Amid the crackling explosions, a pitch-black sphere of lightning actually materialized on the horn of the second enraged Silver-Horned Lightning Python. With a flick of its serpentine head, the black lightning ball shot straight toward the two martial artists at terrifying speed.
One of them paled and scrambled to dodge, while the other seemed to have focused most of his attention on Yang Kai—who was trying to flee—and failed to avoid the lightning sphere in time. It engulfed him completely.
Crackling bolts of electricity danced wildly over his body. The man convulsed violently, every strand of his hair standing on end. Panicking, he immediately circulated his Sacred Yuan to fend off the currents invading his body.
But a massive whip-like shadow came hurtling toward him, and his soul nearly left his body.
Enveloped in electricity, his body had gone numb and he couldn't dodge effectively. The whip shadow struck him squarely, sending him hurtling back dozens of meters.
The sound of shattering bones rang out in rapid succession. A huge section of his body was caved in, blood spurted from his mouth, and an unnatural flush crept across his face. Only now did he realize that what had attacked him was no whip shadow at all—it was the tail of the Silver-Horned Lightning Python!
After hitting the ground, his body spasmed several times. He struggled to his feet, wobbled, collapsed again, and then lay perfectly still.
The lightning strike of an Eighth-Stage demon beast, combined with a tail whip that carried the weight of ten thousand tons—and this Saint King Second Stage martial artist had merely clung to life for a few moments before dying.
The remaining martial artist's face changed drastically. He had never expected such an outcome. In his plan, he would ambush Yang Kai first, snatch the Space Ring from his hand, and while the Silver-Horned Lightning Python dealt with Yang Kai, he and his companion could retreat effortlessly with minimal danger.
But reality had deviated wildly from his calculations.
Yang Kai was completely unharmed, and his companion had met a horrific end, dying on the spot.
Now he had no time to worry about Yang Kai, because he, like Yang Kai, was locked in combat with one of the Silver-Horned Lightning Pythons. At the Saint King Second Stage, he could barely keep himself alive against an Eighth-Stage demon beast. He didn't dare linger. Fighting while retreating, he quickly lured the python out of Yang Kai's sight.
But before he left, that resentful backward glance told Yang Kai that this grudge had been inexplicably pinned on him.
They had struck first, attempting to murder him for his treasures, and now they harbored ill will. Yang Kai naturally wouldn't let it slide. Besides, if he let them escape, he'd be in trouble—news of the Cui Luo Grass would spread and draw unwanted attention.
This wasn't a good place to silence witnesses, though. The Silver-Horned Lightning Pythons were extremely troublesome. Yang Kai found that his Demonic Flame couldn't do much damage to it—its raised patches of hardened skin were impervious to both fire and water, already resembling scales.
This was a peak Eighth-Stage demon beast, nearly ready to evolve to the Ninth Stage and transform from a python into a flood dragon.
Give it a dozen years, and it would surely succeed.
What's more, this Silver-Horned Lightning Python seemed to have undergone some kind of mutation. Not only could it use lightning-attribute divine abilities, firing bolts as thick as an arm from its horn, it could also spray clouds of viridian toxic mist from its mouth, giving Yang Kai a tremendous headache.
Killing it would take far too much effort.
After a brief deliberation, Yang Kai abandoned the idea. Slaying such a demon beast would only yield a single Eighth-Stage Inner Core and some artifact-refining materials—hardly worth the cost.
He needed to rush off and silence witnesses.
With that thought, he actively broke free from the combat zone and pursued the direction in which the martial artist had fled. Within moments, he shook off the Silver-Horned Lightning Python trailing behind him.
Along the way, he spotted the other python that had given chase, its massive body slithering back toward the earthen pit. Yang Kai immediately understood—his target had also shaken off the creature, just as he had.
In a patch of jungle, a Saint King Second Stage martial artist leaned against a large tree, his divine sense spread wide, gasping for breath while warily scanning his surroundings and cursing under his breath.
He could have walked away with over a dozen stalks of Cui Luo Grass, but heaven hadn't been willing. Not only had he failed to harvest the herbs, his companion was dead.
He now hated Yang Kai with every fiber of his being, believing that everything that had happened was entirely this man's fault. If that person hadn't burst onto the scene and acted rashly, how could he have ended up in such a wretched state?
Over a dozen stalks of Cui Luo Grass! That would have been an enormous contribution. If he'd brought them back safely and presented them to the sect elders, he would have received a massive reward. But now, everything was gone.
He couldn't let it end like this. No matter what, he had to take that Cui Luo Grass back from Yang Kai.
He fished a Message Compass from his Space Ring, infused it with divine sense, and was just about to inform his fellow sect members of what had happened when a sensation—both cold and hot, both righteous and sinister—suddenly descended from above.
He looked up blankly, only to see a colossal, pitch-black palm smashing down toward him.
With a startled cry, he immediately activated his defensive Artifact and launched himself sideways, shooting over a dozen meters in an instant, barely escaping the giant palm imprint's strike.
Someone was ambushing him!
The martial artist's soul nearly fled in terror. His divine sense had already been spread wide, yet he still hadn't detected the attacker—which meant the other party's realm was higher than his own. But who would be ambushing him?