Ascending from the mortal realm to become an immortal begins with taking charge of a grotto-heaven.

"What a vile beast."

When Zhang Li sensed the aura that the Azure Serpent inadvertently released as it crawled out of the deep pool, his expression changed.

This was the first time he had faced a demonic beast since he had been transmigrated so long ago. Judging from the aura displayed by the Azure Spirit Python, even a Qi Refining cultivator of the same realm would have a hard time defeating it.

Fortunately, he had made thorough preparations, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he was more than capable of protecting himself.

A powerful and oppressive aura rapidly approached.

The enormous Azure Serpent followed the strange fragrance emanating from the Poisonous Spirit Flower and headed towards the array that everyone had set up in advance.

Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, the Azure Python slowly crawled into the range of the formation and slowly headed towards the poisonous herb.

In just a few breaths, more than half of the Azure Python's body had entered the array's range.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Qin Mu's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he shouted in a low voice, "Make your move!"

As soon as he spoke, he made a hand seal to activate the Lesser Five Elements Formation.

The five hidden array flags simultaneously lit up with spiritual light, echoing and connecting with the array plate buried in the middle of the room, forming a powerful magical restriction that attempted to cover the Azure Serpent.

In the blink of an eye, the demonic beast, whose strength was comparable to a cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining, was suppressed by the power of the magic array and was unable to escape for a while.

The Azure Serpent was suddenly trapped. Its vertical pupils instantly revealed a ferocity mixed with some panic. A deep, deafening roar echoed along the riverbank. Its massive body twisted and rolled wildly within the barrier. Its thick, tree-like tail lashed against the barrier again and again, each impact causing the barrier to tremble violently.

"The Lesser Five Elements Formation can only be maintained for a limited time, everyone, go all out!"

Qin Mu shouted sternly, urging his teammates on.

Zhang Li didn't know what benefits Qin Mu had promised Zhou Xuan, or perhaps it was because the two had known each other for many years and their friendship was strong enough that Zhou Xuan was working even harder than the other members of the Qin family.

Zhou Xuan rapidly formed hand seals, his palms gathering spiritual light. A slender, cyan magic sword floated in front of him. With a flick of his finger, the magic sword shot out, transforming into a sharp cyan beam that struck towards the Azure Python.

Another small golden shield spun around Zhou Xuan, protecting all his vital points completely.

Qin Feng, on the other hand, lacked experience in combat. He only released a small black seal, which rapidly enlarged above the Azure Spirit Python, crashing down on it like a small mountain.

However, Qin Mu would not allow his precious son to get into trouble. He multitasked, always keeping half of his body in front of Qin Feng, while simultaneously casting spells to make large vines rise from the ground, binding the Azure Python and relieving the pressure on the magic array.

His cultivation level was indeed the highest among the group, displaying the strength of the eighth level of Qi Refining.

Seeing Qin Mu, Zhou Xuan, and the others display their strength one after another, Zhang Li was unwilling to hold them back. He made a hand seal, and the Heavenly Sun Sword roared out, its blade burning with crimson flames, slashing towards the Azure Spirit Python.

"clang--"

A piercing metallic clang rang out, followed by a muffled boom. The spot where the Heavenly Sun Sword struck remained undamaged; the flames that erupted from the sword scorched only a shallow layer of scorch marks on the surface of the dark blue scales.

"This beast has such hard scales."

Seeing this scene, Zhang Li sighed inwardly.

"Since we can't break through their armor in one hit, let's focus on one spot and keep attacking."

Zhang Li quickly adjusted his tactics.

If it were an ordinary late-stage Qi Refining demon beast, its movements would be restricted, and it would probably not have lasted this long under the repeated attacks of the group.

However, the Azure Python was too powerful, and its emerald green scales were incredibly hard.

Apart from Zhou Xuan and Qin Mu, both late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, who could break through the scales and inflict minor injuries, the attacks from Zhang Li and other mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators could only serve to restrain and wear down the beast, posing little real threat to it.

After several rounds of fierce attacks, it fully unleashed its ferocity. The huge python raised its head, and a thick, almost tangible, dark green venom quickly condensed in its mouth, instantly transforming into several sharp poison arrows that tore through the air and shot fiercely towards the people outside the magic array.

The poisoned arrow looked ordinary, but its toxicity was extremely astonishing. It could even corrode magical artifacts; even a single drop of it could completely corrode a low-grade magical artifact.

"Everyone be careful, don't try to take it head-on!"

Qin Mu promptly issued a warning to everyone, while simultaneously activating his protective magic artifact to erect a yellow barrier, shielding Qin Feng and the other members of the Qin family behind it.

The dark green poisoned arrow struck the yellow barrier, instantly releasing bursts of pungent white smoke and accompanied by a piercing, hissing sound of corrosion.

On the other side, Zhou Xuan reacted extremely quickly, retreating rapidly while the golden shield around him, which was constantly rotating, surged with spiritual light and blocked in front of him.

The golden shield was of a lower grade. Several poison arrows struck it in succession, and the surface of the shield quickly dimmed. The shield surface was corroded with large patches of mottled black spots by the poison, but fortunately it was not completely damaged.

The moment the Azure Serpent raised its head, Zhang Li activated the Wind Control Talisman. A gentle breeze suddenly carried him several feet backward. Then, with a flick of his finger, several clusters of azure flames shot out, meeting the incoming poison arrow head-on.

The moment the highly poisonous creature encountered the azure flame, they quickly dissolved into each other and disappeared completely.

After blocking this wave of attacks, Zhang Li did not pause for a moment. He summoned his magic again, and the crimson flames of the Heavenly Sun Sword, which was suspended in mid-air, surged down again, following the position he had been attacking.

"Click—"

A crisp sound of scales shattering suddenly rang out, and the entire hard scales split open, with crimson flames pouring wildly into the python demon's flesh through the gap.

The Azure Python, writhing in agony, roared repeatedly, its massive body convulsing and struggling wildly.

"Well done, Fellow Daoist Zhang."

Upon seeing this, Qin Mu's heart leaped with excitement, and he immediately shouted, "Everyone, concentrate all your strength and attack one place!"

Upon hearing this, everyone focused on the wound and launched a fierce attack on the Azure Python.

This enormous creature, after being truly wounded, was enraged by the extreme pain it had endured.

It lashed out with its thick python tail, striking the array's restrictions.

With a deafening roar, the five-colored light screen rippled violently, and the already finely textured barrier instantly shattered with large cracks.

Qin Mu made a hand seal, and a large patch of green vines burst forth, wrapping the Azure Python layer upon layer, briefly controlling it in place. Then, he cast another hand seal into the array plate, and several spare spirit stones from his storage bag rose into the air and quickly embedded themselves into the array plate, barely stabilizing the nearly collapsed restriction.

"The formation won't hold for long; it can only suppress this demonic beast for a maximum of twenty breaths. Everyone, don't hold back!"

Qin Mu spoke up again, urging everyone on.

Even without him saying it, Zhang Li and the others already knew that whether they could kill this monster depended on this final period of time.