From Swamp Dog to Crocodile Ancestor

Many questions need an answer.

Thinking this, Li Yi stared intently at the toad that had only opened one eye and looked somewhat frightened.

Its first question gets straight to the point, posed by the white python.

"Senior, what exactly is this ancient strange insect?"

The toad sighed, opened its other eye, rolled it around, and then a look of fear appeared in its eyes.

"This is the first time I've ever seen something like this in person, but in the ancient history of the Golden Toad clan, this thing is extremely terrifying."

"They are beings from ancient times, almost immortal and indestructible. They are monstrous creations born in some ancient era. Only these relatively weak ones have survived to this day."

After pondering for a moment, Li Yi continued, "Are there many of them now?"

"Of course not many," the toad replied immediately. "Once these terrifying creatures grow in numbers, who knows what will happen? The last one was already extremely frightening."

"The swamp has a long history and the ability to preserve itself. No one knows how deep the swamp is. Many ancient artifacts can only be preserved intact enough under the burial of the swamp, and can even be given new life."

The toad watched as the moon gradually rose into the sky, explaining with lingering fear.

"Is it impossible to kill it completely?"

Li Yi asked the question somewhat unwillingly. This ancient strange insect had settled in its territory and now it felt like it had lost control.

Some animals have a strong territorial instinct and cannot tolerate the presence of certain uncontrollable alien species in their territory.

Li Yi suppressed his intuition and did not act on his instincts because of his special soul.

"Hehe." The toad chuckled helplessly. "I have already established my foundation, but I still can't do anything to it. Instead, it absorbed my immortal foundation poison and has become a hidden danger."

Will it continue to evolve?

"Um."

The toad delivered a result that was somewhat difficult for Li Yi to accept.

"To what extent has the transformation occurred? Foundation Establishment?"

"The ancient strange insect is an unimaginably strange creature, an anomaly of heaven and earth. Its foundation building is completely different from ours, and it may be completed in just an instant."

The toad stared at Li Yi and uttered words that were highly uncertain.

Li Yi remained silent, he hadn't expected there to be such a creature in the swamp, capable of establishing a foundation in an instant? He couldn't comprehend this situation.

By this time, the moon had reached its highest point in the sky, casting its pure white light upon the dark and quiet marshland.

Silence fell for a moment under the big willow tree.

"Senior, what about the Flame Breath Fox Clan and the Blue-Eyed Golden Toad Clan?"

This time, it was the white python that asked the question on its own initiative, and the pleasant, clear female voice spread around.

"In this swampy area, three powerful clans reside: the Flame Breath Fox Clan, the Blue-Eyed Golden Toad Clan, and the Ancient Vine Clan. All three clans have Foundation Establishment stage cultivators who suppress and rule everything."

The toad recounted, "Originally, there was a fourth powerful being here, a poisonous dragon that aspired to transform into a dragon, but it was defeated a few years ago and turned to ashes."

"A poisonous dragon?"

Li Yi raised his head slightly, and his memory suddenly returned to a distant past. At that time, he had traveled a long way and caught a glimpse of the dragon's tribulation from afar, which had a great impact on him.

It even created a posture that adapted to the moonlight, which even the highly spiritual white python could not replicate.

"Yes, it was already in the late Foundation Establishment stage at that time. It obtained some treasure and wanted to undergo the legendary Dragon Transformation stage, but failed. It only left behind a broken dragon pearl, most of which was divided up by the other three races."

The toad's face held a look of recollection, as if it had also experienced those things, and its body slowly relaxed.

Li Yi's memories flashed rapidly through his mind: the toad that had swallowed something and whose aura had surged, and the vines that suddenly appeared and whipped the toad to pieces...

Are those fragments of the Flood Dragon Pearl?

After thinking for a moment, Li Yi told the toad about the recent changes in the Flame Breath Fox Clan and what he had seen and heard, hoping to curry favor and also hoping to get some information from it.

"Red-haired fox? Cedarwood?" The toad hummed in agreement. "The Flame Breath Fox Clan has a long history, no less than that of the Blue-Eyed Golden Toad, yet it is different from the Blue-Eyed Golden Toad Clan."

"They have many bloodlines, and as far as I know, those with red and purple fur are the true bloodlines, while the others are mixed blood."

"Even the red-haired race has encountered such a change? It seems that unexpected major events have indeed occurred in the swamp in recent years."

The toad shook its head as it spoke.

"Senior," the white python said urgently, "do you recognize this item?"

As he spoke, Li Yi cooperated by showing his back, forcefully tearing open a crack in the flesh, revealing a faint purple fragment inside.

"This is……"

The toad jumped onto Li Yi's back and stared intently with one eye, examining the dark purple fragment closely, clearly seeing the intermittent golden veins on it.

Then, it jumped down and stared at Li Yi in surprise. "Little Crocodile, you're amazing! You were able to withstand such an injury. That was a spiritual treasure of the Flame Breath Fox Clan, the Flame Breath Pearl, but somehow it shattered. This is just one of its fragments."

As he spoke, the toad began to think again.

This magical treasure was nothing short of a totem to the Flame Breath Fox Clan, yet it was shattered into such a state.

It seems that the changes that have befallen the Flamebreath Fox Clan are far greater than imagined, and have probably already shaken the very foundation of the Flamebreath Fox Clan.

"Senior, is there a way to get it out?"

If we can't even handle this Foundation Establishment stage toad, then things will really be difficult to deal with.

The toad pondered for a moment, then sighed, "This pearl is also a Foundation Establishment stage magic artifact. Its power has grown immensely due to generations of worship by the Flame Breath Fox Clan, primarily based on fire. I belong to the Toad Clan, and am naturally drawn to water..."

"Water and fire are incompatible. Many of my methods are useless against it. If I were to forcibly remove it... Little Crocodile, you might not be able to withstand it."

How confident are you?

This question was asked by Li Yi.

"Your chances of surviving are less than 30%."

The toad shook its head in response.

Less than 30%?

Li Yi's pupils changed slightly, but he ultimately did not continue to investigate.

With a mortality rate of over 70%, the cost is too high; it simply doesn't dare to gamble.

The white python also lowered its head, its tail tip slicing through the gaps in Li Yi's scales, clearly indicating that it was not at peace either.

After a moment, the toad said, "To solve it, either you need to be strong enough, or... seek help from the red-haired or purple-haired fox. At the very least, you need a fox clan elder at the ninth level of Qi Refining. That should be enough to solve it."

Searching for the Flamebreath Fox Clan?

This idea is even more difficult. The Flame Breath Fox Clan is extremely aggressive, and they will not come to the rescue if it is not one of their own kind. If Li Yi takes the initiative to go to their door, he will probably be detained.