Serpent Ancestor

The wildfire raged, thick smoke billowing, flames covering the entire forest, spreading at an incredible speed towards its depths.

Before he even got close, Xu Hei saw countless birds fleeing and beasts crying out in agony.

A wildfire, for the animals living in the mountains, was undoubtedly a catastrophe.

Wherever the flames passed, only scorched earth remained. Any living being, any plant or animal, would perish.

Xu Hei's heart was heavier than ever before.

This was his home, his home!

"No!!!"

Xu Hei roared and charged towards his territory.

Hei Huang, seeing Xu Hei's expression for the first time, surprisingly said nothing, simply following behind.

Xu Hei rushed to the front of his territory. Two large mountains ahead were ablaze with towering flames. Most of the vegetation had already burned away, and the scene was like a hellscape, with rolling flames and scorching heat waves.

The wildfire continued to expand, countless creatures dying miserably, falling in the flames.

He saw a group of wild boars, a mother boar leading her piglets, fleeing through the flames, letting out heart-wrenching screams. Suddenly, a burning log fell, crushing the mother boar to the ground.

The piglets gathered around, refusing to leave, and were soon engulfed by the flames as well.

These piglets were ones Xu Hei had watched grow up, originally intended to be next year's food supply.

But right before his eyes, they were gone! Not a single one left!

There was also a nest of mountain doves, still learning to fly, swallowed by the flames along with the entire forest, all turned to ashes.

Countless creatures died one after another under Xu Hei's sweeping gaze.

The wildfire's coverage was too vast, beyond human ability to extinguish. It would likely burn deep into the forest until heavy rain fell to stop it.

Humans have a saying, "Set fire to the mountain, end up in prison," showing how severe the consequences of a wildfire can be.

Gritting his teeth, Xu Hei charged into the flames, his Divine Sense spreading wildly.

The flames burned on his body without causing any pain. Xu Hei sped up, arriving at a familiar pond, jumping in and entering a cave.

Inside the cave, thick smoke rolled.

In a corner, a group of wolf pups huddled together, along with the wolf king and a little white snake.

The little white snake had grown significantly, almost as big as Xu Hei, having broken through to the third level of the Spirit Communion Stage.

Fortunately, there was this cave. Otherwise, these creatures would have also struggled to escape the wildfire. But as time went on, the smoke grew thicker, and they would likely suffocate.

The Serpent Tree planted in the corner was still there, bearing a young fruit. In three years, a new Serpent Fruit would appear.

Seeing Xu Hei enter, the wolf king immediately approached, whimpering with its head lowered.

Outside, the fire burned fiercely, and thick smoke drifted in from the cave entrance. Staying here was not a long-term solution.

Xu Hei said nothing, rolling up the Serpent Tree and putting it into his Storage Bag. He spoke to the white snake and the wolf pack, "Let's go, I'll lead you out."

...

Thirty miles away, at the entrance of Snake Village.

An old man in a Taoist robe stood at the foot of the mountain, looking at the forest reduced to black ash, a cold smile on his face.

This man was the aged Chen Daoling.

Chen Daoling's lifespan was nearly exhausted, with at most three years left to live. He had no great ambitions in this life, only wishing to capture that old snake demon before he died, to skin it and refine it into a snake pill.

He didn't hope to extend his own life but left his hopes to his two remaining disciples.

Zhao Wenzhuo and Chen Duoduo.

At this moment, the two stood respectfully on either side behind him.

After months of secluded cultivation, Zhao Wenzhuo had reached the mid-stage of Qi Refining. For someone who had joined the Snake Catchers Sect only a year ago, this was considered a prodigious talent.

Chen Duoduo, a Chosen of the Chen Family, was about to break through to the late stage of Qi Refining.

"This wildfire has burned for three days. It should have reached that snake demon's lair by now," Chen Daoling sneered.

Zhao Wenzhuo was silent for a moment, then said, "Master, this fire has likely angered many demonic beasts. I'm afraid that snake demon will come down the mountain for revenge."

"Hmph, so what?" Chen Daoling sneered, exuding confidence.

"To tell you the truth, the old snake demon and the matter of Myriad Serpent Valley have already caught the interest of an elder from the headquarters. The Snake Catchers Sect is about to establish a branch hall here. When that happens, both of you can enter the branch hall for cultivation."

Hearing this, Zhao Wenzhuo and Chen Duoduo were both shocked.

The Snake Catchers Sect, one of the five major sects in Chu Kingdom and the southern overlord, had powerful forces with Qi Condensation cultivators stationed at every branch hall.

The establishment of a branch hall meant that the local cultivation level would rise sharply. Whether it was Snake Village, Python Village, or Chen Family Town, they would all benefit immensely.

There might even be a large population migration, establishing a new city here, leading to economic prosperity.

"Where will the branch hall be established?" Zhao Wenzhuo's eyes flashed as he asked.

"This involves sect secrets, and I have no authority to know. However, the elder has already sent a clone to investigate. There should be results soon," Chen Daoling said slowly.

The appearance of Myriad Serpent Valley was destined to attract the attention of the Snake Catchers Sect's high-level members. It was a natural snake field with endless snake resources.

If that were all, it would be fine, but the appearance of the old snake demon added fuel to the fire, further elevating the value of Myriad Serpent Valley.

Therefore, the Snake Catchers Sect planned to establish a branch hall to firmly occupy Myriad Serpent Valley.

...

In the deep mountains, the wildfire raged, thick smoke filled the sky, the air was full of dust, making it hard to breathe and impossible to open one's eyes.

"Water Bullet Technique!"

Xu Hei spat out water balls, extinguishing the flames and creating a wide path.

Behind him, the wolf king carried the pups, and the little white snake rushed out together, heading deeper into the forest.

Hei Huang appeared beside him, saying, "Xu Hei, these wildfires happen from time to time. It's nothing unusual. The weather is hot; it's normal."

Xu Hei crawled silently, saying nothing.

Hei Huang stood on the mountaintop, looking around, and smiled bitterly, "But such a large-scale one is indeed rare."

As they walked, all they saw was pitch-black scorched earth. Conservatively estimated, it had burned at least twenty miles, maybe more.

Without strong winds and heavy rain, it would just keep burning.

Hei Huang sighed, wanting to comfort Xu Hei but not knowing what to say. As a human, he couldn't understand the thoughts of a snake.

But thinking from another perspective, if his home were burned by a sudden wildfire, unable to be stopped, burning deeper and deeper, consuming the entire city, how would he feel?

"I don't think this was an accident."

Suddenly, Xu Hei, who had been silent for a long time, spoke.

"Hmm?" Hei Huang was stunned, waiting for Xu Hei to continue.

Xu Hei said seriously, "Earlier, you told me about the Snake Catchers Sect. They have many branches, mostly set up in places rich in Spiritual Qi and snake resources, right?"

"That's right!" Hei Huang nodded.

Xu Hei took a deep breath, his voice icy cold.

"I know who did this."

Xu Hei's eyes were cold and blood-red, bursting with unprecedented killing intent.

Such terrifying murderous intent even stunned Hei Huang. It was hard to imagine that this came from a mid-stage Spirit Communion demonic beast.