Back on the familiar, nameless peak, I took a moment to collect my thoughts before calling up my status screen. A shimmering, translucent panel materialized before me.
Name: Luo Zhen
Race: Serpent (Ancient Spirit Species)
Species: Teng Snake
Bloodline: Teng Snake
Abilities:
Water & Fire Attunement
Winged Flight
Poison Dart
Constriction
Passive: Armored Scales
EXP: 532 / 700
Realm: Demonic Qi - Late Stage
System Note: A major realm breakthrough offers a chance for bloodline evolution.
I dismissed the panel with a thought. The relentless hunt on Leopard Mountain had paid off, netting me over five hundred experience points. I was close—so damn close. Just another 170 EXP and I'd hit the peak of the Demonic Qi realm.
But where to find it?
The thought hung in the air. The demonic beasts in these mountains were clannish, fiercely guarding any territory worth a damn. Every peak crackling with vital energy was already claimed, which meant scrounging for energy stones was off the table.
That left two options: keep hunting or find some wild, potent herbs. I flicked my forked tongue, tasting the air. "Leopard Mountain is a ghost town now, thanks to me," I mused. "That means finding a new hunting ground."
The idea soured the moment it formed. I'd already made a powerful enemy in the Leopard Boss, a creature deep into the Demon Yuan Realm. Pissing off another powerhouse like him was a death wish.
"So, the mountains it is," I decided, a low hiss escaping me. "Time to go herb hunting. Maybe I'll get lucky and stumble upon some ancient ginseng."
I didn't need a miracle, just a few decent finds. Even younger herbs would be enough to push me over the edge. These barren peaks might not have vital energy, but nature always finds a way. With that, I plunged into the deep, ancient woods.
For two days, the forest was my world. I moved like a shadow, a silent black river flowing over rock and root. Finally, my patience was rewarded. Coiled at the base of a gnarled oak was a ginseng root, its aura humming with a century of growth. I didn't hesitate. I unearthed it and swallowed it whole. It dissolved on my tongue, a warm, liquid energy flooding my entire body.
You have refined a 100-year-old Mountain Ginseng. +25 EXP.
Twenty-five points. Not bad. I pushed onward, my massive body gliding deeper into the wilderness.
It wasn't long before I stumbled into a clearing that brought me to a dead stop. The ground was a carpet of corpses. Dozens of demonic beasts lay slaughtered, their bodies riddled with clean, precise wounds from swords and blades.
Humans. The realization sent a jolt of alarm through me. I remembered the demon monkey's warnings back on Ox Mountain. The nearby county city, Bright Moon, regularly sent out martial artists to "cull" the beast population and prevent a tide. I'd never seen the aftermath firsthand.
My first instinct was to check the system map, my personal radar for threats. The map glowed to life, but the clearing was empty of red dots. Whoever these martial artists were, they weren't powerful enough for the system to consider them a danger.
I let out a quiet hiss of relief, but the moment I relaxed, the air screamed.
Swoosh!
An arrow sliced through the trees and slammed into my side. The impact was jarring, but my scales were like forged steel. The arrowhead crumpled, and the shaft clattered uselessly to the ground.
I whipped my head around just as five figures emerged from the forest's edge. One of them was lowering a massive bow. A flick of my focus and their stats flooded my vision.
Name: Pang Long
Affiliation: White Mountain Town Herb Garden
Realm: Qi Martial - Mid Stage
Name: Pang Shan
Affiliation: White Mountain Town Herb Garden
Realm: Qi Martial - Early Stage
Name: Pang Li
Affiliation: White Mountain Town Herb Garden
Realm: Qi Martial - Early Stage
...
The strongest was barely a mid-tier Qi warrior. They fanned out, their movements practiced as they formed a circle around me.
"Fools," I hissed, the sound barely audible. "Instead of running, you think you can kill me?" My tail blurred into motion, a black whip of muscle and scale lashing out at the nearest man.
"Fifth brother, watch out!" one of them screamed.
Too late.
My tail moved faster than thought, a whistling shadow in the air. The man's eyes went wide a split second before the impact shattered his bones. He was launched sideways, a spray of red mist painting the air, and was dead before his body hit the forest floor.
"NO!"
"You killed him! We'll tear you apart!"
The remaining four roared, charging in with a blind fury. I met them with a cold sneer. I didn't even need my abilities. I was a force of nature, a battering ram of pure physical power. I coiled, struck, and crushed. It was over in seconds.
You have slain Pang Li. +21 EXP.
You have slain...
You have slain Pang Long. +43 EXP. Loot Drop: Refined Steel Longsword.
A sword materialized and fell to the ground with a soft thud. "Right, because I have hands," I muttered, my tongue flicking out in annoyance. As I turned to leave, a faint, sweet scent caught my attention.
I froze, sniffing the air intently. It was the fragrance of potent herbs, and it was coming from the corpses. Wait, they're from an herb garden. They have to be carrying pills!
My eyes lit up. I nudged the bodies with my snout, searching their pouches. And there they were: small, glass-like white pills, humming with condensed energy.
Item: Essence Qi Pill
Grade: One
A first-grade pill. I hesitated for only a second before swallowing one. The effect was instantaneous. It melted into a roaring river of power, far more potent than the ginseng.
You have refined one Essence Qi Pill. +70 EXP!
Seventy! A jolt of pure ecstasy shot through me. This was it!
I devoured the rest without hesitation. The system notifications chimed in a glorious chorus.
You have refined one Essence Qi Pill. +70 EXP!
You have refined one Essence Qi Pill. +71 EXP!
...
My EXP bar skyrocketed. And then, the words I'd been waiting for.
Experience threshold reached. Level up?
"Yes!"
EXP deducted. Beginning advancement...
Congratulations! You have reached: Demonic Qi - Peak Stage!
A brilliant flash of light enveloped me. I felt my power swell, my muscles tightening, the demonic cyclone of energy in my core spinning faster and stronger than ever before. I opened my status screen again, a deep satisfaction settling in.
Name: Luo Zhen
...
EXP: 171 / 800
Realm: Demonic Qi - Peak Stage
The peak. I was finally here. The Demon Yuan Realm was just one step away.
I glanced at the empty vials on the ground. Human alchemy was no joke. My only regret was that these idiots hadn't carried more.
"They were all named Pang," I mused, the gears in my head turning. "From the 'White Mountain Town Herb Garden.' A place called an herb garden... must be overflowing with treasures."
A predatory gleam entered my eyes. And pills.
I pulled up the system map, scanning for this "White Mountain Town." It didn't take long to find it—a small town subsidiary to the main Bright Moon County City, specializing in supplying the region's martial artists with herbs and alchemical pills.
And it had a guardian. One expert at the Mid Yuan Martial Realm. The rest were Qi Martial artists, gnats I could swat away with ease. But that one master... he was a problem. A big one.
But not an unsolvable one, I thought, a slow, cunning plan beginning to form. A Yuan Martial expert is a tough nut to crack... but what if I had a distraction?
I just had to lure the Leopard Boss over.
Let him be the battering ram that breaks down the door. While he's busy taking all the heat, I'll slip in and have myself a feast.
The plan was perfect. It was time to put it in motion. With a surge of speed, I raced back towards Leopard Mountain.
A quarter of an hour later, I was at the base of his peak. I reared back and let out a roar that shook the trees.
"LEOPARD BOSS! GET YOUR SPOTTED ASS DOWN HERE! I'M FINISHING THIS TODAY!"
A moment of silence, then the mountain itself seemed to answer with a deafening, thunderous roar. "YOU DARE RETURN, WORM?!" a voice boomed, and a golden blur shot down the mountainside. "YOU DIE TODAY!"
A thrill of terror and excitement shot through me. I turned tail and ran for my life.
He was on me in an instant, a predator closing in on his prey. The Leopard Boss was faster, stronger, and I was running on pure adrenaline. We tore through the forest, a blur of black and gold, until the trees gave way and a sprawling town appeared on the horizon.
White Mountain Town.
A wild grin stretched across my serpentine face. I inhaled deeply and unleashed a torrent of flame. A massive fireball erupted from my mouth, engulfing a nearby house in an inferno. The town exploded into chaos. Screams echoed through the streets as lookouts spotted us—two massive demonic beasts charging their gates.
"Demons are attacking! To arms!"
Within moments, a dozen Qi Martial artists swarmed into the street, with more rallying in the distance. This was my cue. With a flex of muscle, two crystalline wings erupted from my back. I beat them once, twice, and launched myself into the sky.
"YOU COWARD!" the Leopard Boss bellowed from below, enraged as he saw his prey take flight. "GET DOWN HERE AND FIGHT!"
"Sorry, you've got your own problems now!" I yelled back, circling high above the chaos.
His head snapped around. He was surrounded. And at the head of the human warriors stood their leader, his aura blazing. A Mid Yuan Martial expert—a perfect match for the Leopard Boss.
"A trap!" he roared, finally understanding. He'd been played.
"That beast dared to invade our town!" the human leader shouted, his voice ringing with authority. "Kill it!"
"YES, SIR!" his men yelled, and the battle began.
The Leopard Boss was quickly overwhelmed, his pained roars echoing up to me. This was my chance. I glided silently to the far side of town, landing in a deserted alleyway. Without a second's hesitation, I smashed through the wall of the nearest building—a pharmacy.
"MONSTER!"
"HELP! A SNAKE!"
The mortals inside scattered, screaming. I ignored them. Opening my mouth, I created a vortex, sucking in every herb, every root, every dried leaf in the shop. They flowed down my gullet in a torrent of raw energy.
You have devoured a 200-year-old Purple Smoke Fruit. +106 EXP!
You have devoured a 300-year-old Dragon Sun Flower. +157 EXP!
...
The system's notifications were a blur. I didn't have time to read them. All that mattered was the feast. After clearing the shop in a matter of seconds, I burst out and charged toward the next one a hundred meters down the street.
Only a beast with my system could handle this. Any other creature would have literally exploded from the sheer, overwhelming potency of so many magical herbs. I was a living grinder, a maelstrom of consumption.
Half a minute later, the second shop was bare. I was just starting on the third when a wave of mortal danger washed over me. Instinct took over. I coiled and launched myself out of the building just as it imploded.
BOOM!
A blade of pure, azure sword qi sliced the pharmacy in half, leaving nothing but splintered wood and dust where I'd been a heartbeat before. A cold sweat trickled down my scales. Any slower, and that would have been me.
"Insolent beast! You dare steal from us?!" a voice boomed across the town.
I looked up. The town's leader was charging my way, his men right behind him. His longsword still hummed with that terrifying blue light.
They finished the Leopard Boss already?
I unfurled my wings and shot into the sky. A glance back confirmed it. The battle was over. The ground was stained with blood and littered with golden fur, but the Leopard Boss's body was gone.
He actually escaped? Impressive.
"A flying serpent?!" A voice of astonishment rose from below.
The town leader was glaring up at me, his face a mask of fury. "You think you can escape?!" he roared, slashing his sword upwards. Another beam of blue energy rocketed toward me. I banked hard, dodging the attack, and flew for the mountains without a backward glance.
"DAMN YOU!" his voice faded behind me. "DON'T LET ME EVER SEE YOU AGAIN!"
I didn't stop until I was safe on my nameless peak. Only then did I allow myself to check the results of my heist. The moment I opened the system, the familiar prompt appeared.
Experience threshold reached. Level up?
"Do it," I commanded without hesitation.
EXP deducted. Beginning advancement...
Congratulations! You have achieved a major realm breakthrough. Current Level: Demon Yuan - Early Stage!
The world dissolved into light. A cataclysmic force erupted within me. The demonic qi cyclone in my core shattered, reforming into a dense, swirling vortex of pure, raw demonic power. I felt my entire body contract, shedding its old form like a skin.
When the light faded, I was lying in a coil of shed, white scales. A breakthrough to a new realm always triggered a molting. I flexed my new body, feeling the change. I was smaller now—down from over twenty meters to just ten—but the power coiling in my muscles was terrifying. My scales, once flat, were now thick and shaped like interlocking black shells. My very presence felt sharper, deadlier.
But the biggest change was internal. The thin, wispy demonic qi was gone, replaced by a deep, resonant well of demonic power. My spells would be stronger, my stamina almost limitless.
As I was marveling at the transformation, the system chimed again.
A major realm breakthrough was detected from Demonic Qi to Demon Yuan. Distributing reward.
You have earned one opportunity for bloodline evolution. Claim now?
"Claim," I said instantly.
The world vanished, plunging me into a gray, chaotic void. My first awakening gave me the Teng Snake bloodline—wings and mastery over fire and water, I thought, my mind racing with possibilities. What will it be this time? Give me a Dragon bloodline. Just a drop of it, and I'll be unstoppable.
I waited. The gray void swirled around me, but nothing happened. For a full fifteen minutes, I floated in the silent chaos. Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the void dissolved, and I was back on my mountain peak.
Bloodline evolution has failed.
You will retain the Teng Snake bloodline.
Failed? The word hit me like a physical blow. Then I remembered—the system only ever promised a chance at evolution, never a guarantee.
I let out a hiss of frustration but quickly shook it off. Failure was a part of growth. The Teng Snake bloodline was still incredibly powerful, and besides, my real strength came from my ability to devour and evolve on my own terms.
"Fine," I grunted, opening my status screen one last time.
Name: Luo Zhen
...
EXP: 0 / 1500
Realm: Demon Yuan - Early Stage
I closed the panel and brought up the map. My eyes went straight to Leopard Mountain. The red, threatening icon of the Leopard Boss was gone. The system no longer considered him a threat.
He may have been a Mid Demon Yuan beast, a level above me, but after taking on an entire town of martial artists, he had to be clinging to life by a thread. The fact that he escaped at all was a miracle. But miracles don't win wars.
It was time for a little payback.
A cold, vicious killing intent filled my eyes.
Fifteen minutes later, I arrived at Leopard Mountain. The peak was eerily silent. Even the lesser beasts were gone. The only thing I could smell was the faint, coppery scent of blood on the wind.
I followed it to the summit. There, slumped beneath a massive pine tree, was a broken and bloodied creature.
"Leopard Boss?" I whispered, inching closer.
It was him, but barely recognizable. His magnificent golden fur was torn away, revealing raw, mangled flesh. Blood oozed from a dozen deep wounds. He was breathing, but just barely, his life fading with every shallow gasp. He was so far gone that he didn't even sense my approach.
"Tsk, tsk. To think the mighty ruler of this mountain would end up like this," I said, shaking my head. "You're in pain. Let me help you."
I opened my mouth, and a simple blade of fire shot forth.
Thump.
His head rolled from his shoulders.
You have slain the Leopard Mountain Chieftain, the Golden Coin Leopard. +480 EXP!
The Golden Coin Leopard has dropped its accumulated knowledge. Absorb?