"No," the Bronze Man refused bluntly, without a shred of courtesy.
"That's not up to you," Xu Zimei replied.
His palms moved like the wind, the gusts striking head-on. The Bronze Man didn't even have a chance to resist before being shattered into pieces by a single strike.
Stepping over the Bronze Man's broken body, Xu Zimei ventured deeper into Thunder Python Valley.
From above, the valley truly resembled a massive, winding python snake.
The valley was filled with lightning in every direction.
Thunderbolts crashed around the steep canyon walls, crawling incessantly along the cliffs.
As soon as he entered, Xu Zimei felt as if a pair of invisible eyes hidden within the dense lightning were watching him intently.
"Where is Mad Chu?" Xu Zimei shouted.
The sound shook the void, full of dominance.
"Intruding on the Chu Family's Forbidden Land—what punishment do you deserve?" A voice, wild as thunder, roared.
The voice carried the might of a Great Emperor, resounding across the heavens. The thundering echoed in unison with the lightning in the clouds above, merging into one.
"Hiding in the shadows, afraid to show yourself?" Xu Zimei taunted.
"Youth, return from where you came," the wild voice replied indifferently, not bothering to argue.
"I've come regarding the Evil Demon King," Xu Zimei said.
"I must meet Mad Chu."
"Stubborn fool," thunder exploded across the void as an immense burst of lightning erupted, followed by a wave of overwhelming beastly might.
A massive Thunder Python as vast as the heavens themselves emerged from the void.
Its colossal body nearly crushed the entire valley. Its muscular tail, covered in black and violet scales, sparked with arcs of violet lightning streaking across its surface.
The Thunder Python hissed, flicking its forked tongue. Its venomous fangs glistened with a sticky green liquid.
The enormous creature lunged directly at Xu Zimei, the thunderous rumble of its movements tearing through the void.
Xu Zimei raised his blade to block, the serpent's massive jaws clamping down ferociously on Tyrant Shadow's blade.
"Not afraid of breaking your teeth, are you?" Xu Zimei sneered coldly.
With a twist of Tyrant Shadow, the razor-sharp edge unleashed a torrent of Blade Qi.
The violent surge shattered the Thunder Python's jaws.
Quick and resolute, Xu Zimei drove Tyrant Shadow with immense force, piercing directly into the creature's left eye.
"Hissss!" The Thunder Python howled in agony, its massive body writhing and thrashing uncontrollably.
Boulders crumbled and crashed down as the entire valley turned into chaos.
Undeterred, Xu Zimei pressed forward, plunging Tyrant Shadow deeper into the python's flesh.
Within him, countless Power Vortexes whirled madly, energizing the towering shadow of the Heaven-Shaking Giant that grew even larger.
Putting both arms around the Thunder Python's massive body, Xu Zimei lifted it and performed a shoulder throw, slamming it to the ground.
"Fall!" he roared, slamming the serpent heavily against the valley wall.
An explosive "boom" echoed, with rubble raining down in waves.
"Thunder Authority," the Thunder Python howled.
It had mastered, naturally, the Profound Meaning of Thunderbolt.
A Thundercloud Storm gathered above its head, unleashing a deluge of lightning strikes along with the crackling of thunderbolts.
The onslaught fell like a relentless hurricane.
Xu Zimei chuckled lightly and said slowly, "Thunderbolt Principle."
With his words, an even greater Thunderstorm formed above, its power gathering.
"Principle...?" The Thunder Python was momentarily struck speechless, shocked to the core.
It nearly bit its own tongue in disbelief.
"The Great Saint?"
"No... no, you carry the aura of a Great Emperor. How is this possible?"
"Anything in this world is possible for those daring enough to try," Xu Zimei countered.
The Thundercloud Storm descended, and instantly the Thunderbolt Principle obliterated the Profound Meaning. Everything dissipated into emptiness.
The Principle-driven storm fell once more, accompanied by heart-wrenching screams of torment.
Beneath the barrage of thunderbolts, both the Thunder Python and the entire valley were annihilated.
Faint black smoke with a charred scent wafted from the scene.
Xu Zimei sniffed and chuckled, "Grilled python... not bad."
He stepped forward, dragging Tyrant Shadow on the ground, approaching the Thunder Python step by step. S~eaʀᴄh the NovelZone.fun website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
By now, the Thunder Python's entire body was scorched, writhing weakly on the ground, barely clinging to life.
As Xu Zimei stood before it, he raised Tyrant Shadow high and swung it down hard at the serpent.
With a deafening "boom," Tyrant Shadow struck the ground.
The earth beneath split into an insurmountable chasm.
Dust billowed into the air, but Xu Zimei was certain that his strike had failed to kill the serpent.
Retrieving Tyrant Shadow, he turned his gaze toward the depths of Thunder Python Valley. In the critical instant, a giant hand had snatched the Thunder Python away.
Deep within the valley, beside the serpent, an unknown black-robed man had appeared.
At the very first sight of him, only one word came to Xu Zimei's mind: "Mad."
A madness unlike arrogance or pride—madness in its purest form.
The black robe was utterly black, devoid of any other color.
His black hair flowed freely in the breeze, his dark eyes matching in hue. His nose was high-bridged, and his lips were thin.
His face was sharply sculpted, long and profound.
Standing an imposing two meters tall, he wore a necklace of white jade around his neck.
The black-robed man stood there silently, simply watching Xu Zimei.
Their gaze locked for a long moment before the black-robed man finally spoke. "I already know about the Evil Demon King."
"He'll come to White Emperor City," Xu Zimei said.
"Aren't you curious about my identity?" the black-robed man asked instead of addressing Xu Zimei's statement.
"Mad Chu, who else could it be?" Xu Zimei replied.
"How do you know the Evil Demon King will come to White Emperor City?" Mad Chu asked.
"Because I'm in White Emperor City," Xu Zimei said, smiling.
"The Evil Demon King comes for you," Mad Chu deduced immediately.
Xu Zimei smiled but chose not to respond further.
"What is your aim? To ally with me against the Evil Demon King?" Mad Chu asked.
"Not an alliance. I'm merely informing you that the Evil Demon King will descend upon White Emperor City.
What happens next is none of my concern," Xu Zimei said.
With that, he turned to leave.
"What if I capture you and hand you to the Evil Demon King? Wouldn't that solve everything?" Mad Chu suggested suddenly.
"The fact that I came to tell you means I don't fear you," Xu Zimei replied.
"And truthfully, I don't fear the Evil Demon King either. I just have no desire to face him now."
As Xu Zimei walked away step by step, Mad Chu's already deep black eyes became even darker.
With a wave of his hand, lightning surged, and the Thunder Python's broken body was suddenly restored.
"Master, why?" The Thunder Python's eyes glinted with hatred and confusion as it questioned.
This was far from the Mad Chu it knew, far from his usual ways.
"Follow me," Mad Chu said, offering no explanation.