Chapter 350: The Nine Headed Serpent
"I currently have nowhere else to go. Lord Tiance, if you don't mind my lowly strength, please allow me to serve you, even if just to pour tea and water!"
In the Ancient Secret Realm, Xiao Tiance studied Shi Hao's sincere expression in silence. Truthfully, while Shi Hao's strength was only at the early stage of the Eight Grade Sovereign level, it wasn't considered weak.
Even in the Great Ruler storyline, figures like the Northern Cang Spiritual Academy's headmaster were only Fifth Grade Sovereigns. Even Bei Ming Long Kun only advanced to Lower Earth Sovereign with Mu Chen's help. So, an Eight Grade Sovereign like Shi Hao was not insignificant.
"Pouring tea and water? That won't be necessary. With your strength, there's no need to lower yourself like that. If you're willing to follow me, then follow. It so happens that I have plans to establish a faction," Xiao Tiance said calmly.
"Thank you, Lord Tiance! Thank you!" Shi Hao's face lit up with joy, clearly not expecting Xiao Tiance to agree so readily.
After years of wandering the Great Thousand World, experiencing its cold realities and life and death struggles, Shi Hao had finally found a backing he could rely on.
However, before Shi Hao could revel in his happiness for long, Xiao Tiance smiled faintly and said, "Don't get too excited just yet. You should know that today's matters are far from over.
When we leave this Ancient Secret Realm, that's when the real tests will begin.
Since you're from the Western Heaven Continent, you must be aware that the Western Heaven Battle Sovereign is no pushover. If you're feeling happy now, save it for after I've faced him in battle.
Or, perhaps, once we're outside, I might find myself no match for the Battle Sovereign, and you'll need to find another backer. Don't say I didn't warn you."
Shi Hao shook his head, his gaze firm. "I believe you, Lord Tiance. You will definitely defeat the Western Heaven Battle Sovereign!"
"Defeat him?" Xiao Tiance chuckled. "I'm not even confident about that myself.
The Western Heaven Battle Sovereign is a Celestial Grade Heavenly Sovereign, while I'm merely a Peak Earth Sovereign. Even though I've touched the threshold of the Heavenly Sovereign realm, there's no telling when I'll break through.
If you want to change your mind, I won't hold it against you," Xiao Tiance said evenly.
Shi Hao shook his head resolutely. "I won't change my mind. Since I've chosen to follow you, my life is tied to yours, Lord Tiance."
"Peak power attracts false devotion. Twilight reveals true followers.
I don't judge people by what they say, but by what they do. Time will tell everything. Don't you think?" Xiao Tiance said with a faint smile.
Shi Hao understood the meaning behind Xiao Tiance's words. While his declaration was steadfast, he knew he'd need to prove himself with his actions. Yet, Shi Hao was not one to play both sides. Since he had placed his faith in Xiao Tiance, he would stand by him unwaveringly.
"You're right, Lord Tiance. I'll prove myself through my actions," Shi Hao said earnestly.
"Good. Then I'll be watching," Xiao Tiance said. With a wave of his left hand, a spatial vortex appeared, and he led Shi Hao through it.
Ten Days Later
Xiao Tiance and Shi Hao arrived at the edge of a towering cliff. Gazing at the endless abyss before him, Xiao Tiance frowned. "You're certain this is the location of the Heavenly Dao Sect's treasure vault?"
A few days ago, Shi Hao had claimed to have discovered the treasure vault's location. With nothing to lose, Xiao Tiance decided to check it out. Yet, the scene before him was baffling there was no treasure vault in sight, only an empty void.
"Lord Tiance, I'm certain. Based on the information I've gathered from my five previous expeditions to this Ancient Secret Realm, this is the most likely location of the Heavenly Dao Sect's treasure vault," Shi Hao said, his tone firm despite his furrowed brows.
Hearing this, Xiao Tiance carefully examined the area. It indeed felt different from other places. Finally, he nodded. "Fine. Step back. There's something unusual down there."
As Shi Hao retreated, Xiao Tiance unleashed a surge of spiritual energy. Taking a deep breath, he released it downward in a powerful exhalation.
The gale scattered the thick mist that obscured the abyss, revealing an ancient iron chain stretching into the depths below.
Frowning, Xiao Tiance mused, If it were up to me, I wouldn't hide a treasure vault in such a place. This place reeks of danger even I feel uneasy.
Still, since he was already here, he had to investigate.
"Shi Hao, wait here. Something down there is unsettling, even to me. I'll go down first to scout. If it's safe, I'll signal you," Xiao Tiance instructed.
"Be careful, Lord Tiance," Shi Hao said, stepping back.
Grabbing hold of the iron chain, Xiao Tiance immediately noticed something unusual. A strange power emanating from the chain seemed to suppress his spiritual energy.
What's hidden down here? Xiao Tiance wondered, his brows furrowing. Summoning his Golden Emperor's Burning Heaven Flame, he immediately dispelled the suppressive force.
Yet, the eerie nature of the place persisted. Thick mist enveloped him, and his spiritual senses could only extend a mere 30 meters before hitting an invisible barrier.
This place is definitely strange, Xiao Tiance thought. Still, the allure of the Heavenly Dao Sect's treasure vault was too great. As one of the Great Thousand World's once dominant forces, its treasures could significantly bolster his ambitions to establish a powerful faction.
I've come this far. There's no turning back now.
As Xiao Tiance's thoughts churned, he released his grip on the chain, allowing his body to plummet further into the abyss.
One hundred meters… two hundred meters… five hundred meters… until he reached a depth of one thousand meters, yet there was still no bottom in sight.
What unsettled him even more was how his surroundings grew increasingly bizarre. Initially, his soul energy could sense up to thirty meters around him. However, at this depth, the range had shrunk to a mere twenty meters.
Although this was enough to react to any immediate danger, Xiao Tiance suspected that as he descended further, his soul perception would likely diminish even more.
Suddenly, he felt every hair on his body stand on end a chilling sensation as if something was watching him.
But when he turned to look, there was nothing there.
"No, something was definitely spying on me just now," Xiao Tiance muttered to himself. His instincts, honed over years of life or death encounters, told him that something was nearby, even though he couldn't see it.
With a hum, he activated a spiritual formation around his body, pushing it to its maximum protective capacity. He scanned his surroundings again, but all he could see was darkness.
What is the purpose of this chain, and just how long does it extend? Xiao Tiance wondered, his unease growing. Even so, he released the chain again, continuing his descent.
At 1,200 meters… 1,500 meters… and then 2,000 meters, he finally noticed a faint glimmer of light below.
Landing on a large rock, Xiao Tiance saw that the abyss floor was still not visible. However, the oppressive darkness was now much lighter, as if something below was illuminating the area.
"Strange... the deeper I go, the less dark it gets. Could there truly be something extraordinary down there? And what was it that spied on me earlier?" Xiao Tiance wondered aloud, increasing the intensity of his Golden Emperor's Burning Heaven Flame to dispel the lingering gloom.
Suddenly, a massive shadow flickered past him.
Xiao Tiance caught a glimpse of it a colossal figure, the size of a mountain, at least several hundred meters long. Its sheer size was astounding, yet it moved with an almost eerie silence and speed.
What disturbed him most was that the creature had come within thirty meters of him without him noticing until it moved. It was only the illumination of his Golden Emperor Flame that revealed the shadow, likely startling the creature into shifting its position.
"So fast… such extraordinary stealth. If this thing had attacked me, I might not have noticed until it was too late," Xiao Tiance murmured, his expression grim.
Further below, the faint light grew stronger as he descended another hundred meters.
Finally, the source of the light became clear, and the sight took Xiao Tiance's breath away.
What lay before him was the massive corpse of a Nine Headed Serpent, its nine heads adorned with glowing, jewel like eyes that illuminated the area. The serpent's body, over a thousand meters long, coiled ominously in death, its sheer size dwarfing anything Xiao Tiance had seen before.
Each of the nine heads was chained, the massive chains secured to towering stone pillars that pulsed faintly with spiritual energy.
"This serpent is long dead… but such a mighty creature, how could it have been trapped and killed here?" Xiao Tiance muttered, his shock evident.
He probed the serpent with his soul energy, concluding that the creature was likely a celestial grade divine beast, possibly even at the Heavenly Sovereign level.
"To kill a serpent of this caliber… those chains must have played a crucial role," Xiao Tiance surmised. The chains extended to five meter thick stone pillars that radiated a suppressive aura, likely responsible for sealing the serpent.
As Xiao Tiance approached the corpse, he noticed ancient characters carved into one of the pillars. Among them, three words stood out: Heavenly Dao Sect. However, the rest of the inscription had been damaged beyond recognition.
Just as he was about to investigate further, an overwhelming sense of danger washed over him.
With a loud roar, the ground beneath him trembled.
Xiao Tiance reacted instantly, leaping into the air as a smaller nine headed serpent lunged at him from the shadows, its fangs bared and venom dripping.
What made this serpent particularly terrifying was its central head, which unleashed a deafening roar laced with a soul penetrating energy. If not for Xiao Tiance's swift reaction, he might have been swallowed whole.
"Damn it… so this was what was spying on me earlier!" Xiao Tiance growled, his irritation rising.
He readied himself to counterattack, but before he could strike, the serpent's two side heads spewed clouds of venomous gas.
The venom corroded everything in its path, reducing stone to ash and filling the air with a suffocating haze.
"Not good," Xiao Tiance muttered, realizing the potency of the serpent's poison.
Summoning his Golden Emperor's Burning Heaven Flame, he launched it toward the venomous cloud. The flame collided with the poison, incinerating it and producing a fiery explosion.
As the haze cleared, Xiao Tiance locked eyes with the serpent. Its eighteen glowing eyes fixated on him, and the pressure of its gaze was immense.
Despite the tension, Xiao Tiance couldn't help but grin. Behind the serpent lay a towering nine story pagoda, its highest level adorned with three gilded characters: Treasure Pavilion.
"So, the Heavenly Dao Sect's treasure pavilion really is here," Xiao Tiance mused, a chuckle escaping his lips. "It seems I've stumbled upon quite the jackpot."
However, his amusement was short lived.
The serpent's eyes blazed with fury as its nine heads reared back in unison, unleashing a torrent of blazing fire toward Xiao Tiance.
"Playing with fire? Heh, you couldn't have picked a worse opponent!" Xiao Tiance smirked, his confidence unshaken as he prepared for battle.
(Chapter End)
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