The night breeze blew past, making Ye Feifei's fine hair dance in the wind. Ye Tian's words had sunk deep into her heart. 'To go further with him, I have to become stronger.'
"Brother Tian, Feifei won't let you down. Let's go!" Ye Feifei said seriously. At that moment, she felt an invisible weight of responsibility settle upon her.
Ye Tian nodded slightly. With a mere thought, he executed the First Form of Dragon Form Hundred Transformations. It was his first time using it, so it felt a little awkward. However, having rehearsed it countless times in his mind and incorporating his understanding of the Flowing Cloud Step, the results were quite good.
At first, Ye Feifei could keep pace with Ye Tian. But as he grew more proficient with the First Form, he became faster and faster until, to his surprise, he was nearly twice as fast as her.
Ye Tian felt like a Divine Dragon. His movements were natural, free, and completely unrestrained. Moreover, it consumed very little of his Dragon Spiritual Power.
He stopped beside a large rock. They had reached the area where Demon Beasts roamed. In the distance, Ye Feifei's figure was still closing in at an impressive speed.
"Brother Tian, what Body Technique was that? How can you be so fast?" Ye Feifei asked as she came to his side.
"It's an Ancient Body Technique. I'm still not familiar with it myself," Ye Tian said earnestly. "Perhaps in the future, you'll have a Body Technique just as powerful. Trust me." 'Since Ye Feifei possesses the Divine Phoenix Essence Feather,' he thought, 'the legacy of the Phoenix Race certainly won't be weak.'
Ye Feifei sensed that Ye Tian didn't want to give a real answer, and she felt a pang of disappointment. 'Maybe he has his reasons—things he can't tell me.' Comforting herself with this thought, she felt much better.
Ye Tian scanned their surroundings. "This is just the periphery. Let's keep going. But we need to move slowly from here on out. We could run into a Demon Beast at any moment."
Ye Feifei remembered their encounter with the Gale Wolves. With Ye Tian by her side, however, she felt quite safe. She would never have dared to do this alone.
They both drew their swords. Ye Tian brought out his Black Glaze Sword directly. He couldn't use it in front of the other clan disciples, but out here, he could do as he pleased.
They continued onward, only stopping at dawn. They had found a spot with a small stream, a large clearing, and, most importantly, a cave.
The cave would serve as a place to rest at night and take shelter from the rain. It was an ideal environment for their Cultivation.
"Brother Tian, should we go check out that cave?" Ye Feifei said. "It was probably carved out by people who came into the mountains to hunt Demon Beasts. It's perfect for us."
"Let's wait a bit," Ye Tian said. "We'll go in after the sun is fully up. There could be snakes, vermin, or even a Demon Beast in there. This is the darkest hour before dawn; it's better to be careful." He had a vague feeling that something was inside that cave.
Ye Feifei said no more. They found a clean rock and sat down, leaning against each other quietly as they waited for daylight.
Once it was fully light the next day, the two of them slowly approached the mouth of the cave. "Feifei, stand back," Ye Tian warned. "I sense a very fierce Demon Beast inside. I can feel its presence clearly."
Ye Tian's Perception Power was immense; he could normally sense things from miles away. But although the cave wasn't far, he couldn't get a clear read on what was inside. He found this very strange.
Seeing Ye Tian's solemn expression, Ye Feifei said nothing more and immediately backed away. Meanwhile, Ye Tian gripped his Black Glaze Sword and slowly entered the cave.
The cave mouth was a little over a meter high and two meters wide. It was very deep, making it impossible to see what lay within. Ye Tian had to hunch over to enter, moving with extreme caution.
After advancing about ten meters, Ye Tian stopped in his tracks. Or rather, he began to slowly back away, because he had seen a centipede.
It was a centipede as thick as a bucket, its body coiled like a snake's in a bizarre posture. Its eyes were larger than bowls, and the two antennae on its head were even more terrifying—he could clearly see electric currents crackling along them.
'My intuition is screaming at me,' he thought. 'This unknown centipede is incredibly powerful. I'm no match for it. I have to get out of this cave as fast as I can, or the consequences will be dire.'
At that thought, Ye Tian stayed low, spun around, and sprinted for the cave exit. He moved so fast that he was in front of Ye Feifei in an instant.
"Feifei, run!" Ye Tian yelled, with no time for explanations.
Ye Feifei froze for a second but reacted instantly. 'Whatever startled Ye Tian must be extraordinary.' She immediately broke into a sprint and dashed away.
Just then, the giant centipede charged out of the cave. A loud SKITTERING sound came from its mouth as it gave chase. Its countless legs churned, its speed easily matching Ye Feifei's.
The giant centipede was gradually closing the distance to Ye Feifei. Ye Tian knew that if this kept up, Feifei would be in danger. He abruptly stopped, and Ye Feifei, reaching his side, stopped as well.
But when she turned and saw the giant centipede, she was so stunned she couldn't speak. Her beautiful face went pale, her expression a mask of despair.
Ye Tian noticed her expression. "Feifei, what's wrong? Do you know what this thing is?" he asked.
"I've never seen one, but I've heard the stories. That's the most powerful Demon Beast in these mountains, called a Snake Centipede. They say it's the offspring of a giant centipede and a Barbaric Snake."
"The Snake Centipede is incredibly powerful. Its Scale Armor is said to be impervious to all weapons, and it carries a deadly poison. The most terrifying part is the immense Thunder Power in its head. I can't believe we ran into one... our luck is terrible. Oh, and one more thing... I've heard they love to eat human flesh," Ye Feifei said, her voice trembling with anxiety.
Ye Tian wasn't scared by her words. He was just a little curious. 'A centipede and a Barbaric Snake can have kids together? That's pretty wild.'
"You get back. Let me handle this thing," Ye Tian said to Ye Feifei. "I'm immune to all poisons, so its venom is useless against me. Besides, I have my Black Glaze Sword. I don't care how tough it is; my Black Glaze Sword is no ordinary Longsword. Breaking through its defenses will be easy."
"Brother Tian, please be careful! Why don't we fight it together? There's strength in numbers!" Ye Feifei said, unconvinced.
"I'm more than enough," Ye Tian said. "If even I can't defeat it, you wouldn't stand a chance. Now, let's see just how powerful this thing really is!"