I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 160: Four Souls Complete, Walking the Dragon!

As far as the eye could see, there was Uncle Zhao everywhere; the situation was truly terrifying.

"How come there are so many Uncle Zhaos?"

Yun Yi was stunned, but he was also a quick-witted person. He immediately rushed to the nearest Uncle Zhao, grabbed him, and demanded, "Tell me, what's going on here?"

Suddenly, with a "snap," Uncle Zhao transformed into a small snake and slipped away from my palm.

Yun Yi then rushed to capture Uncle Zhao, who was nearby. He discovered that Uncle Zhao could transform into a human at times and a small snake at others, moving with lightning speed. After a flurry of activity, he managed to capture even Uncle Zhao.

Meanwhile, everyone else around also tried to capture Uncle Zhao, just like Yun Yi. The little snakes were slippery, and they couldn't catch a single one.

Yun Yi realized something was wrong and rushed to Yun Zhongyue's side. "Father, these little snakes can transform into human form at any time. They're very slippery and impossible to hold. It's really strange..."

Before Yun Yi could finish speaking, Yun Zhongyue glared at him fiercely, "With Miss Xiao Qing here, it's not your place to make a move. Don't be so reckless in the future, lest you ruin something important."

Yun Yi did not disobey and immediately bowed in acknowledgment, "Father's teachings are correct, I will remember them."

Yun Zhongyue nodded, then looked at Li Qing'er: "Miss Qing, this place is very strange. I've never seen anything like it that can transform into someone else's appearance. Should we set up camp here first, investigate thoroughly, and then proceed?"

Clearly, Lee Chung-ah is the leader of the group.

Li Qing'er frowned.

She had just tried to catch Uncle Zhao, but even with her skill, she couldn't catch a small snake.

This little snake was really strange, so Li Qing'er didn't dare to be careless and asked Zhou Lie, the leader, "How far is this place from the Ten Thousand Snake Cave?"

Zhou Lie pointed to a large canyon in the distance: "That canyon is the Cave of Ten Thousand Snakes. It's only four or five miles from here."

Li Qing'er asked, "Have you ever been to the Cave of Ten Thousand Snakes?"

Zhou Lie shook his head: "Before the strange things happened in the Ten Thousand Snake Cave, the hunters in our town didn't dare to go near that canyon. I only observed it from a distance near the canyon."

Li Qing'er asked no more questions, ran to the treetop, surveyed the surroundings, especially staring at the great canyon in front of her for a while, and finally made a decision:
“Uncle Zhao’s situation is indeed strange, and most of the men we brought are not very skilled. If we continue forward, things might not go well. Let’s stay here for the night. We’ll send a few skilled men ahead to investigate.”

"Men, set up camp and be on guard," Yun Zhongyue ordered.

Accompanying them were more than ten henchmen from Black Mountain Tower and more than twenty experts from the Demon Suppression Bureau, totaling about forty people.

More than a dozen tents were quickly set up around the area. Experts from the Demon Suppression Bureau also patrolled the area with torches.

Instead of settling into the tent, Chen Mo took advantage of the night to stroll around the area, finding a quiet spot to gaze at the Grand Canyon in the distance.

Others might just think that the little snake's transformation into Uncle Zhao was terrifying, but the Four Souls Jade within Chen Mo's body had just shown fluctuations.

Chen Mo's intuition told him that Uncle Zhao's strange behavior was inextricably linked to the Shikon Jewel.

Moreover… Chen Mo had just secretly captured a small snake and tossed it into the burlap bundle on his back.

Chen pretended to go out to relieve himself. After leaving the tent, he found a secluded spot, took the small snake out of the burlap bundle, and examined it closely. The more he looked at it, the more amazing it seemed.

"This little snake doesn't have much cultivation, but it has the ability to transform into other people, which is quite strange. Moreover... even Li Qing'er couldn't catch this little snake, which is quite unusual."

"If we want to successfully enter the Cave of Ten Thousand Snakes, this little snake will probably be of great help."

Chen Mo immediately dropped off the panel.

[Structureable material detected]

[Should we deconstruct it?]

"Deconstruction!"

As the thought crossed Chen Mo's mind, waves of pain surged through him. Once the pain subsided, the subtitles appeared one by one.

Name: Water Serpent

[Type: Water-type Soul Snake]

[Note 1: The Water Serpent is a type of serpent that can adapt to any situation. It is as fluid as water, changing into various shapes to achieve a high degree of camouflage. It can even disguise its aura, making it difficult to detect.]

[Note 2: This is not the Water Serpent's true form, but rather a transformation of the flesh and blood of the Water Serpent's mother.]

[Note 3: If you obtain the mother form of the Water Serpent, you can modify your own physique to make the mother form your clone, or you can absorb the mother form to gain the ability to disguise yourself.]

[Ingredients: The aura of the Water Serpent is related to the Shikon Jewel and is its origin. It is the most fundamental and crucial part of the Shikon Jewel.]

[Characteristics: The Water Serpent is extremely rare and has very high growth potential. It can create powerful clones.]

After reading this information, Chen Mo fell into a long silence.

"I've obtained three Shikon Jewels, the only one missing is the python Shikon Jewel for the first step of the Dragon Ascension. Could the pattern on this Shikon Jewel be... the Water Serpent?"

"At first, I didn't think the pattern in the first step was particularly rare, but now that I think about it... this first step is actually the most crucial step in the journey to becoming a dragon. The Water Serpent... allows it to adapt to any object and change into various shapes. It can also create clones... doesn't that mean that any species, once it obtains the first Shikon Jewel, can forge a Water Serpent? And as long as it has a Water Serpent, even a person can turn into a snake?"

"Walking a dragon...only snakes can walk like dragons. I was wondering before how humans could walk like dragons? Now I know that's the key. This Jiang Hongyue is truly remarkable!"

"No wonder others can't catch the Water Serpent. It's water, so it takes shape according to what it touches. It breaks as soon as you grab it. I was able to catch one, probably because I obtained the other three Shikon Jewels, and they resonate with each other."

The more Chen Mo thought about it, the more horrified he felt.

It walks on a dragon, and transforms into a dragon.

The Water Serpent, adapting to its surroundings, can use a mother serpent as a clone...

Doesn't this mean... after I, Chen Mo, obtain the Water Serpent Mother Body, I can have the Mother Body become my clone? And let my clone go to fight the dragon?

Cow!

"I wonder if this concept of clones is because I have a cheat ability... or if others can also use clones."

Just as I was pondering this, a clear and pleasant voice came from afar.

"Young Master Mo."

It goes without saying that it was Li Qing'er.

Chen Mo had no choice but to put the small snake back into the burlap bundle on his back, and walked out of the woods, saying indifferently, "I just finished relieving myself. Is there something you need, Miss Xiao Qing?"

Li Qing'er said, "Everyone is discussing matters in the commander's tent, waiting for you. I was worried about you when I didn't see you."

"Perhaps I ate something bad during the day. I'll head to the commander's tent now." Chen Mo found an excuse and followed Li Qing'er toward the commander's tent, casually asking, "Any news about that shamanistic ritual last time?"

Li Qing'er led the way, her expression aloof. She shook her head and said, "I asked my sister. But she only felt that the shamanic ritual was somewhat familiar, but couldn't quite place it. She said we'll have to wait a while longer, so I'll have to trouble Young Master Mo to wait a bit longer."

In fact, Li Qing'er knew.

However, Li Huabai later sent her a message, telling Li Qing'er not to speak recklessly or leak secrets. He also instructed her to keep a close eye on Chen Mo and to keep him firmly under her control. Furthermore, he told Li Qing'er that she must obtain the Four Soul Jade from the Zhou family's snake monster to gain the upper hand.

Therefore, Li Qing'er did not tell Chen Mo, lest she scare him away.

Fearing that Chen Mo would continue to press for answers, Li Qing'er took the initiative to change the subject, "The way the little snake transformed into Uncle Zhao to bewitch people was quite strange. This Ten Thousand Snake Cave is probably not simple. Although Young Master Mo is quite skilled, you still need to be cautious."

"Thank you for the reminder, Miss Xiaoqing."

Li Qing'er chuckled softly, "Young Master Mo and I are friends, there's no need for that. Let's go to the commander's tent and discuss a solution."

He entered the commander's tent.

Shen Zishan and Shen Baishan both arrived.

Yun Zhongyue, seated at the head of the table, invited everyone to take their seats. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he said, "I just discussed this with Miss Xiaoqing. The rest of us will stay here to guard the area, while the few of us with higher cultivation will go to the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave to investigate. If we encounter any unexpected situations, we can immediately launch a signal flare to send a message. Does anyone have any objections?"

Everyone naturally expressed no objection.

"Then let's not delay any longer. Everyone go back and prepare, and then we'll set off."

After the crowd dispersed, only Yun Zhongyue and Yun Yi remained in the tent.

Yun Yi was taking inventory of the weapons and other items. "Father, Li Qing'er has the highest cultivation level. We need to stick close to her for safety."

Yun Zhongyue shook his head: "No need, let Li Qing'er lead the way, we'll cover the rear."

"Should we cover their retreat? Wouldn't that be too dangerous?"

Yun Zhongyue's eyes flashed with a fierce light. "Foolish. You think we came here just to investigate the snake monsters of the Ten Thousand Snake Cave?"

Yun Yi was taken aback. "Isn't that right?"

Yun Zhongyue laughed and said, "If that's the case, why would I go to all the trouble of gathering the heads of the Shen and Tang families here?"

Yun Yi vaguely realized something, leaned closer to Yun Zhongyue, and whispered, "Then what does Father mean?"

Yun Zhongyue: "The Shikon Jewel is truly capable of transforming a dragon into a monster. Its value far exceeds that of ordinary zombies and ghosts. I summoned them here so that I could secretly kill them and take the Shikon Jewel from them for my own use."

Yun Yi took a deep breath, his mind going blank for a moment.

I never expected... that Yun Zhongyue had such a plan.

"The Shen family's Four Soul Jade is in Shen Zishan's hands, and the Tang family's Four Soul Jade is most likely in Chen Mo's hands. If Father kills both of them at the same time, he can get two Four Soul Jades at once... Father is indeed far-sighted."

Ha ha ha.

Yun Zhongyue chuckled softly, "This is an unexpected delight. I knew of the existence of the Four Souls Orb before, but I thought it could only activate the accompanying bloodline, which would be meaningless. Now that I know the secret of the Four Souls Orb's dragon-walking ability... how could I let go of such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?"

While excited, Yun Yi couldn't help but feel a little worried for his father: "But Miss Xiao Qing's cultivation has advanced significantly. What if she also has this idea..."

Yun Zhongyue laughed and said, "If we do it discreetly, no one will know. Besides, strange snakes roam this place, so they can take the blame for us. How would Miss Xiaoqing know that it was us?"

……

Chen Mo arrived at his tent and tidied himself up briefly. Then he left the tent and rejoined the main group.

Before long, Shen Zishan and his son, Yun Zhongyue and his son, Bai Ye and Li Qing'er also arrived.

After some discussion, Yun Zhongyue suggested that Li Qing'er and Chen Mo lead the way, while Yun Zhongyue would cover the rear. Everyone agreed, and they left the camp in this order, heading towards a mountain path to check the situation in the large canyon ahead.

Chen Mo followed Li Qing'er, clearing the way ahead. He saw that Li Qing'er was quick and agile, moving with incredible speed.

Chen Mo looked at the woman, but his mind was racing:

Among so many people present, the only one who could pose a threat to me was... Li Qing'er.

Although Li Qing'er possessed the power of summoning and had various unpredictable divine might, Chen Mo roughly estimated that he might not be inferior to Li Qing'er.

He has three incense sticks and three markings, yet he's still a zombie.

Zombies are immune to not-too-outrageous summoning powers.

Chen Mo's stats are very high.

If it really came down to a fight, Chen Mo felt he had a pretty good chance of winning.

Chen Mo remained calm and collected throughout the journey, and soon arrived at a point 300 meters outside the Grand Canyon.

A chilling, eerie aura emanated from ahead, sending shivers down one's spine. Small snakes could be seen slithering about in the surrounding weeds.

"Hissssss~"

Groups of venomous snakes surged and darted through the grass.

Just looking at this scene makes one feel a strong sense of unease.

"There are just too many of these snakes; there might be a really big one lurking among them."

Walking behind Chen Mo was Shen Baishan, who felt a chill run down his spine and shrank his neck.

Upon hearing Shen Baishan's words, Li Qing'er said, "Young Master Mo and I will first scout the way into the canyon. If there is no danger, we will send you a signal flare. Then you can follow us."

"Young Master Mo, stay close to me."

After saying that, Li Qing'er took the lead and walked along the Grand Canyon.

Chen Mo followed closely behind.

As they approached the Grand Canyon, the chilling aura emanating from ahead grew increasingly intense. Even Li Qing'er, who possessed the power of summoning, frowned at this moment.

Chen Mo, on the other hand, acted as if nothing had happened, slowly walking forward while looking around and occasionally observing Li Qing'er's actions.

Wow!

A gust of cold wind blew by, lifting Li Qing'er's long hair.

"Young Master Mo, stay close." Li Qing'er stepped into the canyon entrance and plunged into the dark depths of the canyon.

The darkness ahead was as thick as ink, with very low visibility.

Chen Mo channeled his energy and leaped inside.

Upon entering the canyon, it was pitch black, and the air was damp and cold. Caves were everywhere, and all sorts of snakes lived inside, their bright green eyes peeking out.

Some snake dens are very large, and the snakes coiled within are enormous, with eyes as big as lanterns, making them particularly frightening to behold.

The stone walls on both sides were covered with countless snake dens. The number of large snakes residing in these dens was unknown.

"Hissssss~"

Some large snakes poked their heads out, coiling along the stone wall, raising their heads high, staring intently at Chen Mo and his companion.

hum!
Li Qing'er raised her hand and released her summoning power, which greatly affected the large snakes in the snake pits on both sides, preventing them from attacking.

"Young Master Mo, hurry up and follow me."

Chen Mo quickly caught up and asked, "Has Miss Xiaoqing been to Zhili before?"

Li Qing'er shook her head: "I haven't been here before, but my men have investigated. With their feedback, I roughly know the situation of the snake dens. The snake dens on both sides are the dwellings of ordinary large snakes. At the end of the canyon, there is a large cave, which is where the snake monster resides. We need to hurry."

Chen Mo said no more and quickly followed Li Qing'er toward the end of the canyon.

Actually, Chen Mo had just tested it. Li Qing'er was overthinking it... Although the giant snakes were numerous, large, and extremely ferocious, they wouldn't attack him; instead, they were under his control.

Da Da Da~
The two moved like the wind, quickly running forward for three or four miles. They saw that there were more and more grottoes on the stone walls on both sides, and the spaces in the grottoes were getting larger and larger. The giant snakes coiled in them were getting bigger and bigger.

Even more, there have been quite a few giant snake-like demons of the Yellow Pages level.

That's really an exaggeration.

The Cave of Ten Thousand Snakes truly lives up to its name.

After walking several hundred meters further, we finally reached the end of the canyon. We came across a huge cave, which was quiet inside, with gusts of cold wind blowing out.

"The journey has been uneventful. I'll send a signal flare." Li Qing'er released a signal flare.

"Young Master Mo, follow me closely, we're going in," Li Qing'er said, then quickly rushed into the cave.

Chen Mo paused briefly, glanced back at the densely packed giant snakes on the stone walls on both sides, and felt that he could control these giant snake monsters before following Li Qing'er into the cave.

Even though he knew that Li Qing'er was highly skilled, Chen Mo would not entrust his safety to someone else.

You must be clear about what you're doing before taking any step.

……

Meanwhile, the others were waiting outside the canyon.

Bai Ye was at the front, Shen Baishan was second, followed by Shen Zishan and Yun Zhongyue and his son.

While waiting, Shen Baishan felt very scared and moved closer to Bai Ye in front of him: "Miss Bai Ye, aren't you afraid when you see so many snakes?"

Bai Ye remained calm: "With Sister Qing here, these snakes pose no threat to us."

Shen Baishan said, "But snakes are cold-blooded animals, and they're scary just to look at. What's more, they're so densely packed... If there's a snake king nearby, that could really kill us."

Bai Ye already disliked Shen Baishan, and hearing his incessant ramblings about how spineless he was, she gave him a cold look: "If you're scared, then go back home now. Don't embarrass yourself here."

As Shen Baishan turned around, he muttered, "I didn't want to come in the first place, it's all because of Father..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Baishan gasped.

My father was just behind me a moment ago, where is he now?

And Yun Zhongyue and Yun Yi... they've all disappeared too!

hiss!
Shen Baishan felt a chill run down his spine and quickly said, "Miss Baiye, look back... the three people behind me are gone!"

brush!
Bai Ye turned around abruptly, and sure enough, he didn't see Shen Zishan and Yun Zhongyue's father and son. He immediately felt a chill run down his spine. "I remember they were just here..."

Shen Baishan was immediately disoriented. He called out to his father, but received no response. He then said, "I'm going back to find my father."

Bai Ye firmly objected: "No. Their sudden disappearance indicates something strange has happened behind us. Going back now would be suicide."

Shen Baishan, who had only taken two steps, immediately turned back, trembling, "Then, what do we do?"

Bai Ye felt uneasy and was caught in a dilemma.

Just then, fireworks appeared in the sky above the canyon.

Bai Ye finally breathed a sigh of relief: "It's safe ahead, let's move forward. We'll make further plans after we meet up with Sister Qing."

"What about my father? What will happen to my father..." Shen Baishan called out twice, but seeing that Bai Ye ignored him as he walked forward, he gritted his teeth and followed him into the valley.

Just after the two left, in a grove of trees not far away.

Bang bang bang!
Two figures clashed and attacked each other wildly in the darkness, causing a series of loud explosions. Then... the explosions stopped.

"Jie Jie Jie~"

With a sinister laugh, Shen Zishan emerged from the darkness and slowly walked towards the pool of blood ahead. Kneeling in the blood was a figure—Yun Zhongyue.

At this moment, Yun Zhongyue was covered in wounds, several teeth were missing, and one of his hands had been torn off. He was also holding a corpse in his arms. It was Yun Yi.

Yes……

Yun Zhongyue, who was at the back of the group, made a move against Shen Zishan after learning that Li Qing'er had taken Chen Mo into the canyon first.

In Yun Zhongyue's mind, Shen Zishan was merely a sixth-level cultivator, someone he could easily handle. He never imagined that after making a move, he would realize he had greatly underestimated Shen Zishan!

Shen Zishan is not even human.

Instead, it merged with Lord Blood Tiger. It was possessed by Lord Blood Tiger.

And so, his son was beaten to death. He himself was also in dire straits, without even a chance to send out a distress signal.

"Jiejiejie~!"

Shen Zishan slowly approached, a sinister and terrifying smile spreading across his face: "Yun Zhongyue, you killed me to take my Shen family's Four Soul Jade, didn't you? It's just a pity you came at the wrong time. If you had attacked me a few days earlier, I truly wouldn't be your match. But now, my Shen family's Blood Tiger lord has gone berserk and entered my body. You've only just entered the Transcendent Realm; how could you possibly be a match for the Blood Tiger lord? Hehehe..."

As he spoke, Shen Zishan stepped on Yun Zhongyue's head.

Click.

The immense force of the stomp nearly deformed Yun Zhongyue's head. Even with all his strength, Yun Zhongyue's resistance was futile. He could only plead, "Blood, Blood Tiger Master, it was all my fault for being too greedy. I was wrong. Please forgive me, I'll pretend today's events never happened. Please?"

"Hahaha……"

Shen Zishan laughed loudly: "Do you think I'm a three-year-old? You know I'm a ghost, how could I let you go?"

Click click click.

As Shen Zishan's foot exerted more and more force, Yun Zhongyue felt as if his head was about to be crushed at any moment, and let out a terrified roar.

He regrets it!

That's too greedy!

He always thought he was a master of the Transcendent Realm who could easily take Shen Zishan down, but he never expected... he still underestimated the Shen family.

"Hehe, by the way, I'll tell you some news. My Shen family's Four Soul Jade isn't actually in my possession... it was stolen by my unfilial son. I asked him, but he wouldn't say. He's probably under some kind of spell. Back in Wucheng, Master Jin Guang killed Shen Wudao, but spared Shen Baishan. I found that strange at the time... but I guess I was too kind-hearted. Now it seems that Shen Baishan's owner is most likely Chen Mo. We must kill Chen Mo to get my Shen family's Four Soul Jade back."

"What a pity! If you had attacked Chen Mo first, I might have been able to help you. But you always thought I was the pushover. Damn it!!"

what?
Upon hearing this, Yun Zhongyue coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Putting aside the fact that he couldn't beat Shen Zishan, he chose the wrong target from the very beginning...

"Aaaaaah, no!!"

Bang!
With a powerful stomp, Yun Zhongyue's head was instantly crushed into a rotten watermelon, and he died on the spot.

"Hmph. Another one who's excessively greedy."

Shen Zishan kicked Yun Zhongyue's corpse dozens of meters away, then strode towards the canyon, his eyes revealing an extremely cold light, "Chen Mo... today is your death day."

Back in the prefectural city, Yun Zhongyue and Li Qing'er mediated, preventing me from taking action. But here, I have no such scruples, hehehehe.”

Before long, Shen Zishan caught up with Bai Ye and Shen Baishan.

Shen Baishan was overjoyed to see his father return: "Father, you're finally back! I was so worried!"

Shen Zishan snorted and said no more.

Bai Ye asked one more question: "Where are Yun Fu Si and Yun Yi?"

Shen Zishan shook his head: "I don't know. I just went to relieve myself. When I came back, I saw you guys going into the canyon, so I followed you. I didn't see Yunfu Si. I guess they went to relieve themselves too. They would have followed when they saw the smoke signal. Let's go first."

After a moment's thought, Bai Ye nodded: "The signal from the fireworks is high enough; they must have seen it. Let's go."

The three of them ran wildly, crossing countless snake dens on both sides, and finally arrived at the entrance of the cave at the end of the mountain.

There were no forks in the road.

Bai Ye then spoke up: "It seems that Sister Qing and the others have entered the cave first. Let's go in."

The three entered the cave.

It was quiet inside, and the space was very large.

"Sister Qing!"

Bai Ye saw Li Qing'er waiting in the cave. He ran over to greet her, "Where is Young Master Mo?"

Li Qing'er's expression was somewhat wooden, unlike her previous natural demeanor. "Young Master Mo has something to attend to, so let's leave him alone for now. Come with me."

Bai Ye sensed that Sister Qing was different from before, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it, so he followed Li Qing'er forward.

The further you go into the cave, the larger the space becomes. Before long, you reach the end.

This is a large stone cave, with blood-red stone walls all around. At the end, a huge serpent skeleton coils, and in front of the serpent skeleton is a sacrificial altar, in the center of which sits an object resembling a Shikon Jewel.

"The Shikon Jewel!" Shen Baishan immediately screamed, "This is the Shikon Jewel that the Zhou family had back then? Father!"

"Hahaha. This is mine." Shen Zishan quickly walked towards the sacrificial altar.

brush!
Bai Ye intervened, saying, "Master Shen, you probably don't know your place. With Sister Qing here, it's not your turn to make a move. Sister Qing, quickly take the Four Souls Jade."

Li Qing'er did not answer.

Bai Ye cried out, "Sister Qing, what's wrong...?"

Just then——

Bang!
Suddenly, Sister Qing's body exploded, transforming into a three-meter-long black snake that appeared on the snake skeleton. It raised its head high and spoke in human language: "Hehe, finally some people with cultivation have arrived. The Four Souls Jade is on the sacrificial altar, go and get it."

hiss! !

Bai Ye gasped, his body trembling. "This Sister Qing is actually a snake in disguise... then where is the real Sister Qing?"

"Go away!"

Shen Zishan kicked Bai Ye aside and strode towards the sacrificial altar. "This Shikon Jewel is mine. My Shen family's Shikon Jewel was lost, so I'll use this one to make up for it."

"Don't think about it!"

Bai Ye tried to stop him, but after exchanging a punch with Shen Zishan, he was immediately sent flying more than ten meters, crashing into a stone wall and spitting blood. He looked on incredulously, "You...you...you're not Shen Zishan at all!"

Bai Ye had been in Nanyang Prefecture for quite some time, and given the Black Mountain Tower's keen intelligence, he naturally knew Shen Zishan's strength.

Hey!
Shen Zishan roared and let out a tiger's howl.

"Hehehe... I never said I was Shen Zishan. I am Lord Blood Tiger. The Four Soul Jade..."

Shen Zishan strode up the sacrificial altar, ran to the center, and reached for the Shikon Jewel. "They're all mine now. After I kill Chen Mo, they'll all be mine."

"With the Shikon Jewel, my cultivation level can be improved rapidly."

"Give it to me!!"

Click.

Shen Zishan snatched the Shikon Jewel in his hand. "Hahaha, finally got it! I've coveted the Shikon Jewel for a hundred years, but I was bound by the contract on it and had to hold back. Now that the contract on the Shikon Jewel is gone, I can finally be myself... Eh? What's going on?"

Before Shen Zishan could finish celebrating, he let out a shrill scream.

Suddenly, an extremely strong binding force emanated from the Shikon Jewel, flowing into Shen Zishan's body, causing Shen Zishan's body to gradually lose control, and finally he lay on the ground, twisting and turning.

In no time, Shen Zishan turned into a snake.

A large snake, five or six meters long.

"Huh? What's wrong with me? Isn't this the Shikon Jewel?"

Shen Zishan suddenly realized something and abruptly looked up at the black snake on the snake bone. "What's going on?"

The black snake said coldly, "You're useless too. That's how the Snake Demon died. This Shikon Jewel is very different. It has the pattern of the Water Serpent. It's the beginning of the Flood Dragon. You can't do it, you can't become a Flood Dragon. You'll soon lose control and won't live long."

"no no!!"

"Ow~"

Shen Zishan, who had transformed into a giant snake, had bloodshot eyes and was gradually losing control of his consciousness. After rolling on the ground and dying, he suddenly charged towards Shen Baishan.

Shen Baishan was so terrified he wet himself, curling up on the ground and trembling, inching backward as he cried out, "Dad, what are you doing? I'm your son! Dad!!"

"Hissssss~"

Shen Zishan flicked his forked tongue, "I'm so hungry. My son is just right, give me some to eat."

"No, Father, don't do this!!! Ah!"

Click!

Shen Zishan opened his blood-red maw and bit down on Shen Baishan, swallowing him whole before he could resist. When he went to check on Bai Ye, he found that Bai Ye had already run away.

"Hehehe, don't run away, I'm going to eat you!!"

Shen Zishan twisted his enormous snake body and chased after Bai Ye.

At this moment, Shen Zishan's eyes were only focused on food. As for his original purpose for coming here, he had completely forgotten it.

……

Li Qing'er entered the cave and found it pitch black inside. It took her quite a while to adjust.

Looking around, there were no snakes in the cave. However, the eerie and chilling atmosphere was even more terrifying.

"Why hasn't Young Master Mo arrived yet?"

Li Qing'er muttered something to herself, waited for a while but Chen Mo didn't appear, so she headed towards the cave entrance. She then discovered... she couldn't get back to where she was.

How can it be?

I've only taken a few steps into the cave.

Li Qing'er realized that something was wrong with this place.

Could it be that I've fallen under some kind of illusion?
Li Qing'er immediately activated her summoning power, trying to see through the illusion before her, but... it was no use.

"Even the power of invocation is useless?"

For the first time, Li Qing'er felt a bit panicked.

She's not some nobody like Yun Zhongyue.

Li Qing'er, from Nanzhou, had already reached the Transcendent Realm of cultivation at a young age. Moreover, she had also utilized the power of ghosts within her, which was the power that allowed her to wield the ability to summon.

With the power of inspiration within her, she never felt that she would encounter any danger in Nanyang Prefecture.

But at this moment... I was truly surprised.

"Could it be the work of a strange snake?"

Li Qing'er told herself not to panic. After calming down, she activated her summoning power again and carefully sensed it. She still couldn't get out.

"That's strange..."

Just then, footsteps sounded at the cave entrance. A figure then appeared.

Li Qing'er leaned closer and saw that it was Chen Mo.

At first, Li Qing'er felt something was off and didn't greet him immediately. Instead, she used her spiritual power to check and found that Chen Mo was normal. She then breathed a sigh of relief: "Young Master Mo, I've been looking for you for a long time. This place doesn't seem right. Be careful."

Chen Mo simply nodded. "I understand. Let's finish this as soon as possible. Come with me, I'll take you forward."

After saying that, Chen Mo quickly followed. Li Qing'er didn't think much of it and followed along. After many twists and turns, Li Qing'er arrived at the end of the cave, which was a large stone chamber.

The surrounding stone walls were red and glowed.

At the end, a huge serpent skeleton coiled, beneath which was a sacrificial altar. In the center of the altar was an object resembling the Shikon Jewel.

"The Shikon Jewel!"

Li Qing'er was shocked and immediately ran towards the sacrificial altar. Halfway there, she realized something was wrong and turned back to look at Chen Mo. To her horror, she discovered that Chen Mo had vanished without a trace.

hiss!
Li Qing'er gasped, looked around, and saw a black snake several meters long coiled above the snake bone, its head raised and looking at her.

Li Qing'er wasn't stupid. Thinking back to Uncle Zhao from before, she immediately realized something: what appeared just now wasn't Chen Mo at all, but this black snake in disguise.

"Something's not right here. I need to grab the Shikon Jewel and leave immediately. Then I'll go find Young Master Mo."

With this in mind, Li Qing'er no longer hesitated and immediately rushed to the center of the sacrificial altar to take the Shikon Jewel.

Just then——

"what!"

An extremely powerful binding force suddenly descended upon her, rendering Li Qing'er powerless to resist, forcing her to prostrate herself on the ground. Then, the power within her body began frantically assimilating her flesh and bones, seemingly trying to transform her into a snake.

"Do not!!"

Li Qing'er felt an unprecedented fear. She immediately bit her finger, made a talisman, and pressed it to her abdomen.

In this way, although it resisted some of the Water Serpent's transformations, its lower body still turned into a snake, while its upper body remained human.

"How could this happen... What on earth happened?"

"Tsk tsk tsk~" The black snake coiled on the snake bones shook its head repeatedly: "Still no good. You can't escape the dragon. What a pity..."

……

Chen Mo entered the cave and found it pitch black inside. It took him quite a while for his eyesight to adjust.

At first glance, the cave appeared quite spacious. There were no snakes in sight; it was completely empty.

Ok?
Why don't I see Li Qing'er?

Something's not right. Li Qing'er just entered the cave. She shouldn't have disappeared so suddenly.

Chen Mo immediately became alert, activated his six senses, and slowly took a few steps forward. After turning a corner, he was surprised to see Li Qing'er standing blankly in front of the stone wall, looking down at something.

Chen Mo called out, "Little Qing, what are you doing?"

Hearing the voice, Li Qing'er came to her senses and smiled at Chen Mo, "It's nothing. Come on, I'll take you forward."

After saying that, Li Qing'er led the way.

Chen Mo felt that Li Qing'er's expression was wooden.

Chen Mo followed behind, feeling that something was off about Li Qing'er.

Although there was no evidence to support his thoughts, Chen Mo, who was essentially a snake-like zombie, had a gut feeling that this... was probably not Li Qing'er.

Was it transformed from a Water Serpent?
Where did the real Li Qing'er go?
Filled with curiosity, Chen Mo stepped forward.

They hadn't walked far when they reached the end of the cave, where a large stone chamber stood. The walls of the chamber were blood-red and glowed. At the far end, a large serpent skeleton coiled, and beneath it was an altar. In the center of the altar sat an object resembling the Shikon Jewel.

"The Shikon Jewel?"

Chen Mo paused for a moment, but didn't rush to take it.

Unlike Shen Zishan, who didn't even have a single Shikon Jewel, Chen Mo had fused with three, giving him a solid foundation and the ability to afford to lose, so he wasn't in a hurry.

He turned to look at Li Qing'er, "You're a Water Serpent, aren't you?"

sizzle~
Li Qing'er revealed a sinister smile, then her body cracked apart inch by inch, transforming into a black snake. It darted to the top of the snake bones and coiled there: "Finally, someone smarter. Not in such a hurry. The Four Souls Orb is right in front of you, aren't you going to take it? Don't you want to escape the dragon?"

Sure enough...

Something started going wrong with Uncle Zhao.

This water serpent is truly mysterious and frightening.

Chen Mo took off the burlap bundle from his back and took out the small snake inside.

呲味~
Once freed, the little snake immediately swayed its body, slithered above the snake bones, and then merged into the black snake's body.

Chen Mo had a guess in his mind and said, "There's no rush with the Four Souls Jade. Since you can speak and transform into Li Qing'er, your disguise skills are quite good. I want to see the mother of the Water Serpent."

"Jie Jie Jie~"

The black snake sneered, "Truly brilliant. Everyone else suffered, but you alone are destined for good fortune. What's the little one's name?"

Chen Mo said, "Chatting with you is a waste of time. I need to see the Water Serpent Mother. Otherwise, I'm leaving."

Now, Chen Mo understands.

This strange snake's resurrection is not a resurrection at all.

They didn't die at all.

It's just a water snake.

The Water Serpent is incredibly versatile, capable of transforming into any shape at will. It cannot die. The only possibility is that it goes mad and loses consciousness.

Furthermore, with the recent movement of the Shikon Jewel, the Water Serpent has likely undergone some changes. Is this the reason they've orchestrated this to attract highly skilled individuals to Serpent Mountain, all to find someone to escape the dragon's path?

He possesses three pieces of the Four Souls Orb, enabling him to sense the Water Serpent. Naturally, the Water Serpent can also sense him.

"Don't rush, Master is here."

The black snake had barely finished speaking.

Rumble.

Suddenly, the stone wall on the left trembled, and then a stone door split open. A sinister voice came from inside.

"Young master, you are truly an extraordinary person. You have managed to gather three of the four Shikon Jewels. What a coincidence! Come in and have a chat."

In an instant.

The three pieces of Four Soul Jade within Chen Mo's body resonated simultaneously.

Sure enough, the fourth Shikon Jewel was inside.

It seems I'm about to gather all four Shikon Jewels and begin my journey as a dragon...

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: I had a terrible writer's block today, and it took me until now to finish writing this. There's still some left at midnight~ Please give me some monthly votes!

(End of this chapter)