Xu Xian didn't believe for a second that this was the extent of its wealth, considering two million spirit stones were just casually tucked away in some random cave.
He had to squeeze it dry!
The white snake, however, felt a profound bitterness in its heart.
Everything had been agreed upon, yet the moment the money was in hand, he immediately turned hostile. Where was the justice in the world? Where did such a person even come from?
People always said the snake race was insidious and cunning, yet they couldn't even compare to the sheer shamelessness of the man before it.
Discarding the helper once the task was done, turning a cold shoulder the moment a deal was struck—it was beyond words.
With a mournful face, it defended itself, "I was a great beast once, and it's true I had many treasures. But I would obviously carry the life-saving ones on me. When I was killed, I was stripped clean long ago. These spirit stones aren't worth much, so I just left them here randomly."
"Furthermore, I was one of the Ten Great Ferocious Snakes back then. I had a horde of underlings. They knew about my other hiding spots. Once I died, they definitely wouldn't have left anything behind. This really is the only place left..."
"If I'm lying to you, may I die a wretched death!"
It rambled on, but Xu Xian remained unmoved. Staring into those snake eyes, he said calmly, "You're being dishonest."
"Heaven and Earth be my witness!"
Xu Xian stood up, his massive shadow looming over the white snake. He pulled Wait from the ground and held it high above his head.
"I'll count to three."
The white snake trembled violently. "There's really nothing left..."
"One."
"What do you actually want?!"
"Two."
"Even if you kill me, I still won't have anything!"
"Three."
As the word fell, so did the sword.
"I'll talk! I'll talk!" the white snake nearly shrieked.
The sword's edge stopped right against the snake's forehead.
The white snake pressed itself against the ground, its body quivering as it continued, "I know the location of an Eight-Turn Spirit Lotus. If it's still there, it should have reached its ninth turn by now."
A glint of cunning flashed in Xu Xian's eyes. He tucked Wait back into his sleeve and spread his hands. "See? You should have just said that earlier. Why make things so ugly?"
Watching the youth change his expression so instantly, the white snake wanted to cry but had no tears left.
"I can take you there, but this time you really must let me go."
"No problem," Xu Xian agreed readily.
Xu Xian's credibility with the white snake was now effectively zero. It gritted its teeth secretly.
"How can I trust you?"
Xu Xian said sincerely, "The disciples of my Wendao Sword Sect are the most honest people; it’s a well-known reputation. I am even the Little Grand-Uncle of the Wendao Sword Sect—would I lie to you?"
The white snake didn't even know what to say.
It didn't deny that the Wendao Sword Sect was currently the pillar of righteousness in Fanzhou. Its disciples acted with integrity and followed their hearts without shame.
But...
Xu Xian was an exception!
After all, he had said the same thing a few days ago—that he wouldn't kill it if they found the spirit stones. Now, he had already gone back on his word.
"No, I don't believe you."
"Hmm?"
"Unless you swear an oath."
"Fine, I'll swear."
Xu Xian pointed two fingers like a sword and raised them above his head without a second of hesitation.
The little book spirit had told him that a Nine-Turn Spirit Lotus was a top-tier immortal plant for cultivation, a rare celestial herb. If one were obtained and consumed, it could allow a direct breakthrough to the core formation stage.
What did that mean?
It meant he could directly build the Sword Tower.
At a time like this, even a second of hesitation would be a sign of disrespect toward the Great Dao.
The white snake's face fell as it muttered, "You're being far too casual about this."
Xu Xian lost his patience. "This isn't good enough, that isn't good enough... I might as well just eat snake meat. I happen to be hungry."
"Wait, wait, wait!" the white snake said in a panic. "How about this: swear in the name of your master. If you break your word, your master's body will perish and his Dao will dissipate, and he will die a wretched death."
Xu Xian was stunned.
There was such a good deal?
Without even thinking, he agreed, "Fine."
White snake: "..."
Xu Xian said solemnly, "I swear in the name of my master, Li Taibai, that if I obtain the Nine-Turn Spirit Lotus and do not release you, my master's body shall perish and his Dao shall dissipate, and he will die a wretched death. Happy now?"
"Fine. Remember what you said."
The snake thought that while a person could be shameless, they surely wouldn't betray their own master. Although it had been dead for a very long time, it had gained the memories of the blood infant after the possession. The Sword Ancestor was the absolute spiritual leader of the Wendao Sword Sect and the pillar of support for all its disciples. It figured that no matter how much of a bastard Xu Xian was, he wouldn't joke about his master's life and death.
Xu Xian pursed his lips, finding the whole thing childish.
"Can we go now?"
"We can."
Spirit lotuses were immortal plants that grew in extremely cold lands. They grew one leaf every ten thousand years, with each leaf representing one 'turn.' They could grow up to nine leaves at most, hence the name Nine-Turn Spirit Lotus, and they contained supreme spiritual power. Consuming one could drastically increase one's cultivation and even provide an opportunity to comprehend the laws of Heaven and Earth.
This was the description from the little book spirit.
Xiushe said it had discovered this spirit lotus a very, very long time ago. Back then, the lotus only had eight leaves. It hadn't picked it, but instead used divine techniques to conceal it, waiting for it to grow. However, it had died later, and the matter was dropped.
In its original plan, it intended to swallow the lotus to nourish its divine soul, allowing its strength to return to its peak and enabling it to transform into a great beast once more. Now, it could only let Xu Xian have the benefit.
One person, one snake, and one sword traveled northwest without rest. They walked from dawn to dusk, and from dusk until the sky was filled with a river of stars.
Beneath them, the landscape shifted from green mountains and clear waters to a vast expanse of white snow, where heaven and earth merged into one color.
The extreme north was a forbidden zone for life that even beast beasts avoided. It was frozen year-round, plagued by biting cold. The further one went into the depths, the more piercing the chill became; the northern winds blew like razor blades. Ordinary creatures simply could not survive in such extreme conditions.
Even cultivators had to circulate their qi to resist the cold. If they stayed for too long, they wouldn't be able to hold out either.
But Xu Xian was an exception. Although he was only at the foundation establishment stage, his sword body was no joke, and he had his sword spirit root to protect him. To him, the swirling snow was nothing more than a bit of wind and frost.
The white snake, however, was shivering uncontrollably. It couldn't help but complain that Xu Xian was a freak, a human-shaped ferocious beast.
Along the way, perhaps fearing that Xu Xian might go back on his word again, it constantly tried to get on his good side, talking incessantly about history and legends. Xu Xian didn't bother to stop it, treating it as entertainment to pass the time.
The white snake spoke of Fanzhou in the past and the era it lived in. It said that in the ancient era, there were immortals in the human world, and living beings could attain the Dao and ascend to the heavens. At that time, the human race was extremely weak; that era belonged to the ferocious beasts. Various great terrors emerged one after another. Gods and immortals often descended from the heavens to the mortal dust.
It also claimed it had been slain by an immortal from the heavens. Otherwise, no one in Fanzhou would have been able to kill it. As it spoke, it mentioned that the current Fanzhou had declined. It seemed the Sky Gate had been sealed, severing the connection. The spiritual energy from above could not descend, adding shackles to the human world...
Xu Xian just listened for the fun of it.
What 'above the heavens'? What 'Ancient Great Desolation'? What 'Sky Gate' or 'Ascension'? These things were too far removed from him.
Right now, he only wanted to cultivate well, increase his strength, and survive in this chaotic world.
Break through to core formation. Build the Sword Tower. Return to Houdao Village in glory and treat the villagers to snake meat! That was all!
After the battle in Yecheng, where he had narrowly escaped death, a shadow lingered in his heart despite his cheerful demeanor. The deaths of Ruan Zhong, Song Qingshu, and the others had deeply affected him.
Having traveled through the world, he now had a deeper understanding of the Wendao Sword Sect's situation. It could be summarized in four words: internal troubles and external threats.
The internal troubles were the schemes of the human race. The external threats were the greed of the foreign races.
Regardless, he was now the Little Grand-Uncle of the Wendao Sword Sect and the master of the Sword Mound. He shared the sect's glory and its ruin. Most importantly, he didn't want to watch the people he cared about die while he remained powerless, neither now nor in the future.
Rate on N.U.
