Chapter Ninety-Seven: Luring the Snake Out of Its Den

A family matter came up, so updates were halted for three days. My apologies, everyone. The matter has now been settled, and updates will resume from here on out.

Crimson light, curved like a crescent moon, shot toward the Double-Headed Blazing Serpent King. The serpent king fixed its four eyes on the approaching glow, its massive body lurching violently. Then it let out a thunderous roar, and magma burst from the ground like a fountain, surging skyward into a pillar more than thirty feet wide and over a hundred feet high, blocking the attack before it.

The magma pillar collided with the crescent-shaped crimson light. The pillar rose with overwhelming force and looked imposing enough to split the sky, yet that crimson radiance was no weaker. After a brief stalemate, the light actually began to press three-tenths of the way into the magma pillar.

Seeing this, the Double-Headed Blazing Serpent King roared again. Its enormous body twisted once more, and another magma pillar, no weaker than the first, erupted from beneath the middle-aged man, racing straight toward the man suspended in the air.

The man had been pointing his sword at the serpent king with his right hand. Suddenly sensing a wave of heat rising from below, he lowered his gaze and saw a huge pillar of magma surging toward him. His expression changed sharply. He swiftly withdrew his right hand, and the crimson wings behind him beat hard. His body shot to the right at high speed, narrowly evading the magma’s impact.

His evasive movement scattered his focus, and as his concentration wavered, the crescent-shaped red light, after holding for less than a moment against the magma pillar, vanished without a trace.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, the middle-aged man frowned and stared at the Double-Headed Blazing Serpent King submerged in magma. The serpent king flicked its tongue and locked all four eyes on the man floating in midair. The atmosphere within the cavern grew tense once more.

After a long while, one of the people who had come with the middle-aged man, a young man standing by the shore, suddenly shouted, "Mr. Huang."

The middle-aged man turned back toward the group on the shore. "What is it?"

The young man glanced at the Double-Headed Blazing Serpent King, then turned to the man floating in the air. "Mr. Huang, I have something to say."

"Speak," the middle-aged man replied.

The young man hesitated for a moment, then said, "After watching Mr. Huang fight this beast, I would like to offer a suggestion."

Hearing this, the man known as Mr. Huang, still floating in the air, paused slightly and turned his head. "What suggestion?"

His eyes shifted back and forth as though weighing how best to phrase it. After a moment, he looked up at the man in the air and said, "Mr. Huang, the reason you have been unable to defeat it for so long is that this beast has the advantage of terrain in this lava cavern. In a place filled with magma, it can manipulate the lava at will to attack. That makes it extremely difficult for you. If Mr. Huang wishes to defeat it, you must leave this cavern. Otherwise, even if you do win, I fear it will take a great deal of time."

After hearing him out, the middle-aged man pondered briefly and nodded. "That is reasonable."

"Quite clever," the old healer said with approval from where he lay on a rock.

The young man had indeed a quick mind.

Outside, the man and the serpent once again plunged into fierce combat. The middle-aged man’s goal, of course, was to do everything possible to lure the serpent out of the cavern so it would lose the advantage of terrain.

Wings of crimson fluttering behind him, the middle-aged man floated in midair, his right hand gripping a sharp sword. With a low cry, he shot forward through the air, blade in hand, straight at the Double-Headed Blazing Serpent King.

The serpent withdrew its head, avoiding the thrust. Then it plunged its head deep into the magma and arched its body upward. Its massive tail, trailing waves of molten lava, smashed toward the middle-aged man.

The power behind that tail sweep was terrifying. The instant it moved, its momentum was felt even before the tail arrived. The immense tail came crashing down with crushing force, the hurricane it stirred nearly toppling the man in midair. The pressure of the wind seemed ready to tear skin apart. If that tail struck him, he would surely be reduced to dust.

The middle-aged man stared grimly at the tail sweeping down like a collapsing mountain, yet he made no move to dodge. After watching it for a moment, he extended his left hand, formed a sword seal, and traced a line through the air. In the blink of an eye, a circular pattern appeared three feet in front of him.

The pattern was covered in countless strange markings, like some kind of bizarre rune, quietly spinning before him.

Watching the giant tail now almost within reach, the middle-aged man kept his right hand on his sword and lightly tapped the pattern with his left. At once, the pattern shot forth like a meteor chasing the moon, crashing heavily into the sweeping tail a moment later.

A deafening explosion rang out.

The sound erupted from the point where the pattern and the tail met, shaking the cavern so violently that it seemed the earth itself was quaking. A piercing ringing filled the ears.

The enormous tail and the pattern drawn by the middle-aged man collided head-on. After a brief moment, that colossal tail, brimming with terrifying force, was actually driven backward by the seemingly fragile pattern!

The tail was forced back, and the middle-aged man’s face suddenly flushed red. Before he could even react, a mouthful of blood burst from his lips, scattering like rain and falling into the magma below.

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, the middle-aged man coughed a few times. Looking at the Double-Headed Blazing Serpent King, whose head had now lifted from the magma, he gave a faint smile. "I never thought this beast would be so formidable."

After a pause, he let the smile fade, and a look of grave seriousness appeared on his face. He lifted his eyes to the cavern ceiling, then surveyed the surrounding walls. A moment later, he withdrew his gaze and looked once more at the Double-Headed Blazing Serpent King, which in turn fixed all four eyes upon him.

Six eyes met. The tension crackled like drawn steel.

Suddenly, a faint sneer curved the middle-aged man’s lips. That single smile thoroughly enraged the Double-Headed Blazing Serpent King. Its massive body shook violently, and the lower part of its torso began to bulge. The swelling then crept upward along its body until it gathered in its jaws.

As though he had anticipated this all along, the middle-aged man’s body tensed the instant the serpent’s body began to swell. The hand gripping the sword tightened, veins rising along his skin as he gathered his strength, ready to strike.

"Roar!"

Like waves smashing against the shore, the sound burst from the serpent king’s mouth. Along with the roar came a torrent of scorching magma, blasted from its jaws straight toward the middle-aged man.

Seeing the magma erupt, a smile suddenly appeared on the middle-aged man’s face, as though he were fully satisfied. Looking at the lava now bearing down on him, he snapped his wings and his body shot left like a falling star, narrowly avoiding the impact.

The magma did not linger because he had dodged. The colossal pillar of lava slammed straight into the cavern ceiling after he escaped its path. Under the force of the impact, the ceiling began to tremble slowly. Before long, the searing, violent magma blasted a huge hole clean through it.

At the sight of the opening, the middle-aged man’s expression brightened. Once the magma had settled, he flew toward the hole, then hovered at its mouth and waved at the Double-Headed Blazing Serpent King with a smile. "Do you dare come up?"

The Double-Headed Blazing Serpent King had clearly been infuriated by the taunting tone. With a furious howl, it slapped the magma surface with its body and shot toward him like a bolt of lightning.

Seeing the serpent give chase, the middle-aged man smiled and turned, flying toward the large hole behind him, with the Double-Headed Blazing Serpent King hot on his heels.

"Luring the serpent from its lair, it seems he has succeeded," the old healer said with a smile as he watched the pair disappear through the hole in the ceiling.

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