Chapter 60: The Three-Headed Silver Moon Serpent

Atop the high wall, several heavily armed soldiers who had been ready to charge down and save lives were utterly stunned.

"Did I see that right? That third-tier demon beast, the Gale Demon Wolf, was just struck down by him?"

"I thought I glimpsed a sword of gathered purple light in his hand—how is that possible? Just how powerful is his cultivation?"

"We'd best not rush down and get in his way. This kid's cultivation is far above ours!"

Having just claimed his first kill, Xiang Nan now swept his gaze around, searching for his next target.

Suddenly, a malicious wind surged from behind. Xiang Nan instinctively leapt into the air.

The ground he'd just stepped on exploded with a thunderous roar, earth and stone flying.

In the billowing dust appeared the enormous, moonlit white head of a serpent, roaring and flicking its scarlet tongue.

Midair, Xiang Nan twisted in a backflip and landed, finally seeing the white serpent's full form.

He couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.

The demon beast before him coiled as high as a small building. Three silver moon-like heads arched atop its body, each with a pair of golden eyes greedily fixed on Xiang Nan.

Though it fell short of the legendary eight-headed serpent, its entire body shimmered with a cold, silvery light that chilled the soul.

Due to Xiang Nan's appearance, the surrounding beast tide had been disrupted by his strength, allowing the soldiers atop the platform a moment to catch their breath.

Now, all the soldiers' faces changed dramatically.

"The Silvermoon Three-Headed Serpent! That's a fourth-tier demon beast!"

"If things get out of hand, we’ll have to charge down together—we must save that student."

"Let’s wait and see. We’re no match for the Silvermoon Three-Headed Serpent."

"Where’s Captain Lone Wolf? I’m going to find her right now!"

Outside the high wall, Xiang Nan stood against the wind.

With the arrival of the Silvermoon Three-Headed Serpent, all the lesser demon beasts nearby instinctively retreated.

Bullets fired from the wall rained down more densely than before, but striking the serpent's body was like hitting a wall of bronze and iron—each bullet bounced harmlessly away.

Its silvery scales gleamed, hard as armor.

A furious hiss erupted from the central head.

A gale burst forth from its maw, nearly sweeping Xiang Nan off his feet.

He steadied his mind, bracing himself with all his might, barely managing to stand firm.

Facing a fourth-tier demon beast for the first time, Xiang Nan was utterly flustered.

The Silvermoon Three-Headed Serpent’s sheer presence was terrifying.

Not daring to be careless, Xiang Nan summoned all his true energy, the purple blood within him surging and boiling. Now, whenever the purple blood circulated, the spiritual energy at his brow would naturally be drawn forth.

Even so, Xiang Nan felt it wasn’t enough, so he silently recited the Heart-Clearing Mantra once more.

Drawing in all the surrounding spiritual energy, he felt his strength swell a little further.

As Xiang Nan recited the mantra, the Silvermoon Three-Headed Serpent suddenly shuddered, as if struck by an immense force.

It froze on the spot, not daring to attack him.

Only after Xiang Nan finished the mantra and regulated his breath did the serpent regain its ferocity; clearly, it could wait no longer.

All three heads lunged at Xiang Nan in turn.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Wherever the heads struck, everything was swept away as if by a storm.

Fortunately, Xiang Nan was shielded by the Grand Supreme Divine Art, and beneath the protective glow of the purple-hued taiji, he remained unscathed.

Repeated failed attacks against a prey protected by purple radiance left the Silvermoon Three-Headed Serpent infuriated.

All three heads hissed in rage.

The next instant, three streams of blazing white flames shot from each mouth, converging on Xiang Nan.

Because of the Heart-Clearing Mantra, Xiang Nan had gathered all the spiritual energy around him.

Seeing the three streaks of white flame approach, he quickly leapt backward.

He had barely taken flight when the spot where he'd just stood was instantly incinerated to charcoal by the flames.

"What a terrifying breath attack!"

Now Xiang Nan had gathered all his true energy, purple blood, and every bit of spiritual energy he could absorb.

"Supreme Taiji Sword!"

Just as with the Gale Demon Wolf, though he held no sword, there was a sword within his heart.

The power surging within him burst forth with the sweeping motion of his hand, transforming into formless sword energy.

It ripped through the air, unstoppable.

This time, the force of the sword swept across an area thirty meters wide.

At the same time, Xiang Nan once more recited the Heart-Clearing Mantra.

The Silvermoon Three-Headed Serpent lunged in attack, but the three heads had no chance to strike.

The overwhelming sword force, coupled with the mantra's power, froze it in place, almost making it forget to dodge.

Perhaps, it had never imagined that among such insignificant humans, there could be one so powerful.

Even less could it have anticipated that the mantra chanted by this human contained an overwhelming imperial will of the demon race, something it dared not face directly.

With a sharp slash, the sword force struck, severing one of the serpent's side heads.

The formless sword energy had actually cleaved a head clean off.

Everyone was stunned!

Xiang Nan himself was shocked and elated—his second exertion of power was far greater than the first.

He hadn't expected the Heart-Clearing Mantra to have such a powerful suppressive effect on a high-tier demon beast.

The entire body of the Silvermoon Three-Headed Serpent trembled violently.

In the next moment, its thick, armored tail lashed toward Xiang Nan like a bolt of lightning.

"Not good! Danger!"

The soldiers watching from the wall were so agitated they nearly rushed down.

This unexpected attack made Xiang Nan's expression change drastically. The tail, thick as a tree trunk, would surely cripple or kill him if it landed.

In his panic, the purple blood within him surged, almost breaking free of his body.

Around Xiang Nan, the purple-hued taiji suddenly expanded, solidly blocking the incoming tail strike.

Now it was the Silvermoon Three-Headed Serpent’s turn to panic.

Missing one head, it was already gravely wounded.

When its tail attack failed, it knew its end was near. The central mouth gaped wide, spewing a dense, dark green smoke.

Wherever the smoke touched, plants withered, and the ground turned black.

Poison!

The toxic cloud of the Silvermoon Three-Headed Serpent was its deadliest attack.

But unleashing it would also greatly weaken itself, halving its strength.

It believed that this final, lethal strike would surely claim Xiang Nan's life.

Yet as the smoke dispersed, the man still stood tall and imposing.

It wasn't that Xiang Nan hadn't inhaled the poison; what astonished him was that, once inside, the poison was instantly absorbed by the purple blood, leaving him completely unscathed.

It seemed the purple blood rendered him immune to all toxins.

"Trying to poison me? Not so easy!"

With a loud shout, Xiang Nan brought his hands together as a sword and struck at the remaining two heads.

The serpent, already gravely weakened, moved sluggishly.

The two fierce sword strikes descended, and without suspense, both heads tumbled to the ground, blood splattering everywhere.

The massive body, as large as a building, finally crashed down, never to rise again.

Growing ever bolder in battle, Xiang Nan wielded his sword hands with increasing ease.

Taking advantage, he struck down several nearby demon beasts that had gathered to watch, leaving them in pieces, a gruesome sight.

His gaze then turned to the three severed serpent heads, and he leapt straight for the central one.

With a few swift moves, he dug out a lustrous, translucent fourth-tier spirit pearl, delighted.

At this moment, the system’s voice sounded in his mind:

[Ding! Congratulations, host, on completing the system task. Compatibility +10%.]

[Note: The system recognizes that one fourth-tier demon beast counts as two third-tier demon beasts.]

Xiang Nan was overjoyed. Originally, he needed three kills to complete the task, but now, with only two, it was done. He was naturally ecstatic.

Moreover, some fourth-tier demon beast spirit pearls contained spiritual techniques; not only could they raise his cultivation, but also allow him to acquire new skills.

Most importantly, Xiang Nan’s level rose directly by one.

Second-tier, four stars!