Chapter 1499 — Ungrateful?

Seeing the giant python's behavior, Yang Qiqi knew her negotiation had failed. Whether or not it had understood her words, it would never let her pluck this Snow Lingzhi so easily.

Yang Qiqi gritted her teeth, unsure whether she ought to give up. But one look at the vast snowy mountains told her that natural treasures were not so easily found; if she truly abandoned this Snow Lingzhi, who could say whether she would ever find another?

Besides, even if she found one, there was a giant python guarding this place; elsewhere there were surely other spirit beasts standing guard as well.

"To hell with it!" Yang Qiqi clenched her teeth, drew out another poisoned dagger, aimed it straight at the python's head, and drove it in!

Had it been any other Profound Rank expert, then although this giant python was huge and difficult to deal with, if two Profound Rank experts joined forces, finishing it off ought not to be difficult. After all, the python had not yet evolved into a true spirit beast; as for its strength, it was not even quite at the Yellow Rank.

Two Profound Rank experts would not even have been necessary; a single Profound Rank expert with some skill could have slain the python. But though Yang Qiqi possessed Profound Rank strength, what she cultivated was the external-school lightness art of the Profound Rank. Her level had reached Profound Rank, yet she had none of a Profound Rank's attacking power.

With a muffled ding, the blade in Yang Qiqi's hand struck the python's head, but it merely broke a bit of skin and left a flesh wound; it did nothing more to the python at all.

The python, though, felt the sting, and as though goaded by something, it opened its blood-bowl maw and lunged to bite Yang Qiqi. Swift as she was, her right hand was holding the dagger, and the dagger was right there by the snake's head; before she could pull it back, the python's fangs raked across her arm, instantly opening a gash deep enough to show bone, blood bursting out in a rush.

Though the pain was severe, Yang Qiqi did not let go of the dagger. She knew very well that unless she gave up running altogether, losing the dagger meant she could not possibly beat the python, and would become a fine meal in its belly.

The enraged python had bitten her arm, yet it did not abandon its attack. Her earlier thrust had clearly marked her in its memory, and it lunged at Yang Qiqi once more.

There was nothing else for it. Yang Qiqi could only steel herself and swing the dagger again!

Strike a snake at its seven inches, they say, but against a python of this size Yang Qiqi did not know where those seven inches should be measured from, and could only stab wildly at its body. And the python, stung by pain, grew all the more frenzied; this time it did not merely try to bite her, but lashed out with its tail as well, meaning to whip her.

The tail was enormous beyond measure. Yang Qiqi tried to dodge, but she was too late; the tail caught her and sent her head over heels, tumbling to the ground!

Panic seized Yang Qiqi's heart. This dagger of hers was more than enough to kill a man, but against a python it seemed pitifully small, good for nothing at all! As the great snake lunged at her once more, Yang Qiqi could only stab desperately at it, driving the blade again and again into its body; but the python clamped its jaws on her leg and tore away a chunk of flesh outright!

"Ah—" The pain nearly drew tears from Yang Qiqi's eyes, but she clenched her teeth and endured it, brandishing the dagger and picturing the python as the person she hated most, stabbing it again and again: "Wei Zhao! Wei Zhao! Wei Zhao! I'll stab you to death! Stab you to death!"

After biting off a piece of Yang Qiqi's flesh, the python seemed to feel the poison on the dagger take hold; before it could even swallow, it swayed and toppled to the ground, and moved no more...

"Hoo... the poison finally took effect?" Yang Qiqi let out a long breath and patted her frantically beating heart, murmuring to herself, "I truly stole back my life! No wonder even Uncle Tombstone said the trial was dangerous. A single big snake nearly ate me!"

Still, in the end she had defeated the great snake, and a faint, untroubled smile rose at the corner of Yang Qiqi's mouth. This Snow Lingzhi ought to be worth a great many points, surely?

As for her wounds, they were worse than usual this time, but as a killer, Yang Qiqi was no stranger to injury, and she could bear it well enough.

Yang Qiqi clambered up from the ground, limping. Seeing her blood-soaked arm and calf, she did not dare dawdle; she fished a small medicine bottle out of her pocket. It was the healing medicine Wei Zhao had given her before.

Carefully, Yang Qiqi opened the bottle and sprinkled the herbs inside over her leg and arm, begrudging the waste of the slightest bit.

"Ah, there is not much left... next time I see him, I should ask for some more!" Yang Qiqi had not the least awareness of being ungrateful; it seemed she did not remember at all how she had just pictured the python as Wei Zhao and stabbed away with her dagger...

Once the herbs were applied, Yang Qiqi dared not waste time. Who knew whether the noise of her struggle would draw others here? So without resting, she limped quickly over, ready to cut down the Snow Lingzhi...

Not far from the Ice-Snow Spirit Mountain, two small teams seemed to have discovered a spirit herb at the same moment, and were now locked in a standoff, swords drawn and blades bared, any moment apt to erupt into violence.

Only, the two teams were well matched in strength. One team had an early Profound Rank expert, a late Profound Rank expert, and a mid Profound Rank expert.

The other team had two experts at the very peak of late Profound Rank, and one mid Profound Rank expert.

So if the two teams came to blows, the outcome truly could not be foretold; and in such a deadlock, whoever wished to make the first move would have to compete in patience.

This scene, however, was witnessed by a team not far off, made up of three men: Zhang Naipao, Zhuangniao Pao, and Zhuangniao Qiang.

"Lord Pao, there's another flock of fat sheep up ahead!" Zhuangniao Pao pointed excitedly at the two groups in the distance and said to Zhang Naipao.

And no wonder he was excited. Their little team had no need at all to trouble itself hunting for natural treasures; they had only to find people. No words wasted — just rob them outright. So less than half a day into the trial, he and Zhuangniao Qiang had each already seized fifty points' worth of natural treasures, and Zhang Naipao himself had more than a hundred.

"Mm, not bad. Go and make them hand over their points!" Zhang Naipao nodded, as though stating a matter of course.

"Stop fighting, stop fighting, all of you stop!" Zhuangniao Pao swaggered over, jabbed a finger at the two groups, and said outright, "Lord Pao is here. Don't fight for now — once we've gone, you can carry on!"