The space below was vast, and after discovering the whereabouts of the Eight-Headed Serpent, the crowd pursued in the direction it fled.
"Wait!" Song Mingqin called out, "Don't chase yet. Don't pursue a cornered enemy; be careful of a trap."
"Mingqin Sword Immortal, that Eight-Headed Serpent was injured by your and this young brother's combined efforts. What trap could there be? This is the perfect time to press our advantage," an elder in the late Foundation Establishment stage said. "No matter how capable it is, it's still in the late Foundation Establishment stage. I don't believe that several of us in the late Foundation Establishment stage combined cannot eliminate this menace!"
There was an air of arrogance in the elder's tone. Before Song Mingqin could reply, he, along with a few familiar individuals, vanished from everyone's sight.
"Mingqin Sword Immortal, are we still following?" a cultivator asked.
"Let's follow. If anything feels wrong, we'll retreat immediately." Song Mingqin pondered for a moment. He was the one who led everyone into the sinkhole, and he had to ensure everyone's safety as much as possible.
Ye Bufan looked at Song Mingqin helplessly. His temper was still quite good. If it were Ye Bufan himself, he would have long since stopped caring about the other party's life or death.
"Song Mingqin led the crowd towards the direction where those rogue cultivators had left. Seeing this, Ye Bufan summoned the Zi You Cold Fire again to illuminate the space for everyone."
"Ah—"
After a few steps, a scream was heard, followed by the enraged roar of the Eight-Headed Serpent.
"Ah—"
Another scream, one after another.
"Retreat!"
Song Mingqin led everyone to retreat rapidly. Ye Bufan looked in the direction of the screams, a frown forming on his face. He sensed something rapidly approaching them.
"Quick, go! Something's coming," Ye Bufan shouted back urgently. Song Mingqin instantly appeared beside Ye Bufan.
"Brother Ye, you retreat first. I'll cover the rear," Song Mingqin said.
Ye Bufan chuckled and replied, "Let's go together. Our chances of winning will be greater if we combine our efforts, not to mention I have my Sword Domain."
Upon hearing this, Song Mingqin nodded. At this moment, the cultivators who were preparing to retreat returned.
"You two are staying here to resist the Eight-Headed Serpent. How can we just flee? We'll go together," a cultivator said. "My fellow disciples and I can form a sword array. Our strongest strike can contend with a Core Formation stage cultivator."
Song Mingqin looked at them returning, his heart warming. Then, under the illumination of the Zi You Cold Fire, Ye Bufan and the others saw a colossal shadow emerge.
"It's here," Ye Bufan said.
"Mingqin Sword Immortal, tell us what to do later. We will cooperate fully." After speaking, five cultivators drew soft swords from their waists. Upon injecting True Qi, they instantly transformed into hard swords. Ye Bufan's eyes lit up. As soon as these swords appeared, Ye Bufan sensed the purple qi within them. Yes, it was the same purple qi that Ye Bufan absorbed from the morning sun during his daily cultivation.
"Soft swords forged with purple qi?" Ye Bufan suddenly looked forward to the sword array of those cultivators.
However, the drawback of a sword array was also very obvious: it was inflexible. Within the sword array, if someone was repelled, the sword array would become incomplete, and the strength exerted by the sword array would be greatly diminished.
"Roar—" a massive figure appeared before everyone.
Ye Bufan and Song Mingqin exchanged glances and charged forward. Ye Bufan's Sword Domain enveloped the Eight-Headed Serpent, and then sword energy from all directions transformed into invisible long swords, attacking the Eight-Headed Serpent.
Song Mingqin unleashed a sword strike, while Ye Bufan controlled his remnant sword to slash at the Eight-Headed Serpent's body.
"Hmph! Do you really think I'm afraid of you?" the Eight-Headed Serpent's voice boomed.
"Boom—"
A massive ball of fire suddenly appeared above the Eight-Headed Serpent's head and exploded. Ye Bufan was momentarily stunned, then appeared above the Eight-Headed Serpent with a remnant sword, aiming for a killing blow.
An energy erupted from within the Eight-Headed Serpent, and Ye Bufan instantly felt the energy surge towards him. The serpent's scales converged into countless arrows, shooting towards Ye Bufan.
"Be careful!" Song Mingqin unleashed a burst of sword energy, scattering the arrows formed from the scales.
The Eight-Headed Serpent's face, compressed by Ye Bufan's sword energy and Zi You Cold Fire, burst open, revealing bloody flesh.
"Sword array!" The cultivators who had positioned themselves for the sword array immediately activated it.
"Purple Qi Arrives from the East!"
Ye Bufan felt a sensation similar to what he experienced during his morning cultivation, yet it was different.
The sword array emitted purple qi, with each strand of purple qi representing a sword. Finally, they combined to unleash a purple ring that slowly descended onto the Eight-Headed Serpent's head.
The Eight-Headed Serpent thrashed its headless necks. As they fell into the purple ring, the purple light intensified. Ye Bufan seized this opportunity to once again activate his Zi You Cold Fire, which descended from within the purple ring.
"Swish—"
The headless necks were actually severed by the purple ring. The Eight-Headed Serpent let out several screams before collapsing onto the ground.
An eight-headed serpent, at this moment, had become a complete, single-headed giant snake.
"It's dead?" Someone watching from afar saw the Eight-Headed Serpent motionless and wondered if it had stopped breathing.
"Impossible," Song Mingqin said. "The scales of the Eight-Headed Serpent are extremely tough. In just one move, it managed to sever its own limbs. There must be something wrong."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Eight-Headed Serpent leaped up, its speed astonishing everyone.
"Hmph!" The sword array was activated again, but it was too late. Ye Bufan activated his Sword Domain, and Song Mingqin swung his sword. However, the Eight-Headed Serpent instantly sent those cultivators flying and bit down on one of them.
"Pfft—"
Energy vibrated around the Eight-Headed Serpent, and the nearby cultivators were sent spitting blood.
"Buzz—"
"Sword Shatters Mountains and Rivers!" Ye Bufan unleashed his full power, attempting to cut down the cultivators trapped by the snake.
The Eight-Headed Serpent swung its tail, its energy clashing with Ye Bufan's sword move. Song Mingqin's sword followed closely. With their sword moves combined, the Eight-Headed Serpent took a direct hit.
"Humans, thank you. You have freed me from those severed limbs. For years, these limbs have hindered my actions. Now, my movements are no longer restricted by them." The Eight-Headed Serpent hissed, instantly absorbing the energy and essence of the cultivator it held in its mouth.
"Every time I absorb the energy and essence of a cultivator, I had to share it with those severed limbs. Now, this essence and energy will only help me advance my cultivation faster!" The Eight-Headed Serpent laughed sinisterly.