Serpent Ancestor

"Whoosh!!"

Elder Qiu sped towards Xiao Chou's cave dwelling at an incredible speed. Just moments ago, he had received a distress signal from Xu Mei.

Originally, Xu Mei had brought along a sister, planning to dual cultivate together. Elder Qiu had even prepared some pills to enhance the experience, but things had gone awry.

As Elder Qiu neared the cave dwelling, a figure suddenly appeared before him, blocking his path.

"You..."

Seeing the person, Elder Qiu's eyes widened in disbelief. "It's you?"

"That's right, it's me, Xiao Chou," Xiao Chou said with a bright smile.

"You didn't die?" Elder Qiu's eyes narrowed.

"I was hunted down but managed to survive," Xiao Chou replied with a smile.

Ignoring him, Elder Qiu tried to bypass Xiao Chou and head straight for the cave dwelling.

"Elder Qiu, what are you doing? The cave dwelling is my private territory. According to sect rules, no one is allowed to trespass, not even an elder."

Xiao Chou took two steps back, blocking the entrance to his cave dwelling.

"Move aside!"

"No!"

"Do you have a death wish?"

Elder Qiu's gaze turned sinister, and a powerful aura began to press down on Xiao Chou. However, Xiao Chou remained unmoved, a glint of determination in his eyes.

Elder Qiu's gaze turned cold. He raised his hand and launched a fireball, but Xiao Chou caught it effortlessly and flung it aside, where it exploded in mid-air.

This display of skill made Elder Qiu's eyes widen in shock.

He had heard that this young man, when fully unleashed, could fight Hua Yuntian to a standstill and even severely injure him, breaking one of his arms.

Though Xiao Chou was only at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage, his true strength was not to be underestimated.

"As an elder, I'm merely conducting a routine inspection to see if you're harboring any enemies in your cave dwelling. Is there a problem with that?" Elder Qiu's tone softened slightly.

"Fine." Xiao Chou waved his hand, and the door to the cave dwelling opened.

Inside, there was nothing.

Elder Qiu glanced around the entrance. The two women were long gone, likely reduced to bones.

"What a ruthless method..."

Elder Qiu's heart turned cold, but he didn't act out. After all, if this matter were exposed, he would lose face as well.

He had privately given a disciple's cave dwelling to his lover, and even as an elder, he would face severe punishment.

He said nothing more and turned to leave.

Xiao Chou also refrained from acting out. In the Mountain Movers Sect, causing too much trouble wasn't wise. Killing an elder was no small crime.

"Xiao Chou, let me remind you, our four-sect alliance has strict military regulations against killing allies. Don't leave any evidence behind."

Elder Qiu's words were meaningful as he disappeared down the corridor.

Xiao Chou had heard about the four-sect alliance on the way.

The Mountain Movers Sect, Carefree Sect, Purple Mist Sect, and Tai Xuan Sect had formed an alliance, led by the Heavenly Puppet Sect, to attack the Chu Kingdom.

As for the Snake Catchers Sect, they were not participating in the fighting but were providing logistical support.

Allies were forbidden from killing each other, and the consequences of being caught were severe.

"Why didn't you kill him?" Xu Hei asked, puzzled.

"This is the Mountain Movers Sect. If I kill him, it will be hard to escape," Xiao Chou replied helplessly.

Xu Hei said, "Then let's take care of him tonight and then run away."

Xiao Chou was speechless. Why was it necessary to kill a mere Foundation Establishment elder? He wasn't a significant threat.

Xu Hei didn't bother to explain.

He only understood one principle: eliminate any potential threats without mercy.

"Killing him tonight isn't impossible, but the items you need might be hard to obtain," Xiao Chou said.

Xu Hei hesitated.

"Then let's hurry."

"Understood!"

After that, Xiao Chou left Xu Hei in the cave dwelling and went to the sect's main hall to report his successful Foundation Establishment to his master, Shi Longzi.

However, he was informed that his master, Shi Longzi, had gone to the front lines in Chuyang City and wouldn't be back for a while.

"Xiao Chou, if you have any matters, you can report them to me. During the war, I can handle all internal affairs," said the elder in the main hall calmly.

Xiao Chou reported truthfully, "I have successfully established my foundation and seek Foundation Establishment stage cultivation techniques, spells, and the rewards for becoming an elder."

The elder in the main hall was taken aback.

After a thorough examination, confirming Xiao Chou's Foundation Establishment, the elder was filled with surprise. He took a deep breath and nodded heavily.

"Under normal circumstances, the process would take at least half a month. But given the current situation, many steps can be skipped."

"Follow me."

"......"

After a detailed inspection, Xiao Chou successfully received the rewards for becoming a Foundation Establishment elder.

At the same time, Xiao Chou's information was reported to the higher-ups. Within three days, he would likely receive orders to head to the front lines.

"With the war intensifying, all Foundation Establishment cultivators will be assigned to the front lines. If you desert, there will be severe punishments, including the revocation of your elder status and the destruction of your cultivation. Be careful."

The elder reminded him.

"Thank you for the warning!" Xiao Chou cupped his hands in gratitude.

He returned to his cave dwelling and opened his storage bag, stunned by the wealth of resources inside.

Xu Hei was also taken aback.

A thousand spirit stones, three bottles of Pei Yuan Pills, countless recovery pills, two flying swords, and even two spiritual treasures, one for attack and one for defense...

There was also a third-tier talisman capable of defending against a Core Formation stage attack.

As for the jade slips Xu Hei needed, there were too many to count.

"No wonder it's wartime; the resources are abundant!" Xiao Chou exclaimed.

"Are you heading to the battlefield?" Xu Hei asked curiously.

"Yes! If I don't go, I'll be considered a deserter and punished! A few days of delay are fine, but if it's too long and affects the war, my cultivation will be destroyed," Xiao Chou said helplessly.

Xu Hei said no more and began examining the jade slips one by one.

These spell jade slips usually required a large number of contribution points to exchange.

Now, to enhance their combat power, the sects were not holding back.

From these jade slips, Xu Hei learned several powerful spells.

"Mountain Embrace Seal, second-tier advanced."

"Stone Vein Technique, second-tier advanced."

"Falling Stars, second-tier peak."

"......"

Xu Hei's target was only those second-tier advanced spells, which had the power of late Foundation Establishment.

Although Xu Hei had never fought a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, he felt that with his previous methods, he could handle mid-stage opponents. Intermediate spells didn't add much to his power.

To become stronger, he had to learn second-tier advanced spells.

These would be his trump cards against late Foundation Establishment cultivators!

Of course, with Xu Hei's current strength, he believed it would still be difficult to contend with some veteran late Foundation Establishment cultivators. Even within the same realm, the difference in strength could be vast.

Xu Hei had experienced this firsthand.

For example, that old ape, who was only at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Communion Stage, could still injure him, who was at the same stage.

Xu Hei couldn't guarantee that he would win against a late Foundation Establishment cultivator, or even a mid-stage one.

Especially after seeing Xiao Chou obtain a third-tier defensive talisman, this thought grew stronger.

An hour later, Xu Hei had read through all the jade slips, recording the cultivation steps in his mind.

At the same time, he had obtained the main cultivation technique of the Mountain Movers Sect, the second layer of the Mountain Moving and Ridge Shifting Technique.

Although Xu Hei's cultivation hadn't advanced, acquiring this knowledge had rapidly increased his combat methods. With more practice, his strength would be incomparable.

He didn't need to find a place to test; he could directly experiment on people.

"It's time to kill," Xu Hei thought.

Xu Hei locked onto a red dot on the jade slip. That night, he and Xiao Chou stealthily moved towards their target.

…………

Mountain Movers Sect, back mountain.

Elder Qiu paced back and forth, his expression anxious.

"Damn it, I've sent the message jade slip all afternoon, why hasn't there been any response?"