Serpent Ancestor

"How did I get out here?!"

Xu Hei's face changed dramatically. He hurriedly tried to get up and crawl back into the snake hole.

There were many wolves outside, and even a mid-stage Spirit Communion Bear Demon. How could he afford to provoke them?

But then, he was shocked to find that his body had swollen up like a huge ball, nearly four meters long, as if he had swallowed something enormous.

Xu Hei struggled to retreat several meters, looking around in confusion.

Snow fell, covering the world in a blanket of white. The wolf pack was long gone, and the Bear Demon was nowhere to be seen.

Xu Hei felt like his head had been hit with a sledgehammer, the pain was excruciating.

"What just happened?"

Xu Hei's head throbbed with pain as fragmented memories flooded in. Soon, he remembered everything.

Earlier in the snake hole, he had accidentally drunk a lot of wine, feeling hot and wanting to cool off outside.

He had eaten many rabbits, and it seemed he had even eaten a pig. But in this icy world, how could there be a pig?

Xu Hei was horrified to realize that not a single wolf from the nearby pack was left.

Those weren't rabbits; they were wolves!

As for that fat pig...

Xu Hei swallowed hard and looked at the tree ahead. There was a bear's head under it, staring at him quietly.

"I... I didn't mean to."

Xu Hei felt bitter inside.

That was a mid-stage Spirit Communion Bear Demon, capable of killing a Snake Catcher with a single slap. He wouldn't dare provoke it even with a hundred times the courage!

He had been drunk and reckless, coming out and killing the Bear Demon.

How dangerous! He could have easily lost his life!

Xu Hei shuddered with fear. He swore never to drink again.

"Blame the humans. It's all their fault. They harm their own kind and even got you killed, Demon Brother. If you're angry, go find them, but please don't come after me."

Xu Hei silently muttered a few words, bowed, and crawled forward, swallowing the bear's head in one gulp.

This place was no longer safe.

He couldn't go back to his original spot, so Xu Hei had to find a new place to hibernate.

Xu Hei took a deep breath and used the last of his strength to crawl out.

At this moment, he felt waves of pain, not just from swallowing things but also from the Bear Demon's slap. Xu Hei recalled the battle, which was utterly gruesome.

Facing such a giant creature, who would charge head-on? It was suicidal!

Luckily, his skin was thick and tough, only breaking a few bones. Any other Snake Demon would have died several times over from a single slap.

Xu Hei couldn't crawl normally and had to inch forward like a maggot, but fortunately, the scales on his tail helped him move quickly.

As a Snake Demon living in the mountains for many years, he was familiar with the terrain and had several backup hibernation spots.

Before long, Xu Hei arrived at a crack in the mountain rock. Below the crack was a very hidden pond.

The pond was already frozen. Xu Hei crawled into the crack, broke the ice, and slipped into the icy water.

The entrance to the pond was small, but the interior was large, connected to a cave, extremely hidden, one of Xu Hei's preselected hibernation spots.

He swam for a while, left the water, and entered the cave.

The cave was pitch black, and he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. Xu Hei liked this environment. He lay down, breathing in and out, quietly digesting the Bear Demon's meat.

The snow fell heavier, and the wind howled outside, covering the ground with corpses.

It was as if nothing had ever happened.

…………

That night, the authorities immediately organized a team to search the mountain. When they arrived at the scene, they found only scattered corpses, covered by the snow.

The news spread back to the village, hitting like a thunderbolt, causing widespread mourning.

Zhao Wenzhuo mingled at the back of the crowd, his eyes red as he knelt on the ground, crying bitterly.

Beside him stood a woman in a red robe, frowning.

"Junior Brother Zhao, you said there was a mid-stage Spirit Communion Bear Demon here?" the woman in the red robe asked, puzzled.

"Yes, I didn't expect the Bear Demon to be so powerful! Senior Brother Ding died protecting me!" Zhao Wenzhuo said, heartbroken.

Soon, they found Ding Hai's mutilated body. His storage bag was destroyed, and everything was gone. His eyes were still open, filled with resentment, seemingly staring at Zhao Wenzhuo.

Zhao Wenzhuo feigned anger, "Senior Sister, that Bear Demon was hit by a mid-level Explosive Talisman. It must be seriously injured. Why don't we go into the mountain to kill the demon and avenge Senior Brother?"

"Absolutely not! A mid-stage Spirit Communion Bear Demon is far more dangerous than you think. Besides, it's a Bear Demon, with strong vitality. If seriously injured, it will become even more ferocious. We can't provoke it!" the woman in the red robe said sternly.

Zhao Wenzhuo quickly bowed, "Senior Sister, you are right."

On the surface, Zhao Wenzhuo seemed naive, but in reality, he was very clear-headed. How could he not know the Bear Demon's strength? That Bear Demon was at the fifth level of the Spirit Communion Stage; a single Explosive Talisman couldn't seriously injure it.

The woman in the red robe grew suspicious. Zhao Wenzhuo and Ding Hai went up the mountain to catch snakes, but did they need to bring thirty people?

It was clear they had other motives. Unfortunately, no survivors were left to question.

"Anyway, it's fortunate you survived. Ding Hai's death was an accident. I will explain it to the master," the woman in the red robe said calmly.

"Thank you, Senior Sister Song," Zhao Wenzhuo quickly bowed.

…………

In the pitch-black cave.

A massive shadow coiled in the corner of the cave, its body rising and falling rhythmically, exhaling white mist.

The massive shadow was Xu Hei, who was hibernating.

At this moment, the Spiritual Qi cloud inside the Demon God Cauldron had expanded to its full capacity, filling the small cauldron, a sign of reaching the second level of the Spirit Communion Stage.

Suddenly, Xu Hei's body trembled violently. The Spiritual Qi cloud inside the Demon God Cauldron compressed rapidly, shrinking to a single point.

Although the area shrank, the concentration of Spiritual Qi increased tenfold, almost becoming tangible.

At the same time, a surge of immense power spread throughout Xu Hei's body. His bones crackled like thunder, his physical body transforming.

An old snakeskin shed, replaced by tougher new skin.

Spirit Communion Stage, third level!

This was a watershed moment. The fourth level would be the mid-stage of the Spirit Communion Stage, a completely different concept from the early stage.

At this moment, there was still plenty of Bear Demon's blood and Qi left. Xu Hei continued to absorb and refine it at an incredible speed.

…………

Outside Chen Family Town, in the dilapidated Mountain God Temple.

The place was deserted, with only a few beggars frozen to death, no other signs of life.

According to the elders, this place was not a Mountain God but an evil god. Several murders had occurred here, causing everyone to fear coming near.