What's wrong with a snake that just wants to cultivate and transform?

In the early morning, the weather was just perfect, with the warm sun casting a golden veil over the vast, boundless grasslands.

Xu Nian woke up feeling lazy and rolled around in the grass a few times, stretching her body comfortably in the gentle breeze, enjoying a leisurely and pleasant moment.

For cold-blooded creatures, there’s nothing quite like the morning sun to energize the body.

Xu Nian felt that today, she could cultivate for another twenty hours.

Moreover, tonight marked the rare once-in-sixty-years event of the Imperial Essence. If she could partake in it, her transformation into human form would surely be within reach.

The thought of this made Xu Nian unable to contain her excitement. She swished her emerald-green tail.

No longer would she have to worry about being caught by snake hunters to be turned into soup or medicinal wine. She could walk among humans without fear of being attacked, and most importantly, she could once again enjoy the long-missed flavors of her hometown dishes – braised pork, sweet and sour pork ribs, spicy stir-fried tripe, roasted lamb leg, lamb hotpot, steamed fish, and sweet candied sweet potatoes…

Xu Nian’s mouth watered at the thought.

All for the sake of delicious food!

With determination in her round eyes, Xu Nian resolved that even if she had to contend with White Tiger and Mighty Eagle, she must secure a prime spot to absorb the Imperial Essence.

No sooner had she decided than she slithered towards the mountain top, her jade-like green body swaying gracefully.

In Xiao Cang Mountain, among all the spirits and demon beasts, three reigned supreme: the White Tiger, the Mighty Eagle, and the Metal-Eating Beast. However, since the Iron-Eating Beast lacked ambition and lived off its inherent strength, it had fallen to fourth place after Xu Nian’s arrival.

Relying on her ultimate rolling skills, Xu Nian successfully rose to become the third ruler of Xiao Cang Mountain.

However, challenging White Tiger and Mighty Eagle was still a bit of a stretch for her current level of cultivation. Even though she was a diligent cultivating snake, in the natural world, eagles prey on snakes, and snakes are no match for the feline family, a natural law.

But Xu Nian desperately wanted to transform. She had been living as a green snake for over sixty years, from the fearful and desperate moments of hatching and witnessing the slaughter of her siblings, to the teeth-clenching experiences of evading hunters, capturing her first prey, narrowly escaping death at the hands of natural enemies, and finally encountering the life-changing Imperial Essence. Each step of her journey was marked with blood and tears.

Xu Nian finally braced herself mentally. She took a long breath and swam cautiously towards the territory of the Mighty Eagle.

She carefully avoided any sudden attacks from the sky, knowing that the talons of the beautiful Mighty Eagle, after years of cultivation, were sharper than iron hooks. A single careless move could result in severe wounds or even a fatal blow.

Holding her breath, Xu Nian pressed on cautiously and, incredibly, managed to pass through the Mighty Eagle’s territory without a single scratch.

She found it very strange. Usually, even the drop of a needle wouldn’t escape Mighty Eagle’s notice. It was hard to believe that she, a rather large snake, could pass through unnoticed.

Looking up at the sky, she realized that after her lengthy preparations and journey, the sun was almost setting. There was no time left to think on this anomaly. She still had to cross the territory of White Tiger, the king of the land, known for its even sharper senses than Mighty Eagle, the ruler of the skies.

Before entering the White Tiger’s territory, Xu Nian was even more alert, not daring to slack off in the slightest, fearing she’d be pounced on and lose her little life.

Though the three overlords of Xiao Cang Mountain were aware of each other, they usually kept to their own territories, ruling their domains without interference. While Xu Nian feared the natural order of predators, they, in turn, were wary of her corrosive and penetrating venom.

Surprisingly, Xu Nian again passed through White Tiger’s territory without incident, which only deepened her confusion.

However, as the sky darkened and the much-anticipated Imperial Essense was within reach, Xu Nian couldn’t afford to dwell on her doubts any longer. She quickly slithered towards a spiritual spring at the mountain’s peak.

This spring was a divine treasure in Xiao Cang Mountain, brimming with spiritual energy and extremely beneficial for cultivation. However, it was usually dominated by the White Tiger and, secondarily, the Mighty Eagle. Xu Nian, under their dominance, could only sneak in for cultivation when they were in seclusion.

 A few days ago, she had secretly observed that the best spot to absorb the Imperial Essence tonight would be near this spiritual spring.

Xu Nian had braced herself for a life-or-death battle but, to her surprise, she reached the destination without any trouble.

Xu Nian couldn’t help but doubt herself. Could she have gotten the date wrong?

But when she raised her head and looked at the moon, shining golden and radiating auspicious light, it was clearly a sign of the Imperial Essence.

Just as Xu Nian was about to move to the anticipated spot…

An unexpected and overwhelming pressure suddenly swept out from the center of the spiritual spring, startling birds into frenzied flight.

Xu Nian, being a creature with spiritual power, found herself pinned to the spot, unable to move even an inch.

This presence felt strange, not like the White Tiger or the Mighty Eagle. It seemed to be a strong creature from beyond the mountain, coming to take over the place for soaking up the Imperial Essence. It might even be the one that had scared the White Tiger and the Mighty Eagle away.

After a long while, the terrifying pressure began to dissipate.

Usually, such pressure serves as a warning to other creatures to stay away. Xu Nian, being a transmigrated soul and having cultivated alone for years, lacked basic knowledge about the dynamics among demon beasts. Despite feeling instinctively afraid, her desire to transform compelled her to cautiously approach.

A bit closer, then a little more…

The faint sound of water, barely discernible in the forest… It seemed to be from an aquatic demon beast, which appeared to have occupied the spring and was preparing to cultivate.

Could this fearsome beast, capable of scaring away a tiger and an eagle, be a dragon or a mythical creature like a Baize? Xu Nian wondered.

Her emerald green body blended seamlessly with the environment as she silently crossed the grass, finally reaching the edge of the spiritual spring.

Unnoticed, Xu Nian was overjoyed and quietly dipped the tip of her tail into the spring, silently slipping into the pool.

Just then, a bone-chilling cold struck her from behind, as if pierced by an icicle, freezing her in place. A sense of impending death radiated from her, spreading rapidly.

She was done for. Discovered.

Panicked, Xu Nian turned her snake head, only to meet a pair of icy, star-like eyes. She was completely frozen in shock.

To her surprise, it wasn’t a beast but a human… or at least, a humanoid creature.

In that brief moment, Xu Nian experienced a mix of joy and sorrow. She was relieved that at least it was a human being, possibly someone she could communicate with. However, the sadness stemmed from the fact that, as a snake, she lacked the organs to speak. She feared that before she could figure out a way to communicate, she might be killed.

Xu Nian twisted her body and raised her tail in an attempt to show she meant no harm. Her pink tongue flickered in and out in desperation, as if she was on the verge of speaking.

The cold moonlight scattered over the spring, creating ripples in the gentle breeze, which only accentuated the deep, icy demeanor of the person before her.

The person’s delicate features seemed even colder, and those slender, graceful fingers had clearly moved to the sword at their waist.

Even though most of the sword was submerged in water, the gleaming radiance was unmistakable. Xu Nian realized that it would take just one stroke of that sword to separate her head from her body.

She felt a bit disheartened, having been somewhat excited at the prospect of encountering a human again.

However, Xu Nian was unaware that for some snakes, raising their tails and flicking their tongues are pre-attack gestures. She, being a brightly colored and seemingly fierce demon snake, was far from the adorable, fluffy appearance of a small cat or dog.

At this critical moment, Xu Nian suddenly detected a faint, hidden scent of blood. She realized that the person before her seemed to be injured, and quite seriously at that.

Hidden by the night and her initial extreme fear, she hadn’t noticed this before. Her dark eyes shifted as she thought of a way to ingratiate herself with the person.