Immortality begins with inheriting the myriad arts of cultivation.

Chapter 101 Slaying the Tier 2 Demon Serpent

They didn't rush to continue exploring the underground situation.

Li Ping and Master Ji used an array to return to Xiaomei Mountain from underground.

Li Ping believed that Master Ji's mischievous grandson, who liked to raid bird nests, might have great fortune by accidentally stumbling upon an underground spiritual vein.

Only after asking Master Ji did they learn that his grandson was also a cultivator with spiritual roots, and possessed the same four spiritual roots as Ji Shuxuan.

Originally, given his restless nature, Master Ji wanted him to go to the Immortal City to follow Li Ping in cultivation and adventure, while the gentle Ji Shuxuan would stay in the family to cultivate.

But since this kid discovered the underground spiritual vein, Master Ji naturally dared not let him go out.

After all, children are naive and might accidentally let slip the truth, which could bring utter disaster to the Ji family if outsiders found out.

Therefore, his grandson can only stay at home obediently, under the strict supervision of his grandfather, father, and uncle, all of whom are mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators.

Li Ping nodded slightly: "Brother Ji, so you mean that besides me, only the four of you know about the underground spiritual veins?"

Li Ping agreed with Master Ji's approach on this point.

Secrets are best kept to a minimum.

Like Ji Shuwen, who was sent to the Crimson Flame Sect for cultivation, she was too young and in an unfamiliar environment, so it was hard to say whether she could keep the secret.

Master Ji sighed: "How could I dare to reveal such a secret to everyone?"

"That's good." Li Ping smiled and nodded. "Then I'll go down and kill that demonic snake later. I'll ask Brother Ji to cover me!"

"good!"

……

Half a day later, Li Ping and Master Ji walked slowly through the underground alley, continuing for about five or six miles.

Li Ping's nostrils twitched slightly as he smelled a foul, fishy odor coming from ahead.

Master Ji whispered a warning to him: "Be careful, Brother Li, that demonic snake is coiled up not far ahead."

Li Ping didn't dare to be careless either. He nodded solemnly before saying, "Brother Ji, you can rest here for now. I'll go ahead and take a look by myself."

If Li Ping gets caught up in the battle with the demonic snake, he might not be able to help him. Daoist Ji only has a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivation level, so he can't be of much help. Instead, he could easily get injured in the aftermath of their battle.

Therefore, he would be better off staying here and not going any further.

Master Ji's eyes showed worry as he instructed, "Alright, Brother Li, you be careful too. If things don't go well, retreat immediately!"

Li Ping nodded, and then leaped forward.

Generally speaking, due to their lack of intelligence, the combat strength of demonic beasts of the same level is mostly inferior to that of cultivators of the same level.

Li Ping possesses two high-grade second-tier magic weapons, one for offense and one for defense, along with numerous mid-grade second-tier spirit talismans. His combat power far surpasses that of other cultivators of the same tier, so he naturally has no fear of demonic snakes of the same tier.

Whoosh!

A streak of fire flew from Li Ping's hand and landed above the underground passage, illuminating it as bright as day.

Not far away, a ferocious-looking serpent, five or six zhang long and as thick as a water bucket, appeared in Li Ping's field of vision.

Li Ping immediately recognized the demonic snake as a mid-grade second-tier 'Flower Scale Python' when his divine sense enveloped it.

As the firelight ignited, it also startled the giant python that was coiled up and resting. Sensing Li Ping's approach, it flicked its tongue and hissed to warn Li Ping, trying to drive him away, but did not move its position to attack.

"Strange, is this serpent guarding something?" Li Ping wondered.

Everything in the world has a spirit, and monsters are no exception. Although they lack intelligence, they know that the spiritual things of heaven and earth are of great benefit to them.

For example, the spiritual creatures that grow in the Cloud and Mist Mountains are usually guarded by demonic beasts. When the spiritual creatures mature, the demonic beasts will devour them.

If humans want to obtain spiritual objects, they can only drive away the demonic beasts or kill them directly.

A thought flashed through his mind, and without hesitation, Li Ping patted his storage bag. A red light and a purple light flew out from his storage bag.

The crimson light spun around and transformed into a shield as tall as a person, hovering in front of him. Meanwhile, the purple light instantly transformed into a two-foot-long flying sword, slashing fiercely at the flower-scaled python opposite him.

"Hiss~"

As the flying sword approached, sensing the danger, the Flower-Scaled Python hissed and spat out a beam of green light towards the Purple Shadow Sword.

Not knowing the details, Li Ping naturally dared not let his flying sword be hit. He quickly used his divine sense to control the flying sword to dodge. The green light did not hit the flying sword, but instead struck the gray rock directly.

Suddenly—

"Sizzle~"

A large chunk of rock was eroded away, and a pungent, fishy stench began to fill the air.

Only then did Li Ping realize that the green light spewed out by the flower-scaled python was actually a pool of venom!

Just then, he also smelled a fishy stench, and immediately felt nauseous.

He was clearly poisoned.

Li Ping frowned slightly. With just a slight rotation of the health-preserving mantra within his body, he cleared the toxins from his body.

Then, without hesitation, he continued to control the flying sword to slash at the flower-scaled python.

boom!

It seemed that spitting venom had also taken a toll on the python, so instead of continuing to spew venom to resist the flying sword, it directly whipped its tail, striking the flying sword at an extremely fast speed.

boom!

It seemed that spitting venom had also taken a toll on the python, so instead of continuing to spew venom to resist the flying sword, it directly whipped its tail, striking the flying sword at an extremely fast speed.

However, Li Ping's flying sword was of superior quality, reaching the second tier, so it was not so easy to defend against.

The python's tail collided with the flying sword, knocking the sword away, but the python's tail was also covered in blood and gore.

"Hiss~"

Wounded, the flower-scaled python's eyes flashed with a hateful green light. It stared fiercely in Li Ping's direction, then suddenly opened its fangs and charged rapidly towards Li Ping.

Wherever it passed, a rumbling sound immediately filled the air.

Li Ping hurriedly manipulated the Crimson Armor Shield to the top. With the infusion of his magic power, a layer of red mist appeared on the surface of the Crimson Armor Shield.

boom!

The demonic serpent slammed headfirst into the crimson armor shield. The immense impact shattered the layer of red mist on the shield's surface, but the shield itself remained completely still, effectively blocking the serpent.

On the contrary, the serpent itself became momentarily sluggish after the collision.

"A good opportunity!" Li Ping certainly wouldn't miss this opportunity, and almost reflexively made a sword gesture.

The purple flying sword whistled as it slashed towards the serpent's neck. If this strike landed, it would definitely separate the serpent's head from its body, killing it instantly.

However, the demon serpent's strength had already reached the mid-stage of the second tier. Sensing the sharp and cold aura of the Purple Shadow Sword, the demon serpent suddenly twisted its body, avoiding the vital point at its neck. The purple light swept across its waist, tearing open a large gash!

Instantly, blood gushed out like a waterfall, staining the walls of the passage crimson.

The stench in the air grew stronger, clearly indicating that the blood of this serpent was also highly poisonous!

However, Li Ping had the protective power of the health preservation technique, so he was naturally not afraid of snake venom.

He continued to wield his flying sword, slashing at the demonic serpent, hacking its body into a bloody mess. The blood flowing from the serpent's body also corroded the walls of the passage, leaving them pitted and uneven.

At this moment, feeling the life force draining from its body, the demon snake finally realized the gap between itself and Li Ping, knowing that continuing to fight would only lead to its death. A trace of fear flashed in its eyes, and it turned and retreated, trying to escape.

But at this point, how could Li Ping possibly let it escape?

He gave a soft shout, stepped directly onto the ground covered in the blood of the demonic snake, and strode after it. He made a hand seal, and the Purple Shadow Sword whistled as it caught up with the demonic snake. With a flash of cold light, it severed the snake's neck in an instant.

boom!

With its head severed, the serpent's corpse lost all life and fell directly to the ground.

The grotesque snake head flipped and flew out, crashing into the passage wall and bouncing a few times before finally falling silent.

Thus, this mid-stage second-tier flower-scaled python also died at Li Ping's hands.

……

Upon seeing the demon snake beheaded, Li Ping couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He had killed many first-tier demonic beasts when he was exploring the Immortal City before, but this was the first time he had killed a second-tier demonic beast.

In fact, this Scaled Python was not weak. Its entire body contained potent venom, enough to affect even Foundation Establishment cultivators. If it were a Foundation Establishment cultivator facing such a poisonous environment, unless they possessed an antidote, they would have no choice but to retreat in despair.

Li Ping, however, was different. He possessed a health-preserving technique that protected his body, making him virtually immune to all poisons.

So in reality, this demonic snake was restrained by him. The flower-scaled python's strongest technique, poison, could not affect him, so naturally, the only outcome was that it was killed by him!

After resting for a while, Li Ping frowned as he looked at the corroded, pitted passage around him. In such a highly toxic environment, let alone Daoist Ji, even Foundation Establishment cultivators would find it difficult to remain unaffected.

Whoosh!

With a wave of his hand, a fireball flew out, and the rising flames instantly burned away the blood and venom on the walls of the passage, filling the air with a burnt smell.

Once the toxins in the air had been burned away by the flames, Li Ping used his divine sense to notify Master Ji that he could come over.

The snake's body, five or six zhang long, lay limply on the ground, while its ferocious head, the size of a water vat, lay several zhang away. Only a figure in a green robe stood proudly.

When Master Ji arrived, this was the scene he saw.

He exclaimed incredulously, "This second-tier demonic serpent is dead just like that? Brother Li, are you alright?!"

Li Ping smiled and waved his hand: "What could possibly happen to a mere demon snake? By the way, Brother Ji, let's collect some materials from this demon snake together."

The flower-scaled python has highly venomous flesh and blood, so Master Ji was very careful when collecting it.

Li Ping didn't care about the deadly poison. With a swift stroke, he peeled off the skin and scales of the python, which were excellent materials for crafting magical artifacts.

Besides its skin and armor, the gallbladder of the flower-scaled python can be used to refine elixirs that enhance cultivation, making it a precious spiritual item.

The most precious part of the entire scaly python is actually its pair of venomous fangs.

Li Ping had already witnessed the venom's potency during the battle just now, and naturally, he wouldn't let go of its pair of venomous fangs when he was gathering materials.

As for the other items like skin, armor, and snake gall, he didn't care at all and gave them directly to Master Ji.

Li Ping planned to refine the pair of venomous fangs into a set of flying needle magic weapons. Flying needles are known for their sinister nature and are difficult to defend against. If they are also poisoned, they will be the perfect magic weapon for scheming against people.

Besides the most precious snake teeth, the skin and armor of the Flower Scale Python can be used to craft first-grade magic artifacts.

When Li Ping offered to give him all the materials, Master Ji repeatedly declined.

But under Li Ping's insistence, he ultimately had no choice but to accept it.