Xu Xian controlled Wait, flying for six consecutive days before finally reaching the land of extreme cold.
He spent another three days flying through this frozen wasteland, venturing deep into its heart.
Finally.
After much searching, he discovered the Nine-Turn Spirit Lotus beneath a ten-thousand-year-old cold pool.
It was a grotto-heaven, where ice crystals sparkled with a brilliant luster.
A snow-white spirit lotus grew upon a massive cold ice stone, surrounded by ice crystal stones.
The lotus stood half an arm's length tall with nine leaves. Atop these leaves, spiritual light ebbed and flowed, faintly wreathed in what seemed like immortal qi.
Xu Xian’s gaze was instantly captivated.
The little book spirit flew closer, its tiny eyes wide with surprise.
"It really is a Nine-Turn Spirit Lotus. And by the look of it, it’s over a hundred thousand years old. Look at the cyclones on it; they’ve reached a state of completion. Even in the Upper Realm, this would be a rare find..."
Spirit plants of heaven and earth.
They carried their own blessings.
Naturally, they would attract exotic beasts to serve as guardians, resulting in a relationship of mutual achievement and benefit.
This thought naturally surfaced in Xu Xian's mind.
Although the white snake claimed it had killed the companion spirit beast years ago, Xu Xian still surveyed the surroundings warily. Only after confirming the area was safe several times did he finally relax his guard.
He approached the immortal plant.
Uncontrollable greed flickered in the white snake's eyes, but its expression was one of unprecedented agony.
An immortal plant of a hundred thousand years.
Searching through the entire Fanzhou today, one likely couldn't find more than a few. To give away such a rare treasure just like that—how could it not feel the sting?
However, compared to its own life, it was a small price to pay.
As Xu Xian had said, treasures are precious, but life is worth more.
They were merely external possessions; staying alive was what truly mattered.
It spoke weakly, "I've given you what you wanted. Now, you can fulfill your promise and release me."
Xu Xian gave a slight smile. He untied the snake from his waist and performed a hand seal while chanting a mantra, retracting the spirit rope that bound it.
In an instant.
The white snake returned to its original size.
As thick as an arm and several meters long.
Xu Xian squinted his eyes and smiled. "Alright, you may go."
The white snake suppressed the joy in its heart and lowered its head.
"Thank you."
Xu Xian waved his hand. "Don't mention it. I said I would let you go, and I keep my word."
The white snake couldn't help but steal one last deep look at the Nine-Turn Spirit Lotus before slithering its body toward the exit of the cave.
It didn't dare linger.
It feared Xu Xian might change his mind.
It admitted that it had indeed been gambling.
But clearly, it had won the bet; Xu Xian wasn't entirely rotten to the core.
Just as the white snake was thinking that as long as there is life, there is hope—and that in thirty years, it would surely repay him a hundredfold...
It heard a faint, subtle sword hum. Before it could even react, a cold light flashed before its eyes. Through the mirror-like ice walls around it, it saw a dark shadow rushing toward it.
Alarm bells rang in its head.
"Damn you!"
But in the next second, a sword had already pierced through its seven-inch mark.
Intense pain forced a shrill, tragic hiss from its throat.
"Sss!"
Its seven-inch mark was impaled, pinning its entire body firmly to the ice. Scalding snake blood flowed from the wound, staining the frozen surface crimson.
It struggled desperately, its body writhing.
"Sss! Sss!"
It reared its head, its snake eyes crimson like mist as it glared deathly at Xu Xian. "Why? Why?!"
Xu Xian spoke with a calm, indifferent tone.
"Because you deserve to die."
"But you promised to let me go! Aren't you afraid of retribution? You swore by your master's name!" the white snake roared in a frenzy.
Xu Xian licked his lips. His eyes seemed clouded with a layer of grey, and his voice was bone-chillingly cold.
"I did say I would let you go, and I indeed released you. But I never said I wouldn't kill you!"
It hissed, "Ah! You played me!"
Xu Xian ignored it, simply watching it calmly.
In its desperation, the white snake pleaded for survival.
"Release me, and I am willing to serve you as my master."
Xu Xian let out a cold laugh and said icily, "No need."
He gripped Wait tightly, his tone becoming solemn and majestic as he pronounced the sentence: "Wicked beast Xiushe, for your own selfish gains, you brought calamity to the world and caused the deaths of tens of thousands of children. Today, in the name of the Wendao Sword Sect's Little Grand-Uncle, I sentence you to death, to be executed immediately."
"Xu Xian, I curse you to die a miserable death! Ah!"
With a forceful twist of his sword, Xu Xian yanked it out, causing snake blood to splatter everywhere.
The white snake let out a long, final cry. Its pupils contracted and turned white.
With one last sound, it breathed its last.
Xu Xian shook the blood off his blade and gave the body a kick, cursing under his breath.
"Dumbass."
The white snake, regardless of its appearance, was the transformed Xiushe.
In the past, how it died or how many people it killed had nothing to do with him.
But he knew one thing.
Everything in the Snake Valley existed because of it, and tens of thousands of infants died because of it.
Even if it shed its bloody past and became pure white, it could never wash away its sins.
He had no right to forgive it on behalf of the innocent souls who had died.
All he had to do was send it down to meet them.
As for whether they would forgive it, that was up to them.
Of course, he admitted he was being a bit... well, whatever.
However, trying to talk about morality with a demon was something only a fool would do.
The little book spirit was stunned. It flew over, staring at the white snake that had died from the strike to its vital spot, and swallowed hard.
"You actually killed it?"
Xu Xian countered, "Otherwise?"
The little book spirit clicked its tongue. "Good kill, good kill! Quick, while it's still warm, take out the snake gall and swallow it."
Xu Xian paused.
"What is it?" the little book spirit asked.
Xu Xian looked a bit troubled and asked tentatively, "Swallow it raw?"
The little book spirit replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "How else? This is an ancient Xiushe. Though it can't compare to a divine beast, it's still a variant of a ferocious beast. To you humans, its entire body is a massive tonic, especially the snake gall. It's the essence of essences. Hurry up, the taste won't be as good once it cools."
Xu Xian let out an 'er'.
He admitted that from the very beginning, he had planned to eat the Xiushe and sell its skin.
Making the most of everything.
But swallowing it raw was something he hadn't considered; it felt a bit unrefined.
However, since the little book spirit had put it that way, he naturally had nothing more to say.
He squatted down, skillfully found the location of the snake gall, and sliced it open with his sword.
"Good thing it didn't break," the little book spirit said, relieved.
Xu Xian took it out and, under the expectant gaze of the little book spirit, swallowed it in one go.
His face instantly turned the color of a pig's liver from the bitterness.
The little book spirit continued to urge him, "And the snake blood, drink that too. It'll evaporate in a bit."
Xu Xian glared at it with a sour expression...
"Don't look at me, there's nothing on my face. Drink it, drink it..."
Xu Xian silently picked up the white snake and began to suck the fresh blood from it.
The pungent smell of blood rushed straight to his head; the sensation was indescribable.
Especially when he recalled the scene at the blood pool, it made him feel even more nauseous.
His stomach was already churning.
He endured it, swallowing the blood mouthful after mouthful.
After a long while.
He tossed the white snake's corpse back onto the ice. One hand rested on the hilt of Wait, while the other tightly covered his mouth.
His eyes were brimming with tears.
It was too foul. He had never eaten anything so disgusting in his life.
The little book spirit said gloatingly, "Whatever you do, don't throw up. If you throw it up, you'll have to swallow it back down."
Xu Xian sent a resentful thought. "Easy for you to say. It tastes like I just ate shit."
The little book spirit immediately denied it. "How is that possible? Shit tastes much better than this."
Xu Xian’s eyes widened even further. "..."
The little book spirit's nose twitched. "I haven't eaten it!"
Xu Xian: "???" I didn't say anything, did I?
The little book spirit emphasized again, "I really haven't eaten it!"
Xu Xian nodded. "I believe you!"
Suddenly, he felt that the taste of the snake gall and blood wasn't actually that bad after all...
Rate on N.U.
