The name was unmistakably Titanoboa.

It was the same species as the one I had hunted, the master of Snake Fist. Same name, same species.

But the size? It was beyond comparison.

According to the information I gathered using my survival instincts, these creatures could grow up to 15 meters at most. But this one far exceeded that.

Calling it an Imoogi—a mythical serpent—didn’t feel out of place at all.

“Sssssss!”

The creature flicked its tongue and stared at us.

My entire body trembled.

This thing was far more dangerous than the caiman.

And we weren’t even near water, so there was no chance of escaping.

“The martial art you used against that smaller snake is from Shaolin.”

Baek Yeon-Yeong began explaining as if nothing was wrong.

It was the same old explanation I had heard several times.

But now wasn’t the time to listen to that.

If we stood here doing nothing, we’d end up being swallowed by that snake, together.

I grabbed Baek Yeon-Yeong's fingers and pulled.

“Geh…!”

What the hell are you doing?

This is no time to just stand around!

“We’re in a situation where we barely have time to run, and you’re just standing there?”

“I don’t like Shaolin martial arts. How could I like something that preaches non-killing all the time?”

...Right.

That’s it.

Just like the toad and the turtle that froze in fear before their death, this woman must be frozen in terror too.

Snap.

I bit her fingers with my sharp teeth.

I can’t just stand by and watch a person—someone I just met—die right in front of me.

We have to escape together, somehow.

“Are you worried about me? How kind of you.”

Baek Yeon-Yeong patted my head once.

And then, she walked.

Not toward me, but toward the Imoogi.

Her steps were natural.

She wasn’t doing anything other than walking.

But then—

Boom, boom, boom!

The entire world seemed to shake.

The air became heavy.

A profound internal energy filled the atmosphere, making my body tingle.

An overwhelming power unlike anything I had ever felt before sent chills through me.

...Is this Baek Yeon-Yeong's true strength?

“If all Shaolin martial arts were based on non-lethal principles, I wouldn’t have given them a second glance.”

She ran her fingers over the mural.

It was the same technique I had seen and mimicked from that mural.

“It’s Shaolin, but it’s tyrannical.”

Baek Yeon-Yeong took her stance.

The Imoogi, which had been stunned by her aura, regained its senses and hissed aggressively.

“Ssssss!”

“Do you understand what that means?”

The snake’s enormous maw lunged at her with terrifying speed.

She merely waited, her fingers pointed, not even looking at the snake.

“Shaolin martial arts draw curves. Monks’ techniques aren’t designed to kill.”

Crash!

“And that’s why I dislike Shaolin’s methods.”

The snake’s fangs flew towards her.

Baek Yeon-Yeong looked at me.

Her lips moved slowly.

“But Dragon Claw Hand is the exception.”

Her white fingers moved.

From one point to another.

Like a renowned painter drawing a line with a single stroke of a brush, her fingers met the snake’s gaping maw.

Boom!

The snake’s many fangs shattered instantly.

“It’s a martial art akin to a dragon’s claws. Those self-righteous monks might trace curves, but this technique strikes with straight lines.”

Baek Yeon-Yeong withdrew her hand.

Boom!

As she pulled her hand back, the snake’s head was driven into the ground.

“Every one of the thirty-six forms is a killing technique.”

Crack!

The overwhelming force cracked the cave floor beneath them.

“I don’t know how long this thing will last, but remember this well.”

The Imoogi quickly shook its head and rose again.

Even though its teeth were shattered, and its head had been slammed into the ground, it still had strength left.

The snake charged again, trying to bite her with the remaining teeth.

“Do you know the difference between Shou and Zhang?”

Thud!

She struck the snake’s jaw with her palm.

“If you use the edge of your hand, it’s Shou; if you use your palm, it’s Zhang. It’s been misinterpreted over time, but that’s not it.”

Crack!

A punch flew at a speed too fast for my eyes to follow.

Boom!

“To be precise, Shou encompasses Zhang, Zhi (fingers), and Quan (fists).”

It was a straight line.

Each move was filled with killing intent, designed to obliterate the opponent.

Crunch.

It was far too brutal to be called Shaolin.

Boom!

Blood from the Imoogi sprayed in all directions.

Yet not a single drop landed on Baek Yeon-Yeong.

She looked at me.

“How about that? It’s Shaolin, but isn’t it tyrannical?”

The enormous white snake now looked more like a red one.

Its body was riddled with holes, and its sharp fangs were all gone.

“If I were to choose a martial art suited for your body, it would be Dragon Claw Hand. That’s why you used it on the small snake, isn’t it?”

I didn’t know anything about that.

I just imitated the hand technique because it was something I could manage.

Blood dripped from the Imoogi’s body.

“How is it? Did you carve it into your memory?”

I couldn’t tell if I was dreaming or seeing an illusion.

That woman didn’t seem that strong at first.

I thought she was just a third-rate martial artist.

After all, her attempts to teach me martial arts seemed awkward.

But I was wrong.

She had reached a level beyond anything I could fathom.

That’s why she couldn’t teach me. Geniuses can’t teach others.

“I don’t use Dragon Claw Hand often, so I was worried I might’ve messed it up.”

Not use it often?

Worried about messing up?

After reducing that enormous snake to such a state?

Even if she did mess up, who would dare point it out?

“Gehk…Gehk.”

I wasn’t going to say anything about her touching my stomach.

“Kwek…”

That’s when it happened.

Guooooo.

A brilliant light burst from the Imoogi’s body.

Crack.

Creeeeak.

A large, egg-like shell began to form.

Instinctively, I knew what it was.

Evolution.

“Geeeeh!”

I hurriedly tried to inform Baek Yeon-Yeong of the fact.

If a creature of that magnitude evolved, who knows what might emerge?

If we didn’t destroy it now, we were in serious trouble.

…I can’t break it, so you’ll have to do it.

“It was worth going easy on it. Let’s see what more it can show us.”

What?

Baek Yeon-Yeong waited calmly for the white snake.

Crack.

The shell began to crack.

Boom!

With an explosive sound, it began to hatch.

A massive white snake with five heads emerged.

[Unable to assess target.]

The same message appeared as when I looked at her.

Based on my limited knowledge, this creature was either a Hydra from myth or something akin to Yamata no Orochi. Its five enormous heads were proof enough.

And if it was what I thought it was, simply cutting off its heads wouldn’t be enough.

No matter how strong this woman was, fighting this thing without a proper strategy was dangerous.

“Gehk-gehk!”

It was already too late—running was our best option.

This woman would be able to escape safely.

…Of course, she’d take me with her.

I bit Baek Yeon-Yeong's fingers.

“Little lizard.”

She gently removed her fingers from my grip and patted my head again.

“They say that martial arts must be practiced with the appropriate internal cultivation to see their full effect.”

This wasn’t the time for explanations.

We should either attack it while it wasn’t moving or flee.

“Nowadays, martial artists think that’s a given. Without internal cultivation, martial arts are half-baked, and they say you risk falling into internal demons.”

She stopped stroking my head.

She stared at the snake emerging from its egg.

“But that’s not always the case.”

She began walking slowly.

Step.

Boom.

Step.

Boom!

An immense surge of internal energy flooded the space, radiating in all directions.

“There is a technique called Nine Yin Divine Claw.”

But the white snake raised its heads proudly, as if that level of energy meant nothing to it.

It had grown far stronger than before.

“Grab your enemy’s skull with five fingers and crush it.”

Baek Yeon-Yeong spread her hand.

“People say this is the correct passage.”

Step.

Boom!

Another step.

“But, you see, I’ve never actually read the Nine Yin Manual.”

Step.

Boom!

The five heads lunged at her.

Each one was stronger than the Imoogi we had fought earlier.

Even for her, fighting five simultaneously would be difficult.

Baek Yeon-Yeong dodged their attacks with flowing, graceful movements.

“I never had the chance to learn. I was born the daughter of a servant. What could I have read or studied?”

Step.

Boom!

“One day, I stumbled across a book. It was labeled Nine Yin Manual, but it was clearly not the original.”

Step.

Boom!

“Skeletons were scattered everywhere. The kid next door was killed for offending one of the five great families. I was hungry. Thirsty. It was more like a journal full of someone's laments.”

Finally, Baek Yeon-Yeong reached the white snake.

“I believed that it was the Nine Yin Manual.”

The snake didn’t miss the opportunity. All five heads struck at once.

Each one posed a deadly threat.

“And I interpreted it differently.”

There wasn’t a single place left to dodge. She was trapped.

“Crush your enemy’s skull with five fingers.”

Crack.

Each finger was filled with lethal intent. Her hand took the shape of a dragon’s claw.

Baek Yeon-Yeong swung her hand.

That’s all.

She just swung it.

Boom!

At that moment, all five of the snake’s heads exploded.

Blood rained down.

“This is my Nine Yin Divine Claw.”

Once again, not a drop of blood touched her.

Standing tall amid the downpour of blood, she looked more beautiful than anything I had ever seen.

“No, it’s the Nine Yin White Bone Claw.”