Chapter 719 What a Huge Snake!

"My... my, what a huge snake!"

Liu Yilin screamed, leaning fearfully against Ning Beichen.

If water was Luo Yingying's weakness, then snakes were Liu Yilin's bane. The mere sight of one made her legs go weak.

"You're the snake, your whole family are snakes. I'm a Jiao."

The emerging head spoke indignantly.

This creature was quite vengeful, applying Ning Beichen's earlier insult back to him.

"A Jiao? This thing is a Jiao? It's so ugly!"

Hearing it wasn't a snake, Liu Yilin became less fearful.

"Roar!"

Though a Jiao, the black Jiao became enraged at being called ugly. From its perspective, humans were the ugly creatures.

With a roar, the surrounding wind and clouds churned, and black mist billowed, instantly engulfing Ning Beichen and the others.

"This black mist is strange. Don't split up, everyone, gather around me."

Ning Beichen and Luo Yingying shouted simultaneously.

Liu Yilin and Ye Lanxin immediately moved closer to Ning Beichen. The four of them huddled together, but the black mist spread rapidly. No matter how they retreated, they couldn't escape its reach.

"Damn it, it's the black Jiao. It must be the black Jiao's doing."

Luo Yingying exclaimed angrily.

She had been tricked by the black Jiao before, and was thus very incensed by it.

"Oh no, we're trapped in the black mist, and... and I feel something is wrong with my body."

Ye Lanxin said, trembling with fear.

"Me too."

Liu Yilin and Luo Yingying spoke at the same time.

"Is it poisonous?"

Ning Beichen himself didn't feel anything amiss, but since the three women felt something was wrong, there must be a problem.

"But if it's poison, why is he unaffected?"

Ning Beichen was puzzled. Could the poison only affect women?

"Get out!"

Ning Beichen slashed at the black mist with his sword. Lacking Luo Yingying's cooperation, a black sword light appeared.

The hundred-zhang long sword light struck into the black mist, missing its target. It didn't hit the black Jiao and vanished into the fog.

"Come out, get out, you ugly thing!"

Ning Beichen shouted, continuously swinging his sword into the black mist.

"Hahaha, it's useless, human. You are no match for me here. The black mist is filled with Jiao poison."

The black Jiao's voice echoed from within the mist.

"Hmph! Don't try to scare me. I know you're trapped beneath the black river and can't get out. Otherwise, you would have killed us already."

Ning Beichen stated coldly.

"So what? I can't get out to kill you, but I can control the black mist to prevent you from ever leaving this place!"

After a pause, the black Jiao's voice returned.

"Black Jiao, we haven't offended you. We just want to pass through this area. Why are you targeting us? Even if you wanted to eat us, our size probably wouldn't be enough to fill your teeth. Does that seem interesting to you?"

Ning Beichen reasoned.

This time, the black Jiao remained silent. Ning Beichen saw how distressed Luo Yingying and the other two appeared, their bodies burning, filling him with worry.

He had tried giving them antidote pills and using his internal energy to expel the poison, but to no avail.

More than himself, Ning Beichen cared about them.

"Fine, black Jiao, you win. What do you want?"

Ning Beichen stood up and shouted towards the black mist.

"I want you to do something for me. If you help me, I will not only let you go, but I will also carry you directly to the exit."

After a while, the black Jiao's voice emerged from the mist.

"No, Ning Beichen, this black Jiao clearly has ill intentions."

At this moment, Liu Yilin and the others spoke in unison.

"What is it?"

Ning Beichen ignored them and asked the black Jiao. If it wasn't an impossible task, Ning Beichen was willing to do it for Liu Yilin and the others' safety.

"It's very simple. Below the black river, there is a formation. Within the formation are eight chains. You just need to enter the formation and cut these eight chains."

The black Jiao's voice came through.

"If I'm not mistaken, these eight chains are what's restraining you, aren't they? How do I know you won't go back on your word after I cut them?"

Ning Beichen asked calmly.

"There's no way. You can only trust me. Indeed, as you say, you pose no threat to me. Even as food, you wouldn't be enough for a single bite, so I have no reason to harm you."

The black Jiao replied.

"Ning Beichen, don't believe it. If it breaks free, we'll have no recourse if it betrays us."

Luo Yingying pleaded.

"I know, but I can't let it hurt you. I know what to do, don't worry."

Ning Beichen sent a telepathic message to the three of them.

For Ning Beichen, if a gamble could save them, he would definitely take it.

However, Ning Beichen was not one to be easily deceived or bullied.

"I can agree, but you must swear a soul oath. After you are freed, you will not trouble us. Otherwise, may the heavens strike you with lightning and may you die without a burial place."

Ning Beichen said to the black mist.

The black Jiao, hidden in the mist, twitched its eyelids several times. This human小子 was too cunning. Indeed, Luo Yingying and the others' worries were not unfounded.

The black Jiao had actually considered killing all four of them after breaking free.

However, Ning Beichen's demand for a soul oath before he would help thwarted the black Jiao's plan.

For creatures of their cultivation, or non-human cultivators, swearing a soul oath meant they had to abide by their promise, or the oath would certainly come true.

For the black Jiao, it didn't need to choose between killing them in anger and breaking free. It had been trapped in the depths of the ancient path for countless years, yearning for freedom.

Therefore, relative to freedom, the black Jiao had no choice to make.

"I, the black Jiao, swear to the heavens that once freed, I will not trouble the four of you, and I will escort you safely out of the ancient path. If I break this oath, may the heavens strike me with lightning and may I die without a burial place!"

Not long after, the black Jiao's voice echoed from the mist.

"No, I need to see you swear. Otherwise, how can I know you're not lying to us."

Ning Beichen stated, displeased.

"Alright, I agree."

Though angered, the black Jiao had no choice. For freedom, it could agree to any condition, provided this human could truly free it.

Soon, the black mist stirred, and after a while, a massive Jiao head appeared before them.

"I, the black Jiao, swear to the heavens..."

The black Jiao repeated the oath it had just made, this time with its soul, in front of Ning Beichen.