Chapter 315

With a thud, Shen Yuan Ning flew back in a perfect arc from midair, falling in front of us two; even the magic fan was flicked aside. However, the monster wasn't doing well either—when its snake tail flicked Shen Yuan Ning back, it also got hit by the fan and was flung several meters away.

However, no matter how you look at it, the poisonous snake seems to have only superficial wounds, not hurting its internal organs at all. In less than a moment, it turned its snake head and slowly crawled toward us.

"Cough cough, what the hell is this monster, its skin is really hard..." Shen Yuan Ning spat out a mouthful of repressed blood, struggling to stand up.

Pangzi anxiously said: "Forget what it is, right now there's no other way to slay it; if we can't slay it, only we will be killed."

At this moment I was also secretly anxious; although I and Pangzi had taken antitoxin, the poison was still in effect, so we couldn't move at all. Now our only reliance is Shen Yuan Ning.

But when we handed him our last lifeline, he firmly and decisively shook his head and said: "No."

Me: ……

Pangzi: "Holy shit, that's just waiting to die!"

"Everyone must die—either weightier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather. As cultivators who have already embarked on the Dao, why fear martyrdom?" Shen Yuan Ning gazed at the distant eerie black snake, straightened his back, unafraid: "Today I, Shen Yuan Ning, will die here, but the Pure Bright Dao still has countless Shen Yuan Nings. I believe that one day, my Pure Bright Dao's predecessors will slay all these world-harming demons and monsters, restoring to mankind a bright and pristine universe, exalting the supreme Dao."

"I still haven't soaked my teacher." Pangzi blurted out, utterly shameless.

Me: "……" Shen Yuan Ning: "……"

"Hiss, hiss" in less than a moment, the poisonous snake crawled back before us, spitting its tongue, a pair of green eyes gloomily fixed on us.

Yes, it merely stood not far away, silently staring at us. If it were an ordinary poisonous snake, being attacked would only provoke its ferocity, but this black snake didn't lose its sanity at all; instead, it remained calm, making it seem even more terrifying.

My heart sank; the rumor was indeed true—the Insect Master, using fetal spirits to sacrifice to poisonous insects, had actually given this insect wisdom, and even in battle it had learned to observe the enemy.

Having observed us for a long time, the black snake seemed to see that Shen Yuan Ning no longer posed a threat; it raised its head, exhaled a foul-smelling puff, opened its bloody maw, and lunged to bite us.

In an instant, I and Pangzi rose to our feet, standing together with Shen Yuan Ning, fearlessly facing the poisonous snake.

When the poisonous snake lunged forward, the three of us quickly dodged. Shen Yuan Ning grabbed the talisman fan and, with the degree fan, released a gust of wind. I and Pangzi chose the oldest method: close combat.

Of course, this close combat wasn't just a bare-fisted clash. I drew the Yin Mountain's yin thunder flower sigil, and Pangzi drew the five thunder flower sigil in his hand; both of us chose close-range spells and engaged in guerrilla warfare with the black snake.

But how could a person compare to a poisonous snake? Even someone trained in martial arts is nowhere near as agile as a beast. In less than a moment, the snake tail swept all three of us aside.

This black snake differs from other poisonous snakes: other snakes simply swallow their prey upon capture, but this one first knocks us down with its tail, then leisurely devours us. It reminded me of a cat—before catching a mouse, a cat plays with it, stripping the mouse of all will to fight, mauling it, then eating it alive.

But… why is the black snake's first target me? The three of us collapsed in three different directions—damn it, the handsomest is Shen Yuan Ning, the fattest is Pangzi. I'm thin and blind-eyed, ugly as sin; why would it pick me first?

Just as I felt extremely uneasy, the poisonous snake's head had already reached my face, only a few centimeters away; its tongue could almost lick my cheek.

Facing such a monster for the first time, I was truly terrified—especially since this snake reeks and stinks, looking damn terrifying.

My heart turned cold; I thought I was going to die at this monster's hand. But…

I opened my eyes and found myself completely unharmed. Then…… the black snake retched in the air, shook its head, looked at me with disdain, then twisted its body and crawled toward Shen Yuan Ning nearby.

Me: "……" Even if I'm thin and ugly, you damn well ought to give me some sense of existence—if you won't eat me, at least lick me twice, that should be enough, right? What the hell is this—have I really sunk so low that even beasts despise me?"

"Hahaha, this snake… it actually… it actually doesn't want to eat you. I've gained insight—turns out you're worse than Ou Yaofeng's disgusting corpse. Even the snake big brother eats corpses, yet refuses to eat you. Haha, Hai Sheng, how much evil must you have done for even the snake big brother to despise you?" Pangzi beat his chest and stomped his feet, laughing loudly. If looks could kill, I could absolutely shoot Pangzi dead.

"Holy shit, why are you walking over here? I'm not tasty either." It seems the black snake couldn't stand Pangzi's arrogance; it had originally been heading toward Shen Yuan Ning, but halfway it turned around and crawled toward Pangzi.

My heart tightened; I anxiously shouted: "Pangzi, run, you bastard!"

But I forgot—Pangzi is just like me now, seriously injured and unable to move.

Watching the poisonous snake creep ever closer to Pangzi, my heart grew colder. Although Pangzi deserves a beating and is lecherous, he's my brother; if he died, it would be like losing another relative in this world.

"You bastard, come eat me!" I yelled at the poisonous snake.

But all of this was in vain; it soon crawled up to Pangzi's face.

Pangzi gave a bleak smile and said to me: "Brother, remember to tell Sister Jingjing and me that I love him."

No… absolutely not; I can't just watch my brother be eaten by the snake.

I struggled to lift myself, wanting to stand, but my leg bone was broken—I couldn't move at all. All I could do was watch helplessly as the poisonous snake stepped closer to Pangzi, staring at him as it opened its bloody maw.

I closed my eyes, tears streaming down, watching my brother be eaten, yet I was powerless. I howled angrily to the heavens, but it was all in vain.

However, just as I felt heart-wrenching pain, there was a crack, then a heavy thud like something heavy falling to the ground.

Next, I actually heard a familiar voice.

"Hai Sheng, Hai Sheng." The voice sounded so affectionate and childish—where have I heard it before?

Little Fat, yes, it's Little Fat. My master once said that if a Yin Mountain Daoist faces mortal danger, his general soul will lead troops to come and protect the Daoist himself. Little Fat is my general soul; he must have brought the troops.

I excitedly opened my eyes, but when I did, I saw an unbelievable sight.

Pangzi's front floated a chubby little kid wearing a red dudou—surely my general soul Little Fat. But…… what are those behind Little Fat? Damn it, two rows of armored faceless spirits stood behind him, like soldiers waiting for the general's inspection.

I've commanded troops before, but they were just wandering ghosts and wild spirits—even a charging fierce ghost isn't as formidable as those behind Little Fat. As disciples cultivate to mastery, they can indeed summon higher-ranking troops from the Underworld. But didn't my master say that a general soul cannot command troops beyond what the Daoist's own cultivation can summon?

What's going on now? These soldiers behind Little Fat have killing intent soaring to the heavens and an awe-inspiring aura; in life they must have been troops guarding a region, certainly not something ordinary wandering ghosts can compare to, and they are also beyond my ability to command.

Among the soldiers, military souls are among the hardest to tame; even Daoist priests themselves are greatly afraid. Because soldiers in life were mostly guardians of a region, commanders who fought bloodily, they obeyed the imperial family, aided by the emperor's prestige, and having killed countless people, their killing intent is not ordinary heavy; ordinary Daoist priests see them and flee, let alone tame them.

Now before me, behind Little Fat, there stand two neat rows of military souls; moreover, judging by their armor, I can't even tell which dynasty they belong to—how could I not be shocked? In my memory, not only me, but even my master could not mobilize such terrifying troops.

"Hiss" — while I was immersed in shock, that black snake had its ferocity aroused, struggling to crawl up from the ground, opening its blood‑filled maw, and lunged to bite Little Fat's group of "people".

I had just wanted to speak up to warn, but…… immediately my mouth turned into an O shape.

Because right in front of Little Fat, a phantom appeared without any warning; as soon as that phantom appeared, dust swirled up from the ground.

Pressure, pressure soaring to the heavens…… that is my first feeling.

I couldn't make out the phantom's appearance; I only saw that he was wearing armor, probably also a military soul. But this military soul gave me a feeling too terrifying, so terrifying that I couldn't muster even a hint of the thought to fight him.

As soon as he appeared, the air was filled with a killing intent soaring to the heavens. If I were to describe my current feeling, it would be cold, a chill from head to toe. So cold that my heart grew cold, and the chill reached the point where my consciousness and body began to detach.

This is an aura, an intangible aura. If it is someone in a high position, over time they develop a superior's demeanor; their speech and manner give people an intangible pressure that makes them fearful. If it is a veteran soldier who has seen much battle, or a killer who kills for money and has slain countless people, they give off a feeling of a chilling killing intent.

Killing one is for slaughter; killing a hundred makes one a hero; killing nine million makes one a hero among heroes. How many people did this military soul kill in life to be able to condense such a thick killing intent after death?

This is an intangible oppression, so oppressive that it makes one's spirit collapse, makes one want to commit suicide, completely crushing the opponent mentally. That black snake has already been driven mad by his aura's suppression, rolling continuously on the ground, its head tearing at its own tail, biting itself until it is covered in wounds.

I have never before seen a ghost with such a thick killing intent; even among Daoist Sect deities, Guan Sheng Emperor, who proves the Dao through killing, absolutely does not have such an overbearing presence.

Just who is he? How did Little Fat summon him?

That thought had just formed when I heard a deafening cold "hum"; that hum was full of disdain and filled with killing intent all over the sky.

That cold hum was emitted by the military soul standing before Little Fat.

He merely gave a simple hum, and that black snake actually let out a miserable "ah" scream, its body instantly shattering like fireworks exploding.

At the same time, my mind felt as if struck by five thunders; this hum shook my head until it rang. Even my nose bled, and in an instant I also fainted.

The last thought before I passed out, I was still wondering who this army soul was. As a peerless disciple of the Yin Mountain Sect who commands ghosts, I wasn't killed by the enemy, but instead was knocked unconscious by the soldiers and generals brought by my own army soul—damn, I truly am the first in history since the founding of the Yin Mountain Sect.