It must be said that the cold contained within the Nine Serene Yellow Springs is indeed at a terrifying level. Even with Xiao Feng's current Three Star Dou Saint strength and the protection of the Nine Serene Wind Flame, he still felt the speed of his Dou Qi circulation slow down significantly.
If a Dou Venerate-level expert were to rashly enter the Nine Serene Yellow Springs, they would likely be instantly frozen to death.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."
Not long after Xiao Feng dived into the Nine Serene Yellow Springs, countless water arrows, as thick as arms, shot towards him, bombarding the Nine Serene Wind Flame barrier and causing it to shake.
"Hmm?"
Seeing this, a flash of surprise appeared in Xiao Feng's eyes.
It must be noted that after merging with Xiao Xuan's shadow, Xiao Feng possessed strength comparable to a Three Star Dou Saint, and the Nine Serene Wind Flame barrier he released was naturally much more powerful. To make the Nine Serene Wind Flame barrier shake, the attack would need to be at least at the Half-Saint level.
Xiao Feng looked in the direction from which the water arrows were coming and saw, several kilometers away, a giant black sphere with a diameter of over three hundred meters.
This giant black sphere was composed of countless strange snakes as thick as arms, the legendary Yellow Spring Serene Snakes.
The Yellow Spring Serene Snakes are somewhat similar to the Twin-Headed Fire Spirit Snakes, both being serpentine magical beasts born in special environments.
Of course, the Yellow Spring Serene Snakes living in the Nine Serene Yellow Springs are much more powerful than the Twin-Headed Fire Spirit Snakes living in magma.
The Yellow Spring Serene Snakes are genuine eighth-tier magical beasts, feeding on the Nine Serene Yellow Springs year-round. The Yellow Spring water arrows they spit can even threaten Half-Saint experts.
However, special species like the Yellow Spring Serene Snakes find it difficult to gain intelligence and transform. They need to evolve into ninth-tier magical beasts to take human form.
Xiao Feng suddenly raised his hand and waved, using powerful spatial force to immobilize all the Yellow Spring Serene Snakes in place, then, along with the surrounding Nine Serene Yellow Springs, he stored them in the Hueco Mundo.
Ever since Qing Lin's cultivation broke through to One Star Dou Venerate, she had been worried about not finding an eighth-tier snake companion! With these numerous Yellow Spring Serene Snakes, Qing Lin wouldn't need to worry about not having enough snake companions until she reaches the Dou Saint level.
"Save... save me..."
When Xiao Feng reached the deepest part of the Nine Serene Yellow Springs, a faint cry for help, as soft as a mosquito's buzz, reached his ears through the water.
Hearing this, a glint of light flashed in Xiao Feng's eyes, and he carefully scanned the area with his spiritual sense.
"Ding, ding, ding..."
Suddenly, as if he had discovered something, Xiao Feng reached out with his right hand and grabbed into the air. A massive chain, a hundred meters long, was pulled out from the mud below.
As this chain was pulled out, other areas began to shake as well, and soon three identical black chains rose from the mud.
One end of each of the four chains was tightly embedded in the surrounding mountain walls, while the other ends were locked onto the limbs of a figure.
It was a middle-aged man, withered like a skeleton, with an aura that had reached the late stage of Two Star Dou Saint.
Yao Ming, who had been trapped here for who knows how many years, couldn't help but cry out in excitement upon seeing an outsider: "Save me! Save me! If you save me, I will make the entire Nine Serene Deep Ground Python serve you!"
Although Xiao Feng knew the whole story, he still feigned confusion and asked, "Who are you? Why are you locked here? And how can you make the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python serve me?"
"My name is Yao Ming, I am the clan leader of the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python..."
Facing Xiao Feng's questions, Yao Ming roughly recounted how he was ambushed by his own younger brother and then suppressed at the bottom of the Nine Serene Yellow Springs.
"I can help you escape, but you need to voluntarily open your soul's defenses and allow me to place a soul mark on your soul."
Xiao Feng said seriously: "If you try to renege afterwards, I will detonate that soul mark, and even if you are a Dou Saint expert, you will not escape the fate of soul annihilation!"
"Alright, I agree!"
Yao Ming agreed so readily for two reasons: firstly, if he missed this opportunity, he might never have another chance to escape; secondly, because Xiao Feng's strength was greater than his, with an aura that had reached Three Star Dou Saint.
Even if Xiao Feng didn't place a soul mark in Yao Ming's soul, he wouldn't dare to renege afterwards.
With Yao Ming's active cooperation, Xiao Feng quickly placed a soul mark in his soul, then began to help him break the seal.
What truly trapped Yao Ming wasn't the massive black chains, but the Yellow Spring Yin Stones connected to the ends of the chains.
The Yellow Spring Yin Stones are somewhat similar to Xuan Yin Stones, having been tempered by the cold energy contained within the Nine Serene Yellow Springs for countless years, making them indestructible, even for Dou Saint experts.
Fortunately, Xiao Feng possessed the Stone-Stone Fruit's ability, which allowed him to directly alter the shape of the Yellow Spring Yin Stones, quickly removing the chains embedded within them, saving a lot of trouble.
Xiao Feng wasn't one to waste good resources. After helping Yao Ming break free from the seal, he casually stored the Yellow Spring Yin Stones in the Hueco Mundo.
After all, Yellow Spring Yin Stones are extremely rare ninth-tier ores. If used to craft puppets, their indestructible defense, which even Dou Saints find hard to damage, along with their inherent cold energy, could grant the puppets strength comparable to high-level Half-Saint experts.
The moment Xiao Feng destroyed the seal, the current clan leader of the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python, Yao Xiao Tian, sensed something was wrong and hurriedly rushed towards the Nine Serene Yellow Springs with the Grand Elder.
But it was already too late. Yao Ming, having been suppressed at the bottom of the Nine Serene Yellow Springs for hundreds of years, though tortured during that time, had adapted to the cold energy within the Nine Serene Yellow Springs.
Thus, after breaking free, Yao Ming directly absorbed the cold energy from the Nine Serene Yellow Springs, quickly restoring himself to peak condition.
Yao Xiao Tian and the Grand Elder were both One Star Dou Saints. Given that both sides practiced similar techniques and combat skills, even if they teamed up, they stood no chance against Yao Ming, who had broken through to the late stage of Two Star Dou Saint.
"Boom..."
When Yao Xiao Tian and the Grand Elder hurriedly arrived near the Nine Serene Yellow Springs, they ran into Yao Ming, who was filled with pent-up rage, leading to a one-sided beating.
The commotion caused by the battle of three Dou Saint experts quickly alerted the other powerful members of the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python.
The elders with Half-Saint level cultivation were the first to arrive. Initially, they intended to help the clan leader and the Grand Elder fight the enemy, but when they discovered that the enemy was actually the missing former clan leader, they immediately hesitated.
The numerous Dou Venerate experts who arrived shortly after were also baffled by the scene, and could only follow the elders' example, becoming mere spectators.
(End of Chapter)