Serpent Ancestor

Purple Mist Sect.

In a secluded cave dwelling in the back mountain.

An old woman with a withered figure opened her eyes. Between her brows, a deathly aura loomed—a sign that her end was near.

"It seems my time is running out," He Luohua sighed deeply.

As a Nascent Soul ancestor, she rarely left seclusion, knowing that each time she did, it consumed her lifespan. How could she not understand?

That battle had left her gravely injured, depleting what little life force she had left. Now, she had at most half a year to live and was too weak to take action again. She could only arrange her final affairs.

But thinking about the current state of the Purple Mist Sect filled her with melancholy.

Both disciples and elders were of dubious character, unfit for great responsibilities.

Her only hope was to capture that demon and hand it over to the Snake Catchers Sect, ensuring their continued protection of the Purple Mist Sect.

"I obtained a scale from that demon snake. Perhaps I can use it as a medium to cast a soul-chasing spell and find it," He Luohua's eyes flickered with determination.

However, in her near-death state, she was powerless to search herself and could only entrust the task to others.

He Luohua stood up, intending to leave the cave dwelling to make her final arrangements.

At that moment, a shadow suddenly flashed before her eyes, a sinister smile appearing at the corner of its mouth.

"Old hag, so this is where you've been hiding!"

The moment the voice rang out, He Luohua's pupils contracted, and she retreated rapidly. A withered hand shot out from the darkness, grabbing at her like lightning.

…………

Southern forest of the Chu Kingdom.

Two snakes, along with a severely injured person, were swiftly moving through the mountains.

Xu Hei searched the surroundings but found no trace of the pursuer, leaving him no choice but to move on.

He suddenly thought that if Hei Huang were here, with his keen sense of smell, he might be able to sniff out the person.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, wondering where that old dog had disappeared to. It had been a month since he last saw him.

"Senior, actually... you don't need to be so wary of me. I'm wanted by the Snake Catchers Sect. Going back means certain death; I can't possibly escape."

On the shoulder of the stone man, Xiao Chou, who was tightly bound with ropes and covered with a burlap sack, spoke with a bitter smile.

"Oh? You can still talk?"

Xu Hei was surprised. This person was bruised and battered, with broken bones, barely clinging to life, yet he still had the strength to speak.

"Senior, that healing pill you gave me was quite potent. I only refined a bit of its residual power, and my injuries have already healed by half," Xiao Chou said with a wry smile.

Xu Hei was taken aback and glanced at Xu Bai, who was walking beside him.

"I told you, my pills are amazing. Everyone praises them," Xu Bai said proudly.

Xu Hei remained noncommittal.

Xiao Chou seemed honest and straightforward, not the type to lie, but Xu Hei still didn't let him down, planning to observe him for a few more days.

"I don't know if the person behind us will continue to follow. I need to be cautious."

Xu Hei didn't head directly to their destination. Instead, he led Xu Bai and Xiao Chou through the mountains, taking winding paths and lingering in dangerous areas to leave misleading traces before moving on.

This series of maneuvers left the others puzzled.

Xu Hei didn't explain and continued to circle the mountains, deliberately heading towards areas thick with demonic aura.

He was no longer the reckless youth who only knew how to run in a straight line.

Now, he left false information to lead pursuers astray, guiding them to dangerous places.

Having lived in the mountains for so long, Xu Hei couldn't claim to know all the dangers, but he had a good sense of them.

Moreover, he didn't make it too obvious, avoiding suspicion. Sometimes, he even deliberately acted secretive, making the false seem real.

With a mix of truth and lies, Xu Hei couldn't guarantee fooling everyone, but it was enough to deal with some reckless pursuers.

He didn't know who was behind them or if anyone was even following. This was purely a precaution.

…………

After Xu Hei and his group left, late that night.

A group of over twenty people appeared in the sky above the place where they had previously been in seclusion.

They were all wearing the robes of Snake Catchers. Leading them were five young men and women, all at the Foundation Establishment Stage.

The foremost person was even at the late Foundation Establishment Stage.

These five were Xuan Yangzi's five true disciples.

Hua Yuntian, the youngest disciple, was among them, along with Wang Ping, who had previously chased Xiao Chou with him. Wang Ping was the third disciple.

"This is the place Zhao Wenzhuo mentioned. Hmph! There's something here," said Wu Mochou, the eldest disciple, with a cold gaze, waving his hand.

In an instant, the two cave dwellings in front of them were exposed, revealing their interiors.

Although Xu Hei had deliberately destroyed the traces before leaving, it was still evident that someone had been in seclusion here, with faint spiritual power fluctuations.

"Is this really the demon's hiding place?" Hua Yuntian was incredulous. He had been here just a few days ago and had missed it.

"Indeed, Zhao Wenzhuo is skilled in divination. There's some truth to it," Wu Mochou said solemnly.

"But we are still a step too late. The demon left earlier," a young woman beside him sighed.

"Why not have Zhao Wenzhuo divine again?" Wang Ping suggested.

Wu Mochou said nothing, descending to carefully sense the spiritual power fluctuations. His eyes narrowed, a cold light flashing.

"The demon should have left less than half a day ago. We five will each lead a team and search separately. If anyone finds anything, notify everyone immediately."

"Yes!"

The group dispersed, searching the nearby areas.

…………

In half a day's time, if it were an ordinary demonic beast, their tracking experience might have allowed them to catch up.

However, they were dealing with Xu Hei.

Hua Yuntian's team headed east. After a while, using the Snake Catchers Sect's secret techniques, they indeed sensed a trace of snake aura.

"Could it be that I've stumbled upon it?" Hua Yuntian was taken aback.

To be honest, he still harbored some fear of the demon, but he didn't want to waste this great opportunity to earn merit.

The team continued tracking for about thirty miles, arriving at a swamp.

"The aura has disappeared. Could it be hiding under the swamp?" Hua Yuntian pondered, landing on the swamp.

At that moment!

Countless giant crocodiles suddenly leaped out of the swamp, their gaping jaws snapping at him.

"Terrifying Crocodile King!" Hua Yuntian and his team turned pale.

These crocodiles had excellent camouflage, blending seamlessly with the mud. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator could fall into their ambush if not careful.

Caught off guard, Hua Yuntian was bitten on the leg. Fortunately, he had a defensive magical treasure, but others weren't so lucky.

In an instant, two of his companions were dragged into the swamp and torn to pieces.

…………

Southeast, a female disciple led a five-person team into a forest filled with strange flowers.

They hadn't gone far when one of them, for some reason, swatted a bee.

"Stop!"

The leading woman shouted, but it was too late.

Countless killer bees swarmed from all directions, attacking the group.

…………

Various bizarre incidents befell each team.

The clever ones sensed danger early and avoided it, while the foolish ones were immediately struck, suffering injuries and losses.

"Damn it, we've been tricked!"

Eldest Brother Wu Mochou finally realized he had been led in the wrong direction.

Ahead was the territory of the Sun Eagle, a great demon at the Foundation Establishment stage. Though he wasn't afraid of it, who knew if killing one would attract a whole flock?

The demon's aura ended abruptly here, clearly leading him on purpose.

The most infuriating part was that the aura had been deliberately masked, making him believe it was real when it wasn't!

"Everyone, retreat immediately!"

Wu Mochou decisively took out four communication jade slips, recorded a message, and sent them into the sky.

He could sense the danger ahead, but who knew if others would fall for it?

Xuan Yangzi's five true disciples were all Chosen, but talent didn't equate to wisdom. Some were barely in their teens, how could they discern these traps?

However, it was already too late.

Not long after, a rumbling sound came from afar, the earth shaking, demonic aura soaring into the sky, as if a terrifying demon was approaching rapidly.

Second disciple Liu Fei was seen burning her blood essence, fleeing frantically while shouting, "Senior Brother, save me, save me!!"

Behind her, a massive Wild Giant Elephant, filled with rage, was stomping through the air, chasing the Snake Catchers.

"Damn humans, you all deserve to die!"

The Wild Giant Elephant had long remembered these humans in Snake Catchers' robes, killing them on sight.

It roared a terrifying sonic boom, waves of energy sweeping the sky. With one roar, two people bled from their orifices and fell dead.

"Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment?" Wu Mochou's face turned black.

…………

Along the way, Xu Hei had set up no fewer than ten false routes as lures, in all directions.

These misleading routes were insignificant to true great cultivators, but they could work wonders on some people.

"Let's leave it at that. Buying some time is better than nothing," Xu Hei thought to himself.

Xiao Chou was dumbfounded, having witnessed Xu Hei's cunning maneuvers, unsure how to react.

How devious must one be to do such things?

The most absurd part was that Xu Hei wasn't even sure if anyone was following them; it was purely a precaution.

"The Snake Catchers are really out of luck to run into such a jinx," Xiao Chou thought.

Actually, Xu Hei had held back.

The dangerous places he led them to could be survived with enough life-saving means and Foundation Establishment cultivation.

If he were truly ruthless, he could have led them to that abandoned mine and unleashed the Spirit-Eating Ants.

No one would have survived.

Of course, Xu Hei didn't want to expose that abandoned mine to outsiders. He believed it might hold secrets.