From Swamp Dog to Crocodile Ancestor

Inside the cave of the big willow tree, Li Yi looked at the somewhat frightened white python, its vertical pupils flickering and trembling from time to time, as it tightly coiled around him, trying to dispel its fear.

Indeed, judging from the images the white python shared with me, the scene was truly terrifying.

This demonic tree, having taken some unknown path and cultivated for countless years, has become unusually bloodthirsty, like a predator, and even hunts and moves through the swamp.

Although the white python had reached the eighth level of the Qi Refining stage, and its body had become much stronger with the help of spiritual water and the sap of the great willow tree, it was still far inferior to the demon tree.

The stronger one's intuition, the more one can sense the malevolence, bloodlust, and power emanating from the demon tree.

Even with only a difference of one level in cultivation, the white python would probably be no match for the demon tree.

This inevitably aroused suspicion in Li Yi's mind.

Where did the demon tree come from? Could it be a natural swamp species? I've never seen one before.

After some comforting words, the white python calmed down a bit. As the sun set, it was another peaceful and golden dusk.

The white python raised its head and led Li Yi away from the tree hole in the big willow tree, into the outside world.

Its tail gently curled up a large piece of yellow crystal and placed it high up. Sure enough, when the twilight glow spread over this place, it quickly burst forth with an unusual brilliance.

The rosy light, shining through the citrine, seemed to be amplified, revealing a pure halo that illuminated Li Yi and the white python.

Li Yi felt a surge of slightly hot spiritual energy enter his body, bringing warmth back to his icy body.

Warmth seeped through the gaps in the scales, gradually penetrating into the flesh and bones, causing Li Yi to unconsciously open his eyes and stare at the dazzling yellow crystal.

The white python on one side quickly got into a state of awe, its two vertical pupils, one red and one blue, were now illuminated by the glow of the setting sun, making it appear exceptionally sacred.

Wisps of rosy light surrounded the white python, and visible to the naked eye, smoke and halos flowed into the python's pupils and mouth, making the surroundings vibrant with spiritual energy.

But Li Yi suddenly had a bad feeling.

It clearly felt that as the twilight entered its body, cleansing its muscles and bones, and was about to be completely absorbed, a feeling of impending collapse arose within it.

A slight stinging pain appeared deep within Li Yi's flesh, causing him to close his eyes the next moment.

Sure enough, the stinging pain quickly disappeared, and the twilight glow was pushed aside through the smoke and halo condensed in the citrine.

After a long period of quiet reflection, Li Yi finally gained an understanding of his situation.

The Qi Refining stage involves absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, overcoming one obstacle at a time. It is a crucial foundational stage on the path of cultivation.

There are already two kinds of spiritual energy in my body, one pure and one impure.

The clear is the moonlight; the turbid is the marshland.

Of these two types of spiritual energy, the moonlight is clearly of higher quality and purer, while the swamp energy is much more mixed, but it has the advantage of being more inclusive and larger in scale.

He had been in a deep slumber for a year, constantly inhaling and exhaling the swamp's energy. The turbid energy gained the upper hand, slightly disrupting the balance within his body, which prevented him from making any further progress.

If one were to inhale and exhale another kind of pure energy, the twilight glow would completely disrupt this balance, causing some unimaginable consequences.

Li Yi had a vague premonition about the consequences, knowing that it was definitely not a good thing.

So it decisively gave up.

Soon, under the silent willow tree, only the white python remained, freely breathing in and out the twilight glow. Its entire delicate white scales were illuminated by this golden light, and its eyes were exceptionally beautiful.

As he looked at it, Li Yi couldn't help but sigh.

Animals are still limited by too many bloodlines.

After all, his true form was just a black-scaled crocodile, a low-level member of the crocodile family. If he hadn't possessed human intelligence and comprehended a method of absorbing and exhaling moonlight from the white python and the dragon shadow, he would probably have had to rely on the vast and chaotic swampy energy to move forward with difficulty.

The road ahead is fraught with difficulties.

Unlike the white python, although Li Yi still doesn't know the details of the white python's bloodline, it is obviously much stronger than him, and it is naturally good at breathing pure energy, vaguely showing signs of water and fire, and its cultivation progresses very quickly.

As the sun sets in the west, the twilight is short-lived; the last rays of the evening glow will soon fade away, making the moment fleeting.

The golden veil seemed to be pulled away to the west, gradually retreating from the dark swamp, replaced by the gloom of approaching night.

The white python awoke, its vertical pupils becoming lively. It turned its head to look at Li Yi, who was preparing to return to his cave, tilted its head and thought for a moment, as if it understood something.

It used its long tail to entwine the piece of citrine, and gently tapped it on a node of the large willow tree. A small piece of the citrine, now devoid of its spirit, fell off and landed in the mud, slowly sinking to the bottom.

Just as Li Yi was about to crawl into the hole in the big willow tree, a sound of something rapidly cutting through the air suddenly came from the northwest of the big willow tree.

The yellow poisonous barrier that constantly shrouded the swamp was torn open with more than a dozen slits, like a light veil, and thin, dark green lines flashed by.

The white python reacted with lightning speed, its long tail coiling out a crystal-clear curtain of water that appeared before it, only to be pierced by the green shadow in the blink of an eye.

laugh!

The next moment, the white python twisted its powerful body backward, its white scales were cut open, and several cuts appeared on its taut and powerful body, revealing pink flesh inside.

Almost simultaneously, Li Yi sensed the movement and turned his head abruptly. He was also struck by the green shadow, but the thick scales on his back were not pierced. Only a rapid and brief sound of metal clashing was heard.

Without hesitation, Li Yi opened his mouth and spat out three black, mottled poison bullets, which shot off against the direction of the green shadow.

The hazy, yellow poisonous barrier, which had not yet healed, was torn apart and pierced once again.

Three or five whip shadows pierced the air, leaving long crescent-shaped traces in the yellow air, swiftly and accurately striking the poison bullets.

Bang bang bang!

Three explosions rang out almost simultaneously as the poison grenades were detonated at the same time, shattering in mid-air and scattering countless black specks on the ground with a hissing sound, also splashing onto the dark figure who launched the attack.

The demonic tree was practically moved from the swamp, its countless branches twisting erratically, exuding a bloodthirsty aura.

Its instincts compelled it to quickly approach the location and begin its hunt.

The white python swiftly fled back into its cave. Li Yi followed behind, slowly retreating to the front of the large willow tree's hollow, but instead of immediately retreating, he simply stared at it.

The demonic tree came to a distance of two zhang from the large willow tree and shot out a series of leaves, which clattered and struck Li Yi.

Whoosh!

A vine-like branch lashed out, but Li Yi didn't dodge; he took the blow head-on.

Snapped!

In an instant, the mud beneath Li Yi caved in, a visible mark appeared on his back, and many black scales burst open, flying everywhere.