Xi Xi paused for a moment, but did not turn around and continued walking forward. Xu Yuehuai and Baili Xiuwen hid behind, barely breathing, afraid of being exposed. Fortunately, the black snake did not think that any humans would break in. He had a certain degree of confidence in his strength, and Xu Yuehuai also had a certain degree of confidence in his pills.

Baili Xiuwen looked at Xu Yuehuai, wanting to know what they should do next. Xu Yuehuai made a gesture to him. This was an agreement the two had made when they went up the mountain. If they wanted to leave, they would make this gesture. Baili Xiuwen understood. He took Xu Yuehuai's hand, and in a short while, the two of them disappeared from the place they had just been.

A gust of wind blew by, and the black snake looked back at where they had just been, but found nothing, nor did it smell anything strange. He withdrew his gaze and closed his eyes again in that spot.

Xu Yuehuai felt a bit surprised, but thankfully they both came out safely. "Should we go back to find them? If it's just Black Snake, maybe we can still try and defeat him."

Xu Yuehua nodded; she thought so too. As for seeing Xixi on the mountain earlier, she didn't care, at least not now. When she felt like asking Xixi what had happened, she would tell everyone the truth.

At the village entrance, Shangguan Xi paced back and forth, his hands clasped together, muttering, "I hope both Senior Sister and Junior Brother return safely. Please, please don't let anything happen to them!"

Nangong Yu sat to the side, his ears aching from the noise, but he had no mind to criticize Shangguan Xi. His thoughts were just as complicated as Shangguan Xi's. "We can't wait any longer, let's go up the mountain!"

Nangong Yu stood up. It was almost afternoon, and it was getting dark. He still hadn't seen anyone. Even if he was usually very composed, he couldn't sit still any longer.

Shangguan Xi agreed with what he said to some extent and was about to express her own opinion when a familiar voice came: "Didn't I tell you to wait for us down here? How come there are still people who want to go up the mountain now? Don't you respect your senior sister?"

Xu Yuehuai knew they had returned rather late, so she made some jokes to lighten the tense atmosphere. When Shangguan Qi saw Xu Yuehuai, the expression on her face immediately relaxed, and tears began to fall. "Senior Sister, you're finally back! I thought I'd never see you again, I was so nervous!"

Fu Ziyi and Shi Mu came over when they heard the commotion. Xuan Chi watched from the side. He was not good with words and did not say anything, but the joy in his eyes was undeniable.

After Xu Yuehuai and Baili Xiuwen briefly explained the situation on the mountain, Shangguan Qi was full of fighting spirit. "It's just a mere black snake. Let's see if I don't teach it a lesson! This thing has been acting as an accomplice to evil here for so many years!"

"Stop talking big. I'll be grateful if you're not the first one to run away," Nangong Yu teased with a smile.

After Xu Yuehuai returned, the atmosphere at the scene became lively again. Everyone laughed and joked, making it quite a lively scene. The group planned to go up the mountain the next day and find the Fighting Lion in one go.

Xi Xi watched their harmonious atmosphere from a short distance away, her hands clenched tightly at her sides. When she saw Xu Yuehuai and Baili Xiuwen appear unharmed, she was even more shocked.

The next morning, they went up the mountain. When Xixi passed by the entrance, he saw that there was no one in the tent. He put down the basket on his back and also headed up the mountain. He told himself that he just wanted to see what was going on and that he had no other intentions.

Xu Yuehuai led everyone up the mountain, following the route planned yesterday. When they passed the previous section of the road, the surrounding spirit beasts were indeed gone. Shangguan Xi covered her nose and said, "This place smells terrible."

Xu Yuehuai explained expressionlessly, "Those spirit beasts almost all live here in order to obey the black snake. They eat, drink, and relieve themselves all here. Some of the smells are normal. It will be much better once we go up."

The black snake detected their presence as soon as they appeared in that area, its red eyes fixed on that direction, as if waiting for them to come up so it could devour them one by one.

Xu Yuehuai and the others walked to the place they had left yesterday. With a serious look in her eyes, she said, "Everyone be careful. The black snake is nearby. If there is any danger, speak up immediately."

Xu Yuehuai gave everyone some instructions, glancing at them a few times with some lingering concern. Everyone knew this would be a fierce battle, so they were all on high alert and dared not slack off.

The black snake appeared from behind and attacked them without saying a word. The first to be attacked was Shi Mu, who was the weakest. After the black snake unleashed a burst of spiritual energy, he fell to the ground and couldn't even get up.

Shi Mu clutched his chest, tears welling in his eyes—physiological tears. Xu Yuehuai reacted quickly, instantly switching to Shi Mu's position to fight the black snake. This black snake, which had lived for hundreds or even thousands of years, was no illusory creature; its strength was terrifying and outrageous. For a moment, Xu Yuehuai seemed somewhat powerless against this black snake.

She gripped her longsword tightly and kept swinging it to attack. Shangguan Xi and the others also found an opportunity to quickly join the battle and try to help.

Shi Mu stood on the ground, trying to get up, but after several attempts, he failed. He lowered his head in dejection, wondering what purpose he had served here.

His eyes held a resolute determination. No matter what use he was, he couldn't hold them back today, here! Nor could he sit here for nothing, relying on them to fight the Black Serpent, only to enjoy undeserved rewards afterward.

A burst of intense light erupted from Shi Mu's body, attracting the attention of everyone fighting. Xu Yuehuai recognized the light immediately as the light of advancement. A smile played on her lips, while Nangong Yu, standing to the side, was shocked. "Just what kind of physique does Junior Brother Shi Mu have? He can still advance even after being beaten up? If I had known he was like this, I should have beaten him up more these past few days to help others!"

Midway through their fight, Nangong Yu still had the energy to tell some jokes. Seeing that they weren't taking the fight seriously, the Black Snake instantly got angry, unleashing a powerful burst of spiritual energy. Its enormous tail lashed out at them, creating a gust of wind.