Volume 2, Chapter 97 – Elder Zhou’s Threat

The Blue-Scaled King Snake—the largest venomous serpent in the cultivation world. A fully grown adult typically exceeds three zhang in length, with some even reaching six or seven zhang, surpassing even certain pythons in sheer terror. This was the primary reason it bore the title of “King Snake”. Moreover, due to its massive size, the volume of venom it produced was equally horrifying. A single bite could fell even a seasoned cultivator.

However, none of these traits were what made it truly infamous. What truly set it apart was its ability to produce Blue Scale Stones. These stones were renowned for their extreme hardness and their exceptional conductivity and amplification effects for water-based true qi, making them one of the finest materials for crafting weapons—especially for female cultivators who specialized in water-based techniques.

Yet, as valuable as Blue Scale Stones were, they were exceedingly rare. Many cultivators could spend their entire lives without obtaining even a sliver. Take Xu Mei, for example. Despite her esteemed position as an elder of the Honghua Sect, the Blue Scale Stone content in her sword amounted to less than one-tenth.

Since this knowledge was no secret in the cultivation world, when Senior Ma revealed the truth, Qi Huang and her senior sisters were utterly stunned. They understood that where there was a Blue-Scaled King Snake, there was a high likelihood of Blue Scale Stones nearby.

“Where is the Blue-Scaled King Snake now?”

Ruan Lingyu’s voice trembled slightly. For a water-based cultivator like her, Blue Scale Stones were nothing short of a legendary treasure—something one could only dream of encountering.

Qi Huang’s expression also turned eager. Though she herself had no need for such materials, her main body certainly did. Moreover, the weapons her senior sisters wielded were embarrassingly subpar—so weak they couldn’t even breach an opponent’s defenses. No wonder they kept suffering defeat in battles.

Cornered, Senior Ma had no choice but to explain the full story.

“Over half a year ago, someone came to the Heyi Sect seeking help. They claimed to be from Panshan County in Huangtian Commandery, saying their village had been plagued by strange occurrences. Every few days, someone would spot a massive, azure serpent coiled in the clouds high above—so high it seemed to stretch across the heavens. A single scale from this snake was as large as a horse-drawn carriage, and its full length was said to exceed a thousand zhang. When coiled, it resembled a towering mountain, an utterly terrifying sight. Before long, villagers began dying from snakebites.”

“Our sect was intrigued, so we sent people to investigate. We discovered that the snakes responsible for the deaths were juvenile Blue-Scaled King Snakes, while the monstrous serpent in the clouds was of the same species. Our higher-ups realized that where there were Blue-Scaled King Snakes, there was a high chance of Blue Scale Stones. So, we decided to investigate further.”

Senior Ma clutched his wounded thigh, summarizing as briefly as he could.

“What?! Coiled in the clouds? A thousand zhang long?! How could your sect dare to even think of targeting such a monstrous creature?”

Ruan Lingyu was aghast.

“If these claims are true, then that Blue-Scaled King Snake must be at least at the Incarnation Realm, if not the Divine Realm. Your Heyi Sect doesn’t even have a single Incarnation Realm expert. How could you possibly entertain such delusions?”

Yun Fei added her own pointed question.

“That’s exactly why we planted the Ghost Tomatoes! The Blue-Scaled King Snake has an insatiable appetite for them—they help keep its venom glands full. So, our sect’s leadership devised a plan: use the Ghost Tomatoes to lure out the great serpent, confirm its lair, and then quietly steal the Blue Scale Stones.”

Senior Ma laid out the Heyi Sect’s scheme.

“But if you already had Ghost Tomatoes, why bother planting more instead of using them directly? As far as I know, a single Ghost Tomato vine only bears one fruit, right? Isn’t this just unnecessary extra work?”

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Qi Huang pressed further.

“Because most of what we obtained were seeds—only two or three were fully grown fruits. The scent they emitted wasn’t strong enough to lure out that colossal Blue-Scaled King Snake.”

Senior Ma hurriedly explained.

“Ah, so that’s how it was.”

Qi Huang finally understood.

“One last question—why did your sect take the initiative to come to Huangtian Commandery to ‘exorcise demons’ for the common folk?”

Yun Fei voiced the question that had been nagging at her.

“If I tell you… will you spare me?”

Senior Ma looked at them pitifully.

“If you talk, we’ll consider it. If you don’t, death is guaranteed. Your choice.”

Ruan Lingyu smirked faintly.

“Because Ghost Tomatoes can only be planted in lands of extreme yin energy. We needed to use demons and malevolent spirits as markers. Helping the villagers was just a means to locate suitable planting grounds.”

Senior Ma wisely chose honesty.

“I knew your Heyi Sect couldn’t possibly be so charitable. It was all for selfish gain!”

Yun Fei cursed under her breath.

“What should we do with him now?”

Ruan Lingyu turned to her junior sisters for input.

“You said you planted ten Ghost Tomatoes, right? Where are the remaining ones? Take us to them!”

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Qi Huang hadn’t forgotten her original objective.

“Right, right! We must find the remaining ones. Leaving them out there is too dangerous—we can’t let another tragedy like Bajiao Village happen again.”

Ruan Lingyu quickly agreed.

“Y-yes! I’ll definitely take you there! We’ve already checked five locations—two were missing, two were picked by you, and one was Bajiao Village. That leaves five more.”

Senior Ma, desperate to live, was already answering before they finished asking.

“Missing?!”

Qi Huang’s heart ached—two Ghost Tomatoes gone was a massive loss for her.

“Yes, missing! I swear I’m not lying! We planted them in remote wilderness—there was no guarantee nothing would happen to them.”

Senior Ma, mistaking her dismay for disbelief, scrambled to explain.

Afterward, Qi Huang and her senior sisters escorted Senior Ma back to their lodgings, where Li Shi bandaged his wounds—he was still useful, after all.

Ruan Lingyu used the Thousand-Mile Communication Tube to report the events of Bajiao Village to the sect.

“This ‘Thousand-Mile Communication Tube’ is so convenient. When those foreign sects were pressuring us before, why didn’t Master contact you?”

Qi Huang asked curiously.

“She did! But you were already missing—we couldn’t find you.”

Ruan Lingyu explained.

“I see.”

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Qi Huang understood now. When her true body had summoned her back to the Honghua Sect, she’d realized she’d been missing for four or five days. She still didn’t know what that Spiritual Wisdom Soul fragment had been scheming.

When the Honghua Sect received the news, the entire upper echelon was shaken—first by fury at the Heyi Sect’s shameless actions, then by shock at the appearance of a Blue-Scaled King Snake within their territory.

“The matter of the Blue-Scaled King Snake requires careful planning. For now, follow that Senior Ma and retrieve all the Ghost Tomatoes. Bring them back to the Honghua Sect—and ensure his safety. He’s crucial evidence. The Heyi Sect won’t get away with this.”

Xu Mei relayed Sect Leader Qin’s orders.

Qi Huang was speechless. She’d planned to claim the remaining Ghost Tomatoes for herself, but now it seemed they’d have to be handed over. After all, a thousand-foot-long Blue-Scaled King Snake was not something they could recklessly challenge.

‘Wait… I now possess Divine Sense at the Incarnation Realm, and my true body is at the sixth layer of the Unity Realm. Even if that serpent is at the Incarnation Realm, snatching treasures from its jaws might not be impossible!’

Qi Huang suddenly realized. Luring it out didn’t necessarily mean feeding it the tomatoes—just drawing it away was enough. Besides, whether the snake was truly as terrifying as the rumors said was still up for debate.

With that thought, Qi Huang’s mood lightened. Her harvest—even if wild—would not be handed over to anyone else. Not even a snake.

The next day, Honghua Sect disciples arrived with medicine to aid Bajiao Village. Finally free, Qi Huang and her senior sisters set out with Senior Ma in tow.

Over five days, they visited the remaining five planting sites and recovered four more Ghost Tomatoes.

“Will four be enough to lure out the snake?”

Ruan Lingyu asked instinctively.

“The scent of four is too faint. To divert that massive serpent, we’d need to confirm its lair first, then have someone risk carrying them close enough before escaping. For cultivators below the Incarnation Realm—who can’t fly—that’s no different from suicide. Not even the heavens could save them.”

Senior Ma was blunt.

‘Fly? Isn’t this task tailor-made for me?’

Qi Huang was delighted. It seemed fate had destined these Ghost Tomatoes for her.

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A few days later, Qi Huang and her senior sisters escorted Senior Ma back to the Honghua Sect. Before she could even settle in, she was assigned a new task: rejecting Elder Zhou of the Huxiao Sect.

“Remember my words—no matter what conditions he offers, you must not relent.”

Cheng Hongling drilled the order into her repeatedly.

“My integrity is beyond question.”

Qi Huang confidently assured her before setting off to meet this so-called Elder Zhou, carrying the hopes of the entire Honghua Sect.

“What an ‘exceptional’ disciple! Making this old man wait for days! Does the Huxiao Sect truly need you that badly?”

Elder Zhou immediately tried to intimidate her.

“Elder Zhou jests. If you didn’t wish to wait, you could have left at any time.”

Qi Huang remained unshaken.

“Are you certain? With your talent, staying in the Honghua Sect is nothing but self-sabotage. Join the Huxiao Sect, and within ten years, you’ll stand on the world stage at the Evergreen Conference. Achieving immortality won’t be out of reach.”

Elder Zhou tempted her.

“Thank you for your concern! Even without the Huxiao Sect, I’ll reach the Evergreen Conference within ten years.”

Qi Huang replied with unshakable confidence. After all, the resources she needed didn’t overlap with others’. Without competition, what was there to fear?

“With what? Remember how you lost last time? What if the Immortal Alliance increases team battles to ten participants? You couldn’t handle five—how will you manage ten?”

Elder Zhou smirked, his words laced with threat.