Chapter 177: Slaughter

Ancient Beasts was the name for those creatures from ancient times, such as the Underworld King Snake, Dwarf Spirit, Giant Elephant, and others, whether artificial or natural, that existed due to Spiritual Energy.

These creatures became fewer and rarer as the environment changed. Because their bodies contained Spiritual Energy, they were considered treasure in the current world.

When the braided big man heard his subordinate’s report, he knew that giant python was probably full of treasure. Its meat could be eaten as Spiritual Energy Food, and its scales and bones could be used to make weapons. According to his subordinate’s description, given the python’s size, it was worth a fortune.

Thinking this, he felt a surge of excitement: ‘Today is truly my lucky day. Not only did we eliminate a group from the Shadow Corps and find two beautiful girls, but treasure also fell from the sky.’

Sha Qiu began loudly urging his surrounding subordinates to head to the python’s location.

One subordinate asked, “Sir, what about these two women?”

Sha Qiu’s eyes rolled: “If that python is really as big as a small hill, we’ll probably need all of us to dismember and move it. Hmph, bring them along. We’ll set up camp there for the next few days.”

Han Saier held her senior sister, tears falling like pearls one by one.

“Senior sister, I’m too useless.”

Lin Yuexi gave a bitter smile and whispered close to her ear, “Saier, I’ll try to create an opportunity for you later. Seize the chance to escape.”

“Stop chattering!” Two big men came over, grabbed the two women, and forced them to move. Their gazes at the women were full of lust, but they didn’t dare make any moves before their leader acted.

The group of several dozen people passed through the forest and arrived near the small hillside. Everyone stared intently at the giant python below the slope.

The python, coiled up like a small hill, remained motionless even in death, exuding a terrifying sense of pressure. Many black-clad men couldn’t help but swallow hard upon seeing this, their faces showing tension. As for the small Zuo Zhicheng nearby, he was completely ignored.

“Sir, is that thing really dead?”

“Could it just be sleeping?”

“When have you ever seen a snake sleep outdoors in winter?”

The giant snake’s size was truly shocking, and even Sha Qiu felt doubtful. He asked a subordinate nearby, “Are you sure it’s dead?”

“Yes.” The subordinate nodded vigorously. “When we went down to capture that woman earlier, no matter how much commotion we made, the big snake didn’t move at all. I think it’s definitely dead. Besides, snakes hate the cold. In such cold winter, if it were alive, it wouldn’t lie in the snow.”

Sha Qiu nodded, his gaze toward the Underworld King Snake filled with greed.

But just as everyone focused their attention on the Underworld King Snake, a sudden scream rang out. A black-clad man was seen clutching his neck, screaming as he fell down. Beside him, Lin Yuexi had already knocked aside another man. With blood all over her mouth, she shouted, “Run!”

Han Saier’s eyes showed struggle and hesitation, but after Lin Yuexi glared at her fiercely, she quickly ran away.

As for Lin Yuexi, she was soon pinned to the ground by the big men who rushed up from all around.

Sha Qiu’s lips curled slightly as he sneered, “Did you really think you could escape?”

“Bow.”

He stretched out his hand, and a subordinate naturally handed him a bow and arrow. Sha Qiu drew the bow, aimed at Han Saier’s retreating back, and fired.

Whoosh!

Han Saier screamed and tumbled down the slope, landing exactly ten meters in front of Zuo Zhicheng.

Above, Sha Qiu laughed and drew a second arrow.

Lin Yuexi shouted frantically, “Run! Saier, run!”

But Han Saier, who had rolled down the slope, was disoriented and couldn’t even get up.

The next moment, Sha Qiu chuckled and released the bowstring. The arrow whooshed as it shot toward Han Saier’s leg.

Whoosh! Boom!

Just as the arrow was about to hit Han Saier’s leg, a strong, powerful hand seemed to emerge from thin air. Accompanied by a booming sound, it traveled from ten meters away to the arrow’s path and easily caught the arrow.

Before the arrow could hit, Zuo Zhicheng stood up, took one step, and appeared beside Han Saier as if teleporting.

The boom just now was the sound of Zuo Zhicheng stepping on the ground. One could even see the snowflakes along his path shooting into the air before slowly drifting back down, as if it were snowing again.

In Zuo Zhicheng’s hand, the arrow shaft and fletching, due to the inertia from rapid to instant stop, still vibrated intensely, as if alive.

Zuo Zhicheng exerted a little force, and the arrow in his hand broke into two pieces, falling to the ground.

He had fought the Underworld King Snake earlier and defeated it, but his Power of Mind and Spirit was greatly depleted, so he chose to sit cross-legged and meditate to recover it.

Originally, he didn’t want to get involved in what was happening in front of him, but since the other side was clearly coming to seize the Underworld King Snake, he couldn’t just stand by.

The two broken arrow pieces fell to the ground. Han Saier turned her head and looked blankly at Zuo Zhicheng, still confused about what had just happened.

The people on the slope saw it clearly. Faced with Zuo Zhicheng’s display of skill, Sha Qiu was surprised: “Who are you, sir? We are from the Impermanence Battalion of Dìyù Gate. The woman behind you is our captive.”

A glimmer of hope appeared in Lin Yuexi’s eyes. She lifted her head and shouted, “Sir, we are from the Shadow Corps. If you save the girl behind you and leave quickly, we will repay you generously in the future.” Halfway through her words, she grunted as her head was pushed back into the snow.

“Dìyù Gate?” A cold light flashed in Zuo Zhicheng’s eyes as he looked at Sha Qiu and the others.

Sha Qiu and his men felt as if a cold wind had swept over them, their bodies inexplicably chilling. He shouted, “Friend, our sect’s Dharma King Zhuan Lun is nearby. If you leave now, we’ll act as if nothing happened.”

He was uncertain of the other’s strength and wanted to scare him off using the Dharma King’s reputation.

But he saw the man slowly walking toward their direction: “Since you are from Dìyù Gate…”

The next moment, Sha Qiu’s sense of danger screamed, but wind and snow covered his face. The howling wind prevented him from even speaking as a figure trod through the snow, arriving before him.

No, it shouldn’t be said he was treading through the snow; it was more that the wind and snow themselves were created by this person’s movement. It was the phenomenon caused by feet stepping rapidly on the snowy ground.

“…then you should die.”

In the next instant, a fist descended from above, smashing directly into Sha Qiu’s head.

A force like mountains and seas came out of nowhere. In slow motion, one could see Sha Qiu’s forehead first dent and crack, then his eyeballs unable to withstand the pressure, bursting out, followed by his jaw deforming and twisting, until his entire head was pressed into his chest.

Stepping on the eyeball that had fallen to the ground, Zuo Zhicheng then looked at the remaining stunned people.