Just after noon, the scorching sun hung high, and the bamboo forest was silent. The emerald green praying mantis crouches on the branches, blending in with the environment. The bloodthirsty creature disguised himself as Sven, his forefeet tucked into his chest, as if a devout believer were praying. The tentacles quivered in the scorching air, catching any hint of possible killing.

Suddenly, a fast horse galloped past with a strong wind, and the bamboo branches swayed. The praying mantis was alarmed, and its front half of its height was raised high, and its forefeet covered with hideous serrations bounced off in an instant, like a pair of unsheathed twin knives, and its transparent wings fluttered like pirate sails.

The galloping horses were just passers-by. After a few moments, the bamboo forest returned to tranquility again, and nothing seemed to have happened.

At this moment, another figure flashed by, and the speed was not inferior to the horse just now. The praying mantis flapped its wings and fled from this land of right and wrong. The moment it flew up, the triangular head turned slightly, and thousands of small eyes locked on to the shadow that flickered in the air: a man in black with a sturdy body, wearing a black ghost mask and a thin iron rope wrapped around his waist.

Ying Yanshu drove the fast horse, his face was as usual, and he didn't seem to feel the pursuers behind him. Hanging a hundred meters away, like a ghost, disappearing from time to time.

The trail is located on the north side of the hill and is fairly shady with dense bamboo forests on both sides. The trail follows the foot of the hill and gradually begins to turn to the right. Ying Yanshu turned a corner in front of him, and then, Xiu also turned right. The light suddenly became intense, stabbing people's eyes very uncomfortable. Xiu's eyes fell into an instant darkness.

After about two seconds, her gaze gradually returned. At this time, Xiu suddenly found that there was no one on the back of the horse in front of him.

"This damn mercenary is really better than a fox!" Xiu scolded angrily in his heart, and hurriedly looked at the bamboo forests on both sides, but he couldn't find even half a figure, "However, don't think that you can get rid of me like this." ”

Xiu took a deep breath, and his perception spread out to the sides like a spider's web, permeating every inch of space in the bamboo forest. At the same time, the iron rope around her waist once again glowed with that strange blood light, and she trembled slightly, as if she had been summoned by some kind of summons. Soon, dozens of blood qi large and small appeared in her perception range one after another. Perceiving blood is also one of the abilities of cultivation.

And Ying Yanshu's breath almost appeared at the limit of Xiu's perceptual range.

"This guy has run so far in such a short time. Xiu was shocked and immediately followed. In order to prevent Ying Yanshu from finding out, she was farther away this time, always staying on the edge of the perceptual distance.

But she didn't notice that there were half golden footprints on the ground she passed through at intervals. And when the cultivation is passed, the footprints also drift away and turn into flying dust.

Ying Yanshu, who was running ahead, glanced back, his pupils had turned golden at some point, and he suddenly sneered.

"Xiu, since I still can't get rid of you, don't blame me for not preaching morality. ”

The chase lasted from day to night, and before the two knew it, they had come to Baiyu Ridge, and they were still deeper.

A rare clearing appeared in the densely vegetated ridge, and Ying Yanshu stopped at its edge and landed on a tree. Xiu also stopped, and breathed a long sigh of relief with a little tiredness. As soon as she raised her hand, a blood-gled iron rope from her waist burst out, sucking a tarantula that lunged at her to death. Such a high-intensity long journey was not easy even for her. Although Ying Yanshu's strength is not as good as her, she has not maintained the perception field like her, and the first half of the journey is horseback riding, and the consumption is not as big as the cultivation.

There was a bamboo hut in the clearing, and Xiu could feel an old but dangerous aura in it.

Herb picker? Xiu frowned unconsciously.

In Xiling, no one is not afraid of the medicine pickers in Baiyuling. None of these guys are idle people, well-hidden, and perverse, and some of them have mysterious backgrounds. When Xiu first joined the Mei Ministry, he had contact with two medicine pickers from Baiyu Ridge due to his mission, but the other party happened to be a wanted person of the Mei Ministry, and he had been hiding in Bai Yu Ling to make a living by collecting medicine. At that time, she didn't have the strength she has now, she was seriously injured and chased by the other party, and almost died, but in the end, she was able to settle it by relying on Xi's horse. Until now, there is still a shadow in her heart.

This herb picker may be an accomplice of the Tanner Sword, or a patron behind it. Or, the two of them didn't really have anything to do with each other, and he accidentally got the fragment that was hidden by the Detective Sword. Of course, the possibility of snatching is not ruled out. Xiu thought to himself.

Ying Yanshu suddenly moved, ran out of his hiding place, and landed in the courtyard outside the bamboo house. Xiu was startled, but still hid in the distance.

And the moment he landed, the blood and qi in the room also moved, and he quickly rushed to the courtyard. The two faced each other for a short time, then exchanged hands, and after about twenty rounds, Ying Yanshu fled to the valley on the side, and the herb picker also chased forward.

It seems that the relationship between the two is not good, perhaps because they are enemies in the first place, or because of a conflict of interest, the cooperation has broken down. Xiu's eyes narrowed slightly, if this was the case, then the fragment was most likely in the house now, and it was a good time for him to take advantage of it. However, if his judgment is wrong, it is very likely that the probing sword will get out, and the initiative that he has finally occupied will be lost to the other party. Thinking of this, Xiu hesitated a little.

However, if the fragment is really in the house, and he misses this opportunity, he will have to confront this unknown herb picker next time. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, if she is really unlucky to meet some top masters, even if her strength has risen sharply now, she is not very sure. Moreover, the probing sword is undoubtedly a bit of a scare tonight, in case this medicine picker has a ghost in his heart and takes something to hide in the depths of Baiyu Ridge, then the task that the charm department has been performing for decades will be in vain.

The herb picker and Ying Yanshu chased and fled, and soon approached the limit of the cultivation perception field. Seeing that he was about to lose control of the probe sword, Xiu immediately made a decision, and with a wave of his left hand, the thin iron rope glowing with blood immediately flew out, like a spiritual snake, tracking Ying Yanshu's blood and qi in the direction of his escape.

Let's hope these two guys don't run too far. Xiu prayed secretly in her heart, after all, it was impossible for her to control her weapon without distance restrictions. Then, she swept out and rushed to the bamboo house.

With a tap on his toes, Xiu quietly landed in front of the door, barely making a sound. At this time, she was still vigilant, and after confirming that there was really no other blood in the room, she cautiously pushed open the door and walked in.

The door slowly opened, a breeze swept by, and wisps of ash drifted out of the cracks.

Suddenly, Xiu's body was suddenly stunned, and his pupils shrank to the size of a pinpoint.

In front of her, there stood a middle-aged man with long red and orange hair, all wrapped in a black robe from the shoulder down.

During the pre-repair survey, the house was completely empty. Even though it was close at this time, she still couldn't sense the man's breath.

The middle-aged man looked at Xiu and suddenly smiled: "It seems that there is more than one human being who is worried about this thing." ”

Xiu only felt his throat dry. Since she didn't know the strength of her opponent, she didn't open her mouth and quietly hooked her left palm.

"It's still a ghost, really, it's been a long time since I've seen this familiar ghost mask. The middle-aged man said unhurriedly, "Emperor Xiling sent you here, what ······?"

"What do you want to do!" The middle-aged figure suddenly flickered, and the next moment it had already appeared in front of Xiu. His eyes were wide open, his pupils were swirling with different colors, and the corners of his mouth were grinning, revealing a mouthful of fangs. At the same time, the momentum suddenly exploded, as if a torrent of thousands of miles was pouring down, suppressing Xiu to the point that it was even difficult to breathe. An arm covered in scales poked out from under the black robe and grabbed straight at Xiu's neck.

Xiu was shocked, forcibly resisted the suppression of the middle-aged man's breath, kicked his left foot, and swept behind him.

However, after the arm was straightened, it was strangely extended by a few points, easily choking Xiu's neck, and then retracting it again, grabbing her back in front of the middle-aged man. Its body was also raised, and it lifted the belt off the ground.

The body is suspended in the air, repair the clenched teeth, exert force from the waist and abdomen, and put the lower body away. A sharp blade popped out from the sole of the toe of the boot on his right foot, and stabbed like a scorpion's tail needle at the junction of the middle-aged man's abdomen and chest.

However, this vicious sneak attack did not hit the opponent. The sharp blade pierced into the black robe, and Xiu saw the middle-aged man's shoulder tremble imperceptibly, and her ankle brushed against some slippery object. The middle-aged man even calmly gave her a disdainful smile.

Xiu was still unwilling, his waist was twisted, and his right leg was swept across. With a "poof", the sharp blade slashed through a smooth and hard arc, tearing apart the black robe that shrouded the middle-aged man's body. Below his waist was a huge snake tail, with reddish-orange scales on it, and the scales on his abdomen were grayish-silver, with a shallow white mark on the surface, which seemed to have been left by the sharp blade just now.

The pupils of the snake man Xiu's eyes suddenly constricted, and then a trace of doubt arose. It's not that she hasn't seen snake people, but the strength of the orc race is not strong, and like the spirit race, she can only survive between the demon race and the human race. And the guy in front of him, who is suspected of being a snake man, has completely surpassed the upper limit of what an orc can achieve, and Xiu has a hunch that this is just the tip of the iceberg of his terrifying strength.

This guy is by no means human, but it's not like any kind of demon with a record.

"Curious, isn't it?" he sneered, "don't be afraid, I was born like this." I can't decide my birth, just like you can't decide your own death. ”

As he spoke, the pair of colorful snake eyes suddenly became fierce, and the palm that was holding Xiu's neck began to exert force. A terrible feeling of suffocation hit, Xiu's face turned red, and his eyes bulged, but he still stared at his left side. Since the ghost mask blocked her face, her eyes were not captured by the other party.

"One, two······" Meditation in the heart.

"Three!" Just as Xiu's vision was about to go completely dark, a blood-colored roulette wheel broke through the wall of the bamboo house and slashed at the arm of the snake-man-like monster. The fierce wind made him feel a little jealous, and he reluctantly let go. After Xiu got out of trouble, he immediately retreated outside the bamboo hut, half-kneeling on the ground, panting with palpitations.

The roulette wheel was slashed into the air, and then quickly disintegrated, turning into a blood-glowing iron cable, and sprang out of the bamboo house, like a spiritual flying snake, surrounding Xiu.

"There are two hits, no wonder you dare to pay attention to this thing. The monster tilted its head and smiled amusedly, "You should be considered a first-class powerhouse among humans." ”

Xiu didn't reply, the iron rope faded black, and the white bone grew rapidly, accompanied by a terrifying roar, turning into a huge bone rope that was thicker than an adult man's arm. The tiny blood lines that were originally distributed on the surface also swelled, as if the green tendons were bursting up, and there was a bewitching blood light on them.

"A good weapon, it's made from the bones of the snake demon clan. The monster shook its fist, "Well, killing you today can be regarded as avenging my people." ”

As soon as the words fell, the monster snake flicked its tail, stretched several meters in the air freely, and slammed towards Xiu. Repair the drive bone cord to welcome. The two collided in the air, and the blood light on the bone cord could not penetrate half of the scale armor at all. The snake's tail withered and decayed, and the originally imposing bone rope was like a rotten grass rope in front of it, which was instantly carried away, but the landing point of the snake's tail was also deflected by it. Xiu immediately pounced to the side, dodging the blow and recalling the bone rope, the face of the ghost mask solemn.

At this time, the extended snake tail, as well as the previously extended arm, the two pictures were like a pair of flints, wiping in Xiu's mind and lighting up her thoughts. She suddenly realized the identity of this monster, and the whole moment was like falling into an ice cave.

"Xiao Wu, the supreme race among the half-demons, called the 'Sect of Ten Thousand Snakes', is the source of the bloodline of all snake demon clans, and can freely change the size of the body, and it is as easy as idleness to pull mountains and seas. The eyes of the snake are brilliant and contain the power to devour life. Its scales are reddish-orange and resist magic. After Xiao Wu's death, there will be an illusion for miles around the bones, and the weaker ones will be permanently lost in it once they are trapped. At the end of ancient times, during the decisive battle between the demons, although Xiao Wu was few, he was the backbone of the demon clan, and the corpses were everywhere he passed, and there were few enemies. After the new era, he went to the demon realm, or hid in the western regions, northern Xinjiang, Liuze and other places. ”

- "Ancient Demon Chronicles" Volume 6 Emperor Python Xiaowu

There is such a record in the top-secret archives of Xiling, which is the only description of the half-demon leader of the Huangmu Mountains: Salan, half-human, half-snake, capable of changing body shape freely, suspected to be a xenomorph of Xiaowu. Its strength surpasses that of the previous envoys of the Charm Department, and it is likely that it has survived from ancient times to the present day. In the year 3139 of the new era, the Blood Sword Slave appeared, and he fought with Salan and was defeated. In 3140, the two fought again and were defeated. Salan revealed his demon name to the Blood Sword Slave during this battle. In the following three years, the Blood Sword Slave and Salan fought three battles. In the year 3144 of the new era, the Blood Sword Slave and Salan were defeated in the fifth battle, and they never fought again.

Xiu had never seen Salan, but judging from all indications, the monster in front of him must be Salan.

The snake's tail missed, like an anchor, and slammed into the ground. The ground cracked like a spider's web. The snake body bowed, and Salan's huge body instantly rose up and pounced on Xiu. Xiu's eyes narrowed slightly, and he rolled sideways, narrowly avoiding Salan's fist and pulling the distance away again. The cord was drawn on Salan's left shoulder, but it didn't leave any traces.

Salan's punch missed, but the offensive did not stop in the slightest. As her body rolled, the extra-long snake tail swept from Xiu's back, trying to entangle her. Xiu deftly jumped up and dodged again. Its form froze briefly in the air for a moment, then folded its hands in front of its chest and thrust it violently, and a bewitching blood light bloomed from its eyes under the ghost's mask. The bone cord turned into a blood-colored magic wheel, streaked across the night sky, and went straight to the chest of Salan's human body. Suddenly, a large reddish-orange shadow blocked its path. The snake's tail flicked violently, and directly pulled the magic wheel formed by the bone rope to disintegrate and fly out. However, the cord also left a shallow mark on its surface.

Xiu recalled the bone cord. Almost at the same time, Salan struck again, and his upper body came to Xiu's face almost instantly, and slapped Xiu's head with a palm.

Whether it was strength, ability, or fighting style, Xiu was completely suppressed by Salan, and the tidal attack rhythm in the half-human, half-snake form made it even more difficult for her to parry. In a panic, Xiu held the bone rope in front of him, and at the same time flew back and retreated, turning around and fleeing.

The bone rope barely held out Salan's menacing palm. Salan's body swelled a little, and he grabbed the bone rope in his hand. Hideous claws stretched out from between their fingers, firmly clasping the gap in them, preventing Xiu from summoning them away again. Sensing Salan's intentions, Xiu manipulated the bone rope and rolled back, wrapping the upper half of Salan's body and arms.

Sa Lan smiled disdainfully, his body nearly doubled again, and the muscles on his arms bulged like dragons, breaking the bone cord with one hand. The blood light dissipated, white bone chips flew, and the chains seemed to lose their souls in an instant, falling to the ground. Xiu, who was fleeing, suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood and didn't dare to stop. At the same time, the snake's tail quickly extended, overtaking Xiu's position on the side, and then instantly rolled back and pumped heavily on Xiu's chest. Hearing only a chilling muffled sound, Xiu flew out, his chest collapsed slightly, coughed up a mouthful of blood again in the air, fell heavily to the ground, and slid for several meters before stopping.

suffered two heavy blows from internal and external injuries one after another, and Xiu couldn't move for a while. The snake's tail twitched again, and she didn't even have the consciousness to dodge. However, death did not come true.

A burly figure stood beside her, its thick arms holding the snake's tail above its head, and a heavy spear that was inconspicuous behind it.