C45 The Demonic Beast Descended

As Peng Gengkun was about to take action, he noticed that Wei Pengxing's body had vanished, leaving behind only his clothes and a few personal items scattered on the ground. Among the remnants, there was a dull and slightly damaged sphere.

"This is a Martial Soul core. It's incomplete, but it's exactly what I need most," Peng Gengkun mused as he stowed the fragmented core into the Leviathan-roc Space. He resumed his search, but found that Wei Pengxing had little on him besides a Space Ring.

Realizing that most of the items were likely Wei Mingzhi's, Peng Gengkun surmised that the ring must belong to him. "All I need are a few Spirit Stones from inside," he thought.

Peng Gengkun absorbed the Space Ring into the system, integrating it with the Leviathan-roc Space. He believed that if the Leviathan-roc Space could manifest as a Space Ring, it would surpass any other.

As he was about to look away, something unusual caught his eye within the space. "What's this? Half a stick of incense? Yet, the baby Leviathan detects Spiritual Energy within it."

He examined the peculiar half-stick of incense, his curiosity piqued. At that moment, the system chimed in with an explanation: "An incomplete Soul Fixing Fragrance."

"A Soul Fixing Fragrance, but insufficient for Martial Soul cultivation," Peng Gengkun realized, a mix of surprise and delight washing over him. "So this is the Soul Fixing Fragrance! It must have belonged to Wei Mingzhi. No wonder he could forge his Martial Soul so swiftly. It's just too bad there's so little left. If it were whole, it might have aided in my own Martial Soul cultivation."

Peng Gengkun lamented the scant amount of the fragrance, knowing it wasn't enough. Yet, he acknowledged that some was better than none at all and pocketed the Soul Fixing Fragrance without further ado.

Peng Gengkun had been pondering how to handle Wei Pengxing's body, but to his surprise, it vanished without a trace.

"Could the warmer climate have hastened its disappearance? Or perhaps his body couldn't endure the strain of powers beyond his control? Either way, it's no longer my concern."

Relieved, Peng Gengkun lamented the lack of shelter for the night.

After such an incident, it was clear the villagers wouldn't welcome him to stay.

Shaking his head, Peng Gengkun rose to his feet, ready to depart the small village.

But a few steps later, a peculiar sweet scent caught his attention. A gust of wind whipped through the village, forcing his eyes shut.

"Is someone after my life?"

When the wind ceased, Peng Gengkun beheld a green snake descending into the village, which then morphed into a human form.

The snake had transformed into a man with a sinister countenance, a long scar etched across his face, adding to his menacing appearance.

Peng Gengkun was taken aback.

"This is no mutated beast; it's a demonic beast."

He knew this creature would be a formidable opponent. A mutated beast might have been manageable, but Peng Gengkun doubted his ability to best a demonic beast.

Especially since he was drained from his recent clash with Wei Pengxing, his Astral Energy depleted. He was in no shape to fight on.

All Peng Gengkun could do was silently hope this Azure Snake wasn't here for him.

But his hopes were dashed as he realized his mistake.

The Azure Snake Patriarch had indeed come for him.

After taking a moment to sniff the air, the Patriarch's gaze fixed on Peng Gengkun.

"At last, I've found you! You're the one who slew my offspring."

Astonished, Peng Gengkun blurted out, "You speak our tongue?"

With a cold laugh, the Azure Snake Patriarch advanced. "As a demonic beast, speaking human is within my means. But whether you'll see another day is another matter entirely!"

Peng Gengkun clenched his fists tightly, his mind racing with thoughts that he swiftly dismissed one after another.

Lacking Astral Energy, he was no match for the Azure Snake Patriarch, and escape was not an option.

The only solace for Peng Gengkun was that the Azure Snake Patriarch seemed to harbor no immediate desire to attack.

"I didn't kill your offspring!" Peng Gengkun blurted out hastily.

"Really?" The Azure Snake Patriarch sneered menacingly. "Then what about the python you slaughtered in the mysterious cave of the Cloud Connecting Mountain Range?"

Peng Gengkun fell silent.

He had indeed slain that python, but he had never imagined it had ties to the Azure Snake Patriarch! And now, to his dismay, the Patriarch had tracked him down.

With no room for denial, Peng Gengkun admitted, "Yes, it was I who killed it."

"Good!" The Azure Snake Patriarch hissed, "Since it was your doing, I'll take you back to pay tribute to it!"

With a casual flick of his hand, the Azure Snake Patriarch ensnared Peng Gengkun in a swirl of Demonic Qi. Peng Gengkun struggled to break free but was utterly powerless. The strength of the Demonic Qi was formidable, surpassing even that of the Demon Suppressing Ring.

"He truly is no ordinary foe! Even with my Astral Energy restored, defeating him won't be easy! My only chance is to flee when he's off guard."

Peng Gengkun frantically searched his mind for a way to escape.

Unlike the rash Wei Pengxing, the Azure Snake Patriarch presented a challenge that Peng Gengkun couldn't immediately overcome.

Thankfully, it seemed the Azure Snake Patriarch intended to transport Peng Gengkun to the Cloud Connecting Mountain Range rather than kill him outright.

Resigned to his fate, Peng Gengkun closed his eyes and surrendered to the Patriarch's will.

The villagers who had fled earlier witnessed a demonic beast descend from the sky, transform into a human, and abduct Peng Gengkun. As they cautiously returned, astonishment was etched on their faces.

"The Warrior has been taken. What are we to do now?"

"We need to find a way to inform the Flying Cloud Sect about this situation! The two Warriors who just clashed seemed to be members of the Flying Cloud Sect!"

"Absolutely! And the Warrior who survived has been taken by a demonic beast. This is a serious issue! We have to make sure the Flying Cloud Sect is aware of this!"

"But we're not Warriors. Given how slow we are, that Warrior will have been slain by the demonic beast long before we could ever reach the Flying Cloud Sect!"

"We don't have any other options. Alerting the Flying Cloud Sect is the only action within our power. As for rescuing him, we're merely ordinary folks; how could we ever hope to save a Warrior?"

Without delay, the villagers chose a delegate to hurry to the Flying Cloud Sect and relay the urgent news.