Xu Hei's current usable magical treasures—Fire Thunder Seal, Wind-Stabilizing Pearl, and an iron pot—are all mid-grade spiritual treasures, possibly even less powerful than a flying sword.
Xu Hei took a deep breath, swallowed a Divine Explosion Pill, closed his eyes, and calmed his mind.
Mountain Embrace Seal, an advanced earth spell, requires constant visualization of a massive mountain day and night. Once the mountain's shadow can be manifested, True Qi is infused to solidify it.
The stronger the True Qi, the more powerful the mountain.
This spell demands extremely high earth spiritual roots and comprehension, usually only executable by late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. Xu Hei, however, had simulated it in his mind countless times.
Gradually, a shadow of a mountain formed above Bai Xiu's head.
"Feel this!"
Bai Xiu waved a giant sail, releasing gusts of eerie wind. In an instant, countless phantoms emerged, charging straight at Xu Hei.
These phantoms were invisible to the naked eye but could be sensed through divine sense.
Xu Hei had never encountered such things before, feeling his scalp tingle.
He had heard Hei Huang mention that these were soul entities born from deceased cultivators, specialized in devouring human flesh.
Xu Hei ignored them, his gaze fierce. With a do-or-die attitude, he condensed the Mountain Embrace Seal and pressed it down on Bai Xiu.
At this moment, retreat was not an option; retreat meant defeat!
"Boom!!!"
A colossal mountain formed above Bai Xiu's head, crushing down like Mount Tai.
The void where Bai Xiu stood collapsed instantly, the earth roared, and the ground sank into a crater, resembling a cataclysm.
"Mountain Embrace Seal?"
Bai Xiu's face turned pale with horror, as if he'd seen a ghost.
This move was rare even within the Mountain Movers Sect.
What kind of snake was this? The sect's guardian beast?
From the beginning, he felt something was off about this snake. Only now did he realize it was a monstrous anomaly.
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"Boom!!"
The mountain crushed Bai Xiu into the ground, while countless phantoms invaded Xu Hei's body, starting to devour his flesh.
Without hesitation, Xu Hei took out the Fire Thunder Seal, put it in his mouth, and bit down hard.
"Boom!"
The Fire Thunder Seal exploded inside Xu Hei, unleashing terrifying thunder and overwhelming flames, burning his flesh. The violent force spread through his meridians.
The invading phantoms screamed in agony, their souls dissipating into nothingness.
But Xu Hei also suffered severe injuries. Letting a mid-grade spiritual treasure explode inside him was no joke. It was fortunate he was Xu Hei; a human would have died many times over.
This was Xu Hei's premeditated strategy. He couldn't retreat, so he resorted to this desperate measure!
"Who would've thought the treasures I prepared would be used this way."
Xu Hei smiled bitterly inside. Without hesitation, he summoned all his True Qi and launched a crimson flying sword towards his target.
Heaven-Burning Sword, a peak second-tier magical treasure!
At this moment, the solidified mountain had disappeared. Bai Xiu, crushed into a pulp, lay in a deep pit, his defensive treasures dim.
He had many defensive treasures, but time was too short to summon them.
He didn't expect the Mountain Embrace Seal to form the moment he used his soul sail, leaving him no time to defend.
He also didn't expect Xu Hei to charge through the phantoms to kill him.
"No, you can't kill me, Xiao Chou, if you kill me, you..."
Before he could finish, the Heaven-Burning Sword fell, slashing and burning him into nothingness.
Xu Hei opened his mouth and sucked in the storage bag.
As an enforcer, this guy was a fat sheep.
It was Xu Hei's first time encountering a cultivator skilled in magical treasures. As a demonic beast, he relied more on his own strength and rarely used magical treasures.
This led to him suffering a great loss in this battle.
"Foundation Establishment cultivators are not easy to deal with; I can't underestimate humans."
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Xu Hei thought to himself.
At this moment, the red-haired woman fighting in the distance saw Bai Xiu's death and lost all will to fight, turning to flee.
She knew Bai Xiu was a top-tier mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Though they were of equal cultivation, she was no match for him.
"This woman is also mid-stage Foundation Establishment. I must strike with all my might."
Xu Hei swallowed an explosive essence pill and a Divine Explosion Pill, ignoring the side effects to reach his peak state.
Then, with a thought, the Heaven-Burning Sword shot towards the red-haired woman, who paled in fear and took out a talisman.
"Slash!"
The red-haired woman's head flew off, her body instantly reduced to ash.
Only after she disappeared did the light shield from the talisman form, enveloping nothing.
"Hmm?"
Xu Hei was stunned, quickly extending his divine sense to search but found nothing.
He took out a detection jade and checked again, still finding nothing. It was as if the woman had vanished into thin air.
"Dead?"
Xu Hei was dumbfounded.
Just like that... gone?
Seeing the storage bag burned and items scattered, Xu Hei realized she was indeed dead.
This was absurd. He thought she was a formidable opponent, but she was so weak.
The gap between her and Bai Xiu was so vast that Xu Hei didn't even react.
Xu Hei opened his mouth and sucked in the Heaven-Burning Sword and the scattered items.
He exchanged a glance with Xiao Chou and quickly left the area.
The battle seemed long but lasted less than half an incense stick.
They couldn't stay in the Mountain Movers Sect any longer. News of the two mid-stage Foundation Establishment enforcers' deaths would spread quickly.
During wartime, any Foundation Establishment cultivator could change the course of a battle, and their loss was unacceptable.
One man and one snake left the Mountain Movers Sect, flying swiftly.
They didn't stop until daylight.
"Xiao Chou, what are your plans?" Xu Hei asked.
Xiao Chou was silent for a long time before calmly saying, "Senior, I have a request."
"Speak."
"I want to leave for a while, to the front lines, Chuyang City," Xiao Chou said.
Xu Hei was taken aback.
Going to the front lines was a good way to avoid punishment. The Four Sects Alliance had a rule that any crime could be pardoned if one volunteered as a vanguard.
This rule, set by the Heavenly Puppet Sect, was inviolable.
"Why?"
Xu Hei didn't understand.
"I'm from Chu Kingdom. My parents and family are in Chuyang City. I can't sit idly by; I must save them!"
Xiao Chou's eyes were filled with unprecedented determination.
Xu Hei fell into a dead silence.
He had misunderstood.
Xiao Chou didn't want to go to Qin Kingdom's front lines but Chu Kingdom's!
Wasn't this courting death?
Qin Kingdom had the upper hand, with a higher survival rate, while Chu Kingdom's cultivators had been losing.
"Senior might not understand why a cultivator would care about mortals. For the sake of cultivation and immortality, what do these matter? What's the difference between Qin and Chu?"
Xiao Chou's words reflected not just Xu Hei's view but that of all cultivators.
Many disciples in the Four Sects Alliance had mortal relatives, but few stood up to protect them.
As cultivators, they were expected to sever mortal ties and be loyal to their sect.
After countless years, mortals would turn to dust, but the sect would endure.
"But I can't bear it. I've been cultivating for five years, and my parents and relatives are still alive. I can't bear to see them leave like this! I can't!"
Xiao Chou gritted his teeth, his eyes red with determination as he looked at Xu Hei. "I beg you, Senior, allow me to leave for a while. I swear, if I survive, I will repay your kindness a thousandfold!"
Xiao Chou knelt and kowtowed to Xu Hei.
//100///
Half an hour later.
Xiao Chou finally left, his solitary figure disappearing into the distance.
At first, he crawled on the ground like a snake, but when he reached the mountain peak, he stood up.
Xu Hei had no reason to stop him; this was the path he had chosen.
Even if it was a path to death.
Xu Hei didn't follow him. He only gave him some magical treasures, talismans, and pills refined by Xu Bai as life-saving items.
As for the chance of survival, it was almost zero.
Joining the Qin Kingdom's side offered a slim chance of survival, but going to the Chu Kingdom was undoubtedly a death sentence.
Hei Huang had once said that the Heavenly Puppet Sect was no simple matter. Behind it was a colossal force, where even an old monster could easily destroy a kingdom but had no interest in seizing power.
The defeat of the Chu Kingdom was already certain, and the cession of the Southern Region was inevitable. The only suspense was how long it would take to conquer the entire country.
"Why can't he just stay alive and get stronger? Why insist on going to his death? Some human behaviors are truly beyond my understanding," Xu Hei muttered to himself.
Suddenly, a flash of insight struck Xu Hei's mind.
He stared at Xiao Chou's departing figure and thought of one word—
Rebellion!
What is rebellion? Xu Hei had never had a clear answer. He only knew that cultivators inherently defied the heavens, cultivating against the natural order.
Therefore, during Qi Condensation, the heavens would send down the Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribulations. During Nascent Soul formation, the Fifty-Nine Heavenly Tribulations would descend, and sometimes even extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons would appear.
Cultivation itself was rebellion!
Xu Hei's understanding was limited to this.
But recalling Xiao Chou's actions, Xu Hei gained a new perspective on what rebellion meant.
Xu Hei immediately took out the spell jade slips from the Mountain Movers Sect and began to peruse them one by one.
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Xiao Chou had not only brought spell jade slips but also all the books and ancient texts he could find for Xu Hei to examine.
Finally, Xu Hei found a sentence in the Mountain-moving Patriarch's writings.
"Rebel against the prison of the heavens, rebel against the obsessions of the heart, rebel against the shackles of rules..."
"Throughout history, the great cultivators who could reach the heavens and the earth were all rebellious cultivators!"
Xu Hei silently recited this sentence in his heart, recalling Xiao Chou's actions...
This was clearly the epitome of rebellious cultivation!
As a cultivator, one should sever ties with the mortal world; this was the rule.
Having an obsessive and pathological love for Silver Bell; this was an obsession.
In the environment of the Mountain Movers Sect, he was supposed to be loyal to his sect; this was a prison!
Xu Hei couldn't guarantee whether his understanding was right or wrong, nor could he be sure if the Mountain-moving Patriarch's writings were correct.
But without a doubt, Xiao Chou had indeed embarked on a path of rebellious cultivation.
Doing what others dared not do, walking the path others dared not tread—if this wasn't rebellious cultivation, then what was?
"Perhaps I should go down the mountain and see the human world."
Xu Hei thought to himself.
Everyone had a different understanding of rebellious cultivation. Xu Hei wouldn't imitate the Mountain-moving Patriarch, nor would he follow Xiao Chou.
Xu Hei decided he would find his own path.
Unknowingly, a faint glimmer appeared in the last empty spot between Xu Hei's brows.
......
After two days of rest.
Xu Hei left the mountains and began to crawl down, not using the Earth Escape Technique, but moving like a mortal snake towards his old home.
His pace was slow, crawling over mountains and rivers, over soil scorched by wildfires.
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A year had passed, winter had gone, and spring had come.
New plants grew from the blackened ashes, tender green saplings sprouted, vegetation budded, insects emerged, and occasionally, some rodents foraged in the grass.
Ants also appeared from the ground, building new homes.
Wildfires couldn't destroy everything; spring winds brought life anew.
The only regret was that the towering trees that had grown for centuries were gone, as were the wild animals. But in countless years, a new cycle would begin.
Xu Hei returned to his former territory.
It had been occupied by snake catchers, who had established a branch hall. The buildings were complete, but no formation had been set up, and there were no disciples guarding the mountain.
Although the Snake Catchers Sect remained neutral, they were greatly affected. The mortal towns under their jurisdiction had been plundered by the Qin army.
Xu Hei took out a detection jade and found that there were only a few cultivators, the strongest being at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage. The others were nowhere to be seen.
Xu Hei put away the jade and scanned the area with his divine sense.
At that moment, he detected a familiar figure.
—Chen Daoling!
The man who had once chased him for a hundred miles.
Now, Chen Daoling's eyes were dim, his vitality weak. His cultivation had plummeted from the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage to the seventh level of the Qi Refining Stage, just a step away from falling to the mid-stage.
He was imprisoned in a dungeon, chained, surrounded by rats and snakes that gnawed at him, his True Qi sealed, left to die.
Xu Hei initially wanted to kill him, but seeing him in such a state, he thought living might be a greater torment.
With his current strength, Xu Hei could easily wipe out this branch hall without leaving a single survivor.
But he didn't want to alert anyone and quickly moved on.
Xu Hei continued down the mountain, returning to Snake Village.
He went back to the desolate watermelon field and saw Wang Xiaoniu's thatched hut.
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The lonely grave was still there, but the body inside had disappeared.
Wang Xiaoniu was also in the hut. Compared to two years ago, he was now a fifteen-year-old boy, taller but thinner, his face pale. Days of hunger had left him lying weakly on the bed.
At the village entrance, a cultivator at the early stage of the Qi Refining Stage stood, with a Qin Kingdom badge on his waist.
A group of Qin soldiers was searching each house for enemies.
"Sir, there's no one hiding here, it's just me."
"Hey, little girl, still got a sharp tongue, drag her out..."
After looking around, Xu Hei withdrew his divine sense, feeling conflicted.
He had found the hiding place of the Chu soldiers, in a pigsty. There were only three of them, all injured.
One suggested surrendering to become prisoners and survive, but the other two vehemently refused.
Xu Hei remained silent for a long time, then decided to leave.
Suddenly, Xu Hei sensed something.
He flashed to the front of Wang Xiaoniu's thatched hut.
Inside, hanging from a beam, was a noose. Wang Xiaoniu stood on a stool, his neck in the noose, biting his dry lips.
Tears streamed down his cheeks.
Seeing this, Xu Hei immediately thought of one word: suicide.
Life is precious, why seek death?
In front of Wang Xiaoniu was his father's memorial tablet. He stared at it, his dry eyes unable to shed another tear.
"Father! I'm sorry, I am unfilial. You risked your life to earn money for my studies, but I am useless! Although I didn't achieve fame, I am still a scholar!"
"I don't want to be a slave to a fallen kingdom!"
Wang Xiaoniu hung himself, kicking the stool away.
The noose tightened, Wang Xiaoniu didn't struggle, his breath stopping, eyes filled with unwillingness and pain. The light of hope for knowledge and learning slowly faded.
Xu Hei watched silently, unmoved for a long time.
Respecting others' fates and letting go of the urge to help was Xu Hei's usual way.
But this time, he acted.
"Snap!"
The noose silently broke, and Wang Xiaoniu fell to the ground. A stream of spiritual power flowed into his body, bringing him back to consciousness.
//101//
Wang Xiaoniu fell to the ground and slowly regained consciousness.
Spiritual Qi had been injected into his body, restoring some of his senses, but the long-term hunger and malnutrition left him weak and feeble.
Even attempting to hang himself had exhausted all his strength.
As a scholar, he didn't want to die silently in bed from starvation; he wanted to end his own life.
Wang Xiaoniu got up and planned to re-tie the broken rope.
Suddenly, he froze.
He sensed a familiar aura, one he hadn't encountered in two years but often appeared in his dreams.
Wang Xiaoniu looked around blankly and muttered, "Snake Immortal?"
Snake Immortal.
It was the first time Xu Hei had been called that.
In the past, he was either called Old Snake Demon, Old Snake King, or some other derogatory term.
Xu Hei transmitted his voice, "What is an Immortal?"
Hearing the voice appear out of nowhere in his mind, Wang Xiaoniu took a deep breath and pondered, "A person and a mountain make an Immortal."
"A person and a mountain make an Immortal..." Xu Hei murmured to himself.
He wasn't asking about the writing but the meaning.
However, Xu Hei didn't want to ask such enigmatic questions; only riddlers did that.
Xu Hei then asked, "Why do you want to commit suicide?"
Wang Xiaoniu remained silent for a long time before sighing, "The country is about to fall. What meaning is there in my life?"
"You're just starving, about to die of hunger," Xu Hei said.
"..." Wang Xiaoniu was at a loss for words.
There wasn't a single coin left at home, and no food either. He just wanted to hang himself while he still had some strength.
Dying for honor was better than starving to death in bed.
Thinking this way, he even entertained the idea of dying for his country, feeling a surge of heroism, which led to the earlier scene.
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Xu Hei sighed helplessly.
With a flash of light, a jade bottle appeared out of thin air in front of Wang Xiaoniu.
"You're severely dehydrated. Drink this first," Xu Hei transmitted his voice.
Wang Xiaoniu quickly picked up the jade bottle and drank the liquid inside in one gulp.
Immediately, he felt a cool sensation in his body, even his hunger lessened, and he regained some strength.
Xu Hei didn't carry mortal food, so he took out a lot of the Spiritual Qi liquid he had earlier and placed it on the ground.
Wang Xiaoniu drank several mouthfuls in a row, and his complexion became rosy.
"Now, do you still want to die?" Xu Hei asked.
Wang Xiaoniu hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
However, he added, "Snake Immortal, don't underestimate scholars. Many of my classmates would rather die standing than live as slaves."
"If one day I am captured by the Qin army to be a slave, I will also commit suicide."
He wasn't lying; Wang Xiaoniu's eyes were clear and honest.
"Intelligence is hard to come by. Do you know how many lifetimes of reincarnation it takes to become human? Even so, you still want to commit suicide?"
Xu Hei voiced his confusion.
Wang Xiaoniu fell silent, unable to answer such a profound question.
"Wang Xiaoniu, where is your sister?" Xu Hei asked.
"My sister was sold to the Chen Family as a maid last year. Rather than suffer with me, she can at least have enough to eat and won't starve. Besides, Mr. Chu is looking after her, and she can learn to read and write."
Wang Xiaoniu said slowly.
Mr. Chu was a well-known teacher in Chen Family Town, quite talented, and wrote excellent poetry. He was the top scholar of his year.
It was said that he offended a powerful official and was suppressed, unable to become an official, so he returned to be a teacher.
Xu Hei had also heard the villagers speak of this teacher, who often held free classes to teach children to read. All the villagers praised him.
"Unfortunately, it's wartime now, and the Chen Family's situation is unknown. Many immortals are said to have gone there."
Wang Xiaoniu sighed and added, "By the way, Snake Immortal, I'm no longer called Wang Xiaoniu. Mr. Chu gave me a name, Wang Ding, as in 'a word as good as a bond.'"
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"Wang Ding... a good name," Xu Hei thought to himself.
Maybe he should ask Mr. Chu to give him a name too. Xu Hei sounded so rustic.
Forget it, he was used to it and wouldn't change it.
When he named himself, he couldn't think of any good words with his limited vocabulary.
Xu Hei found talking to Wang Xiaoniu quite interesting. He went to the wild, caught a mountain chicken, and planned to roast it for Wang Xiaoniu.
However, his fire breath turned the chicken into charcoal.
Wang Ding didn't mind at all, grabbing the blackened chicken and stuffing it into his mouth.
It had been a long time since he had eaten anything.
Xu Hei also dug up sweet potatoes and caught some wild rabbits, bringing them to Wang Ding's home.
"I ate a few fish from the Wang Family before. Today, I'll repay the favor," Xu Hei thought to himself.
This was entirely out of character for him, and Xu Hei didn't know why he was doing it.
Compassion?
What a joke, he was a snake; how could he feel compassion for mortals?
However, Wang Ding was indeed different. Despite having no Divine Sense, he could always sense Xu Hei's presence.
Xu Hei pondered for a long time, planning to leave, but before he did, he wanted to say something.
"Wang Ding."
Xu Hei looked at the young man before him and said slowly, "Reincarnation into a human is not easy. Your current life is something countless beings can only dream of."
"Do you know that out of a thousand sea turtles born, only one hatchling makes it to the sea?"
"Countless salmon swim upstream, but only one percent successfully spawn!"
"You humans can't comprehend such cruelty!"
Xu Hei's voice, like thunder, echoed in Wang Ding's mind.
Wang Ding sat on the ground, recalling the words of sages and Xu Hei's words, falling into silence.
"This Great Chu Kingdom has billions of beings, but how many are human? One in a billion? Haha, being born human is incredibly fortunate."
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"Treasure this hard-earned intelligence. At least you can think. Many beings don't even have the chance to think before they die."
"Don't take your life for granted!"
Since his birth, this was the first time Xu Hei had spoken so much, and it was to a human.
He didn't continue. This was his unchanging belief since his birth.
He envied humans.
If those beasts had intelligence, they would envy humans too.
......
After the Qin soldiers searched house by house.
Finally, the Chu soldiers hiding in the pigsty came out, but only two of them.
The third had become a corpse.
They carried the third person's head to the village entrance and knelt before the early-stage Qi Refining Qin cultivator.
"Immortal, we tried to persuade Zhang San to surrender, but he refused. We were so angry that we cut off his head to present to you."
One of them knelt and said.
"We will definitely follow your orders and submit to the Qin army."
The other knelt sincerely.
The young cultivator nodded slightly, not even bothering to look at them, and ordered someone to incorporate them.
Xu Hei's Divine Sense saw this scene and could only sigh. These two were smart, choosing the only way to survive.
Living meant hope; if a person died, there was nothing left.
But at that moment.
As the young cultivator passed by the two...
One of the Chu soldiers suddenly sprang up, a steel nail in his hand, stabbing fiercely at the young cultivator's back of the head.
"Hmm?"
The young cultivator was taken aback, clearly not expecting this mortal to dare to attack him.
Even more absurd, the other also took out a jade blade, slashing at his neck.
"Courting death!"
Although he was only at the early stage of Qi Refining, his reaction was swift. His body surged with Spiritual Qi, and he struck back with a palm.
"Boom!"
The Chu soldier's chest was pierced, but he didn't retreat an inch, clinging to the cultivator's body, biting at his shoulder, only to be bounced off by a protective light shield.
The other's blade only made a small cut on his sleeve before being knocked away, spitting blood, and both died instantly.
//102///
Two mortals, killing their teammates to gain trust, waiting for the right moment to get close, attempting to slay an immortal.
Xu Hei was stunned by this scene.
"Mortals trying to kill a cultivator? Isn't that courting death?"
Xu Hei couldn't understand. Their courage was commendable, but how was this different from suicide?
Knowing that it was an impossible task, why would they still do it?
At this moment, just after the two mortals died, not long after.
The young cultivator suddenly began to tremble. A shallow scratch appeared on his sleeve, exactly where the blade had grazed him.
And that shallow wound turned a purplish-blue.
"This is..."
The young cultivator's heart shook. It was a kind of poisonous spiritual herb.
Clearly, the blade was poisoned.
"Immortal!"
Qin soldiers hurriedly surrounded him, only to see the cultivator spew a mouthful of black blood, sitting cross-legged on the ground, quickly swallowing a pill to suppress the poison within.
Xu Hei had noticed this detail early on and now could only sigh inwardly.
Clearly, the cultivator wasn't dead, just severely poisoned.
Those two mortals had done everything they could, but still couldn't defy the heavens.
Cultivators are invincible to mortals; this is almost an iron law.
"Poof!!"
Suddenly!
A large blade emerged from the Qin army crowd, slashing at the young cultivator's head, blocked by a halo of light, but still cutting a bit.
"There's a traitor!"
An exclamation rang out, and the crowd swarmed, hacking the Qin soldier who struck into pieces.
But the young cultivator, heavily injured and poisoned, died after the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn.
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Xu Hei was struck as if by lightning, falling into a long daze.
Even he hadn't expected such a scene.
"So that's how it is!"
Xu Hei let out a bitter smile.
These mortals had exchanged their lives for the life of a cultivator.
Life is precious, but some things are worth more than anything.
Defy? What does it mean to defy?
Xu Hei vaguely had an answer in his heart.
"Slaughter this village; this is the price of rebellion!"
"Kill everyone!"
The remaining dozen or so Qin soldiers split into two teams, one heading straight for Wang Ding's house at the village entrance.
Wang Ding saw the commotion outside, his face pale. He watched as two Qin soldiers burst into his home, and without a word, slashed at his forehead.
Xu Hei's face was expressionless.
"Die!"
A flying needle, driven by the Gravity Technique, instantly flashed through each person's forehead.
In an instant, all the Qin soldiers in Snake Village fell to the ground, their bodies stiff.
"Snake Immortal Senior?"
Wang Ding turned around, looking at Xu Hei inside the house, his eyes wide open.
He knew Xu Hei was powerful, but he didn't expect him to be this powerful, killing a dozen Qin soldiers in an instant.
Xu Hei flicked out flames, burning the bodies clean.
"Today, I've gained a lot. I can grant you one wish. Speak, what do you want?" Xu Hei raised his snake head, quietly looking at him.
Wang Ding bit his lip, tears welling up, "I want to go to Chen Family Town to see my sister."
Xu Hei was slightly surprised.
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He thought this person would ask for a method of cultivation or something, but it was just this?
"Alright." Xu Hei nodded.
......
Chen Family Town.
The Chen Family, as a cultivation family, had developed significantly over the years.
But under the invasion of the Qin army, even a cultivation family had to bow and submit. If they resisted, they would face annihilation.
The Chen Family survived by providing a large amount of resources.
Xu Hei took out a detection jade and found that the strongest person in the entire Chen Family Town was only at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage.
The Southern Region of the Chu Kingdom was too vast, and Foundation Establishment cultivators were limited in number, making it impossible to station them in such places.
With Xu Hei's help, Wang Ding easily entered the Chen Family and reunited with his sister, Wang Qin.
In the courtyard, the siblings hugged and cried.
"By the way, where is Mr. Chu?" Wang Ding asked.
"The commander of the Qin Kingdom, after learning about Mr. Chu's deeds, met him personally. Since then, Mr. Chu has shut himself in." Wang Qin pointed to the study door.
At that moment, the study door opened.
A middle-aged scholar with a scholarly aura walked out, looking refreshed and radiant.
"Mr. Chu?" Wang Ding was overjoyed.
"Wang Ding? You're just in time, join me for a drink!" Mr. Chu smiled.
"I don't drink."
"There's a first time for everything, especially for scholars, who must know how to drink!"
Mr. Chu took out a jar of old wine, smiling, "This is a fine wine given to me by that Qin Kingdom commander."
......
Unable to resist Mr. Chu's insistence, Wang Ding had to take a small sip in the courtyard, coughing as he drank.
Xu Hei was right beside them, using an invisibility technique, unnoticed by anyone.
At this moment, Xu Hei clearly saw a cloud of death qi on Mr. Chu's forehead.
This was the sign of someone whose lifespan was nearing its end!
"He's going to die? Clearly, he's only middle-aged, not poisoned, and looks radiant. Why is this happening?" Xu Hei didn't understand.
He used his Divine Sense to carefully examine the man, finding his body in perfect health. How could there be death qi?
"Mr. Chu, what did that Qin Kingdom general say to you?" Wang Ding asked curiously.
"He said he admired my talent, said the Chu Kingdom had buried me, and asked me to follow the Qin King to compile their history." Mr. Chu laughed.
"Then you..."
Wang Ding looked at the middle-aged scholar before him, his heart stirred.
"I agreed. At thirteen, I passed the imperial exam, at fifteen, I became a scholar, entered the court for three years, presided over reforms, but was repeatedly ostracized and demoted back to my hometown. I've had enough of this humiliation!"
Mr. Chu took a big gulp of wine, cursing with a smile, "Now, I'm finally going to rise to power! Wang Ding, life is not easy, live well."
He patted Wang Ding's shoulder, speaking earnestly.
The two talked for a long time, and the middle-aged scholar got up to leave.
Xu Hei's Divine Sense was locked onto him, following behind.
Moments later.
He arrived at a riverbank, a tributary of the Yanluo River.
This was also where Xu Hei had once been pursued.
Mr. Chu stood by the river, laughing up at the sky, then leaped into the river, swallowed by the rushing waves.
Like a tiny speck of dust falling into the river, without causing a ripple.
Xu Hei stood for a long time, leaving in silence.
He returned to Mr. Chu's study, reading every book in the room, like a scholar thirsting for knowledge.
After a long time, Xu Hei put all the books back.
He glanced at the drunken Wang Ding, imparting a simple breathing exercise to him.
Then, he turned and left Chen Family Town.
Xu Hei headed deep into the mountains.
It was time to go home.
Now, it was spring, the season when snakes gathered.
Xu Hei planned to return to Myriad Serpent Valley.
That was the place that gave him life, that was his home.
///103///
Myriad Serpent Valley.
Every year, from April to May, countless snakes converge from all directions to gather in Myriad Serpent Valley, much like migrating birds that appear at fixed times in fixed places.
No one can explain this phenomenon.
It could be that generations of snakes have formed a natural instinct through survival and reproduction, etching it into their genes. Or perhaps there's a special scent in Myriad Serpent Valley that attracts the snake swarms.
Myriad Serpent Valley is rich in Spiritual Qi and has birthed many rare spiritual herbs, making it a natural paradise. Hei Huang once said that if it could be transformed into a secluded cultivation retreat, it would be perfect.
......
Outside Myriad Serpent Valley, atop a high peak.
The eldest disciple, Wu Mochou, sat cross-legged, eyes closed in deep concentration.
On the neighboring peak, the second disciple, Liu Fei, also sat cross-legged, facing Myriad Serpent Valley.
Additionally, the third disciple, Wang Ping, the fourth disciple, Su Bei, and the fifth disciple, Hua Yuntian, each sat on separate peaks, forming a faint circular formation, surrounding Myriad Serpent Valley.
"Half a month has passed, and the number of snakes in the valley has exceeded two million. Is Master planning to make a breakthrough in one go?" Hua Yuntian's heart trembled.
The five disciples seemed motionless as they surrounded the valley.
In reality, they had subtly created an invisible force field, trapping the snakes within the valley, preventing them from leaving.
Most of the snakes would leave after mating and reproducing, but this action caused the number of snakes to continuously accumulate, only entering and not exiting, now exceeding a million.
The cultivation technique of the Snake Catchers Sect required the use of snakes to aid in cultivation.
Refining snake blood and gallbladders, extracting their essence to transform into one's own energy, required a large number of snakes.
The sect also raised many snakes, but the quantity was limited, sufficient for ordinary disciples to cultivate, but far from enough for those at the Core Formation Stage.
"This cultivation session is akin to draining the pond to catch the fish; it might take a hundred years for the snake population to recover."
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Wu Mochou sighed inwardly. He understood his master's actions; in the face of great events, only by becoming stronger could one ensure their own safety.
The sheer number of snakes this time would not only allow Xuan Yangzi to break through but also benefit the five true disciples and many inner disciples, allowing them all to gain something.
This was a great opportunity, a great fortune!
As time passed, some inner disciples quietly arrived.
They did not approach but sat quietly at a distance to avoid disturbing the snake swarms.
The disciples scattered medicinal powder along the way, attracting hidden snake swarms into Myriad Serpent Valley, pushing the number of snakes to an unprecedented peak.
"Whoosh!"
In the distance, a middle-aged figure floated over, landing nearby, dressed in a yellow Daoist robe similar to Xuan Yangzi's.
Upon seeing this person, the inner disciples all cupped their fists respectfully, "Greetings, Elder Cui."
Cui Yuan, whose cultivation had reached the Great Perfection Foundation Establishment Stage, was once Xuan Yangzi's senior brother and had a life-and-death bond with him. However, his talent was slightly inferior, and he had not reached the Core Formation Stage.
Cui Yuan had been stuck at the Great Perfection Foundation Establishment Stage for fifty years, with half his lifespan gone. This time, he had poured all his resources into a final attempt to break through.
"This is my last chance in this life. Whether I survive depends on today." Cui Yuan's eyes flashed with determination.
Soon, other familiar faces at the Foundation Establishment Stage arrived one after another.
The Snake Catchers Sect was vast, with many branches. Those who came this time were all from Xuan Yangzi's lineage or had deep ties with him.
"Two million snakes, tsk tsk, it seems like half of the Southern Region's snakes are here."
"Senior brother, you're mistaken. The Southern Region is vast, and the number of snakes is countless times that of mortals. Two million is nothing."
"I used to believe that, but now, there are fewer and fewer snakes."
The disciples discussed among themselves.
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In ancient times, demonic cultivators slaughtered cities, blood-sacrificing a hundred thousand mortals to condense blood pills, inciting the wrath of gods and men. But no one would criticize a blood sacrifice of mortal snakes.
In the blink of an eye, several more days passed.
When the number of snakes reached three million, it stopped increasing because the valley was saturated. The snakes began to die off gradually.
Whether through fighting, cannibalism, or being crushed, the number could no longer rise.
Moreover, there were no more snakes to lure in from outside; the snakes within a thousand-mile radius had almost disappeared.
"The time has come."
Suddenly, a distant, resonant voice echoed throughout the valley.
At this moment, all five true disciples, inner disciples, elders, and stewards raised their heads in unison, looking towards the center of Myriad Serpent Valley.
In the sky, a figure in a yellow robe slowly appeared.
Xuan Yangzi, the core elder of the Snake Catchers Sect, a Core Formation Stage cultivator.
"This blood sacrifice is unprecedented in my life. Three million mortal snakes and five hundred snake demons are enough for me to break through to the mid-Core Formation Stage and for all of you to break through your bottlenecks and advance to the next level!"
With a wave of his hand, Xuan Yangzi released a large number of snake demons he had captured from various places into Myriad Serpent Valley, merging them into the snake tide.
These snake demons had been sealed by him, unable to move, like lambs to the slaughter. Their eyes were filled with anger and despair, emitting unwilling hisses.
The valley was filled with their kin, now trapped like livestock, unable to resist, only to be slaughtered one by one.
Among the snake demons, one was entirely white, but her eyes were calm.
"Everyone, step forward. How much you can absorb depends on your fortune," Xuan Yangzi said loudly.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."
Numerous cultivators gathered, sitting cross-legged outside Myriad Serpent Valley. They took out pills they had treasured for years, planning to break through in one go, their eyes filled with excitement and anticipation.
This was the greatest opportunity since they joined the sect.
Just as everyone was about to begin the blood sacrifice.
In one corner of Myriad Serpent Valley, a thick green smoke suddenly emerged. The smoke was highly corrosive, melting soil and rocks into nothingness, accompanied by an indescribable stench that quickly spread.
"Ah!!"
Two disciples, unable to dodge in time, were engulfed by the smoke, their bodies instantly vaporized, flesh dissolving, emitting agonizing screams.
"Hmm?" Xuan Yangzi's eyes widened. He raised his hand, capturing the spreading green smoke and confining it to a small area.
He quickly pulled the two affected disciples out, but only their skeletons remained, dead beyond saving.
Such a horrifying scene caused an uproar among the crowd.
Two inner disciples were killed right in front of a Core Formation Stage cultivator, with no time to rescue them. What was happening? Was there an unexpected turn of events?
The area corroded by the green smoke revealed a gap in the formation, allowing the snake swarm to surge out, but Xuan Yangzi sealed the gap in an instant.
Xuan Yangzi's Divine Sense spread out, quickly locating the source of the smoke—a green pill.
He drew the pill into the air, sealing it.
"Well, well, an unexpected bonus! I can give this pill a seven out of ten!"
Xuan Yangzi's face remained expressionless, his gaze locking onto an inconspicuous white snake below, his eyes flashing with brilliance.
With a grasp from afar, he pulled the white snake from the ground.
Various smokes emanated from the white snake's body, causing crackling sounds in the air. Xuan Yangzi's brows furrowed, growing more intrigued.
He took out a second-tier Spiritual Treasure and placed it on the snake. With just a touch, the treasure dissolved into nothingness.
This scene left everyone present in astonishment.
"Heh, interesting," Xuan Yangzi said with great interest.
Hua Yuntian hesitated for a moment, unable to resist saying, "Master, this mere Spirit Communion Stage snake demon, why trouble yourself? Let me handle it..."
"Shut up!"
Xuan Yangzi glared at him, and Hua Yuntian immediately fell silent.
Wu Mochou inwardly scoffed. Hua Yuntian had potential, but his brain often failed him, frequently saying things that left others speechless, always out of sync with everyone else.
///104///
Xuan Yangzi stared at the white snake for a long while before suddenly smiling, "Do you think I'll keep you here and take you back for research?"
The white snake stared at him intently, without a word, its eyes showing no emotion.
"Heh, I'm not curious about you at all."
Xuan Yangzi pulled out a long spear and hurled it into the void. The spear pierced through the white snake's body and shot towards Myriad Serpent Valley, pinning it to the center of the valley.
"Begin the blood sacrifice, leave no one alive!" Xuan Yangzi ordered.
"Yes!"
Everyone shouted in unison. With a wave of Xuan Yangzi's hand, a blood-red light enveloped the entire Myriad Serpent Valley.
Many were puzzled. This white snake was an unprecedented oddity. Why not take it back for research?
No one could fathom Xuan Yangzi's true intentions, so they continued as usual, casting spells and throwing them into the valley.
From the edge of Myriad Serpent Valley, the snake swarm began to struggle and hiss, writhing like severed earthworms. Their physical bodies dissolved, and blood was drawn out, forming thin lines that injected into the meridians of the Snake Catchers Sect disciples nearby.
Everyone focused their minds, fully refining the precious snake essence, circulating their Snake Catching Technique, and their cultivation levels rapidly soared.
This was a gluttonous feast!
The anguished cries of the snakes echoed through the mountains. They died slowly, first their gallbladders were extracted, then their blood, and due to their tenacious vitality, they often endured prolonged torment before turning into a puddle of mud, completely dead.
Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of snakes were drained dry within an hour.
"I'm about to break through!"
"Break through for me!"
Many Qi Refining Stage disciples reached their bottlenecks, swallowed pills, and charged towards the next level with all their might.
Devouring others to gain strength, the strong live, and the weak die. This is the natural order, unbreakable by anyone.
Most ordinary snakes had not reached Spirit Communion; they didn't know why they were dying or where their enemies came from. Silently, they turned into blood, dissipated into ashes, and became nourishment for the Snake Catchers.
Those Spirit Communion Stage snake demons, however, had eyes filled with anger and despair. Some female snakes showed pleading eyes, but it was futile.
Regardless of gender, age, species, race, or cultivation level, all were melting, dying slowly.
Xuan Yangzi took a deep breath. It was time for him to act. This time, he would surely reach the mid-Core Formation Stage.
Whoosh!"
Just then!
A white lightning bolt streaked across the sky, a sword coming from the west!
Five inner disciples absorbing nourishment were instantly decapitated, and a Foundation Establishment Stage elder also perished, not even knowing how he died.
But just after killing these six, the white lightning was forcibly frozen in place, revealing itself to be a flying sword.
Everyone was shocked, exiting their meditative states, staring in disbelief at the flying sword.
Xuan Yangzi opened his eyes, not angry, but filled with intense curiosity.
"Another one, and a Foundation Establishment great demon at that."
Xuan Yangzi's gaze shifted, raising his hand to activate the Gravity Technique, pulling the target into the air.
It was a snake covered in black gold scales!
In the past, he would have kept such a snake demon alive for research.
But today, there was no need for words; it would be thrown into Myriad Serpent Valley and refined!
Curiosity is good, but excessive curiosity while ignoring the inherent threat of the other party signifies ignorance and arrogance, often leading to great upheaval!
"Go!"
With a flick of his wrist, Xu Hei's body was uncontrollably flung into Myriad Serpent Valley, about to become part of the nourishment.
As a Foundation Establishment great demon, he could not resist the Gravity Technique of a Core Formation Stage cultivator.
Moreover, this was not an ordinary Core Formation Stage; it was the peak of Core Formation, far beyond the old woman from the Purple Mist Sect.
Xu Hei's eyes were blood-red, filled with raging anger, but his mind remained calm.
At the moment he was pulled up, a pale gold storage bag fell from his mouth.
This was the storage bag Hei Huang had given him.
"Open it at the moment of life and death. Whatever is inside, you can fight any opponent to a draw!"
These were Hei Huang's exact words.
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Xu Hei didn't know what was inside, nor if it would be useful. Facing a Core Formation Stage cultivator, he might not even have time to use it before being killed.
But Xu Hei did not hesitate for a moment.
The storage bag automatically opened, and a purple bronze mirror flew out.
Seeing the familiar mirror, Xu Hei's pupils contracted. He had seen it before; it was the very mirror Hei Huang had tried to steal from the Purple Mist Pavilion.
"This is..."
Xuan Yangzi's gaze sharpened, instinctively dodging to avoid being reflected by the mirror, but the mirror seemed to lock onto him, aiming directly at him.
"Buzz!"
In an instant, a reflection appeared in the mirror, looking exactly like Xuan Yangzi.
The reflection waved its hand, and Xuan Yangzi's face changed dramatically, retreating hastily. Xu Hei seized the opportunity to break free from the Gravity Technique and fled from mid-air.
"Boom!!"
A noticeable dent appeared on Xuan Yangzi's chest.
The entire scene erupted in chaos, everyone witnessing this was shocked to the core.
"What is that mirror?"
"How could it harm a Core Formation Stage cultivator!?"
"My heavens, what kind of treasure is this?"
"I think I've seen this item in the Purple Mist Pavilion!"
For a moment, the crowd was abuzz, the disciples of the Snake Catchers Sect were all stunned, their eyes filled with shock.
At this moment, all eyes were on that purple bronze mirror.
From the mirror, a figure emerged.
This person, dressed in a yellow robe, a middle-aged scholar, looked exactly like Xuan Yangzi, the very reflection from the mirror!
However, this reflection had materialized, as if it had come to life, staring at Xuan Yangzi with identical expressions.
Xuan Yangzi's gaze was fixed on the mirror, coldly saying, "So, this is the mirror's effect. I underestimated it!"
He had seen this mirror before; it was obtained by the Purple Mist Ancestor and stored in the Purple Mist Pavilion, seemingly useless except for its hardness.
Now, it was an unexpected surprise.
Xuan Yangzi disappeared from his spot, reaching for the bronze mirror, but the reflection also waved its hand, unleashing a strike. A deafening explosion echoed through the void, forcing Xuan Yangzi to retreat.
"Hmph!"
Xuan Yangzi snorted coldly, summoning an ancient cauldron that enlarged in mid-air, pressing down on the reflection.
This cauldron, named the Myriad Serpent Cauldron, was a third-tier magical treasure, effective against Core Formation Stage cultivators. No matter how strong the reflection was, it was still just a reflection, incomparable to a real cultivator.
Unexpectedly, the reflection also summoned an identical Myriad Serpent Cauldron, enlarging it and pressing it down on Xuan Yangzi.
"How is this possible?!"
Xuan Yangzi's face finally changed, exclaiming in shock.
He quickly took out two third-tier talismans, simultaneously activating them with a low shout of "explode," causing an explosion in front of the Myriad Serpent Cauldron.
The reflection did the same, producing two talismans, shouting "explode," and blasting Xuan Yangzi's cauldron away.
Xuan Yangzi then summoned a flying sword, and the reflection did the same. The two swords clashed in mid-air, evenly matched.
After some probing, Xuan Yangzi realized that the reflection could replicate his magical treasures and talismans perfectly, an unbelievable phenomenon!
"If I can't deal with the mirror, I'll deal with its owner!"
Xuan Yangzi changed his tactics, summoning ancient wood to create wooden puppet clones, sending them towards Xu Hei.
The reflection also summoned ancient wood, creating countless wooden puppet clones, even more than Xuan Yangzi's, intercepting all of them.
Some even charged towards the disciples below, causing them to scream and flee in terror.
Xuan Yangzi's face turned dark.
He finally realized that relying on himself alone, it would be difficult to spare a hand to kill this snake. Targeting Xu Hei would only provoke the reflection to use even stronger methods.
He needed help.
"Master, don't worry, I'll kill this snake!"
Wu Mochou saw Xuan Yangzi's predicament and stood up from the mountaintop, speaking loudly.
"And us!"
"Just a Foundation Establishment Stage, easily crushed!"
Liu Fei, Wang Ping, and other disciples also stood up, drawing their magical treasures.
Xuan Yangzi took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Everyone, attack together with all your might, kill this snake! Leave no survivors!"
With these words, everyone present stopped their cultivation, stood up, and focused their gaze on Xu Hei, who had not fled but instead charged towards the crowd.