The Splendor Sword, poised to stab down once more, was firmly gripped by a hand.
The Snake Demon bowed his head deeply, his breath heavy.
When he looked up again, his eyes were blood-red, a cruel smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
“Wanwan, what nonsense are you talking about? Of course I love you. If I didn’t love you, how could I let you bear my children? Don’t you remember? Back on this bed, you gave birth to twenty-eight snake eggs for me. Those are our twenty-eight children. Have you forgotten how they looked when they hatched? So small, so adorable. Our family was so happy together.”
His tone shifted as the Snake Demon glared fiercely at Ning Yin, his gaze icy and violent. “But why is your heart so cruel? Those are your children—children you bore yourself. And yet, while I was away, you dared to burn our children alive!”
“But it doesn’t matter. Now that you’ve returned, you can still give birth to many, many more children for me.”
“This time we’ll have thirty, fifty, a hundred! Right here on this bed, Wanwan, alright?”
The Splendor Sword in his grip trembled faintly.
Ning Yin’s throat bobbed as she swallowed, but there was no fear for the snake in her eyes—only loathing. “You’re disgusting!”
“Disgusting?” The Snake Demon threw back his head and laughed.
“Aren’t women meant to bear children? What’s the difference between one and fifty? Once you give birth to snake eggs for me, become a mother, you won’t feel disgusted anymore.”
Scalding fresh blood dripped along the sword edge.
Taking the chance, Ning Yin flipped herself upright.
Glancing back, she saw the Snake Demon on the bed convulsing, paying no heed to the non-lethal wound.
The muscles beneath his skin writhed and bulged, bones crackling with a sickening “ka ka” sound.
His clothes burst apart, and hard black scales pierced through his skin like bamboo shoots after rain, covering his entire legs.
But those were no longer legs—they had fused into a thick, powerful snake tail that coiled atop the bed.
His arms remained vaguely human, but his fingernails turned sharp and black, the backs of his hands layered in scales that seemed steeped in deadly poison.
Then, his pupils contracted sharply, stretching and elongating into two cold, emotionless golden vertical slits that locked onto Ning Yin.
In an instant, the air was suffused with a nauseatingly sweet and fishy odor.
“Hiss—” A fetid, toxic wind rushed toward her. The Snake Demon struck suddenly, moving so fast that only a dark blur could be seen before he was right before Ning Yin. His snake tail swept sideways with a force that stirred dust everywhere.
Ning Yin retreated swiftly.
The cold, slippery scales nearly brushed her spine.
She lifted her sword, only to be met by a heavy force slamming into her blade. With a screech, the Splendor Sword scraped across the tail scales, sparking.
Her hand felt as if it would split apart from the impact, her whole arm numb, yet the scales remained unscathed.
The Snake Demon lunged with both hands. Ning Yin twisted aside just in time, narrowly dodging claws that almost ripped her cheek.
It was exactly as Ye Shangqiu had said—this Snake Demon’s cultivation was profound.
She, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, was no match.
The Snake Demon’s scales were impervious to blades, and his fanged mouth snapped at her throat several times.
The thick tail was overwhelming; after just a few exchanges, Ning Yin felt her strength failing.
Men really couldn’t be relied on!
Where was the promised coordination from inside and out?
Where were they?
Had they died somewhere?
Gritting her teeth, Ning Yin cursed Yan Hanzhou and Ye Shangqiu over and over in her heart, but she dared not let her grip on the Splendor Sword falter for a second.
The Snake Demon had realized Ning Yin’s weak cultivation from the start and paid her little heed.
After a few moves, he sneered, opened his mouth, and spewed a torrent of thick green poison mist.
The poisonous fog surged forward like a tide, its foul stench stabbing straight to her lungs.
Holding her breath, Ning Yin retreated rapidly. In the Snake Demon’s upturned, cold eyes, contempt and ferocity mingled.
His tail whipped with a shriek, smashing into her waist and belly.
Caught off guard, Ning Yin was slammed into the stone wall, pain blooming where she still wasn’t used to it, her vision going black.
Her mind still dazed, she sensed countless cold, slippery “ropes” winding around her limbs. Ning Yin found herself suspended, bound high against the stone wall.
When the dizziness faded and she looked up, her pupils shrank: the things binding her were no ropes, but countless interwoven blue-black venomous snakes! The faintly glowing lights on the wall weren’t pearls, but a multitude of snake eyes, staring straight at her.
Scales rubbed together with a dry rustling sound.
At the peak of fear, Ning Yin’s face was drained of all color. She felt nothing but revulsion.
Yan Hanzhou!
Ning Yin chewed the name between her teeth.
She clenched her jaw tight, afraid that if she opened her mouth, she would call out his name.
The Snake Demon strolled over, appraising Ning Yin’s delicate face and thin body from head to toe. “Such a lovely face, but too skinny. No matter—if you bear my children, I’ll make sure you’re well-fed!”
Ning Yin squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to calm down, quietly estimating the time in her mind.
Half an hour…
She opened her eyes. “I know you want me to bear your children, but I imagine you’d prefer if I did so willingly. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have bothered weaving such tender tales to tempt me. If you agree to one condition, I’ll willingly give you children.”
The Snake Demon’s eyes narrowed. “What condition?”
“After I bear your children, you must give me the sealed treasure.”
The Snake Demon scrutinized her for a long time before bursting into laughter. “You cultivators really are greedy. Even in this situation, you still think of treasures!”
“So, do you agree or not? If not, then even if it costs me my life, I’ll take your children down with me!”
“Is that so? Unfortunately, I, your king, am never threatened, nor do I need to make ridiculous deals with you. Willing or not, I only need to bite the back of your neck, and from then on, you’ll obey me completely.”
A gaping mouth, reeking of poison, lunged for the nape of Ning Yin’s slender neck.
All Ning Yin’s warning bells rang at once—on the brink of death, she could no longer hesitate!
With a thought, Splendor behind her instantly conjured countless sword shadows in utter silence.
Just as the Snake Demon struck, several sword images pierced his vital point with flawless accuracy.
The Snake Demon noticed Ning Yin’s subtle move but sneered, unfazed.
He had inner breath to shield him, and his scales were impenetrable.
How could a little Foundation Establishment cultivator harm him? But the next instant—shing!—Splendor pierced through the scales with a muffled “puchi,” the sound of blade entering flesh.
The Snake Demon shuddered violently, his attack halting mid-air.
Agonizing pain erupted from his chest, and his upturned snake pupils filled with disbelief—as if he couldn’t comprehend how his supposedly invulnerable scales had been pierced by a mere sword.
The venomous snakes binding Ning Yin’s limbs instantly scattered.
She tumbled to the ground, gasping for breath. “I told you, Realgar Powder is colorless and tasteless. Once ingested, no one would suspect. I only poured you a cup of wine laced with it—I never said I wouldn’t serve a second cup.”
Realgar Powder, being colorless and tasteless, would take effect after half an hour and drastically weaken a Snake Demon’s power.
Ye Shangqiu hadn’t lied.
“You wretched mortal—how dare you… how dare you hurt me!” The Snake Demon clutched his chest, hatred and pain twisting his voice.
“Hurt you?” Having gone from extreme terror to extreme rage, Ning Yin’s eyes blazed. “Not only do I want to hurt you, I’ll kill you! And raze your Ten Thousand Snakes Cave to the ground!”
The Splendor Sword hummed in her hand.
Torrents of spiritual power surged into the blade. In an instant, the sword’s radiance flared, countless chilling sword shadows pouring down like a torrential storm, shredding every snake in the cave into pulp wherever they swept.
“Impudence! You dare—” Before he could finish, multiple Splendor sword shadows pierced through the Snake Demon’s body, tearing him apart.
Deep in his Essence Field, the Demon Core shattered under Splendor’s sword intent.
In that moment, his colossal form lost all strength, crashing to the ground and raising a cloud of dust.
His once-fierce vertical pupils glared at Ning Yin with all their hatred and unwillingness, until the last spark of life faded from them.
Staring at the now lifeless Snake Demon, Ning Yin’s hand shook uncontrollably around her sword.
Dead.
That disgusting Snake Demon had died at her hand.
She looked toward the cave entrance. In Yan Hanzhou’s grasp, a sword formed entirely of spiritual power still bristled with lethal intent, while Ye Shangqiu stood gaping, so stunned it seemed his soul had left his body.
Step by step, Ning Yin walked toward them, gripping Splendor so tightly she wished to stab them both.
But she restrained herself.
“I was very afraid, but I know you were right. I must grow stronger if I want to survive.”
The sword of spiritual power in Yan Hanzhou’s hand faded away. The heart he’d held high finally settled, and in his usually indifferent eyes now surged a deep, unreadable mix of scrutiny and agitation.
He wanted to speak, but Ning Yin brushed past his shoulder.
Ning Yin walked to the stream by the side, washing the blood from Splendor’s blade.
The red stained a small patch of water, but the rushing current quickly swept it away, disappearing without a trace.
So, even the body of the cold, chilling Snake Demon bled red, hot blood, just like a human.
She took a deep breath, continuing to scrub the last trace of blood away.
Only now did the memories of her life-and-death struggle in Ten Thousand Snakes Cave surge back, like a belated tide.
The trembling and terror she’d suppressed until now seized her heart at last. Unable to hold on, she dropped to her knees at the stream, sobbing uncontrollably.
She didn’t even know why she was crying.
She had never been especially strong, and she couldn’t recall exactly how she’d killed the Snake Demon. It all felt so natural, so effortless. Yan Hanzhou had been right—only on the verge of death does one tap their true potential.
Footsteps sounded behind her.
“This is my first time killing a person… killing a demon…” Ning Yin looked up at Yan Hanzhou, still trembling, her voice hoarse and broken from survival’s edge.
“Do you know, I almost died just now—just a hair’s breadth! That Snake Demon… its tail was so thick, its scales so hard, the whole cave full of snakes, all those eyes staring at me. I even thought about those Night-Luminescent Pearls—wanted to pry a few out after killing it. And when they were wrapping around me—their bodies were soft, but the scales were hard, that sound they made when they tightened… Can you imagine what it feels like to be bound hand and foot by snakes?!”
“Yan Hanzhou, you’re too much! We were supposed to work together, but I did it all! How could you?!”
“Sorry.”
“Why didn’t you come?”
Yan Hanzhou was silent. “Because your potential hadn’t yet reached its limit. I didn’t want your effort to go to waste.”
“And if I had died?!”
Yan Hanzhou’s gaze was steady. “I said you wouldn’t be harmed. I also knew you could do it. If I’d acted rashly before you reached your limit, all your hard work would have been in vain. Cultivation is like this. If I help you too much, I’m actually harming you.”
Ning Yin’s eyes were red as she gritted her teeth. “I trusted you—that’s why I came to Ten Thousand Snakes Cave! Do you know what could’ve happened if you didn’t keep your promise at a dangerous moment?! I know you want me to grow stronger, but Yan Hanzhou, I trusted you because we’re friends!”
Looking into Ning Yin’s flushed eyes, Yan Hanzhou was silent for a long time. “Is your trust in me more important than cultivation?”
“…Both are important! But if you expect me to face everything alone, just say so. There are many opportunities to cultivate, but trust between people comes only once!”
Ning Yin took a deep breath.
She knew that, whether when Yan Hanzhou became the Stone Demon back in Lingyun Sect to help her train, or today when he pushed her to her limits in Ten Thousand Snakes Cave, he always put cultivation first. But—”Have you never had a friend before?”
A thousand years ago, when he roamed the Nine Provinces, he traveled alone and was long used to solitude.
Ning Yin understood his silence. “Then remember: I am your friend. I know you mean well, but you cannot break faith with a friend. No matter the reason, if you do it again, I won’t trust you anymore.”
“Alright, I understand.” He looked steadily at Ning Yin, enunciating each word: “If you’re angry, you can stab me with your sword. I broke my promise, and I deserve it.”
“You think I don’t want to stab you?!”
“If it doesn’t appease you, you can stab me a few more times.”
“I’ll remember! If you ever do this again, I’ll stab you several more times!”
“There won’t be a next time.”
Hearing Yan Hanzhou’s reply, the anger in Ning Yin’s heart finally eased.
After a brief silence, Yan Hanzhou spoke again, his voice a notch lower. “Ye Shangqiu said that over the years, the Snake Demon abducted countless women, forcing them to become vessels for his eggs. Once their worth was spent, they all became food for that beast. If you hadn’t killed him today, who knows how many more innocents would have suffered. You’ve slain a monster and avenged all those women who perished in the snake’s belly.”
Ning Yin gnashed her teeth. “Beast! Dying like that was too easy for him! He should have been cut to pieces and stewed for snake soup!”
“In any case, the Snake Demon is dead. The victims can rest in peace. But during your fight, there was one oversight you must be mindful of.”
“What oversight?”
“Before your final move to clear the cave, you should have made sure the Snake Demon was dead. Otherwise, if he had a single breath left, he would have retaliated, and if you were careless, the consequences would be dire.”
“You saw everything?”
“Whether it was feigning to be seduced and dosing him, or fighting him before the drug took effect, you timed everything perfectly,” Yan Hanzhou said gravely. “I told you—I wouldn’t let you be harmed.”
Just as his words fell, a dazzling rainbow of light flashed out of the dark mouth of Ten Thousand Snakes Cave, alighting lightly on Yan Hanzhou’s shoulder, chirping crisply.
The two walked into the cave. Ye Shangqiu stood before a sealed sigil on the stone wall, scratching his head. Seeing them approach, he called out, “Fellow Yan, come take a look at this seal. I’ve tried everything but it won’t budge.”
Yan Hanzhou examined the seal.
Countless golden runes formed a complex, flawless array, containing a lingering, ancient power that seemed to silently warn off any would-be thieves.
“No wonder this Snake Demon lurked here for so many years without claiming the treasure. The seal is so tough—only someone above Golden Core can break it.”
“Lingxiao Immortal Lord, honestly! If this treasure is meant for a fated heir, why make the seal so hard to open?” Ye Shangqiu paced in agitation, then suddenly rushed out of the cave as if remembering something.
Only a Nascent Soul could break this seal?
Staring at the swirling golden runes, Ning Yin suddenly thought of Si Heyu, who was at the Nascent Soul Stage. She frowned. “The seal needs Nascent Soul to break, and the male lead happens to be Nascent Soul—it’s like this treasure was made just for the main characters.”
But—
She had risked her life to find this treasure.
She looked at Yan Hanzhou. “You’re well-traveled—do you know how to break this seal?”
“I do.” Yan Hanzhou said no more, forming a hand seal.
A pure, refined strand of soul power flowed from his palm.
Instantly, all the runes on the stone wall lit up, their brilliance swelling. Drawn by the soul power, they turned to motes of gold and scattered, vanishing entirely in moments as if they’d never been.
Where the gold light faded, a simple, warm wooden box appeared on the stone platform.
“…”
“Your spoils of war,” Yan Hanzhou gestured. “Open it and see.”
Curious, Ning Yin examined the box. “I wonder what kind of treasure is inside. It’s like opening a blind box—how exciting.”
She took a deep breath and slowly lifted the lid.
Inside was a Yuzhi Jade Purity Bottle, a pair of Yin Yang Fish Pendants, a palm-sized, icy-cold, heavy, hollowed-out iron cover, and a dainty Triangular Token Flag.
“I know what the pills and jade pendants are, but what are this iron cover and this triangle flag for?”
“This is the Divine Dragon Cover. Once released, it becomes an inescapable net that can ensnare all beast-blooded creatures under the heavens. As for the triangle flag…” He looked at the mysterious black Triangular Token Flag, his gaze deepening. “It’s just a ragged old flag—not much use.”
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