Chapter 373: Dead Knot
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Forcefully distorting his mental strength to use a Levitation Spell was in itself going against the laws of magic, and even though Lin Li had incredibly strong mental strength, he could not keep it up for long. It was just like how a mouse could never bear the offspring of an elephant, and even if it did, it would surely die during the birth. That was the situation Lin Li was in right now—he was flying very quickly indeed, but the mana was flowing uncontrollably within him. If he did not put a stop to this as soon as possible, he would surely suffer great injuries.
Unfortunately, he did not have the time to attempt to control it, as he had used up all his mental strength by forcefully propelling it to a level-20 Levitation Spell. There was no way he could control the impending bite of mana unless he stopped right now.
The crazed Crimson Python chased after him at an increasingly fast pace; as it dragged its tail across the streets, it left a slimy trail and gave out a thick stench of decay. When the slime came into contact with the roaring flames, it evaporated instantly, leaving behind a piercing stench. The Crimson Python weaved through the streets; it was at least 10 meters long, and the strength it showcased was incredible, turning the surrounding houses into rubble in a matter of seconds.
The Crimson Python hissed. Its beady triangular eyes held a crazed gaze as it crushed a building with a gentle twist of its scaly body. A loud crashing sound was heard, and all they could see the next moment was a pile of rubble instead of the street from earlier; it was Lin Li’s first time seeing such a mind-numbing display of pure strength. Surely even the Salamander from the Fire Plume Ridge would be no match for this Crimson Python…?
The mana in Lin Li’s body was out of control, and was tugging and tearing at Lin Li’s body like a whirlpool. The effect of his overly distorted mental strength was starting to show; the intense pain felt like his brain was being pierced by thousands and thousands of needles, but the only thing Lin Li could do was to grit his teeth and hold onto his last trace of consciousness.
Time seemed to pass really slowly, and he did not even seem to feel the harsh wind blowing on his face. He felt his surroundings were becoming more and more blurry as the raging flames and scattered debris seemed to float around him as though they might fly any moment.
Lin Li knew that he had reached his limit; if he continued with this, he was going to get in trouble in no time.
Thankfully, Ujfalusi was able to recover quickly as he had once been a Lich, after all—a Necromancer who had reached the Legendary-realm. Even though he was greatly affected by the destruction of his Humerus Domain, his mental strength remained untouched, and the speed at which his mana recovered was way above that of any Archmage.
While many things seemed to have happened, it had actually only been 10 minutes. In that time, Ujfalusi’s mana had recovered almost completely; Lin Li could clearly feel the return of the strong death aura from Ujfalusi through the mental connection they had established using the Soul Contract. Although the death aura was not as strong as it had been at its peak, he should have no problem using a level-18 Soul’s Cage.
“Ujfalusi, don’t rush to strike, be careful as you only have one chance!” Lin Li did not even have to speak; he sent his words into Ujfalusi’s brain directly using the mental connection. “Tell Norfeller that the only weak spot of the Crimson Python is its heart.”
“Yes, Master.” Ujfalusi glanced into the sky before he turned around to speak into Norfeller’s ear.
Then, a black puff of smoke appeared as Norfeller turned into a Vampire bat once again. It spread its wings as it flew into the sky; like a spirit, he seemed to become one with the inky black sky. If one was not using magic like the Eye of Truth, they would not be able to tell that there was a high-ranking Vampire hidden in the night sky, holding two daggers left behind by a legendary assassin…
“You’ve been going after me for a while, well, not for long now…” After settling everything, Lin Li forced himself to use the level-20 Levitation Spell again as he weaved through the debris.
This street was leading towards the town square, and not too far in front of it was an abandoned clock tower. Lin Li remembered that the bottom of the clock tower seemed to be made of refined iron…
Since the clock tower is already abandoned anyway, why don’t I make another contribution for Black Clouds Town…
The searing pain tormented Lin Li to no end, and his pale face was dripping with cold sweat. When he mopped his sweat, his face was cold to the touch. His surroundings started looking blurry, and his body felt heavier with each passing second. Lin Li knew that he did not have much time left; if he was still unable to get rid of the Crimson Python this time, then he would end up meeting the fate he planned for it instead.
Seeing as the abandoned clock tower was just right in front, Lin Li harshly bit his tongue, and managed to regain his consciousness with the pain. The Crimson Python was nearing him from behind, and as its large body swept along the street, the houses on both its sides collapsed immediately. Meanwhile, as its blood-red tongue flickered, it spewed flames—this was the magic that coursed through is blood, as powerful as that of an Archmage of level-16 or level-17. Even though Lin Li had the Flame Shield, it was still incredibly dangerous as the light from the Flame Shield dulled immediately once it came into contact with the flames.
Even though it only took him a short amount of time to fly through the streets using the Levitation Spell, Lin Li had used at least five Source Shields, and it was all at times when he thought his magic would fail. If he’d made even a small mistake when casting the spell, he would have turned into a pile of ashes now.
The clock tower already half-collapsed because of the Crimson Python, and the remaining half was also leaning precariously. Lin Li had just flown nearer to it when he saw the exposed clock—its originally complicated structure was now nothing more than a scattered mess of parts on the floor. Only the sturdy bottom part made of refined iron remained as it stood in its spot still. Apparently, even the vast strength of the Crimson Python was insufficient to destroy the refined iron bottom easily.
When Lin Li neared the clock tower, he took a sharp turn and flew like an arrow as he skidded along the surface of the clock. However, the Crimson Python was unable to avoid it, and its hardy skull crashed into the clock. A loud ringing noise was heard before the remaining half of the clock tower collapsed…
Then, Lin Li stopped.
Apparently, even the relentless Crimson Python could not have guessed that he would stop; hence, after crashing into the tower, the Crimson Python scraped past the young mage…
The Crimson Python was quick to react, however. When it scraped past Lin Li, it spread its wings and its long body made a turn in the air almost at the same time. The speed at which it pounced towards Lin Li did not seem any slower than before, as ferocious as it had been when it crashed into the abandoned clock tower.
This time, however, Lin Li did not move away.
Lin Li’s face was pale, and his eyes were bloodshot. He did not attempt to move away from the attack of the ferocious Crimson Python as he stared directly at it, a hint of madness in his gaze.
The Crimson Python approached him. Lin Li could even smell the stench coming from the Crimson Python; he could also see the sharp fangs and its skull clearly before him.
Then, an earth-shattering cry rang out as the Crimson Python opened its mouth again, and its fangs glowed terrifyingly in the light from the flames.
This time, Lin Li moved.
His mental strength had already been pushed to its limit, but at that instant, it experienced another bout of sharp growth, and this insane peak in his mental strength propelled the Levitation Spell to a shocking level. Lin Li seemed to have turned into a beam of light as he flew away while skimming the surface of the refined iron bottom of the clock tower.
At the same time, the Crimson Python spread its wings and moved at an even faster speed than before. It was not much slower than Lin Li, who had forced his mental strength to new heights, but in terms of agility, it was lacking a bit. Its wings were only meant for flight, after all, and did not hold much power. When its wings were spread, it made the creature that was already over 10 meters long even bigger than before, and now that it had lost the advantage its slender body brought it, its handicap became even more pronounced in the narrow space they were in.
Both the human and snake moved at a shocking speed, and in the blink of an eye, they had already circled the bottom of the clock tower many times.
Then, the Crimson Python was trapped…
The mages of the Tower of Dusk had arrived just then. When they arrived in Black Clouds Town and rushed to the clock tower, what they saw left them dumbfounded.
It was so ridiculous nobody would ever believe them if they told them about it.
One of the strongest magical beasts of the Blackstone Mountains, a Crimson Python of at least level-18, had trapped itself. It was like someone had slit their throat with a shaving knife while grooming their face. The great Crimson Python had managed to trap itself around the bottom of the clock tower, and it was trapped for good at that—just as if invisible hands had tied its body into a dead knot around the bottom of the tower…