Stepping on the Demoness to become the strongest

While Yan Yu and Liu Longtao were trapped in the belly of the world, numerous sightings of snake-like monsters emerged like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

There were two cases in the Eastern Pacific, one in Oceania, three in East Asia, and one in Southeast Asia, along with the invisible giant snake lurking in Chongying, totaling eight snake-like monsters discovered so far.

Considering that Orochi has eight heads and eight tails, the best speculation is that this monster has divided into eight, wreaking havoc around the world; as for the worst... better not to mention.

The snake-like monster headed for Lu Country, its scales a sandy-yellow color, is currently moving from the Yellow Sea into the Bohai Sea. Underwater drones have detected that any object approaching a certain range of this giant serpent experiences gravitational suppression, causing them to sink to the bottom.

Due to the snake-like monster being in motion, the Bohai Sea's internal shipping routes are under serious threat; more troublesome still, if it lands via Jinmen, it would cause severe earthquake-like disasters in Jinmen.

Therefore, the Privy Council of Lu Country quickly adjusted to the highest level of national emergency, starting to formulate a plan to deal with this yellow giant snake, code-named "Plan Gonggong."

Just as Gonggong, in a fit of rage, hit Buzhou Mountain with his head, the outcome for this mountain-sized snake-like monster is similarly destined: it must be utterly collapsed like the Buzhou pillar of the heavens!

During the implementation phase of Plan Gonggong, all top-tier cultivators were placed on standby, awaiting deployment. Only Su Yunjin and Li Minghu were exceptions.

Their task was to follow Chen Lingyun to rescue Yan Yu and Liu Longtao, freeing Lu Country's top two combat powers as soon as possible. Otherwise, if the two were absent and the remaining cultivators were unable to handle the yellow giant snake, the situation would become extraordinarily perilous.

Su Yunjin, following Chen Lingyun, flew across the Yellow Sea, secretly transmitting her voice along the way:

"Li Minghu... she hasn't formed her Core yet, can she be of any help to us?"

"Yes," Chen Lingyun replied.

"But it shouldn't have to be her, right?" Su Yunjin frowned, "If we loosen the criteria to include Sword Immortals who haven't formed their Core, surely Ningning would be more suitable."

"True," Chen Lingyun responded, "Ningning could indeed work, but Minghu is more appropriate for this trip. There's a chance to resolve her physical issue once and for all this time."

"Really?" Su Yunjin hesitated at once.

From a professional point of view, Lin Ning would certainly be more in sync with her and Chen Lingyun's tactical coordination; emotionally, she was more willing to help Ningning seize this opportunity. But if Li Minghu had a compelling reason to go, she was too embarrassed to insist on Ningning's behalf.

"Think about it," Chen Lingyun continued, "if Minghu's health never recovers, she'd have to continuously take medication, and Yan Yu would have to regularly help maintain her health..."

"Since Minghu is in difficulty, we can't not help," Su Yunjin immediately thought to herself, "Sorry Ningning," and then earnestly expressed her lack of opposition.

Li Minghu was unaware of what the two had communicated, but she didn't have the leisure to care about it, only repeatedly contemplating how she might be of assistance.

Based on the data collected so far, a flesh-and-blood giant snake at least has Golden Core level strength to deal with. Nothing else, just its terrifying speed capable of plowing the ground for a thousand miles at a slightest move, a cultivator without Core Formation might not escape in time.

Can I really help?

Forget it, with insufficient information, overthinking is unhelpful; it's better to follow Chen Lingyun's orders diligently.

To find the invisible giant snake, relying on surveillance equipment is impossible. After the three reached the destination, they repeatedly hovered through the sky, waiting for Yan Yu and Liu Longtao to once again approach the flesh-and-blood giant snake in the belly of the world, exposing its form in the real world.

After waiting for a moment, Li Minghu suddenly spoke:

"If the flesh-and-blood giant snake has unlimited regeneration ability, then Yan Yu and Liu Longtao, not knowing we are searching for them, would presumably avoid being detected by the souls as much as possible, right?"

"That's correct," Chen Lingyun replied.

"That also means their actions make it difficult for them to appear in the real world." Li Minghu concluded.

"Ling Yun must have explained this before leaving, right?" Su Yunjin asked, "Like revealing their position periodically or something?"

"No," Chen Lingyun said calmly, "Before I left, I wasn't sure if I could exit that world. After being swallowed by the flesh-and-blood giant snake, it took considerable effort to escape, and I had no opportunity to notify them midway."

"Then, is there another way to detect the invisible giant snake's traces?" Li Minghu pondered, "Maybe it leaves marks as it passes by?"

"If there were marks, we'd have found them long ago," Su Yunjin replied, "For now, we're estimating the invisible giant snake's general movement direction based on where it appeared a few times before."

"You're overlooking something," Chen Lingyun raised her eyebrow, "What's the invisible giant snake's purpose for wandering?"

Su Yunjin and Li Minghu exchanged glances, suddenly realizing, and replied in unison:

"To eat people!"

"As long as we observe where residents are collectively disappearing, we'll know where the invisible giant snake is," Chen Lingyun said, taking out her phone, glancing at it, "Let's go."

Not long after, the three arrived at the scene.

It was still an abandoned town, deserted, but faint car honking sounds could be heard from a distance, evidently indicating the invisible giant snake hadn't eaten there yet, so its body should be nearby.

All three simultaneously extended their Divine Sense, scanning as wide an area as possible. Chen Lingyun pulled out the Prison Banner again, releasing hundreds of ghost shadows, waited a moment, showed a satisfied smile, and pointed in a direction.

She was referring to the nearby stadium. The three of them flew with their swords to the edge of the stadium and immediately heard the sounds of people hiding inside, crying and shouting. At first, it was desperate cries, but soon it gradually ceased, as if one by one their mouths were being sealed.

Su Yunjin extended her divine sense forward. After Core Formation, the range and precision of her divine sense had greatly improved. She penetrated through the skylight at the top of the stadium to infiltrate inside but saw only an empty arena.

"It's here!" Li Minghu suddenly warned, "Be careful!"

Without a second thought, Su Yunjin hastily moved her hand and incanted the Taoism Method.

The Southern Dipper Galaxy Secret Art responded to the incantation, quickly forming a large water curtain around the three. Yet, all that could be seen was layer upon layer of water curtains in front being forcibly breached, revealing the hideous snout of a giant snake.

Su Yunjin changed the Taoist incantation and unleashed a move called "River and Sunset." A terrifying stream of water, strong enough to break a dam, poured directly from the void, forcibly countering the invisible giant serpent's momentum.

But it only held for a moment.

In an instant, the river's flow reversed. The three only felt a flicker before their eyes, and upon regaining their senses, there was no trace of the invisible giant serpent or the Tianhe Water.

"We should be in its stomach world now," Li Minghu started the conversation.

"Why didn't you make a move just now?" Su Yunjin subconsciously asked.

"There's no need to act," Chen Lingyun replied, "This is exactly where we wanted to be."

"I couldn't beat it," Li Minghu admitted openly.

Su Yunjin sighed. She had just been startled into a reflexive counterattack, but it seemed now to have been a futile effort.

With the aid of numerous Yin Ghosts for reconnaissance, the three quickly confirmed the whereabouts of Yan Yu and Liu Longtao.

Video game store.

They went through the wall and indeed saw the two of them holding controllers and playing games.

"Wait a moment," Yan Yu said without turning his head, "I'm about to turn this game around."

"Turn it around?" Liu Longtao also stared at the screen, laughing coldly, "Let's see how I crush you..."

The screen suddenly went black; it was Chen Lingyun who unplugged the console's power directly.

The two of them let out a simultaneous, devastated scream. Su Yunjin came to Yan Yu's side, shaking her head in disbelief, and said:

"Captain! At a time like this, you're still playing games?"

"What does it matter?" Yan Yu laughed heartily, "No matter how rampantly this giant serpent acts, it can't possibly get to the mainland of the Lu Country; solving it sooner or later is the same..."

"That's not entirely true," Li Minghu suddenly said, "Another one has already been observed in the waters near the Bohai Sea."

Yan Yu and Liu Longtao exchanged a glance and hurriedly stood up, saying:

"Then we need to go immediately!"

Perhaps their previous screams had been heard outside. Just as the five of them walked out of the video game store, they saw a large crowd of wandering souls gathered outside, with expressions as blank as zombies, chanting in unison:

"Found you! Found you! Found you!"

Moments later, the explosive sound of the Taoism Method echoed in the sky. Within the rising mushroom cloud, a massive blood-serpent broke forth from the ground, its neck coiling like a spring, and suddenly shot its head downwards.

"Go!" Chen Lingyun shouted, and the five of them transformed into sword lights, neither dodging nor avoiding, flying directly into the gaping maw of the blood-serpent.

Her purple sword light flew alone at the front, with the others following closely behind. They were surrounded by boundless darkness in all directions, the air permeated with a strange and sweet scent. Though not foul, inhaling too much caused dizziness and a splitting headache.

The group finally landed on firm ground, finding it as hard as mountain rock beneath their feet. The surrounding walls, however, resembled bundles of massive muscles, which shuddered and squirmed every few seconds, like the stomach cavity of a behemoth.

Above them was an impenetrable darkness. From nearby, the sound of dripping water could be heard, occasionally distant, sometimes near, and it fluctuated unpredictably.

"You all need to be careful," Chen Lingyun warned, "The water here is highly toxic. Avoid contact with it at all costs, or your lives will be at risk."

"You're just joking," Liu Longtao spoke candidly, "Given our lineup here, even a machine gun spraying us wouldn't hit the corners of our clothes, let alone worry about getting splashed by water drops."

"Of course, there's reason to worry," Chen Lingyun smiled and said, "After all, water flows."

As if to confirm her words, the next second, the nearby muscles convulsed sharply, followed by a massive flood of yellow-green viscous liquid rushing in from the darkness behind them like a torrent.

The group hastily flew upward on their swords, watching the toxic flood surge rapidly past beneath their feet. Mixed within it were countless drifting corpses, each with hateful and resentful eyes staring up at the cultivators in the air, seemingly ready to leap up and drag them into the water at any moment.