Inside the Fire Cloud Forest, a group led by Nan Jue, wearing the Wei Fang medal, arrived at Pingling Mountain. They wandered aimlessly in the forest, as they weren't sure which direction to take. In fact, after reaching this point, they had no clear path to follow. The elder who had previously entered the forest had only told them that the Fire Calamity fruit should appear in areas with higher temperatures, where the forest was thicker.
It's no surprise that Chen Ying could find her way out so accurately, raising suspicions. Even someone who had visited the place before might not remember the way, so how could it be so clearly described by word of mouth?
"Did anyone hear something? Like some kind of creature hissing?" asked a bronze-skinned officer.
"Don't be paranoid. It's so hot here—what kind of demon could survive?" replied a female officer at the rear of the group.
"There's a snake! A snake!!"
Suddenly, a frightened shout came from a mage in the rear.
"Aaah!!!"
Just as he shouted, a blood-curdling scream echoed out. He was immediately caught by a massive maw and bitten.
Nan Jue and the others quickly turned to look behind them, but what they saw was one of their comrades already lifeless, caught in the jaws of a monstrous creature. The snake demon had already devoured the mage, and the rest of the team paled in terror. Though shocked, they had no choice but to brace themselves.
As the leaves swirled in chaos, the team finally saw the creature clearly. It was a long serpent-like being with fire-patterned scales. Although not as massive as some commander-level beasts, it was still around fifteen or sixteen meters long.
The most terrifying feature was that this beast had not one but three heads! Its thick "neck" split into three distinct forms.
The left head was dark brown, with rock-hard scales like an armored snake. The center head was fiery red, with intricate flame patterns on its scales. Its eyes burned like molten lava, sending waves of fear with just a glance. The right head was a sickly green color, clearly venomous, with deadly fangs protruding.
"Hissss Roar!!!"
The Three-Headed Serpent hissed and locked its gaze on Nan Jue's group. This creature was one of the deadliest and most ferocious threats to humans.
"Form up!"
Nan Jue shouted, and the group quickly gathered despite their fear. They knew that fighting together was their only chance. However, the fiery head of the snake spewed a wave of flames, instantly shattering their formation.
One hit was all it took!
This was the overwhelming power of a commander-level beast.
Even though they were elite mages, equipped with powerful magic gear, they were no match for such a creature. The best their gear could do was buy them a little time—but not much more.
Despair filled the air.
"Shriek!!!"
The three-headed snake, after breaking their defenses, was ready to enjoy its "meal."
But at that moment, a fiery punch descended from the sky!
"Boom!!!"
"Rumble!!!"
A blue-green flame fist smashed into one of the snake's heads, slamming it to the ground and kicking up clouds of dust. Although the snake was hit, it wasn't seriously injured.
Instead, the creature locked its gaze on the newcomer—Mo Fan. It seemed confused. A mere human dared to challenge it? Did this person not realize the power of a commander-level creature?
"Hisss!!!"
The venomous head opened its jaws wide and sprayed a cloud of poison directly at Mo Fan.
Seeing the poisonous mist racing towards him, Mo Fan activated his Serpent Armor. Having spent a month working on it with the help of two vampire fangs and a recommendation from Old Bao, Hotuo had completed the armor just in time. The toxic mist engulfed Mo Fan, and the other mages wanted to help but couldn't react quickly enough.
As the poisonous cloud settled, the snake turned its attention to Nan Jue and her team. In its mind, Mo Fan was already dead from the poison. Now it just had to savor the other "prey." It slithered slowly, confident in its dominance. But this overconfidence gave Mo Fan time.
Suddenly, the sky darkened with gathering storm clouds!
Sensing the power of lightning, the snake turned to face the poison cloud. Inside the mist, electric currents crackled, and Mo Fan's star patterns intertwined, creating a 360-degree star diagram. The electricity illuminated him, making him look even more imposing.
The lightning intensified until it converged into a single, devastating bolt. In a flash, it shot toward the snake.
"Boom!!!"
The lightning bolt struck the serpent, penetrating its body before it could react, paralyzing the beast instantly.
Seeing this opening, Nan Jue and her team launched their attacks. Although their strikes were not powerful enough to defeat the snake on their own, they focused on the wounds Mo Fan had inflicted.
In a frantic effort, they hurled spells—lightning, fire, wind—but compared to Mo Fan's attack, their magic was like gentle scratches.
Meanwhile, Mo Fan didn't waste the opportunity. He quickly began drawing his fire star diagram. His fingers moved swiftly in the air, tracing star paths that coalesced into star maps, which then formed a complete constellation. As the spell reached completion, the air around them ignited with rising heat.
With a deep breath, Mo Fan pushed his hands upwards.
From the sky, enormous blue-green flames rained down, engulfing the entire area in a sea of fire. The three-headed demon snake was completely submerged in the blazing inferno.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!!!"
"Shriek!!!"
The deafening sound of flames, mixed with the snake's agonized roars, created a terrifying symphony of destruction.
(End of Chapter)