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Translator: Tamon
Xu Hei spent the next few days here.
Eating the entire Earthfire Vine was too much, also coming with a little side effect that made him boil on the inside. His body would let out steam and his meridians strained.
Xu Hei didn’t shy away from pain, but he’d like to avoid being under a wringer if he could help it.
He planned on growing the vine for a long time.
Another thing he found out was that Earthen Motion improved as well, not just Fireball. It was the effect of raising his True Qi.
His eleventh scale also grew.
The wolf king had been by his side all this time.
He needed a little push from the Beast Trapping Ring at first, but he slowly learned to obey Xu Hei’s commands without fault.
He was even proactive sometimes, bringing him food.
“They say dogs are tamed wolves. Could I also tame one?”
He recalled the snake catchers’ hunting dogs. Loyal to a fault, they would protect their masters to death.
Xu Hei gave up that notion due to time constraints. He would rather believe in the Beast Trapping Ring than loyalty.
After two weeks, Xu Hei finished refining the entire Earthfire Vine, driving his cultivation to the peak 4th layer of Awareness Stage, just shy of the 5th layer.
His tail hand an extra two new scales as well.
The Earthfire Vine still had many roots in the ground, but as they couldn’t absorb sunlight, they didn’t have fire Spiritual Energy.
Xu Hei wasn’t one to pull the roots out as well, hoping that in a decade or so, the Earthfire Vine would grow anew.
“Fireball!”
Xu Hei’s mouth opened to reveal a black ball of fire. After he ate the vine, the art’s appearance changed.
The Serpent Records stated the Black Yin Snake’s demon fire was black, but only at the Foundation Establishment Stage did it appear. [Did I grow it ahead of time?]
He spat the black fire at a rock, replacing it with a fifteen-meter-wide hole filled with lava.
Xu Hei was mighty pleased with his handiwork, that the trip was worth it.
Turning to the wolf king, Xu Hei recalled the Beast Trapping Ring.
“You’re free.”
The wolf king defended him night and day, as well as providing food. Pointless, yes, but he worked hard nonetheless.
Xu Hei let him go and walked back to his turf.
The wolf king followed him, and the wolf pack followed it.
Xu Hei found out the wolves followed him all the way back to his mountain.
He said, “You’re free. I won’t do anything to you.”
Xu Hei added after a pause, “You’re also free to keep standing guard. Tell me if you see any sign of humans and I’ll reward you.”
Xu Hei went to his old cave.
The wolf king waited until Xu Hei was gone. He gave a low howl as he ran off, his eyes filled with joy and conflicting emotions.
…
All spiritual herbs had demons guarding them.
Xu Hei pondered this notion on his way back. [Since I’ve been away for two weeks, will another demon guard the Snake Fruit Tree?]
Xu Hei shook his head with a wry smile, confident he could drive it away.
It was in a demon’s instinct to be drawn by the thick Spiritual Energy the spiritual herbs released.
Before he even arrived at his cave, he picked up demon energy.
“Eh?” Xu Hei rushed closer and used Divine Sense.
He sensed a battle.
Xu Hei hid his aura and slipped into the cave, hiding in a corner.
A large lizard was fighting a white snake next to the tree. Both were early Awareness Stage demons.
Xu Hei was amazed to find the white snake familiar, the same one from the Valley of Serpents.
“She’s a demon?” Xu Hei gasped.
The white snake hadn’t changed, still one meter long, a huge contrast with the large lizard.
Xu Hei figured the white snake was lunch, but then he noticed the lizard fell on the ground, twitching and dying from poison.
Xu Hei was speechless. He’d never used poison, even on his hunts. The white snake had to have a much stronger one.
He then recalled Old Snake King’s poison. [Is it the Old Snake King’s offspring? Did she eat the second Snake Fruit?]
Xu Hei soon found the answer to his conjectures.
The white snake lay below the tree and breathed Qi, the same skill Xu Hei used in Valley of Serpents.
“Wha…”
Xu Hei was stumped. [Just what kind of talent does she have to learn just by watching?]
The white snake raised her head all of a sudden and met with Xu Hei’s pair in the darkness.
It jumped into the pond to flee without hesitation.
“High awareness, vigilant, and talented. Not to mention learning the breathing technique…”
The Beast Trapping Ring flew at his urging and landed on her neck, bringing her over.
Xu Hei crawled out of the shadows.
The white snake was startled as she recognized him.
“Who are you to the Old Snake King?” Xu Hei asked knowing she understood.
The white snake hissed, her way of saying she was an offspring.
Xu Hei exclaimed. “I knew it. I’m also his offspring. As for the two of us…”
Xu Hei pondered.
In the past, he’d kill any outsiders, but then he recalled the Old Snake King.
“I’ll let you go this time, on account of Old Snake King. You’re free to cultivate here.”
Old Snake King’s kindness made Xu Hei who he was.
This was something unseen among snakes—inheritance.
Humans loved throwing that word around, clan inheritance, sect inheritance, kingdom inheritance. Nevertheless, it was because of inheritances that humanity thrived.
The white snake nodded and shifted on the ground, drawing the figure of a human.
“Humans?” Xu Hei stared at the snake.
She drew an arrow, pointing at Xu Hei.
Xu Hei’s eyes were cold, “Are humans after me?”
She nodded.
Xu Hei took a deep breath. “Thank you for the warning.”
Xu Hei moved the lizard away, to dice it for the white snake to eat.
He said, “I’ll be going. You cultivate and don’t go out.”
She nodded.
Xu Hei took back the Beast Trapping Ring and left the cave. He knew this day would come, just not so soon.
Humans weren’t as easy as demons to handle. He needed a plan and a good one at that.
His strength didn’t make him invincible, so he had to use terrain and circumstances to his advantage.
If all else fails, he could just flee.
…
Ten miles away, on a rocky mountain, the same place where Xu Hei ate the Earthfire Vine, an old man in Daoist robe and a young snake catcher stood.
Chen Daoling’s compass pointed at the Earthfire Vine’s remains, “Quick, I can feel it close!”
…
Three days later, Xu Hei roamed around until he found a rugged terrain to set his trap.
He also found the turfs of other demons.
The initial plan was to lead the humans into their turfs, but with how weak the demons were, he had to rely on himself.
“If all else fails, I’ll just hide in the river and swim as far as I can.”
He was fond of his turf and would like to stay here longer if he could, rather than go to some strange land.
Xu Hei kept training his magical arts, now being Attraction’s turn.
He could grab anything within two meters.
“Demon energy?”
Xu Hei sensed a strong demon energy.
His eyes flashed and crawled over.
It was the strongest demon energy he sensed.
Xu Hei was shocked to find it coming from near the Snake Village!
That was the human’s land!
Xu Hei arrived at a dugout grave.
A huge black dog was gnawing on a human skull, grinding on it even as it jumped out of the hole.
The dog’s fur was a glossy black and had savage eyes. Oh, and a bald tail.
Its appearance made Xu Hei’s heart race.
“Heaven’s above, it’s got more nerve than me to dig up human’s ancestors to gnaw on!” Xu Hei gasped.
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