Xu Hei passed through village after village, wandering aimlessly until he found himself outside the Mountain Movers Sect.
Suddenly, Xu Hei thought of someone—Xiao Chou.
Chuyang City had fallen; this person was probably dead.
Xu Hei sighed, and on a peak outside the Mountain Movers Sect, he erected a monument and carved the name "Xiao Chou" on it.
"I know this person best, so I should write a bit about his life."
Xu Hei pondered for a long time, then wrote down the contents of a bamboo slip he had once read, carving small lines of text at the bottom of the stone tablet.
"Just got beaten up by Young Master Hua. I wanted to fight back, but I didn't, because you said you liked honest people."
"You told me to get lost. You finally spoke to me, which means you have me in your heart..."
"..."
These were all written by Xiao Chou himself, likely the best reflection of his life... Xu Hei thought to himself.
...
Chuyang City.
Shi Longzi, an elder of the Mountain Movers Sect and a veteran Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Today, however, he received a summons from the Grand Commander.
The Grand Commander, also known as the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, Qin Xuanji, was a figure who had almost no rivals even in the Core Formation Stage.
With a heart full of anxiety, Shi Longzi entered Qin Xuanji's palace.
Qin Xuanji sat in a chair, quietly gazing ahead.
On the ground in front of him lay a man covered in blood, on the brink of death, his breath barely detectable. The moment Shi Longzi saw this man, his pupils contracted, and his face turned deathly pale.
This dying man was none other than his disciple, Xiao Chou.
"You are this man's master?" Qin Xuanji asked calmly.
Shi Longzi trembled all over, immediately kneeling on one knee, and said, "Yes, his name is Xiao Chou. It's my fault for not teaching him well..."
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He knew that Xiao Chou had fought a life-and-death battle with the Qin army to protect the Xiao family, killing five Foundation Establishment cultivators. In this one-sided war, it was nothing short of astonishing.
To know that during the Qin army's siege of Chuyang City, they had lost fewer than thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators, many of whom had died in mutual destruction, one-for-one, or even more.
Killing five was simply unbelievable!
However, what surprised Shi Longzi was that this had caught the Grand Commander's attention. Shouldn't his focus be on battles at the Core Formation Stage? Why pay attention to a Foundation Establishment junior?
"You don't need to be afraid; I'm not here to hold you accountable."
Qin Xuanji waved his hand, interrupting Shi Longzi's apology, and said, "I'm here to discuss taking this disciple of yours. What do you think?"
Shi Longzi was momentarily stunned.
"Am I not clear enough?" Qin Xuanji said indifferently.
Shi Longzi's heart trembled, and he quickly said in a panic, "No... no problem, I'll do as you say, Senior!"
"Very well. I won't take your disciple for free. Here, take this as compensation."
Qin Xuanji tossed a storage bag to Shi Longzi, who caught it without even looking, hurriedly bowing, "Thank you, Senior."
He didn't know why Qin Xuanji had taken an interest in Xiao Chou. Xiao Chou's spiritual root was indeed exceptional, but not enough to attract this person's attention.
The inner disciples of the Heavenly Puppet Sect were all more talented and brilliant.
"Go now, and make sure the survivors of the Xiao family are well taken care of. Do not harm a single member of the Xiao family, especially this person's direct relatives. Ensure they are properly settled," Qin Xuanji said.
"Yes! I'll take care of it right away!" Shi Longzi nodded and bowed as he retreated.
Qin Xuanji looked at the unconscious Xiao Chou lying on the ground, not bothering to heal him, merely letting out a cold laugh.
"Reverse cultivation, interesting."
He waved his hand and said to the shadows, "Take this kid and dump him in some desolate mountain. Just don't kill him."
"Yes!"
A black-clothed person emerged from the shadows, grabbed Xiao Chou, and vanished into the air.
...
Myriad Serpent Valley.
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After returning from his travels, Xu Hei sensed two powerful auras outside Myriad Serpent Valley.
One belonged to Man Jin, but the other was unfamiliar.
Xu Hei quickly returned to the valley and immediately locked onto the massive figure in mid-air.
It was a lion covered in purple lightning, its fur bristling, with wings on its back. Though slightly smaller than Man Jin, it was still a colossal beast to Xu Hei.
The void around the lion was entirely purple, with bolts of lightning crackling, exuding a terrifying aura.
"Purple Lightning Lion King!"
Xu Hei's heart tightened.
Comparing its aura to Man Jin's, the Purple Lightning Lion King's cultivation was slightly higher, roughly at the peak of the early Core Formation Stage, not far from the mid-stage.
However, Man Jin, being from the Elephant Tribe, had naturally powerful combat abilities, making him not inferior to his opponent.
"I've been waiting for you."
The Purple Lightning Lion King's gaze locked onto Xu Hei as it approached.
Man Jin stepped forward, blocking its path, and said coldly, "Speak your piece and be quick about it. Don't just barge into someone's home; it's extremely rude!"
The Purple Lightning Lion King's eyes flashed with disdain but stopped in its tracks, not forcing its way in.
It looked at Xu Hei and said, "My wife's body is in your possession, isn't it?"
"..." Xu Hei was taken aback.
His wife? That Purple Crystal Thunder Lion in the Foundation Establishment Stage?
In the lion tribe, any lion with a lightning spiritual root could be called a Thunder Lion.
Xu Hei had long suspected that the lion might have a powerful mate, but he hadn't expected it to be this strong and to come looking for him.
That lion had a leg bitten off by him, and its body was incomplete. Would it cause trouble for him because of that?
Xu Hei pondered for a moment and then feigned confusion, "Your wife?"
"I won't waste words with you. It's that Purple Crystal Thunder Lion. From what I understand, she was killed by a human, but her body was taken by you. I advise you to hand it over quickly, or don't blame me for being impolite," the Purple Lightning Lion King said coldly.
"Rude!"
Man Jin roared and stepped forward, his powerful demonic wind forcing the Purple Lightning Lion King back half a step.
"Is this how you ask for help? Threatening people? If you can't speak properly, go back and learn how to communicate before coming back!"
Man Jin's voice was filled with anger. To him, Xu Hei was a great benefactor, and he wouldn't allow anyone to threaten Xu Hei.
The Purple Lightning Lion King was stunned, his eyes filled with uncertainty.
He was just surprised why this Golden Core elephant would help a Foundation Establishment snake, trying to test the other's attitude, but the response was so resolute.
He began to doubt the snake's background.
Xu Hei asked in confusion, "How did you know the body was taken by me?"
"I asked the Pangolin King and two passing eagles. They all saw what happened that day. I also caught a few snake demons to inquire. In this forest, you're the only snake that can use spells," the Purple Lightning Lion King explained.
Xu Hei couldn't help but feel speechless.
He had become so famous without realizing it, to the point where people could find him just by asking any random snake.
Damn it...
Xu Hei suddenly felt that he couldn't keep a low profile anymore, even if he wanted to.
Seeing Xu Hei's prolonged silence, the Purple Lightning Lion King coldly said, "You didn't eat her, did you?"
"So what if I did? You said yourself that your wife was killed by a human. If you want revenge, go find the humans. Why are you causing trouble here?"
Man Jin retorted unceremoniously.
The Purple Lightning Lion King was utterly enraged, raising its paw to strike.
Xu Hei didn't hesitate any longer. He quickly took out the incomplete body and used the Gravity Technique to toss it over.
The moment he saw the body, the Purple Lightning Lion King immediately stopped, rushed over, and hugged the body, wailing in grief.
"Howl! Ninth Sister, Ninth Sister!"
The Purple Lightning Lion King cried tears like rain, wailing incessantly, a stark contrast to his previous image.
"..."
Xu Hei and Man Jin were both stunned.
Damn it, you were just about to fight, and now you're crying?
After wailing for a full hour, the Purple Lightning Lion King finally stopped, wiped away his tears, and regained his composure.
He stored the body away and said, "Sorry, I lost control of my emotions earlier."
"It's fine, I understand."
Xu Hei nodded in agreement.
///112//
The Purple Lightning Lion King was born into an unremarkable Thunder Lion family. He was the eldest and the first to successfully reach the Qi Condensation stage, becoming a demon king.
Afterwards, he inherited the position of Lion King and took nine wives. Eight of them were inherited from the previous Lion King, and only the ninth was his original mate.
The ninth wife was the youngest and had the lowest cultivation level. She was often ostracized, but she had a strong personality and left home, taking her child with her.
As a result, she met a tragic end.
The Purple Lightning Lion King was heartbroken and gritted his teeth, "Do you know which sect's people killed her?"
Xu Hei initially wanted to tell the truth and say it was the Heavenly Puppet Sect. But after a moment's thought, he shook his head and said, "I'm not sure, but in these chaotic times, the only ones capable of such an act are the Snake Catchers Sect."
"Good! I'll destroy the Snake Catchers Sect right now!"
The Purple Lightning Lion King roared, stepping on lightning and thunder, his wings flapping as he flew towards the direction of the Snake Catchers Sect.
"..." Xu Hei was dumbfounded.
He's just going like that? Where's his brain?
"Don't be impulsive!" Xu Hei shouted.
"I'm not impulsive at all. If I can't destroy the headquarters, I can at least wipe out their branch halls! Watch me take down their three branch halls in one go!"
As he spoke, the Purple Lightning Lion King had already disappeared from sight.
Xu Hei turned around and looked at Man Jin, who was also looking at him.
"Brother Xu, should we follow him?" Man Jin asked hesitantly.
"He's just a reckless brute. I'm afraid if we follow him, we'll get ourselves into trouble."
Despite saying this, Xu Hei was also hesitant. After all, the Snake Catchers Sect was his enemy too. If they could cause some damage to the sect, he would be happy to see it.
After a moment of silence, Xu Hei gritted his teeth and said, "Let's follow and see."
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"Alright!" Man Jin nodded.
"Take this!"
At this moment, Xu Bai's voice came from behind.
Xu Hei turned around to see Xu Bai throwing a porcelain bottle towards him. Xu Hei used the Gravity Technique to catch it. It seemed to contain some powdery substance.
"Use this, and it will make the Snake Catchers Sect's people unable to have descendants!" Xu Bai said seriously.
Xu Hei was surprised, "Is this a poison pill?"
"That's right, it's my first time making a poison pill!" Xu Bai nodded.
Xu Hei was stunned.
The normal pills Xu Bai made already had terrifying effects. If this was a poison pill, it must be extraordinary.
Hearing her description of "unable to have descendants," Xu Hei knew it wasn't simple. He instinctively took a few steps back, carefully storing it in a storage bag from a distance of thirty meters, sealing it with a label before taking it.
Xu Hei didn't even dare to swallow it, only hanging it around his neck to avoid accidentally breaking the storage bag inside his stomach, which would be disastrous.
...
The headquarters of the Snake Catchers Sect was in the northern part of the Southern Region, a long distance away, but it had five branch halls.
Each branch hall had a Great Perfection stage cultivator stationed, combined with a third-tier formation. Even a Core Formation stage cultivator couldn't easily take it down and could hold out until reinforcements arrived from the headquarters.
Some old monsters at the end of their lifespan in the Core Formation stage would also come to the branch halls to retreat, making them even harder to attack.
The two demons traveled at full speed and arrived outside a city after half a day.
This city was called Rock Serpent City, built on the edge of a cliff. Only cultivators could enter and exit, with the Snake Catchers Sect stationed there, making it one of the few cities not affected by the war.
From a distance, Xu Hei saw the Purple Lightning Lion King standing outside Rock Serpent City, surrounded by purple lightning, with a demonic wind swirling around him, ready to attack.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."
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Behind him, a group of female lions appeared, the Purple Lightning Lion King's eight wives, each exuding a powerful aura, moving like thunder, stepping on seven stars.
Three were at the mid-stage of Qi Condensation, three at the late stage, one at Great Perfection, and one was his first wife at the Core Formation stage.
In comparison, the ninth wife's cultivation level was indeed the lowest.
"Lions have so many wives..."
Xu Hei was also shocked, not by the number, but by their combat abilities.
At this moment, a light shield rose outside Rock Serpent City, with faint snake-shaped shadows circling it. This was the city's protective formation.
Inside the light shield, an old man with white hair and a white beard appeared on the city wall. He looked at the Purple Lightning Lion King and said calmly, "Purple Lightning Lion King, how has our Snake Catchers Sect offended you to bring you here?"
"You killed my wife and child, and you still ask why I'm here?"
The Purple Lightning Lion King didn't bother with words, roaring angrily and spitting out a thirty-meter-wide lightning bolt, striking the city wall of Rock Serpent City.
"Boom!!!"
The light shield shook violently, cracks spreading all over it, showing signs of collapse with just one strike.
The old man's face darkened, "This year, no one from our Snake Catchers Sect has entered the mountains. How could we have killed your wife and child?"
As soon as he said this, his heart sank.
Not long ago, Xuan Yangzi's faction suffered a great disaster, with everyone slaughtered, and Xuan Yangzi himself missing. No one knew the details.
Could it have been Xuan Yangzi's people who did it?
The old man was pondering this when he heard a mocking voice.
"Didn't enter the mountains? Your Snake Catchers Sect sent over a hundred people to Myriad Serpent Valley, blood-sacrificing millions of lives. Is this what you call not entering the mountains?"
Xu Hei didn't waste words, directly taking out over a hundred Snake Catchers Sect disciples' clothes, tokens, and body fragments, making them circle in the air with the Gravity Technique.
At this moment, there was an uproar inside Rock Serpent City.
Everyone stared at the items flying in the air, their faces twitching, their hearts in turmoil.
"My God! The rumors are true, Xuan Yangzi's faction was completely wiped out!"
"Look at that golden token, it's the first disciple Wu Mochou's!"
"Oh my God! That's Cui Yuan's head!"
The city was in complete chaos.
A hundred people entered the mountains, not a single one returned alive, and even Xuan Yangzi was missing.
They only knew they were all killed but didn't know the details. Seeing this now, it was highly likely they had clashed with this demonic beast.
The old man's face turned black.
"Xuan Yangzi, how could you cause such a huge disaster!"
The old man cursed Xuan Yangzi's ancestors in his heart.
The Chu Kingdom was in turmoil, the Heavenly Puppet Sect had wild ambitions, and all their branch halls had received orders to guard their headquarters and not go out casually.
At such a critical moment, Xuan Yangzi took his hundred men to hold a blood sacrifice ceremony.
He could understand, though. If it succeeded, their strength would greatly increase, and even if the Heavenly Puppet Sect wanted to act against them, they would have to think twice.
But it failed and caused such a huge trouble.
"Attack!"
The Purple Lightning Lion King was impatient. Seeing the old man silent, he directly ordered an attack on the city gate.
"Boom boom boom!!!"
All eight female lions attacked, spitting thunder and flames, beams of terrifying energy striking the light shield, causing it to shake and crack all over.
On the light shield, a coiled snake shadow appeared, the spirit of the formation.
A third-tier mountain protection formation had a spirit guarding it. At this moment, the coiled snake roared to the sky, spitting out streams of venom, raining down on the lion group.
"Roar!"
Suddenly, a thunderous roar came from behind. Man Jin raised his nose to the sky, spraying a stream of scorching air, evaporating the venom completely.
"Another one!"
The people inside Rock Serpent City were once again shocked, their hearts almost numb.
////113///
A pack of Thunder Lions was already enough to handle, and now an elephant had appeared.
The elder of the Snake Catchers Sect initially believed that with his strength combined with the Nascent Soul ancestor in seclusion and the Mountain Protection Array, they could hold out until reinforcements arrived from headquarters.
But now, seeing that giant elephant, his heart sank.
This wasn't an ordinary Core Formation demonic beast; it was the most powerful elephant!
"I'm going in!"
Man Jin raised his trunk, took a deep breath, and sank his Qi into his dantian, compressing his True Qi into a single point within his Golden Core.
Then, he suddenly released it. Man Jin stepped into the void, charging forward like an immense, boundless mountain toward the city wall.
"Boom, boom, boom..."
It was like a war chariot rolling across the sky; the heavens and earth trembled. Even before he arrived, a massive earthquake erupted within Rock Serpent City, and the deafening roar echoed in everyone's ears.
The sky collapsed, the earth shattered, and the sun and moon dimmed.
In everyone's eyes, it seemed as if it wasn't an elephant charging but the heavens and earth themselves.
"Fire the cannons! Release the arrows!" The white-bearded elder shouted in terror.
The soldiers aimed their cannons, but there was no time to fire. Man Jin had already arrived!
"Boom!!!"
Man Jin's body collided with the protective barrier. The entire Rock Serpent City seemed about to be blown away. The barrier, already covered in cracks, was instantly pierced by sharp tusks. His physical body crushed forward, and the entire formation was like glass on the verge of shattering.
The white-bearded elder, who was controlling the formation, immediately spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying, crashing down from the city wall. The soldiers were shaken to death on the spot.
The coiled serpent was also affected, letting out a miserable scream, its phantom dimming significantly.
"Ha!"
Man Jin roared, took a few steps back, and charged again. This time, the barrier shattered completely, turning into countless fragments.
Man Jin's momentum didn't stop. He crashed into the city wall. The ten-meter-high wall crumbled like fragile paper under his massive body. With a loud "boom," the entire wall collapsed into ruins.
One hit, two hits—boom!
From the start of the battle to the breach of the city, it took only a few breaths, setting a record for the fastest city breach in history.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
They had seen humans attacking cities, but never demonic beasts, and certainly not in such a straightforward and brutal manner.
It wasn't until the city wall collapsed that the Nascent Soul ancestor in seclusion within Rock Serpent City finally arrived, looking at the devastated battlefield, completely stunned, unable to advance or retreat.
...
Rock Serpent City, Listening Wind Tavern.
"This information is definitely worth thirty thousand. You won't regret buying it. Why don't you believe me?"
"..."
"Hey, twenty-eight thousand, how about that? I'm already giving you a discount!"
"..."
Han Te, with his messy purple hair and clothes filled with weapons, was haggling with a middle-aged man in black.
The middle-aged man in black was the manager of Listening Wind Tavern, the largest intelligence organization between the two countries, responsible for intelligence transactions and also purchasing information.
Han Te's information was about the specific situation in Myriad Serpent Valley that day and the whereabouts of Xuan Yangzi.
He directly asked for thirty thousand Spirit Stones.
That was today's price; two days ago, he even asked for fifty thousand.
"Daoist Han, it's not that the information is bad, but your asking price is too outrageous. Even if I sell this information to the Snake Catchers Sect, I won't make a profit. You should look elsewhere," the middle-aged man in black said helplessly.
"I don't want to argue anymore. Twenty-five thousand, final offer!"
"Daoist Han, are you insulting me?"
"Then what's your price?"
The middle-aged man held up five fingers and said, "Five thousand."
"Damn! Are you trying to brush off a beggar?"
Han Te cursed and turned to leave.
Five thousand? For someone at the Foundation Establishment Stage, it might be a fortune, but for someone at the Core Formation Stage, it was nothing.
Qian Dachun sneered inwardly, not in a hurry. With Han Te's greedy nature, he wouldn't let the information rot in his stomach; he would eventually sell it to him.
Han Te didn't dare sell to the Snake Catchers Sect because they would capture and interrogate him directly.
If he wanted to exchange it for money, this was his only option. He had already waited two days; he could wait a bit longer.
"Boom!!!"
Suddenly, the ground shook violently, as if something had crashed into Rock Serpent City's formation. The shockwave swept across the city, and the sky trembled.
Even several nearby buildings collapsed.
Fortunately, Listening Wind Tavern had a separate formation for isolation; otherwise, they would have been affected too.
"What's going on?"
Qian Dachun's face darkened as he stood up and went outside.
Han Te disappeared in a flash. After a moment, he reappeared, urgently saying to Qian Dachun, "Five thousand, I'll sell! I'll sell!"
Qian Dachun sensed something strange and didn't immediately agree. Instead, he went to the edge of the city to take a look. What he saw nearly made his eyes pop out.
The western city wall had completely collapsed, overturned by a ten-meter-tall giant elephant!
"Roar!!"
Man Jin raised his trunk and let out a loud trumpet, hot air spewing from his nostrils, his battle intent soaring.
"Roar!!"
Behind him, a male lion and eight female lions charged into the city, unleashing lightning and thunder, bombarding the buildings. Various demonic spells rained down, and screams filled the city, blood and gore everywhere.
"Demonic beasts attacking the city?"
"Oh my god, something big is happening!"
The cultivators in Rock Serpent City were scared out of their wits, fleeing for their lives. They never imagined that demonic beasts would attack a city.
And three Core Formation great demons at that—who could withstand this?
Qian Dachun quickly understood what had happened.
"Xuan Yangzi has caused such a huge mess, what a disaster!" Qian Dachun cursed inwardly.
At this moment, the lion pride was besieging the Nascent Soul ancestor. The male lion led the attack, while the female lions formed a formation to assist, working in perfect harmony. The ancestor spat blood, beaten so badly he couldn't even escape.
Lions were naturally good at teamwork, a trait they had inherited since their days as wild beasts.
As for the coiled serpent formation spirit, after the formation was broken, its form became illusory and weakened significantly, but it still had considerable combat power.
However, when facing Xu Hei, for some reason, there was deep fear in its eyes. It coiled in place, trembling, not daring to attack.
Man Jin didn't interfere. His gaze swept through the city, searching for other experts.
Soon, he locked onto someone.
"It's you!"
Man Jin immediately spotted the conspicuous Han Te, his eyes filled with murderous intent. Without a word, he charged forward.
Han Te's face turned green, and he turned to run.
"Misunderstanding! I'm just passing by, I have nothing to do with that person!"
"Passing by? Then today I'll just pass by too," Man Jin said coldly.
Qian Dachun finally understood why Han Te had agreed to lower the price so quickly—it was because his enemy had come knocking.
Man Jin stepped through the air, and wherever he passed, buildings collapsed one after another, like a bulldozer, leaving a long trench. The ground sank several meters deep.
Han Te's face twitched. If he got "passed by," there wouldn't be anything left of him.
Although he was also at the Core Formation Stage, as a rogue cultivator, he didn't have the numerous treasures and trump cards of a sect elder. His combat power was among the lowest in his realm.
Of course, as a rogue cultivator, surviving until now, he relied on his ability to escape.
////114///
Han Te's entire body surged with purple energy, his speed skyrocketing, and his purple hair danced wildly as if he were treading on lightning.
Man Jin, however, was prepared. At the same moment he gave chase, he threw out a pair of icy tusks that spun together, summoning a frigid wind that froze the air, creating an expanse of ice.
Han Te's speed immediately plummeted, and even his True Qi began to freeze, causing him to stall halfway.
His face turned ashen as he shouted, "Don't push me! If you push me any further, I'll have to use my killer move!"
Man Jin remained unfazed, charging forward with a thunderous roar. Compared to him, Han Te's figure was like that of a tiny ant.
Qian Dachun was curious. Did Han Te really have a killer move?
"Ten Thousand Swords, Unsheathe!"
Han Te let out a strange cry, and the dozens of weapons on his body all unsheathed simultaneously, connecting together to form a ship.
This ship, made of weapons, lifted Han Te up. With a burst of speed, it shot out in an instant, flying out of Rock Serpent City in the blink of an eye.
"..." Man Jin was stunned.
Not only him, but everyone who witnessed this scene was dumbfounded.
No one had expected that the numerous weapons on Han Te's body were not for killing but for forming a ship to escape.
"What a disgrace to the Core Formation Stage!" Qian Dachun cursed inwardly.
A Core Formation cultivator, with the same level of cultivation, fleeing without a fight was indeed a weirdo.
Qian Dachun returned to the Listening Wind Tavern and activated a one-time teleportation array, leaving directly.
...
Xu Hei stared at the formation spirit, the fear in its eyes growing more intense.
At first, it flicked its tongue, issuing a warning sound, but as Xu Hei approached, the formation spirit's body began to tremble.
Xu Hei watched for a long time before calmly saying, "I know you were forced into this formation, not by choice. Would you be willing to leave with me?"
Xu Hei had killed many members of the Snake Catchers Sect and had examined the jade slips in their storage bags. Naturally, he knew that each Mountain Protection Array of the Snake Catchers Sect used the soul of a Golden Core Snake Demon as the formation spirit.
Some were cultivated by the sect, but most were captured from the wild.
Each formation spirit had a history of hundreds of years, like the one before him in Rock Serpent City, which had existed for three hundred years.
The formation spirit did not speak, still staring coldly at Xu Hei. Despite its inexplicable fear, its instinct to guard remained.
Xu Hei sighed inwardly and said no more. Dragon scales detached from his body, attacking the formation spirit.
Foundation Establishment cultivators had the ability to control flying swords.
After completing his first transformation, Xu Hei's new ability was to detach dragon scales, turning them into flying swords. However, this move had a drawback: it left him defenseless.
"Swish!"
The dragon scales sliced through the formation spirit's body, causing it to let out a shrill scream and become even more ethereal. But this also triggered its ferocity, and it lashed its tail at Xu Hei.
Xu Hei did not dodge. He condensed thick earth armor with True Qi and charged forward, colliding with the tail.
"Boom!!"
Xu Hei's body trembled slightly, retreating a bit, but the formation spirit was heavily struck, sent flying into the City Lord's mansion below.
Facing this third-tier formation spirit, Xu Hei had the upper hand. Of course, it also helped that the formation spirit had been repeatedly injured and was no longer at its peak.
The formation spirit rose again, biting towards Xu Hei.
"Mountain Embrace Seal!"
Xu Hei envisioned a great mountain descending from the sky, smashing onto the formation spirit's head and pressing it deep into the ground, its screams echoing. He then took out several sealing talismans, continuously throwing them to temporarily seal the formation spirit.
Xu Hei looked around and saw that the cultivators in the city were fleeing in all directions.
Some elders of the Snake Catchers Sect initially wanted to resist, but seeing the situation deteriorate and the formation spirit defeated, they gave up and chose to run.
Xu Hei had no interest in dealing with rogue cultivators, but he killed every member of the Snake Catchers Sect he encountered.
"Kill!"
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With a thought, Xu Hei launched ivory needles, crafted from leftover materials, at the fleeing members of the Snake Catchers Sect.
The crowd was terrified, using protective magical treasures to shield themselves, but Xu Hei's gaze intensified. With his black True Qi burning, the needles' speed doubled, creating a piercing force.
"Thud, thud, thud, thud..."
Wherever the needles went, magical treasures were pierced, and the crowd fell like wheat being harvested.
Everyone had a blood spot on their forehead, killed instantly without even a chance to scream.
Aiming for the forehead was the most efficient way to kill!
Xu Hei conserved his True Qi, ensuring each strike was lethal.
For tougher Foundation Establishment cultivators, Xu Hei used dragon scales to target their foreheads, achieving the same result.
"Too terrifying, he's a demon!"
"Help!"
The crowd screamed and fled, using all their trump cards to escape, fight back, or beg for mercy, but none could escape death.
Xu Hei's strength was nearly invincible within the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Except for a few tough opponents with numerous magical treasures, killing others was as easy as slaughtering chickens.
However, after killing dozens, Xu Hei finally encountered a tough opponent.
This was a middle-aged man with a full beard, at the peak of Foundation Establishment, likely from Cui Yuan's generation.
Unlike Cui Yuan, who had a sacrificial spirit, this man grabbed those around him and threw them at Xu Hei!
Whether fellow disciples or passing rogue cultivators, he used them as shields to delay Xu Hei's attacks.
Xu Hei launched five attacks in a row, not even touching a hair on him.
"Still trying to escape?"
Xu Hei's eyes turned cold, ready to pursue, but then he wondered if the man was feigning weakness to lure him into a trap.
आसनसोल महिला ने खोजा घरेलु उपाय जो पुरुष ऊर्जा में करता है सुधार
बस 1 महीने में उगाएं नए बाल, कोई केमिकल नहीं, एकदम नैचुरल उपाय
Seeing Man Jin returning from afar, Xu Hei felt reassured. Without hesitation, he charged at the man, recalling the flying dragon scales to his body, making them stand up like blades.
"Swish, swish, swish..."
Everything in his path was shredded to pieces as Xu Hei shot towards the bearded man like a straight line.
"Don't push me!"
The bearded man roared. Seeing Xu Hei's relentless approach, he made a decisive move, swallowing a shriveled Golden Core.
"A Golden Core?"
Xu Hei's eyes narrowed.
This Golden Core belonged to a Core Formation cultivator but was in a withered state, likely obtained from a long-dead corpse.
The man's desperate act made Xu Hei pause, quickly activating sixteen layers of Earth Shield and thirty layers of thick earth armor.
"Boom!!!"
The violent power of the Golden Core erupted from the man's body, surging backward.
Xu Hei's defenses shattered, and he fell back.
But his vast Divine Sense remained locked on the man.
The bearded man's Dantian, where his stable spiritual foundation was, rapidly transformed, forming a shriveled, semi-finished Golden Core.
"Has he formed a Golden Core?"
"No, it should be a False Core!"
Xu Hei thought of a term.
Foundation Establishment cultivators, if unable to form a true Golden Core, might settle for a lower-grade semi-finished Golden Core, a False Core.
Such cultivators might be stuck at the False Core Stage for life.
False Core cultivators were weaker than true Core Formation cultivators but stronger than peak Foundation Establishment cultivators.
This old Snake Catchers Sect cultivator, knowing he was in grave danger, sacrificed his future to form a False Core, just to survive.
After forming the False Core, he didn't turn to attack but used his boosted cultivation to burn his lifespan and flee Rock Serpent City at top speed.
In this brief burst, his speed was indeed comparable to a true Core Formation cultivator!
————
[Previously, I referred to the Core Formation Stage, Golden Core Stage, and Demon Core Stage as the same realm. I'll try to use consistent terms in the future to avoid confusion.]
///115///
As he fled for his life, he didn't forget to repeat his previous actions, grabbing at the people around him.
"Liu Buqun, you heartless scoundrel!"
"You won't die a good death!"
Angry curses echoed from the sides, but Liu Buqun grabbed each person through the air and threw them behind him.
Man Jin noticed Liu Buqun's unusual behavior. He snorted, sending a wave of air that blasted through the crowd and headed straight for Liu Buqun!
Liu Buqun pulled out a copper bell, withstanding the impact of the airwave. He spat out a mouthful of blood, using the force to propel himself forward. Mid-air, he took out a wind sail, riding the wind and diving out of the city.
In an instant, he had escaped Rock Serpent City.
"..." Xu Hei was stunned. That guy actually managed to escape.
If Liu Buqun had even a moment's hesitation or the slightest thought of turning back to fight, he would have been dead.
Man Jin wanted to chase after him, but remembering the many experts still in the city, he had to give up. Instead, he turned his attention to the city guards on the tower.
"Fire the cannons!"
The City Lord waved his flag, and the guards aimed their cannons at Man Jin and fired.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The cannonballs hit Man Jin, causing him no pain, only slightly halting his movement.
At this moment, a ten-meter-wide ballista, carried by five cultivators, was brought out from the tower. They loaded a bolt and aimed at Man Jin, firing it with a loud "whoosh!"
The bolt pierced through the void with a sharp, ear-piercing sound, slightly pausing Man Jin's movement before it struck him.
Initially, Man Jin didn't pay much attention, but this bolt penetrated his protective true essence and embedded into his skin.
Though only the arrowhead was lodged in, it shocked Man Jin.
He used his nose to pull out the bolt and examined it closely.
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The arrowhead was white jade in color, with faint spiritual power fluctuations.
It was made from the tusk of a Spirit-Devouring Elephant!
Man Jin's mind flashed back to his childhood memories.
At that time, the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe had many members, including a branch of Spirit-Devouring Elephants with thirteen members, one of whom was his closest sister.
But after a foraging trip, they never returned.
When they were found, only their tuskless corpses remained, lying cold in a pit.
The Spirit-Devouring Elephants were completely wiped out in that incident.
"Roar!!"
Man Jin let out an earth-shattering roar, shaking the entire Rock Serpent City.
In truth, Man Jin was naturally simple and didn't enjoy killing. As a herbivore, his bloodlust was far less than that of lions or Xu Hei.
After entering Rock Serpent City, he only targeted Han Te and other potential threats.
But now, seeing his kin's tusks made into weapons by humans, he recalled those painful memories.
"Senior Elephant, it was the Snake Catchers Sect that wronged you. Why must you annihilate us too?" the City Lord shouted in grief and indignation.
Man Jin glared over.
That sentence was like a fuse, igniting Man Jin's fury completely!
"You humans all deserve to die!"
Man Jin's roar echoed across the sky.
At this moment, he had no more mercy, unleashing his most destructive demon technique, Elephant's Roar!
"Roar!!!"
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The air twisted, visible waves of air sweeping in all directions, destroying countless buildings, collapsing pavilions, and toppling city walls. Countless people had their brains burst and souls scattered.
Some weaker cultivators were caught in the waves, their bodies exploding.
On the city tower, the cultivators who were about to fire a second ballista bolt bled from their seven orifices, screaming in agony as they fell from the high walls, which tilted backward.
The City Lord of Rock Serpent City, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, only lasted a breath before his head exploded. He died not knowing how he had offended this giant elephant.
The sorrows of humans do not connect, let alone between humans and demons.
Man Jin's anguished roar spread far and wide, turning the surrounding ten miles into ruins in an instant!
Xu Hei watched this scene and couldn't help but gasp.
He had used flying needles and dragon scales, going to great lengths to kill about fifty people, and even let one escape.
But with a single roar from Man Jin, not a single person within ten miles survived, killing hundreds.
The entire Rock Serpent City had fewer than a thousand cultivators, and half were gone in an instant.
Adding those who fled and were killed by the Thunder Lions, the city was almost empty, with hardly any survivors.
Xu Hei acted again, eliminating the remaining stragglers.
Now, no disciples of the Snake Catchers Sect could be seen in the city.
In the sky, the Core Formation Stage battle was also nearing its end. The Nascent Soul ancestor, unable to withstand the lions' siege, was finally defeated.
In his dying moments, he aimed at Xu Hei and dove down, preparing to self-destruct.
He knew Xu Hei was the mastermind behind this incident!
"Hmph, dream on!"
Not only did Man Jin intercept him, but the Purple Lightning Lion King also moved to block him.
Xu Hei quickly retreated, putting a safe distance between them at unprecedented speed.
"You little beast, I won't let you go even as a ghost!"
The unnamed Nascent Soul ancestor roared in unwillingness, his body exploding into a sky full of energy, sweeping outward.
Man Jin inhaled deeply, sucking all the shockwaves into his nose and refining them, preventing any spread.
The Purple Lightning Lion King activated his thunder shield, standing in front of Xu Hei and blocking most of the waves.
The remaining impact on Xu Hei was minimal, hardly causing any discomfort.
A few breaths later, everything was calm.
The unnamed Nascent Soul ancestor was dead, not even leaving a storage bag.
"Phew!"
Xu Hei let out a long breath.
Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration.
Not letting him go even as a ghost?
He almost forgot!
Xu Hei patted his storage bag and took out a black soul flag.
This was the Soul-absorbing Flag he had taken from Bai Xiu, an enforcer of the Four Sects Alliance, a rare magical treasure capable of storing souls.
Such treasures were extremely rare. Despite killing so many snake catchers, Xu Hei hadn't found another with similar effects. Bai Xiu was indeed fortunate.
Xu Hei waved the Soul-absorbing Flag at the spot where the old man had died.
Suddenly, a faint, invisible wisp of yin energy was drawn into the flag.
"It works!"
Xu Hei's eyes lit up, and he waved the flag again, drawing in another wisp of yin energy.
It was said that a person's soul lingers in the world for a moment after death before dissipating completely.
Before that happened, Xu Hei needed to absorb the old man's soul into the Soul-absorbing Flag for refinement!
"If you won't let me go even as a ghost, then I won't let you go either!"
Xu Hei activated the Soul-absorbing Flag, continuously waving it to absorb the yin energy. Finally, a nearly complete soul was drawn into the flag.
With a sweep of his divine sense, Xu Hei saw a fist-sized misty spirit body swirling inside the flag, faintly emitting roars, its outline resembling the old man's face.
///116///
"Stay put."
Xu Hei sneered inwardly.
Xu Hei was not adept at using magical treasures and had suffered greatly because of it in the past. Now, he could finally indulge in the power of a magical treasure.
Once he refined this old man, he could turn him into a vengeful spirit, unleashing him against enemies with remarkable effect.
"Exactly, since so many have died, I should collect more," Xu Hei's eyes lit up.
Back then, Bai Xiu had released five or six vengeful spirits, forcing Xu Hei to swallow the Thunderfire Seal and injure himself to break the attack.
If he could absorb a hundred or so and release them all at once, it would definitely be a powerful trump card!
Xu Hei immediately took action, waving the Soul-absorbing Flag over the spots where Foundation Establishment cultivators had died, absorbing each soul.
He ignored those at the Qi Refining Stage, focusing mainly on the Foundation Establishment Stage.
The lion pack wasn't idle either, scavenging storage bags from the ground and searching for anything useful.
As demonic beasts, this was their first time attacking a human city, and their success left them somewhat excited.
Man Jin wasn't in the mood for treasure hunting; he headed straight for Rock Serpent City's armory, pulling out all the ivory items and storing them in his trunk.
Many of the ivory items emitted familiar energy fluctuations; they had once been members of the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe.
After a round of scavenging.
Xu Hei had collected sixteen Foundation Establishment souls and over a hundred Qi Refining souls, though many were fragmented due to the passage of time.
But Xu Hei was already very satisfied.
He began to understand why humans valued magical treasures so much. If a treasure was carefully cultivated and used at a critical moment, it could indeed turn the tide of battle.
Xu Hei's physical body and True Qi were so powerful that he often defeated opponents with a single spell, causing him to frequently overlook the importance of magical treasures.
Finally, Xu Hei headed straight for the City Lord's mansion.
There was still a Jiao Python formation spirit that hadn't been subdued.
When Xu Hei arrived, the formation spirit was already extremely weak, almost transparent, with no strength left.
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However, having guarded Rock Serpent City for three hundred years, it had developed an instinctual duty ingrained in its soul, long forgetting its wild nature.
Xu Hei tried to persuade it, but the formation spirit remained unmoved, still attempting to attack.
Xu Hei stopped wasting words and directly took out the Soul-absorbing Flag, focusing his mind.
"Soul-absorbing Flag, absorb!"
A suction force acted on the formation spirit, which screamed and struggled. Xu Hei's eyes turned cold, and black True Qi ignited, increasing the force.
After a series of screams, the formation spirit was forcibly absorbed into the Soul-absorbing Flag.
Once inside the flag, over time, it could be refined into a vengeful spirit, ready to devour anyone.
No matter who you were in life, you would ultimately become an emotionless killing machine.
Xu Hei had given it a chance out of consideration for his kind, but he didn't have time to convert it.
Xu Hei scanned the Soul-absorbing Flag with his Divine Sense, noting that the old man and the Jiao Python were the largest and most conspicuous.
Next were the sixteen Foundation Establishment souls, and finally, the over a hundred Qi Refining souls, scattered around.
Once these souls were all turned into vengeful spirits and released together, who knew if they could threaten a Core Formation Stage cultivator.
"Killing has its perks; this trip wasn't in vain," Xu Hei thought to himself.
"Hey! You over there, come take a look."
A voice called from afar; it was the Purple Lightning Thunder Lion looking at him.
Xu Hei flashed over to an underground cage. Above it had been a formation that blocked Divine Sense, but now it was destroyed.
Xu Hei's Divine Sense probed underground, and he was shocked, his body stiffening.
Inside the dungeon were countless snakes, densely packed and uncountable.
There were all kinds of snakes, spread over ten levels with a thousand rooms, totaling over ten thousand, all ordinary snakes.
At the lowest level, there were even snake demons.
From the Spirit Communion Stage to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
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The strongest snake demon was a fifteen-meter-long giant horned python at the late Foundation Establishment Stage, but it was bound by iron chains, unable to move, with thin tubes inserted all over its body, looking emaciated.
"So many."
Xu Hei had known that the Snake Catchers Sect had places for raising snakes, but he hadn't expected the scale to be so grand.
This underground breeding base was like an underground city, filled entirely with snakes.
And this was just one branch.
The Snake Catchers Sect had five such branches and an even more exaggerated headquarters.
What would that be like? It was unimaginable.
Humans might find this snake-filled scene terrifying, but Xu Hei felt no discomfort. He leaped into the underground breeding ground.
There were five snake catchers hiding there, knocked out by the Purple Lightning Thunder Lion.
"These are your enemies. I didn't kill them; I'll leave them to you," the Purple Lightning Thunder Lion said calmly.
"Thank you," Xu Hei nodded.
He entered the underground, heading straight for the deepest part where the Foundation Establishment great demons were kept.
Each cage on either side had its own formation, imprisoning a great demon.
Most of the snake demons had thin needles inserted all over their bodies, connected to jade bottles and other containers, emitting a pungent smell.
Xu Hei immediately recognized these as devices for extracting snake gall and snake blood. The cultivation techniques of snake catchers relied mainly on these.
Foundation Establishment great demons were hard to cultivate, so they chose to extract them alive.
The giant horned python twitched instinctively at the sound, its eyes flashing with fear.
But when it saw that the visitor was not human but Xu Hei, it was visibly stunned, then overjoyed, "Brother, please kill me, kill me!"
Its eyes were filled with fervor, as if death were a blessing.
Xu Hei frowned.
The other snake demons woke up and also began to shout, "Benefactor, please kill me! Be careful of the humans!"
Please kill me, I don't want to suffer anymore!"
"Please, have mercy and let me be free!"
Various pleading voices filled Xu Hei's mind.
Their excitement outweighed their fear. To them, death, which ordinary people feared, was a release, a blessing.
The late Foundation Establishment giant horned python had been imprisoned for five years. Once twenty meters long and as thick as a barrel, it was now skin and bones.
Each extraction of snake gall was excruciatingly painful.
Their True Qi was sealed, their meridians blocked, unable to move, not even able to commit suicide, forced to watch their life drain away helplessly.
Xu Hei scanned each snake, taking in their emotions.
"I'm here to save you," Xu Hei said.
"No! Don't save me, I just want to die!"
"Benefactor, I don't want to live!"
The snake demons pleaded.
Xu Hei remained expressionless, revealing the robes and heads of each snake catcher, and displayed the Soul-absorbing Flag, letting it float in the air.
The noisy voices fell silent in an instant.
All the snake demons stared in shock, the entire place falling into a deathly silence.
"They're all dead. Rock Serpent City has been destroyed. I can really let you out," Xu Hei said calmly.
The snake demons' eyes filled with hopeful light, but it quickly dimmed again.
Some things could never be restored.
An old snake sighed, "My venomous fangs have been pulled, my venom sac removed. I've lost the ability to hunt. Going back means death."
Another patterned python said dejectedly, "I'm already a useless snake. I don't want my friends to see me like this."
"My meridians are severed, my bones shattered. I can't cultivate..."
"My demon core was taken. I can only die..."
Various helpless voices continued to echo.
Gradually, the snake crowd fell silent, until the place was as quiet as death.
Xu Hei then realized.
The snake catchers had destroyed not only their physical bodies but also their spirits and wills.
///117///
Once, they too had dreams of escaping this hellish place and regaining their freedom. But as time passed, their will to survive gradually faded away.
Their bodies were still alive, but their spirits had been crushed, turning them into mere walking corpses.
The only belief they had left was to die!
"Thank you, benefactor, for killing so many of our enemies and fulfilling our wish!"
"Please, elder, do it without mercy."
The snake horde shouted in unison.
They were grateful to Xu Hei for killing their enemies and granting them freedom.
—Then choose death freely!
Xu Hei sighed and decided to respect their choice.
He released a scale, which shot out and shattered the formation and chains that bound them, pulling out the fine needles from their bodies.
There were only thirteen Foundation Establishment Stage snake demons here.
Xu Hei placed a slumber pill in front of each snake, allowing them to forget their pain briefly and die in their sleep.
This, perhaps, was compassion.
It was also the greatest kindness Xu Hei could offer.
The snake demons understood Xu Hei's intention, and tears of gratitude and excitement filled their eyes.
"Benefactor, that flag should be able to collect souls, right?"
The giant horned python, the highest in cultivation, looked at the soul-absorbing flag Xu Hei had just taken out and asked.
"That's right, I've collected many remnants of the snake catchers' souls." Xu Hei nodded slightly.
The other snake demons also looked over, staring at the soul-absorbing flag.
The giant horned python took a deep breath and said, "I would like to request that after I die, benefactor can also collect my soul!"
Xu Hei frowned slightly.
"Do you know what it means to have your soul collected?"
Xu Hei said in a deep voice, "This treasure, called the Soul-absorbing Flag, can refine souls into vengeful spirits, stripping them of their consciousness, leaving them only with the desire to kill. They will never reincarnate after death..."
"I know!"
The giant horned python interrupted him, his gaze unwavering. Then, he lowered his head, "If my soul can kill a snake catcher, I will die without regret."
The other snake demons, seeing this, lowered their heads without hesitation.
"Please collect my soul after I die!"
"Refine me into a vengeful spirit to kill the snake catchers!"
Various pleas echoed through the dungeon.
Xu Hei was astonished, looking at each snake. In their cold eyes, a glimmer of hope appeared.
This hope had never emerged, even when they were freed from their chains and regained their freedom.
But when they learned they could become vengeful spirits, this hope became unprecedentedly strong.
They had found their value, which was—revenge!
"Please let me kill my enemies with my own hands!"
A flower python swallowed the pill and collapsed to the ground.
"I have no regrets!"
Old Snake swallowed the pill and closed his eyes.
"Even if I never reincarnate, I will become a vengeful spirit and kill all the snake catchers!"
The giant horned python swallowed the pill and slammed its head against the wall, causing blood to flow before collapsing to the ground.
One by one, the snake demons swallowed the death pill and fell into a peaceful sleep.
Their last words, countless as they were, condensed into two words: revenge!
"My death has value, right?"
A young Black Yin Snake, after taking the last pill, lay on the ground and spoke words that seemed familiar.
Before her consciousness fell into chaos, she quietly looked at Xu Hei, her eyes filled with hope.
"I promise you, your deaths will be the snake catchers' nightmare!" Xu Hei said solemnly.
She finally closed her eyes, dying peacefully.
Xu Hei no longer hesitated. He took out the soul-absorbing flag and waved it towards the sky.
Wisps of souls floated out from the tops of the corpses' heads and were absorbed into the flag without Xu Hei needing to actively collect them.
They were the shadows of snakes.
They were heading towards a beautiful vision, towards hope!
Before long, all thirteen souls were absorbed into the Soul-absorbing Flag without exception.
Unlike the snake catchers' souls, these snake souls retained their complete snake forms, vivid and lifelike, while the snake catchers' souls were mostly scattered points of light or amorphous clouds, incomplete.
Xu Hei spat out flames, burning the place to ashes.
Just as Xu Hei was about to leave.
Suddenly, there was a disturbance within his Soul-absorbing Flag.
The souls of the snake demons, upon entering the flag, began to riot, all of them devouring the souls of the snake catchers!
They opened their mouths wide, swallowing the snake catchers' souls one by one.
Points of light disappeared one after another, even the Foundation Establishment Stage souls were not spared, being devoured in one gulp.
"This..." Xu Hei was stunned.
This change was completely unexpected for Xu Hei.
After devouring the remnants of the snake catchers' souls, the snake demons' souls seemed to have grown significantly, appearing more solid and several times stronger.
Before long, over a hundred Qi Refining souls and sixteen Foundation Establishment souls were completely devoured, leaving only thirteen enhanced snake demons' souls.
An even more surprising scene unfolded.
The formation spirit, the Jiao Python's soul, seemed to be stimulated by something.
With eyes full of rage, it roared towards the sky and pounced on the elder's soul beside it.
"Die! Revenge, revenge!"
The Jiao Python's soul roared continuously, biting at the elder's face. Each attack devoured a large amount of soul power.
The thirteen snake demons' souls joined in the assault, surrounding and attacking the Qi Condensation elder.
The elder tried to resist, but Xu Hei's eyes flashed, and he activated the Soul-absorbing Flag, suppressing the elder and allowing the snake horde to attack.
In just a moment, the Qi Condensation elder was completely devoured, his soul scattered, never to reincarnate.
After devouring the elder's soul, the Jiao Python's soul and the thirteen snake demons' souls all sparkled with starlight, appearing even more robust than before.
Especially the Jiao Python's soul, the confusion in its eyes had vanished, and it lowered its head towards the sky.
It seemed to be paying its respects.
This situation was beyond Xu Hei's expectations, and he couldn't tell if it was good or bad.
"Well, at least the benefits stayed within the family," Xu Hei thought to himself.
Losing over a hundred souls, but they were devoured by his own snake souls.
Next, Xu Hei went to the cells of the Spirit Communion Stage snake demons. These snake demons had not been tortured, their gallbladders not extracted alive; the snake catchers had killed and eaten them directly, refining them completely.
Xu Hei released all the snake demons, including the ordinary snakes.
At the same time, Xu Hei opened a passage leading directly to the outside world.
The snake demons bowed deeply to him and left the dark underground prison with their respective tribes.
The five snake catchers were devoured by the frenzied snake horde.
Xu Hei let out a long breath.
"Brother Xu, it's time to retreat."
Outside, Man Jin's voice came.
He had just looted the armory, retrieving many ivory items, as well as unprocessed ivory and elephant bones.
The lions had also destroyed the Snake Catchers Sect's Scripture Repository, pill rooms, and other places storing valuables, but they hadn't found much of value. It must have been taken away in the chaos, possibly hidden in a storage bag.
There were quite a few jade slips, which could be of some reference even to demonic beasts.
"There's no time to lose, let's go!"
Xu Hei didn't delay, immediately climbing onto Man Jin's back.
Man Jin stepped into the void, rushing out of Rock Serpent City, with the lion pack following behind, their bodies like lightning, quickly leaving the place.
About half an hour after they left.
An elderly man with a gloomy complexion appeared in the sky, his vast Divine Sense sweeping over Rock Serpent City inside and out.
As the Divine Sense swept through, the elder's face grew increasingly grim.
"Hmph! My Snake Catchers Sect hasn't suffered such a loss in a long time, and it was at the hands of a bunch of beasts!" The elder's voice was calm, but the calmer it was, the more furious he was.
"Senior brother, the envoy from the Heavenly Puppet Sect is about to arrive, it's best not to act rashly," a gentle voice came from beside him.
////118///
"Damn that Heavenly Puppet Sect, they've been eyeing us for half a year now. If it weren't for them, Xuan Yangzi wouldn't have faced such a calamity," the gloomy elder muttered bitterly.
When the Qin Kingdom advanced, they didn't take sides like the other four sects, and that was the problem.
"Enough talk, let's go back and deal with that envoy."
...
Myriad Serpent Valley.
Xu Hei, Man Jin, and the Lion King had a simple division of spoils.
In this siege, Xu Hei didn't contribute much; it was Man Jin who broke through the Mountain Protection Array.
And the one who killed the Nascent Soul ancestor was the lion pack.
Xu Hei only subdued a weakened formation spirit and killed a bunch of ants.
Even so, under Man Jin's insistence, Xu Hei still got a third of the treasures, and the Lion King had no complaints.
The lionesses wanted to say something, but a single glare from the Lion King silenced them.
Family hierarchy...
"How about this, I don't want anything else, just the Spirit Stones," Xu Hei said.
The two beasts exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously.
The lionesses' eyes also showed a hint of joy.
Spirit Stones are mostly used as currency by cultivators or for daily cultivation needs, and they are of little use to demonic beasts.
Demonic beasts primarily cultivate their physical bodies by devouring heavenly materials and earthly treasures, as well as other demonic beasts and cultivator corpses.
Speaking of which, the cultivator corpses in Rock Serpent City were almost entirely eaten by the lion pack, and those weren't even counted.
"Then take all these Spirit Stones; they are useless to me anyway!"
The Lion King took out the Spirit Stones he had collected, and Xu Hei exchanged various treasures for them.
Xu Hei didn't care about ordinary low-grade Spirit Stones; his eyes were only on the square high-grade Spirit Stones.
There were five of them!
Adding to what Xu Hei had previously acquired, he now had sixteen high-grade Spirit Stones.
Xu Hei didn't know how many the Demon God Cauldron's true dragon needed to devour to be satisfied, but with sixteen, he could definitely give it a try!
"This time, I also gained quite a bit, including two gold-element spells that I need to study carefully," Man Jin said.
The Purple Lightning Lion King gave Xu Hei a deep look and said, "Xu Hei, right? My name is Lei Meng. If you have an urgent matter, you can use this communication jade slip to contact me. But if it's not urgent, don't bother me."
He left a communication jade slip and departed with his lioness harem.
"Lei Meng..."
Xu Hei had a deep impression of this irritable lion who attacked cities at the slightest provocation.
"This Lei Meng is not simple. He might have already realized that the one who killed his wife wasn't a disciple of the Snake Catchers Sect," Xu Hei thought to himself.
In the previous battle, Lei Meng surrounded and killed the Nascent Soul ancestor, showing a state that was not like a hot-headed fool.
He might have long understood that Xu Hei was merely using him to attack the Snake Catchers Sect.
Xu Hei shook his head, not dwelling on it. Regardless of whether Lei Meng saw through it or not, the fact that he left a communication jade slip and shared the Spirit Stones already expressed goodwill.
...
In the sky, Lei Meng's wings flapped as he sped along.
Behind him, a lioness said, "Great King, that little snake might be using you."
"Yeah, Ninth Sister might not have been killed by the Snake Catchers Sect. What were the snake catchers doing at the mouth of Wu Mountain?" another lioness echoed.
"Does it matter?" Lei Meng retorted.
The lionesses were instantly speechless.
"Don't be ungrateful. Think about how many people you ate this time."
Lei Meng's words plunged the harem into collective silence.
...
After leaving a communication talisman, Man Jin also left Myriad Serpent Valley.
Xu Hei burrowed underground, creating a spacious chamber. Then, he took out all the square high-grade Spirit Stones.
He swallowed them one by one, pressing them against the surface of the Demon God Cauldron.
With his knowledge, Xu Hei initially thought the dragon-shaped statue on the surface was a Flood Dragon, but it was actually a true dragon.
Xu Hei only later understood the significance of a true dragon.
Since ancient times, true dragons have been unseen, and those remaining in the world only have thin dragon bloodlines, known as Flood Dragons.
For example, that third-tier formation spirit was a Jiao Python, not even a Flood Dragon.
Only those at the Elemental Infant stage and above might encounter a Flood Dragon.
"A true dragon is far above a Flood Dragon. What realm could that be..."
Xu Hei calculated that a true dragon required nine transformations, one for each major realm, which was beyond his imagination.
The first high-grade Spirit Stone was quickly absorbed by the dragon statue.
Xu Hei swallowed the second, then the third.
One after another, Xu Hei consumed seven stones, but it still wasn't enough.
"Could it be a bottomless pit?" Xu Hei's heart trembled.
He had killed so many people and washed an entire city, barely accumulating sixteen stones, which even a Core Formation Stage cultivator might not have.
Xu Hei steeled himself and continued devouring.
After consuming the eighth stone, the dragon statue began to emit a faint glow.
"Eight stones, plus the two I had before, that's ten in total!" Xu Hei calculated.
"Boom!"
A thought surged into Xu Hei's mind.
Then, that grand and distant voice echoed once more.
It was the voice of the true dragon.
"Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, a lower-grade dragon clan supreme technique..."
"Master this body technique, and you can grasp the wonders of myriad transformations, invisible to the naked eye, undetectable by Divine Sense, traversing forbidden zones, passing through formations, and escaping the void as if walking on solid ground..."
Countless pieces of information converged, flooding into Xu Hei's memory.
Who knows how long it was before Xu Hei opened his eyes again, filled with deep shock.
"Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, a dragon clan body technique!"
Xu Hei had only ever learned elemental spells from humans and had never seen a demonic beast technique.
Let alone a dragon clan technique!
This Ever-changing Fish and Dragon body technique completely opened a new world for him.
"Ever-changing Fish and Dragon has nine levels."
"The first level increases movement speed, making it impossible for anyone in the same realm to harm you."
"The second level further increases speed, allowing you to create afterimages."
"The third level multiplies afterimages, making the true body hard to find."
"The fourth level solidifies illusions, enabling the creation of external incarnations."
"..."
"The eighth level allows for initial shape-shifting."
"The ninth level enables myriad transformations, mastering the Dao of change!"
Recalling the contents of Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, Xu Hei couldn't help but gasp.
Nine levels, each more heaven-defying than the last.
At the later stages, one could even pass through formations without being detected.
Especially the final level, enabling myriad transformations.
Of course, no matter how you change, it doesn't alter your essence; a fight would reveal you. It's just a smokescreen.
Xu Hei wasn't interested in transformations; his focus was on the body technique's enhancements, which could save his life.
"Nine levels are too far off; I'll start with the first level."
Xu Hei estimated that with the difficulty of this technique, truly mastering the ninth level would take who knows how many years.
So, feeding the dragon statue Spirit Stones would yield a dragon clan supreme technique. It was a huge gain.
But Xu Hei suspected that next time, ten stones wouldn't be enough. Who knows how many it would take.
///119////
Southern Region, Headquarters of the Snake Catchers Sect.
This time, a large number of core elders who had been in seclusion came out, all to welcome the envoy from the Heavenly Puppet Sect.
Rather than welcoming, it was more like being on high alert to prevent any sudden attacks.
Upon arrival, the envoy demanded one hundred thousand spirit stones without any preamble, which enraged all the elders.
However, after the envoy injured two people, the Snake Catchers Sect obediently handed over the spirit stones.
"As cultivators of the Qin Kingdom, what's wrong with paying a little tax?"
"If you behave, this tax will be collected once a year. If not, I'll come every day to collect it, and you will have to pay whether you like it or not!"
The envoy sneered, pocketed the spirit stones, and left.
One hundred thousand spirit stones were no small amount for the Snake Catchers Sect; many Core Formation elders didn't have that many spirit stones.
"This Heavenly Puppet Sect is too much!"
"They're treating us like pigs to be slaughtered!"
The elders were furious but didn't dare to say much, knowing they couldn't afford to offend this person.
"Envoy, please wait!"
Suddenly, the Grand Elder, who was seated at the head, spoke up.
This person was the same gloomy old man who had appeared in Rock Serpent City earlier, his cultivation at the peak of mid-stage Core Formation, known as Yin Mingzi.
Apart from the sect master and some elders in deep seclusion, his cultivation was the highest.
"Oh? Do you have something to say?"
The envoy turned back, frowning slightly.
Yin Mingzi waved his hand, and a storage bag flew to the envoy's side.
"Envoy, you've traveled a long way. This is a small token of my appreciation, and also an apology for any earlier disrespect," Yin Mingzi said apologetically.
The envoy took the storage bag and scanned it with his divine sense, finding twenty thousand spirit stones inside, raising his eyebrows.
This didn't need to be handed over and was his personal gain.
"You have a request, don't you?" The envoy accepted it expressionlessly.
Yin Mingzi didn't hide anything, cupping his fists, "You must have heard about the demonic beast that destroyed Rock Serpent City."
"I've heard a bit," the envoy nodded.
"If the Heavenly Puppet Sect can capture that snake demon, I will offer three hundred thousand spirit stones as a reward," Yin Mingzi said, cupping his fists.
All the elders gasped.
Three hundred thousand spirit stones were more than half of the Snake Catchers Sect's savings, sending it out would be a severe blow! The elders wouldn't receive their stipends for years.
Everyone's expressions changed.
"Oh? Not interested in the giant elephant or the thunder lion, but willing to pay three hundred thousand for the weakest snake... why?"
"Capturing the snake is a small matter; it's just a gift to your sect, hoping the envoy will show mercy in the future."
Yin Mingzi bowed respectfully, his attitude sincere.
His words were reasonable, seemingly flawless.
But anyone could hear the underlying message in Yin Mingzi's words.
The envoy frowned, pondered for a moment, then nodded, "I will report this matter, and the sect will decide."
"Farewell, envoy!"
The envoy said no more and turned to leave.
After leaving, the envoy was still deep in thought.
He couldn't understand why three hundred thousand spirit stones, enough to hire a group of Core Formation cultivators, were offered just as a gift.
He initially thought of capturing the snake demon himself and pocketing the three hundred thousand, but on second thought, he decided to report it to avoid any traps.
...
At this moment, the Snake Catchers Sect's main hall was in an uproar.
No one understood why they had to offer three hundred thousand spirit stones to capture a snake, their savings accumulated over countless years.
"Grand Elder, why?"
"We could capture that snake demon ourselves, why give away our savings?"
Questions arose from all directions.
Yin Mingzi coldly said, "Can't you see?"
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Everyone was stunned.
"That snake demon has always seemed off! Puppet techniques, human spells, countless magical treasures and pills, its cultivation advancing rapidly. Do you think a wild snake could achieve this?"
Yin Mingzi said coldly.
An old woman seemed to realize something, her voice heavy, "Are you saying... this snake demon has someone behind it?"
"Exactly!"
Yin Mingzi nodded, "Initially, I was just suspicious, but yesterday, I learned from a bounty hunter that the snake demon could perform Body Swap, a secret technique of the Heavenly Puppet Sect!"
"Only a few direct disciples of the Heavenly Puppet Sect know this technique!"
"..."
The hall fell into dead silence.
"And last year, on the Yanluo River official ship, what did Qin Xuanji say? He told us not to worry about the snake, that he would handle it. Now it seems, how ironic," Yin Mingzi said self-deprecatingly.
In fact, they had long felt something was wrong. How could a snake be so formidable? Single-handedly wiping out all of Xuan Yangzi's subordinates and leading a group of demonic beasts to flatten Rock Serpent City?
They didn't believe in a miraculous snake, only in a powerful backer.
It made much more sense that the Heavenly Puppet Sect had secretly nurtured it to target them!
Everyone suddenly understood.
"My offer of three hundred thousand is clear: asking them to show mercy. We've already lost Rock Serpent City. If we lose Green Snake City or King Snake City, it won't be just three hundred thousand!" Yin Mingzi said helplessly.
The other elders sighed, treating the three hundred thousand spirit stones as a protection fee.
...
At this time, Xu Hei had no idea what the Snake Catchers Sect had imagined.
He had been waiting in Myriad Serpent Valley for days, but no one had come to trouble him.
In fact, Xu Hei was mentally prepared that if a powerful elder came, he would have to flee, but he would take Xu Bai with him, one of his few friends.
Xu Hei kept a bit of his divine sense on the jade disk given by the old dog.
The rest of his mind was focused on cultivating the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique.
Days passed.
The jade disk remained empty; not a single red dot from the Core Formation, Foundation Establishment, or Qi Refining stages appeared. Even if there were, they passed by quickly, never approaching Myriad Serpent Valley.
Xu Hei was puzzled.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, summer and autumn passed, and it was the end of the year.
Xu Hei finally completed the first layer of the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique and began the second layer.
Now, his movements were not just fast but had some form, unlike before, when he relied solely on speed.
"Swish, swish, swish..."
Xu Hei darted back and forth over the pond several times without causing a single ripple, sometimes left, sometimes right, leaving a phantom behind.
Leaving a phantom was the mark of the second layer.
"Half a year to reach the second layer, who knows when I'll finish all nine layers," Xu Hei sighed.
Over the past six months, Xu Hei hadn't neglected his main cultivation technique either.
The second transformation of the Nine Transformations of the True Dragon was to temper the dragon bones.
Xu Hei noticed a faint golden glow at the tip of his tailbone, and his cultivation had improved slightly.
Although it was just a preliminary change, the power of his tail had increased several times.
"Boom!"
Xu Hei's tail struck the pond, causing a massive splash and leaving a hundred-zhang deep crater! The water shot up into the sky and fell like rain!
This casual strike was comparable to a high-level spell.
Xu Hei's black true qi made him nearly invincible within the Foundation Establishment stage, and once his dragon bones formed, his physical strength would also increase dramatically.
This gave him great confidence.
"Time to spar with Man Jin."
Feeling confident, Xu Hei went to the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe.
Over the past six months, Xu Hei had often sparred with the Elephant Tribe, challenging all their experts, except for Man Jin.
However, to Xu Hei's frustration, no matter what moves he used or how he attacked, Man Jin remained unmoved.
Man Jin's body was covered with a golden shield, and no matter how Xu Hei struck, it had no effect, not even causing a ripple.
"Haha, use more strength! This is a gold-element spell I acquired last time, specializing in defense. Your strength is not enough!" Man Jin laughed heartily.
Xu Hei felt ashamed.
He used his dragon scales to cut with all his might, but it was useless, only scratching the surface, which quickly healed.
After three attempts, Xu Hei couldn't even break through the defense.
"Forget it, I give up."
Xu Hei sighed. The gap between Foundation Establishment and Core Formation was indeed vast.
The true essence power used in the Core Formation stage was far superior to that of the Foundation Establishment stage. Unless he used the Soul-absorbing Flag, Xu Hei had no other way.
////120///
Man Jin, I'm planning to visit a human city to buy some supplies. Do you need anything?" Xu Hei asked.
"Oh, you're going to a human city?" Man Jin was slightly surprised.
Xu Hei patted his storage bag and took out a puppet, placing it in front of him.
This was a flesh puppet Xu Hei had crafted from the corpse of a rogue cultivator, similar to Qin Shuang'er and Sun Jian.
Xu Hei had found this rogue cultivator's body during his attack on Rock Serpent City. The man had an ordinary appearance, the kind that would blend into a crowd. His storage bag was also empty, without even an identity token.
Using this puppet to infiltrate the city was ideal.
Of course, besides this puppet, Xu Hei had also made a backup and a backup for the backup.
"So it's a puppet."
Man Jin was well aware of Xu Hei's puppet techniques. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I don't really need anything. If you have time, could you get me some bananas? Oh, and watermelons too."
"Bananas, watermelons..."
Xu Hei was speechless.
Damn it, can't you ask for something more serious? Magical treasures or pills would be fine too.
He hadn't expected Man Jin to be such a foodie. With his ten-meter-tall body, it seemed no amount of food would be enough.
"Hehe, I have a child now, and he likes those things," Man Jin said with a simple smile.
Xu Hei was momentarily stunned and looked towards a hot spring, where a mother elephant and a recently born baby elephant were.
"I see."
Xu Hei nodded and said, "I'll keep an eye out."
Xu Hei put away the puppet, flashed his figure, and left the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe, heading straight north.
This trip was necessary because he had accumulated too many low-grade spirit stones. With storage bags from hundreds of people, he had over seventy thousand spirit stones and a bunch of miscellaneous magical treasures to sell.
...
Xu Hei left the mountains and first passed through Chen Family Town.
Now, Wang Ding and his sister Wang Qin were both working for the Chen Family. Wang Qin was a maid, and Wang Ding had become a servant.
The breathing exercise Xu Hei had taught them was learned by both. Although it wasn't a complete cultivation technique and couldn't generate cultivation, it could strengthen the body and prolong life.
Because of this, Wang Ding was recruited to do chores like chopping wood and cooking, which saved him from starving to death.
At the same time, he hadn't forgotten to study.
"A teacher imparts knowledge and resolves doubts... Huh? Snake..."
Wang Ding was suddenly startled, looking towards the east side of the courtyard. He was about to call out to the Snake Immortal but hesitated, fearing someone might overhear, and didn't say it.
Xu Hei was speechless. He was observing from a thousand meters away with his divine sense, yet Wang Ding still noticed.
"The Snake Immortal didn't show up, probably because he doesn't want to see me. Forget it, teaching me the breathing exercise in a dream was already a great favor."
Wang Ding didn't say anything more. He just knelt on the ground and kowtowed towards the east.
For this simple village boy, Xu Hei didn't want him to step onto the path of cultivation. It was a cruel and inhumane world.
Once you start cultivating, it's like a fish coming ashore. The fish is no longer a fish, and a person is no longer a person.
Xu Hei didn't linger and quickly left, heading towards the big city in the north.
However, Xu Hei didn't know.
From the moment he taught Wang Ding the breathing exercise, Wang Ding's path was already set. It was a bloody, cruel, and endless road.
Once you step into cultivation, there's no turning back!
...
Southern Region core, Chuyang City.
After six months of full restoration, Chuyang City had already regained its prosperity. This was a crucial battle for Qin Shengchu, and the city received special attention.
Over the past six months, a large number of people had migrated in. The number of cultivators and the economic strength had surpassed the Chu Kingdom's peak.
On this day.
An unremarkable middle-aged man walked to the gate of Chuyang City. The man had a square face, a broad forehead, dull eyes, and dry lips—an appearance that would blend into a crowd.
His hair was messy, he wore a thick coat, and his waist was tied with a burlap sack, making him look like a bloated dumpling.
Fortunately, it was winter; otherwise, this appearance would make him look like a lunatic.
Xu Hei had originally planned to wear a mask, but now, with the whole country catching spies and remnants of the Chu, masks were banned in the city. Xu Hei had no choice but to take off his mask.
"Entering the city requires a fee of five taels of silver."
The guard at the gate said, frowning at Xu Hei's appearance.
"Silver?"
Xu Hei was stunned and quickly searched his body.
After searching for a long time, he couldn't find any silver, which made him very embarrassed.
At this moment, the guard stared at his face for a long time, his expression changing. He trembled and said, "Senior, please enter. We won't charge you!"
Another guard's face also turned pale, and he took a few steps back.
"Hmm? No charge?" Xu Hei frowned. "You're not going to arrest me, are you?"
"No, no! Cultivators always enter the city for free!" The two guards quickly shook their heads.
Xu Hei didn't think much of it and walked into the city.
After Xu Hei entered the city, the two guards exchanged glances and waited for a long time until Xu Hei was completely out of sight before whispering.
"That person is..."
"Yes, it's him. I recognize every wanted criminal's portrait. That man is Ma Teng, who lost everything, even his wife and children, and still owes the Heavenly Dragon Casino a thousand spirit stones. He's currently wanted by the casino..."
"Shh, keep your voice down. Cultivators have extremely sharp senses. Don't let him hear us."
The two guards' faces changed, and they didn't dare to discuss further.
After entering the city, Xu Hei didn't walk far before realizing something was wrong.
He noticed that some passersby were subtly observing him, staring at his face, but quickly looking away when Xu Hei glanced back.
Was his face that strange?
Or was his figure too conspicuous?
Xu Hei's true body was hidden under his clothes, making him appear a bit bulky, but it was a reasonable amount of fat.
Xu Hei thought for a moment and gradually quickened his pace, becoming more vigilant.
Chuyang City was divided into the inner city and the outer city.
The inner city was the cultivator's area, occupying one-third of the city's area.
After entering the inner city, Xu Hei headed straight for the Myriad Treasure Pavilion trading area.
Suddenly, a group of cultivators emerged from the street corner, rushing towards Xu Hei with fierce expressions.
Xu Hei instinctively wanted to run but stopped himself.
"Ma Teng, you dare show your face? You have some nerve!"
"Get him!"
The leading black-clad cultivator waved his hand, and the others swarmed Xu Hei, punching and kicking him.
Xu Hei didn't want to cause trouble, but he quickly realized that this group had a grudge with the former owner of this body.
So this person's name was Ma Teng. What bad luck, running into this right away.
Xu Hei took a step back, activated the Gravity Technique, and sent the group flying, causing them to fall in disarray. Xu Hei had held back, so no one was killed.
"This..." Everyone was shocked.
The black-clad cultivator's face darkened and said, "Ma Teng, do you know the consequences of defying the casino?"
"Speak plainly. What do you want?" Xu Hei said impatiently.
The black-clad cultivator laughed coldly and said, "You owe our casino one thousand three hundred spirit stones. Are you trying to deny it?"
"Hmm?"
Xu Hei was stunned. All this trouble was over some money?
Xu Hei suddenly realized that the original owner of this body was just a Qi Refining Stage cultivator. One thousand three hundred spirit stones was an enormous sum!
He remembered how surprised he was when he found over a thousand spirit stones in Zhao Yiduo's black jade stone.
The black-clad cultivator was sure Ma Teng couldn't repay the debt, which was why they attacked.
One thousand spirit stones would take a Foundation Establishment cultivator a long time to save, and a Qi Refining Stage cultivator might never earn that much in a lifetime without great fortune.
As for how Ma Teng owed the money.
It started with just a hundred, but with interest piling up, it grew to this amount.