18: Chapter 18 The Bright Future of the Green Snake
"Pfft!"
Xu Qing couldn't help but burst out laughing at the thought.
Is everyone in the Cultivation World this chuunibyou? "Swamp of Death."
"Hahaha!"
GreenSnakeHoldingBackLaughter.jpg
This name... a wave of chuunibyou energy hit him right in the face.
Didn't the person who first came up with this name laugh themselves?
"Ahem, anyway, it has nothing to do with me."
Xu Qing turned and swam away.
However, he also secretly warned himself that he must never be like that Silly Snake and expose his existence.
His own value was much higher.
If he were discovered by humans, the Disciples who came here today would likely be looking for him.
"Hahaha!"
"Swamp of Death... I could laugh at this all day..."
"Swamp of Death, haha!"
The Green Snake's sense of humor was sometimes just that strange.
He continued flying at a low altitude, scouting the surrounding terrain and beginning to plan his hunt.
Foundation Establishment Stage Great Yaos were no longer as easy to find as minor Yaos.
The Aptitude of most Yao Beasts was very mediocre, making it difficult to Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment.
Even for a noble and rare snake Yao like the Green Water Snake which possessed Flood Dragon Bloodline, the System's initial assessment of its Breakthrough probability was only 60%.
A vast number of Yao Beasts, after long periods of Cultivation, remained stuck at the Qi Refining Peak.
That was why among so many mountain Peaks, there wasn't a single Foundation Establishment Great Yao.
There was only him, an outstanding Green Snake Great Yao.
Perhaps there would be more Foundation Establishment Stages among humans; after all, humans knew Alchemy and could refine many Realm-breaking Medicinal Pills.
For instance, things like Foundation Establishment Pills.
"Hunting humans?"
"If humans discover that I'm an outstanding Resurrection Green Snake, it's all over."
It was common knowledge that most Yao Beasts were illiterate.
Thus, they couldn't recognize his species.
But humans were different; they possessed a wealth of knowledge and might just identify his race.
Therefore, in conclusion...
Hunting the illiterate among human Foundation Establishments was the optimal choice.
But the Green Snake had no way to use Insight to see if a person was illiterate.
"Found it, a Foundation Establishment aura!"
The Green Snake, who had been deep in thought, felt a jolt of excitement as his Divine Sense finally detected the aura of a Foundation Establishment Great Yao.
He restrained his aura, landed in the wetlands, and approached the source of the scent.
In a clearing, a snake with red, green, and orange scales was leisurely sunbathing.
The three-colored snake wasn't large, only about three meters long.
But its aura was that of a genuine Foundation Establishment Great Yao.
"A Green Snake doesn't bully its own kind."
"Wait, why does it look a bit..."
"Could this be that Three-Colored Venomous Snake those Heavenly Poison Sect people are looking for!"
Xu Qing hadn't expected to run into it right after eavesdropping on information about This Snake.
He stealthily cast an Insight skill over.
[Yao Beast] Three-Colored Venomous Snake
[Dao Cultivation] One hundred and thirty-six years
[Skills] Constrict lv2, Poison Fangs lv3, Snake Venom lv5, Poison Scales lv2, Venom lv1, Poison Gas lv3, Water Control lv1, Hard Scales lv1, Swiftness lv1, Flight lv1, Divine Sense lv1, Concealment lv1
[Divine Ability] Poison Synthesis lv3 (Increases the level of the Snake Venom skill by devouring other poisonous substances)
"So poisonous!"
Xu Qing was envious.
He wished he could snatch this skill for himself.
No wonder the humans were greedy; This Snake's physical body was too tempting.
"Poor Snake Snake, it doesn't even know it's been targeted by humans and is still sunbathing here so leisurely."
"I can't be like this Silly Snake."
Xu Qing didn't want to get involved in this muddy water.
He was like a clay bodhisattva crossing a river—barely able to save himself.
He silently wished this Silly Snake could weather the storm and then turned to leave.
"Wait a minute, cooperation might not be out of the question."
Just as Xu Qing turned around, his snake head seemed to have cleared its Ren and Du meridians, and a flash of inspiration struck.
Although the Three-Colored Venomous Snake was precious, it certainly couldn't compare to a noble and rare snake aristocrat like himself, the Resurrection Green Snake.
Therefore, it wouldn't attract high-level Cultivators.
He could cooperate with the Three-Colored Venomous Snake, using it as bait to lure in a steady stream of Cultivators.
The Three-Colored Venomous Snake would be rid of its crisis, and he would gain Dao Cultivation and evolution points.
It was a win-win, a total win-win.
Xu Qing flicked his tongue excitedly, secretly admiring his own wisdom.
With a snake as smart as him around, how were other snakes supposed to survive?
"First, I can't go say hello right now."
"I have to save it in the midst of a crisis to gain its trust."
"And what if I tell it and it gets scared and runs away? How would I get my win-win then?"
Xu Qing looked at the leisurely Three-Colored Venomous Snake as the plan in his snake head gradually took shape.
The Three-Colored Venomous Snake, still sunbathing, had no idea that an evil plan from both humans and its own kind was brewing.
It simply rolled over.
To sun its other side.
Xu Qing had always been a snake of action.
He didn't return to his cave, instead heading straight for those humans who only knew how to laugh with a 'jie jie' sound.
Seeing those men still laughing strangely, he couldn't help but feel concerned for the future development of this Sect.
"You slackers, be a bit more proactive."
"If you're like this, how are you ever going to find the Three-Colored Venomous Snake?"
"In the end, This Snake has to take charge."
Xu Qing revealed himself, maintaining his aura at about a dozen years of Dao Cultivation, his body shrouded in poison mist.
He looked like a venomous snake that had just reached Qi Refining—and a Genius-type one at that, having mastered the Poison Gas skill right at the start of Qi Refining.
The only thing missing from his snake head were the words:
"Top-tier Spirit Pet, limited time offer."
When the men saw Xu Qing, their eyes immediately lit up.
Such a high-quality venomous snake, even if not kept as a Spirit Pet, would definitely be worth a lot of money.
"Jie jie! What a fine venomous snake, it's mine!"
"Jie jie! As your master, I'll take good care of you!"
"Jie jie! Little snake, come here, there are poisonous herbs you love to eat right here!"
Xu Qing didn't look back as he ran toward the Three-Colored Venomous Snake's territory.
The men followed closely behind, their strange 'jie jie' laughter echoing one after another.
To ensure these people weren't killed by the Three-Colored Venomous Snake, Xu Qing only led them to the vicinity of its territory before concealing his form and vanishing.
He left the few fellows searching for his tracks on the spot.
They would surely find traces of the Three-Colored Venomous Snake's activity soon and then head back to report the news.
Sure enough, before long, the men looked startled; they stopped searching for him and quickly left in the direction they had come from.
"Jie jie jie."
Beneath a pool in the wetlands, a Green Snake let out a joyful laugh.
"Dao Cultivation and evolution points, come to me, come to me quickly."
Xu Qing didn't go far; after activating Concealment, he curled up not far from the Three-Colored Venomous Snake.
He waited quietly for the moment for a snake to save a snake.
The oblivious Three-Colored Venomous Snake flicked its tongue and rolled over again.
It looked quite silly, having no awareness at all of how precious it was.
Xu Qing once again felt worried for the future of the snake race.
As expected, can the future of the snake race only depend on me?
"Swamp of Death, hahaha!"
Xu Qing held back his laughter; that dead joke had started attacking him again.
The Green Snake never lied when he said he could laugh for a whole day.
Perhaps, at this moment, the snake race truly had no future.