Chapter 209: Chapter 177: Slaying the Python with a Sword

Every time one of the Beastmen let out an angry roar, a golden halo would rise from beneath their feet. It enveloped their bodies, slowly ascending before fading away. Afterward, a Qi Force would manifest on their fists or their weapons.

These Leopard-headed Beastmen were strong and extremely agile. As they besieged the ferocious Water Python Magical Beast, their faces showed no trace of fear; they looked completely at ease. Ling Xiao could even see calm smiles on their faces!

The massive water python let out a silent roar, its huge, steel-hard scales glinting. Its body swept through the area, smashing all the trees within a several-hundred-meter radius to smithereens!

Dust and smoke rose everywhere, and the scene was utter chaos.

Occasionally, an unlucky Beastman would be struck by the python’s tail and sent flying with a scream. However, this only served to reveal the incredible toughness of the Beastmen. Even after being swatted away and coughing up mouthfuls of blood, they would scramble back to their feet the very next moment, pick up their weapons, and charge back toward the water python, roaring in fury!

’What a fearless bunch of daredevils!’

Ling Xiao watched in admiration from the tree. ’The strength of these Beastmen is probably on par with human Mad Sword Masters, but their physical resilience is definitely far superior. To be sent flying by such a powerful Tier Five Magical Beast and only suffer minor injuries... Their physical durability might even reach the level of Demon Swordsmen!’

’If my territory had three thousand such warriors, I could probably defeat a human army of one hundred thousand with ease!’

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Ling Xiao noticed the situation on the battlefield was changing. It was clear these Beastmen possessed more than just brute force; contrary to the common saying, their powerful bodies did not house simple minds.

The Beastmen all drew javelins from their backs. Ling Xiao’s sharp eyes spotted a faint, blue gleam on the spearheads. ’They must have coated the tips in poison!’ he realized.

With war cries, the Beastmen fiercely hurled their javelins at the Tier Five Water Python! Many scales had already been torn from the creature’s massive body, exposing the mottled flesh beneath. The Beastmen’s javelins were aimed precisely at these vulnerable spots!

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!...

The javelins from over thirty Beastmen all shot toward the giant water python. The creature clearly didn’t regard these toothpick-like projectiles as a threat, but it was enraged. With an ear-piercing hiss, it spat a massive blue orb of light from its mouth.

It hurtled viciously toward the Beastmen below!

WHOOSH!

The blue orb streaked through the air, leaving a long tail in its wake, before exploding right in the middle of the group of Beastmen!

The Leopard-headed Beastmen had reacted the moment they saw the blue orb, shouting warnings as they scattered in all directions.

Even so, two Leopard-headed Beastmen were struck by the blue orb. It detonated on impact, and the two warriors were blown to smithereens before they could even let out a scream.

Ling Xiao’s pupils constricted. ’This Water Python Magical Beast’s elemental attack is incredibly powerful!’ he thought. ’I wonder what kind of elemental attacks clown will have once he’s fully grown!’

Over twenty javelins now bristled from the water python’s body. The poison on their tips began to take effect, seeping into its bloodstream. The python reared its head high, its long, scarlet tongue flicking violently. Its body began to sway unsteadily... which only served to further enrage the overlord of the swamp!

Seeing this, the Leopard-headed Beastmen roared wildly from a distance, their eyes shining with excitement. They didn’t seem overly saddened by their comrades’ deaths. ’Perhaps for them, this is just a part of everyday life,’ Ling Xiao mused.

BOOM!

The water python’s body finally crashed down into the dirt, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. Even Ling Xiao, who was a good distance away, felt the ground beneath his feet tremble violently from the impact!

The Beastmen stood far off, watching coldly, in no hurry to approach. Ling Xiao, also in the distance, waited with equal patience.

After a long while, the Water Python Magical Beast still hadn’t moved. Two Leopard-headed Beastmen cautiously approached. When they were still several dozen meters away, they picked up some stones and threw them at the beast.

Any Magical Beast above Tier Five possessed a degree of intelligence and pride. As long as it had a breath left in its body, it would not tolerate such a provocation.

The stones hit the water python’s body and bounced off its hard scales with a clatter.

Ling Xiao mentally compared this python to the White Jade Red-eyed Python from the Vendia Great Snow Mountain. ’It feels like the White Jade Red-eyed Python was a cut above this one. This Water Python Magical Beast has an incredibly powerful elemental attack and its physical prowess is astonishing, but it was still brought down by a small group of Beastmen with poisoned javelins!’

Ling Xiao suddenly smiled. ’Humanoids... are truly the most intelligent creatures,’ he thought. ’Even if they’re just Beastmen!’

At that moment, the two Leopard-headed Beastmen scrambled up onto the Water Python Magical Beast’s body. Standing high on its carcass, they began to jump and shout in excitement. Smiles appeared on the other Beastmen’s furry, intimidating faces as they started to close in.

Before they got close, one of the Leopard-headed Beastmen suddenly let out a frantic roar!

"HUH, RURU!"

The other Beastmen immediately turned and fled frantically. The two on the Water Python Magical Beast’s body froze. Just as they were about to jump down, they heard a bloodcurdling hiss!

HSSS... HSSSSS!

The Water Python Magical Beast’s body suddenly shot upright, flinging the two Leopard-headed Beastmen high into the air. They crashed heavily onto the ground in the distance with two loud THUDS, then lay motionless, their fate unknown.

The Water Python Magical Beast slithered forward, its brown eyes radiating pure, venomous hatred. It charged relentlessly toward the densest cluster of Leopard-headed Beastmen!

How could the relatively fragile bodies of the Leopard-headed Beastmen possibly withstand the full-force charge of a Tier Five Magical Beast?

The Leopard-headed Beastmen scattered in a panic. Two unlucky ones were run over directly by the Water Python Magical Beast’s body. By the time the creature’s thirty-plus-meter-long body had passed over them, three Leopard-headed Beastmen had been crushed to death, their bodies mangled beyond recognition.

The Water Python Magical Beast rampaged, smashing through everything in its path. Even massive trees that would take two men to wrap their arms around could not withstand its immense force. A continuous sound of CRACKING and SNAPPING filled the air!

The Leopard-headed Beastmen, who had been celebrating just moments before, were now all scattering in a pathetic, desperate retreat!

Incredibly... they were fleeing in Ling Xiao’s direction. Ling Xiao gripped his Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword, calmly watching the relentlessly pursuing Water Python Magical Beast. Seeing its vigorous state, he could hardly believe it was the same creature that had looked poisoned just moments ago!

’So cunning!’

Ling Xiao exclaimed internally. ’Just moments ago, I thought this thing was inferior to the White Jade Red-eyed Python, but now I see I judged it too early. How could anything that grew to become a Tier Five Magical Beast be truly weak?’

The fleeing Leopard-headed Beastmen were suddenly shocked to see a human leap out from a giant tree before them!

Yes, it was definitely a human! They had all seen humans before. Although Penzes Swamp was a terrifying place, there was no shortage of fearless Adventurers among humanity. Every year, many of them entered the swamp seeking opportunities. Of course, the Beastmen of the Beast Race simply saw it as a free equipment delivery service...

Not long ago, someone had delivered large quantities of armor, weapons, and food to the Beast Race with a single demand: attack the human settlement of Cameron Town!

Human territories were overflowing with riches—this was the consensus among all the wise ones of the Beast Race!

To that end, they had deployed their forces meticulously and plundered a great deal of treasure from human lands! The Beastmen then used various channels to trade this wealth for more weapons and food, allowing them to live quite comfortably for a while.

Therefore... many Beastmen were quite familiar with the appearance of humans, and they deeply envied the human lifestyle!

’This human... does he have a death wish?’

The Leopard-headed Beastmen were so stunned they forgot to flee. They simply stood there, heads tilted back, staring in horror as the human flew toward the Water Python Magical Beast!

The Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword in Ling Xiao’s hand pulsed with a powerful, demonic aura. When faced with such a mighty opponent, the Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword... also thirsted for blood!

The Water Python Magical Beast had not, in fact, been unaffected by the poison. It had merely used its powerful natural resistance to temporarily suppress the toxins. It was utterly enraged now. This pack of Beastmen had been tailing it for more than ten days. The python had noticed the insignificant creatures long ago, but since it wasn’t hungry, it had paid them no mind!

It had never expected these insignificant pests to actually dare to attack it! And even succeed in wounding it!

This was an intolerable insult! Therefore, the Water Python Magical Beast was willing to ignore the danger of the poison coursing through its veins to slaughter every last one of these damned pests.

Ling Xiao roared from mid-air as the scarlet Sword Qi erupting from his Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword surged. He aimed for the Water Python Magical Beast’s immensely hard, triangular head and stabbed down with all his might!

The group of Leopard-headed Beastmen let out a collective groan, each one peeking out from behind a large tree. Their eyes were filled with faint ridicule.

"Does that human not know that the hardest part of a Water Python Magical Beast’s body is its skull?"

A Leopard-headed Beastman with sharp, profound eyes spoke softly in the language of the Beast Race, its furry ears twitching. "Still, he is a brave warrior to have made it all the way to the Poison Dragon Pool!"

In the next instant, something happened that left the Leopard-headed Beastmen utterly dumbfounded. The human, wielding that brilliant red weapon, hovered above the Water Python Magical Beast’s massive, triangular head. With a flourish of his longsword, he plunged it deep inside!

"Impossible!"

The Leopard-headed Beastman with the profound eyes cried out in shock. Throughout the forest, the other Beastmen echoed his cry, their eyes wide with disbelief as they stared at the small, slender figure standing on the Water Python Magical Beast’s head!