Serpent Ancestor

Man Jin's self-moved speech left Xu Hei speechless.

He hadn't really done much, just exchanged some pills, and it wasn't even an equivalent trade.

But even this insignificant act of kindness greatly moved Man Jin.

It was evident what the Elephant Tribe had been through.

"You don't need to call me benefactor, just call me Xu Hei."

"Alright, benefactor, if you ever have the chance, you must visit our Elephant Tribe. We will welcome you with open arms."

"......"

......

After seeing Man Jin off, Xu Hei returned to his cave dwelling.

Xu Hei had always been cautious in his actions. Even when Man Jin said he wanted to repay him that day, Xu Hei did not show his face.

Most cultivators were inherently cunning, but there were also some straightforward, honest, kind, and simple people. Man Jin was one of them.

In the end, it was all for survival.

Like that old ape, who had lived for over a hundred years and once had Foundation Establishment cultivation. He had fallen due to severe injuries. His experiences were far richer than Xu Hei's, as could be glimpsed from his storage artifacts.

Xu Hei began to inventory the old ape's treasures.

A longbow, bone arrows, Spirit-Devouring Elephant tusks, an iron pot, an artifact refining furnace, a stick, herbs...

He discarded all the low-level items, leaving only four treasures.

The Spirit-Devouring Elephant tusks, the iron pot, a sheepskin scroll, and a key.

The sheepskin scroll depicted a map with very detailed textures, clear even when magnified a thousand times.

"This is... a map of the Wu Mountain Range!" Xu Hei focused his mind.

The map was very large, covering most of the outer regions of Wu Mountain, with all the demonic beasts clearly marked.

Xu Hei's location was a valley marked with a red dot and two snakes.

A hundred miles north, a bear was drawn with a large red dot, indicating the Ice Soul Giant Bear that Hei Huang had mentioned, in the late Foundation Establishment stage.

The mongoose was two hundred miles away, with a red dot slightly smaller than the Ice Soul Giant Bear.

The elephant herd was in the corner of the map, located in a hot spring plain a thousand miles away, with rivers and villages nearby, marked with the largest red dot.

In the depths of the Wu Mountain Range, there were some black dots depicting various strange demonic beasts, like three-headed wolves and four-winged birds... Xu Hei didn't need to look to know these were great demons in the Demon Core Stage.

Animals undergoing demonic transformation would experience a series of mutations, and nothing was surprising.

Of course, he had never seen a fish with legs.

Additionally, there were some areas marked with crosses, whose meanings Xu Hei did not understand.

However, one of the crossed areas was a place Xu Hei had been to, the abandoned mine.

"Does the cross indicate extreme danger?" Xu Hei pondered.

This map, given the old ape's abilities, couldn't have been so comprehensive. It must have been inherited from someone else and updated by himself.

Though not a magical treasure, this item was extremely valuable. Xu Hei took out a jade slip, made a copy, and carefully stored it.

As for the iron pot, Xu Hei used his divine sense to find that it was a mid-grade spiritual treasure, a magical artifact for mid-Foundation Establishment stage use.

No wonder the Earth Spike couldn't pierce it.

Xu Hei quickly refined it and stored it in his storage bag.

Finally, there was a key and half a tusk.

The key's material was unknown, covered with countless complex patterns, similar to the deconstruction array disk Hei Huang had given him.

Xu Hei tried scraping it with a scale but found it undamaged, which surprised him. It was the first time he encountered something his scales couldn't harm.

"This material surpasses the flying swords of the Core Formation stage. I wonder what it unlocks."

Xu Hei pondered for a moment and carefully stored the key.

He then rolled up the tusk and began cutting it with his scales.

The tusk had its own spiritual charm, requiring no advanced artifact refining techniques, just shaping to be effective.

After a day, Xu Hei completed a flying sword.

The sword was a meter long, snow-white like jade, with a serpentine blade and no hilt, purely Xu Hei's personal preference.

Generally, only those who reached the Foundation Establishment stage could control a flying sword and perform sword flight.

However, Xu Hei was born with a strong divine sense and could now freely control a flying sword without the need for Gravity Technique.

He also collected the tusk shavings for future use in the artifact refining furnace, to avoid waste.

He had tried to shape the other two tusks, but the process was extremely difficult. Even with all his strength, his scales could only make a small cut.

At this rate, it would take him half a year to complete, and Xu Hei didn't have that much time to waste. He decided to wait until he reached the Foundation Establishment stage to consider it.

......

In the neighboring cave dwelling.

"Ahhh!!!"

Xiao Chou let out a hysterical scream, staring at his healed arm, his voice shrill and high-pitched.

At this moment, his right arm was covered in fluffy red hair, long and thick, resembling that of a long-armed ape.

"Ah! Help, help!"

Xiao Chou ran to Xu Bai, crying out, "Senior Bai, help me, help me! What's wrong with my arm?"

He shook his arm, which looked just like that of a red-haired monkey.

Xu Bai looked at him and smiled, "Don't panic, this is my latest research on flesh and blood transplantation. I transplanted the flesh and blood of a long-armed ape demonic beast onto you to help you recover quickly! Not only that, but your arm can also stretch freely like the long-armed ape's, with immense strength!"

Xiao Chou's face turned pale.

His arm had turned into a monkey's arm?

Oh my god, how could he face anyone? How could he ever get married?

"Can this... be reverted?" Xiao Chou asked tentatively.

"Why revert? Aren't humans just evolved monkeys? Besides, isn't it good to become stronger?" Xu Bai didn't quite understand and asked in return.

Xiao Chou was stunned.

He swung his monstrous arm, hearing the sound of wind breaking, and it seemed his strength had indeed increased significantly.

He punched the wall, causing the formation to shake violently.

"It really is stronger!"

But then, Xiao Chou shook his head vigorously, "No, this is too ugly. Can you remove the hair and shorten it?"

Actually, if it could enhance his strength, he could accept being a bit ugly. As a cultivator, he could make such a compromise.

Xu Bai frowned and said, "You want a different look?"

"Yes, something closer to a normal human." Xiao Chou nodded quickly.

"It's not impossible."

Xu Bai pondered for a moment, took out a bottle of snake venom, and handed it over, "This can suppress the long-armed ape's bloodline."

Xiao Chou took it and eagerly drank it all in one gulp.

"Hey! It really works..."

Xiao Chou saw the red hair on his arm fall off, and the size returned to normal.

But then, he felt a rush of heat to his head, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.

"This is for external use," Xu Bai said.

......

Time flew by, and winter arrived.

Snow fell in the deep mountains and forests, covering the ground with frost. Most animals chose to hibernate or migrate to warmer places, with only a few able to live in the cold winter.

Xu Hei looked at the silver-white world outside, exhaled a breath of hot air, and returned to the cave.

Now, his cultivation had reached the peak of the ninth layer of the Spirit Communion stage, the Great Perfection of the Spirit Communion stage.

He could already maintain his body temperature like a warm-blooded animal, though it continuously consumed True Qi.

This made snake demons unsuitable for going out, and most would choose to hibernate and cultivate in seclusion.

"It's time to establish my foundation."

Xu Hei took out the Foundation Establishment Pills, placed them beside him, recalled the experiences Hei Huang had shared, took a deep breath, and calmed his mind.

An hour later, Xu Hei confirmed he was in his best state.

He no longer hesitated, first taking out the prepared Golden Eagle meat and swallowing it in one gulp, his body immediately swelling into a small mountain.

With the entire Golden Eagle in his body, Xu Hei operated the Demon God Cauldron, rapidly refining it. The immense blood and energy transformed into thin threads, rushing through Xu Hei's meridians.

Xu Hei's aura grew at a terrifying speed, and Black Gold Scales appeared, spreading from his tail to his midsection and continuing upward.

The faint barrier was gradually being broken.

When Xu Hei's blood and energy reached their peak a week later, he no longer hesitated, opened his mouth, and swallowed the Foundation Establishment Pills.

"Boom!!"

A loud noise erupted within, and the spiritual liquid in the Demon God Cauldron underwent earth-shattering changes.

......

In the southern part of the Chu Kingdom, near the border with the Qin Kingdom, at Yanluo River.

A massive official ship sailed through Yanluo River. This was the upper reaches, where the fierce wind was strong, and even Foundation Establishment stage cultivators dared not fly recklessly.

Inside the main hall of the official ship sat a middle-aged cultivator. His appearance was ordinary, his aura weak, like a mortal. But no one present dared to underestimate him. He was the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, the Thousand Puppet King, Qin Xuanji.

He alone was equivalent to an entire army.

On both sides of the hall, a group of cultivators sat cross-legged. They came from various sects in the southern part of the Chu Kingdom.

Mountain Movers Sect, Carefree Sect, Purple Mist Sect, Tai Xuan Sect... even the Snake Catchers Sect was present.

Elder Zhou and the Qin noble Xu Hei had seen before were also among them.

If the Astrology Bureau of the Chu Kingdom saw this scene, it would surely cause outrage.

The sects of the Chu Kingdom meeting with the high-ranking officials of the Qin Kingdom was a grave taboo.