Chapter Thirty-Three: Fierce Battle with the Frost Serpent

Chapter Thirty-Three: Fierce Battle with the Ice Serpent

Seeing that he could not dodge the serpent’s tail, Wu Hong, in order to avoid injury, immediately leapt toward the mountainside behind him. With a thunderous crash, a sizable cave appeared in the cliff face just as the giant serpent’s tail swept past. Wu Hong quickly stowed his weapon and, like a gecko, clung to the serpent’s tail, allowing himself to be carried into the air.

As the serpent’s tail struck the mountain, massive boulders weighing tens of thousands of pounds tumbled down. The cliff was left with a terrifying, jagged wound, as though a giant blade had carved through it. Yet there was no sign of Wu Hong. The serpent, assuming the tiny creature had been smashed into pulp, was just savoring its triumph when it suddenly sensed something amiss—a small figure was rapidly crawling up its tail toward its head.

Raising its tail, the Ice Serpent saw Wu Hong climbing swiftly like a lizard toward its colossal head. Enraged, the serpent thrashed its tail violently through the air, but no matter how it whipped about, it could not dislodge Wu Hong.

The serpent’s body was smooth and slick, making it impossible for any larger creature to climb. But the serpent’s immense size worked against it: each of its scales was half a meter long, and the gaps between them were just the right size for Wu Hong’s fingers to grip. Using both hands, Wu Hong climbed steadily between the shimmering, blade-like scales, finding firm purchase in the crevices.

Although the serpent was enormous, Wu Hong dared not stand upright or run along its body. Flattening himself against the serpent’s form, he kept out of reach of the gaping maw that threatened to devour him, for the serpent was wary of biting itself in its rage. Instead, the monster soared into the sky, twisting and turning like a silver dragon.

Wu Hong’s strength was unmatched. Despite the serpent’s wild thrashing, he clung to its body as firmly as a mountain. The force was so great that several scales snapped and cracked under his grip. Though these scales were nothing to the gigantic serpent, the pain drove it into a frenzy.

Again and again, the serpent smashed the section where Wu Hong clung against the cliff, hoping to crush its stubborn adversary. Wu Hong moved with the agility of an ant, shifting his position every time he felt the rush of wind that signaled another blow against the mountain, keeping his body from striking the rock face. Still, falling stones battered him, threatening to make him cough blood.

Wu Hong had reached the Blood Refining Realm, but his organs and bones were not yet indestructible. The serpent’s attacks left his insides creaking and cracking with a chilling sound of bone fracture. Blood spurted from his mouth; clearly, his internal organs had been shaken.

Yet he summoned all his strength, climbing swiftly toward the serpent’s head. If he could reach its eyes and strike with all his power, perhaps there was still a shred of hope. A beast like this could easily swallow even a beginner of the Marrow Refining Realm.

Focusing all his energy into his right hand, Wu Hong decided to gamble everything. Flames of the Nameless Buddha Fire enveloped his palm, which swelled to ten times its size, reaching half a meter across. With a shout, he struck.

With a heavy thud, the flaming palm smashed into the serpent’s body. Instantly, the serpent felt an overwhelming, domineering heat surge into it—the energy it despised most. Its tail began to burn, and it let out a sound that was both dragon’s roar and serpent’s hiss.

This strange force paralyzed the serpent. For Wu Hong and all other cultivators, the serpent’s icy breath was poison—a deadly chill. But for the serpent, this searing heat was just as lethal.

Wu Hong felt the serpent’s body plunging downward and rejoiced. “Let’s see if I don’t finish you off, beast!” he shouted.

Taking advantage of the serpent’s distraction as it fought the invading energy, Wu Hong stood upright and raced along its back. In a few leaps, he reached its head and punched directly at one of its eyes.

With a deafening crash, Wu Hong used all his strength, but could not shatter the eye as large as a window of red gemstone. Still, his tremendous force sent blood spurting from the serpent’s eye.

The blow jolted the serpent, restoring its mobility, but it was too late. Although Wu Hong had drained his energy with his previous attack, his monstrous strength remained.

Grabbing a scale on the serpent’s head, Wu Hong began pounding with his fist, raining blow after blow upon the monster’s skull, much like the legendary Wu Song slaying the tiger. Each strike resounded like a giant’s drum echoing through the mountains.

Dazed and reeling, the serpent lost all control, plummeting straight to the bottom of the cliff.

With a tremendous crash, the serpent’s massive body—dozens of meters long—smashed into the ravine below, crushing several ancient trees so thick it would take dozens of men to encircle them, yet its scales remained unbroken, a testament to their hardness.

But now the serpent lay silent, as if dead.

Wu Hong struck it a few more times to be sure. When it did not move, he remained wary. Drawing his dagger, he plunged it into the serpent’s head. The blade sank half a meter deep without resistance, but the serpent’s skull was so large that this failed to be fatal.

Seeing the bloodied dagger, Wu Hong shook his head, put it away, and took out his sledgehammer.

With a shout, he leapt more than ten meters into the air, preparing to smash down with all his might. The hammer gathered such force it seemed to form an aura of pure strength.

“Wait! Spare me!” a voice suddenly echoed in Wu Hong’s mind. Startled, Wu Hong realized this was a skill possessed only by Marrow Refining masters.

Meanwhile, in a narrow cave on the cliff, Fatty watched Wu Hong and the serpent plunge to the ravine below, his feelings in turmoil. Part of him hoped both would perish, avenging his son, yet another part felt concern.

“Damn it, why should I care for that demon Wu? If he dies, my son is avenged!” Fatty cursed aloud in the cave. Yet he could not shake a nagging sense of unease—Wu Hong had saved his life several times, displaying the chivalry of a true hero, and Fatty, though known for his loyalty and generosity, now found himself torn by conflicting emotions.

He felt a strange emptiness. For all his desire to eat Wu Hong’s flesh and drink his blood, now that his enemy had fallen into the abyss, he was left bewildered.

Just then, glancing down the cliff, Fatty spotted a gigantic figure swiftly ascending toward him. Alarmed, he retreated into the narrow cave.

Wu Hong, riding atop the flying Ice Serpent’s head, soared upward at twice the speed he’d climbed before, soon reaching the cave where Fatty hid.

Just as Wu Hong was about to finish the serpent with his hammer, the voice he’d heard was revealed to be the serpent’s own.

This left Wu Hong deeply shocked. Had this serpent truly become a spirit? And now it begged for mercy.

While Wu Hong hesitated, the True Sutra of the Great Sun Tathagata tucked in his chest flew out, floating in the air. It opened to a page, and Wu Hong saw clearly the golden words: “To lead the wicked to goodness is the greatest virtue.” The message could not be clearer—it referred to the serpent beneath him.

He never imagined the sutra would consider a serpent a “wicked one” to redeem, nor would it respond so dramatically.

“Very well! From now on, you are not to harm humans like me. Do you understand?”

“Yes, you are a mighty one—I will obey you in all things!” The serpent’s voice seemed to materialize directly in Wu Hong’s ear.

As the serpent agreed, the floating sutra released a blaze of light, bathing the serpent and healing the wounds on its head and bleeding eye before Wu Hong’s very eyes.

The light then shone upon Wu Hong himself, filling him with a warm sensation. His broken bones cracked and shifted as they healed, and he felt his skeletal density increase many times over.

“Could it be? Is this the sign of nearing the Bone Refining Realm?” Wu Hong was astounded.

He marveled at the miraculous sutra; such instant physical recovery was like something from legend.

The serpent saw neither the golden light nor the floating scripture—only that Wu Hong, seemingly a divine man, had healed its wounds in an instant. Its gaze shifted from submission to awe.

“All right! Can you carry me up to rescue my friend?” Wu Hong said calmly, as the sutra returned to his pocket.

Riding the now fully healed serpent, Wu Hong soared skyward and soon reached Fatty’s hiding place.

“Come out! I’ve subdued the serpent!” Wu Hong called into the cave.

Only after several calls did Fatty, trembling with terror, push aside the stone and emerge.

“You—you—you—” Fatty stammered, pointing at Wu Hong, unable to form any other words.

He was truly stunned. That enormous, flying serpent had been tamed by Wu Hong! Was this man human or divine? He had heard tales of wonders in the Celestial Tome Grotto, but to witness such a thing left him speechless.

Wu Hong smiled faintly and ordered the serpent to lower its head. Fatty, after a long pause, managed to leap nimbly onto the serpent’s head with surprising agility, despite his bulk.

Wu Hong watched with amazement—truly, the lightness techniques of the martial world were remarkable if even such a stout man could seem weightless.