The great battle between the two Demon Spirits was taking place outside the Purple Bamboo Forest. Inside, however, a young girl and a small snake cozily enjoyed a world all their own.

The Purple Gold Bamboo in this forest came in two types: one was light and delicate, while the other was thick and sturdy—the difference between a slender stalk and a full-grown plant.

At that moment, Su Rushi was lounging lazily on a lush green lawn. Beside her, stalks of Purple Gold Bamboo, both slender and thick, stood tall against the sky, evergreen all year round.

A restless little snake was slithering all over her body, making Su Rushi tickle and squirm. Yet, the girl didn’t seem to mind the snake taking liberties with her in the slightest; instead, she laughed coquettishly.

"Xiaoleng, stop fooling around. Oh, by the way, do you remember that dew you drank before? It’s the water that seeps out from inside this Purple Gold Bamboo. You’ve been hibernating for the past few days, and I’ve been watching over you, so I haven’t been able to collect any dew for a while now."

Taking advantage of his snake form, Tu Xiao’an had nearly explored every inch of Su Rushi’s body. He was a complete rake.

’It’s a free show, so why not watch? A free feel, so why not touch?’

Su Rushi’s words made Tu Xiao’an instantly settle down. He immediately recalled the pale purple water—it was beautiful to look at and delicious to drink. A dew condensed from nature’s spiritual energy, it possessed its own inherent Energy.

’Too bad there was so little of it. It was gone in just a few sips.’

Suddenly, Tu Xiao’an’s eyes lit up. ’So the water comes from inside the bamboo!’

After a moment’s thought, Tu Xiao’an left Su Rushi’s graceful body and slithered over to a Purple Gold Bamboo stalk that was dozens of meters tall. He opened his mouth, revealing his rarely used fangs, and pressed them right against the base of the stalk.

Seeing this, Su Rushi giggled. "Xiaoleng, are you trying to drink the dew again?"

"But that’s not going to work. Let me tell you, this Purple Gold Bamboo is the toughest bamboo in the world. Even a strongman with an axe could only leave a shallow scratch on it at best."

There were two reasons she only collected the dew that seeped out naturally: first, she didn’t want to damage the Purple Gold Bamboo, and second, she couldn’t even if she tried.

In fact, she was certain the bamboo was even tougher than steel.

"Xiaoleng, don’t even bother. We’ll get up early tomorrow, and I’ll take you with me to collect the dew," Su Rushi said with a chuckle.

’A little snake no longer than a chopstick insisting on fighting with this incredibly tough bamboo... Isn’t he just asking for trouble?’

As if he hadn’t heard Su Rushi’s well-intentioned reminder, Tu Xiao’an bit down hard. CRUNCH...

A neat row of tiny holes appeared on the Purple Gold Bamboo. A gurgling, rushing sound came from within the stalk as the dew inside began to pour out from the puncture marks left by Tu Xiao’an’s fangs.

The water that flowed out wasn’t clear, but a faint, pale purple, carrying a tranquil aroma.

Huh???

Su Rushi’s body trembled. Watching the pale purple water stream out from inside the bamboo, she was completely dumbfounded, frozen in place.

’What kind of bite is that? An axe can’t even dent the Purple Gold Bamboo, yet this snake pierced a hole in it with a single bite!’

Tu Xiao’an, naturally, wouldn’t hold this naive girl’s shock against her. ’I am the great Snake King. If I can’t even handle a single stalk of bamboo, how can I expect to make all creation submit to me?’

He flicked out his forked tongue and licked the Purple Gold Water flowing down the bamboo. It was still so sweet, like nectar. The water flowed down his throat and into his body, spreading a pleasant warmth. It was invigorating.

’It’s a shame the System isn’t here, or it would definitely be displaying the energy data right now.’

’Every single drop of this Purple Gold Water contains pure Energy!’

After one lick, Tu Xiao’an backed away slightly. ’I am the Snake King; I must maintain some decorum. How can I lap up water like a dog?’

His serpentine eyes narrowed, and he projected a current of Consciousness Power toward the tiny holes where the dew was flowing out.

In an instant, a ribbon of water formed in the air. As if defying gravity, all the dew flowing from the bamboo floated in a single stream toward the exquisite little snake.

Tu Xiao’an opened his mouth wide, and the ribbon of water flowed directly into it.

GLUG... GLUG...!

Tu Xiao’an drank his fill. It was a luxurious, deeply satisfying drink.

It was just like drinking straight from a faucet.

The sight left Su Rushi utterly speechless. ’How is my pet snake doing that?’

’The water is flowing on its own, as if it has a mind of its own, right into his mouth. It’s so magical!’

"Wow... Xiaoleng, you’re amazing!"

After a long moment, Su Rushi finally snapped out of it and began to clap excitedly. ’The snake I found actually has a Superpower!’

Immediately after, she saw the exquisite little snake’s body erupt in a dazzling light and shrieked, "Ah! Xiaoleng, you’re shedding your skin again!"

That’s right. As Tu Xiao’an drank the water from the Purple Gold Bamboo without restraint, the Energy he consumed accelerated his growth and triggered another shedding.

’Fantastic! This water is rich with nature’s spiritual energy. Looks like I won’t have to wait several more days after all.’

Tu Xiao’an ignored Su Rushi, who was squealing like a fangirl at his side, and continued to swallow the water pouring into his mouth.

Ten minutes later, a dozen or so pieces of old Snake Skin had flaked off his body.

But the Purple Gold Bamboo was no longer producing water; it must have been completely drained.

WHOOSH...

The exquisite little snake zipped in front of another Purple Gold Bamboo stalk. Without hesitation, he bit down, his serpentine eyes narrowed, and the previous scene replayed itself.

GLUG GLUG...!

His entire serpentine body began to glow brilliantly. A powerful aura, that of the Snake King, began to spread out. The surrounding temperature plummeted, and a biting chill filled the air.

Su Rushi suddenly felt a cold wind wash over her, and her exquisitely beautiful face turned pale.

’So cold. It feels just like it does when I’m sleeping at night.’