After all, there were two BOSS-level figures inside the black ball.
How could they let the monster get away with it?
But what happened next proved how naive the Demons were. They had gravely underestimated the legendary Taotie.
The Taotie leaped up, its target the Demon Spirit’s Lifebound Golden Cores hanging above the black ball like brilliant stars.
Fifteen Lifebound Golden Cores in total—they were Tu Xiao’an’s spoils of war, his medals of honor.
"Legend says the Taotie possesses infinite strength. It is avaricious and gluttonous. The more it eats, the stronger it becomes. The more powerful the Energy of what it consumes, the more its strength will grow."
The Fox Immortal King didn’t stop the Taotie, instead speaking thoughtfully.
"This monster isn’t stupid, it seems. It knows its own strength is lacking, so it wants to devour the Golden Cores to rapidly increase its power."
The Yellow Demon King cackled. "So what if it gets a little stronger? Its starting point is too low. It poses no threat whatsoever to us Deep Mountain Demon Kings."
The Gray Demon King didn’t give chase either. It would be better if those Lifebound Golden Cores were eaten, since they belonged to that damned Snake. He wouldn’t feel the slightest bit of pity.
Just as the Fierce Beast Taotie flew near the black ball, its massive mouth opened to a terrifying size. A powerful suction force appeared. WHOOSH... One of the hanging Golden Cores suddenly flew into its giant maw.
The two eyes under its armpits flashed with a fiery, vicious light, as if it were overjoyed. It prepared to continue inhaling, to swallow all these Golden Cores and make its power skyrocket.
But as the second one flew toward the Taotie’s giant mouth, the Lifebound Golden Core suddenly seemed to awaken, turning around and flying back.
"You damned beast! How dare you try to take this Snake King’s Golden Cores? Do you have a death wish?"
The enormous floating black ball suddenly swelled like an erupting volcano and then instantly exploded! A Heaven Shocking Power roiled the sun, moon, and stars. The violent blast sent the Taotie flying.
From within the blast, several barely breathing Rank Three Demon Spirits fell from the sky.
They were the survivors; Tu Xiao’an had not taken their lives.
Soon, the figures of the White Demon King and the Saint Peng King—who had been tightly wrapped in his own wings—appeared one after another. They were no longer imprisoned and had finally emerged.
The White Demon King’s gaze was frigid. He held a Treasure Sword that shone with a sharp light. Though he had no visible injuries, his expression was as if coated in a layer of unthawable Frost.
After that huge battle, he hadn’t managed to gain any advantage over that Snake.
The longer they fought, the more furious he became, but then the Black Ball Celestial Furnace had exploded.
"Where’s that Snake? This battle isn’t over!"
If the White Demon King couldn’t kill the Snake today, he might as well give up.
Looking up, he saw Tu Xiao’an floating high in the sky, collecting the hanging Lifebound Golden Cores one by one. In the middle of collecting them, he suddenly roared in fury, "Damn it, one’s missing! Which bastard just stole this Snake King’s Golden Core? Step forward right now!"
The White Demon King’s face darkened upon hearing this, his expression turning livid. No wonder the Snake had been willing to dispel his own Dark Illusion. It was because someone had stolen his Golden Core.
’His Golden Cores? Those all belonged to my, the White Demon King’s, subordinates!’
’That damned Snake! He’s indirectly humiliating me, the White Demon King!’
ROAR...
A savage, brutal aura erupted as the enormous Taotie, wailing like a fiend, charged toward Tu Xiao’an to tear him apart.
"Holy shit, what is this monster?" Tu Xiao’an had just been about to demand justice, but an enormous, terrifyingly vicious creature was charging at him like an Abyss Demon.
"Fuck, so you’re the one who stole this Snake King’s Golden Core, right? Die!"
Tu Xiao’an gripped his Heaven Swaying Sword. A blinding Sword Aura shot up like a magnificent silver Dragon, connecting with the massive Fierce Beast.
BOOM!
The Fierce Beast Taotie was blown backward, a terrifyingly deep gash appearing on its huge body, from which green liquid gushed out.
Tu Xiao’an was astonished. ’Damn, what a tough body! It took a direct hit from my Heaven Swaying Sword and wasn’t sliced in two.’
He then frowned, sensing that the situation wasn’t right. Besides this unknown monster, he detected several other terrifying auras of Demon Qi. A quick glance revealed several Deep Mountain Demon Kings.
Aside from that coward, the Gray Demon King, there were two other Deep Mountain Demon Kings he had never seen before.
Needless to say, he could guess their identities. They had to be the Yellow Demon King and the Fox Demon King—one whose true form was a Weasel, and the other a fox.
Now, all four Deep Mountain Demon Kings were standing right here, plus one monster.
’That monster is...?’
Tu Xiao’an’s cold gaze swept over. He saw the monster, which he had just struck with his sword, floating high in the air. After a ripple of its muscles, the sword wound it had just received actually healed itself.
’What a perverse healing ability.’
"Lock on with Consciousness Power!"
"Ding... Clone of the Ancient Exotic Beast, Taotie. Level: 35. Origin: Ancient War Ruins."
The system’s data appeared, and Tu Xiao’an was immediately taken aback. ’Taotie?’
’What the hell is that?’ After receiving the system’s data, Tu Xiao’an wore a look of utter confusion.
He took a closer look at the monster. It had a large head and a huge mouth, with its eyes bizarrely located under its armpits. Its appearance was truly strange.
Its appearance was more demonic than a Demon’s.
Tu Xiao’an couldn’t help but ponder. ’What exactly did I miss during my big fight with the White Demon King? Why has the legendary Ancient Taotie shown up?’
’Also, what godforsaken corner did it just pop out of?’
’Ancient War Ruins? Why does that sound so familiar?’
Tu Xiao’an felt like he had heard of the Ancient War Ruins somewhere before, but he couldn’t quite recall where.
But he definitely knew of the Taotie. It was incredibly famous, a true Fierce Beast of legend.
It was said that the Taotie would eat anything it saw—a total glutton. Just how much did it love to eat? Let’s put it this way: if there were no food, it would even eat itself.
ROAR!
The Fierce Beast Taotie, its wounds now healed, let out a deafening roar and charged menacingly toward Tu Xiao’an once more. It opened its fanged, green-faced mouth, and a foul stench washed over him.
The sight was absolutely terrifying.
"Hmph. So you’ve locked onto me now? You stole one of this Snake King’s Golden Cores, and I haven’t even settled the score with you yet." Tu Xiao’an didn’t care if it was a Taotie or some other trash; from the looks of it, its strength wasn’t anything special.
In a flash, Tu Xiao’an’s demonic eyes narrowed, and a powerful wave of Consciousness Power enveloped the Taotie.
"Freeze!"
The Taotie’s enormous body suddenly went rigid. Its mountain-like form had been forcefully frozen in place.
It was only Level 35, after all. Tu Xiao’an’s current Consciousness Power was more than enough to control it.
ROAR... ROAR!
The Taotie cried out repeatedly, but it was completely unable to move.
Tu Xiao’an smiled. He slowly floated over and stood in the air before the massive Taotie, examining it closely.
This scene left all the Demon Spirits below utterly stunned.
He was truly a formidable Snake. The terrifying Fierce Beast Taotie was completely powerless before him.
At that moment, Tu Xiao’an was thinking, ’Since this is the legendary Taotie, wouldn’t it be interesting if I subdued it?’
’At the very least, I can’t let this Fierce Beast eat my Golden Core for free, right?’
When had he, Tu Xiao’an, ever made a deal where he came out at a loss?