Serpent Ancestor

Chapter 104: Also what my heart favors

Xuan Yangzi stared at the white snake for a long while before suddenly smiling, "Do you think I'll keep you here and take you back for research?"

The white snake stared at him intently, without a word, its eyes showing no emotion.

"Heh, I'm not curious about you at all."

Xuan Yangzi pulled out a long spear and hurled it into the void. The spear pierced through the white snake's body and shot towards Myriad Serpent Valley, pinning it to the center of the valley.

"Begin the blood sacrifice, leave no one alive!" Xuan Yangzi ordered.

"Yes!"

Everyone shouted in unison. With a wave of Xuan Yangzi's hand, a blood-red light enveloped the entire Myriad Serpent Valley.

Many were puzzled. This white snake was an unprecedented oddity. Why not take it back for research?

No one could fathom Xuan Yangzi's true intentions, so they continued as usual, casting spells and throwing them into the valley.

From the edge of Myriad Serpent Valley, the snake swarm began to struggle and hiss, writhing like severed earthworms. Their physical bodies dissolved, and blood was drawn out, forming thin lines that injected into the meridians of the Snake Catchers Sect disciples nearby.

Everyone focused their minds, fully refining the precious snake essence, circulating their Snake Catching Technique, and their cultivation levels rapidly soared.

This was a gluttonous feast!

The anguished cries of the snakes echoed through the mountains. They died slowly, first their gallbladders were extracted, then their blood, and due to their tenacious vitality, they often endured prolonged torment before turning into a puddle of mud, completely dead.

Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of snakes were drained dry within an hour.

"I'm about to break through!"

"Break through for me!"

Many Qi Refining Stage disciples reached their bottlenecks, swallowed pills, and charged towards the next level with all their might.

Devouring others to gain strength, the strong live, and the weak die. This is the natural order, unbreakable by anyone.

Most ordinary snakes had not reached Spirit Communion; they didn't know why they were dying or where their enemies came from. Silently, they turned into blood, dissipated into ashes, and became nourishment for the Snake Catchers.

Those Spirit Communion Stage snake demons, however, had eyes filled with anger and despair. Some female snakes showed pleading eyes, but it was futile.

Regardless of gender, age, species, race, or cultivation level, all were melting, dying slowly.

Xuan Yangzi took a deep breath. It was time for him to act. This time, he would surely reach the mid-Core Formation Stage.

"Whoosh!"

Just then!

A white lightning bolt streaked across the sky, a sword coming from the west!

Five inner disciples absorbing nourishment were instantly decapitated, and a Foundation Establishment Stage elder also perished, not even knowing how he died.

But just after killing these six, the white lightning was forcibly frozen in place, revealing itself to be a flying sword.

Everyone was shocked, exiting their meditative states, staring in disbelief at the flying sword.

Xuan Yangzi opened his eyes, not angry, but filled with intense curiosity.

"Another one, and a Foundation Establishment great demon at that."

Xuan Yangzi's gaze shifted, raising his hand to activate the Gravity Technique, pulling the target into the air.

It was a snake covered in black gold scales!

In the past, he would have kept such a snake demon alive for research.

But today, there was no need for words; it would be thrown into Myriad Serpent Valley and refined!

Curiosity is good, but excessive curiosity while ignoring the inherent threat of the other party signifies ignorance and arrogance, often leading to great upheaval!

"Go!"

With a flick of his wrist, Xu Hei's body was uncontrollably flung into Myriad Serpent Valley, about to become part of the nourishment.

As a Foundation Establishment great demon, he could not resist the Gravity Technique of a Core Formation Stage cultivator.

Moreover, this was not an ordinary Core Formation Stage; it was the peak of Core Formation, far beyond the old woman from the Purple Mist Sect.

Xu Hei's eyes were blood-red, filled with raging anger, but his mind remained calm.

At the moment he was pulled up, a pale gold storage bag fell from his mouth.

This was the storage bag Hei Huang had given him.

"Open it at the moment of life and death. Whatever is inside, you can fight any opponent to a draw!"

These were Hei Huang's exact words.

Xu Hei didn't know what was inside, nor if it would be useful. Facing a Core Formation Stage cultivator, he might not even have time to use it before being killed.

But Xu Hei did not hesitate for a moment.

The storage bag automatically opened, and a purple bronze mirror flew out.

Seeing the familiar mirror, Xu Hei's pupils contracted. He had seen it before; it was the very mirror Hei Huang had tried to steal from the Purple Mist Pavilion.

"This is..."

Xuan Yangzi's gaze sharpened, instinctively dodging to avoid being reflected by the mirror, but the mirror seemed to lock onto him, aiming directly at him.

"Buzz!"

In an instant, a reflection appeared in the mirror, looking exactly like Xuan Yangzi.

The reflection waved its hand, and Xuan Yangzi's face changed dramatically, retreating hastily. Xu Hei seized the opportunity to break free from the Gravity Technique and fled from mid-air.

"Boom!!"

A noticeable dent appeared on Xuan Yangzi's chest.

The entire scene erupted in chaos, everyone witnessing this was shocked to the core.

"What is that mirror?"

"How could it harm a Core Formation Stage cultivator!?"

"My heavens, what kind of treasure is this?"

"I think I've seen this item in the Purple Mist Pavilion!"

For a moment, the crowd was abuzz, the disciples of the Snake Catchers Sect were all stunned, their eyes filled with shock.

At this moment, all eyes were on that purple bronze mirror.

From the mirror, a figure emerged.

This person, dressed in a yellow robe, a middle-aged scholar, looked exactly like Xuan Yangzi, the very reflection from the mirror!

However, this reflection had materialized, as if it had come to life, staring at Xuan Yangzi with identical expressions.

Xuan Yangzi's gaze was fixed on the mirror, coldly saying, "So, this is the mirror's effect. I underestimated it!"

He had seen this mirror before; it was obtained by the Purple Mist Ancestor and stored in the Purple Mist Pavilion, seemingly useless except for its hardness.

Now, it was an unexpected surprise.

Xuan Yangzi disappeared from his spot, reaching for the bronze mirror, but the reflection also waved its hand, unleashing a strike. A deafening explosion echoed through the void, forcing Xuan Yangzi to retreat.

"Hmph!"

Xuan Yangzi snorted coldly, summoning an ancient cauldron that enlarged in mid-air, pressing down on the reflection.

This cauldron, named the Myriad Serpent Cauldron, was a third-tier magical treasure, effective against Core Formation Stage cultivators. No matter how strong the reflection was, it was still just a reflection, incomparable to a real cultivator.

Unexpectedly, the reflection also summoned an identical Myriad Serpent Cauldron, enlarging it and pressing it down on Xuan Yangzi.

"How is this possible?!"

Xuan Yangzi's face finally changed, exclaiming in shock.

He quickly took out two third-tier talismans, simultaneously activating them with a low shout of "explode," causing an explosion in front of the Myriad Serpent Cauldron.

The reflection did the same, producing two talismans, shouting "explode," and blasting Xuan Yangzi's cauldron away.

Xuan Yangzi then summoned a flying sword, and the reflection did the same. The two swords clashed in mid-air, evenly matched.

After some probing, Xuan Yangzi realized that the reflection could replicate his magical treasures and talismans perfectly, an unbelievable phenomenon!

"If I can't deal with the mirror, I'll deal with its owner!"

Xuan Yangzi changed his tactics, summoning ancient wood to create wooden puppet clones, sending them towards Xu Hei.

The reflection also summoned ancient wood, creating countless wooden puppet clones, even more than Xuan Yangzi's, intercepting all of them.

Some even charged towards the disciples below, causing them to scream and flee in terror.

Xuan Yangzi's face turned dark.

He finally realized that relying on himself alone, it would be difficult to spare a hand to kill this snake. Targeting Xu Hei would only provoke the reflection to use even stronger methods.

He needed help.

"Master, don't worry, I'll kill this snake!"

Wu Mochou saw Xuan Yangzi's predicament and stood up from the mountaintop, speaking loudly.

"And us!"

"Just a Foundation Establishment Stage, easily crushed!"

Liu Fei, Wang Ping, and other disciples also stood up, drawing their magical treasures.

Xuan Yangzi took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Everyone, attack together with all your might, kill this snake! Leave no survivors!"

With these words, everyone present stopped their cultivation, stood up, and focused their gaze on Xu Hei, who had not fled but instead charged towards the crowd.