Chapter 1053: Bring the Great Daoist Brush Master Down with Me

Ruler Qi was truly afraid of snakes. Her face was ashen, and her arms were wrapped tightly around Ye Guan's arms as she whimpered in fear.

Ye Guan couldn't help but feel amused. She was the leader of a Tier Six civilization, yet she was terrified of snakes.

However, Ye Guan's smile faded when a swarm of snakes appeared all around them. His expression grew solemn.

If he had access to his cultivation base, the entire desert would disappear with a mere wave of his hand. Without access to his cultivation base, he dared not summon even the Qingxuan Sword.

His instincts warned him that something wasn't right about this place; someone powerful could be watching from the shadows, so it would be wise not to reveal his Qingxuan Sword carelessly.

Run!

Ye Guan bolted away with Ruler Qi on his back.

The sands shifted, and the snakes went into a frenzy, chasing after them.

Ye Guan's scalp tingled at the sight. Ruler Qi buried her face into the back of his neck; she was too scared to even glance at the surroundings. Ye Guan didn't look either. His gaze was fixed ahead—at the grand hall in the distance.

"Master Pagoda, any ideas?"

Ye Guan asked.

"None."

Ye Guan's face darkened.

"I can die, but not here! If I die here, both of our reputations will be ruined!"

Little Pagoda thought for a moment and agreed.

"True. How about... you call for help?"

"Are you serious? What do you think my aunt will think upon seeing this mess? I'd rather die than do that! Oh, and I must not forget to bring the Great Daoist Brush Master down with me."

Little Pagoda sounded curious.

"Why do you hate him so much?"

"My intuition tells me he's plotting something big. He hides it well, but if I'm ever going to die, I'm taking him with me."

"Now that you mention it, he

does

seem shady."

Ye Guan glanced around. "Master Pagoda, enough about him. Do you have a plan to help me escape?"

Little Pagoda answered,

"Run."

Ye Guan looked at the sea of snakes around them. Though these snakes weren't very powerful, he and Ruler Qi were in no state to fend off such an overwhelming number of snakes.

It was truly a case of the weak preying on the mighty once the latter had fallen.

Despite feeling frustrated, Ye Guan's legs only moved faster.

Little Pagoda suddenly suggested.

"Why not spill some of your blood?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your blood contains the power of three different bloodlines. It should terrify these low-level demonic beasts."

Ye Guan thought about it for a moment before nodding in agreement. It made sense. He bit down on his finger, drawing a drop of blood. As soon as the blood hit the ground, the snakes froze in place.

Ye Guan was elated. The next instant, however, their eyes turned blood-red. Like predators who had caught a whiff of prey, they rushed at him with even more ferocity.

To make matters worse, a low, menacing roar echoed from far away in the desert. Soon, a large, terrifying creature could be seen moving beneath the sands.

Ye Guan's heart sank. This was bad.

Ruler Qi suddenly tugged at his ear. "Run faster!"

Snapping back to reality, Ye Guan sprinted even harder. He stammered as he ran, "M-M-Master Pagoda, why are they going even faster? I thought my blood is going to scare them away?"

"Maybe they're ignorant? They probably have no idea how incredible your blood is..."

Ye Guan's face darkened once more.

What a terrible idea!

The snakes desperately chased after Ye Guan.

The entire desert came alive, and it seemed like every creature was chasing after him.

Ye Guan moved forward with Ruler Qi on his back. He knew that he would die if he couldn't get out of this desert as soon as possible.

Death wasn't so terrifying. What was terrifying was dying like this.

The grand hall was getting closer, but the sands suddenly erupted, and a massive snake emerged. Its jaws stretched wide open as it attempted to devour him whole.

Ye Guan's expression turned grim. With a swift kick off the ground, he sprang forward, launching himself into the air. His body slammed into the massive snake's scaly frame with a thunderous

boom

.

The force of the impact sent both of them flying across the sky.

As soon as Ye Guan landed, a relentless sea of snakes surged toward him from behind.

Ye Guan leaped into the air and made a break for the grand hall. He was now less than a kilometer away from it.

So close. Almost there.

The massive snake sprang up, and its blood-red eyes locked onto Ye Guan's figure. With a menacing hiss, it bared its fangs and rushed forward.

Ye Guan could feel the hot, stifling breath of the snakes behind him, and a chill ran down his spine.

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

When he was within arm's reach of the grand hall, the sandy ground in front of him exploded. Giant snakes—their bodies thicker than tree trunks—erupted from the sand.

One of the snakes lashed out with its tail. The force of the strike sent a tidal wave of sand flying skyward. In a split second, Ye Guan was flung through the air, and he tumbled helplessly across the desert.

The rest of the snakes immediately surround him. Ye Guan acted quickly. He dropped Ruler Qi onto the ground, and the latter's eyes widened. She stared at Ye Guan with suspicion written across her face.

"Are you going to sacrifice me?" Ruler Qi asked, her voice tense.

The idea had occurred to her long ago. One life could easily divert the attention of the snakes, giving the other person a chance to escape.

However, Ye Guan remained silent. In one swift motion, he bit down on his own finger. Before Ruler Qi could react, Ye Guan wrapped his arm around her waist, and he hurled her toward the distant grand hall.

Several snakes instantly turned their attention toward Ruler Qi and got ready to strike. But before they could attack, Ye Guan lifted his hand into the air. The effect was immediate. Every snake froze as they focused on Ye Guan's blood.

Their pupils dilated, and the snakes trembled with an uncontrollable frenzy.

At the same time, Ye Guan spun around and dashed in the opposite direction. The snakes, driven mad by the scent of his blood, gave chase without hesitation.

Ruler Qi could only watch in stunned silence.

Ye Guan sprinted with everything he had, and he was so desperate that he hadn't noticed how some of the snakes who had stopped to lick his blood had erupted into bloody mists.

His potent blood was too much for them to handle.

Despite that, the snakes showed no signs of slowing down.

Ye Guan's strength was waning, and the snakes were closing in fast.

Suddenly, the ground ahead of him exploded once more, and from the depths of the desert, a massive figure emerged. It was another snake, but this one was far larger than the rest. Its figure stretched hundreds of meters long, and it lunged at Ye Guan, carrying with it a tidal wave of sand that slammed into him.

Ye Guan crashed into the sand, but he forced himself to rise. Before he could do anything, a shadow loomed over him. The giant snake's tail came crashing down again.

Ye Guan's reflexes kicked in. With a desperate leap, he narrowly avoided the strike just as the tail smashed into the ground where he had been standing moments before. The impact left a massive crater in the sand.

Panting heavily, Ye Guan's eyes narrowed into slits. This was no ordinary snake—it was the Snake King. Despite the danger, however, a flicker of excitement shimmered in his eyes.

He had been waiting for the Snake King.

The Snake King hissed in fury, its massive body coiling as it prepared to strike again.

However, Ye Guan was ready. He flicked his fingers, sending a drop of his blood flying toward the beast.

The Snake King's eyes blazed with fury as it saw the blood approaching. It opened its jaws wide, allowing the blood to fall into its mouth. The moment it swallowed, its eyes widened in shock, and it convulsed violently.

The next moment, a deafening explosion echoed as it exploded into a shower of flesh and blood.

The surrounding snakes were shocked into silence.

Ye Guan wasted no time and seized the opportunity to sprint toward the grand hall. By the time the snakes regained their senses, he had already reached the grand hall. Strangely, the snakes refused to approach the temple as if something within terrified them.

They lingered in the desert, hissing from a distance.

Ye Guan collapsed at the entrance, gasping for breath. If he had died here, it would have been utterly disgraceful. Thankfully, those demonic beasts couldn't handle the power of his bloodline.

Ruler Qi approached him and crouched down with a smile. "Are you alright?"

Ye Guan glanced up at her. "I'm fine."

Ruler Qi's gaze softened as she said, "I'm sorry... I misunderstood you."

Ye Guan shook his head, his expression indifferent. "It's nothing."

"Are you really not angry?"

"Why would I be angry? I saved you because I figured it would be better if one of us lived. That's all. However, I

did

consider sacrificing you. Too bad your blood doesn't attract them. Otherwise, I would have thrown you out earlier."

With that, Ye Guan closed his eyes and started resting.

Ruler Qi watched him for a long while before a small smile tugged at her lips.

"Still, thank you."

Before Ye Guan could respond, his face darkened when he saw something bizarre outside. Ruler Qi followed his gaze, and her smile faded. The snakes were retreating as if an even greater threat was approaching.