Chapter 478: Jiu She Ling

"Entering Jiu She Ling is free, but if you take away spirit fruits or medicinal materials from it, you must give half to the Ghost Snake Tribe—effectively picking their fruit for free." Speaking of Jiu She Ling, the stall owner looked both helpless and frustrated.

I worked hard and risked my life to gather just a few spirit fruits, and now I have to pay half as tax—how bitter!

o(╥﹏╥)o

After all, every place has its dangers; though the Ghost Snake Tribe is the dominant power of the Ancient Forest, Jiu She Ling still holds natural perils.

Moreover, Jiu She Ling is vast, and the Ghost Snake Tribe's own snake race clearly lacks sufficient manpower—so by allowing outsiders in and collecting taxes, they've made the system far more efficient.

The Ghost Snake Tribe knows how to mine!

Hearing this, Xiao Yan's heart bloomed with joy—if the Ghost Snake Tribe hadn't discovered the Ruins, that was perfect!

"Old man, here's a map of the Ghost Snake Forest, with Jiu She Ling marked—I don't need it, take it." The stall owner grinned and handed Xiao Yan a map.

Understandable! The Ten Heavenly Elders love people like this.

Xiao Yan nodded, tucked away the map, then pulled a brocade box from his space ring and placed it on the ground before leaping onto the back of the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake.

The stall owner picked up the brocade box, cracked it open slightly, saw the elixirs inside, gasped sharply, then immediately used his body technique to flee.

A heavenly fortune!

"How strong is the Ghost Snake Tribe?" Xiao Yan glanced at the map and asked.

"They're not weak—there are several eighth-rank snake races within the tribe, and their clan leader, Snake Eight Heads, is an eighth-rank Ghost Snake himself, likely reaching Six Star Dou Zun strength." Cai Lin's expression grew serious; precisely because the Ghost Snake Tribe possessed such strength, she and Qing Lin had not entered immediately to scout.

"They once declined our invitation to join the Yan Alliance—even the Nine Underworld Earth Python Clan couldn't sway them."

The Four Pavilions, Three Valleys, and Two Sects circulating in Zhong Zhou are human factions—beast races aren't counted among them.

"Six Star? In a one-on-one, no problem—but I worry about other variables within their territory." If it were one-on-one, Xiao Yan had no fear—even the Eighth Heavenly Elder likely wasn't his match now.

But as the saying goes, a strong dragon can't overpower a local snake—the Ghost Snake Tribe has dominated this forest for ages; even the Nine Underworld Earth Python Clan, which boasts a Sage Emperor, never launched a direct assault on the Ghost Snake Forest.

"Qing Lin, can you sense anything else?"

Qing Lin shook her head sadly. "Sorry, Young Master Yan—I haven't detected anything since we arrived."

This puzzled Qing Lin: earlier, her Qi San Hua Tong had suddenly reacted, and her bloodline had briefly stirred—but the sensation vanished quickly.

She couldn't determine exactly where it came from.

Xiao Yan rubbed his chin, thinking for a moment. It was now nearly certain that an Ancient Heavenly Snake Ruin existed within the Ghost Snake Forest—but the problem was, they didn't know where.

And since the Ghost Snake Tribe had lived here for so long without discovering it, the Ruin must be hidden extremely well.

"Let's conceal our identities—for the Yan Alliance once negotiated with the Ghost Snake Tribe."

Both Cai Lin and Qing Lin nodded, donning black robes, then Xiao Yan activated a Soul Shield to mask their power levels, preventing detection.

Xiao Yan didn't wear the Soul Robe—instead, he used a Soul Token to alter his appearance into that of the Ten Heavenly Elder: Hun Yu Cun's form.

Of course, if he encountered other Dou Emperor Families, he would be HunYan—with Six-Star Dou Di Bloodline!

To many sects and schools in Dong Yu, Jiu She Ling was seen as a rich, treasure-laden land—abundant in spirit fruits, brimming with spirit herbs and medicinal materials, and teeming with powerful beasts.

Though Jiu She Ling paled compared to some treasures of Shou Yu, it was still an exceptional place—mainly because it was simply too rich.

No one could clearly explain the origin of Jiu She Ling; some said it had always existed, merely renamed by the Ghost Snake Tribe.

Others claimed it suddenly formed, later modified by unknown hands.

Long ago, Jiu She Ling belonged entirely to the Ghost Snake Tribe—until a hundred years ago, when several Dong Yu sects united and waged war against them. Though the Ghost Snake Tribe held their ancestral home, they ultimately lost control of Jiu She Ling.

Back then, Jiu She Ling was the Ghost Snake Tribe's hunting ground—no one in Dong Yu dared touch it. Despite its riches tempting everyone, no one dared lay claim.

Like Heaven Eye Mountain Range, even though the Golden-Consuming Rat Clan had no Dou Zun at all, the Wind and Thunder Pavilion still dared not use force—how much less so the Ghost Snake Tribe, which was stronger than the Golden-Consuming Rat Clan?

Though the Dong Yu sects united against the Ghost Snake Tribe, rumors say the Nine Underworld Earth Python Clan secretly aided them to win.

Eventually, Jiu She Ling became what it is today: claimed as shared territory by all Dong Yu sects, periodically opened for spirit fruit gathering—but if a cultivator is a lone cultivator without major faction backing, they must pay the Ghost Snake Tribe a certain "exit fee."

When Xiao Yan and the two women arrived at Jiu She Ling according to the map, they saw a massive Space Lock, guarded at its entrance by several powerful, fully transformed snake races.

"How was your harvest this time?"

"Harvest? Pfft! The good fruit trees were all picked clean long ago—Jian Zun of the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion came, and even Huangquan Zun of the Huangquan Pavilion showed up."

"What the hell? Are they out of their minds? Coming here to snatch our scraps? Too much!"

Hearing this, some lone cultivators grew gloomy—they were all lone cultivators, barely getting a chance to share in this Secret Realm's bounty, and now major factions had arrived, leaving them with even less.

"Need I ask? Obviously for the Ancient Heavenly Snake Ruin—if it existed, the Ghost Snake Tribe would've cleared it out centuries ago, not left it for them."

Xiao Yan's trio had just arrived when they heard these words.

"So the war back then wasn't just about Jiu She Ling—the Nine Underworld Earth Python Clan probably wanted to extract some secrets too," Xiao Yan whispered.

"Yes, the Nine Underworld Earth Python Clan must know something," Cai Lin nodded. After all, they possess Ancient Heavenly Snake Bloodline—if this place truly held an Ancient Heavenly Snake Ruin, it would be their Ancestor's domain; them knowing something isn't surprising.

Sssss— the massive Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake slithered nimbly, soon arriving at the entrance of the Space Lock.

"Two-headed snake? Could this be from the Ghost Snake Tribe?"

"No—it's at peak Sixth Rank. The Ghost Snake Tribe's two-headed snakes are only Second Rank."

"Which sect or school are you from?" Two old men blocked the path of the Two-Headed Spirit Snake, asking sternly.

Xiao Yan regarded the two blockers calmly—they were transformed beasts, Seventh Rank.

"What? Isn't anyone allowed entry?"

One old man sneered at Xiao Yan's ignorance. "Hmph! Lone cultivators must carry a jade token—it tracks how much you collect, and you must surrender half upon exit. Those without jade tokens? The Ghost Snake Tribe has the right to kill you on the spot."

Hearing this, some lone cultivators just emerged from inside gritted their teeth—but dared not speak out. Who were they to complain? They were weak.

Xiao Yan shrugged, said nothing, took three jade tokens, and entered smoothly.

Once inside, Xiao Yan glanced at the jade token in his hand, smiled, then crushed it with slight pressure.

You think you can stop me?

Cai Lin and Qing Lin did the same—crushing their tokens outright. They weren't here to pick fruit—they were here to seize the legacy!

Roar! Just minutes after Xiao Yan's group entered Jiu She Ling, they encountered a Seventh Rank Sea Giant Python.

The Sea Giant Python bore a rhinoceros-like horn, sharp as a sword, its body no smaller than the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake; behind it stood a small fruit tree, watching the Two-Headed Spirit Snake with wary eyes.

Xiao Yan glanced at the small fruit tree and ignored it; he no longer cared for such minor things.

"Qing Lin, can you sense anything?"

Qing Lin removed her hood, her eyes faintly shimmering with a greenish light; since entering the Space Lock, she had heard a faint, indistinct voice, as if calling to her.

Qing Lin wore a strange expression, pointing in one direction, saying, "The sound seems to come from over there, but—"

"But what?"

"But… I'm hearing nine voices." Qing Lin herself was uncertain, for the sound resembled noise—chirping, chirping, chirping—and she found it terribly irritating!

"Nine?!"

Xiao Yan and Cai Lin exchanged startled glances; had there once been an ancient heavenly snake civil war here, resulting in the fall of nine ancient heavenly snakes?!

If true, this would be terrifying—nine ancient heavenly snakes, if all reached Eight Rank Peak or even Nine Rank, the value of this ruin would be immense!

Xiao Yan's mind shifted, and the Heaven Soul Token appeared in his hand; if this truly was the ruin of nine ancient heavenly snakes, he would not hesitate—he would summon the Soul Sect's power and turn all who stood in his way into Soul Points!

At the Dou Zun level, Space Jade Slips were no longer rare; the opponents you saw on the surface might not be the only ones—they might use Space Jade Slips to summon powerful allies.

If these truly were nine ancient heavenly snakes, the Nine Underworld Earth Snake Clan and Sound Valley might summon Peak Dou Zun or even Sage Emperors.

Cai Lin nodded gravely, understanding Xiao Yan's thoughts; if they summoned Soul Sect warriors, Xiao Yan's identity would inevitably be exposed, and Cai Lin would help him kill everyone who knew.

"Let's go. No matter what, we have no reason to see Bao Shan and not enter." Xiao Yan patted the scales of the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake, urging it to accelerate toward the direction Qing Lin indicated.

As they delved deeper into Jiu She Ling, Qing Lin heard the sound more clearly; even Xiao Yan, with his Heavenly Realm Soul Force, could hear nothing—only Qing Lin with her Qi San Hua Tong could perceive it.

After the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake had traveled for an unknown length of time, Xiao Yan and the others finally arrived at their destination.

Along the way, Xiao Yan even spotted members of the Nine Underworld Earth Snake Clan, but these Nine Underworld Earth Snake elites didn't seem to be gathering spirit fruits or Medicinal Materials—they appeared to be surveying something.

"This is it," Qing Lin said.

The Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake halted. Before them stretched a vast expanse of land, but the soil here was barren; though vegetation and trees remained abundant, fruit trees and Medicinal Materials were scarce.

"Why is the Heaven and Earth Power here thinner than elsewhere?" Xiao Yan's Heavenly Realm Soul Force immediately detected something odd.

Though the reduction was minuscule—ordinary people would notice nothing, merely thinking the soil infertile and plants stunted—Xiao Yan's Heavenly Realm Soul Force perceived that the Heaven and Earth Power here had inexplicably diminished.

Cai Lin removed her hood, leapt off the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake, and upon reaching this place, she too sensed something amiss. Her Seven-Colored Devouring Sky Serpent Bloodline stirred with a faint, elusive alertness and hostility—as if warning her that danger lurked here, a great enemy!

"There is definitely something here," Cai Lin's refined face bore a trace of solemn caution; beast bloodlines revealed much—certain memories were hidden within them.

The Seven-Colored Devouring Sky Serpent had already been the royal bloodline of the Devouring Sky Serpent race in ancient times; if even the royal bloodline sensed alarm, then whatever lay here was no ordinary thing.

"Let's search first," Xiao Yan continuously activated his Soul Force Perception, yet found nothing.

"We don't yet know the exact situation—if we truly can't find anything—"

Just as Xiao Yan prepared to unleash a Fire Lotus upon the land, reducing it to nothingness, an anomaly occurred!

Boom—Boom—Boom!! Suddenly, the entire earth trembled violently; Jiu She Ling and the entire Guai She Sen Lin shook.

Next, the soil beneath Xiao Yan's three erupted upward—massive bone spines burst forth from the ground, each reaching hundreds of meters in length; more terrifying still, these black bone spines exuded wisps of Demon Qi.

Instantly, the once verdant, life-filled land drained of its Life Force; wisps of corpse qi rose from the earth.

Xiao Yan and the others swiftly ascended; Qing Lin activated her Qi San Hua Tong and recalled the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake into the Three-Spots Space.

In the blink of an eye, the place became a hellish zone, everywhere thick with corpse qi, the soil turned blood-red.

Anyone who saw this scene could not help but shudder, filled with a sense of foreboding.

"These are snake bones?! So huge!" Xiao Yan, hovering midair, was stunned—these black bones were clearly the coiled body of a colossal serpent!

And this giant serpent had no visible head; the portion exposed above ground was merely its tail—its body and head remained buried underground.

It was unimaginable how terrifying the size of this ancient giant python must have been—it might have been as vast as an entire nation!

"My god, what's happening?!"

"Damn! Seventh-Stage Beasts!!"

"So many beasts! They're fleeing from Jiu She Ling and Guai She Sen Lin!"

Everyone trembled in terror; beasts fled in herds, their terrified auras sweeping across the entire forest like a tidal wave!

Recluses who had just intended to enter Jiu She Ling turned pale with fear; countless low-cultivation cultivators collapsed onto the ground in panic.

"It's over, it's over—what's going on?!" One cultivator, dazed, was terrified out of his wits.

But! For some, this anomaly was an earth-shattering good omen.

"Are those white bones… ancient heavenly snakes?! There truly is an ancient heavenly snake ruin here!" Huangquan Zunzer's eyes sharpened, revealing delight.

"No wonder rumors said a month ago this place experienced a slight tremor!" Jian Zunzer's face showed astonishment—he had come precisely because he'd heard of a quake in Jiu She Ling a month ago, followed by the Nine Underworld Earth Snake Clan dispatching elites to negotiate.

"It seems the Nine Underworld Earth Snake Clan truly knew something."

"This skeleton is entirely black—unlucky indeed."

Shiiii—Shiiii! Not long after the quake, streaks of light shot out from deep within Guai She Sen Lin—all of them elite members of the Ghost Snake Tribe.

Not only the Ghost Snake Tribe—the Nine Underworld Earth Snake Clan surveyors in Jiu She Ling also shattered their Space Jade Slips, sending messages to their clan's elites, requesting reinforcements.

The first to arrive was an old man—Snake Eight Heads, leader of the Ghost Snake Tribe. Then space twisted, revealing three figures, followed by more and more cultivators reaching Dou Zong strength—all from the Ghost Snake Tribe.

"Absolutely correct—these are our ancestors! Hahaha! We've finally found them!" Snake Eight Heads was ecstatic; his tribe had always known an ancient heavenly snake ruin existed atop Jiu She Ling.

Because their ancestors had, by chance, obtained some essence blood and SpiritFlesh, and after devouring them, their bodies mutated, giving birth to the Ghost Snake Tribe.

They too carried ancient heavenly snake bloodline—how could they submit to the Nine Underworld Earth Snake Clan? Both sides' Ancestors were ancient heavenly snakes—why should you rule us?!

"Clan Leader, it seems someone entered first."

Snake Eight Heads' gaze turned sharp, as if piercing to the deepest depths of the site; finally, he spoke slowly: "Regardless, this is precisely what our tribe needs. If we obtain all the essence blood and bloodline, our tribe may evolve into true ancient heavenly snakes—then we shall rule all snake races!"

"No one shall stop us!"

Hearing their Clan Leader's words, the three behind him nodded; they had searched for this ruin for years, and no matter the danger, they would never abandon it.

Without hesitation, accompanied by their tribal elites, they descended into the earth beneath the bones.

Soon, major factions—the Nine Underworld Earth Snake Clan, Huangquan Pavilion, Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion—all arrived, and without hesitation, they surged downward.

"We go in too! With the Nine Underworld Earth Snake Clan and other factions ahead, we'll at least get some scraps!" a Sect Master said grimly: "Even if we can't obtain essence blood, a little leftover will do!"

In the end, many Sects and lone cultivators also followed behind, pouring down into the ground to compete for the Ancient Heavenly Snake Ruins.

(End of Chapter)