Hidden genius: Black belly snake

Tang Yue saw the clear skies and decided to quickly take advantage of this.

She fished out a flying sword from her spatial ring and mounted it, the couple dozen snakes still wound on her slender body.

The sword slightly trembled from having to support so many spirit beasts but Tang Yue quickly stabilized it by circulating her mana through the rune formation placed on the sword.

She maneuvered the sword through the air, like a fish swimming in the water and soon crossed about one-third of the moat filled with sharp deadly spikes.

"How vicious!" Tang Yue could not help but let out an angry hiss.

"Master, if I am correct, the Empress didn't create this barrier?"

[Yes, little snake. You are indeed right to think so. The barrier formation around the palace was set up by the Empress to not allow anyone but serpentine spirit beasts.]

[However, the other things like this huge moat filled with earthen spikes and the entire island brimming with dangerous and powerful beasts were not her highness's intention.]

[This is the work of the same Immortal Kings who had brought down her highness.]

"Mmm... I thought so. They really took care of every little thing, down to the very last detail."

"Not only did they place a curse on the serpentine clan on the island but they also made sure that they would never be able to survive here if they don't run and hide like mole rats."

"None of the snakes would be able to get stronger without reaching the palace and they wouldn't be able to reach the palace with the restriction on their soul."

"They must have really hated our clan to push us to this extent."

[Don't cloud your mind with the past, little snake. Blood has been spilled on both sides and there is never a right or wrong in war.]

[But these are the enemies that you will have to face in the future whether you want to or not. The minute you enter the palace and claim the heritage, you cannot go back anymore.]

"Well, I never really had an option, did I?"

Tang Yue mentally chatted with the old man in her head, when suddenly a tremendous roar resounded from behind her.

"Ah. Damn it." She cursed but she didn't look back. 

She continued speeding away, flying atop the sword as she had already expected this to happen sooner or later. Not that the beast was going to go away just because she didn't look back.

The loud roar sounded again, this time far more terrifying and powerful.

Tang Yue gritted her teeth and pushed her cultivation base to the limit to flee even faster. However, it was still not enough.

She could hear the loud flapping of wings at a distance behind her which made her finally turn around and look to see a shadow hovering over the forest.

"Fuck! I will end up being a target if I continue flying now."

Without another thought, she quickly dismounted the sword, dropping straight down to the sharp and protruding spikes.

"Your highness." Jin Wei stuttered, unable to withstand the pressure from the fall and Tang Yue's downward acceleration.

"Hold on, guys. Else we are all dead meat." She grimly stated.

And just as she plummeted down, one of the spikes rose up to help Tang Yue stabilize herself.

She then cast another mana barrier around herself and leaped atop the earthen spikes, one after the other, using her earth magic to push herself forward.

She was only slightly faster this way, a little less obvious, and was consuming way more energy. However, she couldn't afford to not use every single trick up her sleeve.

Her opponent this time was clearly someone whom she shouldn't have offended!

The roar sounded yet again as the shadow that had descended upon the forest now lifted its huge body up into the air.

The beast's big round fluorescent yellow eyes with slit-like orbs that could even send shivers down the glow-worm's spine, searched the entire island for its prey, the thief who had dared to step into its territory!

It didn't have to search for long as the person who had cleaned out its cave had also taken its eggs with which the beast still shared a soul connection.

It hardly took the beast a couple of seconds to sense Tang Yue and it furrowed its brows at the tiny insect who was foolish enough to rob from it.

The enormous beast flapped its wings and glided in the air before swiftly appearing in front of the snake fleeing away at her top speed.

FUCK!!! Tang Yue braked to a screeching halt on seeing the pair of terrifying eyes.

It took her a second to register the rest of the beast's figure and when she did, it only made her even more shocked.

Flapping its huge silver wings that had black veins running through them, was a gigantic dragon.

"How did this damn thing even fit inside that cave?" Tang Yue gulped, feeling her throat dry up.

She was only halfway through and she still was quite far away from the palace at the center.

[Little snake, you have to reach the formation. You have to get on the steps at the entrance of the palace.] The old man's voice chimed in to remind her, extremely serious and solemn.

Tang Yue gritted her teeth. She didn't think that the beast would catch up to her so soon and was already regretting her actions.

This beast in front of her was clearly much stronger than the damned glow worm she had encountered in the labyrinth.

Was this a heavenly beast? A beast akin to an immortal in strength and power? She couldn't even fathom its level using her soul sense.

Tang Yue stood stupefied in front of it. Could she even withstand a single attack from the beast?

The dragon as well cocked its head to the side and looked at her in amusement as if it was wondering why this beast had a death wish?