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

The sudden voice startled Xu Nian. Hadn’t the two demonic beasts left? Where did this creepy voice come from?

Xu Nian glanced around the gloomy ancestral hall but couldn’t find anyone. Remembering the hall’s reputation, she felt goosebumps on her arm and wondered if the place was haunted.

Feeling it unsafe to stay, Xu Nian, despite her weakness from blood loss, got up from the cushion and hurried towards the door. To her surprise, the heavy pear wood door slammed shut, and no matter how hard she pushed, it wouldn’t open.   

But such an obstacle couldn’t really stop her. She tore the paper from a window, planning to slither out as a small green snake, only to find herself blocked by an invisible barrier, unable to escape no matter how hard she tried.

The voice appeared again behind her: “To be an offering to me is an utmost honor. Yet, you wish to flee?”

Xu Nian, feeling helpless, jumped down from the window frame. “Who are you, and what is this about an offering?”

The voice seemed incredulous, “You, the younger generation, do not recognize me?”

Nonsense, she thought. Even if it appeared in person, Xu Nian wouldn’t likely recognize it.

She wagged her tail, attempting to communicate with the voice. “I don’t know you, and I am not any offering. Open the door and let me go, and we can pretend this never happened.”

The voice firmly refused: “No, I haven’t tasted such delicious blood in over a hundred years. You must be the offering.”

Xu Nian felt helpless. She considered calling back Qing Cheng and Qing Jin, but since they had brought her here to draw her blood, they probably hadn’t expected this ghostly encounter either.

The term ‘offering’ clearly wasn’t a good sign. She thought of stalling for time: “What do you want me to do?”

The voice, thinking she was submitting, said contently, “There’s an offering table in front of you. Yes, that one. Draw a bowl of your blood like before, place it on the table, and respectfully invite the Supreme Kunlun Green Immortal Flame to taste it.”

Xu Nian replied nonchalantly, “Oh.”

The voice urged, “What do you mean ‘oh’? Hurry up.”

Xu Nian sat back on the cushion, her tail aloft: “You want the offering to pluck its own feathers and serve itself? I’ll just wait here. If you can, come and get it yourself.”

The voice became furious: “Unfilial descendants! Even the Qingxuan King Snakes’ clan head shows me respect, yet you, a mere forbidden snake, have the audacity to be so bold and disrespectful!”

Hearing this, Xu Nian realized the voice couldn’t actually harm her. It was just a matter of staying in the hall for a while. Having just eaten, she wouldn’t starve even if she stayed for ten days or half a month. Besides, her abundant spiritual energy meant she had nothing to fear. Perhaps this was even an opportunity to avoid Elder Qing Lu’s blood drawing – quite a comfortable situation.

As she thought this, the door behind her creaked open a crack.

Just as she expected, the voice couldn’t hold out for long.

Xu Nian quickly picked up her clothes from the ground, storing them in her bag, and wiggled her small, emerald body towards the exit.

The voice became desperate, “Wait, stop, don’t leave.”

Xu Nian didn’t look back.

Just as her tail was about to slip through the door, the voice spoke again, no longer arrogant but significantly humbled: “Don’t go. I can grant you power to become the truly supreme being of the Qingxuan King Snake clan.”

Xu Nian paused, her tiny tail hovering at the doorway. She wriggled back into the spooky hall like a caterpillar, thoughtfully closing the door with her tail.

“What did you say just now? Say it again, let me hear it properly?”

The voice: “……”

After returning from the ancestral hall, Xu Nian felt rejuvenated. Her hand no longer hurt, her waist wasn’t weak, and her entire being radiated a triumphant and glowing state.

Xu Nian thought to herself, after all, she was someone who had traveled through time. How could she always be the one suffering, serving as a blood bag for others? It turned out she was on a path where hardships led to a rewarding end. Her fortune was waiting for her just around the corner.

Seeing Ji Yuebai practicing with a sword not far away, Xu Nian rushed over and enveloped her in a bear hug.

Ji Yuebai hastily sheathed her sword and wrapped an arm around Xu Nian’s waist, her beautiful face tense with concern. “Reckless! What if I had accidentally hurt you?”

Xu Nian, in high spirits, tiptoed to plant a kiss on her cheek. “You won’t. I trust your swordsmanship, Yuebai. Even if I deliberately bumped into you, you wouldn’t hurt me.”

A blush crept onto Ji Yuebai’s face, but she still spoke sternly, “Swords are blind. Don’t be so reckless in the future.”

Xu Nian nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes, you’re right, Master.”

Ji Yuebai gently stroked her hair. “What happened to make you so happy?”

Xu Nian played coy, placing a finger to her lips and winking playfully. “It’s a secret. You’ll know in a few days.”

Ji Yuebai’s dark eyes looked at her with warmth and unconditional trust. “Okay, then I’ll wait for you.”

Xu Nian’s heart skipped a beat.

She was a character from a novel, yet too perfect. It was almost unfair.

She didn’t want to complete that ridiculous mission anymore. What should she do?

Elder Qing Lu’s trip had only lasted a few days, and upon his return, he summoned Xu Nian for blood donation again.

If it were the old Xu Nian, she would have hesitated, afraid of the pain and unwilling to go. But this time, after receiving the ‘golden finger’ in the ancestral hall, she was somewhat eager. She wanted to verify whether the voice had deceived her or not.

However, as she followed Qing Ye step by step towards the cold, imposing council hall, the place where she was forced to give blood in the past, Xu Nian’s heart began to flutter with anxiety and fear. She feared that the golden finger was just a joke played by the voice. If Elder Qing Lu punished her severely in a fit of anger, the joy and fantasies she had entertained would be devoured by the dark hall’s grim reality.

Finally, she arrived. Elder Qing Lu and his executioner, who wielded the blood-drawing blade, were waiting for her in the hall.

Each time blood was drawn, even if the clan head, Qing Huang, wasn’t present, Elder Qing Lu would always be there, indirectly showing the importance of her blood. That’s why she saw through Qing Cheng and Qing Jin’s scheme from the start.

Xu Nian swallowed hard and took a deep breath before crossing the threshold into the hall alone.

Elder Qing Lu’s voice was deceptively gentle, “I, an old man, have been waiting for you for a long time. It seems the Great Spirit Snake has not learned proper manners in the uncivilized world of cultivators.”

The irony was not lost on Xu Nian. Demon beasts, who should follow their nature, were instead adopting the worthless practices of the cultivation world.

Xu Nian responded with equal gentleness, “I was preparing a surprise for you, Elder.”

Elder Qing Lu gestured for his subordinates to step back and approached her with curiosity. “Well then, why not present it? Why the mystery?”

Xu Nian clapped her hands. “I was worried about damaging this fine council hall. But since you don’t mind, Elder, let’s proceed.”

Elder Qing Lu looked at her suspiciously, wondering where she, a mere late-stage level thirteen cultivator, had suddenly gotten the confidence to show off something in front of him.

As soon as Xu Nian finished speaking, thunder roared deafeningly from above the roof, shaking the very air as if to burst eardrums. Outside the window, lightning continuously flashed with a bluish glow, as if a thunder tribulation had descended.

Every demon beast present knew that the Eastearn Sea secret realm, a place blessed by the Heavenly Dao, had never witnessed a thunder tribulation in a thousand years. How could such a tremendous storm suddenly arise now?

With the thunderous lightning intensifying, the gathered serpent demons looked at Xu Nian, who stood proudly and seemingly undisturbed in the center of the hall, their hearts pounding with uncertainty.

Xu Nian was far from calm. Her composed appearance up to this point was solely because of her mental strength. She had started panicking during her confrontation with Elder Qing Lu. Right now, her heart was in complete panic.

Would that thing actually work? It promised to make her the leader of the Qing Xuan King Snake clan, but all it had managed was this storm. She feared that if this turned out to be a mere show of thunder with no real substance, Elder Qing Lu might subject her to even harsher punishments.

For instance, at that moment, Elder Qing Lu’s gaze was far from friendly; he seemed almost ready to slaughter her, weighing her remaining usefulness.

“Is this the ‘surprise’ you spoke of?” Despite the deafening thunder, Elder Qing Lu’s voice penetrated clearly into Xu Nian’s ears.

Xu Nian’s heart sank. It seemed he had made up his mind, deciding whether to steam or braise her.

But just as Elder Qing Lu raised his hand, a terrifying crash resounded. Dust and debris filled the air as the thousand-year Xili wood council hall collapsed. The beam above his head and the massive iron plaque fell directly towards him.

The Qingxuan King Snakes in the hall scattered in panic, rushing out to escape. Those who couldn’t flee in time transformed into tiny snakes to avoid being crushed under the falling beams and wood.

Only Xu Nian, standing in the middle of the hall, remained unaffected by the collapse. The falling beams miraculously missed her position, leaving her unscathed amidst the chaos.

She looked around to find herself surrounded by the Qingxuan King Snakes who had fled earlier, as well as others who had rushed from all directions. The council hall, being the core structure of the Qingxuan King Snake clan, naturally attracted a massive response to such a catastrophe.

With a thunderous crash, Elder Qing Lu casually tossed aside the massive iron plaque, weighing thousands of pounds. The pretense on his face collapsed, replaced by a teeth-gritting fury directed at Xu Nian. “Very well, very well. I had planned to deal with you later, but you’re so recklessly courting death.”

Xu Nian barely saw his movement before he appeared in front of her, his hand transforming into a claw, aiming to snap her neck.

It’s over… She had overplayed her hand. Could that thing save her in time at such speed? Xu Nian felt as if her life was flashing before her eyes.

In the next moment, a terrifying oppressive force swept over her, emanating from a profound and powerful bloodline.

All the Qingxuan King Snakes who had rushed to the scene were forced to kneel under this overwhelming pressure, struggling to stand up. They formed a circle, kneeling in front of Xu Nian.

Even with his veins bulging, Elder Qing Lu’s fingers, mere inches from Xu Nian’s neck, could not move any closer. He seemed to be fighting against a deep-rooted fear, a fear that stemmed from his very bloodline. Despite his strenuous efforts, he succumbed within moments, his knees humiliatingly buckling to the ground before Xu Nian.

Simultaneously, a massive snake-shaped body, large enough to blot out the sun, weaved through the thunderstorm clouds. It then swooped down at incredible speed, the resulting gusts of wind blowing away the surrounding fourteenth-rank Qing Xuan King Snakes.

Elder Qing Lu’s pupils dilated in shock upon seeing the massive, terrifying serpent shadow in the sky. No, it couldn’t be possible.

The Manhuang Serpent.

Wasn’t it weakened centuries ago by the previous clan head to a mere remnant of a soul, unable to manifest in the world again? How had it suddenly gained such immense power and form? His eyes, filled with venomous hatred, fixed on Xu Nian. Was it her doing? What strange methods had she employed? Could it be a bid for revenge against the Qingxuan King Snake clan?

The terrifyingly large body gently landed behind Xu Nian, and even with such control, its descent still made the ground beneath the Qingxuan King Snakes tremble.

In comparison to the massive snake body, Xu Nian’s small human form seemed like a tiny ant. The serpent, many times larger than any member of the Qingxuan King Snake clan, had eyes as large and menacing as the doors of the council hall, coldly staring at Elder Qing Lu’s distorted face.

“Did I hear that you wanted to steal my offering?” the voice boomed.

Elder Qing Lu jolted in terror, his teeth uncontrollably chattering.