Martial Arts Overlord

Chapter 1073: Chapter 1070: The Disappearing Demon Beasts

Dozens of miles deep in the Fire Scale Mountain.

"Ah!"

A scream rang out, followed immediately by a thunderous explosion.

In the mountain forest, the corpse of a demon python as thick as a barn door lay across the ground, its entire head blown apart, blood and flesh in a dreadful mess, blood flowing all over the ground.

Standing beside it were over thirty martial artists.

"Elder Yang, twelve people have died already. If we keep going like this, we’re all likely to perish here. Still haven’t found the Single Horned Red Cloud Python?"

A martial artist glanced at the demon python’s corpse on the ground, face pale, and spoke to the white-haired elder.

The white-haired elder’s expression was also grim at this moment. Though he had known for a long time that Fire Scale Mountain was a dangerous place, the situation was even more perilous than he had imagined.

The evil qi in this place was exceedingly heavy, and many areas had poisonous clouds that lingered all year round, greatly affecting martial artists’ perception. With his cultivation, sensing disturbances over a hundred meters was already the limit.

The serpent demon beasts residing here were adept at hiding, attacking from trees, underground, and amidst rocks, making them omnipresent and impossible to guard against.

Looking forward, the flight speed of the three-pupil fish had doubled. The white-haired elder instructed, "We should be getting close. Everyone, protect yourselves and don’t fall behind."

"Yes!"

Everyone answered in unison, though their voices were trembling.

The arrow had left the bowstring; turning back was not an option. They could only hope to find the Single Horned Red Cloud Python soon.

A kilometer behind the group, a figure moved silently through the forest, following them quietly.

"Good thing these people are leading the way. Otherwise, entering here alone would require much effort to deal with the lurking demon beasts, let alone find the Single Horned Red Cloud Python in this vast mountain range..."

Now, Luo Feng finally understood why those adventurous martial artists made terrifying expressions when talking about Fire Scale Mountain.

Even top martial artists in the Spiritual Rotation Realm faced the danger of falling here.

Another hour passed.

"Elder Yang, why haven’t we found the Single Horned Red Cloud Python yet? And we haven’t encountered a demon beast attack for half an hour. Are we already out of the Fire Scale Mountain range?"

Walking in the middle of the group, the Crown Prince turned his gaze to the white-haired elder, growing anxious at not seeing the Single Horned Red Cloud Python.

The white-haired elder shook his head, "Your Highness, the Fire Scale Mountain spans hundreds of miles; we’ve only just entered the heart of it."

"Then why are there no signs of demon beasts nearby? I’ve heard that Fire Scale Mountain is teeming with countless serpent demon beasts; they say you can hit a serpent demon with a random palm strike." The Crown Prince remarked.

Since entering Fire Scale Mountain, they encountered snake demons attacking every distance covered, sometimes in groups of three or five. But since half an hour ago, they hadn’t seen even one.

The white-haired elder frowned, silent.

He had visited Fire Scale Mountain before, and the serpentine demon beasts in the heart far outnumbered those on the outskirts. The current situation was beyond his expectations.

A kilometer away, Luo Feng was also amazed.

All along this journey, he detected hidden demon beast auras through his soul power, but for the past half hour, there were none to be found. It was as if all the demon beasts in this forest had vanished into thin air.

Strange!

"Elder Yang, there’s a canyon ahead!"

A voice suddenly came from the front.

Luo Feng focused his eyes forward, raising an eyebrow. A massive mountain had split in the middle ahead, forming a gigantic canyon, as if it cleaved the entire mountain range in two.

The canyon was pitch black, shrouded in a vast, purplish-red poisonous cloud above, resembling dark clouds pressing down, connecting earth and sky, with no end in sight.

"This canyon..."

Staring at the canyon, Luo Feng slightly furrowed his brows, sensing a hint of demon qi. However, it was so faint, it might have been an illusion.

At this moment, the Crown Prince’s group stopped at the mouth of the canyon.

"Elder Yang, this canyon is covered in poisonous clouds; let’s go around it," a young martial artist suggested to the white-haired elder, a hint of dread flickering in his eyes as he looked at the poisonous miasma above the canyon.

Earlier, a martial artist battling a demon python accidentally inhaled a breath of poisonous miasma, immediately spewing blood. If not for the timely administration of a Detoxification Pill, he would have died on the spot.

"Hold on."

The white-haired elder stepped to the front of the group, carefully observing the three-pupil fish trapped by the Yuan Qi.

Suddenly, he was startled. The three-pupil fish, slightly shrunken due to excessive demon qi depletion, had its body swell a bit.

Noticing the elder’s expression, the Crown Prince asked, "What’s wrong, Elder Yang?"

The white-haired elder’s eyes sparkled with excitement, "Your Highness, the Single Horned Red Cloud Python is in this canyon."

"Is that true?" The Crown Prince paused, his breath quickening.

"About ninety percent sure."

The three-pupil fish’s body only swelled after inhaling the same type of demon qi. Since the fish’s body had expanded, the Single Horned Red Cloud Python must be nearby!

"Let’s go in quickly!"

Though apprehensive of the poisonous miasma above the canyon, the Crown Prince was immediately eager to enter upon hearing the news of the Single Horned Red Cloud Python’s presence.

The white-haired elder nodded and shouted, "Form the formation."

Over thirty martial artists leaped forward, forming a circular battle formation centered on the Crown Prince.

Simultaneously, the elder released the Gang Qi barrier sealing the three-pupil fish.

Swoosh!

Once freed, the three-pupil fish shot into the canyon at lightning speed, its body visibly swelling with each breath.

"Protect His Highness, go!"

Swoosh!

A black-faced middle-aged man took the lead, following the three-pupil fish into the canyon, with the others close behind.

"A demon python transforming into a dragon; it’s something seen once in a thousand years. It’s said that serpent demon beasts capable of transforming into dragons have ancient Divine Dragon bloodlines. I wonder what the Single Horned Red Cloud Python will look like."

As they hurried along, a young martial artist in his twenties gazed into the depths of the canyon, showing anticipation in his eyes.

"Don’t talk, pay close attention to your surroundings."

A square-faced martial artist with a steady appearance cautioned.

The young man smiled carelessly, "Big brother Li, you’re too cautious. There are no signs of demon beasts around here, so there’s no danger."

The square-faced martial artist looked serious:

"Don’t be careless. I have a bad feeling about this. This Fire Scale Mountain is known for being dangerous within the Red Dragon Mountain Range, with countless serpent demon beasts dwelling here. In Fire Scale Mountain, it’s said you can hit a serpent demon beast with any random palm strike. It’s not mere talk, but a conclusion drawn from the experiences of countless predecessors who have ventured here. And yet, there isn’t a single demon beast around here..."

Hearing this, the young man also furrowed his brows, "This is indeed strange."