As they ventured deeper into the jungle, the dense canopy above seemed to swallow what little light filtered through, leaving the path ahead in dim shadow.
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from directly ahead, sharp and rapid, as if something large was cutting through the undergrowth at high speed.
The younger disciples immediately tensed, hands tightening on their weapons, eyes scanning the gloom. Their nerves were taut as bowstrings, but the expressions of the four Immortal Ascension Boundary masters remained utterly calm, their gazes steady and unshaken.
Shua!
Without warning, a ferocious head burst from the thicket in front of them, lunging straight toward the old woman of the Ten Thousand Flower Palace. Savage fangs gleamed within a massive jaw, each tooth like a dagger.
The beast's head was nearly two feet long, with a pair of triangular eyes glowing with a cruel, desolate light. It moved with terrifying speed; in the blink of an eye, it was already within striking distance.
The old woman merely snorted. She raised her walking staff with unhurried precision and gave two quick swings—one light tap to the center of its forehead, the second to the side of its jaw.
The effect was immediate and devastating. The massive head flew violently to the side as though struck by an invisible hammer. Before it could even hit the ground, it exploded into a mist of blood, fragments scattering into the surrounding foliage.
Before the gore had even fully dispersed, the beautiful young woman darted forward, her movement as quick and smooth as a striking falcon. Her jade-like hand flickered, and from her wrist shot a silken ribbon of brilliant color.
It coiled through the air like a living serpent, weaving through the drifting blood mist to snatch something from within—the freshly exposed Beast Core. With a deft flick, the ribbon retracted, curling back to her hand as neatly as if it had never left.
ang Kai's eyes narrowed, scanning the aftermath. Sure enough, lying not far away was the python's headless body, its thick back covered with distinctive silver markings. From its size and patterns alone, it was obvious this had been a formidable creature.
Everything had happened so quickly that Yang Kai hadn't clearly seen how the old woman had destroyed it, nor even the exact moment when the beautiful woman had extracted its Beast Core.
A peak fifth-order beast… Yang Kai silently assessed. That was on par with a peak True Element cultivator. Yet in the face of the old woman from the Ten Thousand Flower Palace, it had been dispatched as effortlessly as crushing an ant beneath one's heel.
Her strength was undeniable—and a stark reminder that the Ten Thousand Flower Palace truly deserved its reputation as a first-class Sect. Compared to them, High Heaven Pavilion's overall power was far inferior.
The old woman wasted no time admiring her handiwork. "Move faster!" she barked, her voice sharp and commanding. "Once the smell of blood spreads, more Monster Beasts will come!"
The group instantly obeyed, surging deeper into the jungle in a burst of speed.
Shua, shua, shua!
From every direction, countless Golden-Eyed Silver-Back Pythons erupted from the shadows, their scaled bodies twisting violently, their massive jaws gaping wide to reveal blood-red maws filled with fangs. They came on like a living tide, snapping and striking with terrifying force.
The old woman's staff became a blur, each tap precise and deadly—often a single blow was enough to crush a python's skull outright.
At the same time, the beautiful woman moved like flowing water, her ribbon darting out in dazzling arcs, severing throats and binding enemies before they could reach the group. She and Gui Li from Ghost King Valley, despite coming from different sects, fought with a wordless, instinctive coordination, ensuring that none of the pythons broke through to the younger disciples.
Flesh and blood sprayed through the air as the Golden-Eyed Silver-Back Pythons were slain one after another. The slaughter was effortless—like sweeping away fallen autumn leaves—calm, methodical, and utterly unstoppable.
The Ten Thousand Flower Palace's younger disciples moved with equal precision. They didn't waste their strength fighting the beasts head-on; instead, their ribbon artifacts lashed out only after a kill, snatching up the freshly exposed Beast Cores.
The four girls were clearly sister disciples—every movement in perfect sync. Three would smash open the skull of a fallen python, while the fourth's ribbon darted in to claim the Core.
These were fifth-order Monster Beast Cores—worth a great deal in the market—and their growing pile of trophies only deepened the pride on their faces. Each smile bloomed like a flower, tinged with both charm and the satisfaction of skill.
The sight made the Ghost King Valley disciples seethe inwardly. Jealousy flashed in their eyes, but without the means to compete, they could do nothing but grumble under their breath.
On the other side, Gui Li's spear swept in a lethal arc, skewering a python clean through. True Qi surged along the weapon's shaft, and with a flick, the beast went limp. With a casual motion, he hurled the carcass toward the group, clearly intending for his disciples to take the spoils.
But whether by accident or design, the python was thrown with far too much force—its massive body hurtling directly toward Yang Kai.
Before Yang Kai could react, one of the Ghost King Valley male disciples rushed in, a faint grin curling his lips. His pale hands glimmered with ghostly light as he condensed his True Qi into a blade, driving it toward the python's head.
At first glance, it seemed like he was aiming for the Beast Core—but Yang Kai immediately caught the deception. The strike carried far too much force. Once it pierced the python's skull, it would keep going… right into him.
Yang Kai's expression went cold.
He had no intention of meeting the blow head-on. Instead, his hands shot out, seizing the python's body. With a burst of strength, he wrenched it aside and flung it away.
The Ghost King Valley disciple's smirk froze.
The counter was so unexpected that he let out a startled cry as both he and the python were sent flying dozens of meters.
To his credit, his reflexes were sharp—he kicked off the python mid-flight, breaking free before he landed.
But the moment his feet touched the ground, two new pythons lunged from the undergrowth, their gaping jaws snapping shut with a foul stench that made his head spin.
His face drained of color.
Compared to the four Immortal Ascension Boundary masters—who were slaughtering these monsters like chickens—an ordinary True Element cultivator like him had no hope of survival.
The killing intent bearing down on him was suffocating. In his attempt to harm Yang Kai, he had instead thrown himself into the jaws of death.
At the last instant, Gui Li arrived in a blur of motion. His spear flashed twice, killing both pythons before his free hand clamped onto his disciple's shoulder and hurled him back toward the group.
But the opening he'd left in the formation had already been exploited. Another python had lashed out toward the Ten Thousand Flower Palace disciples—its strike fast and deadly enough that it might have killed them outright.
Only the beautiful woman's lightning-fast intervention saved them, her ribbon intercepting the attack just in time.
When Gui Li returned, her gaze was ice. She shot him a fierce glare, her voice cold with fury. He had abandoned his post, endangering her charges—and she would not forget it.
Gui Li said nothing. He knew he was at fault. But as he turned away, his eyes locked on Yang Kai, his expression hard and cold.
In this subtle conflict, the older generation did not overtly intervene, but Yang Kai's clever scheme had almost caused the Ghost King Valley's disciple to suffer a great loss, sparking a flame of hatred in his heart and provoking him to find a chance to erase this shame.
Yang Kai obviously did not pay him any attention; the other side's elder had already made it clear he wanted his life, why should he care about offending them? Being polite now was not showing goodwill but weakness.