"Vile beast!"
Shitou roared. He pushed off with his feet, his body launching forward like an arrow.
Even though this was his first time facing a demon head-on, there wasn't a trace of fear in his eyes.
He possessed divine power bestowed by a god, along with a divine weapon and immortal armor. What was there to fear from a mere demon?
The black snake whipped its head around, its vertical pupils gleaming with murderous intent.
'Another snack delivering itself to my door? This brat looks sturdy; his meat will definitely be more chewy!'
The black snake lunged at Shitou. Its bloody maw dripped with foul-smelling saliva, revealing rows of sharp fangs.
The villagers cried out in terror. The lead man gripped the hem of his clothes, his heart leaping into his throat.
But in the next second, everyone froze.
Instead of retreating, Shitou advanced. With a flick of his wrist, his bone blade swept out, carrying a chilling blade qi.
There were no wasted movements; they couldn't even see how he had struck.
In the blink of an eye, a soft sound rang out. The black snake's head rolled onto the ground as dark green blood sprayed everywhere, staining the earth.
The headless body continued to writhe on the ground, but it soon went still.
Shitou stepped forward quickly to inspect the demon's corpse.
He remembered his mother's instructions before he left.
'The corpses of demons must be very important to the Great God!'
The entire Shideng Village fell deathly silent. Even the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves was crystal clear.
After a long while, a villager spoke up tremulously, "That... that's it? It's dead?"
"That was a snake demon thicker than a water bucket! Shitou... Shitou killed it with a single strike?"
"Am I seeing things? That blade light... it looked just like the cultivators the city lords talk about!"
"Could he really be... an immortal master?"
Exclamations of awe rose one after another. The way the villagers looked at Shitou changed from doubt and alienation to profound reverence.
As Li Dazhu and the dark-faced man carried the snake demon's corpse into the village, the surrounding people instinctively made way, their eyes filled with worship.
This was a powerhouse who could slay a demon in one blow!
In the crowd, Hong Ling stared toward the old locust tree. A spark of light flashed in her eyes as her resolve instantly sharpened.
She and her parents had originally been part of Daliang Village and she was essentially Shitou's childhood sweetheart before they moved to Shideng Village.
Watching Shitou’s changes these past few days, she had long suspected what could have caused such a transformation.
A normal village could never produce someone so sturdy.
When people said there was a god in the Dead Man’s Forest, Hong Ling didn't fully disbelieve it, nor did she fully believe it.
Now, seeing Shitou slay a demon with one strike, her faith in this god jumped from fifty percent to nearly eighty.
So, was it possible that the one in the Dead Man’s Forest was truly a real deity?
Was all of Shitou’s prowess divine power bestowed by that god?
Then, what was the price for believing in this god...
Hong Ling twirled a lock of hair, lost in thought.
She never believed in truly benevolent, suffering-relieving gods. There was no such thing as an unearned favor in this world.
Even the protection the White Jade Immortal gave to Shideng Village and other settlements was merely a transaction.
The villages provided food and gifted talented children to the White Jade Sword Sect in exchange for protection.
It was a transaction that was both fair and unfair.
The initiative was entirely in the hands of the White Jade Immortal. Even if they provided protection, they wouldn't truly risk everything for mere mortals.
They simply used their reputation as a deterrent; substantial help was almost non-existent.
Otherwise, so many villages wouldn't be plagued by demons. Even Shideng Village, which was technically within the White Jade Immortal’s range of protection, had still attracted a snake demon.
Hong Ling gently pulled on her father's sleeve. Meeting his worried gaze, she smiled and gave a small nod, seemingly having made a decision.
Hong Ling wanted power.
She wanted to be able to protect herself in this chaotic world, and even more, she wanted to protect her family and friends.
'I must go and meet the Great Lord in the Dead Man’s Forest!'
Hong Ling whispered to herself.
A gift with a clear price that one could hold in their hand was far more reassuring than a vague, ethereal protection that could vanish at any moment.
No matter the price, if a simpleton like Shitou could afford it, why couldn't she?
Under the great locust tree, the metallic tang of the snake demon's blood was carried far by the wind.
Shitou noticed that in the direction the scent drifted, there were faint, rustling sounds drawing closer to Shideng Village.
It wasn't the light rustle of leaves, but the sound of scales rubbing against the ground—a slithering sound carrying the scent of death.
The villagers' newly relaxed nerves snapped taut. Someone looked toward the woods, their face turning pale. "What... what is that?"
The vegetation in the forest swayed violently as black snakes emerged like a dark tide, gradually surrounding the entire village.
At the very front of the swarm, a giant snake, far thicker than the previous one, slowly slithered out.
Some people's legs turned to jelly, while others collapsed directly onto the ground.
It was too big...
Its head alone was larger than a mud hut!
The giant snake halted, its massive head lifting slightly as it stared at Shitou. It suddenly spoke in a raspy, cold human tongue that sounded like scales grinding together, "Tch. A human? You're the one who killed my subordinate?"
"A mere first-stage early-phase cultivator dares to interfere in the business of Lakeglow Ridge?"
Shitou gripped his bone blade, cold sweat instantly drenching his back.
The giant snake’s aura was far stronger than the previous one, pressing down on him like an invisible mountain, making it difficult even to breathe.
He could clearly sense that this demon's flesh and blood energy was at least ten times his own; they weren't even on the same level.
"Nie 41."
The giant snake slowly announced its name. Its crimson vertical pupils locked onto Shitou with undisguised greed.
"Such rich flesh and blood energy. To kill my man and then dare to stay here... perfect. I'll devour you to avenge him and nourish myself!"
As soon as it finished speaking, it whipped its tail. With a thunderous boom, it smashed into the village's earthen wall, which instantly collapsed halfway, sending debris flying.
The villagers screamed and fled in all directions. Hong Ling pulled her parents into a corner of a house, staring tensely toward Shitou.
Shitou gritted his teeth and straightened his back, holding the bone blade before him. "I have the protection of a god. You dare touch me?"
He stood his ground firmly, not retreating a single step.
He knew he was no match, but he couldn't retreat. If he did, everyone in Shideng Village would be eaten by the snake demon.
At the same time, Shitou held an unshakeable faith in his god.
'With divine power protecting me, why should I fear!'
"God?" Nie 41 laughed loudly, his voice full of disdain. "Where are there any gods in this world?"
"They are nothing more than monsters and ghosts hiding in dark corners!"
"Even if a true god came today, I'd swallow him whole just to see what he's made of."
It suddenly threw open its massive jaws, and a foul-smelling gale swirled toward Shitou.
Dozens of black snakes hissed and lunged toward the villagers. Just as Shitou was about to be swallowed by the giant snake, a sudden sensation of warmth radiated from his chest.
Rate on N.U.
