Tang San shook his head. "It's fine. It's poisonous, but it doesn't affect me." The hand that had caught the golden-red sphere brushed past an unremarkable jade surface on the side of Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlit Night at his waist, storing it away.
"Aren't you afraid it might explode?" Hu Liena stepped forward a few paces, coming up behind Tang San.
Tang San shook his head. Perhaps because he was feeling somewhat excited, he chose not to keep secrets from Hu Liena. "This is the snake's inner core. Without its original body to control it, it can no longer explode."
"You recognize that snake?" Hu Liena's voice was filled with disbelief.
Tang San nodded silently. That's right — this snake did not belong to the Soul Beasts of this world.
However, after a brief observation, he had realized it was actually something he had seen described in an ancient text on extraordinarily toxic creatures within the Tang Sect of his previous world.
A primordial anomalous beast — the Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Snake. Incomparably venomous, adults could exceed ten meters in length, and they possessed the most potent fire toxin among all serpent species. After ten thousand years of cultivation, they could form an inner core hidden within the nine heads on their back. When the inner core is released, heaven and earth lose their color. Whoever obtains its inner core commands the submission of all snakes.
It was the sovereign among serpents.
What Tang San had obtained was undoubtedly the inner core of a Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Snake. Even with the full force of his Clear Sky Hammer's Ninety-Nine Returns to One Chaotic Windmill technique, it could not have matched the explosive power this inner core could generate. But the Tang San of the present was no longer merely a Tang Sect disciple from his previous world. In this world, he had also obtained the power of the spirit.
When that Ninety-Nine Returns to One hammer strike was unleashed, Tang San had used his precise spiritual sense lock to redirect the attack diagonally upward. Instead of colliding directly with the inner core, he had instantaneously severed the connection between the inner core and the Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Snake using a concentrated burst of powerful spiritual energy.
Having released its inner core, the Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Snake's defensive power had already dropped drastically — how could it possibly withstand such a domineering blow from the Clear Sky Hammer? Its body had instantly disintegrated into powder.
The benefits of the Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Snake's inner core were certainly not limited to the deterrence of the sovereign among serpents. It possessed numerous wondrous uses as well. Having obtained it, Tang San's current mood could not be described as merely "good" — calling it soaring would not be an exaggeration.
Though Hu Liena could not see the smile on Tang San's face at this moment, she could guess that the inner core must be extremely important to him. The Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Snake had been killed by Tang San, so it was only natural that he take the inner core.
"Tang Yin." Hu Liena called out.
Tang San turned slightly. "You want it too?"
Hu Liena shook her head. "No, I simply want to know where this snake came from. I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about Soul Beasts, but this snake is not in my memory. We're teammates. Although I wasn't much help to you before, at least I have the right to know something."
If it were some ordinary item, Hu Liena certainly would not have made a request that might provoke Tang San's displeasure. But the bizarre way that strange snake had died, and the even more peculiar inner core it had left behind — she simply could not suppress her thirst for knowledge.
Tang San smiled faintly. "There's no harm in telling you. This snake is not a Soul Beast — it should be a primordial anomalous species. After its inner core forms, its offensive power is terrifying. Earlier, I severed the connection between the snake and its inner core, exploiting the instant before the core's explosive power could erupt. That's how I managed to kill it so luckily. And the benefit of this inner core is that it can nullify any snake venom and suppress all serpentine creatures."
Hu Liena's heart stirred. "In that case, any Soul Master with a snake-type Martial Soul will have a hard time getting the better of you from now on."
Tang San smiled. "You could put it that way." At this moment, his vigilance had risen once again. Possessing a treasure invites sin — who knew whether Hu Liena might launch an attack on him out of greed?
But Hu Liena did not press the matter further. The two rested a while longer. Within Tang San's blue domain, the murky air around them was effectively filtered, and they quickly recovered their stamina.
Having passed two trials without serious incident, their state of mind had relaxed somewhat as they continued forward at a steady pace. If this Hell Road truly had only three trials, then they needed only to pass the final test before they could leave this wretched place.
The temperature continued to rise. The dark red liquid flowing in the abyss on either side gradually became clearer — from faintly visible to plainly distinct.
The terrain seemed to be sloping ever downward. Neither of them understood the true layout of the City of Slaughter, but Tang San had vaguely surmised that behind the small town where he and his father had entered, there stood a mountain.
Perhaps the City of Slaughter was not underground at all, but within the mountain.
This thought only flashed through his mind in a passing moment. What mattered more to them now was leaving this place as quickly as possible. As for everything else — there would be plenty of time to make judgments later.