As arrogant as Yan Yijue was, in his eyes, everything and everyone in the world was so insignificant and beneath notice.
"Ah!!!" Before Shu Yue could even utter a word, a searing pain shot through her shoulder.
From Shu Yao's vantage point, he could clearly see Yan Yijue's long, pointed fingernails digging into Shu Yue's shoulder inch by inch. Faint wisps of dark demonic mist coiled around them, and a few drops of blackish blood oozed out from the wound on her shoulder.
"Shu Yue!" He struggled frantically against the chains on one side, while Yan Yijue still smiled calmly and leisurely.
He seemed to relish this kind of torture. The miserable screams sounded like the most beautiful notes in the world to him.
"Please, don't hurt him. I'm begging you...." Shu Yue's shrill cries pierced his heart like a thousand arrows. And at this moment, he shed his first tear.
At the same time, he hated his own helplessness for failing to protect Shu Yue properly.
"That's about enough. I'll send you on your way." Just as Yan Yijue was about to deliver the final fatal blow, a white streak of light flashed into the wooden hut. The blindingly cold light made Yan Yijue quickly retreat several meters.
When he looked up, he saw a white - haired man with an ethereal aura standing there with his hands behind his back.
"Who are you?" He could sense that the other man was surrounded by immortal qi and didn't have a trace of demonic aura.
He had cultivated for a thousand years, dominating both the demon and monster realms and subjugating numerous enemies. But he had never encountered such a powerful opponent.
He shifted his feet slightly on the spot. The cold and charming light in his icy eyes bore directly into this otherworldly white - clothed man.
"Snake demon, instead of properly ruling the demon and monster realms, you've come down to the mortal world to commit wanton evil. You're truly despicable."
The elder exuded an air of righteousness. A ball of flame gathered in his palm and suddenly shot towards Yan Yijue.
A look of panic flashed across Yan Yijue's red eyes. He quickly raised his long sleeve to block it and transformed into a mass of black mist, leaving behind a distant and cold voice echoing:
"Just you all wait for this lord."
The elder suddenly withdrew his hand, and the flame disappeared into his sleeve. He gave a cold smile, as if mocking the snake demon's cowardice.
"Elder." The moment he finished speaking, a white robe appeared on Shu Yao's body, covering his bare skin.
A purple light flashed, and the chains fell to the ground. Shu Yao's limbs were instantly freed.
The moment he put on his clothes, he rushed towards the injured Shu Yue and saw that figure already lying on the ground.
"Shu Yue, wake up...." He held Shu Yue in his arms, and his hand was covered in blood from the deep, bone - exposing wound on the shoulder.
However, the person in his arms gave him no response. He panicked and pleaded for help from the elder: "Elder, please take a look at what's wrong with Shu Yue?"
The elder walked over. The first thing he saw was the wound, and his eyes paused for a moment. Then he immediately felt Shu Yue's pulse.
Shu Yao watched the elder's expression constantly changing and felt increasingly anxious.
"He's been poisoned by a powerful toxin. Now we must scrape the bone to remove the toxicity and save his life."
"What kind of powerful poison is it?"
"It's a thousand - year snake venom. Once this poison invades a mortal's lungs and internal organs, they will immediately bleed from all seven orifices and die. Fortunately, Shu Yue has half of his strength supporting him now, so there's still time."
Shu Yao didn't have the time to understand what the "thousand - year snake venom" was. At this moment, his entire mind was focused on Shu Yue.
Back in the treehouse, the elder scraped Shu Yue's bone and successfully removed the toxicity.
After coming out, Shu Yao voiced his doubt: "Elder, you have boundless magic power. Why did you use the bone - scraping technique to treat Shu Yue?"
He really had doubts. With the elder's magic power, it would only take half a cup of tea's time to easily cure the injury. Why go through so much trouble?
The elder showed a kind smile. He lowered his noble stance and patted Shu Yao's head like an elder, saying, "Child, not all injuries can be cured by immortal magic. Moreover, Shu Yao still has half of a mortal's body."
"Besides, in all my years, this is the first time I've encountered this thousand - year snake venom."
"How did you know that man was a snake demon?" Shu Yao never expected that man to be a snake demon.
Moreover, he was such a powerful snake demon!
"This snake demon has cultivated for over a thousand years. He was originally the king of the snake clan and later conquered the demon and monster realms. He's known as the Snake Lord in the demon and monster worlds and ascended to the throne of both realms, becoming the supreme king."
"Although he's naturally cruel and cold - blooded and has killed his own kind, he's extremely loyal to his brothers. In these two realms, the only one who can make him smile is his youngest younger brother."
Shu Yao asked again, "How do you know so much?"
Suddenly, a faint look of melancholy flashed across the elder's eyebrows, but it was like a fleeting firework and disappeared in an instant.
He just gave a faint smile and said, "He's very famous. Everyone in the demon realm used to know about him."
Then he patted Shu Yao's shoulder and looked inside: "Go and accompany him. I'll take my leave."
Before Shu Yao could reply, the elder's body had turned into a wisp of mist and instantly vanished.
He left in such a hurry, as if hiding some secret.
He went back to Shu Yue's side and stayed with him.
At this moment, in the Snake Palace, a mass of black mist appeared in the main hall and transformed into a silver - haired, red - clothed man. When he landed, his steps were a bit unsteady. Fortunately, he grabbed the armrest of the throne to steady himself.
"Damn fire!" He forcibly used his internal energy to suppress the fishy taste rising in his chest, but in the end, he couldn't withstand the collision of qi and blood in his body. Suddenly, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
As a snake demon, he happened to be afraid of the "fire" among the five elements. Once touched by fire, his internal energy would be damaged.
"Snake Lord!" The next moment, a voice echoed, accompanied by a hasty running sound.
"Snake Lord, what's wrong with you?" A handsome man in a moon - white long robe supported Yan Yijue and carefully helped him sit on the throne. There was a trace of worry in his elegant eyebrows.
Yan Yijue looked up. The brilliance in his eyes, combined with his charming red lips, showed a kind of alluring and cold beauty.
"I was unlucky today. I ran into an old man and almost got burned by his fire."
"Who dared to hurt the Snake Lord?" Shui Yun couldn't imagine that their Snake Lord could be injured by an old man.
In his eyes, the Snake Lord was invincible in the world, unbeatable in every battle, and could control everything in his palm.
However, at this moment, he met a pair of bone - chilling cold eyes. It was just a casual glance, but there was a deep - seated coldness in the indifference.
His body couldn't help but tremble. Suddenly, he saw the Snake Lord slowly stand up. The powerful aura oppressed him to the point of almost suffocating.
After a while, he heard an extremely cold voice coming faintly: "Shui Yun, you've been following me for many years. You should know the rules of the snake clan. If I hear a second voice knowing about my injury, don't blame this lord for being merciless. Do you understand?"