Reborn as a Snake: Forging a Demon Court Starting from a Black Python

Late at night, the Qiantang River.

The river water was as black as ink, with undercurrents surging beneath the surface.

For ordinary creatures, the pitch-black riverbed is an absolute no-go zone.

But at this moment, thirty meters below the surface, a pair of dark golden vertical pupils suddenly opened, illuminating the dark lake with two eerie will-o'-the-wisps.

"Hungry……"

Lin Xuan felt as if a fire was burning in his stomach.

Although the "adding legs to a snake" bug was used to successfully create the form of the [Black Water Poison Dragon (fake)], this evolution that went against the laws of nature also brought extremely terrifying aftereffects, such as energy depletion.

His once smooth snake body was now covered with a layer of rough and hard black scales, and the four sharp claws protruding from his belly, though looking ferocious, were trembling slightly at this moment.

That was the weakness brought on by extreme hunger.

"Without sufficient blood and food to replenish it, let alone intercepting Bai Suzhen in Hangzhou, this body will probably digest itself first."

Lin Xuan endured the cramping pain in his abdomen, his four tender dragon claws gripping the rocks of the riverbed tightly, resisting the turbulent current.

Every inch he moved relied on pure physical strength.

Suddenly, a ripple appeared in the murky water ahead.

【LV8 Ironback Giant Catfish】

The cleaner fish at the bottom of the Qiantang River are thick-skinned, fierce, and tough.

A giant catfish, about half the length of a person, was swishing its slippery tail as it searched for carrion in the mud.

Its back, covered with bony plates, is so tough that even an ordinary harpoon would have difficulty piercing it.

"I'll use you as an appetizer."

Lin Xuan held his breath, his black body almost blending into the surrounding silt.

He is waiting.

The instant the catfish swam past him—

boom!

The silt exploded.

Lin Xuan didn't open his mouth to bite like he used to when he was a snake. Instead, he suddenly extended the sharp claws from under his belly!

Before, we didn't have hands, so we could only use our mouths.

Now that you have hands, you should learn how to use weapons!

"Tear!"

The still-immature three-fingered claw, infused with demonic power, gleamed with a cold light, instantly slicing through the water and gripping the giant catfish's back.

It's sizzling!

A teeth-grinding scraping sound rang out.

The giant catfish's prized iron back plates were like a fragile piece of paper in front of the dragon claw, instantly torn open with three deep, bone-revealing blood grooves.

The giant catfish was in excruciating pain and struggled wildly, stirring up a murky mess.

But Lin Xuan didn't give it a chance to escape. His slender body coiled around it, and he opened his mouth full of fangs, precisely biting the giant catfish's spine.

Click.

The bones were shattered.

Injection of highly toxic substances.

The giant catfish twitched twice and then stopped moving.

[Defeat the 'Ironback Giant Catfish' (Lv8).]

[Successfully devoured.]

[Experience points gained: 50.]

Lin Xuan swallowed the more than 200-pound fish meat, bones and all, in several large mouthfuls, and finally felt a warmth rise in his stomach.

But this is far from enough.

The moment this energy entered the body, it was completely absorbed.

This feeling is like putting a capful of gasoline into a heavy truck.

"More is needed..."

"More high-calorie flesh and blood..."

Lin Xuan flicked its tail and continued swimming towards the deeper water.

The smell of blood spread through the water, quickly attracting even more formidable hunters.

squeak--!

A sharp, piercing scream echoed in the water.

Lin Xuan stopped and looked around warily.

From the dark water plants, a dozen or so small, scarlet eyes lit up.

【LV12 Water Ghost Monkey (Elite)】

[Description: Formed from the resentment of drowned victims combined with water essence, this creature is agile, lives in groups, and feeds on the brains of live animals.]

These are a group of monsters covered in green fur, resembling apes but with fish gills.

They moved as nimbly as loaches in the water, and were now staring greedily at Lin Xuan, the outsider.

In their eyes, this still-growing snake is just a giant, moving spicy snack.

"Tear him to pieces!"

The lead, a massive water demon monkey king, let out a shriek.

Whoosh whoosh!

More than a dozen water ghost monkeys, like arrows released from a bow, attacked from all directions!

"Want to eat me?"

A fierce glint appeared in Lin Xuan's eyes.

"Perfect timing! I was also finding fish too bland!"

The battle erupted instantly.

The water monkeys are incredibly fast; their sharp claws leave trails of afterimages in the water.

Lin Xuan was fighting with this body for the first time, and he didn't have the ability to control water, so he wasn't agile enough to turn around. In the blink of an eye, several bloody scratches appeared on his body.

Scales fell off, and fresh blood seeped out.

The pain did not deter Lin Xuan; instead, it completely ignited the ferocity within him.

"A small monster is just a small monster; all it knows is how to tickle."

"Let me show you what tonnage suppression really means!"

When several water monkeys recklessly jumped onto Lin Xuan's back and tried to bite him, Lin Xuan suddenly tensed all his muscles.

Its originally slender body suddenly sprang to life like a spring, and its thick tail whipped out with tremendous force, lashing backward!

Skill: Dragon Tail Sweep (Fake)!

boom!

A muffled thud exploded underwater.

The ambush-attacking water monkeys were shattered by the tail lash, their bones broken, and they were sent flying like cannonballs, crashing into the riverbed rocks, barely alive.

"squeak?!"

The remaining water monkeys were startled and their formation was thrown into chaos.

Lin Xuan seized the opportunity, no longer passively defending, but instead gripping the ground with all four paws and suddenly charging towards the monkey king.

To catch the thief, first catch the king!

The monkey king screamed and tried to dodge, but this time Lin Xuan didn't use his claws. Instead, he opened his mouth wide and activated his serpentine instincts—

[Death Coil!]

The black body instantly wrapped tightly around the Monkey King, unleashing a tremendous clamping force.

Click click...

A chilling sound of bones cracking rang out.

The monkey king's eyeballs were almost bulging out from being squeezed.

"die!"

Lin Xuan bit the Monkey King's throat and crushed it.

[Defeat the 'Water Ghost Monkey King' (Lv12 Elite).]

[Absorbing its essence of resentment...]

[Congratulations on leveling up: Lv10 → Lv11!]

[Gained Passive Skill Fragment: Enhanced Underwater Breathing (Reduces your stamina consumption by 20%).]

With the Monkey King dead, the remaining minions scattered like birds and beasts.

Lin Xuan didn't chase after it, but instead lay on the riverbed, devouring the monkey king's corpse.

This elite monster with its demonic aura tasted far better than catfish. A surge of heat flowed down the throat and into every part of the body, and the previously injured scales began to heal at a visible speed.

"call……"

Lin Xuan exhaled a breath of stale air, feeling a surge of power within his body.

"Level 11."

"But it's still not enough."

"This methodical leveling speed is too slow."

He raised his head and looked through the murky river water at the surface of the water above him, where the firelight was faintly visible.

There, a group of bandits were celebrating their bountiful loot from the previous night.

The vigorous blood and energy of human martial artists is like a high-calorie feast.

"Since you are river bandits, you must have done plenty of murder and robbery in your daily lives."

Lin Xuan swam slowly, its four claws cutting through the water, and silently floated to the surface.

"So, today, since I've eaten you, it can be considered... doing justice for Heaven, right?"

A cruel smile curved his lips as the black venomous dragon quietly emerged from the water.