A towering, sheer peak, resembling a celestial serpent stretching skyward, lies on one side of the main path. Black vapors continuously rise from within the mountain, enveloping the sky over a radius of hundreds of meters. Within this area, no fierce beasts dare to venture, for it is the ancestral domain of the Ancient Tianmo Serpent. The Ancient Tianmo Serpent is a rare, variant beast of exceptional rarity, in lineage closely related to some of the most ancient, venerable ancestors of the serpent clan. However, due to its fierce nature, its intelligence pales in comparison to that of the Nine-Deep Earth冥 Serpent. Consequently, the latter holds a certain degree of disdain for the former—after all, no matter how powerful its strength, without its own distinct intelligence, it remains merely a formidable killing machine. The blood of the ancient Tianmo Python possesses an excellent ability to purify and refine the body. Of course, Xiao Yan's current physique, having undergone numerous refinements through rare and precious materials, is already quite formidable. To achieve further enhancement, ordinary extraordinary treasures now offer limited benefits—indeed, even the blood of the Tianmo Python provides only modest effects. Nevertheless, Xiao Yan himself is well aware of this limitation. Thus, what he truly values is not the ancient Tianmo Python itself, but rather the Tianmo Blood Pool accumulated over several centuries through its gradual development. Within this Day-Mage Blood Pool, over centuries—perhaps even longer—ancient Day-Mage Snakes tirelessly seek out and deposit numerous refined-energy treasures and rare materials into it. Over time, the accumulated energy reaches an astonishingly formidable level. Ordinary individuals entering the pool would likely be instantly ruptured by this overwhelming energy. Only the descendants of the ancient Day-Mage Snakes are capable of withstanding such intense energy. Of course, nothing is absolute—what others cannot endure, Xiao Yan may very well be able to bear. His body, subjected to countless refining and strengthening processes, has grown as robust as some of the great beasts. Thus, that Day-Mage Blood Pool would prove to be the most perfect tonic for him. Perhaps not only will he reach the peak of his Jade and Glass Body cultivation, but he might also seize the momentum to break through into the Nine-Star Battle Sovereign rank. With that advancement, his strength would surge significantly—an advantage of great value in the perilous, ever-challenging ancient realm. As soon as he finished speaking, his figure instantly transformed into a silhouette and surged swiftly toward the towering black peak. Behind him, Cai Lin, Qing Lin, Xiao Yi Xian, and the others quickly followed. After a brief hesitation, the members of the Flower Sect also joined Yun Yun and pursued her. Xiao Xiang's party suppressed their energies to the lowest possible level and swiftly plunged into the thick black mist enveloping the peak. However, just as the group had barely entered the mist, a sharp, piercing serpent cry erupted suddenly from within the mountain. Immediately, the entire peak began to tremble. A rushing wind sound followed, and then a massive black serpent tail—over a hundred paces long—burst forth from the mountain with tremendous force, sweeping through the air like a storm and striking directly toward Xiao Xiang's party. "Hmph!" "Seeing the ancient celestial serpent's senses so sharp, Xiao Yan couldn't help but emit a cold snort. In an instant, his feet swiftly advanced two steps, and brilliant golden light surged forth from within him, rapidly expanding his slender frame to nearly seven zhang in height—transforming into a radiant golden giant. With his golden hands forged like solid gold, he thundered forward, his fists meeting head-on with the massive black serpent's tail. 'Boom!' The impact sent a powerful gust of wind and turbulent currents erupting outward. Fortunately, everyone present was no ordinary fighter, so no serious injuries were sustained. Though the storm of force pushed Xiao Yan's golden giant back two steps, the colossal black tail was likewise driven backward, with several scales cracked and broken. Thanks to the金刚琉璃体 (Jing An Li Lu Ti) technique, Xiao Yan's physical strength had now reached an exceptionally formidable level. 'Roar!' "Having suffered a slight setback, an earth-shaking roar erupted within the mountain, filled with fierce and wrathful intensity. Immediately, the entire mountain began to tremble with thunderous rumblings. Finally, a tremendous boom echoed through the heavens—within the towering peak of ten thousand paces, a colossal black serpent, stretching hundreds of paces in length, surged forth! Two massive blood-red eyes, each as large as a zhang, hung like towering red lanterns in the sky, radiating fury and lethal intent, fixed steadily upon Xiao Yan and his companions. Gazing up at the colossal creature coiled in the heavens and sensing the overwhelming strength emanating from it, the group couldn't help but feel a subtle tremor of awe—this ancient Tian Mo Snake truly was no ordinary being. "Let's engage!" Xiao Yan declared, his gaze locked firmly on the great serpent. This creature had clearly reached the pinnacle of the fifth transformation of a Battle Sovereign. Unless he unleashed the Buddha's Wrath Lotus, the group would have to combine their efforts. "Agreed," replied Cai Lin, nodding in response. With a graceful leap, she transformed into a seven-colored Heaven-Eating Snake, her body no smaller than that of the Tian Mo Snake. An invisible pressure spread out, momentarily halting the serpent's fierce momentum. After all, in terms of bloodline purity, it still fell short of the Heaven-Eating Snake, an ancient lineage capable of challenging even the primordial Tian Snakes. Nevertheless, this Tian-Mo Python was a formidable creature, exceptionally fierce and wrathful. Even though it sensed a certain pressure, it was utterly unimpeded in its murderous intent. In its eyes, not only the Tian-Tian Python, but even a true ancient celestial serpent arriving here would dare to bite it in the eye with blazing eyes. "Boom!" Above the sky, clouds rolled and surged, transforming into cascading streams of vibrant, colorful lightning that relentlessly bombarded the Tian-Mo Python. "Plung!" Faced with the colorful scales' assault, the Tian-Mo Python opened its fierce maw, projecting successive dark beams filled with a pungent, putrid aroma, which absorbed the colorful lightning completely. Though its bloodline fell slightly short of that of the Tian-Tian Python, its overall strength far surpassed that of the scales, and thus, throughout the encounter, it held a commanding advantage. "Thud!" As the Tianmo Serpent launched its attack, the golden giant form that Xiao Yan had transformed into also surged forward in a flash of golden light, delivering a massive punch. The force of the blow generated a devastating shockwave, which immediately coalesced into a powerful gust of energy and then surged into a fierce storm of pressure, crashing directly onto the Tianmo Serpent's body. "Aaaah!" Xiao Yan's relentless and forceful strike completely dispersed the black mist covering the Serpent, even causing its black scales to shatter and crack. While Xiao Yan was engaging the Serpent, the Qingcheng Elder Yun Yun, as well as the young physician and others, simultaneously launched their attacks. A powerful surge of qi roared across the sky, eventually enveloping the Tianmo Serpent in a wave of explosive force—so intense that even the Serpent found it difficult to withstand. "Ssshh—" "Yet this Tianmo Python was fierce—its massive eyes blazing crimson, unheeding the waves of energy exploding outward from its body. With a single sweeping motion of its great tail, it struck at Xiao Yan, the one it had harmed most severely, with lightning speed. 'Clang!' The colossal tail slammed into Xiao Yan's body, producing a sharp, resonant sound like metal on metal, sparks bursting forth. 'Hmph!' Under such a powerful blow, Xiao Yan emitted a deep grunt, bracing against the overwhelming force. He clutched the Python's tail tightly with both hands, holding it firmly. Then, a deep purple-brown flame surged violently from within him, swiftly spiraling up the Python's body, swiftly baking and dispersing the thick, dark mist. 'Sssss!' The sudden, intense heat sent the Python into a frenzy. Its massive body writhed violently, and any towering peaks it touched instantly shattered into countless fragments. "This giant is quite a tough opponent..." Hearing how tenaciously the Tianmo Python fought, the crowd couldn't help but silently marvel. Without the pressure from Xiao Yan and the colorful scales above, few of them would have withstood even the force of its single tail. Holding onto the Tianmo Python tightly, Xiao Yan's fists pounded furiously against its tail. The powerful blows, combined with the blazing flames, crushed the tail so severely that blood flowed like rivers. Though this caused the Python immense pain, it also roused its fierce spirit, making its resistance even more vigorous.