Zhongshan Shenzhu Chi

After the Golden Ape King left, Huai Nian turned to look at the various tributes offered by the villagers of Xincun.

The various iron and stone carvings are mostly in the shape of snakes. There are also books covering astronomy, geography, history, and folklore.

"That village chief might actually have met my mother, and he even knows to bring her some books to keep her entertained."

The giant snake hissed and summoned the fox it had raised since it was a cub, which carried away the wooden table.

Suddenly, an ancient book with blurred handwriting on the wooden table caught its attention.

"this……"

Huai Nian was puzzled, so he blew a breath and turned the pages of the ancient book.

But the moment the pages were turned, words shimmering with golden light rushed straight into its mind!

"What the hell?!"

In an instant, the giant snake's mind seemed to be stirred into a vortex by a stick.

Those shimmering golden words spun in his mind, scattering Huai Nian's spirit into disarray.

After a long while.

Suppressing the urge to vomit, Huai Nian mustered her strength and managed to make out the meaning of one of the characters.

The Three Qi Return to Nature!

"Ugh—" Suddenly the writing disappeared, and Huai Nian vomited uncontrollably on the spot.

"Candle..." A young, single-tailed fox sat upright beside the large snake, his eyes filled with worry.

"fine."

After vomiting, Huai Nian flicked her tail, pointing out the fox's target: "Little White, take this table and everything on it with you, and come back with me."

Upon hearing this, the white fox, though still worried, did not ask any further questions.

The wooden table was only a little over a meter long. It stretched out its tail, coiled itself around the table, lifted it up, and quickly followed the large snake.

The heavy rain continued to fall on the day of Jingzhe (Awakening of Insects).

Just like fifteen years ago, when he was on his mother's back and had just learned to recognize things, seeing his mother following the big snake through the mountains and forests, the fox followed Huai Nian closely.

All the way to the deep valley where the serpent god resided.

"Let's go in together."

Seeing that the white fox had suddenly stopped moving forward, Huai Nian said, "The Mother Goddess seems quite willing to meet the creatures of Zhongshan."

"It's just that they themselves feel that the gods should not be treated lightly."

"Ah... I understand." Upon hearing this, the white fox's ears drooped down and stuck to the back of its head.

A snake and a fox entered the valley.

The serpent god immediately poked its head out.

She first kissed the top of Huai Nian's head, then whispered, "Is this the fox you've raised since you were a cub?"

"Mother, please don't ask questions you already know the answer to."

"Lord Snake God!"

Compared to Huai Nian's helplessness, the white fox put down the offerings curled on its tail, lowered its limbs and head to the ground, and spoke in a trembling voice:

"This little white fox from the south of the mountain... has grown up thanks to the care of the Candle Master, and is now sixteen years old..."

"She's quite good-looking."

The serpent god's enormous head circled the white fox, scrutinizing it closely before saying, "Candle, you can bring more living beings to me in the future."

"Bring the Golden Ape, Bloodhound, Prison Wolf, and Mountain Lord to me so I can see how big they've grown. They don't even bother to come and see me."

"I've got it," Huai Nian replied.

"I'll take my leave now." Hearing the snake god chatting about everyday matters, the shrewd fox immediately took his leave and quickly left the valley.

The rain was still falling on the day of Jingzhe (Awakening of Insects), pattering into the valley.

"How do you plan to investigate?" the snake god suddenly asked.

"Through the people of the new village at the foot of the mountain, try to find out about the human city first... and then wait."

"They want us to panic, but we won't panic." Huai Nian raised her head and stood up. "We'll remain calm and see who loses their composure first."

"Hmm, anything else?"

The snake god nodded and continued, "You can calm down, but how do you appease the strange beasts and monsters in the mountains?"

"Let's fight."

Without much thought, Huai Nian blurted out, "Although you say we can't use brute force, my wisdom tells me that the most effective way right now is to use force."

"He truly is my son." The snake god's eyes were full of smiles and satisfaction.

"However, Mother, there is one more thing I need you to know."

Huai Nian raised her tail and pointed to the ancient book for her mother: "This book has imprinted a technique called 'The Transformation of the Three Qi' in my mind."

Do you know its origin?

"It sounds a lot like the Ranshan School's 'All Things Return to Their Own'." Upon hearing this, the Snake God lowered his head and looked at the ancient book on the wooden table.

Without her having to do anything, the wind would turn the pages of the book, providing her with one page after another to read.

In the deep valley, the heavy rain stopped, and only the passing mountain mists breathed along with the serpent god.

After a long time, she finished reading the ancient book.

"It's a pretty good inheritance. Each word is a technique, but it's a bit selective in terms of aptitude. It's quite fortunate that you were able to obtain 'The Three Qi Return to Nature'."

The serpent god slowly explained, "Although humans have cultivation techniques that we demons cannot practice."

"But Huai Nian, you're different. You were once truly human. Perhaps, besides being able to use the talents of a demon, you can also cultivate true qi, magical power, and immortal essence just like humans. Who knows?"

"Mother..." Huai Nian hesitated in her heart.

It had learned about human cultivation methods, which basically involved using the acupoints throughout the body to correspond to the directions of heaven and earth, and the myriad phenomena of the stars.

It is now a snake, possessing only the three innate orifices of body, qi, and spirit.

Where, like humans, is there a detailed list of acupoints and pores throughout the body?

"The Three Qi Transformation is relatively simple, and it was specially selected for you from this ancient book."

As if seeing through Huai Nian's thoughts, the Snake God explained, "It is merely using your spirit to connect the Yin and Yang energies into your body, forming a vortex of energy, proving the primordial chaos, and then encompassing all things."

"It just so happens that you have now broken through the Body and Qi realms, but you still have the Divine Sense realm, and you haven't found a way to break through yet."

"Why don't we try using human methods?"

"Then... I'll give it a try." Huai Nian nodded in agreement.

"Since we're going to try, why not choose the most difficult one? Nothing in the world is more Yin than the bright moon, and nothing in the purest Yang surpasses the great sun."

"You've already cultivated by absorbing the essence of the moon and the yin energy; now add the practice of absorbing the essence of the sun at noon into your body."

The snake god looked at Huai Nian with a smile in his eyes.

"Mother, I feel it's you..."

There is a saying among humankind: all living beings are blessed with good fortune, a gift from heaven that even immortals cannot take away.

As the serpent god retracted its head, it carefully explained to Huai Nian, "Since the villagers of Xincun have chosen to offer it as tribute, and you have received its favor, then help them realize their most fundamental wish: to live in peace."

"You can decide what to do with that ancient book yourself; there's no need to ask me."

"Mother!"

Upon hearing this, Huai Nian's heart skipped a beat, and a bad feeling welled up inside her.

"Don't worry, the rain during the Awakening of Insects symbolizes the growth and renewal of all things, which is good for my health. I'm just going to continue sleeping now."

The serpent god's enormous head slowly disappeared into the valley, leaving only its soft whispers echoing in Huai Nian's ears.

"Of course, I will wake up when you bring the Golden Ape and the Bloodhound here to see me."

"My child, may the long night be peaceful."

"well."

After replying, Huai Nian let out a long sigh in the valley.

Ultimately, among mythical beasts, it still comes down to raw strength.

As long as one can break through the three realms and advance from a demon beast to a great demon, many problems can be easily solved.

The giant serpent turned and left, its heart filled with doubt and a desire to become stronger.

But the unpleasant feeling lingered in its mind and wouldn't dissipate for a long time.