Chapter 138: The Anaconda Demon Not in the Intelligence Reports!
“Ahhhhhhh!!”
Fang Yu supported his right shoulder with his left hand.
There, his right arm—unscathed even after battling two Profound-Rank Demonic Beasts—had been severed cleanly at the root!
He had emerged from battle unharmed, yet suffered such an unimaginable wound afterward. This contrast left Fang Yu completely unable to react properly.
Fortunately, Lin Huai, who had just noticed something wrong and shouted a warning, rushed over in time.
Although she failed to prevent Fang Yu from being attacked, she still managed to block the next strike—aimed directly at Fang Yu’s neck—with her massive axe.
“There’s still one playing dead here!”
Lin Huai’s tiger eyes widened in fury as she glared at the Anaconda Demon before her, wishing she could slice it into a thousand pieces.
In the Six Gates, every Profound-Rank disciple was considered the backbone of the organization, capable of independently carrying out missions.
Yet such a vital member had been caught off guard by a supposedly dead beast and severely wounded.
Profound-Rank cultivators did not possess the ability to regrow severed limbs. It could be imagined that, after this, Fang Yu’s combat strength—once a pillar of the Six Gates—had fallen by more than half.
Such a grievous event had happened right under Lin Huai’s nose. How could she not be furious and hateful?
“Black Anaconda, stop right there! You dare injure a member of my Six Gates and think you can escape so easily?!”
With that, Lin Huai hoisted her massive axe and chased after the Anaconda Demon that had fled amid the chaos.
Only after Lin Huai stormed off, axe in hand, did Zhu Dongfeng land beside Fang Yu.
“This Lin Huai, her temper’s even hotter than a man’s, sigh…”
Zhu Dongfeng couldn’t help but feel helpless about his fiery yet capable subordinate.
“Ahhh! My right arm! My strength! My strength is gone!!”
Hearing Fang Yu wailing over his lost arm, Zhu Dongfeng’s head began to ache even more.
You’re a grown man—why are you screaming so loudly?
It’s just one arm! Lin Huai over there was practically toyed with by a beast!
Zhu Dongfeng tapped twice on Fang Yu’s shoulder before smacking him across the head.
“Stop howling! Go and get yourself treated. Recover as much strength as you can.”
After saying so, Zhu Dongfeng added sharply,
“And don’t forget to pick up the strength you dropped on the ground.”
Despite how composed Zhu Dongfeng appeared—handling the chaos caused by the Anaconda Demon without pursuing Lin Huai—did that mean he didn’t care about her safety?
Well… in truth, he didn’t.
But that wasn’t because he was heartless—it was because he didn’t believe that little escaping Anaconda could pose any real threat to Lin Huai.
Lin Huai’s boldness before him didn’t come from favoritism, but from her own genuine Earth-Rank strength.
Of course, their deep friendship also allowed her such leeway.
From his earlier perception of the creature’s aura, Zhu Dongfeng had determined that the escaping demon was a Profound-Rank Anaconda Demon.
Though it seemed strangely uninjured, with Lin Huai giving chase, its fate was already sealed.
Zhu Dongfeng saw no reason to think the Anaconda had allies or traps lying in wait nearby.
According to the intelligence network shared by the Six Gates and the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring, this monster-hunting operation had been highly successful—every powerful demonic beast recorded in the area had already been eliminated. There should’ve been no ambushes or hidden beasts remaining.
Even if this Anaconda Demon hadn’t been logged in their records, it was merely a small oversight—not something serious.
Zhu Dongfeng’s thoughts trailed off suddenly.
Wait.
Not recorded in the intelligence reports?
Zhu Dongfeng’s head snapped up, eyes flashing with unease as he looked toward the direction Lin Huai had gone.
Intelligence was power—it was the most critical “eyes” in the war between humans and demons, allowing them to avoid fighting blindly in the dark.
It was thanks to the years of monster-sighting records and investigations by the Six Gates and the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring that Zhu Dongfeng’s group knew which powerful beasts lurked near each county in Yongzhou.
After the ‘Locust’ Operation began, they had systematically purged demons across every region.
Yet according to intelligence, there should have been no Profound-Rank Anaconda Demons near Quankang County. Such creatures were only reported in Ningjiang County.
This contradiction filled Zhu Dongfeng with an ominous premonition.
Lin Huai still hadn’t returned.
Could it really take her this long to catch one Profound-Rank Anaconda Demon?
“You all stay alert here. Watch for anything unusual and report immediately if something happens.”
“Yes, Gate Master!”
After giving brief instructions, Zhu Dongfeng dashed off in the direction Lin Huai had gone.
After rushing for the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he came to an abrupt stop, his expression turning dark and terrifying.
At his feet lay a massive axe—crafted of heavy silver and profound iron, so weighty it could bend another’s spine, yet easily wielded by Lin Huai. Now, its handle was broken cleanly in two, embedded deep in the earth.
Zhu Dongfeng looked up to see Lin Huai, her face contorted in pain, weakly stretching out her hands toward him.
“G-Gate Master…”
Her face was swollen a dark purplish-red, for coiled tightly around her neck was a thick, muscular tail.
It belonged to a massive serpent—its ink-black scales glinting coldly, its body stretching over a hundred meters long.
“Gate Master Zhu, you’ve finally arrived,” the serpent rumbled, its deep voice echoing. “I’ve been waiting for you for quite some time.”
Zhu Dongfeng hadn’t expected his unease to become reality.
His mind was now flooded with confusion—
Wasn’t this Anaconda only ten meters long before? How had it suddenly become over a hundred?
Was it the same creature—or were there two of them, with this one lying in ambush?
And hadn’t it only exuded Profound-Rank aura earlier? Why was it now radiating the same mid-Earth-Rank presence as himself?
Even if it was Earth-Rank, how had it subdued Lin Huai—also Earth-Rank—so silently and effortlessly?
What puzzled him most was this: the intelligence reports stated that not even a Profound-Rank Anaconda Demon existed near Quankang County. So where had an Earth-Rank Anaconda Demon appeared from?
Could it have come from neighboring Ningjiang County?
Ningjiang County…
That’s right—before Lin Shuang and Su Bing were killed, he had sent them to investigate the Child-Giving Temple. The abbot Wuzhen had died there—slain by an Earth-Rank Anaconda Demon.
According to the survivors’ testimony, that creature had the face of a human, the body of a serpent, and was covered in black scales. It sounded identical to the demon before him—and had indeed disappeared afterward.
Could it be—
Zhu Dongfeng’s heart jolted as realization struck.
“You’re the Anaconda Demon that destroyed Wuzhen’s Child-Giving Temple in Ningjiang County, aren’t you?!”
Hearing Zhu Dongfeng’s half-guessing, half-confirming question, Mo Lin did not reply. Instead, he tightened his tail, making Lin Huai groan in pain and struggle for breath.
Zhu Dongfeng’s expression grew even more tense.
“Anaconda Demon, what do you want?! If you haven’t killed Lin Huai yet, that means you have a purpose, don’t you?”
“Speak your purpose.”
Mo Lin slightly loosened his grip, allowing Lin Huai to gasp for air again.
“Let Gate Master Zhu be aware—my name is Mo Lin.”
“As for capturing this woman, I bear no malice. It’s simply… to make our conversation more convenient.”