Chapter 266: Escape from Shekou

The moment they entered the Black Serpent’s throat, Ye Tinglan conjured a small lotus lamp.

The lamp’s warm light formed an all-encompassing shield, enveloping both of them.

When facing extremely massive monstrous beasts, many would consider the tactic of entering the creature’s belly, but this is actually an extremely dangerous trap.

Due to their immense size, their digestive capabilities are on an entirely different level. If a human-sized being were to enter the body of such a monster, which can be dozens of yards long, they would be instantly corroded and digested.

Many magical treasures are highly effective against direct damage but may not withstand corrosion and digestion, which are entirely different forms of harm. Many have underestimated the power of such digestion, foolishly thinking themselves clever by entering a monstrous beast’s body, only to die a horrific death.

Especially with high-grade life forms, their digestion is no longer a passive process; they can actively absorb, which makes it infinitely more potent. It's similar to how cultivators actively digest medicinal effects, an efficiency dozens of times faster than passively waiting for pills to be absorbed.

They particularly enjoy it when humans smugly enter their bellies.

Fortunately, the one who entered the belly this time was Ye Tinglan, whose combat experience and her magical treasure's all-encompassing protection were unrivaled in the world.

All along the way, they only heard the "sizzling" sound of stomach acid falling on the lotus lamp's shield, yet not even a single pit could be corroded. The sensation of being inside was like a torrential downpour raging outside, while a candle glowed warmly within, or an elder sister holding you in a warm embrace, making you feel as warm as spring regardless of wind or rain.

However, there were two problems.

Firstly, it was inconvenient to attack outward through the shield; for now, they had to wait for an opportunity.

Secondly, the protective range of the lamp was so small that they had to hold each other tightly.

At first, Ye Tinglan felt nothing amiss, but only after they had moved further inside did she suddenly realize that this situation might be a bit too intimate...

She stole a glance at the "little puppy" in her arms, who was staring somewhat blankly at her profile. She wondered what he was thinking.

Ye Tinglan was quite exasperated. It was one thing when she had to hold him and roll to save him; in such an urgent situation requiring immediate action, no one felt anything. But this was different. Squeezed together, moving inward for such a long distance, the sensation was simply... unbearable.

His hand was still wrapped around her waist, and she didn't know whether to scold him to let go. It seemed there wasn't much difference anyway; if he didn't hold her, she would have to hold him even tighter to avoid separating, which might feel even more awkward.

This mere dozens of yards within the serpent's belly felt more arduous than walking dozens of miles on a normal day.

She was just taking a male apprentice out for "training," so how did it turn into this?

Lu Xingzhou's blank stare, of course, was because he was thinking of Yuan Muyu. Memories of his earlier years, when his legs were inconvenient and Yuan Muyu held him while they did various things, flashed through his mind, frame by frame. Her face, strikingly similar to the one before him, overlapped and intertwined, causing him agitation.

What made Lu Xingzhou feel even more conflicted was that those past images were becoming increasingly blurred, while Ye Tinglan's mature and intellectual elder sister-like protection felt so real, and her fresh fragrance wafting towards him was truly refreshing.

Ye Tinglan was Ye Tinglan, not Yuan Muyu.

Regardless of her initial intentions for approaching him, her current kindness towards him was so genuinely real.

"Teacher, there's something," Lu Xingzhou said, suddenly spotting a light ahead and speaking up to warn her.

His voice was right by her ear; she could even feel his breath, a tingling sensation.

Ye Tinglan's earlobe unconsciously turned red. She forced herself not to mind, gritting her teeth as she looked ahead. "You don't need to tell me, I can see it."

The two quickly reached the center of the serpent's belly, where they saw a large, precious pearl faintly glowing with a soft light.

Besides the pearl, there were also some skeletal remains.

It was unknown how many years these bones had been swallowed, yet they hadn't been fully digested, indicating how powerful their owner must have been in life. They were likely much stronger than Ye Tinglan, true "ancient immortals."

"This isn't something this serpent could have devoured," Ye Tinglan judged. "It must have died in battle here, and the serpent swallowed its corpse. This serpent's ability to grow protection beyond its natural capacity is very much related to its consumption of these ancient immortal corpses."

"Then this is an ancient realm," Lu Xingzhou said, "from which we should be able to glimpse the creations or fortunes of the ancient immortals."

Both of their gazes fell upon the precious pearl.

In truth, for Heavenly Jade Holy Land, such fortunes were not uncommon, but one could never have too many. In the exploration of ancient immortals, every single clue was valuable and might lead to even more discoveries.

"This pearl is the source of its survival until now," Ye Tinglan continued. "It contains an extremely potent life-extending effect, making it the most desired treasure for cultivators whose lifespans are nearing their end. If ground into powder and extracted for alchemy, it might even be the core ingredient for an immortality pill."

There is a type of elixir that may not enhance cultivation but can grant eternal life.

Compared to a Nine-Revolutions Golden Elixir that grants ascension, this immortality pill might not be as astonishing, but it is still a highly coveted treasure.

It was perfectly normal for people to die in the struggle for such treasures. Lu Xingzhou could already imagine the ancient feuds and fierce battles that had occurred here, and how an ordinary water snake, lurking at the bottom of the lake, had eventually scavenged the corpses and swallowed the pearl, growing into its current monstrous form.

Ye Tinglan took a deep breath. "Be careful," she warned. "If we take this item, the Black Serpent will surely be enraged and immediately use all its power to digest us. My lotus lamp shield might not hold for too long."

Lu Xingzhou nodded. "Understood," he replied, "I'm prepared."

Ye Tinglan slightly opened the shield and, with a sweep of her divine sense, drew the precious pearl towards them. Corrosive stomach acid surged in through the opened gap, but Ye Tinglan extended her spiritual aura and forced it all back out.

Simultaneously, Lu Xingzhou threw out the last highly poisonous pill he had just refined but hadn't discarded into the lake, sending it out with the stomach fluid.

Ye Tinglan glanced at him, inwardly thinking that this "little puppy" was so remarkably reliable, it made her want to pat his head.

"You... are courting death!"

The Black Serpent's roar echoed, and its entire body became violent. The actively driven stomach fluid surged wildly, constantly washing against the lotus lamp's shield. The "sizzling" sound grew increasingly violent, and the barrier visibly began to shake and thin.

Some areas of the shield already showed signs of corrosion.

At the same time, the entire serpent's body rolled violently. The two, holding each other, were tossed about chaotically, crashing into things everywhere, like a small boat swaying in a furious ocean tempest.

Ye Tinglan's expression remained as calm as an ancient well. Amidst the surging chaos, she held Lu Xingzhou and rushed back towards the serpent's mouth. No matter how the serpent's body rolled or how furious the waves surged, their small boat never capsized.

There was no way she would exit through the other end... What kind of impression would that leave...?

Over a mere dozens of yards, the serpent's violent rolling became powerless. It was evident that the highly poisonous pill Lu Xingzhou had thrown was taking effect. The Black Serpent's active digestion of its stomach fluid, of course, also rapidly digested the poison, allowing the toxins to instantly invade its entire body, causing the Black Serpent unbearable pain.

The "sizzling" sound grew closer, indicating the lotus lamp's protection was at its last stage.

Ahead, however, was the tightly closed serpent's mouth. The Black Serpent knew the two inside were trying to escape and was well aware that the lotus lamp's protection was failing. As long as it kept its mouth shut, the two would die inside.

If they died here, the dropped precious pearl could still extend the Black Serpent's life.

It was a matter of survival: their death meant its life.

Ye Tinglan's expression was grim. She considered whether she could withdraw the shield and launch an all-out strike, blasting open the serpent's mouth while simultaneously avoiding corrosion from its saliva. She herself could do it, but she wasn't sure if she could also protect Lu Xingzhou at the same time...

Regardless, at this point, they had no choice but to try.

The lotus lamp's light suddenly vanished, replaced by a brilliant sword light that pierced the darkness and seemed to split the very cosmos.

Lu Xingzhou took out the dragon bone.

Basic Witchcraft Curse – Pain Doubled.

Being half-serpent, half-dragon, it also possessed a dragon bloodline, so this curse, mediated by a dragon bone, was naturally effective against the Black Serpent.

A horrifying, earth-shattering shriek resounded. Regardless of how large a gap Ye Tinglan's sword could blast open, the serpent's mouth had already opened wide...

Ye Tinglan, holding Lu Xingzhou, shot out and successfully escaped.

Serpent saliva covered both their bodies. Ye Tinglan extended her magical protection to block it, and Lu Xingzhou took out his wheelchair, extending its shield to block it too. Neither was designed for this type of defense and was quickly corroded, but they had basically blocked most of the serpent saliva.

Only a very small amount of misty liquid remained on their bodies, dissolving their clothes into tatters and revealing much.

"Thud!" Lu Xingzhou landed on the ground with his wheelchair, but it was Ye Tinglan he held in his arms, and the inertia caused the wheelchair to slide backward repeatedly.

Not far away, the Black Serpent thrashed painfully on the ground, pressing the earth as if it had been ploughed, leaving deep pits everywhere.

Before long, it was gasping its last breath: "Humans... so vicious..."

"Oh, holy crap," Lu Xingzhou chuckled in exasperation. "You wanted to digest both of us, and that's not vicious, but I throw a pill for you to eat, and *that's* vicious? Who knew a poisonous snake like you would also be afraid of poison? I thought it was a sweet treat for you."

Ye Tinglan listened with a strange expression as he exchanged insults with a snake. The wheelchair stopped sliding backward, and the Black Serpent also ceased its rolling.

The Black Serpent, whose age was unknown, had been poisoned to death by a mere pill after losing its precious pearl, and had already breathed its last.

The air grew silent for a moment.

Ye Tinglan remained silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, "When are you going to let go?"

Lu Xingzhou's hand had remained around her waist; she was still sitting on his lap, nestled in his arms. Both of their clothes were almost completely corroded away.

In this dark secret realm, their fair skin glowed like moonlight.

Lu Xingzhou noticed, and a certain part of him involuntarily stiffened.

Ye Tinglan also noticed. A magical incantation had already condensed in her hand, and she sneered, "Tell me, if I silence you, then nothing happened, right?"