Chapter 087: Dragons and Serpents Dance Together

Everyone gazed at Xu Xuan in astonishment.

“This snake den is vast, with countless passages—how could there be merely a hundred or so venomous snakes? If we slaughter every last snake, the Snake King will surely fight to the death, even if it means mutual destruction.”

Xu Xuan drew a deep breath. Having completed the ninth transformation of Dragon and Serpent, his mind had become exceptionally keen, and a sense of imminent danger pressed upon him.

Combined with the many unusual signs from the Snake King, he was convinced something was amiss.

The others listened, half-convinced. Some sensed something odd, yet doubt lingered—they were tempted by the prospect of seizing all the spiritual treasures in the den once the Snake King was slain.

Rain Mo’s eyes, clear as autumn waters, lingered on Xu Xuan for a silent moment. “This junior speaks reason.”

“We must retreat—quickly!”

Xu Xuan suddenly called out in a low voice, wasting no time. He grabbed Yu Qin’s hand and sprinted toward the exit.

After undergoing nine cycles of transformation, his extraordinary senses picked up faint rustlings in the surrounding tunnels—a wave of crisis was approaching.

“It may already be too late,” Rain Mo sighed softly, opening her eyes. With the cultivation of the seventh stage of Qi Refinement, she was not to be underestimated.

Xu Xuan and Yu Qin had just fled a short distance when, from every direction in the snake den, an unending tide of venomous snakes surged forth with a hiss.

From all sides, venomous snakes—many of them demonized—poured in, so dense they blocked every corner, advancing relentlessly toward the group.

The sight alone sent chills through Xu Xuan and the others. People like Yang Xiaoqian were ashen-faced, nearly fainting with terror.

Yu Qin’s face was deathly pale, barely able to stand. Xu Xuan gripped her hand tightly and activated the “Stillness” technique, a wave of cold energy spreading outward.

“Thank you.” Regaining her calm, Yu Qin traced a symbol in the air, her fingers weaving incantations. A circle of fire sprang up around them.

Most of the non-demonized snakes halted at the fire’s edge, afraid to approach. Any that did not stop were instantly charred black by the flames.

But a few demonized snakes leapt through the ring of fire, lunging at the pair.

Xu Xuan remained composed as still water, shielding Yu Qin. The demonized snakes, still airborne and not yet upon them, were struck down and perished instantly.

Yu Qin poured more spiritual power into the fire, making the flames surge higher, but still, some demonized and half-demonized snakes dared to force their way in.

Fortunately, Xu Xuan’s close-combat prowess was unmatched. Even when four or five demonized snakes attacked at once, he dispatched them effortlessly.

Elsewhere, Rain Mo, Le Feng, and the others faced their own tidal wave of snakes, unleashing spells or sword techniques to slay them in droves.

With their numbers, they could hold out for a while.

But the respite was brief. Suddenly, the den’s stone walls shook violently—a massive, barrel-thick Golden-Spotted Snake King burst forth, wreathed in chilling winds and green poison mist, unstoppable.

The surrounding flames were snuffed out, and the group scattered in panic, each summoning their spiritual power for protection.

In the chaos, Rain Mo and Le Feng barely managed to hold the Golden-Spotted Snake King at bay, while the rest became trapped in a sea of snakes.

“We must carve a path out!” Bai Pan cried out in panic. If they lingered and exhausted their spiritual power, they would inevitably end up as food for the snakes.

“There are far too many—thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, and plenty of demonized ones among them. It’s almost impossible to break through.”

Senior Brother Fei remained calm, fixing his gaze on the distant Snake King and drawing a slow breath. “Our only hope is to slay the Snake King; only then do we have a chance to escape.”

Slay the Snake King? Amidst this army of countless snakes?

The others could only smile bitterly—how could that be easy?

As Xu Xuan continued to cut down snakes, his mind raced—how could they possibly escape?

Time ticked by, and Yu Qin’s strength would not last forever.

“Perhaps I can try… If even one of us escapes, it’s worth it.”

Xu Xuan inhaled deeply and whispered to Yu Qin, “Seize your chance when you see it.”

“Senior brother, what are you—” She had not finished her sentence when Xu Xuan, with a piercing cry, burst from the ring of fire. The surrounding snakes were killed instantly by the shockwave.

A vacuum formed around him, but was soon filled by the surging tide of snakes.

It seemed he would be swallowed by the horde. He was not yet at the level of an Immortal Adept—lacking both spiritual power and magical abilities—how could he face thousands of venomous snakes?

Yu Qin went white with fear.

Even a martial artist at the ninth level would be hard-pressed to resist such a flood.

Yet Xu Xuan, standing at the very center, his figure tall and straight as a mountain, did not waver.

All around, snakes bared their fangs, tongues flicking, lunging in attack—enough to terrify anyone to their core.

This was far more dangerous than their ordeal in the bat cave.

Every one of these snakes was deadly, a single bite fatal to ordinary people—let alone the more powerful demonized snakes.

In that instant of crisis, Xu Xuan took a deep breath and slowly extended his palm.

A single palm strike.

So slow, it barely resembled a martial technique at all.

Had it been a true technique, he would have been killed ten times over before finishing the move.

Yet, in that moment, with the slow extension of his hand, the endless torrent of snakes around him all froze, quivering in place.

With a series of soft thumps, the snakes that had been midair dropped like rain.

Xu Xuan stood calmly, utterly unperturbed, his palm still slowly extending.

It seemed this palm would never reach its end.

But it didn’t need to. All his foes had already “lost without a fight.”

Lost without a fight!

Centered on Xu Xuan, millions of snakes prostrated themselves to the ground.

He deliberately kept a distance from Yu Qin, so his aura would not affect her.

This scene left Bai Pan, Yang Xiaoqian, Senior Brother Jia, and the others utterly shaken.

Xu Xuan had made only a simple palm motion. From afar, it looked ordinary—yet around him, countless snakes trembled in place.

The palm was never completed, merely withdrawn slowly.

Almost instantly, the tide of snakes snapped back to normal, baring fangs and surging forward once more.

With a gentle exhale, Xu Xuan lifted one foot, and again the snakes bowed to the earth, some dropping from midair.

He continued, slowly unfolding one movement after another. Between each movement, the snakes would surge or stiffen, at times leaping, at times going rigid.

Gradually, Xu Xuan began to break down the forms from the “Nine Transformations of Dragon and Serpent,” performing them piece by piece.

He seemed to become a spirit-serpent incarnate, every movement imbued with unfathomable might, as if he could sway the hearts of thousands of snakes, leading them in a graceful dance—leaving all who watched in awe.

“He’s… dancing among the snakes?” a Sword Sect disciple gasped in disbelief.

Xu Xuan’s movements subdued the vast majority of the snakes, drawing the focus of nearly two-thirds of the horde, greatly easing the pressure on the others.

Of course, he reined in the power of his “Awe” technique, lest it affect Yu Qin.

With the spiritual pressure lessened, the snakes’ urge to attack him weakened, yet they still could not harm him.

Thus, the writhing waves of snakes all around seemed to rise and fall in time with his movements. Xu Xuan became like a dragon or a serpent, dancing in their midst—man and snakes in perfect harmony, performing the Dance of Dragon and Serpent!

In that instant, Xu Xuan felt his spirit soar beyond the bounds of body, energy, and mind. His mastery of the “Awe” technique grew ever more refined.

“To truly dance with snakes—this is beyond comprehension. How can he do this? Besides the Snake King, who else wields such power?” Senior Brother Fei and Yang Xiaoqian were left dumbstruck.

“To dance with snakes…” All the light in Yang Xiaoqian’s eyes was drawn inexorably to the figure shifting like dragon and serpent amid the snake horde.

In that moment, Xu Xuan seemed the only being in all the world, performing the Dance of Dragon and Serpent amid a million snakes.

He minimized the force of his “Awe” technique, bringing it to the threshold—then slowly approached Yu Qin.

A few demonized snakes forced their way through, but were swiftly dispatched by the forms of the Nine Transformations.

At last, after several breaths, Xu Xuan reached Yu Qin’s side, took her hand, and led her forward, addressing the others urgently: “Follow me.”

He guided the immense horde of snakes, opening a path through the surging tide with his dance—an awe-inspiring sight.

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