Be a proper Taoist priest in The Condor Heroes

Chapter 65 Giant Serpent, Strange Bird

The hinterland of Xishan.

The deeper one ventures into the mountains, the more secluded and desolate the surrounding scenery becomes. Towering ancient trees block out the sun, their dense foliage almost completely obscuring the sunlight, leaving only dappled shadows beneath the trees. The ground is covered with layers of decaying leaves, several inches thick, and the damp earth mixed with the pungent smell of vegetation assaults the senses. Miasma lingers in the air, and the occasional mournful roar of a beast or the chirping of an insect only serves to emphasize the deathly stillness and desolation of this deep, ancient forest, where danger lurks at every turn.

The Western Mountains stretch for hundreds of miles, covering a vast and boundless area. If the two of them were to continue exploring together, the search area would be too limited, and it would take an unknown amount of time to find the elusive Bodhi Serpent.

After much deliberation and weighing the pros and cons, Su Yan decided to split up and explore separately. They would set a meeting point each morning and each go several miles in different directions. They had to return to the meeting point before sunset and were not allowed to spend the night outside.

When setting the rules, Su Yan repeatedly gave Su Ye instructions.

"The deep mountains are full of dangers. Miasma, ferocious beasts, and cliffs can all be deadly. You only need to pay attention to any unusual movements around you and look for the strange snake with the golden fleshy tumor. If you encounter danger, retreat immediately and never try to fight it head-on."

Su Ye nodded obediently. She understood Su Yan's concerns and remembered his instructions.

For the next ten days or so, the two of them searched separately as agreed each day. Su Yan relied on his meticulous mind and rich experience to walk through the mountains and forests as if on flat ground. He paid attention to the terrain, vegetation and traces of strange animals along the way, and secretly memorized the mountain paths to avoid getting lost.

That evening, the two met under the old locust tree. Su Ye looked at the two who had returned empty-handed, and couldn't help but grip the hilt of his sword tightly, whispering something.

"Brother Yan, we've been searching for so long, but we haven't even seen a trace of the snake. Have we gone to the wrong place?"

She had long been accustomed to sharing his burdens and was eager to find the Bodhi Serpent as soon as possible to help him achieve the purpose of this trip. The aimless search made her anxious.

Su Yan noticed her anxiety and softened her tone to comfort her.

"The western mountains are vast and boundless, and their traces are hard to find, so there's no need to be too anxious. At worst, we'll just have to stay a few more days. Tomorrow, we'll change direction and explore the most treacherous broken valley on the west side. It's a place rarely visited by people, and the miasma is even heavier. It might be the place where the strange snakes live."

He had already analyzed it in his mind. Ordinary mountains and forests rarely have traces of strange beasts. The more dangerous and remote the place, the less likely it is to be inhabited by creatures, the more suitable it is for the Bodhi Serpent to live. However, such places are much more dangerous, so he had to give him a serious warning again.

"When we enter the valley tomorrow, you must stay close to my general location. If we encounter any snakes, insects, or wild beasts that are beyond our control, send a signal immediately and I will arrive right away. Remember, life is more important than exploration."

Seeing his master's serious expression, Su Ye quickly nodded in agreement, firmly engraving these words of advice in his heart.

The next morning, the two packed up and headed straight for the treacherous cliff valley on the west side.

The closer they got to the valley, the thicker the miasma became, and the vegetation grew wildly and densely, almost blocking out the sunlight. A faint fishy smell gradually rose in the air. Su Yan's heart stirred slightly; this kind of atmosphere was quite in line with the environment where the legendary beasts lived.

Upon arriving at the valley entrance, the two split up to explore, as usual. At sunset, Su Yan followed his memory back to the old locust tree by the stream, but the area under the tree was empty. After waiting for a while, Su Ye was still nowhere to be seen.

His heart sank.

Su Ye has always been obedient and well-behaved, and would never break a promise without reason, much less fail to return on time.

Su Yan forced himself to calm down, bent down to examine the ground carefully, and soon found the subtle marks left by Su Ye, the traces extending all the way to the western broken valley.

At this moment, a strong, pungent stench wafted from the valley deep in the dense forest. On the valley floor, dozens of ordinary venomous snakes with bright colors were writhing and flicking their tongues, hissing. In the center of the snake group, several strange snakes with golden light all over their bodies, bright red fleshy growths on their heads, and swift movements like the wind darted around. These were the Bodhi Curved Snakes he had been searching for!

Three enormous Bodhi serpents were frantically attacking a slender figure, their fangs gleaming coldly, nearly biting her several times.

That figure was none other than Su Ye.

She wielded her longsword with great force, the sword energy crisscrossing as she cut down the attacking venomous snakes one by one.

However, her ankle had already been bitten by a venomous snake, and dark blood seeped out from her ankle, staining her trouser leg red. Her face was as pale as paper, her vision was beginning to overlap, and her steps were unsteady. Clearly, she had been poisoned by the snake and was about to run out of strength.

On the outer edge of the snake swarm, a massive eagle with sparse, ugly feathers and piercing eyes stood facing the snakes, occasionally slashing at them with its sharp claws. Its giant wings whipped up a gust of wind, sweeping away large swathes of snakes. It was secretly protecting Su Ye, confronting the Bodhi Curved Snake head-on.

Standing at the valley entrance, Su Yan took in the entire scene. His heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly, the pain suffocating him, and a surge of rage instantly engulfed his entire body.

"not good!"

Su Yan let out a low shout, no longer caring about concealing his figure, and leaped into the air. He cursed himself for being careless and for letting her enter such a dangerous place alone.

Just then, Su Ye managed to deflect an attack from a Bodhi serpent with a powerful swing of his sword. He staggered backward, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Su Yan rushing towards him from the valley entrance. His tense mind instantly relaxed.

She gazed at that familiar figure, a relieved smile appearing on her pale face, as if all the pain and exhaustion had vanished. Then, everything went black, and she collapsed straight to the ground.

"Su Ye!"

Su Yan's eyes were bloodshot with rage, and his roar echoed through the valley. His longsword was instantly drawn, and his inner strength was poured into the blade, causing the sword light to surge. He charged into the swarm of snakes without regard for anything else. His swordsmanship was extremely fierce, and every move was deadly. As his longsword flew, countless venomous snakes were cut in two, and their foul-smelling blood splattered all over his clothes.

Facing the three giant Bodhi snakes that were besieging Su Ye, he showed no mercy. His sword strikes were fierce, aimed straight at the snakes' heads. Three sharp sword energies struck the snakes' bodies, severely injuring the giant Bodhi snakes, causing blood to gush out.

Seeing that someone was helping, the Divine Eagle let out a high-pitched cry, swept its giant wings, and pecked fiercely with its sharp claws. Together with Su Yan's swordsmanship, it attacked from both sides. In just a short while, it drove back the poisonous snakes and Bodhi snakes in the valley. The remaining snakes fled in panic and hid in the caves deep in the valley.

With the crisis averted, Su Yan disregarded everything else and rushed to Su Ye's side. He carefully picked her up, placed his fingertips on her wrist, and felt her faint but still present pulse. Only then did his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, begin to relax.

He looked down at the dark snakebite on Su Ye's ankle, then at her pale and weak face, his heart filled with self-reproach and lingering fear. If he had arrived even a moment later, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Looking up at the giant eagle standing proudly to the side, Su Yan understood. This giant eagle must be the same one that accompanied the Bodhi Serpent. If it hadn't secretly helped him, Su Ye wouldn't have been able to hold out until he arrived.

He held the unconscious Su Ye in his arms, slowly stood up, and scanned the depths of the valley with a wary look. At the same time, he quickly planned in his mind to first force out the snake venom from Su Ye, bandage her wounds, and then go to the Sword Tomb to rest.