fǎn zhī ， ruò shì yī míng xiū shì fǎ lì yǔ tóng jiē xiāng bǐ ， bìng bù chū zhòng ， dàn yóu yú xiū liàn de gōng fǎ ， shén tōng què shì wēi lì qí dà ， huò zhě yǒu shén me yì bǎo zài shǒu ， zhè yàng de xiū shì ， dù duǎn tiān jié huì róng yì yī xiē 。
反之，若是一名修士法力与同阶相比，并不出众，但由于修炼的功法，神通却是威力奇大，或者有什么异宝在手，这样的修士，渡短天劫会容易一些。
Conversely, if a cultivator's power was not particularly impressive compared to their peers, but they possessed extraordinary techniques or treasures, their chances of successfully passing through the heavenly tribulation would be higher.
kě xī ， huà suī rú cǐ ， rán ér jù tǐ dào měi gè rén de tóu shàng ， jiū jìng huì yǒu shén me tiān jié là xià ， què bù kě chá 。
可惜，话虽如此，然而具体到每个人的头上，究竟会有什么天劫落下，却不可查。
Unfortunately, while this might seem true in theory, the specific nature and form of one's heavenly tribulation could only be determined by chance. In other words, it all came down to luck. If your fortune was on a roll, you might just get an advantageous tribulation that suited your situation, thereby increasing your chances of survival. Otherwise, if the tribulation was ill-suited for you, there was nothing you could do but lament your bad luck.
huàn jù huà shuō ， quán píng yùn qì ， ruò shì nǐ rén pǐn bào fā ， là xià lái de tiān jié zhèng hǎo shì hé ， rú cǐ ， zì rán duō jǐ fēn dù jié de bǎ wò ， fǒu zé ， ruò shì yù dào de tiān jié zhèng hǎo yǔ zì jǐ de qíng kuàng xiāng chōng ， nà yě mò nài hé ， zhǐ néng āi tàn yùn qì bù hǎo le 。
换句话说，全凭运气，若是你人品爆发，落下来的天劫正好适合，如此，自然多几分渡劫的把握，否则，若是遇到的天劫正好与自己的情况相冲，那也没奈何，只能哀叹运气不好了。
Without realizing it, two hours had passed and the heavenly tribulation showed no sign of weakening. However, the Earth Rhino Dragon proved to be quite formidable, enduring the ordeal with remarkable resilience. Despite numerous injuries, none were fatal, and in fact, some of them seemed to be healing rapidly over time. The expressions on the old man's and the burly man's faces darkened.
bù zhī bù jué ， yǐ guò qù le liǎng gè shí chén zhī jiǔ ， tiān jié yī jiù bú jiàn fēn háo jiǎn ruò ， rán ér nà dì xī lóng yě dàng zhēn liǎo de ， yìng káng le zhè me jiǔ ， yī jiù shì shēng lóng huó hǔ ， hún shēn shāng hén suī yě yǒu bù shǎo ， rán ér què méi yǒu yī chù shì zhì mìng de ， bù jǐn rú cǐ ， suí zhe shí jiān de tuī yí ， nà xiē shāng hén hái zài xùn sù huī fù ， xiē wěi lǎo zhě yǔ hēi liǎn dà hàn de biǎo qíng yǒu xiē nán kàn le 。
不知不觉，已过去了两个时辰之久，天劫依旧不见分毫减弱，然而那地犀龙也当真了得，硬扛了这么久，依旧是生龙活虎，浑身伤痕虽也有不少，然而却没有一处是致命的，不仅如此，随着时间的推移，那些伤痕还在迅速恢复，蝎尾老者与黑脸大汉的表情有些难看了。
"‘Self-healing body... This Earth Rhino Dragon actually possesses a self-healing body,' " the old man muttered, his face ashen with displeasure. He did not know who these newcomers were, but their presence and grandeur indicated that they were no ordinary foes.
“‘ zì yù zhī tǐ ， zhè dì xī lóng jū rán hái yōng yǒu hǎn jiàn de zì yù zhī tǐ ……” xiē wěi lǎo zhě tūn le yī kǒu tuò mò ， liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng fù zá yǐ jí 。
“‘自愈之体，这地犀龙居然还拥有罕见的自愈之体……”蝎尾老者吞了一口唾沫，脸上的表情复杂以极。
Damned! Why would someone interfere at such an important moment?
zì yù zhī tǐ dài biǎo zhe liǎng gè hán yì ， yī ， zhè dì xī lóng bǐ xiǎng xiàng de hái yào nán yǐ yìng fù ， shì qíng jìn xíng dào zhè yī bù ， xiē wěi lǎo zhě de xìn xīn ， tóng yàng yǒu xiē dòng yáo le 。
自愈之体代表着两个含义，一，这地犀龙比想象的还要难以应付，事情进行到这一步，蝎尾老者的信心，同样有些动摇了。
"‘Stop!'"
èr ， suǒ wèi huò xī fú suǒ fú ， dì xī lóng suī rán bǐ yuán xiān yù jì de hái yào nán chán ， dàn jiǎ rú zhēn jiāng qí miè shā le ， jiāng néng huò dé de hǎo chù ， yě jiāng dà dà zēng jiā xǔ duō 。
二，所谓祸兮福所伏，地犀龙虽然比原先预计的还要难缠，但假如真将其灭杀了，将能获得的好处，也将大大增加许多。
A clear voice rang out, and the magic beasts pulling the cart immediately halted as if responding to a command. The women following behind also quickly retracted their magic energy, revealing themselves as gracefully beautiful young ladies. However, unlike ordinary humans, these women's lower halves were snake tails.
yǒu lì jiù yǒu bì ， liǎng zhě jǐn mì de jié hé zài yì qǐ ， jù tǐ gāi zěn me xuǎn zé ， bù tóng de rén ， fǎn yìng zì rán shì bù yí yàng de 。
有利就有弊，两者紧密的结合在一起，具体该怎么选择，不同的人，反应自然是不一样的。
“Could they be from the Naga clan of ancient demons?”
liǎng mó miàn miàn xiāng qù piàn kè ， zuì hòu hái shì jué dìng kàn kàn qíng kuàng zài zuò dìng duó 。
两魔面面相觑片刻，最后还是决定看看情况再做定夺。
Lin Xuan, hiding in the shadows, rubbed his forehead, already having a clear idea.
yǔ tā men xiāng bǐ ， lín xuān jiù xiǎn de dàn dìng le xǔ duō ， zì yù zhī tǐ suī rán tóng yàng ràng tā jīng è ， dàn qí zhōng ， xīng fèn de chéng dù gèng duō ， zhèng dāng lín xuān àn zì sī liáng de shí hòu 。 tū rán shén sè yī dòng ， mò rán tái qǐ tóu lú ， tiào xiàng yuǎn fāng de mǒu chù 。
与他们相比，林轩就显得淡定了许多，自愈之体虽然同样让他惊愕，但其中，兴奋的程度更多，正当林轩暗自思量的时候。突然神sè一动，蓦然抬起头颅，眺向远方的某处。
Ancient demons were a broad term that encompassed countless species. The Naga clan was one of the larger ones. According to legend, all members of this clan had a semi-human and semi-snake form, with snake tails below their waists.
cóng shān gǔ de xī nán fāng xiàng ， fēi lái le shù shí dào dùn guāng ， zhè xiē dùn guāng jiē zuò mò hēi zhī sè， rú zhòng xīng bàng yuè bān de cù yōng zhe yī liàng shén mì gǔ piáo de shòu chē 。
从山谷的西南方向，飞来了数十道遁光，这些遁光皆做墨黑之sè，如众星棒月般的簇拥着一辆神秘古朴的兽车。
While the Naga clan wasn't particularly numerous among ancient demons, they wielded considerable power. They were descendants from an era long past, and after the fall of their leader, only eight True Demon Ancestors ruled over the ancient demon realm. The Heaven Demon had left to join the Spirit Realm due to emotional reasons, leaving seven True Demon Ancestors in charge.
nà shòu chē yǒu shù wén zhǎng ， gǔ piáo qí tè ， nǎi shì yòng bù zhī míng de wū mù liàn zhì ér chéng de ， tōng tǐ sàn fà chū yíng yíng de guāng zé 。 biǎo miàn gèng yǒu yī xiē bì huà ， niǎo shòu chóng yú ， měng shòu zhí wù ， xiǎn de dà qì ér gǔ piáo 。
那兽车有数文长，古朴奇特，乃是用不知名的乌木炼制而成的，通体散发出莹莹的光泽。表面更有一些壁画，鸟兽虫鱼，猛兽植物，显得大气而古朴。
Ice Soul was not alone; one of the precious snake deities also hailed from the Naga clan.
shòu chē yóu jǐ tóu xíng mào qí tè de mó shòu lā zhuāi zhe 。 fēi shī fēi hǔ ， bèi hòu hái yǒu wū hēi de yǔ yì ， cháng zú yǒu wén xǔ ， yě bù zhī dào jiū jìng shì shén me guài wù ， rán ér sàn fà chū lái de qì xī fēi tóng xiǎo kě 。
兽车由几头形貌奇特的魔兽拉拽着。非狮非虎，背后还有乌黑的羽翼，长足有文许，也不知道究竟是什么怪物，然而散发出来的气息非同小可。
With such a powerful ally, the Naga clan's strength was well-known and respected by all. Lin Xuan had read about them in thousands of ancient texts.
lín xuān yǎn jīng wēi mī ， jǐn jǐn de dīng zhe zhè sàn bù sù zhī kè ， cóng pái chǎng lái shuō ， dàng zhēn shì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， xiǎng bì qí lái lì ， yě huì yǒu bù fán zhī chù 。
林轩眼睛微眯，紧紧的盯着这散不速之客，从排场来说，当真是非同小可，想必其来历，也会有不凡之处。
Now that he could clearly see their appearances, the women inside the cart were likely important figures within the Naga clan.
shì qíng biàn dé yǒu xiē fù zá le 。 lín xuān yǎn zhōng yì máng shǎn shuò ， rán ér yī jiù méi yǒu duō yú de dòng zuò ， yuè shì zhè hé shí kè ， jìng guān qí biàn yuè shì méi cuò 。
事情变得有些复杂了。林轩眼中异芒闪烁，然而依旧没有多余的动作，越是这和时刻，静观其变越是没错。
Lin Xuan already had his suspicions, but as a native demon from this world, the burly man and the old man would be well aware too.
zhè diǎn nài xìng hái shì yǒu de ， fǎn zhèng cǐ shí cǐ kè ， zì jǐ yě shì yǐn zài àn chù 。
这点耐xìng还是有的，反正此时此刻，自己也是隐在暗处。
Their expressions turned grim as they scanned the women. All of them were at least in the Convergence stage, leaving no room for optimism. The strength of their servants was one thing, but what about their masters? Soon enough, a door on the cart opened with a creak.
yòu guò le bàn zhǎn chá de gōng fu ， nà shòu chē jí qí suí cóng yǐ jiē jìn le shān gǔ ， lìng wài liǎng míng dòng xuán qī gǔ mó yě fā xiàn le ， tái qǐ tóu lú 。 liǎn shàng mǎn shì jīng yí zhī sè。
又过了半盏茶的功夫，那兽车及其随从已接近了山谷，另外两名洞玄期古魔也发现了，抬起头颅。脸上满是惊疑之sè。
A pair of pure white hands emerged, followed by delicate feet. A slender figure soon appeared.
“ lóu xiōng ， zhè ……”
“楼兄，这……”
She looked towards the depths of the valley, her brows furrowing in concern. It was only then that Lin Xuan could clearly see her face.
nà xiē wěi lǎo zhě méi yǒu kāi kǒu ， rán ér liǎn sèyīn mái dé fǎng fú yào dī chū shuǐ lái le ， lái zhě shì shuí tā bù xiǎo de ， rán ér nà shēng shì ， nà pái chǎng ， xiǎn rán bú shì róng yì dǎ fā de jiā huo 。
那蝎尾老者没有开口，然而脸sèyīn霾得仿佛要滴出水来了，来者是谁他不晓得，然而那声势，那排场，显然不是容易打发的家伙。
Unlike the other women, this woman's body was no different from a regular human cultivator, but her appearance...
kě wù ， zhèng zài guān jiàn shí kè ， wèi shén me huì shā chū chéng yǎo jīn lái ne ？
可恶，正在关键时刻，为什么会杀出程咬金来呢？
Her features were quite refined and even beautiful, but her eyes were a dull gray, with a cold, snake-like glint that seemed emotionless. Her cheeks were also covered in dark green scales, and when she opened her lips, a thin snake tongue flicked out, revealing two prominent fangs.
“‘ tíng ！。”
“‘停！。”
This was no beauty; anyone who looked at her would likely be repulsed. However, her cultivation level was impressive, reaching the peak of the Convergence stage.
qīng lěng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ 。 nà xiē lā chē de mó shòu dùn guāng yī liǎn ， dùn shí bì rú zhǐ shǐ de tíng le xià lái 。
清冷的声音传入耳朵。那些拉车的魔兽遁光一敛，顿时臂如指使的停了下来。
Her eyes lit up with joy as she gazed into the valley: "Haha, my luck is truly good. I've encountered such a precious magic beast as the Earth Rhino Dragon. Oh, it seems to be undergoing a tribulation. Perfect, if it hasn't passed yet, I'll take it as my pet..."
gēn zài hòu miàn de shì cóng zì rán yě bù gǎn dài màn ， tóng yàng shì dùn guāng dà liǎn ， yí gè gè róng yán juàn xiù de nǚ zǐ xiǎn lù chū lái ， rán ér yǔ pǔ tōng de shào nǚ bù tóng ， zhè xiē nǚ zǐ shàng bàn shēn suī rán yǔ pǔ tōng de rén lèi sī háo qū bié yě wú ， rán ér yāo bù yǐ xià 。 què quán bù biàn chéng yī tiáo tiáo de shé wěi le 。
跟在后面的shì从自然也不敢怠慢，同样是遁光大敛，一个个容颜隽秀的女子显lù出来，然而与普通的少女不同，这些女子上半身虽然与普通的人类丝毫区别也无，然而腰部以下。却全部变成一条条的蛇尾了。
Her tone was unusually arrogant; most peak Convergence stage cultivators would not speak so confidently.
“‘ nán dào shì gǔ mó zhōng de nà jiā yī zú ？。”
“‘难道是古魔中的纳迦一族？。”
As she spoke, she turned her head and looked in the direction where the two demons were hiding: "What are these insignificant pests doing here? Snow Lotus, go eliminate them. Don't disturb me."
lín xuān yǐn zài àn chù ， yǐ shǒu fǔ é 。 què yǐ jīng yǒu zì jǐ de pàn duàn le 。
林轩隐在暗处，以手抚额。却已经有自己的判断了。
"‘Yes, Miss..."
gǔ mó zhǐ shì yí gè lǒng tǒng de chēng hū ， lǐ miàn bāo hé de zhǒng lèi nà shì shǔ bù shèng shǔ 。 nà jiā yī zú suàn shì qí zhōng jiào dà de 。
古魔只是一个笼统的称呼，里面包合的种类那是数不胜数。纳迦一族算是其中较大的。
A woman with dual swords slung over her back nodded. She was one of the highest-ranking cultivators among the group, and she waved her hand, causing half of the demonesses to follow her towards the demons.
chuán shuō gāi zú de gǔ mó ， quán bù shì bàn rén bàn shé ， yāo bù yǐ xià ， jiē biàn chéng le mǎng shé de wěi ba 。
传说该族的古魔，全部是半人半蛇，腰部以下，皆变成了蟒蛇的尾巴。
The distance between them was only a hundred miles or so, which meant that for cultivators, it was within easy reach.
guāng cóng zú rén de shù liàng lái shuō ， nà jiā zài gǔ mó gè zú zhōng qí shí suàn bù dé tài chū zhòng ， rán ér shì lì què shì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， gāi zú kě shì chuán chéng zì shàng gǔ ， ér qiě zì cóng dà tǒng lǐng yǔn luò ， zhěng gè gǔ mó jiè ， qí shí jiù yóu jiǔ wèi zhēn mó shǐ zǔ tǒng lǐng zhe 。
光从族人的数量来说，纳迦在古魔各族中其实算不得太出众，然而势力却是非同小可，该族可是传承自上古，而且自从大统领陨落，整个古魔界，其实就由九位真魔始祖统领着。
Soon, about fifteen women surrounded the old man and the burly man.
ér tiān mó yīn wèi gǎn qíng de yuán gù ， hǎo hǎo de shèng zǔ bù zuò ， zhuǎn ér pàn chū gǔ mó tóu běn líng jiè le ， yú shì ， zhēn mó shǐ zǔ hái shèng xià bā gè 。
而天魔因为感情的缘故，好好的圣祖不做，转而叛出古魔投本灵界了，于是，真魔始祖还剩下八个。
"Are you two going to surrender without resistance, or shall we take care of you? If you cooperate, it will be beneficial for both us and you. We'll save ourselves trouble, and you can avoid much suffering."
bīng pò bú yòng shuō ， hái yǒu yī wèi bǎo shé shèng zǔ ， jiù zǒu chū zì nà jiā yī zú 。
冰魄不用说，还有一位宝蛇圣祖，就走出自纳迦一族。
The demons were stunned, as was Lin Xuan. Were these demonesses out of their minds? Although they outnumbered them, all at the Convergence stage, hadn't they noticed that one was a middle-stage Convergence and the other a late-stage Convergence?
yǒu zhè me yī zuò qiáng dà de kào shān ， nà jiā yī zú ， qí shí lì zì rán shì yǐn dé bā fāng cè mù ， méi yǒu shuí gǎn qīng shì xiǎo kàn le 。
有这么一座强大的靠山，纳迦一族，其实力自然是引得八方侧目，没有谁敢轻视小看了。
Lin Xuan had encountered many arrogant individuals, but none as audacious as these women. The gap between middle-stage and late-stage Convergence was significant; when he himself was at the Convergence stage, encountering a middle-stage demon like the Poison Dragon Ancestor had left him running for his life.
zhè me zhòng yào de shì lì ， lín xuān zhì shǎo kàn guò le qiān juǎn diǎn jí ， shàng miàn dāng rán dū huì yǒu tí 。
这么重要的势力，林轩至少看过了千卷典籍，上面当然都会有提。
These demonesses, despite their numbers, lacked the right to speak thus arrogantly. Had they lost their minds?
cǐ shí jiāng nà xiē shì nǚ de xíng mào kàn qīng chǔ ， shòu chē zhōng de duō bàn shì nà jiā yī zú de dà rén wù 。
此时将那些shì女的形貌看清楚，兽车中的多半是纳迦一族的大人物。
The burly man swallowed hard, his usually cautious demeanor replaced by anger on his face.
lín xuān yǐ jīng yǒu le pàn duàn cāi cè ， ér zuò wéi cǐ jiè tǔ shēng tǔ zhǎng de gǔ mó ， hēi liǎn jiā hàn yǔ xiē wěi lǎo zhě jiù gèng bú huì bù qīng chǔ 。
林轩已经有了判断猜测，而作为此界土生土长的古魔，黑脸夹汉与蝎尾老者就更不会不清楚。
After all, demons were not known for being timid; with a nature that favored combat and ferocity, it was incomprehensible why these Convergence stage women would look down upon them.
liǎng rén yù mèn dé xiǎng kū ， mù guāng zài nà xiē shì nǚ shēn shàng sǎo guò ， jū rán qīng yī sè de lí hé ， zhè hái yào bù yào rén huó le ， pú cóng de shí lì jiù rú cǐ liǎo de ， jùn zhǔ rén yòu jiāng dào dá zěn yàng de chéng dù ， dá è àn hěn kuài jiē xiǎo le 。
两人郁闷得想哭，目光在那些shì女身上扫过，居然清一sè的离合，这还要不要人活了，仆从的实力就如此了得，郡主人又将到达怎样的程度，答垩案很快揭晓了。
"Are you trying to die?!" the burly man roared, exuding an aura of demonic energy. The old man did not intervene, his lips curling into a sneer as he was clearly angered by their boldness.
zhī ya yī shēng chuán lái ， nà shòu chē de mén cháo zhe liǎng páng dǎ kāi ， yī zhī jié bái rú yù de sù shǒu cóng lǐ miàn shēn le chū lái lái ， suí hòu yòu mài chū yī shuāng xiān zú ， hěn kuài ， yī miáo tiáo de bèi yǐng jiù jìn rù le yǎn lián 。
吱呀一声传来，那兽车的门朝着两旁打开，一只洁白如玉的素手从里面伸了出来来，随后又迈出一双纤足，很快，一苗条的背影就进入了眼帘。
"Refusing our offer and choosing death... We will make it happen..."
tā tái qǐ tóu lú ， tóng yàng tiào wàng xiàng shān gǔ de shēn chù 。
她抬起头颅，同样眺望像山谷的深处。
The leading demoness remained unperturbed but wore a mocking smile. She waved her hand, and the swords on her back shot up towards the sky. The other women followed suit, each releasing different magical treasures from their waists.
méi tóu qīng qīng de zhòu qǐ lái le ， ér zhè shí hòu ， lín xuān cái jiāng tā de miàn róng kàn qīng chǔ 。
眉头轻轻的皱起来了，而这时候，林轩才将她的面容看清楚。
A variety of weapons—swords, spears, axes, and halberds—were present, covering all eighteen types of traditional weaponry.
yǔ liǎng páng de shì nǚ bù tóng ， cǐ nǚ shēn cái yǔ pǔ tōng de rén lèi nǚ xiū bié wú èr zhì ， bìng méi yǒu shé wěi yī shuō ， rán ér tā de miàn róng ……
与两旁的shì女不同，此女身材与普通的人类女修别无二致，并没有蛇尾一说，然而她的面容……
As they moved, they positioned themselves in a strange formation.
píng xīn lái shuō ， hái suàn pǒ wèi qīng xiù ， shèn zhì kě yǐ yòng měi lì lái xíng róng ， kě tā de yǎn jīng ， què shì huī bái zhī sè， bìng qiě shǎn shuò zhe shé yì bān de bīng lěng guāng fǎ ， kàn shàng qù jiù fǎng fú méi yǒu gǎn qíng shì de 。
平心来说，还算颇为清秀，甚至可以用美丽来形容，可她的眼睛，却是灰白之sè，并且闪烁着蛇一般的冰冷光法，看上去就仿佛没有感情似的。
"Array!"
ér qiě tā de liǎn jiá liǎng biān ， hái bù mǎn le mò lǜ sè de lín piàn ， yīng chún wēi qǐ zhī shí ， hái yī tiáo xì xì shé xīn tǔ suō bù dìng ， liǎng kē liáo yá yě lìng rén cè mù ， zhè nǎ lǐ shì shén me měi nǚ ， ruò shì dǎn zi xiǎo de kàn shàng yī yǎn ， kǒng pà dōu yào bó rán sè biàn 。
而且她的脸颊两边，还布满了墨绿sè的鳞片，樱chún微启之时，还一条细细蛇芯吐缩不定，两颗獠牙也令人侧目，这哪里是什么美女，若是胆子小的看上一眼，恐怕都要勃然sè变。
Lin Xuan sighed, his expression still one of surprise. It was well-known that arrays could significantly enhance a cultivator's power, far surpassing ordinary teamwork, but there were limits to their effectiveness.
ér cǐ nǚ de xiū wèi dǎo shì bù ruò ， yě yǒu dòng xuán qī dǐng fēng le 。
而此女的修为倒是不弱，也有洞玄期顶峰了。
Fifteen Convergence stage cultivators setting up an array to target two Convergence stage opponents seemed overly simplistic from any angle. What else did they have in reserve?
Conversely, if a cultivator's power was not particularly impressive compared to their peers, but they possessed extraordinary techniques or treasures, their chances of successfully passing through the heavenly tribulation would be higher.
Unfortunately, while this might seem true in theory, the specific nature and form of one's heavenly tribulation could only be determined by chance. In other words, it all came down to luck. If your fortune was on a roll, you might just get an advantageous tribulation that suited your situation, thereby increasing your chances of survival. Otherwise, if the tribulation was ill-suited for you, there was nothing you could do but lament your bad luck.
Without realizing it, two hours had passed and the heavenly tribulation showed no sign of weakening. However, the Earth Rhino Dragon proved to be quite formidable, enduring the ordeal with remarkable resilience. Despite numerous injuries, none were fatal, and in fact, some of them seemed to be healing rapidly over time. The expressions on the old man's and the burly man's faces darkened.
"‘Self-healing body... This Earth Rhino Dragon actually possesses a self-healing body,' " the old man muttered, his face ashen with displeasure. He did not know who these newcomers were, but their presence and grandeur indicated that they were no ordinary foes.
Damned! Why would someone interfere at such an important moment?
"‘Stop!'"
A clear voice rang out, and the magic beasts pulling the cart immediately halted as if responding to a command. The women following behind also quickly retracted their magic energy, revealing themselves as gracefully beautiful young ladies. However, unlike ordinary humans, these women's lower halves were snake tails.
“Could they be from the Naga clan of ancient demons?”
Lin Xuan, hiding in the shadows, rubbed his forehead, already having a clear idea.
Ancient demons were a broad term that encompassed countless species. The Naga clan was one of the larger ones. According to legend, all members of this clan had a semi-human and semi-snake form, with snake tails below their waists.
While the Naga clan wasn't particularly numerous among ancient demons, they wielded considerable power. They were descendants from an era long past, and after the fall of their leader, only eight True Demon Ancestors ruled over the ancient demon realm. The Heaven Demon had left to join the Spirit Realm due to emotional reasons, leaving seven True Demon Ancestors in charge.
Ice Soul was not alone; one of the precious snake deities also hailed from the Naga clan.
With such a powerful ally, the Naga clan's strength was well-known and respected by all. Lin Xuan had read about them in thousands of ancient texts.
Now that he could clearly see their appearances, the women inside the cart were likely important figures within the Naga clan.
Lin Xuan already had his suspicions, but as a native demon from this world, the burly man and the old man would be well aware too.
Their expressions turned grim as they scanned the women. All of them were at least in the Convergence stage, leaving no room for optimism. The strength of their servants was one thing, but what about their masters? Soon enough, a door on the cart opened with a creak.
A pair of pure white hands emerged, followed by delicate feet. A slender figure soon appeared.
She looked towards the depths of the valley, her brows furrowing in concern. It was only then that Lin Xuan could clearly see her face.
Unlike the other women, this woman's body was no different from a regular human cultivator, but her appearance...
Her features were quite refined and even beautiful, but her eyes were a dull gray, with a cold, snake-like glint that seemed emotionless. Her cheeks were also covered in dark green scales, and when she opened her lips, a thin snake tongue flicked out, revealing two prominent fangs.
This was no beauty; anyone who looked at her would likely be repulsed. However, her cultivation level was impressive, reaching the peak of the Convergence stage.
Her eyes lit up with joy as she gazed into the valley: "Haha, my luck is truly good. I've encountered such a precious magic beast as the Earth Rhino Dragon. Oh, it seems to be undergoing a tribulation. Perfect, if it hasn't passed yet, I'll take it as my pet..."
Her tone was unusually arrogant; most peak Convergence stage cultivators would not speak so confidently.
As she spoke, she turned her head and looked in the direction where the two demons were hiding: "What are these insignificant pests doing here? Snow Lotus, go eliminate them. Don't disturb me."
"‘Yes, Miss..."
A woman with dual swords slung over her back nodded. She was one of the highest-ranking cultivators among the group, and she waved her hand, causing half of the demonesses to follow her towards the demons.
The distance between them was only a hundred miles or so, which meant that for cultivators, it was within easy reach.
Soon, about fifteen women surrounded the old man and the burly man.
"Are you two going to surrender without resistance, or shall we take care of you? If you cooperate, it will be beneficial for both us and you. We'll save ourselves trouble, and you can avoid much suffering."
The demons were stunned, as was Lin Xuan. Were these demonesses out of their minds? Although they outnumbered them, all at the Convergence stage, hadn't they noticed that one was a middle-stage Convergence and the other a late-stage Convergence?
Lin Xuan had encountered many arrogant individuals, but none as audacious as these women. The gap between middle-stage and late-stage Convergence was significant; when he himself was at the Convergence stage, encountering a middle-stage demon like the Poison Dragon Ancestor had left him running for his life.
These demonesses, despite their numbers, lacked the right to speak thus arrogantly. Had they lost their minds?
The burly man swallowed hard, his usually cautious demeanor replaced by anger on his face.
After all, demons were not known for being timid; with a nature that favored combat and ferocity, it was incomprehensible why these Convergence stage women would look down upon them.
"Are you trying to die?!" the burly man roared, exuding an aura of demonic energy. The old man did not intervene, his lips curling into a sneer as he was clearly angered by their boldness.
"Refusing our offer and choosing death... We will make it happen..."
The leading demoness remained unperturbed but wore a mocking smile. She waved her hand, and the swords on her back shot up towards the sky. The other women followed suit, each releasing different magical treasures from their waists.
A variety of weapons—swords, spears, axes, and halberds—were present, covering all eighteen types of traditional weaponry.
As they moved, they positioned themselves in a strange formation.
"Array!"
Lin Xuan sighed, his expression still one of surprise. It was well-known that arrays could significantly enhance a cultivator's power, far surpassing ordinary teamwork, but there were limits to their effectiveness.
Fifteen Convergence stage cultivators setting up an array to target two Convergence stage opponents seemed overly simplistic from any angle. What else did they have in reserve?