Chapter 1: The Crocodile Demon in Huluwa

The mountains were verdant, and the dense forests were thick.

In front of a Demon Clan Cave Abode, various spirits and minor demons stood in a long line, chatting away in a hubbub of voices.

Most of these spirits bore the characteristics of beasts; some had fish heads and human bodies, others had human bodies and beast claws. Every one of them had sharp fangs and claws, with ferocious appearances.

At the very front of the line was a spirit with a fish head and a human body. He nodded and bowed to the demon with a crocodile head and human body, his fish gills flaring as he said flatteringly, "Crocodile Commander, this is the Golden Crystal Sand I collected from the Jinsha River this month. The extra portion in here is a small tribute from me to you, sir, in private."

Crocodile Commander took the beast-skin bag offered by the fish-headed spirit and glanced at the Golden Crystal Sand inside. Sure enough, there was an extra portion—not much, just about a handful, weighing seven or eight catties.

He immediately tucked this extra handful into the Storage Bag at his waist.

Then, he bared his ferocious, gaping maw, revealing a terrifyingly gratified smile, and patted the minor demon on the arm with the air of one who finds his subordinate teachable.

"Mm, very good. You've done well. Keep up the good work; the Lady sees everything you do."

He wore the face of a department manager dealing with a capable subordinate.

A long while later.

After storing the various spiritual treasures and materials offered by the line of minor demons into Qingshe Niangniang's treasury, the crocodile demon swaggered back into his own private stone chamber.

Through an ice crystal stone placed in the chamber that served as a mirror, Fang Longye looked at his current appearance and could not bear to look straight at it.

Ugly, too ugly! In the simple stone chamber, a demon sat on a square, long rock, wearing tattered iron-leaf scale armor. His face was purplish-black, his crocodile face covered in scales, with a giant mouth full of fangs; he looked like a fierce and wicked god.

Beside him lay a wolf-tooth club. Although its edge was dazzling, it appeared inexplicably comical against the backdrop of his entirely upright, crocodile-like form.

Sigh! How did the handsome and dashing me end up in this ghostly state? Seven days had already passed since Fang Longye transmigrated into the body of the Crocodile Commander in the world of the Huluwa. Even so, he still felt somewhat uncomfortable seeing this visage of his.

Of course, to be frank, although this body was very ugly, apart from his appearance, Fang Longye had no resistance to the transmigration; after all, he had been granted a second life.

More importantly, what was his status now? A demon! What did this mean? This was a chance to ascend to the transcendent and attain immortality! This was an opportunity that countless people in his previous life on the Blue Star would break their heads trying to obtain.

Even if he currently faced the crisis of being crushed to death by a Huluwa at any moment.

It was just that, having stabilized his soul and absorbed the soul memories of the original Crocodile Commander, he realized he was facing an awkward situation.

As a commander under Qingshe Niangniang, the original body's status was equivalent to the Wugong Tongling under the other Golden Snake Lady, but his actual strength was not just a little bit worse. The reason lay in the fact that he was a demon enlightened by Qingshe Niangniang before she established her residence.

Although he was under Qingshe Niangniang, he was equivalent to those acolytes enlightened by great powers in myths and legends. He could be considered the primary confidant of this demon residence, with a status second only to the "Three Demons and Four Monsters" guests she had subdued when she established her residence and office. However, because of the enlightenment, he was congenitally deficient; not only was his thinking dull, but his Dharma cultivation was also inferior to spirits that had cultivated naturally.

Now, his realm was already at the Shape-Condensing stage, but wanting to advance further was incredibly difficult. The reason he was able to transmigrate into the Crocodile Commander was precisely because the original body failed a breakthrough, injuring his soul, allowing him to take advantage of the weakness and replace him.

And how difficult was it to make up for congenital defects? At the moment, the only thing he could think of that might be possible was the "Seven-Star Pill."

But with his current strength, it was impossible for him to obtain the "Seven-Star Pill." Even if it were successfully refined with the help of Qingshe Niangniang, he did not have the strength to contend for it.

One must know that Qingshe Niangniang was a Demon Immortal who had attained the Immortal Dao. Below the Immortal Realm, the realms of the Demon Clan were divided into Foundation-Nurturing, Spirit-Opening, Spirit-Monster, Dharma-Passing, Shape-Condensing, Core-Formation, and Primordial Spirit.

Among these, Foundation-Nurturing was merely having one's vital energy greatly increased by eating some spiritual herbs; they didn't even have spiritual intelligence and had not yet left the category of wild beasts.

Spirit-Opening, as the name suggests, was the opening of spiritual intelligence, gaining self-awareness. This was the most difficult step for the Demon Clan to enter cultivation, and it was also a foundation that the Human Race possessed by nature.

After Spirit-Opening, only with wisdom could one be considered a demon. Afterward, it took a hundred years of cultivation to be called a Spirit-Monster, capable of refining the horizontal bone in the throat and speaking human language. If a Spirit-Monster continued to polish their body and breathe in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, over a long period, their spirituality would gather and then undergo a transformation. The vital energy in their body would refine a trace of essence, turning into Dharma power, and they would step into the Dharma-Passing stage.

The cultivation of the Dharma-Passing stage was to continue absorbing spiritual energy, strengthening the essence, and increasing Dharma power; this was the so-called Refining Essence into Qi.

At this step, the limbs of the Demon Clan could be transformed, thus they could walk upright like humans. However, this was not a true transformation; it was merely a technique where Dharma power acted upon the body, and its internal organs, bones, and flesh were no different from before.

The Dharma-Passing stage possessed two or three hundred years of Dharma power, and further cultivation meant stepping into the Shape-Condensing stage.

And upon reaching the Shape-Condensing stage, while continuing to cultivate Dharma power, one began to work on condensing the soul's form and quality, laying the foundation for entering Refining Qi into Spirit.

The subsequent Core-Formation and Primordial Spirit stages were when one truly stepped through the door of cultivation. The "Three Demons and Four Monsters" under Qingshe Niangniang were all at this level.

With a gap of more than two major realms, and the layer of the difference between immortal and mortal above that, you want him to fight with his head? This fell into a vicious cycle: to improve strength, one had to obtain treasures like the "Seven-Star Pill" to make up for congenital defects, but to contend for the "Seven-Star Pill," one needed to improve one's strength. It was truly a bug.

Of course, he had one other method, but this method was something neither the original body nor the current Fang Longye was willing to use.

The "Hibernating Dragon Art"! This thought flashed through Fang Longye's mind, only to be rejected by him immediately.

Why did Qingshe Niangniang value the original body, this "battle-five-scum," so much? Even knowing that after being enlightened it had no potential, she still let it serve as a commander. The reason lay in its Bloodline.

The crocodile body Fang Longye now possessed contained a trace of Tuolong bloodline. A Tuolong is a crocodile, but a crocodile is not necessarily a Tuolong. No matter how much it was looked down upon, the Tuolong at least carried the word "Dragon."

The original body knew this reason clearly. It was dull, but not stupid. However, the original body didn't care.

As for Fang Longye, he had understood a truth in his previous life: except for your parents, no one will treat you well for no reason.

A boss pays you a salary because you work for him. If a friend suddenly treats you to a meal, it's eight or nine times out of ten because they have a favor to ask. Even between husband and wife, when interests are at stake, they cannot care about affection.

To put it utilitarianly, every adult wanders between using others and being used by others; the difference lies in whether you have that utility value.

If the original body had no special bloodline, why would a Demon Immortal let a minor demon who had been enlightened serve as a trusted commander? Was she really unable to find anyone else?

Possessing great utility value, Fang Longye would only be happy about it—at least this way, his status under Qingshe Niangniang could be guaranteed for the short term.

Regardless of the reason, Qingshe Niangniang had high hopes for the original body because of this.

Of course, the original body remained just a crocodile until now, but in the process of cultivation, it obtained a technique inherited from the Tuolong clan through that trace of bloodline: the "Hibernating Dragon Art."

The Hibernating Dragon Art was not a technique used to increase one's realm or strength, but specifically to absorb Water Vein Dragon Qi, keep it dormant, and constantly nourish and strengthen it.

When the time came, all the Water Vein Dragon Qi would be infused into the bloodline to stimulate a momentary eruption of the Dragon Clan bloodline within the body, staking everything on a single throw at the cost of the bloodline dissipating forever if it failed, striving to shed the Tuolong body.

Either soar to the nine heavens or fall into the filth.

This was the unwilling roar of the Tuolong clan, known as the "Tuolong." Fang Longye could, of course, release the Hibernating Dragon Art and increase his strength through the Water Vein Dragon Qi accumulated by this technique, but in doing so, the Dragon Clan bloodline, which was already closely linked to the Water Vein Dragon Qi in his body, would dissipate completely.

Do not think the Dragon Clan is nothing special; in this Immortal-Xia mythological world that emphasizes lineage, the Dragon Clan simply has greater potential and stronger power than ordinary Demon Clans. One must know that in myths and legends, Yinglong was even the consort of Xuanyuan!

Furthermore, even if he improved, it was impossible for him to defy the heavens and slay an immortal with just one technique! Just as he was deep in thought, a strange pattern gradually appeared in his mind; it was a golden scale emitting brilliant divine radiance.

My Golden Finger has finally arrived! Fang Longye's spirit lifted.

(End of chapter)