Serpent Ancestor

The road to the Wood Spirit Clan was fraught with danger, with countless perilous paths. How could it be possible for someone to just happen upon them?

”Are you suggesting there’s a mole in the Oli family?” Old Tree asked.

Xu Hei pondered, ”Including the time I was unconscious, I’ve been on Dark Star for over thirty years. If during this period, the Flame Demon Ancestor has been laying his plans here, with his capabilities, it would be incredibly easy for him to plant some pawns among the major clans.”

”The reason he hasn’t fought me head-on is likely because he has many tricks up his sleeve, plenty of ways to deal with me.”

”He might not even need to act personally. Just setting a few traps along the way and sending a few assassins would be enough to give me a hard time.”

Xu Hei had calmed down completely. With a bit of analysis, he identified many potential threats.

He even suspected that not only the Oli family but also the Yan family might have a mole.

”I didn’t expect you to figure all this out,” Old Tree chuckled. ”Are you still going to travel with them?”

”Of course, why wouldn’t I?” Xu Hei sneered. ”If I don’t travel with them, how will I root out those moles? Besides, I must get my hands on this batch of Spirit Stones.”

Xu Hei said no more, took a few healing pills, and began to meditate and heal.His injuries this time were much lighter than before, mostly side effects from the infusion of laws. The Flame Demon Ancestor hadn’t really harmed him.

As long as he rested for a few days, Xu Hei could regain his combat strength.

This was also why Xu Hei dared to stay.

...

Before long, the convoy had crossed the most dangerous area of fierce winds and was proceeding in an orderly fashion.

The Yan family and the Oli family each sent someone to scout ahead. Yan Feng stayed at the rear to check for any followers, while Ao De was in the central area guarding the goods.

In this manner, five days passed in a flash.

The convoy traversed mountains and valleys, stopping and starting, crossing many dangerous areas. Apart from encountering some natural disasters, nothing else happened.

This surprised Xu Hei.

He had thought there would be many ambushes along the way, but there were none, making him wonder if he was overthinking things.

”Everyone, ahead lies Black Sand Ridge. I see a massive sandstorm. Why don’t we rest here for a few days and proceed once the storm passes? What do you all think?” Yan Feng suggested.

Looking ahead, there was an endless black desert, with wild winds and black sand filling the sky, accompanied by thunderous sounds. It was the most dangerous sandstorm in Black Sand Ridge.

”I was thinking the same. What do you think, Fellow Daoist Xu?”

Ao De looked towards the stone chamber where Xu Hei was meditating.

”I have no objections.”

A response came from inside.

”Alright, let’s set up camp here,” Ao De announced loudly.

Everyone was exhausted from five days of travel and the previous battles, so they gathered together, took out food, and began to eat.

The stone spirit clan wasn’t picky about food. As long as it contained Spiritual Qi, they could consume it, including the corpses of deceased companions.

In the harsh environment of Dark Star, they had long evolved a set of survival rules to adapt to this place.

Those who couldn’t adapt had long been eliminated by nature.

Of course, spirit sand was the best food, but it was scarce and reserved for breakthroughs. No one would eat it casually.

”Haha, look what I caught!”

Suddenly, a loud laugh came from afar. Ao Fei was running over, holding a long worm.

”A Black Sand Worm? Such a rarity!”

All the stone people stood up, their faces showing envy.

The Black Sand Worm was a rare delicacy, easier to digest and absorb than those hard stones, and extremely nourishing.

Eating just three to five Black Sand Worms could heal their injuries immediately.

If only it could be preserved and not eaten immediately, it would fetch a high price.

”I found a pit of Black Sand Worms over there, at least a dozen of them. If we don’t hurry, it’ll be too late!” Ao Fei said.

Everyone exchanged glances, then rushed over.

Before long, they returned with their hands full, each having caught a few worms, and began to feast.

Yan Feng wanted to bring a couple to Xu Hei, but Xu Hei remained behind closed doors, his stone chamber sealed, so he gave up.

At night, the stone people entered a state of rest.

As time passed, the sandstorm at Black Sand Ridge grew more intense, showing no signs of abating.

From a distance, they could hear the howling winds.

Amidst the howling, suddenly, a sharp light shot out from the storm.

”Whoosh!”

The light was very concealed and incredibly fast, like a bolt of lightning, crossing miles from Black Sand Ridge and striking Xu Hei’s stone chamber with precision.

”Clang!!”

A large hole was punched through Xu Hei’s stone chamber.

A pitch-black arrow had pierced through, nailing the figure inside the chamber.

”Not good, we’re under attack!” Ao De shouted.

All the stone people awoke, looking towards the direction of the arrow, but there was nothing but black sand in the distance.

Looking at Xu Hei’s stone chamber, a large hole had been shot through it.

The figure inside had been hit by an arrow and lay on the ground, lifeless.

”Dead?”

Everyone was shocked.

Ao De rushed over, broke open the stone chamber, and found Xu Hei lying motionless on the ground, an arrow in his body, without a sound.

Yan Feng’s pupils contracted, immediately noticing something was wrong.

”No! This isn’t a living person; it’s a decoy!” Yan Feng shouted.

”Ah!!”

As soon as he finished speaking, a shrill scream came from the distant sandstorm.

In the sharp winds, the scream was piercing, audible even from miles away.

Everyone looked towards the distance, their faces filled with shock.

In Black Sand Ridge, amidst the howling winds, a figure was moving, seemingly engaged in a fight with another person.

Before long, the battle ended.

One person was defeated, captured by the other, and flew out of the storm, speeding towards them.

In the blink of an eye, Xu Hei landed before them.

In Xu Hei’s hand was a figure wrapped in black cloth, also from the stone spirit clan. The figure was small, less than half the size of a normal stone person, entirely black, and able to blend into the environment.

”This is... a Black Clan assassin, Hei Xuan!” Yan Feng’s face changed.

Hei Xuan, one of the top assassins of the stone spirit clan, not highly cultivated but with extremely bizarre methods, capable of infiltrating any dangerous area with ease. Even stone people in the late stages of divine power had been successfully assassinated by him.

And now, this notorious assassin was in Xu Hei’s hands.

”Speak! Who sent you?”

Xu Hei pressed Hei Xuan’s forehead, a sharp divine sense piercing into his sea of consciousness, demanding answers.