Chapter 74: An Unexpected Rescue

Chapter 74: Chapter 74: An Unexpected Rescue

Long Ning lay on the ground, her chest rising and falling with difficulty.

"Haa... Haa... Dammit!"

The enormous snake was drawing closer, its thick body sliding over the dirt as its crimson eyes remained fixed on her.

Right now, she could barely move.

Every time she tried to circulate her spiritual energy, she felt as though something were blocking her meridians, preventing her from gathering enough strength to fight back.

Even standing up had become a struggle.

Long Ning clenched her teeth and forced herself to remain conscious.

’Calm down. Think...! There has to be a way out.’

She had entered the Fragment Realm with confidence, believing that few opponents at the Qi Refinement Realm could threaten her.

Even if she encountered a powerful demonic beast, she trusted her Purple Lightning Fist to deal with it.

Unfortunately, she had underestimated her opponent.

The snake had deliberately concealed its true strength, allowing her to believe she was winning.

By the time she realized the truth, it had already poisoned her.

Now, she was paying the price for her carelessness.

Long Ning glanced at the enormous creature approaching her.

Its scales were dark, its curved horns glinted faintly beneath the sunlight, and its crimson eyes carried a mocking amusement that made her blood boil.

"Damn it! If I survive this, I’ll skin you alive and turn you into snake soup!"

Unfortunately, threats wouldn’t save her.

She had to find a way to survive first.

Long Ning tried to move her right hand, but even that simple action sent a wave of pain through her body.

Her fingers trembled as she slowly reached for the small storage pouch at her waist.

Then she stopped.

Without the ability to circulate her spiritual energy, she couldn’t open it.

Long Ning bit her lip in frustration, but then she remembered her last trump card.

There was one technique she had never wanted to use.

It was a secret technique passed down through her family, one that could temporarily force her spiritual energy beyond its normal limits.

By burning a portion of her life force, she could break through the restrictions imposed by her weakened body and unleash power far beyond her current capabilities.

Even an early Foundation cultivator would have to take her seriously.

However, the price was enormous.

Using the technique would consume a portion of her life force and severely damage her meridians.

Even if she survived the battle, she might spend months recovering.

If she pushed it too far, she could permanently damage her cultivation foundation.

For a genius like Long Ning, whose future was filled with possibilities, such a consequence was difficult to accept.

She had always believed that she could avoid using it unless she faced a truly desperate situation.

But now...

Long Ning looked at the snake’s approaching head and felt a bitter smile tug at her lips.

’So this is it, huh?’

She had entered the Fragment Realm hoping to obtain opportunities that would help her cultivation.

Instead, she had nearly lost her life to a cunning demonic beast.

’How ridiculous.’

Her gaze hardened.

’No. I’m not dying here.’

She had worked too hard to reach her current level.

She had endured countless hardships, trained until her body could barely move, and pushed herself beyond her limits to become stronger. She refused to let everything end here.

Even if she had to pay a terrible price, she would survive!

Long Ning gritted her teeth and began gathering what little spiritual energy remained in her body.

’If I can’t escape, then I’ll take you down with me!’

A faint purple glow began flickering around her fingertips.

It was weak, barely enough to illuminate her hand, but she continued forcing her spiritual energy to circulate despite the pain.

The poison fought against her efforts, making every movement of energy feel like dragging a heavy stone through her meridians.

Her face grew paler.

The snake seemed to notice her struggle.

It raised its head, opened its jaws, and released a low hiss.

It was clearly growing impatient and decided it had played around enough with its food.

Long Ning ignored it.

She had already made her decision.

’Come on... Just a little more!’

The purple light around her fingers suddenly brightened.

But before she could activate the secret technique, a voice suddenly rang out from the side.

"Hey, ugly snake! Over here!"

Long Ning froze.

The snake’s head turned sharply toward the voice.

Three figures emerged from behind a large boulder, moving toward the clearing with surprising speed.

The first was a round-faced young man whose body was faintly covered in a metallic sheen.

He charged forward with both arms raised, his expression nervous but determined.

Behind him, a young man with a sword at his waist moved to the left, his hand already gripping the hilt.

The third figure remained several steps behind them, his fingers pinching several slender needles that glinted in the sunlight.

Long Ning stared at them in disbelief.

"Those three? What are they doing?"

She recognized them, after all.

If those three were known as bullies who preyed on the weak in the outer sect, then she was practically their natural predator.

Over the years, she had given them plenty of trouble, and none of them had been in any position to fight back.

She knew their strength, their personalities, and, most importantly, their tendency to back down when faced with someone stronger.

Yet, instead of fleeing from the enormous snake, they had actually chosen to approach it.

Were they insane?

The round-faced young man, Chen Lei, was the first to reach the beast.

"Come on, big guy! Look at me!"

He roared to bolster his courage and activated his Steelskin Technique.

A dull metallic sheen spread across his arms and chest as he planted his feet firmly against the ground.

The snake immediately turned toward him.

Its crimson eyes narrowed, and its enormous head shot forward.

Chen Lei’s expression paled at the sight.

’Damn it! It’s faster than I thought!’

But he didn’t retreat.

Instead, he lowered his center of gravity and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Steelskin! Hold!"

BOOM!

The snake’s head slammed into his crossed arms.

Chen Lei’s entire body shook violently as the impact drove him backward, his feet carving two deep furrows into the dirt.

Pain shot through his arms, and for a moment, he felt as though his bones might shatter.

"Puhh!"

He spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning pale from the impact.

However, he had already prepared himself for the impact.

Rather than trying to stop the snake’s momentum completely, he angled his body and allowed the force to push him sideways.

The snake’s head slid past him instead of crushing him beneath its weight.

At that instant, Wang Hun moved.

His sword left its sheath with a sharp metallic ring.

"Second Form—Splitting Wind!"

He stepped into the opening Chen Lei had created, his blade sweeping toward the exposed scales beneath the snake’s jaw.

His swordsmanship wasn’t powerful enough to cut through the beast’s thick scales with brute force.

Instead, he concentrated his spiritual energy along the edge of his blade and targeted one of the cracks left behind by Long Ning’s earlier attack.

Clang!

Sparks flew as the sword struck.

The blade failed to penetrate deeply, but it slipped into the damaged gap between two scales, leaving a narrow wound.

The snake recoiled with an angry hiss.

Wang Hun immediately withdrew instead of greedily pressing his advantage.

He pivoted on his heel and retreated behind Chen Lei, keeping his sword raised as he watched the beast’s movements.

At nearly the same moment, several faint whistles cut through the air.

WHIZ!

WHIZ!

WHIZ!

Zhang Zhao had already taken his position.

His right hand flicked three times.

Three slender needles shot toward the snake’s head, each following a slightly different trajectory.

The first needle flew toward its left eye.

The second aimed for the injured scales near its forehead.

The third traveled lower, targeting the soft tissue beneath its jaw.

The snake jerked its head aside to avoid the first needle. But that was exactly what Zhang Zhao had anticipated.

The change in its movement caused the second needle to strike the edge of its existing wound, while the third grazed the underside of its jaw.

Neither attack inflicted serious damage.

However, both forced the snake to adjust its posture, momentarily exposing its injured head to Wang Hun.

"Brother Wang! Now!"

Wang Hun didn’t need to be told twice.

He rushed forward again, his sword flashing toward the same damaged spot.

The snake immediately tried to twist away.

But Chen Lei was already moving.

Despite the pain in his arms, he stepped forward and slammed his shoulder into the side of the snake’s head.

He couldn’t overpower the beast, but he didn’t need to.

His sudden collision was enough to disrupt its movement for a fraction of a second.

That fraction was all Wang Hun needed.

Clang!

His sword struck the cracked scales again.

This time, the blade sank slightly deeper.

The snake let out a furious hiss and whipped its head toward Wang Hun.

Wang Hun retreated immediately, but the beast’s reaction was faster than he expected.

Its jaws snapped shut just inches from his body.

His face went pale.

’Holy shit...! That was close!’

Before the snake could attack again, another needle shot toward its eye.

The beast instinctively turned its head to avoid it.

Zhang Zhao’s attack had missed its target, but the momentary distraction allowed Wang Hun to escape.

Chen Lei quickly moved between them and the snake, once again taking the position of the front line.

"Brother Zhang, keep those needles coming! Brother Wang, attack its wounds!"

"Do you think I need you to tell me that!?" Wang Hun shouted, though he was already repositioning himself.

Zhang Zhao didn’t respond.

His attention remained entirely on the snake.

He watched the movement of its head, the direction of its gaze, and the subtle shifts in its enormous body.

Rather than wasting needles on its intact scales, he focused on forcing it to turn, creating openings for Wang Hun while preventing it from attacking freely.

Chen Lei, meanwhile, concentrated on one task.

He would not allow the snake to reach either of his companions without going through him first.

Whenever the beast lunged toward Wang Hun, Chen Lei moved to obstruct its path.

When it turned toward Zhang Zhao, he stepped forward to draw its attention back to himself.

He couldn’t withstand every attack, and he certainly couldn’t stop the snake outright.

But he didn’t need to.

He only needed to disrupt its rhythm long enough for his companions to act.

And Wang Hun and Zhang Zhao understood that perfectly.

They moved around Chen Lei without interfering with his position, one striking whenever the snake exposed a weakness, the other using his needles to interrupt its counterattacks.

There was no unnecessary movement between them.

No one tried to claim credit for an attack, and no one stubbornly continued fighting when the situation turned unfavorable.

They attacked when an opening appeared and retreated when it closed.

Their movements complemented one another so naturally that it seemed as though they had practiced fighting together for years.

Long Ning watched the exchange with widening eyes, her expression filled with disbelief.

"What... is this godly teamwork?"