Chapter 35: Treacherous and Vile Beast (2)

Tang Chun Xi widened her eyes as she sensed the imminent danger.

— "The snake in the hole has made its move."

Her heart pounded as she realized that the venom from the second snake was about to seal all her escape routes. Without hesitation, she activated [Phoenix Wings], and a fiery explosion erupted around her. The thermal shock burned away part of the airborne venom, creating a narrow gap for her to move through.

Some drops inevitably landed on her, but she felt the pain and ignored it. With a swift spin, Tang Chun Xi shot out of the deadly encirclement.

Behind her, the snake struck the flaming traces left by her skill and hissed in agony:

— "Shhh Mmm!"

The starfire quickly spread across its black-and-red scaly skin, turning into a fierce blaze. The creature thrashed violently, knocking over bushes and kicking up dust as it desperately tried to extinguish the flames. The putrid stench of burning flesh filled the air, making the environment even more suffocating.

With one last spasm, the snake collapsed. Its body stopped moving, and only the crackling of flames echoed through the devastated clearing.

— "Crack!"

A nearby tree, corroded by the venom spilled during the battle, gave way with a loud crash, toppling over and raising a cloud of dust.

Tang Chun Xi exhaled in relief and thought to herself:

 'One down.'

But then...

What should have been an unmoving corpse began to stir.

The charred skin started to fade and peel away, revealing a fresh layer of dull scales beneath. Tang Chun Xi's eyes widened in disbelief.

— "You've got to be kidding me..." — she muttered.

The damn snake had just shed its skin!

A chill ran down Tang Chun Xi's spine. Before she could react, another deadly presence revealed itself.

From within a hole hidden among the tree roots, the second snake finally struck. It lunged out with a ferocious bite, its jaws wide open, and white fangs dripping with corrosive venom. The lethal gleam in its eyes made its intent clear—to kill once and for all.

Tang Chun Xi, however, noticed something crucial at the last second.

She pivoted on her heel and dashed straight toward the snake that had shed its skin. With the Lunar Umbrella in front of her, covered in a thick layer of metallic star aura, she mentally activated her ability:

"Weight Amplification!"

The sharp tip of the umbrella gleamed intensely before slashing downward.

The blade cut through the snake like butter, slicing it clean in half. Black blood splattered onto the ground, melting the earth as the severed body convulsed before finally falling still.

Tang Chun Xi smirked internally.

'The fire burned away its venomous protective layer, making it vulnerable to cutting attacks.' — she concluded.

However, her victory lasted only a moment.

The second snake, enraged, hissed with hatred. Its eyes burned with fury and vengeance as it witnessed its companion's death.

It lunged at Tang Chun Xi with terrifying speed.

Tang Chun Xi tried to retreat, but the creature was too fast. Her heart pounded as she realized this was no ordinary level 5 snake.

— "Damn… this is a level 6 snake!"

Now it all made sense. The second snake had remained hidden until now because it was severely injured. Part of its tail was missing, explaining its hesitation to engage directly in battle.

But now, with no other choice, it was going all in.

Tang Chun Xi could barely keep up. Even with [Phoenix Wing Step] activated, the snake refused to let her escape. Its movements were precise and calculated, relentlessly pressuring her.

'It wants to close the distance and force me into direct contact…'

Then, suddenly, the snake spat a jet of venom at point-blank range.

Tang Chun Xi sensed the impending danger. Her body reacted before her mind could even process it.

She couldn't just dodge—it was too close.

But she still had a trump card.

— "Open!"

The Lunar Umbrella instantly spread open in her hand.

Tang Chun Xi infused it with stellar fire aura. The canopy flared brightly, enveloped in a layer of shimmering flames that looked ready to take flight. The heat was so intense that it distorted the air around it. She focused, preparing to unleash the fiery aura.

The approaching venom evaporated instantly.

The snake abruptly halted, startled.

Tang Chun Xi, pale and slightly breathless, seized the chance. She twisted in midair and landed with a firm impact on the ground, stopping the flow of aura just before releasing it.

The flaming aura around the Lunar Umbrella flickered before partially dissipating, some of the energy being reabsorbed into her body.

The second snake, caught off guard, writhed violently. The lingering flames from Tang Chun Xi's previous attacks clung to its oily layer, spreading rapidly and consuming its body.

— "THUD!"

The snake's heavy body crashed among the dry branches and leaves, shuddering one last time before finally falling still.

Tang Chun Xi remained motionless for a few seconds, her chest rising and falling with her rapid breaths. Just to be sure, she quickly stepped forward and used the Lunar Umbrella again, now coated in metallic aura, for a finishing strike.

"Weight Amplification!" — The strike met resistance but cut deep. Dark blood oozed out, and the creature stopped moving.

'Just to be sure,' — she thought, recalling the first snake.

After confirming its death, she sighed. She had only a third of her energy left, so she took a Qi Pill and a Healing Pill. She then noticed that the venom-infected wounds were already healing—thanks to her lunar energy. She had spent the little energy she had just recovered.

Her gaze swept across the area, assessing the destruction around her. The stench of corrosive venom still lingered in the air, and the fiery traces she had left behind carved a crimson path into the blackened ground.

She then looked at the charred snake corpses and reluctantly stored them away.

— "What troublesome creatures to deal with…" — she muttered.

Even with all her strength, the battle had not been easy. One mistake, and it would have been fatal.

She took a deep breath and allowed herself a moment to relax.

— 'I'd rather fight a brute than a cunning, treacherous beast like these snakes…'

She smiled slightly but quickly recomposed herself.

The fight was over, but the reason she had come here was still unresolved.

'It's under the hole the snake came from, isn't it?' — she asked the Lunar Umbrella hesitantly, sensing the direction it pointed.

Her eyes settled on the hole from which the snake had emerged.

That was the true reason she was here.

She approached, noticing that the entrance was narrow but the passage widened just ahead.

With a motion, she used the Lunar Umbrella to clear the way.

A silvery glow emanated from the weapon, illuminating the dark tunnel.

— "This had better be worth it..."

She clenched her teeth before taking her first step forward.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Cave

Tang Chun Xi moved cautiously through the narrow tunnel, the acrid, piercing scent of snake venom thick in the air. Her muscles were tense, ready to react at the slightest sign of danger. Any lapse in attention could be fatal.

The tunnel was short, and she could see its exit just a few meters ahead, but her focus remained razor-sharp. The snakes had been treacherous—she couldn't rule out the possibility of another one lurking in the shadows.

As she advanced, she noticed that the dirt and stone walls were covered with thick, intertwined roots, as if the very earth were trying to block her path. The space gradually widened, allowing her more freedom of movement. The humidity in the air increased, making the atmosphere slightly sticky.

After a few more meters, the tunnel curved to the right. Tang Chun Xi slid silently to the side, pressing herself against the wall as she peeked ahead.

What she saw made her raise an eyebrow.

Before her, a small cave opened up, its ceiling twice her height. At its center, an irregular hole allowed a faint greenish light to filter through, softened by the leaves of the trees above. The dim glow illuminated the damp, moss-covered walls, casting elongated shadows that shifted gently as the leaves rustled in the wind.

But it wasn't the cave's atmosphere that held her attention.

In the middle of the space, a small tree grew.

Tang Chun Xi narrowed her eyes, examining it carefully. Its twisted, slender trunk supported a modest canopy, from which hung several green and yellow fruits, each about the size of a grapefruit. The fruits' glossy skin reflected the sparse light, giving them a slightly translucent appearance.

— "A Lesser Qi Tree…" — she murmured to herself, recognizing the plant almost immediately.

The sap of this tree was one of the main ingredients for Qi pills, a valuable resource for cultivators. Its fruits took ten years to mature, and those that hadn't reached that stage carried an extremely potent poison.

Tang Chun Xi glanced at the remnants of battle in the tunnel and quickly connected the dots.

— "So this is where the snakes' venom comes from…"

They had fed on the unripe fruits, absorbing the poison and strengthening their toxins. The symbiotic relationship between the tree and the serpents made perfect sense.

Even so, something felt off.

Tang Chun Xi furrowed her brows.

The tree before her didn't quite match the descriptions she had read. Its trunk seemed thinner, its leaves slightly yellowed, and its spiritual energy weakened.

She hesitated, wondering if she was mistaken, but then she felt a subtle vibration in her hand.

The Lunar Umbrella reacted.

It was as if her weapon was responding to her doubt, silently confirming that, yes, this was indeed a Lesser Qi Tree.

Tang Chun Xi nodded to herself, her expression softening slightly.

— "That makes sense…"

The tree was hidden inside the cave, far from direct sunlight and with little circulation of spiritual energy. Its growth had been stunted, resulting in weak and uneven development.

At the same time, this secluded location explained why no one had claimed it yet. If it had been in a more exposed area, some cultivator would have taken it long ago.

Tang Chun Xi observed the tree for a few more seconds, considering her options.

— "This is much better than a single-use herb… A tree like this provides a steady stream of resources."

She weighed her choices, but a small irritation crept into her mind.

Ever since she used [Stellar Detection], she had noticed various lower-grade spiritual herbs along the way. Herbs that might be useful to others, yet her Lunar Umbrella had simply ignored them.

She narrowed her eyes at the weapon in her hand.

— "You're pretty picky, aren't you?" — she thought, almost in a scolding tone.

The response was a faint tremor, as if the Lunar Umbrella were silently laughing at her complaint.

Tang Chun Xi sighed, but a thought formed in her mind.

'I should be careful when using this ability. If this was the chosen resource among so many, it can only mean that the resources it points to in the future will likely have an equivalent level of danger—at least in most cases.'

She set aside those thoughts for now and turned to a more pressing question.

How would she take the tree with her?