Bai Yunfei never thought that they’d be able to find the black-scaled serpent so quickly. From what Mu Chen told them, this serpent enjoyed hibernating within the hill itself and rarely ventured out from its nest. Just forcing it to come out from its nest was a very difficult task, so how lucky was it that the situation was completely different than expected?

Bai Yunfei took a closer look at the serpent. The giant serpentine head poking out from the top of the hill was as black as ink and triangular in shape. The middle of its head had a single black scale as large as a door on it and larger than every other scale it had on its body. Though there was barely any light here, there was a faint reflection shining off from its scales like if being illuminated by a dark light.

This was truly the black-scaled serpent without a doubt.

How lucky was Bai Yunfei, to catch the black-scaled serpent as it was in the middle of taking a deep breath?

Secretly elated at the situation, Bai Yunfei motioned for Zheng Kai and the others to not do anything for now. They’d first observe the situation from afar before doing anything else.

“Is it....training?”

Bai Yunfei muttered after a moment of observation. This black-scaled serpent really was training! This peculiar method of training by swallowing the dark clouds was a strange sight, so it took Bai Yunfei a moment to understand.

“Swallowing the dark clouds....what kind of kick-ass black-scaled serpent is this?” Zheng Kai’s eyes were wide open as he watched the serpent. “I guess when people say they’re [1], this is what they mean! Is this how the soulbeasts of Black Cloud Valley behave and grow?”

He glanced over to Bai Yunfei. “It seems to be concentrating pretty hard right now, Yunfei. Now’s the best time to strike in my opinion, should we strike it down as it does that?”

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Bai Yunfei had a similar thought as well. If the black-scaled serpent was working so earnestly on swallowing the dark clouds without even scanning the surrounding area, then things should work out for them. If he, Xiao Qi, and Long Lan were to fight together, then they’d definitely be able to capture or kill the serpent.

He tilted his head to think about it.

“Alright, that’s what we’ll do! Xiao Qi, Long Lan, you two prepare for battle. Xiao Qi will attack from the left and Long Lan from the right. I’ll attack it head on with my fastest attack. Let’s hope to strike it down in one, if it doesn’t work, don’t let it hide back into the mountain or we’ll never get it back out!”

“Hey, what about me then?” Asked Zheng Kai.

“Ah’Zheng,” Bai Yunfei glanced at him. “Don’t take any risks. That’s a class seven soulbeasts, not a joke. Xiao Qi and Long Lan should be enough. Just wait here and be on the lookout.”

“Ah.....” Zheng Kai frowned briefly before waving his hand. “Fine, whatever. I know I can’t compare with a deviant like you. If I can’t join in on the fight, I’ll be your ‘watchdog’ then.”

......

Standing several kilometers away from Bai Yunfei and the others was a single person whose aura was completely hidden to watch the group.

It was the first elder of the Underworld School.

“So today is the day for the serpent to feed on the clouds....these youngsters have considerable luck. It seems the chance for capturing or kill will be easier than expected, perhaps I won’t need to do anythi—”

The man went rigid, his eyes glued to the flowing clouds off in the distance.

“Something doesn’t seem right here....” He muttered to himself with crinkled eyebrows.

It took him another two seconds before he was able to figure out the reason. “No!! Today shouldn’t be the day the black-scaled serpent should come out for that!!”

The black-scaled serpent wasn’t something the Underworld School was interested in for just a day or two. They’ve been keeping tabs on it and writing down its behavior for a very long time now. Every twenty-five days, the black-scaled serpent would poke its heads out and take in the black clousd to train. But according to the first elder’s calculations.....today shouldn’t be the day the black-scaled serpent should be doing that!

As someone familiar to the behavioral patterns of the black-scaled serpent, the first elder knew there just had to be a special reason why the serpent was breaking its pattern!

He took a closer look at the serpent. The serpent didn’t look off or anything, but the amount of dark clouds it was taking in was clearly a great deal larger than before!

What did that mean?

Another few seconds went by before the elder found his solution. “Is it...is it about to advance?! Impossible!”

The elder went from being relaxed to being on-guard almost instantaneously from this terrible predicament. His soulsense went out at once to scan the serpent in front of him.

But there was already a loud hiss ringing through the skies the moment before his soulsense could confirm anything!

......

Bai Yunfei and the others were already in position with their minds linked together thanks to the effect of the Charm Bracelet. Giving the OK to one another, the two soulbeasts and man dashed off in their respective directions to get to the serpent.

The serpent didn’t even seem to notice them even as they ran, seemingly focused whole-heartedly on its task.

Elated by this stroke of good luck, Bai Yunfei advanced another ten meters forward. Priming himself to attack, Bai Yunfei prepared himself to make the first blow when....everything changed!

It all happened just another few steps after Bai Yunfei was priming up his soulforce. As he took himself just one step further, Bai Yunfei’s face immediately darkened!

“Hiss!!!”

Almost instantaneously, the black-scaled serpent unleashed a heaven-shaking hiss before giving Bai Yunfei a furious death glare at being interrupted!

The black-scaled serpent hadn’t been completely defenseless—it had merely shrunk its defensive perimeter to a minimum. Nothing would be able to get past that perimeter without it being detected, and Bai Yunfei and the others were definitely well past that perimeter!

“Damn! We’ve been spotted! Xiao Qi, Long Lan, attack!!”

Not one to disappoint, Bai Yunfei immediately called out for the other two to attack. His Cataclysmic Seal flew out from his space ring and spat out the fireseed in it. Then, the fireseed melted into Bai Yunfei’s body who then went straight into his ‘coil’ form!

Meanwhile, Xiao Qi and Long Lan flew forward, their soulforce blazing with great energy as they charged at the snake!

“Hiss!!!”

There was another furious hiss from the serpent. It swung its head around to look around itself, but thankfully, the serpent didn’t hide back in its hill as Bai Yunfei was afraid of. Instead, it extended its jaws wide open to bite down onto Long Lan with its black liquid coated fangs!

Long Lan’s human form was larger than the average person, but he was still a small speck compared to the maw of the serpent. Having originally planned on attacking with a blade of elemental energy, Long Lan decided otherwise when the black-scaled serpent moved after him. Eyes glowing with a tint of battle-lust, Long Lan withdrew his hand and unleashed a howl no weaker than the one the serpent gave off earlier!

“Roarrrrr!!!!”

The roar of a dragon was imbued into his howl. Blue light shined outwards from Long Lan’s body with a brightness as intense as if he himself was the sun itself. The surrounding area was washed in a wave of blue light as a giant figure appeared in front of the serpent!

The blue-eyes wyrm!

Since he was in battle, Long Lan opted to transform into his strongest battle form. Now blazing with the true aura of a class seven soulbeast, Long Lan was ready to fight without reserve!

1. ‘swallowing clouds and blowing out fog’