Chapter 91: Resolute Departure

If the giant snake were to simply let Hu San go, it would not only be a blow to its own pride, but it would also risk exposing the secret of its mission—a scenario the giant snake absolutely did not want to see.

With these considerations, the giant snake had kept Hu San trapped in the Black Wind Formation for quite some time, trying to probe his background. If he were someone with powerful connections, the snake would naturally employ its own methods; while it did not believe the man could break the formation, it could cooperate slightly and let him leave. If he had no such backing, the snake would strike without hesitation, and it certainly would not let such a delicious meal escape.

It was a two-pronged strategy. Yet, after a while, the giant snake discovered that Hu San remained completely motionless, simply staying where he was.

For an hour, the Black Wind Formation had been running continuously. To say nothing else, the mere consumption of spirit stones was enough to make the giant snake grit its teeth. Furthermore, given its current level of cultivation, manipulating the formation was quite difficult and carried a risk of backlash. If this continued any longer, it wouldn't even need Hu San to act; the snake itself would be injured by the backlash. How could the giant snake endure such a situation?

After two probes, the giant snake grew increasingly agitated. At this point, it could not determine whether Hu San truly had a powerful backer or was simply bluffing.

Compounded by the backlash of the formation, the eyes of the giant snake, hidden within the valley, turned blood-red. For a monster that had achieved a modest level of cultivation, its patience was rapidly wearing thin.

"Junior, do you really think I dare not kill you? You are courting death!"

Seemingly driven by a mix of shame and rage—or perhaps initiating a new round of probing—the giant snake stopped playing games. With a thought, the massive phantom of the snake manifested within the formation and exploded, instantly transforming into thousands of smaller snakes. Spitting black mist from their mouths, they lunged ferociously toward Hu San’s position with such speed that they resembled arrows released from the bows of divine archers.

Seeing this, Hu San did not hesitate to activate a Spirit Water Talisman. Immediately, amidst a roar, a massive water dragon manifested in the air, coiling around his body to guard him firmly—this was the Water Dragon Bodyguard technique.

Hu San’s mind shifted again. His Ice Shuttle Sword unsheathed, and under the guidance of his spiritual energy, it hovered outside the water dragon, slashing forward before the black snakes could even arrive.

In the blink of an eye, countless fine, shimmering silver sword-winds erupted from the Ice Shuttle Sword, condensing in the air into small white blades that hacked fiercely at the endless swarm of black snakes.

As the two forces collided, they dissipated one another. However, while the number of white blades was great, they could not match the sheer quantity of the black snakes spawned by the giant snake, and in a short time, the defense was thoroughly suppressed.

Although Hu San tried his best to control the Ice Shuttle Sword, it was difficult to hold back the incoming black snakes. Constantly, "escaped fish" would break through the sword light and strike the water dragon, sending ripples across its surface.

Fortunately, the water dragon summoned by the Spirit Water Talisman seemed to be of high durability; the ferocious black snakes only managed to annihilate a small portion of its massive body upon impact, which allowed Hu San to breathe a sigh of relief.

To be honest, this was his first real engagement with someone from the cultivation world. It appeared he was slightly at a disadvantage, but there was no immediate threat to his life.

"A mid-grade magical tool?"

Hu San felt somewhat reassured, but the giant snake grew increasingly conflicted. It knew the power of the Black Wind Formation well. Although it hadn't deployed the most lethal restrictions, it shouldn't be unable to break through the defense of a single magical tool.

The only explanation was that the tool in the opponent’s hand was of a high grade—likely a mid-grade magical tool.

"Could it be that this brat is telling the truth? Is his master really nearby?"

Seeing the powerful defensive capabilities of the Water Dragon Bodyguard technique, the giant snake’s heart sank. It began to believe what Hu San had said earlier.

In its view, while the Spirit Light Talisman the opponent held had the same power as ordinary talismans, its defensive efficiency and recovery rate were not items found in a typical market for rogue cultivators, but rather the work of a professional talisman master from a sect. In other words, a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator who possessed both a mid-grade magical tool and exquisite talismans was, more likely than not, a member of a sect.

With this conclusion, the probability of Hu San’s words being true rose to ninety-nine percent in the snake’s mind.

"If that’s the case, I must kill him."

Having confirmed this, the giant snake had no intention of stopping. Instead, it hardened its resolve, wanting to end the battle quickly before the situation escalated.

"These sect members are often unforgiving. I must dispose of this brat quickly and find a new place to hide, otherwise, if I delay the mission, I won't be able to account for it when I return."

As the giant snake increased its output of magical power, constantly compressing the range of Hu San’s sword light and using the black snakes to drain the energy of his protective talismans, it calculated rapidly in its mind.

Facing the giant snake’s frantic assault while trapped within the formation, Hu San dared not act recklessly. Aside from resisting with all his might, he truly had no other choice.

Fortunately, he had already cultivated the Water Cloud Art to the third level. His magical power was neither exceptionally strong nor low, and it was entirely capable of sustaining the Ice Shuttle Sword and the talismans in a combat state for about an hour. Thus, there was no immediate threat to his life.

By now, Hu San had roughly understood the giant snake’s intentions. While holding on desperately, he began to look for an opportunity to break the formation and escape. He knew he could afford to wait, but the giant snake, having misunderstood his identity, could not.

In a short quarter of an hour, the sword light around Hu San had been compressed to within three zhang, yet he was still able to fend off the attacks. Meanwhile, the Spirit Water Talisman’s energy was completely exhausted, turning into ash and scattering into the void.

But before the giant snake could rejoice, it saw Hu San raise his hand again, and a faint, egg-shaped, water-colored light barrier appeared around his body, shielding him completely—this was another defensive talisman, the Water Light Shield.

Furthermore, judging by the way the black snakes collided with it, this water-colored light shield seemed even more durable than the previous water dragon.

This caused the giant snake real distress. However, it also cemented its belief in Hu San’s identity as a sect member.

"Sect members have countless treasures. If this continues, I will only have a chance to kill him once he exhausts his magical power. But who knows how long that will take? If he has medicinal pills to restore his power, then I’m finished. If his elders find me, I fear even death will be a luxury."

"I cannot wait any longer. Even if it means shattering the Black Wind Formation, I must kill this brat immediately."

The giant snake’s thoughts raced as it made its final decision.

Just as Hu San was resisting the black snakes with all his might, he suddenly felt the pressure around him lighten. Looking up, the endless swarm of black snakes that had been suppressing his sword light had vanished in an instant.

The once-void space shifted suddenly; all illusions disappeared. He was still sitting in the small courtyard at the bottom of the valley, but the stone table in front of him had been replaced by a black, rotating millstone.

Not far across from him, at the entrance of the adobe house, stood a mysterious figure draped in a black robe. A beam of black light was shooting from the figure, connecting to the black millstone before him.

"So this is the core of the Black Wind Formation. The opponent has actually withdrawn the formation. Are they giving up, or do they have another trick up their sleeve?"

A series of thoughts flashed through Hu San’s mind. Immediately, the Ice Shuttle Sword hovering beside him surged, turning into thousands of icy sword-qi, ready to strike at the figure in black.

Regardless of the situation, in Hu San’s philosophy, offense was the best defense.

Before the Ice Shuttle Sword could display its power, the mysterious robed figure raised an arm, and his entire body merged into the black wind. The Black Wind Millstone shone brilliantly, rotating violently, and pulled the black wind inside.

From Hu San’s perspective, in the blink of an eye, the opponent had crossed from his original position to right in front of him.

"Force of the Black Demon!"

The black robe flapped open, revealing the mysterious figure's hideous face—it was a triangular snake head. Its mouth opened wide, and a beam of black light shot out. It seemed to be a tether, yet also a fusion; the Black Wind Millstone that had stood behind him suddenly vanished, reappearing as a black flower that merged into the beam of light.

Under Hu San’s gaze, the mysterious figure’s entire body dissolved in the next moment, completely merging into the black light, which struck directly toward his face.

With a thought, Hu San did not bother to dodge. He directed the Ice Shuttle Sword to return to defense, transforming it into thousands of sword-lights to slash at the black beam. At the same time, the Water Light Shield on his body shone brightly, clearly pushed to its peak state.

This strike was the mysterious figure’s opportunity, but it was also Hu San’s. Although he found it difficult to dodge the black light, he was confident he could withstand it with the Water Light Shield. As long as he waited for the Ice Shuttle Sword to arrive, he had every reason to believe that even if he couldn't severely wound the man in black, he could at least injure him.

Once that happened, whether to fight or flee would depend entirely on Hu San’s choice.

No sooner said than done—the moment the light on the Water Light Shield flared, the black beam struck it.

*Crack!*

Like an egg shattering, the Water Light Shield, in which Hu San had placed such high hopes, was like paper under the impact of the black light; it did not resist for even a second. Hu San could only watch helplessly as the black light descended upon him.

By now, it was too late for Hu San to activate other talismans; the opponent had already entered the range protected by his talismans. The Ice Shuttle Sword could not return in time to assist, and he was even unable to summon his black sword. It seemed he had suddenly reached a life-or-death juncture.

In this critical moment, Hu San completely abandoned control over his internal magical power. The Green Wood True Qi flowing through his meridians surged violently, erupting like a torrential flood. As his body tilted slightly, he gathered all his strength into a single point, focusing it into his right fist with the momentum of a diving bird, and smashed it directly into the black light.

At the same time, the black light shifted suddenly; a grinning snake head emerged from within, biting toward Hu San with unstoppable force.

*Boom!*

The two sides collided instantly. Amidst a deafening roar, black mist billowed, and the entire courtyard began to crumble under the shockwave, turning into a pile of ruins.

The black mist cleared, and the dust settled. The figures of Hu San and the mysterious man were revealed, but their positions had been swapped.