Ye Tian looked at the giant snake before him, a sense of worry in his heart. The creature's body was completely disproportionate to its length, making it look bizarre.
After tightening his grip on the Fine Steel Sword in his hand, Ye Tian prepared to test it. He rapidly circulated the Dragon Spiritual Power within his body, preparing for a surprise attack.
His figure flashed as he executed the Flowing Cloud Step in concert with the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique. A powerful Sword Qi attack instantly materialized, speeding toward the giant snake.
This time, Ye Tian directly used the Third Form of the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique. He wanted to see just how formidable this giant snake was and whether he had any chance of killing it.
'If I'm no match for it, I'll flee immediately. If it's not that strong, then I'll see if this giant snake has the Inner Core I want inside it.'
Ye Tian's Fine Steel Sword struck the giant snake's body with perfect accuracy, and in that instant, the unexpected happened.
Ye Tian had expected his attack to at least draw some of the giant snake's blood, but instead, a massive rebounding force sent him flying.
His wrist, gripping the hilt, throbbed with pain. An ordinary sword might have shattered under that rebounding force. Ye Tian stared at the giant snake before him, his face filled with horror.
His attack hadn't even broken through the giant snake's defense. This was currently Ye Tian's most powerful attack, yet it was useless against this creature, a testament to just how terrifying it was.
Ye Tian instantly realized that fighting this giant snake was tantamount to suicide. He had to escape this place as quickly as possible. He prepared to execute the Flowing Cloud Step and flee.
But then, something even stranger happened. "Human, do not flee. I will not harm you, but I need you to answer a few questions." The voice was somewhat aged, yet it had genuinely sounded from behind Ye Tian.
'This giant snake can talk? Oh my god! I've actually encountered a Demon Beast that can speak human language! This is unbelievable!' Ye Tian felt his legs go weak, and he nearly lost his balance.
On the Celestial Dragon Continent, Demon Beasts were as numerous as humans, but those that could speak human language were exceedingly rare. They were all incredibly powerful experts among Demon Beasts.
They were like Martial Saints among human Martial Artists, those who had opened three Dragon Veins. In all of Lisha City, there were at most one or two Martial Saint experts, so it was natural for Ye Tian to be shocked by such an encounter.
Ye Tian's heart pounded in his chest. He slowly turned to face the giant snake. He knew with perfect clarity that a Demon Beast capable of human speech was not something he could possibly contend with.
Even using the Flowing Cloud Step with all his might would be useless. He probably wouldn't make it a few hundred meters before being caught, and then his death would be even more miserable.
"Who are you? Why do you want me to answer your questions? What do you want to ask?" Ye Tian asked.
Ye Tian knew his questions sounded a bit foolish, but facing a Demon Beast that could talk like this, he couldn't help but be nervous.
"You'd better be more polite when you speak to me, or I'll swallow you whole! There's no one in this Lisha City I wouldn't dare to swallow. Just remember that!" the giant snake said.
Ye Tian was even more shocked. 'This thing even knows about Lisha City. That means it must be very familiar with the city. I just don't know what it wants to ask.'
"Then what do you want me to answer?" Ye Tian asked. Although this giant snake was powerful, he had an ace up his sleeve. 'Worse comes to worst, I can have the Divine Dragon Remnant Soul deal with it. I'm sure this snake would be no match for it. Who knows, after absorbing this snake's Energy, the Divine Dragon Remnant Soul might even recover faster.'
"In the marketplace in Lisha City, there's a scruffy old man who runs a stall. Have you heard of him?" the giant snake asked.
Of course Ye Tian knew that old man. 'I have to go pull the sword in a few days. But why is this snake asking about him? Could it be they're enemies? Or is the snake also after that Black Glaze Sword?'
"I know him. He sets out a black longsword at his stall and says that whoever can pull it out can have it," Ye Tian said, neither servile nor overbearing.
"Yes, that's him. Then do you know who pulled out that longsword?" the giant snake asked again.
Hearing this, Ye Tian panicked. 'Didn't that old man say he would only put out the Black Glaze Sword again when I came? Who could have beaten me to it? That sword was clearly no ordinary item. What a pity!'
"Are you saying someone pulled out the Black Glaze Sword? When did this happen?" Ye Tian asked, frustrated.
"It wasn't pulled out. That damned old man just stopped putting it out altogether. So I assumed someone must have pulled it out, but he hasn't come to find me after all this time, which is really frustrating me," the giant snake said.
At this, Ye Tian was truly dumbfounded. 'I can't believe this giant snake actually knows the scruffy old man. What's their relationship? Don't tell me this snake is the old man's pet? That seems unlikely!'
However, after hearing the snake's words, Ye Tian relaxed considerably. 'It seems the scruffy old man kept his promise and didn't put the Black Glaze Sword out again, which is why the snake mistakenly thought someone had pulled it out.'
"You know that scruffy old man? What's your relationship?" Ye Tian asked, growing bold.
"You don't need to ask about that. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let you off the hook. But you have to promise me one thing. If you dare to deceive me, I can go to Lisha City and take your life at any time," the giant snake said.
Ye Tian felt a bit frustrated. 'This guy actually wants me to do something for him. That must mean there's something holding him back. Otherwise, with his power, he could easily do many things himself.'
Knowing it's wise to yield when at a disadvantage, Ye Tian glanced at the giant snake and asked, "What do you want me to do? If I can do it, I'll do my best. But if I can't, you can't blame me."
"After you enter the city, have that scruffy old man come see me. I have something to ask him!" the giant snake said.
Ye Tian wanted to ask the snake why it didn't just go find the scruffy old man itself, but he swallowed the words. 'Isn't it incredibly powerful? Could there really be someone in Lisha City it's wary of?'
"Understood. I'll tell him. But I need to wait a few more days before I go back. My strength is too low right now; I need some time for Cultivation," Ye Tian said.
The giant snake glanced at Ye Tian and said, "To increase your strength, you must constantly temper yourself on the edge of life and death. I can find some Demon Beasts of similar strength to yours to accompany your Cultivation. If you kill them, you'll get their Inner Cores."
Such a good offer made Ye Tian very happy. 'Aren't Demon Beasts supposed to be on the same side? Why would it help a human?' He found it a bit confusing.
"Then thank you very much! But please don't find any that are too powerful. I'm afraid I'll be eaten by a Demon Beast before I can even get back to Lisha City. You can't blame me if that happens!" Ye Tian said.
"I know how to handle it. I'll be nearby! Just focus on your Cultivation!" the giant snake said. Then, with a twist of its massive body, it vanished from Ye Tian's sight in a matter of breaths...