Chen Zhou’s gaze swept over Nie Chaoxi, the white snake kneeling respectfully upon the water’s surface. His voice was flat and devoid of emotion, yet it carried the weight of divine authority.
“Nie Hailong was rife with wickedness, slaughtering villages and sacrificing his own kin. His crimes are beyond redemption.
“I am the Bone God. To protect the human race, I came specifically to slay this demon. Considering you have not yet been tainted by evil deeds and your sapience has only recently awakened, I shall grant you a reprieve. You are permitted to atone for your crimes through service and follow me.”
Nie Chaoxi snapped her head up, her pink eyes beneath her white hair wide with shock.
She had expected to be either eaten or silenced. She never anticipated having the option to surrender.
Nie Chaoxi did not dare hesitate for a moment. She kowtowed heavily. “Chaoxi is willing to submit to my Lord! I shall serve you for the rest of my life with no second thoughts, at your beck and call!”
Nearby, several small black snakes that were still alive began to wriggle their bodies. They looked at Nie Chaoxi’s surrender with envy before staring expectantly at Chen Zhou.
With their leader dead and having been suppressed by Chen Zhou’s might, none of them wanted to throw away their chance at life.
One snake, slightly larger than the others, blinked its innocent eyes and spoke in somewhat awkward human tongue.
“Di... Divine Lord, we... we have not been tainted by evil deeds either.”
“Yes, yes! I’ve never even eaten a person.”
“Big Brother is right! Although we small demons were born in Lakeglow Ridge, our hearts have always been with the human race. That old scoundrel Nie Hailong’s crimes were many, and his death is not enough to pay for them! We truly wished we could have died as humans in battle against him!”
“We pray the Divine Lord sees clearly!”
Chen Zhou glanced at them and said indifferently, “Since you are willing to submit, then come along as well.”
The few lucky black snakes almost wept with joy. they nodded and wagged their tails incessantly, letting out faint hisses to signal their submission.
“In that case, Nie Chaoxi, you will carry Hong Ling and Shitou.” Chen Zhou then looked at the larger black snake. “You...”
The black snake was quite perceptive, bowing its head flatteringly. “Lord, my name is Nie 1. You may simply call me Little One.”
“Lord, I am Old Second.”
“Lord, Lord! I am Little Three!”
Chen Zhou nodded. “Fine. You lot clean up the battlefield and carry these corpses back to the Dead Man’s Forest.”
Nie Chaoxi’s form blurred as she transformed back into her several-fathoms-long white snake body. She carefully used her head to lift the unconscious Shitou and the injured Hong Ling, settling them onto her smooth, cool back.
The other small black snakes worked hard to pick up or coil around the corpses of their kin. Two of them even got into a scuffle over who would get to transport Nie Hailong. For a moment, the scene was rather bizarre.
The Plague Rat scoffed while grooming its fur, clearly caring a great deal about its image while looking down on the spineless black snakes.
'No backbone at all. Truly pathetic.'
“Tsk, how has your heart become so soft? It’s one thing to protect the humans, but what use is keeping these low-level small demons?”
Chen Zhou glanced at it. “Resource utilization, understand? Taking them back to mine ore and chop trees is a good use for them.”
These snake demons were among the strongest of Nie Hailong’s offspring. Although they hadn't been directly refined by the Nine-Clan Blood-Binding Array, much of their qi and blood energy had been drained. Killing them wasn't cost-effective; it was better to put them to work and create value.
The Plague Rat’s crimson eyes lit up, and it nodded its tiny head in agreement. “Makes sense! You evil spirits really are black-hearted!”
Chen Zhou smiled, then looked toward the shimmering, jade-like island in the center of the lake.
The island stood out remarkably amidst the blood-colored lake water. Its material was extraordinary, faintly emitting a pure spiritual aura.
Chen Zhou once again pinched the scruff of the Plague Rat’s neck.
The Plague Rat, which had been licking its paws, instinctively felt a sense of impending doom. Immediately after, it heard Chen Zhou’s demonic voice.
“Lord Rat, go and bring that white jade island back.”
“???”
“Gods damn you! Do you really treat Lord Rat like a donkey? You’re making me gnaw on rocks right after a fight?!”
The Plague Rat’s fur bristled, but it didn't dare to actually quit. Chen Zhou had promised golden garlic braised snake segments and salt-and-pepper crispy snake ribs, and he hadn't delivered yet. Just hearing the names made it imagine how delicious they would be.
The Plague Rat could only roll its eyes as it reluctantly moved toward the lakeshore.
“Dammit! Black-hearted evil spirit! All you know is how to exploit this rat! This rat’s life matters too!”
The Plague Rat’s body flickered. Although it remained the size of a peanut, demonic qi surged around it. It opened its tiny mouth and sucked hard toward the white jade island.
It wasn't swallowing it, but using its demonic qi to forcibly cut and refine it.
A series of tooth-aching grinding sounds rang out. The entire white jade island was actually bitten off from its foundation at the bottom of the lake.
【Blood-Essence Jade】
【4th-grade celestial treasure】
【Formed in places rich in blood qi and spiritual energy. With further gestation, it may produce Blood Jade Marrow.】
【Long-term wear is beneficial for cultivation; it is also a top-grade material for artifact refining.】
Having been nurtured by Nie Hailong for a hundred years, the Blood-Essence Jade was indeed a treasure. The Blood Jade Marrow had already begun to take shape.
【Blood Jade Marrow】
【6th-grade celestial treasure】
【Nurtured within Blood-Essence Jade, it is rich in blood qi and spiritual power.】
【Consuming it directly can provide a massive increase in flesh energy; it can also be used for alchemy or cooking.】
Chen Zhou used his Ghost Domain to wrap the cut and shrunk island, placing it onto Nie Chaoxi’s back. The weight made her feel a sudden surge of pressure.
The Plague Rat was so exhausted its fur had lost some of its luster. Gnawing off a 4th-grade celestial treasure of that size required significant effort even for it.
The rat sprawled on the ground, panting heavily. Its resentful little eyes kept darting toward Chen Zhou. However, seeing Chen Zhou exploiting everyone equally made it feel a bit better.
Aside from the white jade island, Nie Hailong had managed to save up some family wealth after occupying Lakeglow Ridge for a hundred years.
Although the vast majority had been used to set up the Nine-Clan Blood-Binding Array, the remaining scraps were frantically scavenged by the small black snakes, who vied to present them to Chen Zhou like treasures.
They were all ordinary 1st and 2nd-grade materials. Chen Zhou did not turn them away, piling them all onto Nie Chaoxi’s back.
Nie Chaoxi: ...
When the group of demons returned to the Fengdao County dock, the sun was nearly set.
Wang Er and several workers were waiting anxiously, their hearts filled with trepidation.
When they saw the giant white snake carrying the two Immortal Masters back, followed by a string of small black snakes dragging various snake corpses, they nearly lost their souls from fright.
“Mercy! The Immortal Masters have been captured by monsters!”
“Do not panic,” Hong Ling called out loudly. “The snake demons of Lakeglow Ridge have been slain by the God! The Demon King is dead! This white snake and these small snakes have been subduing by the God and have turned from their evil ways. They will not harm anyone!”
Her voice was clear and bright. She mimicked the tone Chen Zhou usually used, carrying a faint dignity that instantly quelled the panicked sailors.
Wang Er and the others looked at the docile white snake and the small black snakes that were clearly performing labor with shock and doubt. They then saw Shitou and Hong Ling, whose breathing was stable, on the white snake’s back. Their fear was gradually replaced by overwhelming shock and worship.
“Sub... subdued? The Immortal Master actually subdued the great demon that occupied Lakeglow Ridge for so many years?!” Wang Er was so excited he became incoherent. “Truly... truly great divine powers! Limitless magic!”
Hong Ling shook her head helplessly and emphasized once more, “It wasn't us. It was the Lord God.”
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