zhè yàng de jié guǒ ， yuán shì fū qī shǐ liào wèi jí ， liǎng rén bì jìng yě shì dù jié hòu qī ， jiù suàn bù dí ， yú qíng yú lǐ ， yě bù yīng gāi bài dé zhè yàng láng bèi dì 。
这样的结果，元氏夫妻始料未及，两人毕竟也是渡劫后期，就算不敌，于情于理，也不应该败得这样狼狈地。
The outcome was beyond what the Yuan couple had anticipated. After all, they were late-stage Golden Pill Stage cultivators; even if they couldn't withstand their opponent's attacks, it didn't make sense for them to lose so pitifully.
guī gēn jié dǐ ， hái shì tài guò dà yì ！
归根结底，还是太过大意！
In essence, they had been too careless!
dī gū le bǎo shé de bēi bǐ yīn dú ， suǒ yǐ cái huì yí gè zhào miàn ， jiù luò rù tā de suàn jì 。
低估了宝蛇的卑鄙阴毒，所以才会一个照面，就落入她的算计。
They underestimated the venomous snake's cunning and treachery, leading her to trap them in a single exchange.
liǎng rén xīn zhōng qì jí ， dàn dāng rán bù kě néng zuò yǐ dài bì 。
两人心中气急，但当然不可能坐以待毙。
The couple was furious but knew they couldn't just sit back and wait to die. This female venomous snake was known for her ruthless nature. As prey, begging for mercy would be useless; now, their only hope was to sacrifice themselves to carve out a path through the blood.
bǎo shé cǐ nǚ ， xiàng lái shì yǐ xīn hěn shǒu là zhù chēng dì ， jì chéng le tā de liè wù ， nà qiú ráo jiù méi yǒu le yòng tú ， shì dào rú jīn ， wéi yǒu shě mìng cái yǒu néng shā chū yī tiáo xuè lù 。
宝蛇此女，向来是以心狠手辣著称地，既成了她的猎物，那求饶就没有了用途，事到如今，唯有舍命才有能杀出一条血路。
With thoughts racing in his mind, the dark-skinned man's face was shrouded by black qi. He flicked his sleeves and revealed over ten talismans.
nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， nà yǒu hēi nán zi de liǎn shàng bèi yī céng hēi qì gěi yíng rào zhe 。
脑海中念头转过，那黝黑男子的脸上被一层黑气给萦绕着。
These spirit talismans were different from ordinary ones—larger in size and extremely ancient, crafted from an unknown beast skin. The intricate patterns on them depicted birds, beasts, insects, and fish...
xiù páo yī shuǎi ， yòu jì chū le shí yú zhāng fú lù 。
袖袍一甩，又祭出了十余张符箓。
A mouthful of blood spewed forth, turning into a blood mist that was quickly absorbed by the dozen or so talismans.
zhè xiē líng fú yǔ xún cháng de bù tóng ， bù jǐn tǐ xíng yào dà shàng xǔ duō ， ér qiě jí wéi gǔ piáo ， nǎi shì yòng yī zhǒng bù zhī míng de shòu pí liàn zhì ér chéng de 。
这些灵符与寻常的不同，不仅体型要大上许多，而且极为古朴，乃是用一种不知名的兽皮炼制而成的。
His hands moved swiftly as spell techniques shot out.
shàng miàn kè de huā wén gèng shì qí tè ， niǎo shòu chóng yú ， bù yī ér zú ……
上面刻的花纹更是奇特，鸟兽虫鱼，不一而足……
As the man acted, all the talismans ignited spontaneously. The creatures came to life, forming an array.
suí hòu yǒu hēi nán zi yī kǒu xiān xuè pēn tǔ ér chū ，“ pēng ” de yī shēng huà wèi xuè wù ， xùn sù yì cháng de bèi nà shí jǐ zhāng fú lù xī shōu diào le 。
随后黝黑男子一口鲜血喷吐而出，“嘭”的一声化为血雾，迅速异常的被那十几张符箓吸收掉了。
"Silk Ribbon Talisman Array—hmm, if you can find the genuine Silk Ribbon Jade Talisman and form this array, I might be a bit afraid. But before me is just a fake item; it dares to show itself in front of me, too ignorant."
suí hòu tā shuāng shǒu jí wǔ ， yī dào dào fǎ jué jī shè ér chū 。
随后他双手疾舞，一道道法诀激射而出。
Upon seeing the talismans clearly, the venomous snake was stunned for a moment, then sneered with contempt.
suí zhe nà nán zi de dòng zuò ， suǒ yǒu fú lù quán bù wú fēng zì rán ， niǎo shòu chóng yú huó líng huó xiàn ， bìng yǐn yǐn zǔ chéng le yí gè zhèn fǎ lái 。
随着那男子的动作，所有符箓全部无风自燃，鸟兽虫鱼活灵活现，并隐隐组成了一个阵法来。
With a flick of her jade hand, a black line appeared between her brows. As she slowly opened them, it seemed as if she had gained a third eye.
“ líng luó fú zhèn ， hēng ， nǐ ruò néng zhǎo dào zhēn zhèng de líng luó yù fú ， zǔ chéng cǐ zhèn shì ， běn shǐ zǔ huò xǔ hái huì wèi jù jǐ fēn ， yǎn qián bù guò qū qū yī jiàn fǎng zhì zhī wù ， yě gǎn ná dào wǒ miàn qián xiàn shì ， shí zài tài bù zhī sǐ huó 。”
“绫罗符阵，哼，你若能找到真正的绫罗玉符，组成此阵势，本始祖或许还会畏惧几分，眼前不过区区一件仿制之物，也敢拿到我面前现世，实在太不知死活。”
No, that wasn't an eye.
kàn qīng chǔ yǎn qián de fú lù ， bǎo shé xiān shì yī dāi ， suí hòu liǎn shàng lù chū jǐ fēn qīng miè de lěng xiào lái 。
看清楚眼前的符箓，宝蛇先是一呆，随后脸上露出几分轻蔑的冷笑来。
For there were no pupils or any other features; instead, a small snake emerged from within.
yù shǒu yì diǎn 。
玉手一点。
This snake was only about a foot long and thinner than a chopstick. Yet the aura it emitted was astonishingly powerful, surpassing even the most顶级灵器.
tā de méi yǔ zhī jiān ， chū xiàn le yī tiáo hēi xiàn 。
她的眉宇之间，出现了一条黑线。
"Ancestral Spirit Snake—impossible, how...?"
suí hòu huǎn huǎn de yī zhēng ér kāi ， jiù fǎng fú duō le dì sān zhǐ yǎn 。
随后缓缓的一睁而开，就仿佛多了第三只眼。
The dark-skinned man's eyes widened in disbelief, his face filled with shock akin to seeing a ghost during broad daylight.
bú duì ， nà bú shì yǎn jīng 。
不对，那不是眼睛。
Yet the venomous snake remained cold and indifferent.
yīn wèi chú le shēn suì hēi àn ， gēn běn jiù méi yǒu tóng kǒng zhī lèi de cún zài 。
因为除了深邃黑暗，根本就没有瞳孔之类的存在。
Opening her mouth slightly, she recited a short incantation.
dǎo shì yǒu yī tiáo xiǎo shé cóng lǐ miàn zuān le chū lái 。
倒是有一条小蛇从里面钻了出来。
This incantation was brief, consisting of only a few syllables. But when the dark-skinned man heard it, he felt as if his ears were being invaded by demonic sounds; his face changed drastically.
cǐ shé zhǎng bù guò chǐ xǔ ， bǐ kuài zi gèng xì 。 rán ér suǒ sàn fà chū lái de wēi yā ， què shì jīng rén wú bǐ ， jiào zhī zuì dǐng jí de zhēn líng ， yì yǒu guò zhī ér wú bù jí 。
此蛇长不过尺许，比筷子更细。然而所散发出来的威压，却是惊人无比，较之最顶级的真灵，亦有过之而无不及。
Despair and fear were clearly visible in his eyes, and beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. He struggled desperately but couldn't move.
“ zǔ líng zhī shé ， bù kě néng ， nǐ zěn me ……”
“祖灵之蛇，不可能，你怎么……”
The Ancestral Spirit Snake's body contracted before vanishing into a black line that flew straight into the man's forehead.
nà yǒu hēi nán zi dèng dà le yǎn zhū ， liǎn shàng mǎn shì bù kě sī yì zhī sè ， jiù yǔ fán rén dà bái tiān jiàn guǐ xiāng chà fǎng fú 。
那黝黑男子瞪大了眼珠，脸上满是不可思议之色，就与凡人大白天见鬼相差仿佛。
"Ah!"
ér bǎo shé de biǎo qíng yī jiù shì bīng lěng de 。
而宝蛇的表情依旧是冰冷的。
The man cried out in agony as he struggled against the pain. His sword barrier and array did nothing to stop it; they were mere pretenses.
tán kǒu wēi qǐ ， tǔ chū yī jù zhòu yǔ 。
檀口微启，吐出一句咒语。
In just a few breaths, his vitality vanished completely, leaving him like an empty shell. The Ancestral Spirit Snake emerged from his dantian, wriggling with delight.
cǐ zhòu yǔ duǎn cù yǐ jí ， zhǐ yǒu liáo liáo jǐ gè yīn jié ér yǐ 。
此咒语短促以极，只有寥寥几个音节而已。
The true demonic energy on its body expanded significantly, and a grotesque growth appeared on its forehead.
dàn nà yǒu hēi nán zi tīng zài ěr lǐ 。 què rú tóng mó yīn guàn ěr yì bān ， shùn jiān liǎn sè dà biàn 。
但那黝黑男子听在耳里。却如同魔音灌耳一般，瞬间脸色大变。
"Excellent, excellent. Late-stage Golden Pill Stage essence blood is indeed beneficial to this snake. Fellow cultivator, will you allow it to devour your flesh and blood?"
jué wàng yǔ wèi jù ， háo bù huì jì de xiě zài le yǎn lǐ 。
绝望与畏惧，毫不讳忌的写在了眼里。
Turning her head, the venomous snake locked eyes with the beautiful woman. Her expression was calm and composed, as if talking to a friend, but her words were wicked.
é tóu shàng mǎn shì dòu dà de hàn dī 。
额头上满是豆大的汗滴。
"Brother."
pīn mìng xiǎng yào zhēng zhá ， què shì dòng tán bù dé 。
拼命想要挣扎，却是动弹不得。
With her husband fallen before her, the woman's face was filled with sorrow and anger, but fear was more prevalent. Having just advanced to late-stage Golden Pill Stage, she naturally didn't want to die, but what could she do now?
nà chǐ xǔ zhǎng de zǔ líng mó shé shēn tǐ yī suō ， suí hòu biàn huà wèi yī lǚ hēi xiàn ， háo wú zǔ gé de fēi jìn le tā de é tóu lǐ miàn 。
那尺许长的祖灵魔蛇身体一缩，随后便化为一缕黑线，毫无阻隔的飞进了他的额头里面。
"You dare practice this cursed secret technique, Ancestral Spirit Snake? Aren't you afraid of eventual retaliation?"
“ a ！”
“啊！”
The woman's pale face questioned harshly; there was no trace of her former beauty.
nán zi dà shēng cǎn hū ， liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng mǎn shì tòng kǔ 。
男子大声惨呼，脸上的表情满是痛苦。
"Hmph. I know my own business, and it doesn't concern you to worry about me. Fellow cultivator, just hand over your true essence blood."
tā shēn qián de jiàn mù yě hǎo ， zhèn shì yě bà ， méi yǒu qǐ dào sī háo zǔ gé 。 xíng tóng xū shè 。
他身前的剑幕也好，阵势也罢，没有起到丝毫阻隔。形同虚设。
The venomous snake's expression turned fierce as she raised her jade hand, pointing forward.
duǎn duǎn shù xī de gōng fu ， tā yǐ shēng xī quán wú ， fǎng fú biàn chéng le yī jù kōng ké ， ér nà zǔ líng zhī shé 。 zé yóu tā de dān tián qì hǎi zhōng yī chuān ér chū 。
短短数息的功夫，他已生息全无，仿佛变成了一具空壳，而那祖灵之蛇。则由他的丹田气海中一穿而出。
"Sss..."
yáo tóu bǎi wěi ， yǐn yǐn lù chū jí wéi huān xǐ de shén sè 。
摇头摆尾，隐隐露出极为欢喜的神色。
A chorus of hissing sounds echoed, terrifyingly loud, making the scalp tingle like being in a hell of snakes.
ér ruò shì zhù yì kàn ， cǐ shé shēn tǐ biǎo miàn de zhēn mó zhī qì ， yòu dà le yī quān 。 ér zài tā de é tóu chù ， hái duō le yī ròu liú zhuàng de shì wù ， zhēng níng gǔ guài dào le jí diǎn 。
而若是注意看，此蛇身体表面的真魔之气，又大了一圈。而在它的额头处，还多了一肉瘤状的事物，狰狞古怪到了极点。
Clearly enraged, the venomous snake was ready to strike and eliminate this woman once and for all.
“ bù cuò bù cuò 。 dù jié hòu qī de zhēn yuán jīng xuè ， duì cǐ shé guǒ shì dà bǔ ， zhè wèi dào yǒu ， nǐ de yī shēn xuè ròu ， yě ràng tā tūn shì rú hé ？”
“不错不错。渡劫后期的真元精血，对此蛇果是大补，这位道友，你的一身血肉，也让它吞噬如何？”
The beautiful woman knew her fate was sealed. The disparity in power meant she had no chance of victory. But she couldn't just sit back and wait to die.
bǎo shé zhuǎn guò tóu lú ， mù guāng suǒ dìng nà jiāo yàn nǚ zǐ 。
宝蛇转过头颅，目光锁定那娇艳女子。
A look of regret flashed across her eyes as she raised her jade hand, pointing at the sword barrier before her. With both hands waving, light flickered, and several ancient treasures appeared—swords, shields, chains, all emitting a mournful sound.
liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng yún dàn fēng qīng ， jiù fǎng fú zài yǔ hǎo yǒu shāng liáng jiāo tán ， kě piān piān nèi róng ， què shì è dú dào le jí diǎn 。
脸上的表情云淡风轻，就仿佛在与好友商量交谈，可偏偏内容，却是恶毒到了极点。
Following her life-bound flying sword like a storm, they rushed forward.
“ dà gē 。”
“大哥。”
"Stop like a cicada trying to block an ox!"
fū jūn zài miàn qián yǔn luò ， nà nǚ zǐ de liǎn shàng mǎn shì bēi fèn zhī sè ， kě chú cǐ zhī wài ， wèi jù què shì gèng duō 。
夫君在面前陨落，那女子的脸上满是悲愤之色，可除此之外，畏惧却是更多。
The venomous snake showed no emotion as she watched. Behind her, countless snakes surged forward.
hǎo bù róng yì jìn jiē dù jié hòu qī ， zhèng tuō shòu yuán shù fù ， tā zì rán shì yì bǎi gè bù yuàn yì yǔn luò ， kě shì yǐ zhì cǐ ， hái yóu de zì jǐ me ？
好不容易进阶渡劫后期，挣脱寿元束缚，她自然是一百个不愿意陨落，可事已至此，还由得自己么？
This battle had no suspense; this woman's strength was inferior to the others, making it akin to a cicada trying to stop an ox.
“ zǔ líng zhī shé ， nǐ jū rán gǎn xiū liàn zhè bèi zǔ zhòu de mì shù ， nán dào jiù bù hài pà yǒu zhāo yī rì ， fǎn shì zì jǐ me ？”
“祖灵之蛇，你居然敢修炼这被诅咒的秘术，难道就不害怕有朝一日，反噬自己么？”
As the treasures approached the snakes, something incredible happened.
nǚ zǐ liǎn sè cāng bái de zhì wèn qǐ lái ， cǐ shí cǐ kè ， nǎ lǐ hái yǒu bàn fēn jiāo yàn 。
女子脸色苍白的质问起来，此时此刻，哪里还有半分娇艳。
Boom!
“ hēng ， běn gōng de shì qíng ， zì jǐ xīn lǐ yǒu shù ， nǎ ér lún dé dào nǐ lái cāo xīn shén me ， dào yǒu zhǐ yào guāi guāi jiāo chū zì jǐ de zhēn yuán xuè ròu jiù kě yǐ le 。”
“哼，本宫的事情，自己心里有数，哪儿轮得到你来操心什么，道友只要乖乖交出自己的真元血肉就可以了。”
Without any warning, a loud explosion echoed in their ears. A silver light exploded into the sky, followed by a ring of airwaves that swept away everything in its path, collapsing the void and reducing all to dust. The force was so immense it seemed capable of sweeping away everything at once.
bǎo shé tīng le duì fāng de yán yǔ ， liǎn sè yī lì ， shà shí jiān xiōng guāng bì lù ， yù shǒu tái qǐ ， yī zhǐ xiàng qián diǎn chū 。
宝蛇听了对方的言语，脸色一厉，霎时间凶光毕露，玉手抬起，一指向前点出。
The snakes that had already approached were instantly melted like ice thrown into a furnace.
“ sī ……”
“嘶……”
Caught off guard, even the venomous snake struggled to react. She flicked her sleeves, summoning a silk handkerchief that transformed into a deep light barrier, enveloping herself while using space-warp techniques to retreat.
qún shé tǔ xīn ér ， nà shēng yīn hé zài yì qǐ ， yì shì jù dà yǐ jí ， gèng kě pà de shì ， ràng rén tóu pí fā má ， fǎng fú zhì shēn dú shé de dì yù 。
群蛇吐芯儿，那声音合在一起，亦是巨大以极，更可怕的是，让人头皮发麻，仿佛置身毒蛇的地狱。
Despite dodging the attack, the venomous snake's face showed hatred and lingering fear as she muttered: "This woman is formidable; she detonated her life-bound treasure without hesitation. So decisive and ruthless—truly late-stage Golden Pill Stage, no ordinary man can match." (To be continued...)
The outcome was beyond what the Yuan couple had anticipated. After all, they were late-stage Golden Pill Stage cultivators; even if they couldn't withstand their opponent's attacks, it didn't make sense for them to lose so pitifully.
In essence, they had been too careless!
They underestimated the venomous snake's cunning and treachery, leading her to trap them in a single exchange.
The couple was furious but knew they couldn't just sit back and wait to die. This female venomous snake was known for her ruthless nature. As prey, begging for mercy would be useless; now, their only hope was to sacrifice themselves to carve out a path through the blood.
With thoughts racing in his mind, the dark-skinned man's face was shrouded by black qi. He flicked his sleeves and revealed over ten talismans.
These spirit talismans were different from ordinary ones—larger in size and extremely ancient, crafted from an unknown beast skin. The intricate patterns on them depicted birds, beasts, insects, and fish...
A mouthful of blood spewed forth, turning into a blood mist that was quickly absorbed by the dozen or so talismans.
His hands moved swiftly as spell techniques shot out.
As the man acted, all the talismans ignited spontaneously. The creatures came to life, forming an array.
"Silk Ribbon Talisman Array—hmm, if you can find the genuine Silk Ribbon Jade Talisman and form this array, I might be a bit afraid. But before me is just a fake item; it dares to show itself in front of me, too ignorant."
Upon seeing the talismans clearly, the venomous snake was stunned for a moment, then sneered with contempt.
With a flick of her jade hand, a black line appeared between her brows. As she slowly opened them, it seemed as if she had gained a third eye.
No, that wasn't an eye.
For there were no pupils or any other features; instead, a small snake emerged from within.
This snake was only about a foot long and thinner than a chopstick. Yet the aura it emitted was astonishingly powerful, surpassing even the most顶级灵器.
"Ancestral Spirit Snake—impossible, how...?"
The dark-skinned man's eyes widened in disbelief, his face filled with shock akin to seeing a ghost during broad daylight.
Yet the venomous snake remained cold and indifferent.
Opening her mouth slightly, she recited a short incantation.
This incantation was brief, consisting of only a few syllables. But when the dark-skinned man heard it, he felt as if his ears were being invaded by demonic sounds; his face changed drastically.
Despair and fear were clearly visible in his eyes, and beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. He struggled desperately but couldn't move.
The Ancestral Spirit Snake's body contracted before vanishing into a black line that flew straight into the man's forehead.
"Ah!"
The man cried out in agony as he struggled against the pain. His sword barrier and array did nothing to stop it; they were mere pretenses.
In just a few breaths, his vitality vanished completely, leaving him like an empty shell. The Ancestral Spirit Snake emerged from his dantian, wriggling with delight.
The true demonic energy on its body expanded significantly, and a grotesque growth appeared on its forehead.
"Excellent, excellent. Late-stage Golden Pill Stage essence blood is indeed beneficial to this snake. Fellow cultivator, will you allow it to devour your flesh and blood?"
Turning her head, the venomous snake locked eyes with the beautiful woman. Her expression was calm and composed, as if talking to a friend, but her words were wicked.
"Brother."
With her husband fallen before her, the woman's face was filled with sorrow and anger, but fear was more prevalent. Having just advanced to late-stage Golden Pill Stage, she naturally didn't want to die, but what could she do now?
"You dare practice this cursed secret technique, Ancestral Spirit Snake? Aren't you afraid of eventual retaliation?"
The woman's pale face questioned harshly; there was no trace of her former beauty.
"Hmph. I know my own business, and it doesn't concern you to worry about me. Fellow cultivator, just hand over your true essence blood."
The venomous snake's expression turned fierce as she raised her jade hand, pointing forward.
"Sss..."
A chorus of hissing sounds echoed, terrifyingly loud, making the scalp tingle like being in a hell of snakes.
Clearly enraged, the venomous snake was ready to strike and eliminate this woman once and for all.
The beautiful woman knew her fate was sealed. The disparity in power meant she had no chance of victory. But she couldn't just sit back and wait to die.
A look of regret flashed across her eyes as she raised her jade hand, pointing at the sword barrier before her. With both hands waving, light flickered, and several ancient treasures appeared—swords, shields, chains, all emitting a mournful sound.
Following her life-bound flying sword like a storm, they rushed forward.
"Stop like a cicada trying to block an ox!"
The venomous snake showed no emotion as she watched. Behind her, countless snakes surged forward.
This battle had no suspense; this woman's strength was inferior to the others, making it akin to a cicada trying to stop an ox.
As the treasures approached the snakes, something incredible happened.
Boom!
Without any warning, a loud explosion echoed in their ears. A silver light exploded into the sky, followed by a ring of airwaves that swept away everything in its path, collapsing the void and reducing all to dust. The force was so immense it seemed capable of sweeping away everything at once.
The snakes that had already approached were instantly melted like ice thrown into a furnace.
Caught off guard, even the venomous snake struggled to react. She flicked her sleeves, summoning a silk handkerchief that transformed into a deep light barrier, enveloping herself while using space-warp techniques to retreat.
Despite dodging the attack, the venomous snake's face showed hatred and lingering fear as she muttered: "This woman is formidable; she detonated her life-bound treasure without hesitation. So decisive and ruthless—truly late-stage Golden Pill Stage, no ordinary man can match." (To be continued...)