Serpent Ancestor

”Crackle!”

Xu Hei’s skin felt like it was burning, his bones heating up and turning crimson, with wisps of smoke rising from his head.

This kind of violent pill was meant for body tempering and needed to be diluted in water; no one dared to ingest it directly.

However, Xu Hei was long accustomed to such levels of pain. Many demonic beasts swallowed spirit medicines whole, unlike humans who were so delicate.

Under the immense external pressure, Xu Hei’s scales made cracking sounds, oozing blood, while the Nine Yang Powder burned inside. The combination of internal and external forces pushed Xu Hei’s physical endurance to its limit.

Extreme body tempering—Xu Hei hadn’t done this since achieving Foundation Establishment.

His current combat methods relied on magical treasures, spells, puppets, and talismans, rarely engaging in physical combat.

But he couldn’t neglect the primal combat techniques of demonic beasts.

Some methods he might not use, but he couldn’t be without them!

After enduring for an hour, Xu Hei felt he was nearing his limit.”I’m about to reach my limit.”

Xu Hei steeled himself, took out a star-shaped leaf, consumed a corner, and abundant spiritual power surged through his body, healing his injuries at a visible rate. This thousand-year-old spirit medicine was indeed pure and effective, working instantly.

In the following days, Xu Hei focused entirely on body tempering, using the star-shaped leaf to aid in healing.

Such extravagant methods could only be carried out by Xu Hei.

The earth-element Spiritual Qi underground was even denser, and as Xu Hei tempered his body, his cultivation level steadily rose.

A month later, the star-shaped leaf was consumed entirely.

A new section of dragon bone had formed at Xu Hei’s tail. Now, without the need for healing medicine, his body’s natural recovery could withstand the burning of the Nine Yang Powder.

…………

Time flew by.

By the end of the seventh month, Xu Hei’s cultivation finally reached a bottleneck, achieving Great Perfection of the mid-stage Foundation Establishment.

The dragon bone had extended by three sections, reaching the middle of his body.

During this period, he consumed a hundred Major Essence Nurturing Pills, five thousand-year-old spirit medicines, and a significant portion of other ancient pills, reaching an extreme level of extravagance.

On this day.

Xu Hei arrived at the center of the inheritance space, planted formation flags nearby, and set up a Gathering Spirit Array, one of the basic nine arrays, enhancing the already dense earth-element Spiritual Qi to a new level.

Ji Ying was nearby, panting as he consumed a corpse pill.

The butcher was also brought out by Xu Hei, sitting cross-legged to the side.

Along with the Soul-absorbing Flag and Black Dragon Pagoda, which Xu Hei placed nearby.

”Breakthrough!”

Xu Hei took a deep breath, took out a Major Essence Nurturing Pill with ten times the potency, and swallowed it whole.

”Boom!!”

The Demon God Cauldron spun rapidly, and the Major Essence Nurturing Pill was quickly absorbed and refined, transforming into a surging True Qi that rushed into Xu Hei’s meridians. This wave of Spiritual Qi was unprecedentedly intense, like a tsunami, wave after wave.

In the past, Xu Hei would have spat blood, his skin cracking.

But his tempered physical body easily withstood the impact of the Spiritual Qi, causing only slight pain.

”Hmm, I can still endure more!”

Xu Hei estimated in his heart, took out several more Major Essence Nurturing Pills, and consumed them until he finished an entire bottle, finally feeling he had reached his limit.

At this moment, his body swelled, becoming like a balloon, reminiscent of when he first broke through to the mid-stage.

He had heard of some prodigies who could establish their foundation at fifteen and form a core before thirty. Bai Luo, not even twenty, had already reached Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage, ready to form a core at any time.

He wondered if his talent could compare to these people.

His current resources were beyond what Bai Luo could enjoy.

Xu Hei took out a three-thousand-year-old spirit medicine, a piece of earth spirit ginseng, and directly consumed a root.

As the root entered his body, Xu Hei’s body swelled again, then slowly compressed, with the True Qi in the Demon God Cauldron compressing in sync.

The Spiritual Qi in the inheritance space surged like a storm, flowing into Xu Hei’s body, while Ji Ying and the butcher also rapidly grew in the Spiritual Qi.

This breakthrough lasted a week.

Xu Hei’s spiritual foundation became threefold; previously, his True Qi was a trickle, now it was a vast river, incomparable to before.

Late Foundation Establishment stage!

Xu Hei opened his eyes, his powerful aura dispersing the dust, his bones crackling, and black True Qi like swimming dragons coursing inside and outside his body, his gaze flashing with thunder, exuding immense pressure.

Even the dragon bone extended beyond half his body, spreading towards his upper abdomen.

”Late Foundation Establishment stage, I wonder how much my strength has improved compared to half a year ago.”

Xu Hei moved around, flickering back and forth, with the sound of wind and thunder, lightning flashing, even the air exploding, leaving countless afterimages.

Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, his speed was about twice as fast as before.

He then tried activating the Black Dragon Pagoda, finding he could use it twice consecutively with ease.

Next, he performed some earth-element spells, easily casting both Falling Stars and the third-tier spell Mountain Severing Abyss.

Although Xu Hei was still at Foundation Establishment, in every aspect, he had the qualifications to compete with the Core Formation Stage.

Third-tier spells, third-tier magical treasures, and third-tier talismans could all be used effortlessly, the amplification from perfect Foundation Establishment manifesting vividly at this moment.

Moreover, Xu Hei hadn’t reached his limit and could continue to improve.

The butcher had already condensed corpse pills, more than one, with seven or eight in his dantian, and new ones continuously forming.

Ji Ying began to molt, seemingly undergoing a transformation.

Xu Hei took out the blood-killing flying swords seized from Zhou Qing, a total of nine. With his current cultivation, he still couldn’t control the blood-killing sword formation, but refining one flying sword was possible.

Additionally, Zhou Qing had left some spell jade slips, which he could study in his spare time.

…………

Time flew by, the sun and moon sped by, and in the blink of an eye, a year had passed.

In the Water Inheritance space, deep underground.

At the center of the ten-thousand-year ice, a woman who had been in seclusion for a long time slowly opened her eyes.

The moment she opened her eyes, invisible ripples spread from them.

At this moment, one of her eyes was golden, burning with flames. The other was azure, with snowflakes falling, an icy world.

”Ice Soul Demon Eyes! Haha, truly a person of great fortune, losing a Scarlet Flame Demon Eye but gaining an Ice Soul Demon Eye, this woman’s fortune is extraordinary!”

Tianji Shangren smiled brightly.

A child of destiny would never be defeated by a minor setback but would use it to rise stronger!

In the Water Inheritance, at the center of extreme cold, there was a Heart of Ancestral Ice, which she used to awaken a new eye.

In the Five Elements Inheritance, each inheritance had a place of fortune, waiting to be discovered.

And it wasn’t just a place for secluded cultivation.

These opportunities were hidden deeply, almost impossible to find without great fortune.