The Great Monk of Punishing Evil raised his Zen staff, blocking Ling Tian's path. He looked ready to fight the giant snake that had suddenly appeared.
The King Cobra sensed danger and suddenly lifted its head. Its massive head was actually two meters from the ground.
This was also a major reason why King Cobras were so dangerous. Ordinary King Cobras could stand upright, reaching heights of over a meter from the ground. This meant they could strike at a person's torso.
This way, the venom could quickly reach the heart, causing instant death.
Just as the man and the snake were at a standoff, Ling Tian stepped forward and patted the Great Monk of Punishing Evil on the shoulder.
"Master, please remain calm. This snake is my pet. I summoned it to clear our path."
As Ling Tian spoke, he walked forward and directly approached the giant snake. Upon seeing Ling Tian, it proactively lowered its head. The snake's head was placed at a height only reaching Ling Tian's chest. Ling Tian directly reached out and stroked the giant snake's head.
The scales on the snake felt cold to the touch. The Great Monk of Punishing Evil felt his soul tremble at Ling Tian's dangerous action.
Ling Tian pointed to the forest ahead and directly issued a command to the King Cobra from his mind.
"Go, Poison Dragon!"
The King Cobra, named Poison Dragon, nodded in a surprisingly human-like manner. It then turned its head and burrowed into the bushes.
Almost instantly, the entire bush erupted. The King Cobra, a top predator in the bush, exuded an aura that struck fear into the hearts of other snakes. They all felt extreme danger and wanted to escape.
At that moment, a five-step viper, nearly two meters long and plump, was bitten on its vital spot by Ling Tian's Poison Dragon.
The vital spot of a snake is where its heart is located. The King Cobra's massive fangs pierced its heart, injecting a large amount of venom. Within seconds, the five-step viper was dead.
Next, the King Cobra, as if eating a snack, took a little over a minute to swallow the plump five-step viper.
Following that, the King Cobra swam deeper into the bushes.
"Haha, Master, rest assured. By this time tomorrow, I guarantee there won't be a single snake left in this forest!"
"Amitabha, Brother Ling Tian, this giant snake is likely over a hundred years old..."
The Great Monk of Punishing Evil was very knowledgeable. He knew that some animals, once they lived for a century, became spirits.
And these spirit animals, after consuming rare treasures or being in special environments, could even develop intelligence and mature into demons.
However, in the last hundred years, due to human development of nature, few animals had the chance to live that long, making becoming a spirit almost impossible. This was why there was the saying that animals couldn't become spirits after the founding of the People's Republic of China.
But now, with the vigorous promotion of environmental protection, many natural resources had recovered. Coupled with the proximity of the Immortal Palace asteroid to Earth, the spiritual energy on Earth was constantly reviving. It was not impossible for some animals to become spirits again.
Initially, the Great Monk of Punishing Evil thought this venomous snake was formed by sorcery. But when he used his Wrathful Gaze, he discovered that the snake possessed immense vitality, indicating it was a living creature.
He couldn't help but look at Ling Tian with newfound respect. This fellow was skilled in talismans, mastered unfathomable formations, and was incredibly powerful in martial arts.
And now, he even had such a pet. With such a venomous snake by his side, it was estimated that dozens of people wouldn't be able to defeat it.
"Let's go, Master. We'll go back and continue our martial arts sparring. Tomorrow, we'll head to the cold pond."
"Alas, it can only be so!" the Great Monk of Punishing Evil said with some dejection.
He was not afraid of evil spirits like ghosts and demons, and even looked forward to them. But when it came to venomous snakes, he was helpless.
Ling Tian saw the unhappiness on the Great Monk's face and smiled. "How about this, Master of Punishing Evil? We won't be idle. Tonight, I'll set up another formation for you and summon some more things for you to deal with."
"Amitabha, thank you, benefactor!" The Great Monk of Punishing Evil bowed to Ling Tian, a look of joy appearing on his face.
The two returned to their lodging. The Great Monk had been busy all day. He sat cross-legged on the ground, holding the three Vajra gallstones in his left hand and resting his Zen staff on the ground with his right, constantly chanting.
Ling Tian could feel energy flowing from the monk's body into the three iron gallstones and the Zen staff. The energy in these magical artifacts was also constantly recovering.
Ling Tian, on the other hand, left the village and called his family to report his safety. He also called Daoist Master Zhang Daoyun to report the situation.
The electromagnetic environment in the village was very complex at this time, and mobile phone signals were interrupted. To make a call, one had to go outside the village.
Ling Tian also asked the soldiers stationed outside the village for some ingredients. These soldiers knew Ling Tian's unusual identity and immediately fulfilled his request.
Back in the house, Ling Tian prepared a feast. The two of them ate heartily, and night fell.
This time, Ling Tian didn't wait until midnight. At 10:00 PM, he went out.
He went directly to the place where he had set up the formation that day. In fact, the several obsidian stones he had buried there, except for the one at the formation's eye which he had taken, were still buried in the ground.
Ling Tian took out an obsidian stone tablet and buried it at the formation's eye. Instantly, the large Yin Gathering Formation was activated, and a massive amount of Yin energy permeated the surroundings.
Beside him, the Great Monk of Punishing Evil held his Zen staff in his left hand and the three Vajra gallstones in his right. He was inwardly overjoyed. He could slaughter again and wondered how much experience he would gain tonight.
However, after more than ten minutes, only about ten heads appeared sporadically by the river.
Then, these ghost attendants surfaced. Looking at their size, it was clear they were all children.
Even as ghosts, their magical power varied. These ghost attendants, formed from drowned children, were naturally no match for those formed from adults. Their perception of Yin energy was also weaker.
After waiting for another ten minutes, these ghost attendants finally approached the courtyard.
The Great Monk of Punishing Evil's eyes gleamed with anticipation. He stuffed the three iron balls into his怀 and, without even using his Zen staff, charged towards the ghost attendants with his bare fists.
The ghost attendants were preparing to greedily absorb the abundant Yin energy here. But at that moment, the harbinger of death charged in. The Great Monk of Punishing Evil unleashed his fists, and energy waves the size of volleyballs shot out from his fists, hitting the ghost attendants deeply.
After a series of screams, all the ghost attendants turned into energy and were absorbed by the monk.