C15 Snake King with Green Scale

As Lin Yaoyang pondered, the fire-attribute martial artists had already closed in to within a meter of the Green Python.

Despite the advantage of their elemental attributes, the fear of death lingered. None of the mercenaries were willing to step forward first. They waited until everyone was ready, then with a collective roar, they charged at the Green Python en masse.

They swung their fists and weapons, all enhanced by their own elemental powers.

The Green Python issued a piercing hiss followed by a roar, clearly wounded. No matter its strength, it was merely a First Grade Martial Master, and even the mightiest among them couldn't withstand the onslaught of numerous Level 9 Warriors.

Blood soon began to seep from the Green Python, but curiously, it wasn't the expected red but an eerie shade of green!

Captain Kou Quan's eyes widened at the sight. Green... Could it be that this Green Python had mutated?

A mutation would significantly increase the likelihood of a Demonic Core! The thought made Kou Quan's breath grow heavy. Could his luck today be so fortuitous to encounter a Demonic Beast carrying a Demonic Core?

Unable to resist the allure of the Demonic Core, Kou Quan led his men in a charge. He leapt from his horse, channeling the Qi within his body.

Lin Yaoyang noticed that Kou Quan's fists were entirely encased in a steel-colored stone!

Unexpectedly, Kou Quan had managed to externalize his Qi, reinforcing it to form a protective layer around himself.

Lin Yaoyang was taken aback, then watched as Kou Quan leaped onto the Green Python. Weakened by the relentless attacks from the Level 9 Warriors, the beast was on the brink of collapse. It roared again, spewing a torrent of green blood from its mouth in a ghastly display.

Kou Quan, witnessing this, was ecstatic. His certainty that the Green Python was a mutated variant only grew as he stood atop the creature.

Then, he unleashed a thunderous roar that seemed to carry the essence of a lion's bellow.

Kou Quan lacked the finesse to precisely control the reach of his Lion's Roar technique, inadvertently affecting many of the mercenaries near the Green Python. They were left reeling, struggling to maintain their balance as if the ground beneath them had shifted. Meanwhile, the Green Python at Kou Quan's feet seemed petrified, motionless. Seizing the moment, Kou Quan channeled all his Qi into his right hand with ferocious intent.

With a thunderous yell, Kou Quan unleashed his power, slamming his fist down onto the Green Python's skull with devastating force.

A gruesome sound of tearing flesh echoed. Lin Yaoyang watched in shock as an arm emerged from the Green Python's mouth, unmistakably Kou Quan's. He had punched straight through the beast! The Green Python was finished, unable to even let out a final cry before collapsing in silence.

The heavy thud of its massive body hitting the ground resounded. Kou Quan withdrew his hand, now coated in metallic rock, dripping with the python's corrosive green blood that sizzled upon contact.

Far from alarmed, Kou Quan was elated. A normal Green Python didn't possess such abilities—it was merely an oversized demonic snake. This confirmed his suspicion that he was dealing with a mutated variant.

Quickly, Kou Quan leapt off the snake's head, snatched a machete from a nearby mercenary, and made his way to the Green Python's belly in search of the snake gall. Should this python harbor a Demonic Core, it would undoubtedly be nestled alongside the gallbladder.

With a determined thrust, Kou Quan plunged the machete into the belly of the beast, careful to shield his skin from the potent green blood. He rummaged through the entrails, but his initial search was fruitless. Undeterred, Kou Quan continued his quest, while the mercenaries watched on, their eyes filled with anticipation.

After some time, Kou Quan withdrew his hand in disappointment and gave the mercenaries a shake of his head. He was puzzled. Typically, a mutated Demonic Beast like this would almost certainly drop a Demonic Core. Why was his luck so rotten that he encountered a Green Python that hadn't formed one?

Kou Quan felt irked at the thought, but there was nothing he could do. It wasn't as if he could berate the dead Green Python, "Why the hell don't you have a Demonic Core?! Why?!"

Lin Yaoyang had watched Kou Quan with hopeful eyes, wishing for the discovery of a Demonic Core. Yet, when Kou Quan came up empty-handed, Lin wasn't overly disappointed. After all, obtaining a Demonic Core wasn't supposed to be easy.

To have a better chance of securing a Demonic Core, one must face a more formidable Demonic Beast. If you could take down a beast with the strength of a Martial Emperor, a Demonic Core drop would be guaranteed. But such high-grade Demonic Beasts aren't so easily slain, not to mention their fearsome power.

These creatures match humans in intelligence, if not outstripping them, and possess incredibly long lifespans, especially the higher-ranked ones. Without the ability to defeat a high-level Demonic Beast, one must accept the slim odds of a lower-level one dropping a Demonic Core.

Internally, Lin Yaoyang questioned, "Does this demonic snake truly lack a Demonic Core?" The response reignited the fire in his heart that had just cooled.

"Yes! And there are two of them!"

What? This Green Python had formed not one, but two Demonic Cores?

Lin Yaoyang wasn't concerned about being deceived by the voice; he was simply astounded.

"Indeed! This creature is no longer just a Green Python; it should be named the Snake King with Green Scales! Such a mutation is a rarity, seen once in a millennium. This snake's fortune was poor; it was newly born and had yet to enhance its power before you all unwittingly killed it here."

The Snake King with Green Scales? Lin Yaoyang silently questioned in his mind. He had never come across such a Demonic Beast before; it seemed that no one in Qingye Town had ever encountered or even heard of a creature at this tier.

"Yes, the Snake King with Green Scales. From birth, it inherently possesses two Demonic Cores, which are its left and right eyes—that's the source of its power. It's astonishing that you mistook the Snake King with Green Scales for a mere Green Python and killed it. You must realize that these serpents, at their full potential, can at least reach the strength of a Martial Extreme Level warrior among humans! If captured and trained as war beasts, they would undoubtedly become a formidable asset in the future!"