The Frozen Fang and The White Haired Beauty
The Frostfang Serpent coiled back after Li Jue's sudden attack, its forked tongue flicking out as it assessed this unexpected challenger.
Its golden eyes gleamed with murderous intent.
The young woman behind Li Jue clutched her sword tighter, her icy-blue eyes locked onto him.
—"He took the serpent's attack head-on… and barely flinched?"—
She had fought this beast for nearly an hour, yet it remained relentless, its powerful Frost Domain making every move harder for her.
But now…
Li Jue stood tall, his aura surging.
The serpent struck first.
—Boom!—
It shot forward like a blue lightning bolt, its fangs coated in deadly poison.
Li Jue's instincts screamed. He dodged, but the serpent was faster than any beast he had fought before.
—Slash!—
A chilling wind followed its attack, slashing his robes and freezing the torn fabric instantly.
"A domain technique," Li Jue muttered, eyes flashing. "A mid-tier Spirit Beast Technique."
The Frostfang Serpent's Icy Rend—a skill that could freeze the very air with each movement.
The beauty behind him inhaled sharply. "Careful! That serpent has absorbed frost Qi for decades. One bite, and even a Golden Core Cultivator would struggle to survive!"
Li Jue merely smirked. "Then I just won't get bitten."
He formed the Void Devourer Seal, black tendrils of energy wrapping around his hands.
—"Let's see if you can handle this, serpent."—
—Boom!—
He dashed forward, his movement technique—Phantom Mirage Steps—propelling him at an unnatural speed.
The serpent hissed in fury, sensing the shift in momentum. It opened its mouth wide, a sphere of condensed frost Qi forming.
—Frost Fang Blast!—
—Boom!—
A massive wave of glacial energy erupted from the serpent's mouth, the very ground freezing solid.
The woman gasped. "No! That attack—"
But Li Jue wasn't there anymore.
—Swoosh!—
His figure blurred, reappearing above the serpent's head.
He slammed his fist down, coated in Void Annihilation Energy.
—Boom!—
A direct hit!
The serpent howled as black void energy corroded its scales, but it was far from finished.
It whipped its tail at Li Jue, moving faster than he expected.
—Crash!—
Li Jue flew backward, slamming into the frozen ground. He coughed, blood trailing from his lips.
The woman clenched her sword. "This is madness… his strength is unreal, but that serpent—it's a true apex predator!"
Yet Li Jue wiped his mouth, eyes filled with fighting spirit.
"This is just getting interesting."
The serpent lunged again, its massive body twisting with impossible speed.
But this time, Li Jue was ready.
—"Time to end this first phase."—
His Void Devourer Art flared to life.
A black vortex erupted around him, sucking in the serpent's frost Qi.
The beast hissed in confusion, its strength weakening.
Li Jue grinned. "Not so powerful when your own energy betrays you, huh?"
The serpent screeched, its golden eyes burning with pure hatred.
The battle was far from over.
The young woman watched in stunned silence.
Her heart raced.
"Who is this man…?"
---
The Frostfang Serpent roared, its colossal body thrashing violently as its strength was drained away by Li Jue's Void Devourer Art. The once-glacial energy surrounding it flickered in and out of existence, as if the very essence of its power was being stripped away.
Yet even with its energy slipping, the beast refused to submit.
With a final burst of rage, the serpent coiled its body, its frigid golden eyes narrowing on Li Jue.
—Frostfang Serpent's Desperate Strike!—
A suicidal technique.
The beauty gasped. "Watch out! It's going to—"
But it was too late.
The serpent lunged forward, its massive fangs aimed directly at Li Jue's heart.
—Boom!—
Li Jue barely dodged, twisting mid-air with Phantom Mirage Steps, but the serpent was relentless. It chased him with supernatural speed, forcing him onto the defensive.
—Clang!—
His black dagger, Soulshade Fang, clashed against the serpent's ice-covered fangs, sparks of frost and void energy erupting.
Yet Li Jue could feel it.
His body was reaching its limit.
He had used too much of the Void Devourer Art. The backlash was creeping in, draining his stamina with every second.
—"Damn it… just a bit more!"—
The serpent struck again, its tail whipping toward him like a falling mountain.
—Boom!—
Li Jue barely managed to block, his bones trembling from the impact.
Blood dripped from his lips.
The beauty clenched her fists, her icy-blue eyes filled with urgency.
—"If this continues… he'll die!"—
But Li Jue was not finished.
His aura surged once more, this time tinged with something deeper, more primal.
His black eyes gleamed.
"Devour."
The Void Devourer Art—Final Manifestation!
A black vortex erupted from his core, expanding into a devouring storm that swallowed everything around it.
The serpent's eyes widened.
For the first time, it felt fear.
—ROOOOAR!—
Its body convulsed violently, its frost Qi being ripped away, leaving behind only a shriveled husk of its former power.
Yet the beast was still alive.
—Whoosh!—
Seizing the moment, Li Jue vanished, reappearing above the serpent's skull.
He raised his blade.
"Die."
—Void Rend Slash!—
A single downward strike.
—CRACK!—
The Soulshade Fang pierced straight through the serpent's head, shattering its skull.
The massive body twitched, its final breath escaping as the light in its golden eyes faded.
—Thud!—
The once-mighty Frostfang Serpent, a creature that had terrorized the forest for decades, lay dead.
Silence.
Only Li Jue's ragged breathing remained.
The battle was over.
The beauty slowly approached, her heart still pounding from the intensity of the fight.
Her gaze softened.
—"He… won."—
She parted her lips, about to speak, but then—
—BOOM!—
A sudden explosion of energy erupted from the serpent's corpse!
Li Jue's eyes widened in horror.
—"Impossible! It's still alive?!"—
The beast's final vestiges of life force surged into a single, desperate attack.
Its venom-coated fangs shot toward them like a falling comet.
But Li Jue had nothing left.
His energy was completely drained.
The beauty realized this too.
Without hesitation, she stepped forward, her delicate hands gripping her sword tightly.
—"If he can't fight… then I will!"—
The serpent's deadly strike was only inches away.
But then—
—Whoosh!—
In a sudden blur of movement, Li Jue grabbed her, his arms wrapping around her slender waist.
—"Wha—?!"—
He spun her around, placing his own body in front of hers.
—CHOMP!—
The serpent's fangs sank into his shoulder.
Poison.
Unbearable, burning poison.
The serpent let out a final death rattle… and then truly collapsed.
The beauty froze.
Li Jue staggered, his body convulsing from the venom rapidly spreading through his meridians.
He collapsed… right into her arms.
His breathing was shallow, his consciousness slipping.
But even through the pain, his trembling fingers reached up.
They brushed gently against her soft, cold cheek.
His black eyes met her icy-blue ones.
With his last bit of strength, he whispered:
"What is your name… Fairy?"
The beauty's breath hitched.
Her fingers slowly wrapped around his hand, pressing it against her cheek as her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
She swallowed.
And then, in a voice as soft as falling snow—
"My name is… Li Feng."