The huge sea snake’s appearance and its wave of ghastly aura made it clear to all that it was a monster in the Blood Condensation Realm.

Lu Ping watched its unexpected entrance with a trembling heart. Frozen with shock, he didn’t dare move an inch from his hiding place.

On the other hand, Hu Lili used her entire strength to hold back Niu Dazhuang, who was intending to sacrifice his life to fight for their survival. Without a care for her shoulder injury, she used her wounded arm to cover Zheng Jie’s mouth, preventing her from screaming out in shock.

When the Xuan Ling Sect disciples saw the sea snake, Senior Martial Brother Qiao was the first to react, shouting at the top of his lungs, “Run!”

With that, he was also the first to flee to the sea whereas the other four fled on their own in all directions.

At that moment, Lu Ping could clearly see the disdain within the sea snake’s eyes. Sure enough, monsters in the Blood Condensation Realm had cognitive capabilities like humans.

The sea snake watched as the five made their escape. Then, it casually waved its tail and launched Junior Martial Brother Yin into the air, his body flying more than dozens of feet before slamming onto the ground, seemingly dead.

Then, the sea snake opened its mouth to spurt out a jet of venom. The female Xuan Ling Sect disciple quickly cast out a defensive mystic instrument to protect herself.

Chi, chi—

Smoke rose as the venom corroded the defensive mystic instrument, leaving several holes as the toxic material splashed onto the female cultivator’s body.

In the midst of her shrieks of pain, everyone’s hearts were stricken with despair.

Hu Lili and the Zhen Ling Sect disciples still remained on the same spot as they didn’t dare to move. The sea snake opened its mouth again. This time, two snake fangs flew out and morphed into two dagger-like mid-grade mystic instruments.

The daggers flew straight for Junior Martial Brother Zhou and the other cultivator. While the two hurriedly released their mystic instruments to defend themselves, the daggers abruptly took a sharp turn and flashed out. Their speed was much faster than mystic instruments wielded by Blood Refining Realm cultivators.

This was the advantage of the Blood Condensation Realm’s divine sense. It was also the reason why mystic instruments could only unleash their full capabilities in the hands of a Blood Condensation Realm cultivator.

Sure enough, the sudden change in direction took the disciples by surprise, and in just a few moves, the daggers succeeded in wounding them. Their faces instantly turned dark and they collapsed to the ground, dead from the daggers’ venoms.

In just a few moments, four out of the five Xuan Ling Sect disciples were killed, leaving just Senior Martial Brother Qiao alive. Knowing that there was no hope in escaping anymore, he turned around and faced the sea snake. He floated his two mid-grade mystic instruments around him, one for attack and one for defense.

The sea snake looked at the cultivator who turned to face it, and it couldn’t help feeling interested. Hence, it didn’t attack right away.

Lu Ping’s position was somewhere diagonally behind Senior Martial Brother Qiao. He could clearly see the other man taking out an item from his interspatial pouch. Then, his face flushed red for a split second before turning pale. Clearly, he’d cast some kind of secret technique.

Immediately, the sea snake realized something and lunged out madly to attack Senior Martial Brother Qiao. The snake fang daggers flashed out like twin cold lights as it whipped out its tail.

Senior Martial Brother Qiao suddenly spurt out a mouthful of blood onto his mystic instruments. Stimulated by his blood essence, they rippled violently with arcane energy. Their powers were temporarily boosted and managed to hold off the sea snake’s attacks, but just barely.

Lu Ping initially thought that this secret technique could increase the mystic instruments’ powers. But judging from their effects, it didn’t seem like this was the case. Suddenly, a golden light flickered from Senior Martial Brother Qiao’s hands, the light glimmering brighter with every second.

The sea snake grew more anxious and attacked with increased fierceness. Senior Martial Brother Qiao’s mystic instruments started to crack and howl as they were on the cusp of breaking apart. However, they still protected him firmly.

Lu Ping noticed the sea snake’s reaction and a thought flashed in his mind, Talisman artifact! It’s the talisman artifact! They’re artifacts forged by Core Forging Realm Enlightened Masters. Enlightened Masters seal them with spells and use them to save the disciples from danger. Who’d have thought Senior Martial Brother Qiao had one with him? But it takes a long time for someone at Blood Refining Realm to activate it with arcane energy. So the secret technique he used just now was actually to accelerate the speed of his arcane energy to activate it.

At the same time, when the golden light lit up, Hu Lili immediately pulled on her friends and the trio quickly cast out their mystic instruments, fleeing the sea snake from behind.

The sea snake’s full attention was directed towards the talisman artifact and hence, even though it noticed the trio’s attempt to escape, it only whipped its tail at them. Hu Lili released all of her remaining blood charms and they cast their mystic instruments out to defend themselves.

The snake tail broke through all of the blood charms and slammed heavily on their defensive mystic instruments. The disciples wailed in pain, each spurting out a mouthful of blood each. But they took advantage of the force in the snake tail to propel them further away and eventually made it out alive.

The sea snake also stopped paying attention to them once it realized that it couldn’t stop them from escaping.

On the other hand, Lu Ping actually wanted to leave as well, but Senior Martial Brother Qiao was too close to his position. If he tried to leave now, he would definitely attract the attention of the sea snake and be in deep trouble.

At the same time, Lu Ping had a self-serving mind that was controlled by his greed. Senior Martial Brother Qiao had a talisman artifact that could heavily injure the sea snake. There was a chance they might both end up badly injured. With Hu Lili and her friends’ departure, Lu Ping wouldn’t have to hold back anymore, and he could stay hidden to gain the most out of the battle in the end.

The talisman artifact glimmered with golden light as it slowly hovered up from Senior Martial Brother Qiao’s hands. At the same time, his mystic instruments had fulfilled their purpose and were shattered by the sea snake.

The sea snake looked at the talisman artifact with vigilance and retreated slightly.

A flash of light suddenly burst out from the talisman artifact. The ray of light turned into a golden javelin, hurling towards the sea snake.

The sea snake hissed wildly and its scales flared up. Each and every one of its scales were at least three inches big.

It opened its mouth and spat out a stream of venom and its snake fang daggers at the golden javelin.

However, the golden javelin pierced through the venom and knocked away the daggers, its golden light only dimming slightly.

The sea snake stuck out its tongue and flew forward, morphing into a short sword with a forked tip as it headed for the short javelin.

Clang—

The weapons clashed and the short javelin was knocked off its initial course. At the same time, its golden light dimmed down even more.

But the sea snake had no other means to defend the short javelin anymore. The golden light pierced through its body and left behind a huge hole. Its immense power also launched the sea snake flying backward before it slammed back on the ground in a puddle of blood.

The short javelin turned back into the talisman artifact and fell to the ground beside the sea snake.

Senior Martial Brother Qiao had depleted his arcane energy after using the secret technique—he sat on the ground without a trace of strength left in him.

It seemed like now was the time for Lu Ping to make his entrance, sweep the battlefield clean and reap the fruits of victory. But Lu Ping stayed lying on the ground unflinching.

Sure enough, the sea snake’s head slowly rose up again, blood was still dripping from the huge hole on its body. The talisman artifact didn’t hit its lethal point!

Senior Martial Brother Qiao had no more strength left to resist and was killed by a swing of its tail. The sea snake turned and glanced around the battlefield before making its way to the cave-dwelling.

The cave-dwelling hadn’t even been explored, and yet so many fights had happened because of it!

The talisman artifact on the ground was already stored away by the sea snake. Lu Ping’s only wish right now was for the sea snake to quickly enter the cave-dwelling so he could make his escape. As for the wealth belonging to the other dead Xuan Ling Sect disciples, Lu Ping gritted his teeth and decided to come back another time for them!

The sea snake was slithering towards the cave-dwelling when suddenly, it remembered something. It saw two batches of humans the other day, so was that eavesdropping human also here today?

Lu Ping felt his heart skip a beat, his body tensing up when he saw the sea snake suddenly pause. Right after that, a cold sensation swept across his body.

Shit, it found me! Lu Ping cursed in his heart.

Then, the sea snake hissed in anger and lunged towards Lu Ping’s hiding place!