Chapter 31: Battling the Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Serpent
A flash of long, streaking light, consisting of two flying swords—one blue and one white—arced through the air. They twisted together like a green snake and a white snake, attacking the swarm of blood-red bats flying toward them.
The two leading bats heard the sound and tried to change direction, sensing the danger. Unfortunately, their bodies were too slow. The flying swords pierced them instantly. The swords continued with undiminished momentum, hitting another 7 or 8 bats before they could even fall.
With a blank expression, Qin Xuan shouted, "Rou Zhi Rou, Yu Ruyi, Feng Xiao, Hong Ye, Hu Die, Jue Ying, Po Jie, Sha Sheng!" Another 8 flying swords flew out. Along with the first 2, Qin Xuan was now controlling 10 swords simultaneously, which was his current limit.
The Soul energy in the void surged as the 10 swords formed vortices of sword energy, pressing toward the blood-colored bats. Wherever they passed, huge rocks crumbled, and stalactites in the cavern snapped.
Under the combined attack of the 10 flying swords, the blood-red bats' bodies were torn apart, and their remains fell into the abyss. The size of the colony sharply decreased from thousands to fewer than 50.
Qin Xuan knew that the Dark Gold Three-Headed Bat King could recover its injuries by devouring these bats, and that it could only be killed by severing all 3 of its heads at once. Therefore, he had no intention of letting the swarm escape. With a final effort, he wiped out the entire group.
One by one, the 10 flying swords circled Qin Xuan and returned to his Wushuang Sword Box. He let out a long sigh. "This thing is useful, but it consumes too much Soul energy.
Controlling 10 flying swords at once for just 15 minutes actually consumed almost 40% of my Soul power. Adding the energy I used in the Hell Killing Field, my remaining Soul power is less than 50%. Without this box, I wouldn't dare to fight like this."
Qin Xuan put away the Wushuang Sword Box, took a Rejuvenation Pill from his Soul guide, and swallowed it. His Soul power was instantly restored to full, and he continued on his way. The rest of the Road to Hell was uneventful.
When he encountered the Dark Gold Three-Headed Bat King hanging upside down from the path, Qin Xuan had no intention of engaging in a protracted battle. He used the Wushuang Sword Box to release 6 flying swords that pierced the bat king's wings, cutting off its escape.
He then used the swords to sever all 3 of its heads at the same time. The Dark Gold Three-Headed Bat King died quickly and fell into the abyss. Whether it would be resurrected by the Bloody Mary below was none of his concern.
After putting away the Wushuang Sword Box, Qin Xuan continued forward until he heard a rustling sound. His breathing quickened. He instinctively released his Everbright Sword and held it firmly in his hand.
He looked ahead as if he were gazing at a peerless beauty. He had found one of the main objectives of his journey: the Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Serpent.
Its dark-red body was crawling along the narrow path ahead. It was impossible to tell just how massive it was, but its snake-like form was visible. The 9 bumps on its head, which resembled tumors, were particularly clear.
A pair of fiery-red eyes beneath the tumors met Qin Xuan's gaze, revealing the same emotions: greed, evil, bloodlust, and the desire to possess its prey.
Both the man and the snake regarded the other as prey. Sensing the other's hostility, the Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Serpent was the first to attack. It made a strange "wa wa" sound, like a baby crying, and the 9 tumors on its head began to emit a golden-red glow. Its mouth suddenly opened, and it spat out a fiery-red light mixed with a pungent smell. The flame spread quickly along the narrow path toward Qin Xuan.
"Let's see whose fire is stronger: your poisonous flame or my Vermilion Bird Fire."
Qin Xuan was ready. As the sound of a phoenix rang out, he didn't launch a slashing attack. Instead, he turned sideways and pointed his sword diagonally toward the Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Serpent. The Vermilion Bird sealed in the Everbright Sword transformed into a flame no less powerful than the serpent's and rushed forward. An astonishing sight unfolded.
The Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Serpent completely ignored Qin Xuan's Vermilion Bird Fire. Its heads, which had been crawling on the path and spewing flames, suddenly rose up and spat flames toward Qin Xuan. He leaned back and narrowly dodged the attack, then performed several backflips to escape the serpent's range.
In contrast, the Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Serpent was hit by the Vermilion Bird Fire but was completely unharmed. Its skin showed no signs of being scorched. Bathed in the flames, the serpent hissed and flicked its tongue at Qin Xuan, as if mocking him for being unable to cause harm.
"As expected of a prehistoric Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Serpent. It's immune to fire, but..." Qin Xuan held his sword upright in his right hand and ran his index and middle fingers of his left hand along the blade. "My Everbright Sword has more than just the fire attribute."
As soon as he finished speaking, the flames on the Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Serpent began to fade. Suddenly, a blue lightning bolt burst forth, but the surrounding flames quickly turned it red again. The serpent was not immune to lightning. Upon contact, it was instantly shocked, its body temporarily paralyzed. Its head shook as it roared wildly.
"Now!" Qin Xuan narrowed his eyes. He instantly summoned a blue thunder dragon, concentrated all his strength, and threw the Everbright Sword in an extremely unusual manner. He followed the hilt of the Everbright Sword, his feet leaving the ground, flying on the sword at a speed that even surpassed the flying swords in the Wushuang Sword Box.
This was the first time Qin Xuan had used another of the supreme sword techniques from his Guiguzi Sword Skills—"A Single Strike to Sever the Throat" and "A Single Sword Flying Ten Thousand Miles Away."
The man and the snake passed each other. The Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Serpent quickly recovered from the shock, but it was too late. At that critical moment, the blue thunder dragon held down the 10-meter-long serpent's body, and the Everbright Sword, briefly merged with Qin Xuan, passed through its mouth at an incredible speed.
Drip, drip...
Scalding blood dripped. The Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Serpent roared in agony as its tumor-covered head exploded from the terrifying thunder of the Hundred-Step Flying Sword. At the same time, its 9 other tumor-like heads also exploded. The liquid strangely merged together and formed a golden-red, egg-sized ball that floated above the serpent's corpse.
"Hah..." Qin Xuan let out a long sigh, a hint of fatigue on his face. He took another Rejuvenation Pill, and his Soul power was instantly restored to almost full capacity. Then he walked toward the Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Serpent.