A dull thud echoed as the Thorn Flame Snake shook its head again and, under Wang Zhong's wide-eyed gaze, got back up completely unharmed.
"How is this possible!"
Wang Zhong was bewildered. A nine-hundred-year-old Thorn Flame Snake, even one known for its defense, shouldn't have withstood his attack without losing any momentum.
He scrutinized the snake and suddenly noticed five deeply hidden small bumps on its tail, the indicator of its age.
"Its tail spikes haven't grown yet!"
"This is a fourteen-hundred-year-old Thorn Flame Snake, not nine hundred!"
Wang Zhong gasped, realizing the situation had become dire.
Thorn Flame Snakes were famous for their incredibly tough outer skin, as hard as refined iron. Coupled with their ability to spew flames, they possessed both formidable offense and defense, ranking among the top predators in the soul beast world. Upon reaching the thousand-year mark, they underwent a transformation.
Their skeletons, starting from the tail, would gradually turn into refined iron, making them terrifyingly hard from the inside out.
"To satisfy the condition of transforming its entire skeleton into refined iron, a Thorn Flame Snake, after reaching a thousand years, begins to consume iron ore and other minerals to supplement its needs."
"Due to its limited digestive capacity, to digest the swallowed iron ore, Thorn Flame Snakes often appear near volcanoes or other places with magma flow, drinking lava to aid digestion."
"Of course, this process is extremely perilous and terrifying. No matter how tough a Thorn Flame Snake's skin is, its insides are still flesh and blood. A slight misstep could burn through its organs, leading to a tragic death."
Clenching his fist and holding it in front of him, Wang Zhong recalled information about Thorn Flame Snakes. Gritting his teeth, he scanned the creature from head to toe again, his eyes suddenly lighting up, and he felt a surge of relief.
This Thorn Flame Snake was underdeveloped!
Once a Thorn Flame Snake reached a thousand years and began consuming iron ore, the bones in its tail would immediately transform into refined iron, and their color would change from black to purple.
However, this one's tail spikes were still black.
This meant that after reaching a thousand years, it hadn't consumed any iron ore until now, causing its metamorphosis to stagnate. The five ungrown tail spikes were the best proof.
"Are there no iron ores in the simulated training environment?"
A hint of doubt surfaced in Wang Zhong's mind, but he quickly dismissed it. "Come on, a massive active volcano like this must have iron ore!"
"Oh, I get it!"
"You scoundrel, you're a picky eater and a coward!"
Consuming lava was risky and could lead to death. This was the greatest hurdle for a Thorn Flame Snake's thousand-year metamorphosis. Thus, soul masters often found the corpses of Thorn Flame Snakes dying painfully near lava flows; it was common.
But some Thorn Flame Snakes would refuse this transformation, choosing to remain at their hundred-year strength and form, living out their lives.
This choice didn't mean they had other ways to evolve and become stronger. It was simply because they didn't need to!
One could understand it as: in their current environment, they had no natural enemies, so the risky transformation was unnecessary.
"A snake that doesn't strive for progress! Useless!"
Wang Zhong curled his lips, feeling disgusted by the Thorn Flame Snake's complacency and unwillingness to step out of its comfort zone.
"You're a soul beast! The law of the jungle, survival of the fittest, how could you discard that?"
"Today, I will make you remember the terror of being prey!"
Licking his lips, a wicked grin spread across Wang Zhong's face. He was feeling playful. As long as the snake hadn't transformed, he was confident he could win.
"Eight Inner Gates Formation, Third Gate, Gate of Life, Open!"
His soul power surged within him, and immense strength instantly flowed through his body. With a touch of his toes, Wang Zhong shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, arriving in front of the Thorn Flame Snake in the blink of an eye.
He stomped the ground with one foot and kicked up with the other. The sheer force sent the completely unprepared Thorn Flame Snake soaring into the air.
As the thick snake body flew upwards, Wang Zhong's fists moved with lightning speed, striking repeatedly and creating streaks of afterimages.
The dull thuds of flesh meeting flesh made the Thorn Flame Snake hiss towards the sky in pain. It whipped its tail, generating a strong gust of wind as it swept towards Wang Zhong.
"At this state, this much force isn't enough for me, you lazy snake!"
He clasped his arms around the snake's whipping tail and slammed it down onto the ground.
Clang!
The snake's head made forceful contact with the earth, sending stars dancing before its eyes.
"We're not done yet!"
Wang Zhong shouted and lifted the Thorn Flame Snake again, swinging it around like a whip, the air cracking with each motion.
Deep pits were left in trees and on the ground. The Thorn Flame Snake's hisses gradually turned into wails.
Seeing that he had played enough, Wang Zhong threw the Thorn Flame Snake away. It rolled several times before shakily getting back on its feet, its dazed appearance like a bean sprout being dangled and shaken in a hand.
After a while, the Thorn Flame Snake came to its senses, its gaze towards Wang Zhong filled with fury.
Soul beasts that had lived for a thousand years possessed a sliver of sentience. In the lava region of the simulated training environment, it was considered the king.
But today, it had been beaten by its prey. How could it tolerate this!
Its mouth opened wide, and intense flames coalesced within. A fireball several times larger than before was slowly forming.
"Still at it? You have a short memory, don't you!"
Wang Zhong sneered. His figure vanished again and reappeared directly above the Thorn Flame Snake's head. He delivered a whip kick, descending like Mount Tai crushing down.
Bang!
Crack!
With a heavy impact and the sound of breaking, the fireball forming in the Thorn Flame Snake's mouth exploded. Its teeth mixed with blood sprayed out.
Fear began to dawn in the Thorn Flame Snake's eyes. It coiled its tail and slowly began to retreat.
Wang Zhong grinned as he watched the snake's movement and suddenly charged, pinning it to the ground and pummeling it with his fists.
"For not striving for progress!"
"For being stagnant!"
"For being overconfident!"
"How about it, are you scared now?"
Punch after punch, Wang Zhong aimed for the Thorn Flame Snake's head, deliberately avoiding its brain and spine, delivering sharp blows.
In pain, the Thorn Flame Snake struggled with all its might and, with its last ounce of strength, broke free from Wang Zhong's grasp.
Its mouth hung open, dripping blood and saliva. The Thorn Flame Snake panted heavily, its snake eyes filled with timidity and fear as it looked at Wang Zhong.
With his arms crossed, Wang Zhong observed the Thorn Flame Snake, which looked miserable but wasn't critically injured. He was very satisfied.
"Now you won't just get by, will you!"
Wang Zhong suddenly raised his hands and shouted loudly at the Thorn Flame Snake, "Wah, yah, yah!"
This startled the Thorn Flame Snake, its body visibly trembling. It turned and fled with incredible speed, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Wang Zhong burst into laughter at this.
"Hahaha, hahaha!"
He laughed so hard tears streamed from his eyes. He clutched his stomach and repeatedly punched a nearby tree.
The fleeing Thorn Flame Snake, hearing the laughter, felt a surge of indignation in its nascent intelligence. It secretly vowed to start consuming iron ore upon its return, seeking revenge the next time they met.