Chapter 363: Second Ancient Tree

"Shit!" William exclaimed as he paled. He retreated in panic, not being careful as to where he was running to. Before that sinister head even approached his body, William tripped on some rocks.

'I'm done for...'

The python's bloody maw fiercely opened as the sharp fangs flickered with a cold light. William despaired as the thick, fishy smell spread through the air. 'It's over... It's truly over...'

There had been so many dangerous magic beasts on the way, but he hadn't expected that he would end up in a python's stomach in a secluded valley because of a moment of carelessness. This was too ironic...

'I wouldn't have approached that brook if I had known...'

As William was filled with despair and regret, a huge force pulled him sharply back.

William wasn't able to even react as he was sent flying. He only heard a loud boom as two heavy sounds echoed. Two Flame Bursts leaving behind a trail of fire grazed William as they flew out.

"Rumble!"

"Rumble!"

The two Flame Bursts hit the python, and the injury forced it to let out a mournful wail.

Its several-dozen-meter-long body was exposed in front of them it slithered along. Two lantern-sized eyes watched everyone closely with a hateful look.

"Only a water snake. It wasn't content with staying in the water so it came ashore to court death!" Lin Yun coldly snorted while pointing at the python with the Doom Staff, which was followed by another Flame Burst.

The python was quite fierce. After taking three Flame Bursts in a row, it actually didn't retreat but instead used its astonishing speed to scuttle over to Lin Yun's group.

This crazy action was undoubtedly the most dangerous sort for a mage to deal with.

Regardless of how powerful a mage was, they would have to think of the consequences of having a powerful enemy close to them.

But what a pity...

The python's opponent was Lin Yun.

Lin Yun didn't seem to see the python constantly approaching. He didn't lay down the Doom Staff in his hand, and after casting his first Flame Burst, he followed up with a second, a third, a fourth...

In a short time, Lin Yun cast ten Flame Bursts.

The damage caused by a Flame Burst was shocking, not to mention the fact that he cast ten in a row while also aiming at the same spot. No matter how fierce the python was, after eating ten Flame Bursts, fear couldn't help replacing the hatred in the python's eyes.

The python twisted its body when Lin Yun cast his 16th Flame Burst, using its thick scales to cover its back and block the bombardment of Flame Bursts.

Lin Yun then did it a second time... And a third time...

And thus, a strange scene appeared in the valley. A human and a python were less than fifty meters apart, but the human stood still, holding his staff out while casting, while the python was repeatedly twisting and turning, resisting the attacks with the thick scales of its back. It looked just like a beast in a circus being directed by its trainer with a whip.

Moreover, that whip hurt...

Lin Yun never stopped casting Flame Bursts, they just kept flying one after the other...

They had the same casting time, the same rhythm, the same everything. They were simply identical copies. If a seasoned mage saw this battle, they might scoff. What kind of mage didn't know how to fight?

But...

Lin Yun was simply relying on this machine-like repetition to explode the thick scales on the back of the python, now having fired 47 Flame Bursts...

Then, the battle had no more suspense.

Lin Yun only used two Wind Blades and ended the fight.

The two Wind Blades cut into the open wound from a strange angle and instantly destroyed the python's insides.

The python never managed to get within fifty meters of Lin Yun!

Lin Yun hadn't felt any pressure at all from the start.

"This..." This was the 3rd time Leon had seen Lin Yun make a move.

The first time was when Leon ended up Mana Shackled.

The second time was when Lin Yun caused havoc in the Elder Council.

To be honest, Leon didn't have a good understanding of Lin Yun's strength. The first time happened too quickly, and the battle finished the moment it started. The second time, Lin Yun relied too much on the Ten Thousand Spell Wheel. The battle against Thorne had been too high-level and Leon simply couldn't understand it.

Thus, Leon only knew that his younger cousin was a very frightening person, but he didn't know how formidable he was.

But Leon understood now...

The strength that python displayed was at level 29 at the very least, and it might even be at level 30, yet it hadn't been able to retaliate in front of Lin Yun. The latter controlled the whole fight and with just Flame Bursts and two Wind Blades, he easily finished the fight.

That power was enough to scare Leon.

'I'm really wise...' Leon thought while inwardly rejoicing. 'Although I made a serious mistake in Thousand Sails City, I was able to realize it after returning to Okland and change my ways to maintain my stance in the Elder Council, I am really wise.'

If he hadn't been able to put down the grievances over what had happened in Thousand Sails City, if he'd tried to scheme against Lin Yun's property like Aube, he might have ended up just like Aube, a cripple with a shattered Mana Whirlpool.

No, no, he would have ended in a worse state...

He didn't have a father like Thorne Merlin...

Leon couldn't help shivering as he thought about it. 'Fortunately, I was clever enough to not set myself against Cousin Mafa...'

Leon couldn't help secretly admiring Ross as he took a glance at him. Ross was known to be a loner in the Merlin Family, but Leon hadn't expected that guy to react so quickly. He rushed to hug Lin Yun's thigh when he arrived, and whether it was due to luck or insight, they were both ten times better than Aube.

'It looks like only Ross can compete with me for the position of next patriarch...'

William was done harvesting the python when Leon had that last thought. There were only five of them. They weren't like the mercenary group they had encountered, which had a dozen Great Mages, so William's harvesting was relatively rough. He only gathered a few dozen scales with the strongest defensive power, and the valuable mana crystal. There weren't many valuable things among the rest.

"Strange..." William was holding the mana crystal in his hand with a suspicious expression. "This is the mana crystal of an ordinary Forest Python..."

"What else do you think it was..." Lin Yun smirked, not surprised at all by William's assessment.

"But, Forest Pythons aren't that formidable, right?" William couldn't understand.

In fact, William couldn't be blamed for making such a judgement.

The Forest Python was the most common and the weakest of the snake-like magic beasts. Usually, in damp and moist places, if any tracks of Forest Pythons were spotted, they were most likely weak, around level 10.

The strongest wouldn't surpass level 20.

But William had personally experienced the power of that python. It really was comparable to being level 30, or else William would have been able to take care of it with his strength.

"How could a Forest Python reach Level 30?"

"Because this place has a special environment..." Lin Yun replied, not really answering William's question. He let out a few Mage Eyes as he started a full investigation of this secluded valley.

After casting his 6th Mage Eye, Lin Yun looked at William and noticed that he was still confused.

"Have you forgotten about the Four Seasons Canyon?"

"Oh, the Four Seasons Canyon!" After being reminded by Lin Yun, William recalled the canyon that he had been able to explore after going to Thousand Sails City. Didn't he experience something that strange back then?

At that time, the magic beasts were just like this Forest Python, they broke common sense and reached a level that they shouldn't have been able to.

'Could this place be like the Four Seasons Canyon?'

"Cousin, this..." Hearing this, William suddenly got worried. That large battle remained fresh in William's memories.

"Don't ask me how, I don't know..." Lin Yun's Mage Eyes began exploring the entire valley little by little.

This kind of scouting bought some visible results to Lin Yun.

"Found!" Through the 3rd Mage Eye, Lin Yun quickly found a towering tree in the depths of the valley.

The thickness of the aura of life, the complicated array, everything was just like that ancient tree in the Four Seasons Canyon!