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Xiulan craned her neck upward at the towering serpent. Pearlescent scales reflected the sunlight like polished mirrors, each one the same size as the smaller serpents in the forest. The creature’s massive form loomed over her and blocked out part of the sky—a behemoth straight from the endgame raids of Phoenix Kingdom Chronicles .

"What the fuck, Feng Yu!" The words tore from Xiulan’s throat.

Why did they have to run into a world boss sized problem now? Gathering the scales from normal serpents had been easy!

The serpent whipped its head sideways as a wall of water surged across the lake. Another fireball exploded against its snout, drawing an earth-shaking hiss that rattled Xiulan’s bones. Feng Yu’s flames illuminated patches of scorched scales near its nostrils.

How did this thing even fit in the lake! ?

The serpent twisted away, carrying a nearly naked Feng Yu in the opposite direction. Its massive body curved through the air before snapping back toward Xiulan. Another fireball burst overhead, its heat washing down as Feng Yu screamed something unintelligible.

Xiulan sprinted aside as the creature’s shadow fell over her again. She leapt over an incoming wave, her boots sliding on the muddy shore as she landed. Water dripped from her sodden clothes while she spun to face the monster.

Her mind raced through possible strategies, but nothing seemed adequate. Still, Feng Yu needed help—and fast.

The collection device might work against it.

What gave her confidence in it actually doing anything, she had no idea. But she had to try something!

She sprinted back through the trees, her boots pounding against the soggy forest floor. The bronze collector came into sight. She grabbed the nearest handhold—one of its feet—and yanked. The device crashed onto its side with a resonant clang.

Bark and leaves scraped against the metal as she dragged it through the underbrush toward the churning lake. Her qi raged through her meridians to give her the strength needed to pull the thing through snags and dips.

Ahead, the massive serpent thrashed in the water, sending more waves crashing against the shore. Another of Feng Yu’s fireballs lit up the sky.

Prehistoric beasts thundered past through the forest. The ground trembled under their fleeing footsteps. Even the massive tree-eaters they’d spotted earlier crashed away from the chaos, snapping branches and toppling smaller trees in their wake.

Water sprayed down like storm rain, soaking through her already drenched clothes. The collection device’s weight dragged at her arms as reality sank in. She could probably haul it across the water using qi-enhanced strength, but the waves would sweep her away before she got close enough to use it.

Throwing it isn’t an option either.

A desperate idea struck. Xiulan positioned herself behind the device and focused her qi. Thunder God Claps for Arrogant Young Masters built up in her palms.

The blast connected. A massive gong note reverberated through the air. Arrays carved into the collector’s surface blazed with light. The sound repeated, multiplied, until a dozen thunderous rings made Xiulan’s vision swim.

The collector barely shifted, but she was knocked on her ass.

"Fuck." Xiulan pressed her palms against her temples. What was I thinking? That was never going to work!

Heat blazed across the lake as a massive fireball erupted near the serpent’s head. Xiulan shielded her eyes against the inferno. The flames cascaded down the creature’s pearlescent scales in a torrent that would have incinerated a lesser beast.

"This is getting ridiculous." Xiulan dropped her hand as the flames dissipated. The sheer magnitude of Feng Yu’s qi attack was stunning.

Ren Chun’s suspicious questions about her own cultivation rang through her mind. Now she knew how he felt.

But Feng Yu’s meridians weren’t even fully opened. The contradiction made no sense. Either she possessed some legendary artifact or—

Spikes of flame shot from the fireball, peppering the serpent’s hide like burning arrows. The beast opened its maw in reply, blue qi coalescing into a sphere of pure water energy. The aqueous blast smashed through Feng Yu’s flames, extinguishing them in a burst of steam.

Xiulan’s breath caught. Had her friend just been roasted alive?

A blur of movement drew her attention as Feng Yu vaulted from the serpent’s mouth. Her flaming sword carved a burning line along the creature’s snout as she sprinted upward. The blade sparked against impenetrable scales.

The serpent thrashed violently. Feng Yu maintained her footing until she reached its eye—where everything went wrong. The protective lid slammed shut, pinning her leg beneath its crushing weight. Her fire-wreathed sword struck uselessly against the armored membrane.

"Fuck!" Xiulan glanced at the fallen collection device. There had to be a way to use it.

Xiulan snapped her gaze between the extra cargo harness she wore and the fallen collector. The way Feng Yu carried it...

A plan crystallized. Taking the two extra harnesses out first, she stashed their travel pack high in a nearby tree, securing it between two thick branches. The serpent’s roar added urgency as it thundered across the lake, spraying water droplets through the canopy. No time to waste.

Xiulan sprinted back. Her boots slipped in the mud as she heaved the bronze device into position. The metallic surface hummed beneath her fingers—residual energy from her failed thunder attack still lingered.

She ducked inside the bell-shaped container. The curved walls amplified every sound, from her rapid breathing to the distant battle.

Feng Yu’s scream pierced through the cacophony, spurring Xiulan to move faster.

Her fingers fumbled with the first harness. She pressed it against the inner surface, just below the collector’s rim, positioning it to face outward. The second harness followed, aligned directly over the first but facing inward.

Xiulan activated the inward facing device. Energy surged through the arrays as the harness expanded. Leather bands interlocked and tightened, securing both pieces to the collector’s frame. The resulting configuration created an anchor point that would let her—

Another thunderous crash from the lake interrupted her inspection. She needed to hurry!

She pulled her knife from its sheath and sliced through a few of the harness wrappings. The cut exposed crucial components—particularly the emission point where the collection beam came out from.

Slipping back outside, she replaced the spirit stone power source. It was a relief when the qi channels flashed and then turned blue. Ready.

No time for further modifications. The distant sounds of battle pushed her forward.

Xiulan squatted with her back to the collector and activated her harness. Leather bands snaked out, latching onto the bronze surface. The device yanked her backward, its weight pulling her as she toppled.

Shit.

Qi surged through her meridians as she focused power into her feet. The energy gripped the sodden earth, giving her the leverage needed to fight against the collector’s mass. Her muscles strained as she pushed upright, mud and leaves clinging to her robes.

"How did Feng Yu make this look so damn easy?" Xiulan gritted her teeth.

The ground shuddered. Near the shore, the white serpent’s massive form slammed into the earth. The impact knocked loose branches free and sent ripples through puddles of standing water. Its armored eyelid remained clamped shut, pinning Feng Yu’s leg despite her continued struggles.

Xiulan shifted her weight, adjusting to the collector’s bulk. Her qi-enhanced strength kept it manageable. Almost like wearing a massive turtle shell.

She planted her feet and channeled qi through her meridians, focusing the energy just as Feng Yu had taught her. The technique demanded perfect control—too much force would send her flying, too little would drop her into the lake or mud.

"Here goes nothing."

Xiulan broke into a run. The collector’s weight threatened to topple her backward with each step, but she compensated by leaning forward. Water splashed beneath as she crossed onto the lake’s surface. Her qi spread through each footstep.

A massive wave rolled toward her, its crest rising higher than her family manor’s walls. Xiulan redirected her qi flow, pushing more power into her legs. She sprinted up the liquid slope before it could break.

The collector’s weight tried to drag her down, but she defied gravity.

She cleared the wave’s peak and sailed through the air. Wind whipped at her robes as the lake stretched out below. Her stomach lurched at the height—far higher than any of her practice attempts. The collector’s mass pulled her into a controlled fall.

She was going to crash through the water surface and there was no way she could swim with a bronze weight lashed to her…

Two Heavenly Step.

She focused, her qi rushing to fill the specific points. Her first step stopped just above the water, the second directly forward, converting all her vertical velocity into horizontal. The lake surface exploded behind her, trying to catch up as her legs flailed to keep the sprint moving forward.

Her boots barely touched the water’s surface as she maintained the pace somehow. The giant serpent turned toward her, its pearl-white scales gleaming as its massive body cut through the lake like a living dam.

Time to see if all those hours of "basic" qinggong practice paid off. Feng Yu’s patient instruction echoed in her mind—proper breath control, precise qi distribution, maintaining perfect balance.

Despite the practice, none of it really worked. Her qi was surging like a river washing out of its banks.

So she abandoned all pretense of finesse.

Qi surged through her meridians in raw, uncontrolled bursts. The collector’s weight shifted, threatening to plunge her into the depths below.

"Feng Yu!" The name tore from her throat—half warning, half desperate curse.

The serpent’s thunderous roar responded, drowning out any possible response. Water churned below as its massive coils as it writhed, sending waves in every direction. Through the spray, Xiulan glimpsed Feng Yu still struggling against the creature’s armored eyelid.

Fuck subtle. Time to go up.

Xiulan gathered qi beneath her feet and launched herself skyward. The collector’s mass tried to drag her down, but raw power won out.

She formed a disk of pure energy above—like the platforms Ren Chun had taught her, but cruder and far less stable in the air. Her boots connected with the ephemeral surface just long enough to spring higher.

Another disk materialized above as the first dissipated into mist. Each jump carried her further up, following an erratic path through the air. She left nothing but scattered droplets in her wake.

The serpent’s pearlescent coils suddenly shifted, its massive body redirecting straight toward her position. Xiulan’s heart hammered against her ribs as the beast’s shadow engulfed her.

Oh shit. Xiulan gritted her teeth. Now or never.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

She released her harness with a sharp twist.

The collector’s weight pulled away as she flipped around, grabbing the rim of the bronze bell. The collection arrays hummed against her skin while she oriented the device toward the oncoming serpent.

Pulling herself forward without unbalancing things was a strain, but her fingers closed around the last unused harness cord. One sharp yank activated the mechanism.

Xiulan slid behind the collector’s bulk as momentum carried them through the air. The beast’s thunderous roar vibrated through the metal, making her teeth rattle.

She couldn’t tell if they were falling toward the serpent or if it rushed to meet them. The world became a blur of white scales and churning mist.

The harness bands shot outward with a snap of taut leather. They expanded impossibly, growing to match the serpent’s massive girth. They whipped through the air like living things seeking purchase and they found their target, wrapping all the way around the serpent’s torso.

Emerald light flooded the collector’s chamber. Xiulan’s heart soared—it worked! The arrays had locked onto their target.

The victory lasted exactly one breath.

Pearlescent scales filled her vision as the serpent’s massive body slammed into the collector. Xiulan braced her feet against the curved bronze surface. Qi surged as she absorbed the crushing impact. The collision knocked the air from her lungs.

The world tilted. Wind whipped through her hair as she plummeted toward the lake, bouncing down the serpent like she was falling off a mountain.

Pure instinct took over—Xiulan channeled qi through her boots and hands, adhering them to the serpent’s scales. The technique saved her from being flung into the air, but now she faced a fresh problem as the distance to the water dwindled.

Shit. If this thing hits the water with me pinned beneath it...

Spray pelted her face as she sprinted up the serpent’s flank. Her boots found purchase on the slick scales through sheer determination and desperate qi control. Each step carried her higher along the creature’s undulating form while lake water churned below.

Sweat dripped down her neck. Her lungs burned from the exertion. The qi drain from maintaining her footing while running vertically threatened to empty her reserves.

"Come on, come on!" Xiulan panted as she raced the crush. Water droplets stung her eyes, but she didn’t dare slow down.

A piercing shriek cut through the chaos, rising above the serpent’s thunderous movements. Xiulan twisted to look behind her, nearly losing her footing.

The bronze collector glowed green, its surface pulsing with unstable energy and the harness bands writhed, their grip on the serpent’s massive form loosening with each violent movement. The device careened wildly, bouncing and sliding in an erratic dance.

Shit. The harness wasn’t meant for this.

Ancient runes flashed across the collector’s surface—warnings or activation signals, she couldn’t tell. The magical formations carved on the harnesses sparked and sputtered, clearly struggling against forces far beyond their design limits.

Suddenly, the harness snapped tight, and the device’s trajectory shifted, its mass drawn upward by some unseen force. Xiulan’s breath caught as the bronze bell rocketed straight toward her position, arrays blazing with uncontrolled power.

Xiulan jumped. The leather wraps whistled past beneath her boots, close enough to feel the disturbed air. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she twisted mid-jump, reaching for the serpent.

Her fingers slipped across the smooth surface. Gravity yanked her down the creature’s flank and wind whipped at her robes while she scrambled for purchase.

Qi pulsed erratically through her meridians as she fought to regain control. After a dozen terrifying meters of freefall, her energy finally latched onto the scales. Her descent halted with a bone-jarring jolt.

Three brilliant fireballs erupted near the serpent’s head, painting the sky in crimson and gold. Relief flooded through Xiulan’s chest. Feng Yu was still alive!

The collector’s piercing shriek cut off abruptly. Xiulan snapped her head toward it. Emerald light flashed, so bright it left spots dancing across her vision. Something small and hard bounced off her shoulder.

More impacts peppered her head and shoulders as iridescent scales rained down from above. They clinked against each other like falling coins.

Holy shit. Xiulan stared at the scales falling in a rain-like spray. The collector actually worked.

She regained her purchase and then sprinted after the collector as it skidded across the serpent’s scales. The massive beast thrashed, its coils rising from the lake in a devastating surge. Ancient trees splintered like kindling as the serpent’s bulk crashed onto land.

Why is the device sliding upward?

She guarded her face with her forearm as pearlescent scales pelted her face as she chased the runaway collector. The bronze device scraped a gleaming trail up the serpent’s body, leaving exposed pink flesh in its wake.

The serpent tapers—skinnier near the head, thicker at the middle. Understanding clicked. The collector’s bands kept tightening, forcing it to slide up the narrowing form like a shrinking ring pushed along a cone.

A familiar weight pressed against her back. My spear. She’d forgotten about the weapon until now. Xiulan yanked it free from its sheath, testing the edge against the serpent’s exposed flesh. The blade sank in easily, drawing thick rivulets of blood.

Keeping her grip on the embedded spear, Xiulan ran alongside the wound she carved. The serpent’s movements grew more erratic with each step. She glanced sideways—and nearly stumbled.

The forest canopy stretched far below. The serpent hadn’t just risen from the lake—it soared through open air, its massive form cutting through clouds as it climbed higher into the sky.

It’s flying. The damned thing is actually flying.

"Aaaaaahhh!" The scream tore from Xiulan’s throat as vertigo slammed into her chest. She tore her eyes away and chased the path of missing scales wrapping around the serpent like a corkscrew.

A few seconds later, she slammed into the collection device as it ground to a sudden halt. Leather straps creaked and groaned, constricting tighter around the serpent’s massive form just below its head. Each squeeze drew an ear-splitting shriek from the beast.

She clung to the device as the serpent thrashed wildly. The world spun in dizzying arcs of sky and forest canopy. Her stomach lurched.

A wall of flames roared toward her position. The heat singed her eyebrows even from dozens of meters away.

"Feng Yu!" Xiulan ducked behind the collection device. "Are you trying to fry me too?"

Need to free her first. The thought crystallized through her panic. The serpent’s eye remained firmly shut, trapping her companion beneath its armored lid. What could force it open?

A memory flickered through her mind—the satisfying crackle of her old stun gun, back when she was Li Mei. The way electricity could make muscles spasm and contract...

Xiulan glanced at her spear, still embedded in the serpent’s flesh. One prong down. She yanked her dagger free and plunged it into the naked serpent skin an arm’s length from the spear.

Yin on one side, yang on the other. She’d created lightning before, but controlling the qi flow through both weapons proved challenging. The energy wanted to rush into the weapons from her palms all at once, but that would just cause an explosion.

I don’t need lightning. A stun gun delivered a continuous current. Xiulan forced the mental dam she had built to open the floodgates just a little.

The moment she gave an inch, electricity crackled between the blades. Blue-white arcs danced across the serpent’s skin and into its flesh.

Too late, Xiulan realized her mistake. The current raced through the beast’s nervous system—and straight into her hands, still gripping the metal weapons.

Electric current surged through Xiulan’s body, scrambling her qi pathways. Her muscles spasmed as lightning danced across her skin. The skin of her hands hissed as she completed the ’stun gun’ circuit. White spots danced in her vision.

Did I just stun myself with my own technique? Her limbs twitched with residual energy. This is why you don’t invent cultivation techniques on the fly.

She struggled to even open her hands to let go of her two blackened weapons.

"Xiulan!"

She blinked away the afterimages and looked up.

Feng Yu sprinted down the serpent’s flank toward her. Blood and dirt covered the other woman’s skin, leaving little to imagination.

Almost on cue, the collection device’s leather straps vibrated like plucked bowstrings before snapping with explosive force. The bronze bell launched into open air.

"What are you—" Xiulan’s lungs rasped.

Feng Yu scooped her up with one arm, flame sword blazing in the other. Without hesitation, Feng Yu plunged her burning blade deep into exposed flesh.

"What the fuck! What the fuck!" Xiulan clutched Feng Yu’s shoulders as they plummeted. A geyser of serpent blood erupted above them while they slid down the creature’s massive form.

"We need to get back to the ground!" Feng Yu shouted.

Xiulan’s stomach lurched as she glanced down at the distant earth. The memory of her first helicopter ride at a summer festival flashed through her mind—but they soared even higher than that childhood adventure. The treetops below looked like a green carpet against the landscape.

Blood sprayed across her face, hot and thick with the scent of ozone. The wind whipped her robes against her skin, each gust threatening to tear them apart.

Their descent ended abruptly as they reached the end of the line the collection device had cleaned of scales. Feng Yu’s sword wrenched free, launching them into empty air. Xiulan’s stomach lurched again as gravity took hold.

She closed her eyes and clung to her companion. A roar above forced her to open them again.

The serpent twisted its massive form, its pearl-white scales gleaming in the sunlight. Its jaws gaped wide, aimed right at them.

"It’s coming back!" Xiulan tightened her grip.

Feng Yu glanced over her shoulder. A wild grin spread across her face. "We need cover!"

"In the fucking sky, where is there any fucking cover?" Xiulan’s words turned shrill. "Feng Yu, why did you do this, you stupid protagonist person!"

"What are you talking about? It’s right there!"

Xiulan twisted her neck, following Feng Yu’s gaze. The bronze collection device tumbled through the air below them, its surface still crackling with flickering energy. Her heart skipped. "Being eaten by a serpent while inside that thing is not an improvement!"

The device grew larger. Too large, too fast—something felt off about their descent. Qi radiated from Feng Yu in controlled pulses, guiding their trajectory toward the bronze bell.

Blue light flashed in her peripheral vision. Xiulan snapped her attention upward. Azure energy coalesced in the serpent’s maw, building into a familiar glow.

"FASTER!" Xiulan screamed into Feng Yu’s ear.

The azure light coalesced into a brilliant sphere between the serpent’s crystalline fangs. The energy pulsed with deadly intent, reminding Xiulan of lightning trapped in a bottle. Her meridians thrummed as she gathered qi, though she doubted anything she could think of would withstand that kind of power.

Before she could attempt any defense, Feng Yu yanked her sideways. The world spun as they tumbled. Feng Yu’s arm locked around her waist, pulling her into the bronze collection device.

Hundreds of pearlescent scales lined the interior like scattered coins stuck in a vending machine’s insides. The interior glowed with the faint spiritual energy.

"Help me form a barrier!" Feng Yu raised her palm in an unfamiliar gesture, eyes squeezing shut in concentration.

Golden light sparked between her fingers, spreading outward to seal the bell’s opening. Xiulan stared at the shimmering barrier. Great idea, but did you forget I don’t know these techniques yet?

The serpent’s attack resonated through the bronze as it washed over them. Blue energy thrummed against gold, flooding the chamber with blinding light.

The collection device rocketed downward with them inside it, spinning dizzyingly as trees and rocks below vaporized in the onslaught of spiritual power.

Bitter cold seeped through the bronze device’s surface, biting into Xiulan’s skin. The metal walls radiated an intense chill that made her bones ache. Her gaze snapped to Feng Yu, who maintained the barrier with nothing but a makeshift loincloth fashioned from her torn sash.

Shit. The cold will kill her before we land.

Xiulan gritted her teeth and grabbed Feng Yu’s free hand. The meridians beneath her skin pulsed with untapped potential. She closed her eyes, focusing on directing her qi outward.

The energy trickled into Feng Yu’s palm like water searching for a path through stone. Each attempt to navigate the complex network met resistance. Her qi thread wavered, losing direction in the maze-like pathways.

Suddenly Feng Yu was there and her grip tightened around the small needle Xiulan offered. She pulled the qi through the intricate passages like a runner navigating a maze for the millionth time.

The ground rushed up to meet them. Less than ten meters.

The qi thread found its target—and erupted. Raw power ripped from Xiulan’s dantian in a violent surge. The force drove the air from her lungs and doubled her over. Bile rose in her throat as her body registered the sudden emptiness where vital energy had resided a breath before.

The bronze bell’s descent slowed. Ice crystals falling around them suddenly hung suspended in the air. Their momentum bled away until the collection device settled onto the frost-covered ground with a gentle thud. The frozen mud burned at Xiulan’s skin as everything came to a stop.

Feng Yu’s breath turned into mist as she stood up and shoved the bell off of them to reveal the sky.

Xiulan puffed, her abused body and meridians suddenly protesting all at once.

An enraged roar shook the air above. The serpent launched another azure sphere toward a distant peak. The mountain’s crown exploded in a shower of pulverized stone and spiritual energy.

It seemed to have lost interest in them.

But she didn’t think it was going to calm down for a while.