In the dim underground river, Chen Fei waved his hand. The scorching Sword Qi of Sanyang True Fire, imbued with terrifying, high-speed rotational energy, burst forth with incredible ferocity. It swept toward the Snake Viper, causing its enormous body to spew blood instantly. A mangled mess of flesh, the creature let out a piercing shriek, writhing in agony.

Wherever the blazing Sword Qi of Sanyang True Fire passed, the river below and the rocks on either side emitted a loud SIZZLE from the intense heat. Large amounts of water evaporated, and the stone walls were pierced through.

"ROAR! HISS... HISS..." Having suffered such a devastating blow, the Snake Viper let out a booming groan from its gaping maw. Its massive, filthy body trembled as its pockmarked, uneven skin began to melt. It oozed a pus-like discharge, gurgling out a nauseating smog of energy that rushed toward the Sword Qi of Sanyang True Fire.

Above the dark river, the scalding energy collided fiercely with the filthy smog in midair. For a moment, the space itself seemed to freeze.

BOOM! A sound like muffled thunder rumbled through the dim space above the riverbank.

The Sword Qi of Sanyang True Fire that Chen Fei had unleashed was devastatingly fierce, imbued with a searing heat. Its high-speed, ferocious cutting power was terrifying to behold. In contrast, while the Snake Viper's power wasn't as overtly aggressive as the Sword Qi of Sanyang True Fire, its strength was not to be underestimated. A foul smog thick with corrosive power enveloped an area of over ten meters. The fumes were poisonous, causing Chen Fei to feel his chest tighten.

BANG! BANG! BANG! RUMBLE! The Sword Qi of Sanyang True Fire collided violently with the nauseating smog, both sides unleashing terrifying energy. At their point of impact, evaporated mist and rocks shattered by the shockwaves were instantly disintegrated. Even the air shimmered and warped from the intense heat.

After a deadlock lasting several minutes, both the Sword Qi of Sanyang True Fire and the foul smog seemed to exhaust their energy. BOOM! With a deep, muffled explosion, they both dissipated into nothingness.

"ROAR! HISS... HISS..." The moment the clashing energies vanished, the massive Snake Viper raised its head and sprang into action.

Its bronze-bell-sized, blood-red eyes locked onto Chen Fei. Its taut muscles quivered, and its massive body shot forward like a flash of lightning, crossing the ten-meter gap between them in an instant. With a sound that could tear eardrums, its terrifyingly large tail, like a massive slab, smashed down toward Chen Fei.

CLANG! At the last moment, just as the serpent's enormous tail was about to hit, a layer of dazzling scarlet light mysteriously appeared before Chen Fei. The Snake Viper's tail, whipping up a powerful gust of wind, looked terrifyingly formidable. However, when it struck the scarlet light, it only caused the barrier to shimmer briefly before its momentum was completely nullified, posing no further threat.

A flicker of panic crossed the Snake Viper's hideous, bell-sized blood-red eyes. It jerked its massive head viciously, and the densely packed pockmarks on its crown spewed forth a poisonous fog that descended upon Chen Fei.

The nauseating stench of the poisonous fog made Chen Fei's brows furrow. "This damned beast!" he cursed, quickly forming a strange hand seal in front of his chest. "Scarlet Flame Lamp!"

As his voice fell, streams of intense, scalding flame surged from his body. They spiraled upwards, coalescing into an ethereal lamp with a single, flickering flame, which then began to slowly descend.

This was clearly no ordinary technique. After condensing his thirteenth path of Sanyang True Fire Sword Qi, Chen Fei had discovered this art within the sea of memories inherited from the Cultivation World master. It was a secret, unteachable method for Mid-Stage Qi Refining practitioners from a secluded Noble Family. Consequently, its power was far greater than his usual abilities, second only to his trump card: the Minor Chi Snake Sword Formation.

Although the flickering flame of the lamp descended slowly, the sheer power contained within it made the Snake Viper panic instinctively. It immediately tried to flee, but found itself unable to move, as if locked in place.

"ROAR! HISS, HISS, HISS..." Realizing it couldn't escape, the Snake Viper's innate ferocity was ignited. A turbid light flared in its bell-sized, blood-red eyes. Its massive body thrashed about like an Earth Dragon bursting from the soil, kicking up a nauseating whirlwind of acrid smoke as it charged toward Chen Fei. This time, it seemed to be using all its strength. In its wake, the river water was instantly polluted and vaporized. The stone walls were crushed, leaving behind deep craters as they burst apart.

Just then, the flickering flame of the Scarlet Flame Lamp appeared above the Snake Viper's head and exploded.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Waves of scalding flame, carrying a ferocious cutting force, erupted like a volcano. A terrifying, mushroom-cloud-like explosion enveloped the Snake Viper. The dazzling, intensely hot blast shattered the acrid smoke shield surrounding its body, the fragments dissipating on the wind. The power of Chen Fei's technique was unexpectedly devastating.

"HISS! ROAR..." The terrifying force washed over the Snake Viper's massive body, making it shriek and roar in agony. Its body was now covered in bloody wounds. Flesh was charred black by the intense heat and shredded by razor-sharp energy. Some parts of its body were even severed completely, falling lifelessly to the ground.

However, instead of stopping the beast, the excruciating pain seemed to ignite what little ferocity it had left. It let out a violent hiss and charged at Chen Fei with such speed that it caught him completely off guard.

Chen Fei felt an immense force, like a charging train, slam into him. His expression changed drastically. "Hmph!" A stifled grunt escaped him as he spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning pale. With a flash in his eyes, he abruptly spun around. His body flickered strangely several times and then vanished.

Sensing the dangerous human's sudden disappearance, the Snake Viper instinctively let out a murderous hiss. Yet, its innate aversion to danger—and the deep fear the human had instilled in it—made it hesitate to give chase.

"HISS! ROAR! ROAR!" But then, a crazed fury filled its bronze bell-sized, blood-red eyes. It unleashed a hiss even more terrifying, cold, and murderous than before.

It had finally realized the truth. The human wasn't fleeing; he was headed for the Jinchan Moon Fruit! The beast's massive body dove into the river, frantically swimming toward the underwater cavern at the end of the channel. The murky qi surrounding it polluted the water, creating terrifying whirlpools.

Meanwhile, Chen Fei, having acted first, had already reached the underwater cavern.

BUZZ... BUZZ... An eerie hum reverberated throughout the Emerald Lake Cave. As if driven by a mysterious power, it created pale blue ripples in the water that extended outward, shimmering and casting an interplay of light and shadow. At the far end of the ripples stood a miraculous little tree. It was only as thick as an arm, yet it was covered in lush leaves and radiated spiritual energy. Two or three fruits that shone like miniature suns hung from its branches, bathing the area in a brilliant golden light.

"Good, it's still here." Gazing at the eye-catching Mid-Grade Human-Level Spiritual Herb, the Jinchan Moon Fruit, Chen Fei couldn't help but lick his lips in excitement. With a flash, he appeared before the plant. Using a unique harvesting technique from the Cultivation World, he reached out and plucked the fruit without damaging it in the slightest. But at that very moment, the Snake Viper, maddened with rage, finally caught up and burst into the underwater cavern.

"HISS! HISS! HISS!" The beast reared its head, its blood-red eyes locked on Chen Fei as it hissed ceaselessly from its gaping maw in a clear threat. In that same instant, the murky qi surrounding it grew thicker and more intense, now tinged with a piercing red light. The sight made Chen Fei's expression change abruptly.

This beast is going for broke?

His expression turned grim. He glanced at the Jinchan Moon Fruit in his hand, then clenched his teeth and carefully placed it back where it had been growing. He knew that if he didn't deal with this beast, he would never be able to leave with the Jinchan Moon Fruit. Furthermore, if he fought the Snake Viper while holding the fruit, he would very likely destroy the hard-earned spiritual herb in the process. It seemed there was only one path left. He had to kill the beast.

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