Serpent Ancestor

”I actually dug up a Corpse Charm!”

Xu Hei’s face darkened as he quickly retreated to the doorway.

The Corpse Charm was sealed within a jade bottle, surrounded by a powerful sealing light barrier. This was the only reason he didn’t immediately flee but instead watched intently.

Upon spotting Xu Hei, the Corpse Charm’s eyes instantly filled with ferocity.

The large jade bottle suddenly shot forward, attempting to crash into him, but it was repelled by the invisible seal and bounced back.

”Roar!”

She let out a heart-wrenching scream, glaring at Xu Hei as if she wanted to devour him.

The overwhelming corpse Qi spread from the bottle but could not extend beyond the seal.

Facing such a powerful corpse puppet, even Ji Ying dared not move, curling up within Xu Hei’s dragon scales, trembling.

”Was this Corpse Charm sealed by someone? But clearly, no one has been here!” Xu Hei pondered.The seal here was left from ancient times, not by later generations.

Xu Hei examined the pill bottle the Corpse Charm was ”riding.” It was also a sealing magical treasure, covered in patterns that seemed to depict a city.

After waiting for a moment and seeing that the corpse puppet could not break free, Xu Hei felt reassured and continued to search the room.

Every pill and medicinal herb he found was dug out and stored in his storage bag.

He also took away two pill furnaces.

There were some prayer mats on the ground for meditation; Xu Hei dusted them off and stored them in his storage bag as well. Anything he saw and could take, he left nothing behind.

Xu Hei moved quickly and efficiently, finishing in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Seeing that he had almost everything, Xu Hei was about to leave.

Suddenly, his gaze fixed on the seal.

He noticed a token partially exposed at the corner of the large jade bottle.

”This is...”

Xu Hei’s pupils contracted.

The design of the token was very similar to his ”descendant of Gongshu” token, originating from the same source!

However, the token before him was slightly smaller, seemingly a lower grade.

Xu Hei glanced outside the door, using the butcher as a meat shield to block the entrance. Then, he took out that token.

As soon as the token appeared, the ferocity in the Yellow-haired Corpse Charm’s eyes vanished, replaced by a moment of confusion.

Her gaze fixed on the token in Xu Hei’s hand for a long time, her eyes trembling.

”You recognize this?” Xu Hei hesitated.

The Corpse Charm looked bewildered, and after a moment, her expression showed intense struggle, as if resisting something, causing the jade bottle to creak.

Suddenly, a slender hand reached out from the bottle, grabbed the token on the ground, and tossed it to Xu Hei.

The token penetrated the seal, and Xu Hei caught it in his hand.

He didn’t rashly use his Divine Sense to probe it but observed the Corpse Charm’s expression. Seeing her look of anticipation and ensuring no one was approaching from behind, he then used his Divine Sense to explore it.

”Buzz!”

In an instant, Xu Hei’s consciousness saw a vast, boundless city.

The city was grand and magnificent, with glazed tiles, bustling streets, and joyous laughter everywhere, a scene of peace and prosperity.

”Wuyou City!”

Xu Hei thought of the lifeless underground city.

This must be a scene from ancient times.

Within this once-flourishing city, Xu Hei’s consciousness swiftly traversed, overlooking from above, seeing no negativity, only vibrant faces.

The elderly were cared for, the young nurtured, coexisting harmoniously, a true era of peace.

”Is there really such a peaceful place in the world, without even a hint of conflict?”

Xu Hei found it hard to believe.

Doors were left unlocked at night, and items were not picked up on the streets, with no authorities in sight, severely challenging Xu Hei’s worldview.

Perhaps too much time had passed, the scenes became blurry, intermittent, with fragmented images flashing by.

Xu Hei saw a stunning woman, her beauty beyond words.

She sat cross-legged in a pill refining room, with three pill furnaces, the same setting as this place.

However, her eyes held despair.

”Wuyou City, our Wuyou City...”

”I don’t want anyone to see what I look like after I die, I don’t want to!”

Her desperate cries echoed, her eyes filled with sorrow.

Then, Xu Hei saw the woman dig a hole in the stone wall, taking out a large pill bottle.

She leaped into the bottle, sealing herself within the pit.

”If someone from the future comes here, I have only one request—kill me!”

”I have sealed my cultivation; even if I turn into a corpse, I will only be at mid-stage Core Formation! Inside this pill bottle is my life’s wealth, as a reward for killing me!”

Her faint words transmitted over.

”If no one comes, so be it, let me be buried here forever, unseen by future generations.”

As her voice faded, the dust on the ground automatically filled in, burying the pit in the stone wall.

...

Outside the Blood Corpse Cave.

A large group of figures was rushing toward this place on various flying devices.

On one of the underground ships sat two people, the Heavenly Puppet Sect duo, Lei He and Bai Luo.

Beside them was a large group following the lead of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, including the Southern Region’s four sects, the Zhou Family, the Bai Family, and others, though they kept a distance.

”Hmm?” Bai Luo frowned slightly, muttering, ”The second pawn is dead.”

”Was it discovered by the Chu Tian Alliance?” Lei He raised an eyebrow.

”It doesn’t matter if they found out; the key information has already been transmitted, that’s enough. It’s perfect timing to catch this group of rats in one fell swoop,” the Thirteenth Ancestor of the Snake Catchers Sect said coldly.

This group’s scale was the strongest wave since entering the ruins. Core Formation cultivators were everywhere, and Foundation Establishment cultivators were as common as dogs.

They had long laid a trap for the Chu Tian Alliance, and now was the time to close the net.

Although the Heavenly Puppet Sect’s main goal was the final inheritance, taking down those rebels along the way was a bonus.

Zhou Qing, the second ancestor of the Zhou Family, sat atop a mass of dark clouds, never revealing himself.

His goal differed from the others; he had no intention of joining the battle. He was only after the Longevity Pill.

As for the Scarlet Flame Demon Eyes, though important, he could tell they had been handed over to the Chu Tian Alliance. He wouldn’t be foolish enough to fall into such a trap.

”Myriad Treasure Pavilion may not have much else, but it has plenty of money. I can always buy it back from the Chu Tian Alliance. As for you...”

Zhou Qing’s eyes flashed with a cold light, ”The treasures on you are surely more valuable than the Scarlet Flame Demon Eyes!”

...

At this moment, Xu Hei stood before the Corpse Charm woman, having finished reading the contents of the token.

The Corpse Charm in front of him also gazed at him, her hollow eyes no longer showing ferocity but confusion and a hint of... pleading.

A humble plea.

But only for a moment, her expression turned to struggle again.

Alternating between confusion and viciousness, her face twisted in pain.

She wanted to crawl back into the bottle, not wanting to be seen like this, but feared Xu Hei would leave.

She looked at Xu Hei, her eyes full of supplication.

Xu Hei sighed, shaking his head. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help her find relief; he was also tempted by the treasures she left behind. But his abilities were limited. How could a weakling who hadn’t even reached Core Formation help a mid-stage Core Formation Corpse Charm find peace?

That would be suicidal.

Moreover, judging by her appearance, although she retained some sanity, she was oscillating between sanity and madness. Who knew when she might suddenly attack?

The risk was too great, and Xu Hei was powerless.

Xu Hei turned around, taking a deep look at the woman who had become a Corpse Charm. With a wave of his hand, he covered the dug-out wall, preserving a shred of her dignity, unseen by outsiders.

Xu Hei could only wait until his cultivation was stronger, at least reaching the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage, before considering returning to try again.

A mid-stage Core Formation, even self-sealed, was not something he could handle now. Xu Hei was very self-aware.

”Senior... brother...”

Suddenly, a hoarse voice came from the Corpse Charm’s mouth.

Her eyes, bright and clear, looked at the token in Xu Hei’s hand, the madness in them gone, as if she had become more lucid.