A Level 29 Cat Spirit was actually being controlled by a Snake King Stone. It just went to show how absurdly powerful the stone was.

At that moment, two auras of the Snake Race were locked in a struggle, one rising as the other fell. In a confrontation like this, only the stronger would prevail.

The longer Tu Xiao'an fought, the more alarmed he became. After five minutes, he still hadn't managed to completely suppress this peculiar Snake Race aura. 'Don't tell me,' he couldn't help but wonder, 'this was actually formed from the Golden Core of an enlightened Snake King?'

Otherwise, there was no way it could be this ridiculously powerful.

After the Cat Spirit swallowed the Snake King Stone, swarms of snakes followed it everywhere it went, forming an army of over a hundred thousand.

If the Cat Spirit stayed in one place for ten days or half a month, there was no telling how many more from the Snake Race it would attract.

Since his Snake King aura alone wasn't enough to suppress it, Tu Xiao'an steeled himself and activated the Snake Race dominance ability granted to him by the system. Instantly, two incomparably terrifying auras erupted from his body.

With the addition of the dominance ability, the invisible battle instantly became one-sided. A biting chill filled the air, and the entire cave felt as though it had been plunged into the dead of winter.

In just a moment, Tu Xiao'an achieved total suppression. In one fell swoop, his Snake King aura completely enveloped the Cat Spirit. The brightly glowing Snake King Stone inside the Cat Spirit dimmed considerably, no longer causing trouble.

Immediately after, the Cat Spirit Haitang regained her senses. Her body shrank, reverting to the adorable form of a normal cat, though her fur remained completely scorched black.

When Haitang came to, she was stunned to see a small, purplish-gold snake floating not far away.

Tu Xiao'an shouted, "Haitang, don't move!"

He was about to force the Snake King Stone out of Haitang's body, but she immediately seemed to realize his intention. She began to struggle with all her might, helping the Snake King Stone resist the terrifying aura emanating from Tu Xiao'an.

"Don't take my Snake King Stone! Don't!"

Haitang's eyes were no longer demonic and blood-red. Instead, they took on a pitiful, pleading look. The incomparably powerful Snake Spirit before her was trying to steal her treasure.

The voice coming from the Cat Spirit was no longer hoarse and terrifying; it now sounded like a young girl pleading softly.

Tu Xiao'an remained impassive, his gaze like cold lightning. "You should know you can't control this Snake King Stone. Why do you still covet it?"

The Snake King Stone contained a powerful and domineering force. It could help its wielder increase their strength, but the longer they possessed it, the more likely the stone was to seize control of their mind. Demonic thoughts would flourish, making it impossible to break free.

This was precisely what made the stone so insidious.

But when it came down to it, her strength was simply insufficient. She hadn't earned the stone's approval.

"No, I need it! I need it to help me break through and become a Rank Three Creature!"

Haitang's eyes shone with a desperate, unyielding resolve.

Tu Xiao'an was taken aback. 'She's willing to die just to break through to Rank 3?'

He knew that even if he hadn't intervened, someone else would have. The Cat Spirit had stolen the Snake King Stone from a member of the Bai Family, and they wouldn't just let the matter drop.

The most troublesome part was that Haitang had nowhere to hide; she would eventually be found.

Suddenly, the terrifying aura around Tu Xiao'an vanished, the tension in the air dissolving. Then, he asked in a low voice, "Tell me why. Surely you realize the stone has already begun to control your mind? Don't just tell me it's about becoming a Rank Three Creature. I'm sure there's another reason."

True, Rank Three Creatures were extraordinary, far surpassing ordinary life forms. 'But that's no reason to be so reckless as to throw your life away,' he thought.

This was a gamble, and it was one she was already losing. If she kept this up, she would lose everything—even her own body would no longer be hers.

The Cat Spirit Haitang said nothing, clearly not trusting the terrifying Snake Spirit before her.

She didn't even know how she had provoked this Snake Spirit in the first place.

"I'm a friend of Chen Gao Yang's," Tu Xiao'an had no choice but to play this card. "He told me his girlfriend, Haitang, disappeared half a month ago. I presume that was you, pretending to be her, correct?"

Haitang was dumbfounded. Suddenly, an image of the refined-looking young man from the laboratory surfaced in her mind. 'That voice... it's the same.'

But how could a human suddenly turn into a Snake Spirit?

Although her consciousness had been fading in and out during the ordeal, at times clear and at others chaotic, she knew one was a human and the other was a snake. The two were completely unrelated.

Abruptly, Haitang asked with excitement, "Could it be? Are you already a Rank Three Creature? Can you take human form?"

It was the only possible explanation.

Hearing this, Tu Xiao'an neither confirmed nor denied it. Instead, he countered with a question of his own. "I already know everything about you and Chen Gao Yang. So there's no need to hide anything. Tell me what's going on. Perhaps I can help you."

"I'm not hiding anything. I just want to use the power of this Snake King Stone to help me break through and become a Rank Three Creature." Haitang was now lying obediently on the ground. She gave her body a shake, and the scorched black soot fell from her fur, revealing a coat as pure and white as snow.

Tu Xiao'an looked at the Cat Spirit before him. She was quite beautiful now, not the least bit ferocious. 'Her Cat Race bloodline must be of a high grade,' he mused. 'Otherwise, she could never have reached this level of power.'

Besides, this Cat Spirit was a hundred and sixty-two years old—she had lived longer than any human.

"You tried to use the Snake King Stone to break through, but you failed. Since you've already failed, why are you still so stubbornly obsessed?"

The Cat Spirit Haitang said resentfully, "I want to try again. I don't want to give up."

"For Chen Gao Yang?" An idea flashed through Tu Xiao'an's mind. Based on what he knew, this Cat Spirit could imitate a human voice and had been acting as Chen Gao Yang's girlfriend. The two of them had a very good relationship.

So, why had she suddenly left Chen Gao Yang? Was it just to break through to Rank 3?

"That's right. I don't want to leave Brother Gaoyang. He needs me. I want to protect him for the rest of my life."

As she spoke, an incredibly human emotion surfaced in the cat's eyes. There was deep affection, a reluctance to part, and even the anguish of a life-and-death separation.

"Don't tell me you can't protect him unless you break through to become a Rank Three Creature?" Tu Xiao'an's eyes widened as he spoke. "I get it! You want to be with him openly. You want to break through to Rank Three so you can take human form, don't you?"

This was a classic case of Human-Demon Love, just like in the stories from *Strange Tales*, where a Fox Demon takes on human form to fall in love with a mortal.

The difference here, however, was that while this Cat Spirit had gained great intelligence and could speak human language, she lacked the ability to take on a human form.

Her only advantage was that Chen Gao Yang had been born blind. But while she might be able to deceive him for a time, how could she keep it up for a lifetime?

Therefore, Haitang had only one path forward: she had to become a Rank Three Creature. Then, not only could she speak, but she could also take human form.

Then, just like in a fairy tale, she could have her happy ending. She and Chen Gao Yang could be together for the rest of their lives, without her ever having to fear her lie being exposed.

"No. I just want to quietly protect my Brother Gaoyang. Whether or not I can take human form is completely unimportant."

A flicker of tenderness crossed Haitang's eyes, but she shook her head.

Hm?

Tu Xiao'an frowned. 'That's not it? Then why is she so desperate to become a Rank Three Creature, even if it means dying in the attempt?'

Tu Xiao'an was completely baffled. Breaking through to become a Rank Three Creature was an ordeal with a slim chance of survival. In fact, it could very well mean certain death.