Serpent Ancestor

Xu Bai didn’t mind at all. She glanced at Xu Hei and said, ”Did you find the Earth Inheritance?”

”That’s right, and I have you to thank for it.”

Xu Hei recounted the events that had transpired.

At the same time, he was curious about how Xu Bai had gained the Earth God’s approval.

Xu Bai couldn’t help but laugh, taking out a perfectly round pill. She said, ”This is an Earth Spirit Pill. Once consumed, it can greatly enhance the purity of one’s Earth Spiritual Roots in a short time, increasing affinity with the earth. I used this pill to fool the Earth God.”

”...” Xu Hei was speechless.

Fool? So the Earth God was tricked all along!

He had genuinely thought Xu Bai had a stronger affinity for earth.

”I knew you were suited for the Earth Inheritance. I was just worried someone else might take it, so I went ahead and fooled the Earth God,” Xu Bai explained.

Xu Hei suddenly understood.He couldn’t help but feel amazed. He used to think Xu Bai was just a kid obsessed with pill refining and causing trouble, with unreliable pills.

Now, without realizing it, Xu Bai had grown to this extent.

She was even paving the way for him, her senior.

Alone with a serpent, she traveled from Wuyou City to the Blood Corpse Cave, then to the ancient medicine garden, and returned safely. Xu Bai had accomplished things many couldn’t even imagine.

Xu Hei wanted to ask her about it, but considering it was her secret, he suppressed his curiosity.

Everyone has secrets!

If Xu Bai asked him about his secrets, Xu Hei wouldn’t easily divulge them either.

Besides, Xu Hei already had some clues.

He glanced at the small, emerald-green cauldron Xu Bai always carried with her, unsure of its origins.

When Xu Hei observed it with his Divine Sense, the Demon God Cauldron within him reacted faintly.

This was enough to suggest something.

”This cauldron is probably a divine artifact second only to the Demon God Cauldron,” Xu Hei speculated.

Ever since Xuan Yangzi’s invasion and Xu Bai’s severe injury, this cauldron had appeared with her, possibly found beneath the Myriad Serpent Valley.

Myriad Serpent Valley, where Dragon Qi resides, where destiny lies.

This was her opportunity, and Xu Hei wouldn’t pry.

It also explained why Xu Bai’s pill refining skills were so extraordinary.

Just then, Xu Hei seemed to sense something, his gaze turning cold as he looked outside.

Xu Bai also turned her attention outward.

...

At this moment, a large group of people had arrived outside, surrounding the botanical garden.

The group consisted of twenty people, similar in scale to Liu Chengfeng’s team, led by a Core Formation Stage elder with twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators following.

”What a strange place. Could it be the Wood Inheritance?”

The leading elder, known as Lie Yunzi, was naturally cautious. He had heard about Liu Chengfeng’s encounter with the Thirteenth Ancestor.

For places suspected to be inheritance sites, he first suspected whether any demons were trying to trap them.

He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice, especially not such a basic one.

”Hmph! Whatever inheritance it is, let’s set it on fire first.”

Lie Yunzi, true to his fiery nature, conjured two fireballs in his palm, ready to throw them.

”Elder, don’t! If it’s the Wood Inheritance, destroying it would be disastrous!” a Foundation Establishment cultivator urged anxiously.

Lie Yunzi glanced at him, nodded slightly, and said, ”Hmm, you have a point. Then you go in and take a look.”

He raised his hand, activating the Gravity Technique, and directly flung the cultivator inside.

”Ah!!”

The cultivator screamed as soon as he flew in, a vine piercing his chest, extracting his flesh and blood, turning him into a dried corpse.

Everyone was horrified, hurriedly summoning various magical treasures.

Lie Yunzi’s gaze turned cold as he said, ”Indeed, it’s evil. Burn it!”

He threw a fire serpent into the dense forest, setting the entire woodland ablaze. The others also hurled fireballs, continuously bombarding the area until the grass, strange trees, and spirit medicines were all reduced to ashes.

Against the countering flames, no plant could survive.

...

At this moment, Xu Hei noticed the commotion outside. If his true body were here, he might have a chance, but his avatar had no good solutions.

”This way!”

Xu Bai put away the green cauldron and slipped into the trunk of a poplar tree, following its roots deep underground.

Xu Hei followed her into the depths.

Deep underground, Xu Hei discovered that the tree roots had long intertwined, extending thousands of feet below, branching out in countless directions, leading who knows how far.

Following the roots, Xu Bai could travel freely.

In the ancient relic, even the Earth Escape Technique couldn’t achieve such convenience!

”Follow me!”

Xu Bai’s body merged into a section of root, swiftly moving away.

Xu Hei was silent for a moment before asking, ”You don’t want the Wood Inheritance?”

He knew Xu Bai had Wood Spiritual Roots and needed it the most.

”I don’t want it. I can’t protect it anyway, so I’d rather go to the Earth Path,” Xu Bai replied.

This wasn’t reckless; it was a well-considered decision.

After the first year of cultivation, there would be a second round of fierce competition. She didn’t believe she could withstand the next round alone.

Sometimes, you have to let go!

Whether it was the Four Sects Alliance, the Bai Family, the Heavenly Puppet Sect, or any other factions, she couldn’t contend with them.

Xu Hei sighed inwardly and quickly followed.

...

At this moment, the surface plants had gone berserk.

Branches, vines, and flowers rose from the ground like monstrous creatures, charging at the crowd, carrying raging flames that burned ever fiercer, a final charge before death.

Lie Yunzi struck with a palm, shattering a string of willow branches, then dashed toward the depths of the forest.

He had a hunch that something was hiding underground, and whatever it was, capturing it would be a great opportunity!

However, the plants here were too troublesome. Some charged up and self-destructed, others released toxins, and mushrooms even grew on his body, making it difficult for him to free his hands, forcing him to defend with all his might.

But with the arrival of Lei He, all the plants turned to ashes under his palm.

Lei He’s cold gaze swept over the ashen forest, saying nothing as he took out a mirror.

The mirror of historical reflection.

...

What happened next, Xu Hei didn’t know.

After delving underground, he realized that Xu Bai’s escape abilities were exceptional.

Using the trees’ rooting abilities, she could extend the roots thousands of feet outward. By entering a tree, she could instantly move to any location the roots reached.

As long as the tree roots remained intact, she could escape at any time.

In the relic where Divine Sense was limited, who could discern the situation underground?

As long as Xu Bai didn’t act recklessly, no one could catch her.

Before long, using the roots’ extension, they distanced themselves from the encirclement, easily evading the pursuit of the main group.

Looking back, they could no longer sense any figures.

Yet, for some reason, Xu Hei had a lingering feeling of being watched.

His eyes flickered, and he made a decisive decision, saying to Xu Bai, ”Xu Bai, let’s split up immediately. You head to the Earth God’s location; Hei Huang has opened the passage!”

”I’ll go in another direction to draw the enemy away.”