Chapter 315: A Cunning Ploy!

A moment later, Shen Haoran withdrew his Spiritual Thought, lost in contemplation.

"How is it, Cousin? Are the Profound Yellow Fruits still there?" Murong Wanqing asked softly.

"Yes, there are three left. But getting them will be tricky," Shen Haoran said, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Is it because of that Snake Emperor?" Murong Wanqing had suffered at its hands before, so she knew what was troubling Shen Haoran.

"It’s not just the Snake Emperor. The situation is even worse than what you encountered! Because it has stepped into Tier Seven, all the nearby snakes revere it as their emperor. This oasis isn’t just home to Flame Yellow Pythons; there are other types of snakes too. It’s not uncommon to see Tier Four and Tier Five Spirit Beasts among them!" Shen Haoran said in a low voice.

"What?!" Hearing this, Murong Wanqing cried out in alarm, her expression turning grim.

"Then what should we do? Nanny Wan is waiting for these Profound Yellow Fruits to save her life! We can’t just give up, can we?" Murong Wanqing said, unwilling to resign herself to failure.

"Of course we can’t give up! Here’s the plan: you’ll be in charge of picking the Profound Yellow Fruits. As for the Spirit Beasts, leave it to me and Elder Bai to hold them off," Shen Haoran said after a moment of thought.

"Leave it to you and Elder Bai? Elder Bai can hold off the Snake Emperor, but are you going to hold off the entire swarm of snakes by yourself?" Murong Wanqing stared at Shen Haoran in disbelief. The swarm had plenty of Tier Five and Tier Six Spirit Beasts, a double-digit number of Tier Four beasts, and countless more below that. She had nearly died in the jaws of those snakes last time. Could Shen Haoran really do it alone?

Seeing the worry in Murong Wanqing’s eyes, Shen Haoran chuckled. "I may not be able to defeat them, but I can definitely keep the swarm busy. I have some confidence in my speed!"

This wasn’t just Shen Haoran being arrogant. His Nine Heavens Shocking Cloud Step was an Earth Tier Body Technique, and he had already mastered it to the Third Layer, even vaguely touching the threshold of the Fourth Level. With the added boost from his Vermilion Bird Wings, probably no one below the Spirit Emperor level could catch him. He was confident he could hold off the snake swarm for a while.

"Alright, it’s settled. Remember, you have to pick the Profound Yellow Fruits with a branch from the Profound Yellow Tree itself, or the Medicinal Power will be lost!" Shen Haoran reminded Murong Wanqing. With a flash, his figure vanished, sneaking stealthily toward the oasis.

After slipping into the oasis, Shen Haoran continued to creep forward. He had only taken a few steps before he reached the small lake at its center.

When he looked out, Shen Haoran’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. A woman was bathing in the small lake, her snow-white, fragrant shoulders peeking above the surface. Through the clear water, he could even see a perfect, nosebleed-inducing figure. The sight instantly dazed Shen Haoran, who was still a virgin, and a rush of hot blood surged to his head!

But in the next moment, Shen Haoran saw that below that perfect figure was the lower body of a snake, instantly shocking him back to his senses.

’So this is the Snake Emperor. To think she’s already half-transformed into a human. She must have consumed a Profound Yellow Fruit when she advanced,’ Shen Haoran murmured to himself.

Since it was the Snake Emperor, Shen Haoran no longer felt the need for restraint. A wicked grin spread across his lips, and he stepped out into the open.

"Wow! So beautiful!" Shen Haoran exclaimed, intentionally raising his voice. Since he wanted to hold off the snake swarm, he naturally had to cause a stir to create an opportunity for Murong Wanqing!

"Who’s there?!" Hearing the voice, the bathing Snake Emperor turned around, revealing a bewitchingly beautiful face as she stared coldly at Shen Haoran.

"Human, you dare trespass in my domain? Are you looking to die?" a glacial voice issued from the Snake Emperor’s mouth, questioning Shen Haoran.

"I didn’t mean to!" Shen Haoran waved his hands dismissively, but his eyes roamed freely over the Snake Emperor’s body. Now that she had turned around, he had an even clearer view!

As if sensing his gaze, the Snake Emperor reacted. With a flick of her snake tail, she created a faint curtain of water to conceal her body.

"Damned human, you dare defile me! Die!" A flash of fury appeared on the Snake Emperor’s gorgeous face. The aura of a Tier Seven Spirit Beast erupted from her body, and an invisible, Powerful Qi churned the surrounding lake water, forming countless Water Arrows that shot toward Shen Haoran.

Seeing the Snake Emperor’s rage, Shen Haoran rejoiced internally. ’She took the bait!’

Although he was pleased, Shen Haoran didn’t dare to be careless. A strike from the Snake Emperor was no small matter. He retreated explosively, and the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian within him erupted, creating a black Fire Curtain in front of him. The countless Water Arrows shot into the Fire Curtain, letting out a series of hisses before evaporating into steam that drifted through the oasis.

While retreating, Shen Haoran suddenly sensed a crisis. He forced his body to a halt and instinctively ducked!

THWACK!

A sonic boom erupted above Shen Haoran’s head as the Snake Emperor’s tail lashed out at him. If he hadn’t reacted so quickly, that single strike would have severely injured him. A Tier Seven Spirit Beast was truly formidable!

Feeling the ferocious gust of wind from above, Shen Haoran broke out in a cold sweat and quickly dodged to the side. Just then, Elder Bai arrived and slapped the Snake Emperor’s tail back with a single palm strike.

"Hmph. I was wondering why a puny human like you was being so insolent. So you have a backer!" Staring at Elder Bai, the Snake Emperor’s expression grew solemn. She had only just entered the ranks of Tier Seven Spirit Beasts and her power wasn’t yet stable. Because of this, she felt immense pressure from Elder Bai.

"Elder Bai, she’s all yours!" Shen Haoran let out a long breath and said to Elder Bai. With a flash, he darted into the surrounding woods.

"HISS... My children, seize that boy for me! There will be a great reward!" Seeing Shen Haoran disappear, the Snake Emperor hissed, the sound waves of her voice spreading throughout the entire oasis.

"HISS... HISS... HISS..."

Following the Snake Emperor’s command, a chorus of hisses rose from all over the oasis. Countless venomous snakes—large and small, patterned and green—swarmed over the branches and ground, slithering toward Shen Haoran in a massive horde.

Watching the approaching snake swarm, an imperceptible smile touched Shen Haoran’s lips. He then pretended to panic, fleeing haphazardly as if he had lost his sense of direction. Seeing him run, the venomous snakes sped up their pursuit!

Meanwhile, Elder Bai led the Snake Emperor straight up into the sky. Both of them had reached the Spirit Emperor Level, and the aftershocks of their battle would be enough to destroy the entire oasis. The Snake Emperor had no desire to see her lair destroyed, so she was more than happy to fight in the sky.

And just like that, Shen Haoran and Elder Bai lured the entire population of snakes away from the oasis. Murong Wanqing’s figure quietly appeared before the Profound Yellow Tree. Looking at the three glittering golden fruits on its branches, she didn’t dare to delay. She immediately cut off a branch, carved it into three Brocade Boxes, and placed all three Profound Yellow Fruits inside!

However, the moment all three Profound Yellow Fruits were secured, the Snake Emperor in the sky suddenly realized what had happened. Her face turned incredibly grim, and an earth-shattering roar echoed from the heavens: "Damned humans! You dared to trick me! Today, you will all die!"

(Author’s Note: My childhood friend got married today, so I’ve been busy. The update is a little late, but there’s more coming. With the New Year, everyone’s family is busy, so I appreciate your understanding!)