Chapter 66: A True Gentleman Snake!

No matter how they defended, surely they wouldn't guard against a small snake that had wandered into the valley by mistake.

Under such circumstances, for the sake of a Strange Beast, it was worth the risk.

At worst, even if exposed, he could still escape.

Although the valley was easy to defend and hard to attack, based on Baichuan's long experience living in water, just one glance at the deep pool inside the valley told him there must be an underground river beneath it.

If discovered, he could simply escape through the underground river.

After all, his current strength was no longer weak. Back then, Zhang Dadan had dared to say that obtaining the Strange Beast Ice Silkworm and breaking through to Seven Limits would earn him the protection of the Demonic Sect, which meant Seven Limits was no longer considered weak.

He could be valued in a major sect, so how strong was he now that he had obtained the power of Ice Frost?

At full Burst, he should at least be evenly matched with Seven Limits.

He might even have touched Eight Limits, who could say.

So why wouldn't he dare?

Thinking of this, Baichuan grew a little curious.

He just didn't know what the true source of this world's supernatural power actually was.

Was it Martial Stones? Or something even more miraculous? Or perhaps something like Spirit Power diffused in the surrounding air?

If he could obtain it, what kind of scene would unfold?

Mass-producing all kinds of powerful Strange Beasts, stripping away their abilities and granting them to himself? Or customizing and creating special abilities for them?

Just thinking about it made him a little excited.

Unfortunately, to achieve this might require a little bit of power — perhaps enough to crush an entire dynasty, who knows.

Shaking his head, Baichuan didn't think about it any further.

He flicked his forked tongue, then used his agile tail to continuously climb through the lush, leafy branches of the great trees.

Half an hour later, he swung into the valley like a thick, long rope.

Silently, he landed lightly on the ground, then quietly crept toward a large boulder, maintaining his invisible form throughout the entire process.

He surveyed the scattered houses around him, and finally looked toward the luxurious great hall that extended in tiered levels to the highest point at the innermost part.

Without a doubt, if a Strange Beast could possibly exist, the likelihood there was the greatest.

Of course, his top priority in this process was still to find a bat first. Whether ordinary or a Strange Beast, an ability model was only real once it was in his hands.

As for afterward, depending on the situation, he would decide whether to continue risking a look at the Strange Beast bat.

Besides, even seeing it didn't necessarily mean he could obtain it — after all, those Strange Beasts' powers were no weak matter.

Unless they were in a controlled state, in which case Baichuan might forcefully bite off a chunk of its flesh and blood, then hide beneath the cold pool and wait for the model to be scanned.

If it turned out like the Ice Silkworm again, after he evolved once more, he could go back and contend with it for its power.

But these were only Baichuan's most ideal scenarios; reality was ever-changing, and no one could say clearly whether some accident might occur.

So even if he ultimately didn't encounter a Strange Beast bat, it was no big deal — at least it wouldn't be a wasted trip.

While deliberating, Baichuan looked around left and right, saw no one passing by, and once again moved his snake body, slithering toward the side corridor.

With each move and each concealment, his pair of sharp eyes continuously surveyed the surroundings, while his keen sense of smell, hearing, and thermal sensing — all his scouting organs — kept operating.

Suddenly, a dreamlike conversation reached his ears.

Baichuan was stunned for a moment, then realized it was coming from inside one of the houses.

Instinctively, he pressed his head close to the wall to listen, then awkwardly pulled away. His sharp snake pupils were now somewhat unfocused, looking dizzy.

Clearly, what had just happened had been too great a shock to him.

Ahem, one shouldn't eavesdrop on others' private bedroom talk.

Would a gentleman snake like him be that kind of snake?!

He avoided this house and slithered onward into the distance.

This time, he might have found the right target.

Before his snake body even got close, he smelled a strong, thick scent of medicinal herbs, mixed with the bloody stench of various animals.

For a moment, it gave Baichuan a strange smell that was both sweet and nauseating.

The sweetness came from the bloody stench; the nausea came from the medicinal herbs — perhaps these herbs contained various strong, pungent-smelling ones, like sulfur, realgar, and the like.

In an instant, Baichuan understood: this place was either a pharmacy or a medical room.

Such places were generally important areas within a sect. Although Baichuan didn't know how these humans practiced their arts,

he had seen countless humans in the forest enhance their strength — either by smearing various medicinal herbs mixed with animal essence on their bodies, or by drinking them directly.

Perhaps he had found what he needed.

Baichuan suppressed the joy in his heart, sensed left and right, and confirmed no one was around.

Only then did he quietly approach and press his ear to listen. Immediately, rhythmic sounds of pounding medicine came from inside, accompanied by the whirring of a grinding stone and the rustle of turning pages.

There were only three people in there!

Though tempted to enter now, Baichuan still calmed himself — this was the humans' main base, and he couldn't act rashly.

He waited patiently.

He didn't know how long passed; it was rare for Baichuan to wait so patiently.

Suddenly, a burst of hurried footsteps sounded.

A young girl with a childish figure came running, whispered a few words inside, and then an old man wearing hemp clothing came out.

He carried a wooden box reeking of medicine on his side, followed by the two who had been pounding and grinding herbs, muttering something nonstop as they left.

Baichuan could only barely make out a few words — "court," "idle," "poisoned," and the like.

But the court?

Baichuan inexplicably thought of that group from before, uncertain whether they were the ones he knew.

Were they the ones who had tracked Zhang Dadan's trail to deduce his traces? Or were they directly searching for Zhang Dadan?

After all, that handsome young man Zhou Zhen had said he came for Zhang Dadan, claiming he slaughtered an entire village to break through, and that he represented the Demon Slaying Division to come slay.

He didn't pay it much mind either, and while no one was around at the moment, he slipped straight in.

Once inside, he looked around left and right, gazing at the animal limbs casually placed within; he hadn't searched long before his eyes lit up.

A dried bat, sliced clean in half!

He extended a claw to grab one of them, but halfway through his motion he paused — perhaps he should keep looking.

This one was placed too conspicuously; he needed to find something more hidden, preferably something stacked together, the kind where one or two missing wouldn't be too obvious.

So he stopped his hand, first leaning in and flicking out his forked tongue to catch a few scent molecules from the dried bat.

Then he raised the front portion of his body upright, looking around in every direction, searching.

Soon, he once again found a spot where medicinal materials were gathered. Seeing this, Baichuan no longer hesitated and directly grabbed one of the smaller ones.

Having obtained his target, Baichuan paid no more attention to the rest and prepared to leave.

At this moment, an accident happened!

(End of this chapter)