At the campus gate stood uniformed police officers and reporters conducting on-the-spot interviews. Several ambulances had just pulled up as well.

The school had been overrun by a swarm of snakes. Many students were injured, and even more had been poisoned by venom.

It was chaos. Utter chaos. On this night, Wencheng's most famous university was in shambles. The severity of the incident was far worse than Tu Xiao'an had anticipated.

Tu Xiao'an turned to Li Qingzhao and said, "You stay here. I'm going in to take a look."

"I'm going too," Li Qingzhao immediately replied.

Tu Xiao'an glanced at her. "If you're not scared, then suit yourself."

With that, Tu Xiao'an charged directly onto the campus.

The campus was now filled with the thick aura of the Snake Race. The massive university had reached a state where venomous snakes covered the ground.

As soon as he rushed in, he saw many fully-equipped police officers catching snakes. They worked in pairs; one held a burlap sack open while the other, wearing specially made gloves, quickly grabbed the snakes, completely unafraid of being bitten.

Two of the nearby officers saw a refined-looking young man charge in and were taken aback. The campus had practically become a Snake Cave; who would dare enter? Most people couldn't get away fast enough.

If it weren't for their full gear protecting them from the venomous fangs, even they wouldn't have dared to enter.

Venomous snakes covered the ground, HISSING incessantly. The sight was enough to make one's skin crawl and stomach turn.

"Kid, get out of here! It's dangerous!"

The officer yelled urgently at the young man, but in the next moment, he froze, dumbfounded.

Because wherever the young man went, the nearby venomous snakes actually scrambled to clear a path, looking utterly terrified. It was an unbelievable scene.

But who was Tu Xiao'an? How could members of the Snake Race dare block his path? It was more likely they would bow in worship.

Night had fallen, but the campus was brightly lit. As far as the eye could see, there were the menacing faces of countless snakes, a sight terrifying enough to scare a person out of their wits.

'At least a hundred thousand.'

Tu Xiao'an estimated the number in his head.

Where had so many snakes come from? Tu Xiao'an was shocked himself—not by their sheer numbers, but by their origin.

There had been two thousand at most this afternoon. Now that night had fallen, a swarm of over a hundred thousand snakes blanketed the area. It was unbelievable.

The sprawling Wencheng University campus had more than a dozen buildings, all filled with the shadows of snakes. Whether on the sports fields, in the classrooms, down the hallways, or across the green lawns, venomous snakes were everywhere.

Even the restrooms had likely been taken over by snakes.

An ordinary person would have absolutely no way of walking out of the campus unharmed. There was nowhere to step. The venomous snakes might not attack proactively, but if you were foolish enough to step on one, its fangs weren't just for show. It certainly wouldn't be courteous.

Right now, it was a scene of pandemonium, with snakes running rampant.

Tu Xiao'an ignored the officer's well-intentioned warning and headed toward the center of campus. He noticed that many students were still trapped, hiding in classrooms and waiting for the police to rescue them.

Although the semester hadn't officially started, many returning students were already back in their dorms. Most of the trapped students were in the dormitory buildings.

Tu Xiao'an considered this for a moment, then his eyes narrowed. An overwhelming wave of the Snake King's Qi swept out in all directions. He was ordering the venomous snakes to withdraw from Wencheng University unconditionally.

Saving people was the priority. As for why they've come, he was determined to find the reason tonight.

Once the Snake King's Qi spread out, the snakes should have obediently left in droves, just as they had that afternoon.

But after a dozen or so seconds, surprise flashed in Tu Xiao'an's eyes. His Snake King's Qi had spread, and while the campus snakes grew anxious and panicked—their fearful HISSING rising and falling in waves—not a single one slithered away. They were completely ignoring his Snake King's decree.

'What's going on?'

This was the first time Tu Xiao'an had ever encountered something like this. The snakes were daring to disobey his command. It didn't make sense.

'Dominance ability, activate!'

Suddenly, a surge of Emperor's Qi erupted from Tu Xiao'an's body.

After a long moment, Tu Xiao'an frowned deeply. Not a single snake had chosen to leave the campus.

It was as if they were staging a rebellion.

Every anomaly has its cause.

'Could it be that this swarm has a leader?'

Tu Xiao'an's eyes grew pensive. 'For the Snake Race to resist my Snake King's Qi and even render my system-granted dominance ability ineffective... it must mean there's a Snake King hiding on this campus, one even more powerful than I am.'

'Only by following its lead would these snakes dare to disobey me.'

'That's the only possibility that makes sense.'

Tu Xiao'an raised his head, gazing at the vast, starry sky in thought for a moment. Then he closed his eyes, and a Formless Consciousness Power began to spread out from him.

His Consciousness Power enveloped the entire campus. Suddenly, Tu Xiao'an did indeed detect an incredibly powerful and peculiar Snake Race aura. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

The moment he detected this Snake Race aura, Tu Xiao'an felt a subtle pull, as if he were being drawn toward it.

'It's in the third building.'

Tu Xiao'an's eyes snapped open, clear and bright, as he locked onto the target's location.

'What a strange Snake Race aura. It's strong, yet it feels... treacherous.'

The Snake Race aura was clearly powerful. Logically, Tu Xiao'an should have detected it at once, yet he had to carefully probe with his Consciousness Power just to perceive it.

The aura was faint and intermittent, as if it were actively trying to conceal itself.

Not bothering to overthink it, Tu Xiao'an prepared to head straight for the third building.

"Brother Xiao'an!"

Just then, a clear female voice called out from behind him. It was a voice Tu Xiao'an already knew well: Li Qingzhao's.

Li Qingzhao appeared, walking toward him as if there were no snakes around her at all. The Taiyin Snake was coiled around her arm, and her pretty face was flushed with excitement.

Back at the campus gate, Tu Xiao'an had charged straight in, and Li Qingzhao had tried to follow. But the moment she stepped inside, the sight of venomous snakes covering the ground had frightened even a snake enthusiast like her, and she hadn't dared to proceed.

There were too many snakes, and their numbers only increased the deeper one went. It was impossible to take a single step. Who would dare enter?

Even an ordinary Snake Catcher might not have had the courage.

But just then, the Taiyin Snake had shot out from her arms and coiled around her forearm. The exquisite, tiny snake suddenly let out a ferocious hiss at the venomous snakes covering the ground.

At that single hiss, all the venomous snakes on the ground were instantly frightened into clearing a path for Li Qingzhao.

It was only then that Li Qingzhao realized just how incredibly powerful the little snake in her hands was.

With the Taiyin Snake in hand, the other snakes parted for her. Li Qingzhao swallowed, steeled herself, and tentatively walked forward. Everywhere she went, the swarms of snakes retreated, leaving the girl both shocked and overjoyed. She even kissed the Taiyin Snake several times.

"Girl, you have the Taiyin Snake to protect you, so these snakes won't dare to harm you. Go and lead the students who are trapped by the snakes to safety."

The reason Tu Xiao'an hadn't stopped Li Qingzhao from entering was precisely because she had the Taiyin Snake. In the presence of an Awakened Snake Species, ordinary snakes wouldn't dare act out of line.

"Then what are you going to do?"

Li Qingzhao instantly understood what Tu Xiao'an meant.

"I have something more important to do. Don't worry about me."

After saying this, Tu Xiao'an ran toward the third building. If he weren't concerned about being seen, he would have simply leaped through the air and flown over.