My heart skipped a beat. Wasn't Zhang Mazi dead a few days ago? How could his ** be here with the snake?

Naturally, Jiu Ye also recognized that the ** was Zhang Mazi. Although the body was completely deformed, twisted into a spiral shape, and the flesh had greatly decayed, it was still easy to recognize his characteristic rotten face, like a Mars crater.

Jiu Ye said, "Wasn't Zhang Mazi buried three days ago? How could his ** be here? Could it be that this snake dug him out?"

Ku Qubi's face turned dark and gloomy. He said, "The snake practices the demonic method of soul sucking!"

Soul sucking?! I looked up and saw the snake lower its head, forcefully sucking on Zhang Mazi's **.

Looking at Zhang Mazi's **, it was like a deflated balloon, with only a layer of ** covering the bones, like dried radish strips.

Ku Qubi said, "You see, this snake specializes in finding corpses to suck their souls. In this way, its cultivation naturally advances rapidly. However, this is an evil method that can only lead to becoming a demon, unable to become an immortal. Even if it transforms into a dragon, it can only be a low-level monster dragon!"

"Hehehe!" The snake suddenly laughed coldly, a laughter that sent shivers down my spine, like a saw cutting through wood.

The snake disdainfully said, "A monster dragon is still a dragon. Once I ascend to become a dragon, all you ants will bow down at my feet!"

"You can't ascend to become a dragon, because we will stop you!" I pointed at the snake and shouted.

The snake's laughter was filled with mockery. "Little kid, such audacity. I can see that you have tender skin and meat, perfect as an appetizer for me!"

Ku Qubi motioned for me and Jiu Ye to step back, then he took out a cloth bundle from his back and stood in front of us.

The snake angrily shouted, "You damn cripple! I was cultivating peacefully, but you had to come and disturb me. You're simply seeking death!"

Ku Qubi reached out and untied the cloth bundle, revealing a peach wood sword inside. A righteous aura emanated from the sword.

Ku Qubi's expression turned cold and ruthless. He flicked his wrist, performing a sword move. "I don't know if it'll be your death or mine today!"

As he finished speaking, Ku Qubi swiftly raised the peach wood sword and rushed towards the snake.

Despite having a problem with one leg and usually limping when walking, Ku Qubi was surprisingly fast at this moment. He created a gust of wind as he ran, reaching the snake in the blink of an eye and slashing with the sword.

The snake suddenly dodged to the side, extending a claw from its belly, and deflected the peach wood sword.

Ku Qubi stumbled backward three steps before stabilizing himself.

Ku Qubi stood there motionless, his hand gripping the peach wood sword tightly. The sword kept trembling incessantly, and Ku Qubi's right hand was bleeding with each drop of fresh blood.

Jiu Ye and I were shocked. We didn't expect the snake to be so fierce. With just a light block, it unleashed such a powerful force.

What surprised us even more was that two claws emerged from under the snake's abdomen.

Ku Qubi raised an eyebrow and said in a deep voice, "Horns on the head, claws under the abdomen. Impressive. You, scum, are only one step away from ascending!"

For the snake to be able to cultivate horns on its head was already a remarkable feat. But it even grew dragon claws. It seemed that the snake's combat power was even more terrifying than we had imagined.

If it could ascend to become a dragon, it would be a divine beast whose power was beyond the reach of mortals.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Now that the snake had taken on the form of a dragon, it faintly possessed a trace of divine power, which made it so formidable.

The snake moved its body, raised its head arrogantly, and laughed wildly, causing tree leaves to flutter down.

Suddenly, the snake swung its tail forcefully, like a steel rod striking a centuries-old tree with tremendous force.

Cracking sounds echoed as cracks quickly spread across the trunk, resembling spider webs covering the entire tree.

Then, with a loud rumble, the dozens of meters tall centuries-old tree fell towards us.

I was shocked and quickly reminded Jiu Ye to run. We turned and sprinted, but behind us came a deafening boom. The tree fell to the ground, causing the earth to sink. The ground shook violently, knocking me and Jiu Ye to the ground.

We anxiously turned our heads to look, only to see the tree snapped in half.

"Hehehe!" The snake shook its head and acted as if it didn't care about us at all.

My heart felt a wave of panic. I looked around and realized that Ku Qubi's figure was nowhere to be seen.

Jiu Ye said hesitantly, "Master Ku... could he... have been crushed by the tree?"

My heart trembled suddenly, unable to bear the grief. If Ku Qubi was really crushed by the tree, then he wouldn't have survived.

Crash!

A figure suddenly stood up from the cluster of tree leaves. It was Ku Qubi.

Ku Qubi's face was covered in dust and dirt, looking slightly disheveled, but his spirit was still vigorous.

I saw Ku Qubi take out a Three Nepenthes True Fire Talisman from his chest. With the yellow talisman held in his left hand, he bit his tongue, sprayed a mouthful of blood onto the talisman, and shouted, "Urgent! As per the law!" The Three Nepenthes True Fire Talisman ignited with a swish.

Ku Qubi lifted the peach wood sword, gently wiped the Three Nepenthes True Fire Talisman on the blade, and instantly, the peach wood sword turned into a fiery sword. The Three Nepenthes True Fire coiled around the blade like a fire dragon, emitting dazzling light, leaving people in awe.

Under my admiring gaze, Ku Qubi leaped towards the snake without touching the ground.

The snake probably didn't understand the power of this royal family's inherited peach wood sword. It once again extended its newly formed dragon claw in an attempt to snatch the sword from Ku Qubi's hand.

Snap!

A dragon claw flew high into the air, followed by the earth-shattering roar of the snake.

The peach wood sword was already a divine object, and with the enhancement of the Three Nepenthes True Fire Talisman, its power doubled. The dragon claw that the snake had worked so hard to cultivate was severed by Ku Qubi's sword.

The snake howled in pain, its vitality greatly damaged. Finally, it realized the might of the peach wood sword.

The snake didn't dare to linger in battle and created a whirlwind of black demonic wind on the spot, disappearing from sight.

The forest returned to tranquility after the snake fled.

Jiu Ye and I approached Ku Qubi, wanting to praise him, but we saw that his face was pale, as if he were seriously ill.

I was startled and quickly asked Ku Qubi what was wrong, if he was feeling uncomfortable anywhere.

Ku Qubi took a deep breath, forced a smile, and said, "That snake is indeed formidable. It shook my meridians just now!"

"What? Shook your meridians? Is it serious? What... What should we do?" I was extremely worried because it was the first time I had seen Ku Qubi injured.

Ku Qubi squeezed out a smile and said, "Ah, this person won't accept old age. It seems like I'll have to go back and rest for a while!"