Serpent Ancestor

Xu Hei's current usable magical treasures—Fire Thunder Seal, Wind-Stabilizing Pearl, and an iron pot—are all mid-grade spiritual treasures, possibly even less powerful than a flying sword.

Xu Hei took a deep breath, swallowed a Divine Explosion Pill, closed his eyes, and calmed his mind.

Mountain Embrace Seal, an advanced earth spell, requires constant visualization of a massive mountain day and night. Once the mountain's shadow can be manifested, True Qi is infused to solidify it.

The stronger the True Qi, the more powerful the mountain.

This spell demands extremely high earth spiritual roots and comprehension, usually only executable by late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. Xu Hei, however, had simulated it in his mind countless times.

Gradually, a shadow of a mountain formed above Bai Xiu's head.

"Feel this!"

Bai Xiu waved a giant sail, releasing gusts of eerie wind. In an instant, countless phantoms emerged, charging straight at Xu Hei.

These phantoms were invisible to the naked eye but could be sensed through divine sense.

Xu Hei had never encountered such things before, feeling his scalp tingle.

He had heard Hei Huang mention that these were soul entities born from deceased cultivators, specialized in devouring human flesh.

Xu Hei ignored them, his gaze fierce. With a do-or-die attitude, he condensed the Mountain Embrace Seal and pressed it down on Bai Xiu.

At this moment, retreat was not an option; retreat meant defeat!

"Boom!!!"

A colossal mountain formed above Bai Xiu's head, crushing down like Mount Tai.

The void where Bai Xiu stood collapsed instantly, the earth roared, and the ground sank into a crater, resembling a cataclysm.

"Mountain Embrace Seal?"

Bai Xiu's face turned pale with horror, as if he'd seen a ghost.

This move was rare even within the Mountain Movers Sect.

What kind of snake was this? The sect's guardian beast?

From the beginning, he felt something was off about this snake. Only now did he realize it was a monstrous anomaly.

"Boom!!"

The mountain crushed Bai Xiu into the ground, while countless phantoms invaded Xu Hei's body, starting to devour his flesh.

Without hesitation, Xu Hei took out the Fire Thunder Seal, put it in his mouth, and bit down hard.

"Boom!"

The Fire Thunder Seal exploded inside Xu Hei, unleashing terrifying thunder and overwhelming flames, burning his flesh. The violent force spread through his meridians.

The invading phantoms screamed in agony, their souls dissipating into nothingness.

But Xu Hei also suffered severe injuries. Letting a mid-grade spiritual treasure explode inside him was no joke. It was fortunate he was Xu Hei; a human would have died many times over.

This was Xu Hei's premeditated strategy. He couldn't retreat, so he resorted to this desperate measure!

"Who would've thought the treasures I prepared would be used this way."

Xu Hei smiled bitterly inside. Without hesitation, he summoned all his True Qi and launched a crimson flying sword towards his target.

Heaven-Burning Sword, a peak second-tier magical treasure!

At this moment, the solidified mountain had disappeared. Bai Xiu, crushed into a pulp, lay in a deep pit, his defensive treasures dim.

He had many defensive treasures, but time was too short to summon them.

He didn't expect the Mountain Embrace Seal to form the moment he used his soul sail, leaving him no time to defend.

He also didn't expect Xu Hei to charge through the phantoms to kill him.

"No, you can't kill me, Xiao Chou, if you kill me, you..."

Before he could finish, the Heaven-Burning Sword fell, slashing and burning him into nothingness.

Xu Hei opened his mouth and sucked in the storage bag.

As an enforcer, this guy was a fat sheep.

It was Xu Hei's first time encountering a cultivator skilled in magical treasures. As a demonic beast, he relied more on his own strength and rarely used magical treasures.

This led to him suffering a great loss in this battle.

"Foundation Establishment cultivators are not easy to deal with; I can't underestimate humans."

Xu Hei thought to himself.

At this moment, the red-haired woman fighting in the distance saw Bai Xiu's death and lost all will to fight, turning to flee.

She knew Bai Xiu was a top-tier mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Though they were of equal cultivation, she was no match for him.

"This woman is also mid-stage Foundation Establishment. I must strike with all my might."

Xu Hei swallowed an explosive essence pill and a Divine Explosion Pill, ignoring the side effects to reach his peak state.

Then, with a thought, the Heaven-Burning Sword shot towards the red-haired woman, who paled in fear and took out a talisman.

"Slash!"

The red-haired woman's head flew off, her body instantly reduced to ash.

Only after she disappeared did the light shield from the talisman form, enveloping nothing.

"Hmm?"

Xu Hei was stunned, quickly extending his divine sense to search but found nothing.

He took out a detection jade and checked again, still finding nothing. It was as if the woman had vanished into thin air.

"Dead?"

Xu Hei was dumbfounded.

Just like that... gone?

Seeing the storage bag burned and items scattered, Xu Hei realized she was indeed dead.

This was absurd. He thought she was a formidable opponent, but she was so weak.

The gap between her and Bai Xiu was so vast that Xu Hei didn't even react.

Xu Hei opened his mouth and sucked in the Heaven-Burning Sword and the scattered items.

He exchanged a glance with Xiao Chou and quickly left the area.

The battle seemed long but lasted less than half an incense stick.

They couldn't stay in the Mountain Movers Sect any longer. News of the two mid-stage Foundation Establishment enforcers' deaths would spread quickly.

During wartime, any Foundation Establishment cultivator could change the course of a battle, and their loss was unacceptable.

One man and one snake left the Mountain Movers Sect, flying swiftly.

They didn't stop until daylight.

"Xiao Chou, what are your plans?" Xu Hei asked.

Xiao Chou was silent for a long time before calmly saying, "Senior, I have a request."

"Speak."

"I want to leave for a while, to the front lines, Chuyang City," Xiao Chou said.

Xu Hei was taken aback.

Going to the front lines was a good way to avoid punishment. The Four Sects Alliance had a rule that any crime could be pardoned if one volunteered as a vanguard.

This rule, set by the Heavenly Puppet Sect, was inviolable.

"Why?"

Xu Hei didn't understand.

"I'm from Chu Kingdom. My parents and family are in Chuyang City. I can't sit idly by; I must save them!"

Xiao Chou's eyes were filled with unprecedented determination.

Xu Hei fell into a dead silence.

He had misunderstood.

Xiao Chou didn't want to go to Qin Kingdom's front lines but Chu Kingdom's!

Wasn't this courting death?

Qin Kingdom had the upper hand, with a higher survival rate, while Chu Kingdom's cultivators had been losing.

"Senior might not understand why a cultivator would care about mortals. For the sake of cultivation and immortality, what do these matter? What's the difference between Qin and Chu?"

Xiao Chou's words reflected not just Xu Hei's view but that of all cultivators.

Many disciples in the Four Sects Alliance had mortal relatives, but few stood up to protect them.

As cultivators, they were expected to sever mortal ties and be loyal to their sect.

After countless years, mortals would turn to dust, but the sect would endure.

"But I can't bear it. I've been cultivating for five years, and my parents and relatives are still alive. I can't bear to see them leave like this! I can't!"

Xiao Chou gritted his teeth, his eyes red with determination as he looked at Xu Hei. "I beg you, Senior, allow me to leave for a while. I swear, if I survive, I will repay your kindness a thousandfold!"

Xiao Chou knelt and kowtowed to Xu Hei.