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Translator: Tamon
A snake and a dog jumped out of a mine. Hei Huang took out the sail and gained height, flying straight for Drifting Geese River. Xu Hei took a different turn.
The white ants rushed out of the mine and took flight, only to be forced back into their hole by the glaring sun.
Xu Hei’s heart shook.
The sheer size of the swarm, a veritable maelstrom of sharp jaws and claws, left nothing but bones whenever an animal crossed its path on their way back.
The ants didn’t stop their retreat at the mine entrance, going further in and vanishing from their Divine Sense range.
Hei Huang landed with a racing heart and gasping for breath.
“What did you do this time?” Xu Hei demanded.
“I was just curious what’s beneath the mine and had a look-see. How was I supposed to know there’s a Ravenous Spirit Ant colony here?” Hei Huang defended.
The name said it all, leaving Xu Hei shaken up.
“The Ravenous Spirit Ant eats spirit stones, commonly found beneath mines. They’re usually dormant until they sense spirit stones, making them raving mad in their pursuit to devour anything with an aura,” Hei Huang explained.
Xu Hei widened as realization struck.
Didn’t he toy around with spirit stones moments back, especially that high-quality one?
Xu Hei asked, “From how far can they sense spirit stones?”
“Average spirit stones are nothing, just a hundred meters, but if there’s a rare high-grade spirit stone even remotely close, in the range of miles mind you, it would drive them mad. To say nothing of top-grade ones. Why do you ask?”
Hei Huang eyed the snake.
“Nothing.” Xu Hei looked away.
The polished spirit stone’s specific grade matter aside, one thing was certain, he triggered the ants.
[Did I just screw over Hei Huang?]
[Nope, uh-uh, it’s his fault for pocking his nose downwards.]
“I was wondering why there’s no trace of demons anywhere near this thick Spiritual Energy area. It turns out a Ravenous Spirit Ant colony lay beneath.” Hei Huang shook his head.
Xu Hei asked, “Hei Huang, can I ask you something?”
“What?”
“I have a friend who said he saw a polished spirit stone once. What grade would that make it?” Xu Hei asked in earnest.
Hei Huang narrowed his eyes, beaming. “It’s a spirit stone mine from a spirit vein, then processed by humans. It’s a high-grate at least.”
“Where can we get more?”
“If you’re very lucky, by killing a a Golden Core cultivator.” Hei Huang smirked.
Xu Hei winced. The Flood Dragon carving had a thing for high-grade spirit stones, and to get that he’d have to hunt down Golden Core cultivators. Who knew when that would happen?
What a stroke of sheer dumb luck, finding some on Zhao Yiduo.
“However, my guess is that deep in this abandoned mine there’s a near-depleted spirit vein. We might get 180 high-grade spirit stones out of it.”
Hei Huang talked to himself before turning to Xu Hei. “Would your friend be interested?”
Xu Hei abstained from commenting.
…
The wildfire ravaged the south Chu Kingdom’s forest for two months, its advance only curbed by September’s rains.
The rain turned out to be a storm as well, with heavy downpours and flashes of thunder. Its thick black clouds cast a gray shadow over the lands, rumbling along with the anger of all animals.
In but three days, all signs of fire were quelled, leaving black earth behind.
Next came the cultivator invasion, on the lookout for prey and fertile grounds to set up their spiritual herb gardens; particularly the burned fields, suiting their needs.
The mountain’s demon population plunged from the wildfire. Cultivators would harvest the cooked corpses’ inner core, or the rare undamaged spiritual plant while making use of the natural spirit springs.
With no animals or vegetation, the earth’s resources were laid bare. Easy pickings.
The Snake Catchers Sect led the harvest, followed by the Unfettered Sect, Shifting Peak Sect, Augury Sect, and other minor groups. All sent crowds of disciples to both learn and gather riches.
The Celestial Monitoring Bureau sent its own team, waiting for the land to be cleared up to establish a new Chu Kingdom city.
It was one grand human party.
Deep in the forest, a two-meter-long white snake lay in the mud, still as a rock. She was covered in deep wounds, broken bones, and exhausted.
Cultivators stood on a tree half a kilometer from here, watching and scanning.
“Senior Brother, I’m sure the white snake vanished somewhere around here. She can’t be far after taking a blow from my Bone Crusher.”
A stalwart man spoke, a sledgehammer resting on his muscled shoulders.
He was Xue Hu, a Shifting Peak Sect disciple at the 6th layer of Qi Refining Stage.
“The demon ate five of our disciples already. We must capture it and make her life a living hell.”
A shorter cultivator spoke with savagery. He held a sickle tied to a long chain looped around his shoulder. The image spoke volumes of his ruthlessness.
He was Zhu Ze of the same sect, in the 8th layer.
Shifting Mountain Sect’s disciples vanished one by one these days, down that demon’s gullet. The sect issued orders to have it put down and promised to make it worth their while.
The two took left and right as they scanned the area with Divine Sense.
They got closer and closer.
The white snake drowned in grief as she lay in the mud.
Humans barged into their homes, killed their kind, and set fire to the mountain. Now they were out to hunt her down for fighting back.
Before all this, she had no concept of friend or foe, but ever since she awakened, she understood everything.
She swallowed cultivators out of revenge, but she was so weak, a hopeless endeavor against the invincible humanity.
As her life ebbed, a black image came to mind.
It was a snake with golden eyes and strange scales on its tail. She might never see him again.
A howl was heard in the distance, followed by fireballs flying through the trees and at the closest cultivator.
“It’s that blasted mongrel again!” Xue Hu raged.
The wolf harassed them with fireballs and drew them away whenever they got closer to the white snake.
The damn wolf kept them from ending the white snake all this time.
“The demon wolf that knows Fireball? Interesting.” Zhu Ze’s eyes shone, a twisted smile playing on his lips.
Boom~!
The three fireballs closed in, snapping two trees on their way. The wolf king turned tail the next second, howling as he ran.
“White snake, run! I’ll draw them away.” He sent.
“Thank you.” The white snake rose from the mud and rushed away.
Zhu Ze glanced at the snake and then at the wolf king, his voice cold. “None of you are leaving!”
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