132: Chapter 132 The Mad Dragon Guarding the Frozen Pool

The dark blue Cold Pool was so silent that it made one's skin crawl. The Lin clan members were on high alert; their Divine Sense and gazes had swept every inch of the land around the Cold Pool almost three times over, yet they found no signs of any living creature.

"Could the guarding Yao Beast have gone out to forage?" Third Elder Lin Yaoqing whispered, clutching his spear with a hint of uncertainty.

No sooner had he spoken!

"Gurgle—"

In the center of the Cold Pool, the originally calm surface suddenly surged with huge splashes. A bone-chilling, foul-smelling demon wind suddenly whipped up, causing everyone's robes to flap violently and their skin to feel as if it were being pricked by ice needles.

"Guards up!" Clan Leader Lin Yaozong shouted sharply. His Spiritual Pressure from the Foundation Establishment Stage erupted without reservation, forming an invisible wall of Qi to block in front of everyone.

Great Elder Lin Yao Shan also took a step forward, Foundation Establishment True Fire appearing in his palm, forming a stark contrast to the cold air emanating from the pool.

The next moment, a hideous head broke through the water!

It was an enormous python head, covered in scales interwoven with dark blue and ink green. There were two inconspicuous little bumps on its head, and a pair of vertical pupils displayed an abnormal scarlet color, filled with violence and madness. Its thick body slowly slid out of the water, bringing up a sky full of splashes. The part exposed to the air was already seven or eight zhang long. The Yao power fluctuations radiating from its body made both Foundation Establishment Cultivators, Lin Yaozong and Lin Yao Shan, turn pale!

"second-rank mid-grade... No! This aura, it has almost reached second-rank high-grade!" Lin Yao Shan exclaimed in shock.

Yao Beasts are usually tougher than human Cultivators of the same rank, and this giant python's aura had clearly surpassed an ordinary second-rank mid-grade, infinitely approaching High Grade!

What was most critical was that its pair of scarlet vertical pupils were locked tightly onto the people on the shore. It made a horrifying "hissing" sound in its throat, which did not sound like a warning from a normal Yao Beast at all, but rather like a kind of irrational rage.

"What's wrong with it? It's like its nest has been poked?" Lin Cangchen's heart sank; this start was not right!

Without giving them any extra time to think, the giant python suddenly opened its bloody maw, and a pale white breath mixed with ice shards and a foul wind surged toward everyone like a bursting flood! Wherever it passed, the air froze, and the ground was instantly covered with a layer of thick frost.

"We can't dodge! Block it together!" Lin Yaozong roared, attacking simultaneously with Lin Yao Shan. A thick, earthy-yellow Spirit Shield and a scorching flame barrier were instantly superimposed together.

"Boom—!"

The icy breath slammed hard against the double-layered shield, emitting a deafening roar. Ice chips and sparks splattered everywhere. Lin Yaozong and Lin Yao Shan were shaken violently, both taking half a step back, a flush of blood rising to their faces. Just from this single collision, both of them had suffered a small loss.

"Everyone else, fall back! Form a Formation to protect yourselves! This beast is fierce; it is not something you can interfere with!" Lin Yaozong commanded without looking back, his voice carrying unprecedented gravity.

Although Lin Lingfeng, Lin Yaoqing, and the others were unwilling, they understood that what the Clan Leader said was true. The aftermath of a single breath from this giant python could severely injure them. They could only retreat quickly, forming a small defensive circle, nervously watching the battle.

Lin Cangchen was even more horrified. He tried to use the [Memory Fragment Card] twice, but the chaotic mental impact hit the giant python's violent consciousness like a stone sinking into the ocean, not even making it shake its head! The gap in the Realm was too large, and this Yao Beast seemed to be in an abnormal mental state itself, so such interference had minimal effect.

"It won't work, I can't help!" Lin Cangchen gritted his teeth and turned around without hesitation, his hands quickly taking out Formation Flags engraved with complex patterns and various Spirit Stones from his Storage Pouch. "Buy me time, I will set up a Formation!"

This was his trump card, a second rank low grade Formation known for concealment and defense that he had obtained from the Secret Realm Legacy and had studied for a long time! Although it was extremely strained to set up with his Eighth Layer of Qi Refining cultivation, and its power was less than one-tenth of its potential, it was the only chance to turn the tide of the battle right now!

On the field, Lin Yaozong and Lin Yao Shan were already fighting the giant python.

The two Foundation Establishment Cultivators used all their methods; Flying Swords crisscrossed, True Fire burned, and earth and stone crumbled. But the giant python's scales were unusually sturdy, making it difficult for ordinary attacks to damage its foundation. Moreover, it had infinite strength; as its tail swept across, large patches of spirit bamboo were snapped off at the waist, leaving deep gullies in the ground. Its scarlet eyes remained locked on the two, attacking crazily and recklessly, a desperate fighting style of trading injury for injury.

"Bang!" Lin Yaozong couldn't dodge in time and was grazed by the python's tail against his protective spiritual light, flying backward, his blood and Qi churning.

"Clan Leader!" Lin Yao Shan hurriedly urged his True Fire to force back the giant python and received him.

The two looked at each other, seeing the horror in each other's eyes. This Yao Beast was too strong! And it was insanely crazy! If this continued, they might really fall here.

"Cangchen, how much longer for the Formation?" Lin Yaozong asked urgently.

"At least half an incense stick of time!" Sweat beaded on Lin Cangchen's forehead, his hands moving so fast they were a blur. Setting up a Formation across ranks was a huge consumption of both mental and spiritual power.

Just at this critical moment, Second Elder Lin Yaohai, who had been observing nervously, suddenly shouted: "Clan Leader, Great Elder! Have you noticed, this beast... seems to be particularly concerned about a certain position in the Cold Pool behind it!"

Reminded by him, everyone noticed the anomaly. Several times, when Lin Yaozong's or Lin Yao Shan's attacks were slightly biased toward the area on the left side of the Cold Pool behind the giant python, the python would rather use its body to take the attacks from other directions head-on than to force its body to block or intercept, as if there was something more important than its own life there!

"There's something strange!" Lin Yaozong's eyes narrowed.

At this moment, Lin Cangchen finally slammed the last core Formation Plate into the ground and shouted: "Formation complete!"

Hum—!

A dim light flashed and disappeared. Centered on him, the area of several dozen zhang seemed to be covered by an invisible veil, and the aura instantly became obscure.

"Clan Leader, Great Elder, lure it into the Formation!" Lin Cangchen shouted.

Lin Yaozong and Lin Yao Shan understood and attacked the giant python again, fighting and retreating, trying to lure it into the Formation's range.

However, although the giant python was violent, its beastly instincts made it wary of the Formation area. Whenever the two of them retreated to a certain distance from the edge of the Formation, it would stop chasing, only coiling at the mouth of the Cold Pool, hissing threateningly, its scarlet eyes staring fixedly at that area, refusing to cross the line.

"It doesn't dare to leave the mouth of the Cold Pool! It is guarding something!" Lin Lingfeng saw the key.

"What do we do? If it doesn't come in, the Formation is useless!" Lin Yaoqing said anxiously.

Lin Yaozong's eyes flickered. He quickly exchanged a glance with Lin Yao Shan and Lin Yaohai, and made a decision instantly.

"Since it won't come out, then we won't be polite!" Lin Yaozong sneered, his figure suddenly rising, his hands forming seals. A huge finger shadow, condensed and radiating sharp golden light, did not attack the giant python itself, but drew an arc and shot directly toward the area on the left side of the Cold Pool behind the giant python, which it had been strictly guarding all along!

Almost at the same time, Great Elder Lin Yao Shan flicked his sleeves, and three crimson fire beads in a triangular Formation, carrying scorching high temperatures, also bypassed the giant python and bombarded the same direction!

"Hiss—!!!"

The giant python let out an earth-shattering shriek, the sound filled with extreme anger and... a hint of panic? It completely abandoned defense and attack, its huge body suddenly coiling like a giant shield, protecting the water area behind it tightly!

"Boom, boom, boom—!"

The golden finger shadow and the crimson fire beads slammed firmly onto its hard scales, blasting scales flying and flesh mangled, revealing white bones.

The giant python let out a painful wail, its body trembling violently, but it still remained coiled in place, not retreating an inch! Those scarlet vertical pupils stared fixedly at the two people in the air, full of hatred and stubbornness.

"Sure enough!" A brilliant light shot from Lin Yaozong's eyes. "It would rather take it head-on than let anything happen to what's there! Yao Shan, the opportunity is here! Grind it to death!"

The subsequent battle became simple and cruel.

Lin Yaozong and Lin Yao Shan no longer tried to go head-to-head with the giant python, which had amazing defensive power. Instead, they surrounded the mouth of the Cold Pool, continuously launching long-range attacks, with their target aimed directly at the area it was guarding. The giant python, like the most loyal guard, used its body to take all the Spells aimed at that direction head-on again and again.

This was a contest of will and endurance.

The roar of Spells and the painful roars of the giant python echoed through the bamboo forest.

Lin Cangchen and the others watched in horror, but they couldn't help, so they could only grip their Magical Artifacts tightly, sweating for the Clan Leader and the Great Elder.

This grinding lasted for nearly two hours!

The two Foundation Establishment Cultivators' spiritual power was almost exhausted, their faces pale, their breath chaotic, and they had swallowed several huiyuan pills. The giant python was even more miserable; there was almost no good flesh on its huge body, covered everywhere with charred and broken wounds. Blue blood had almost dyed the mouth of the Cold Pool light blue, and its aura had withered to the extreme.

Finally, under the bombardment of the [Molten Gold Cracking Stone Art] cast by Lin Yaozong with his last spiritual power, the giant python let out a final, unwilling hiss. Its huge head fell heavily onto the edge of the Cold Pool, splashing a large amount of water, and it completely lost its vitality.

"It's solved..." Lin Yao Shan stumbled, almost exhausted.

Lin Yaozong also leaned on his knees, gasping for air.

"Clan Leader, Great Elder, quickly enter the Formation to rest!" Lin Cangchen quickly opened a gap in the Formation. He had already set up a small Spirit Gathering Formation in the core area of the Formation. Although the effect was limited, it was better than nothing.

The two did not dare to neglect, and quickly entered the Formation, sat cross-legged, and used all their strength to recover. No one could guarantee whether anything else would pop up near this strange Cold Pool.

Second Elder Lin Yaohai walked up quickly and carefully put the huge python corpse into an empty large Storage Pouch—this Yao Beast was full of treasure, especially the scales that were close to second-rank high-grade and the inner core that might exist, which were worth a fortune.

The moment Lin Cangchen's gaze swept across the python corpse, he muttered in his heart: "System, extract!"

[second-rank mid-grade (approaching High Grade) mutant Cold Python, obtained Thin Flood Dragon Bloodline Card * 1]

Flood Dragon Bloodline! Lin Cangchen's heart jumped. This was a good thing! Although it was only "thin," the potential it contained was incomparable to those weak attribute cards before. However, he had no time to look closely at this moment and quickly put his attention back on vigilance.

Lin Lingfeng, Lin Yaoqing, Lin Lingtu, and others spontaneously spread out to protect the Clan Leader and Great Elder who were resting on the periphery, their eyes vigilantly scanning the bamboo forest and the Cold Pool.

Another half an hour passed, and Lin Yaozong and Lin Yao Shan in the Formation opened their eyes almost at the same time. Although their faces were still a little pale and their breath was far from recovering to their Peak, they had finally stabilized and restored their basic combat effectiveness.

"Clan Leader, Great Elder, how are you?" Everyone gathered around.

"It's fine, we've recovered five or six percent." Lin Yaozong waved his hand, his gaze cast again on the deep Cold Pool, "Now, it's time to see what this beast was guarding with its life!"

Hearing this, everyone's spirits were lifted, and their curiosity was raised to the Peak.

What kind of thing could make a powerful Yao Beast close to second-rank high-grade rather be ground to death than take half a step back?

Lin Yaozong took out a few Water-Avoiding Talismans and distributed them to everyone.

"Let's go, go down and take a look!"

As streaks of spiritual light flashed, the Lin clan members dived into the bone-chilling Cold Pool one by one, swimming toward the depths of that unknown secret.