A few weeks later, I emerged from seclusion.
The Sparrow Demon King was calling me.
I followed him back to his golden cave. This time, four other figures were already seated each with a strong and oppressive aura of a Demon King.
The sparrow and a bear were seated first followed by a fox who smiles charmingly, a cricket with a disgusting face and a leopard with bulging muscles.
I sat in one of the chairs, coiling my tail behind me.
The Sparrow Demon King spoke first.
"This is the new Snake Demon King. He is very talented and dares to fight. Today we are meeting to discuss our invasion of human territory in ten years. Fellow Daoist Snake, let me explain, every hundred years, we raid the human territory to damage their vitality and clear the excess of demonic beasts."
Suddenly, a half-human, half-bear demon with a strong presence spoke.
"Sparrow, do you even know where he comes from?"
The Sparrow Demon King's gaze did not waver.
"Bear, you don't need to worry. If anything happens, I will take responsibility."
From the tone of their voices, I could sense a faint hostility between them.
The meeting ended without further argument.
Back at the cave, the Sparrow Demon King spoke to me again.
"You don't need to worry. That bear has always wanted to compete with me for the position of strongest in this forest. When we go to war, I will send you to a safer place so you don't need to clash with the strong humans."
"Thank you, fellow Daoist," I replied.
I decided to use these ten years to practice. In a war of this scale, I could only play a minimal role.
Not long after, the Sparrow's manager arrived.
"Senior, congratulations on breaking through. I am here to assign you a new territory by the order of my king."
We traveled deep into the inner forest, here the Qi in the air was dense.
"This is a third-tier spirit vein we discovered some years ago. Now it is yours."
I looked around, feeling the beautiful scenery and rich aura I was satisfied.
Returning briefly to the waterfall, I gathered the four seeds I had planted years ago. They had already sprouted.
My plan to cultivate them for fifty years has failed, I needed more strength before the war and will probably consume them soon.
I carried them to my new territory. Carving a cave into the stone wall, I settled inside and began meditating.
This human body was truly useful, even if it could not match the nobility of my snake form.
Seven years passed.
Now the herbs were already ten years old, and I decided it was time to use them.
Picking the matured herbs, I returned to seclusion.
Two more years passed.
I was enjoying the surging power of my new strength when I suddenly heard the Sparrow's manager calling from outside.
"Senior, the king is calling you!"