Fellow Daoist Ye," Wang Ruyan said, "you'll come with us to slay this monster."

Ye Zhanling could not refuse and followed Wang Ruyan and the two others into the cave.

As they entered the cave, a chilling, cold wind blew toward them.

Wang Changhao controlled a first-tier puppet beast to walk ahead, his face full of caution.

The deeper they went, the colder it became.

Not long after, a spacious natural cavern appeared before them. A massive white python lay curled up in the upper-left corner.

Inside the cavern, there were obvious signs of a struggle; several broken spiritual artifacts lay scattered on the ground, and the white python's abdomen was profusely bleeding.

Wang Ruyan released her divine sense, sweeping the entire cavern several times. After confirming there were no abnormalities, she said, "Wang Changhao, Wang Qingshan, Fellow Daoist Ye, let's attack."

She took out a green pipa. Her slender fingers quickly swept across the strings, and a rapid burst of pipa music sounded. Several giant wind blades, about ten feet long, shot out, striking towards the Ice Wind Python.

Wang Changhao summoned two second-tier ape puppet beasts. They opened their jaws and each spewed out a thick stream of crimson flame.

Wang Qingshan summoned three green flying swords. He formed a hand seal, and the swords multiplied into hundreds of green flying blades that surged forward, vying with each other to strike the Ice Wind Python.

Ye Zhanling was secretly astonished. She summoned a red gourd, which spewed out dozens of watermelon-sized crimson fireballs.

For a time, continuous booming sounds filled the air, faintly mixed with the Ice Wind Python's piteous cries.

The Ice Wind Python was merely a second-tier low-grade monster and no match for the four Foundation Establishment cultivators. Before long, it was covered in wounds.

It opened its gaping maw and spewed out a dozen crystalline white ice cones, then swiftly lunged toward Wang Ruyan and the other three.

Wang Ruyan's eyes grew cold. Her slender fingers quickly swept across the pipa strings, and a misty green sound wave shot forth.

The dozen white ice cones struck the green sound wave and were sent flying back. Wang Changhao formed a hand seal, and his two ape puppets vigorously pounded their chests. Each then spewed an even thicker stream of crimson flame than before, striking the Ice Wind Python in a flash, and billowing flames engulfed its body.

A large surge of white icy mist erupted from the python, and the flames flickered wildly before dying out.

A rapid burst of pipa music sounded again, and a dozen door-sized giant wind blades shot forward, striking the Ice Wind Python one after another. Many scales fell from its body, revealing a bloody mess where they had been.

Ye Zhanling changed her hand seal, and her red gourd glowed brightly, spewing out several water-vat-sized giant fireballs that smashed onto the Ice Wind Python's body.

"Boom!"

A huge explosive roar sounded as a vast expanse of crimson flames engulfed the Ice Wind Python's body.

"Giant Sword Art, strike!" Wang Qingshan roared.

Wang Qingshan exclaimed, changed his hand seal, and the hundreds of green flying swords quickly converged, forming a massive green sword that briefly vanished into the sea of flames. A scream echoed, and the Ice Wind Python's head rolled out of the fiery inferno.

Wang Ruyan's slender fingers quickly swept across the pipa strings. A low, resonant pipa sound emerged, and a misty green sound wave swept forth, swiftly flying towards the sea of flames. The crimson flames flickered wildly before dying out.

The Ice Wind Python's head had been cleanly severed, and blood flowed continuously.

Ye Zhanling was secretly astonished; a second-tier low-grade monster had been easily eliminated by Wang Ruyan and her two companions. If they wanted to kill her, she estimated it wouldn't take much effort at all.

At this thought, she took two steps back, putting some distance between herself and Wang Ruyan's group.

Wang Ruyan paid no mind to Ye Zhanling. She turned to Wang Qingshan and said, "Qingshan, check if this Ice Wind Python has an inner core."

He acknowledged, quickly stepped forward, and slit open the Ice Wind Python's abdomen with his flying sword, then reached in with his right hand to search.

"Oh, there's an inner core, Ninth Aunt!"

He withdrew his right hand, holding an egg-sized white spherical object with several streaks of blood on its surface.

With a flick of his wrist, the white sphere flew towards Wang Ruyan and landed steadily in her palm.

"A second-tier ice-attribute demon core!" Wang Ruyan exclaimed. "Wang Changhao, Qingshan, I'll take this inner core. You two can split the other materials!"

Wang Ruyan was raising a pair of Green-eyed Cold Silkworms, which were already at the first-tier mid-grade. Once they reached first-tier high-grade, she could give them this second-tier ice-attribute demon core to consume, possibly allowing them to advance to the second-tier.

Ye Zhanling managed a smile and said sincerely, "Fellow Daoist Wang, thank you so much for helping us eliminate this monster. Our Ye family is extremely grateful."

Wang Ruyan smiled and nodded, saying, "Fellow Daoist Ye, this monster has been eliminated, so you can rest assured. We still have matters to attend to, so you may return now."

Ye Zhanling breathed a sigh of relief, offered her thanks, and turned to leave.

Wang Qingshan and Wang Changhao processed the Ice Wind Python's corpse, then manipulated their magical artifacts to cleave into the stone walls and the ground.

The spiritual energy in White Cloud Ridge was sparse. For a second-tier monster, especially an ice-attribute one, to appear without any apparent reason, there had to be something amiss.

Either there were second-tier spiritual fruits or herbs nearby, or there was a special mineral vein in the vicinity.

They dug several feet deep and carved multiple pits into the stone walls, but they still found no abnormalities.