Zhongshan Shenzhu Chi

The large snake moved away from the new village and went up the mountain road.

After the rain, Zhongshan is filled with the fragrance of grass, trees and soil. Returning to the mountains and forests is like returning home.

It envelops not only itself in fragrance, but also in a tranquil peace that needs no words.

Push open the door, and the warm fire illuminates the steaming dishes on the dining table, while the soft chairs soothe your tired body.

The rolling mountains are like the familiar embrace of family. The mountain breeze carries the warm greetings of loved ones.

In this atmosphere, the snake gradually slowed its pace, its scales making a soft sound as they rubbed against the soil and fallen leaves.

The emotions that had surged within him from killing for the first time gradually subsided.

This is Zhongshan, the place where Huai Nian was born.

Suddenly, the giant snake paused, its gaze fixed on a single point.

There, the pure white jade beads stood quietly, freshly washed by the rain, their luster warm and smooth, as if they had never fallen into the mortal world.

"This must be what the Bloodhound and the Crimson Immortal Sect use to communicate, right?" The giant snake used the tip of its tail to curl it up and examine it carefully.

But whether viewed from a normal perspective or from the perspective of a snake's natural instincts, nothing seems out of the ordinary.

"Go ask the Bloodhound. I held back; it should be able to speak now." The giant snake hissed, raising its head in fear that the jade bead would be melted by the intense heat within its body.

This time, however, it didn't take long before the howl of a fox echoed through the forest.

The white fox, stepping on tree branches, quickly arrived following the call, landing silently and sitting obediently in front of the large snake, its fluffy tail swaying gently behind it.

Before the torrential rain began, it followed the scent of the large snake and quietly approached the new village.

The white fox knew very well that it had only broken the shackles of life force and its cultivation was still shallow.

In such a fierce battle, even a slight graze from the aftershocks would have killed me instantly.

After a moment's hesitation, it still came.

It's not about being brave; it's about knowing that after the battle, Zhu will definitely need him.

"Candle, is something the matter?" The white fox raised its head, its tone gentle yet firm, just as always.

Huai Nian was surprised that it could arrive so quickly. Just as she was about to ask, the white fox said, "I arrived a long time ago, but I was afraid of disturbing you, so I hid in the forest."

"I'm hiding very far away," the white fox emphasized.

"...Take this jade bead and come to me." The giant serpent lowered its eyes, its emotions churning, and said after a moment of silence.

"Hmm." The white fox stretched out its tail, curled up the jade bead, and lightly leaped onto the snake's body, sitting cross-legged under the snake's deliberately raised scales.

The snake and the fox have maintained this way of getting along for fifteen years. No words are needed; they have an unspoken understanding with each other.

The giant snake raised two scales again, protecting the white fox on both sides.

Immediately, all the muscles in his body contracted suddenly, his blood surged, and his enormous snake body exploded like a spring compressed to its limit.

In the dense forest, a sudden flash of crimson lightning streaked through the trees and leaves, creating a howling wind.

*

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*

"You give up?" Bloodhound lay in the Golden Ape Valley, watching the golden ape cubs chew herbs and apply them to the wounds cut by snake scales on his body.

"...I can't beat him." After being beaten twice, the Golden Ape King had come to realize that he was no match for the Red Serpent.

"I'm asking if you've taken it or not?" The burning pain in his wounds made the bloodhound's face contort, baring his fangs.

"I'm not convinced." The Golden Ape King snorted. Its injuries had not yet healed, and its cubs were applying herbal medicine to it.

Just because we can't beat them now doesn't mean we can't beat them in the future, and just because we can't beat them in the future doesn't mean we can't beat them in the future.

In short, when it comes to combat power, the Golden Ape King will never be satisfied.

"Why did it let me go?" Bloodhound got the answer he wanted, turned his head, and murmured, as if asking himself.

"Didn't Zhu already say that?" The Golden Ape King turned around and lay down on the ground, letting the cubs apply medicine. "You didn't leave Zhongshan, nor did you make a deal with humans, so this is just a lesson for you."

"...That's really generous of it." Bloodhound's eyes dimmed.

My life was spared entirely because of the great serpent's mercy.

For a demon who was on good terms with the Golden Ape King and could become his friend, this was nothing short of humiliation.

But I am indeed still alive. Countless times I have asked myself, and I am willing to suffer humiliation and want to continue living.

Bloodhound's complex emotions surged like the surface of a lake after rain, wanting to calm down but finding no way to do so.

I could only stay where I was, watching the ripples rise and fall in my heart.

The question that was on the tip of my tongue, "Did the giant snake eat the medium?", is now impossible to ask.

Moreover, whether it ate the medium or not, a monster with its nose that had broken through two shackles could tell just by smelling it, so there was no need for it to lie.

In other words, Zhu and himself are essentially on the same level now.

But once it attacks, you are completely powerless to resist.

"Sigh..." Bloodhound sighed, full of helplessness.

"Back in the mountain and water cave, a red lotus seed was taken by the candle. It said it wanted to try to breed it, and I felt it would suit you well."

The Golden Ape King sat up, raised his arms, and showed his armpits to the little golden ape cubs.

"Although it seems unlikely that I'll give it to you, it wouldn't hurt to try."

"We'll see..." Bloodhound sighed again. "Golden Ape, why do you think Candle has suddenly become stronger?"

"I remember watching it fight you and it was evenly matched..."

"There's no reason why. It can endure, it can tolerate things that I cannot bear." The Golden Ape King spoke calmly, as if recounting an ordinary matter. "Therefore, Candle is stronger than me now."

"But it can't always be stronger than me. Sooner or later, I will also be able to absorb the essence of the sun and forge a perfect physique."

"Sun essence?" Bloodhound turned around abruptly.

But then the Golden Ape King raised his hand, and amidst the blazing golden lightning, extremely tiny yet intensely hot specks of light appeared.

"With the moonlight left in my body by the candle, I've refined this wisp of solar essence." The Golden Ape King reached out, "You can eat it."

"It really is a Sun Essence?!" Bloodhound suddenly stood up, and his back cracked with a sharp sound.

The intense pain forced it to lie down again.

"The pain you're experiencing now is something that Zhu endures every day, and it's even more intense than what you're going through."

"You're highly unlikely to be able to consume the medium, and it's also highly improbable that you'll receive the cultivation technique bestowed by the Serpent God. This wisp of solar essence..."

The Golden Ape King didn't finish his sentence.

Bloodhound interrupted, "I will fight for my destiny myself. You can take it back."

"I thought so too, I wasn't planning on giving it to you anyway."

After the Golden Ape King finished speaking, the two ferocious beasts, the ape and the dog, fell silent.

Only the bloodhound occasionally let out a low groan because of the pain from the golden ape cub applying medicine to its wounds.

We waited until the sun set and the moon rose.

The little monkeys, who were still applying medicine, suddenly stopped and began to tremble.

The golden ape and the bloodhound sensed something and looked up at the same time.

A huge snake head emerged from the cliff, its golden and silver eyes shining like two blazing lamps, illuminating the entire valley as if the whole valley was lit up by its gaze.

"Two brothers in the same boat... have they figured out how to face me?"