From Swamp Dog to Crocodile Ancestor

The nights in the swamp are deep and silent, especially on moonless nights, when everything is shrouded in darkness.

Deep within the willow tree cave, Li Yi lay quietly on the smooth yellow wax stone, sensing the movement of the silver insects on the surface of his scales, and slowly closed his eyes.

The familiar environment helped it fall asleep quickly.

Perhaps due to consuming too many poisonous flowers and herbs recently, Li Yi's sleep has become noticeably more frequent and deeper.

A gentle breeze swept past the large willow tree. It was late at night, and the white python, drowsy, leaned against Li Yi.

Li Yi's thoughts gradually sank into a state of tranquility, where he could only hear the faint fluttering of the spirit insect's wings, its buzzing sound extremely subtle.

Suddenly, a strange noise came into Li Yi's perception.

In an instant, Li Yi opened his eyes and looked at the dark opening of the tree hole leading to the outside world; his senses had already spread outwards.

In the deep darkness, it sensed nothing, only some fleeting, barely perceptible movements.

A strange premonition then arose.

Looking at the white python that had curled up and fallen asleep beside him, Li Yi slowly moved his body toward the outside of the tree hole, his senses already extending outwards.

After crawling along the winding cave for a while, Li Yi opened his brownish-yellow eyes in the darkness at the cave entrance and looked out at the outside world.

A gentle breeze swept across the marshland, causing the yellow veil to ripple slightly; nothing else happened.

Perhaps I'm being too sensitive?

Li Yi did not rush out. Instead, he scanned the area around the big willow tree, his cold gaze sweeping over it before slowly withdrawing.

Tonight it sensed something ominous.

It wasn't until dawn that the white python awoke, full of energy, with a drop of willow sap in its mouth, and emerged from the tree hole. Li Yi followed silently out as well.

After swallowing the sap of the willow tree, the veins of flesh beneath the white python's fine scales moved like ripples in water, and its body was rapidly strengthened.

Within the white python's vertical pupils, a wisp of dawn tinged with purple had appeared, reflecting and transforming into a spreading halo.

The dawn light is extremely rare, so you must not miss this precious time for cultivation.

Meanwhile, Li Yi remained preoccupied with his premonition from the previous night, and silently slipped into the mud to patrol near the big willow tree.

Some time later, Li Yi stood somewhere in the swamp, looking at a series of strange marks that seemed to have been left by some kind of creature with limbs all over its body, and couldn't help but think of something.

Afterwards, Li Yi returned to the big willow tree and waited for the white python to finish its cultivation before communicating with it through mental communication.

Don't stay in the hollow of the big willow tree for too long.

If some strange insect from afar comes looking for us, we'll be trapped inside. If that hideous and abhorrent creature really finds its way here, we'll just abandon the big willow tree and run away.

The white python nodded solemnly; its cultivation level was approaching the ninth level of the Qi Refining stage, not far off.

After explaining everything, Li Yi turned and headed towards his cultivation place, his heart heavy.

That strange, messy trail looked like some unknown creature dragging itself across the mud. Although it wasn't left by the ancient, strange insect, who knows what it had transformed into?

It was cautious and careful throughout the journey, and ultimately arrived at its destination smoothly.

A small mound was built next to a patch of poisonous flowers and grasses; this is an insect nest that has been constructed in recent months.

Several silver spirit insects buzzed into the nest, and then more silver spirit insects flew out of the nest, as if they knew what Li Yi was going to do next.

Soon, a cloud of yellow mist enveloped the area, and many silver spirit insects joyfully swarmed into the deadly poison barrier, flying back and forth, burrowing in and out, and devouring other poisonous insects that had been attracted there.

At the center of the yellow fog, Li Yi closed his eyes, and his perception extended outwards, clearly perceiving everything within the fog.

Li Yi didn't know what these silver spirit insects would eventually become, or what the outcome would be of their fighting and devouring of other unknown and strange poisonous insects. But he decided to take it one step at a time.

Perhaps they can bring benefits to themselves and drive them.

After a day of cultivation, the silver spirit insect buzzed back to its nest. Li Yi went to the place where the red-leaf banyan tree was located, glanced at the baboon troop that had not been attacked, and felt relieved.

Both the willow tree and the banyan tree are sacred trees with protective functions, but judging from their appearance, the troop of baboons on the banyan tree is definitely more eye-catching.

If the ancient monsters were to discover this place, they would surely attack this group of moving blood prey.

On the contrary, it and the white python mostly hid inside the big willow tree, rarely revealing themselves except for cultivation, which was probably safer.

That night, perhaps they were hidden well enough that they were not discovered by the strange ancient insects that passed by.

After carefully cultivating for another three months, Li Yi watched as the number of silver spirit insects absorbing the yellow mist grew to several hundred, forming a dense, swarming mass.

As their numbers increased, Li Yi was able to vaguely sense a condensed, subtle consciousness.

This awareness expressed a sense of affinity towards oneself.

The silver spirit insects, which were constantly devouring the yellow mist and other poisonous insects, had one-third of their back carapaces turn yellow, a color as intense as a poisonous barrier.

Li Yi had tried to control them before, and the results were pleasing.

This venomous insect can easily devour the strongest tree trunks in the swamp, and it also contains a toxin.

Looking at the uneven cross-section of the tree trunk, now reduced to dust and reduced to a stump, Li Yi seemed to see a glimmer of hope.

A glimmer of hope for dealing with the Demon Tree.

boom!

With a soft sound, Li Yi closed his mouth and swallowed the stagnant yellow mist. Wisps of yellow mist emanated from his black scales, enveloping his entire body.

A layer of yellow mist formed a light veil, flowing over Li Yi's body. Li Yi closed his eyes, and his vitality rapidly increased.

The murky, earth-elemental swampy energy flowed, enveloping Li Yi's massive body like a cocoon.

For a moment, Li Yi remained motionless.

A swarm of silver spirit insects buzzed around, becoming alert as they flew about Li Yi. Although their intelligence was rudimentary, they still sensed the changes in Li Yi.

This is a form of evolution.

After a long while, a beam of white moonlight, sharp as a blade, flashed by, leaving a gradually fading white line in the air, instantly cleaving open the yellow cocoon.

A layer of cocoon that had solidified split open from side to side, and Li Yi slowly struggled out of it.

On that towering back, Li Yi grew his seventh black scale, his aura changed drastically, and he officially entered the seventh level of the Qi Refining stage.

It perfectly manipulates the poisonous barrier belonging to the swamp soil type, and now it can form a terrifying ghostly realm, and can also give birth to all kinds of twisted shadows according to Li Yi's thoughts.