Serpent Ancestor

In the dilapidated thatched hut.

Wang Ding and Wang Qin lay on the bed, their injuries somewhat healed. Scattered on the ground were torn paper figures, stained with blood.

Tianji Shangren stood by the bed, calculating something with his fingers, his brows deeply furrowed, his expression not looking good.

”What is it? Is this seedling not suitable?” Liu Buqun asked curiously.

”It’s suitable, but...” Tianji Shangren hesitated, ”Though he has great fortune, he’s also a harbinger of doom, you understand what I mean?”

Liu Buqun widened his eyes and shook his head, ”I don’t understand.”

These two terms were obviously contradictory, how could they be combined?

”This person lost both parents, and all those who befriended him, like the old hunter and his teacher, have died. Even the Chen Family that adopted him suffered great misfortune. Wouldn’t you call that a harbinger of doom? Yet he also has great fortune, encountering benefactors and turning danger into safety,” Tianji Shangren explained.

Liu Buqun immediately understood.

”Sigh!” Tianji Shangren sighed deeply.”So, what do you plan to do?” Liu Buqun asked.

”What else can I do? Even though he’s a harbinger of doom, he’s still a bit better than you,” Tianji Shangren replied.

Liu Buqun’s mouth twitched slightly.

Could he stop being so harsh? After all, he was a False Core cultivator, yet he was being compared unfavorably to a mortal?

At this moment, Wang Ding slowly woke up. Seeing the two people in the room, he hurriedly ignored his injuries, got up from the bed, and knelt on the ground, kowtowing to them.

”Thank you, Immortal Grandfather, for saving me! Thank you for your life-saving grace!”

Wang Ding kept kowtowing, his forehead breaking open, crying tears of gratitude.

Liu Buqun and Tianji Shangren exchanged glances, both remaining silent.

Wang Ding stopped kowtowing, looked at the two, hesitated for a moment, and took out a land deed from under the bed.

”Immortal Grandfather, I, Wang Ding, have nothing but this ancestral home deed and two acres of melon fields. I now offer them to you.”

Wang Ding presented the deed. The sages said to repay kindness, and since his life was saved, he had to repay it.

Liu Buqun’s expression was strange, and Tianji Shangren was equally speechless.

What use was this?

Wang Ding had never interacted with immortals in his life and had no idea what they desired, but he could only offer his most precious ancestral home and melon fields.

”Who taught you your breathing exercise?” Tianji Shangren suddenly asked.

”This...” Wang Ding’s expression froze.

It was Old Snake who taught him, but he would never reveal that, as Old Snake was also his benefactor.

”I’m sorry, Immortal Grandfather, I cannot divulge his information, as he too has saved my life,” Wang Ding said, kneeling.

This answer was clearly unexpected for Tianji Shangren.

He could see that Wang Ding was strong and resilient, surviving severe injuries, which had a lot to do with that breathing exercise. It was not a simple breathing technique.

Since Wang Ding wouldn’t say, he wouldn’t force it.

”What is your name?”

”Junior Wang Ding, and that is my younger sister Wang Qin.”

”Would you be willing to follow me to the East Sea?”

Tianji Shangren looked at him, his tone carrying a hint of seriousness.

”The East Sea?”

Wang Ding had read books and knew what the East Sea meant. It was the end of the Yanluo River, an infinitely distant place that a mortal could never reach in a lifetime.

But he didn’t hesitate, immediately kowtowing.

”I am willing, as long as you take my sister with us!”

Wang Ding had offended the Qin army and staying here would only lead to his execution, so he had to leave.

Despite the long journey, he might never return in his lifetime.

”Very well!” Tianji Shangren nodded.

Afterward, Wang Ding burned paper for his parents, took Wang Qin, and left Snake Village, leaving behind the hometown where he had lived for over a decade.

…………

Yanluo River, estuary.

This place was the largest coastal city in the Eastern regions, Haiya City. As its name suggests, it stood like a pair of teeth on both banks.

With income from ocean industries, Haiya City ranked among the top in the Eastern regions in terms of economic power and the number of cultivators.

Today was the day for the return of ships from the sea, and many cultivators stood by the dock to welcome them.

The two major merchant guilds, the three great families, and all the notable forces gathered by the sea to celebrate this annual return day.

”Look, the ship is coming!”

”This time it must be a full load!”

Voices called out from the shore.

In the distance on the horizon, a giant sailing ship approached from afar, laden with sea fish, the Haijiao.

Following it was the whaling ship, the Hunter, specialized in hunting giant sea beasts.

Next came the mining ship collecting spiritual veins from the sea, and the oil ship gathering crude oil.

With each ship’s appearance, cheers erupted from the shore, celebrating the triumphant return.

But gradually, the cultivators on the shore noticed something amiss.

Why were there no cultivators appearing on the ships?

Everyone focused their attention, only to see that all the decks of the ships were empty, filled with cargo but not a single cultivator.

Such an eerie scene silenced everyone on the shore.

The ships in the distance slowly approached.

Everyone exchanged glances, and immediately a middle-aged cultivator stepped onto a flying sword, soaring into the air, flying towards the approaching sailing ship.

Soon, he landed on the deck and entered the cabin.

Inside, there were traces of the crew’s life—the formation in the cultivation room, the herbs in the pill furnace, all fresh, the pill furnace still warm, and freshly cooked sea fish on the table.

There was even a half-eaten spiritual fruit rolling on the ground.

”What happened?”

The middle-aged cultivator’s pupils contracted.

It gave the impression that everyone had vanished into thin air in an instant.

Other ships were similarly inspected by cultivators, and the situation was the same—everyone had disappeared, but their belongings remained.

There were no signs of battle; everyone had vanished into thin air, with some in the middle of refining flying swords, gone before finishing.

The ships were in an unmanned state, yet they sailed automatically, uncontrollably.

Seeing such a bizarre scene, a sense of fear rose from the depths of everyone’s hearts, making their skin crawl.

Everyone immediately retreated, leaving the eerie ships and returning to the shore.

Moments later.

A total of eight sea ships stopped at the estuary of Yanluo River, motionless. The positions of these eight ships were very deliberate, seemingly forming a formation, but no one could understand it.

From the crowd, an elder with an immortal demeanor stepped forward, staring at the positions of the eight ships, pondering deeply.

Suddenly, his pupils contracted, his face changed dramatically, and he pointed at the eight ships, shouting, ”Quickly, destroy these eight ships!”

This person was a guest elder stationed in Haiya City from Penglai Island, highly respected, and his words were heeded by all.

”Yes!”

The numerous cultivators on the shore immediately launched the most ferocious attacks on the eight ships at the estuary, countless flying swords piercing through, various spells bombarding down.

Even the City Lord turned the city’s cannons towards the sea ships, firing volleys of artillery, a barrage of cannon fire.

However, it was already too late.

”Buzz!!!”

A silent tremor spread across the river, making no sound, yet stirring up monstrous waves, with seawater pouring in and the world turning upside down.

Everyone vanished into thin air within the city.

A solitary boat drifted through the middle of the eight ships, causing no ripples, yet it too disappeared without a trace.