BTTH: From Genius to Invincible-Chapter 556: Snake Slave Frenzy

Word Count: 2,918 Words

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Towering walls surrounded the palace on every side. Beyond them, countless sea-type magical beasts patrolled in ceaseless circuits. Giant dragons were carved in relief along the ramparts, coiling and soaring as though they might tear free of the stone at any moment. From a distance, the entire complex looked exactly like a Dragon Palace risen from legend.

’Really treating themselves like true dragons. Even the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe doesn’t go this far.’ Xiao Yan shook his head helplessly at the sight of this Dragon Palace City.

Anyone unfamiliar with the truth would probably mistake these sea pythons for genuine sea dragons.

The splendor of the place was almost absurd. Xiao Yan had visited the Gu Realm and the Hun Realm, those Dou God Clans whose foundations ran unimaginably deep, yet in terms of sheer magnificence, even those ancestral lands couldn’t match this palace city. Who knew how many precious crystal ores had been poured into its construction?

"Young Master Xiao Yan, what do we do now? Just kill our way in?" Qing Lin turned to look up at him. Today she was in high spirits; this had been the happiest day she’d had in a very long time.

She was a sensible girl, though. She understood that Xiao Yan had deliberately delayed their business by a full day just to accompany her in exploring the seabed. Now it was time to take care of the real matter.

Xiao Yan smiled gently at her eager expression and ruffled her silky hair. "Qing Lin, we can’t be so crude. The Dou Qi Continent isn’t all about fighting and killing. Sometimes we need to try reasoning first."

Qing Lin’s bright jade-green eyes blinked once, then sparkled with open worship. Under that admiring gaze, Xiao Yan dispelled the Sea Heart Flame’s concealment effect.

"People inside, listen carefully! You’re already surrounded! Open the city gates and surrender! Hand over the Flood Serpent Demon Venerate, or don’t blame me, Xiao Yan, for being ruthless and destroying your city!" His Heavenly State Spiritual Strength transformed into spiritual sound waves that spread outward, reaching every corner of the vast Dragon Palace City.

Two people, ’surrounding’ an entire tribe.

The instant Xiao Yan and Qing Lin appeared outside the Flood Serpent Tribe’s Dragon Palace City, the entire complex erupted with blinding light. Countless bubbles gurgled upward as the palace seemed to awaken from an ancient slumber. The walls rose higher, and a wave of overwhelming dragon might surged forth.

This Dragon Palace City had clearly housed genuine sea dragons in ancient times. In that distant, savage era, much like the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe and the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe, this place had once been the ancestral land of some super race.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!!

Enormous sea pythons rose from within the colossal city, one after another. Without exception, every one of them was Rank 7 or above. Quite a few had even reached Rank 8 and long since possessed the ability to assume human form.

A thunderous boom rolled through the water. From the heart of the Dragon Palace City, a massive Flood Serpent covered in dragon scales shot upward like a flood dragon churning the sea, stirring the ocean for hundreds of miles around. Xiao Yan recognized it at a glance. It was precisely the Flood Serpent Demon Venerate that had escaped with its life back then.

Xiao Yan’s eleven-colored fire lotus had blasted Nine-Change Tian He Zi into white ash and ’washed him clean,’ yet this fellow, with only around Five-Change strength, had somehow slipped away.

Part of it was because Xiao Yan had been trying to capture it alive for Qing Lin as a snake slave and had consciously suppressed the lotus’s power. Part of it was because the Flood Serpent Demon Venerate carried a life-preserving treasure. Even so, its hide and flesh were undeniably thick.

"Xiao Yan! Don’t push people too far! Don’t think my Flood Serpent Tribe is really afraid of your Yan Alliance!" The Flood Serpent Demon Venerate’s roar was hoarse, but anyone could hear the fear underneath.

In this oceanic environment, the Flood Serpent’s combat strength naturally exceeded what it could achieve on land. Yet the gap between them remained as vast as heaven and earth. Even before Xiao Yan had reached Dou Saint, the Flood Serpent Demon Venerate wouldn’t have dared posture in front of him.

If that fire lotus came again, the entire Dragon Palace City couldn’t withstand it!

Xiao Yan’s appearance at his doorstep filled the Flood Serpent Demon Venerate with nothing but endless regret. If only he hadn’t agreed to Yao Xiaotian’s proposal! He had coveted Cai Lin’s Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python bloodline, joining forces with the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe to capture her, dreaming of purifying his own tribe’s bloodlines.

He never imagined the Yan Alliance’s strength would soar so quickly, or that Xiao Yan’s power would grow in such complete defiance of common sense!

Xiao Yan stared coldly at the Flood Serpent Demon Venerate, a mirthless smile playing at the corner of his lips. This fellow had coveted Cai Lin’s bloodline and even led an army to attack a city of the Yan Alliance. Xiao Yan had naturally placed it on his must-kill list long ago.

Forget a mere peak Rank 8 Flood Serpent. Even a Rank 9 beast wouldn’t be spared if it dared target his family. Thirty years east, thirty years west; so what if you’re a Dou Saint!

"Enough nonsense. Even if you broke through to Rank 9 today, you still wouldn’t escape. I’ll give your Flood Serpent Tribe one chance. Hand this fool over, have all experts above Dou Venerate submit to Qing Lin and accept the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, and open your tribe’s treasury. Do that, and I’ll spare the rest of your Flood Serpent Tribe."

As a vast sea-snake tribe second only to the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe, one that even possessed the Ancient Heaven Serpent bloodline, the Flood Serpent Tribe had an ocean of resources stockpiled within its territory. Xiao Yan’s sights were set firmly on them.

You robbed me, so I’ll rob you. A tooth for a tooth. Only fair.

In a world where the strong were revered, this was simply how things worked!

The Flood Serpent Demon Venerate’s eyes flashed with vicious light. As the tribe leader, Xiao Yan’s absolute refusal to spare him left no room for negotiation. If Xiao Yan had been willing to talk terms, he might have swallowed his pride and offered compensation in medicinal ingredients and Monster Cores to settle the matter. He never expected that from beginning to end, Xiao Yan’s goal had always been his head.

"In your dreams! Flood Serpent Ten Guards, to battle!" His hoarse shout rolled through the Dragon Palace City.

Boom, boom, boom!

Ten terrifying Dou Venerate auras soared into the sea from within the city walls. Each Demon Venerate’s strength was at least 7-star Dou Venerate, and two elderly auras had even reached the peak of 9-star.

"To battle!"

Hiss hiss hiss!!

The ocean itself seemed to shake. Huge sea pythons writhed and churned, linking together in formation. From afar, the serpents arranged in battle lines truly did resemble dragons.

Countless colossal sea pythons fixed predatory gazes on Xiao Yan and Qing Lin. Two mere humans, daring to attack their ancestral land!!

Rank 6 and Rank 7 sea pythons were beyond counting. Rank 8 ones numbered over thirty, and among those, ten had reached 7-star Dou Venerate. Such a lineup, placed in the Central Plains, would be enough to sweep away quite a few factions.

It was no mystery why the Flood Serpent Tribe could dominate an entire sea region!

"It seems you’ve chosen the wrong answer." Xiao Yan’s smile remained faint, but a cold glint surfaced in his eyes. "Very well. The blood of my Yan Alliance members will not have been spilled in vain. Qing Lin, give them a taste of what a summoner can do."

"Yes, Young Master!" Qing Lin nodded firmly. A soft green radiance rose from her body as she formed a hand seal, and the gigantic illusory figure of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils manifested behind her. That colossal pupil projection seemed almost real, like a heaven-piercing serpent opening its eyes wide to stare down upon the world.

A low hum rang through the sea. Rays of green light flickered into being, and hundreds of massive snake-type magical beasts poured out of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils’ inner space, lining up in ranks one after another.

Winged serpents with broad, sail-like membranes. Ink-black Nine Serene Deep Ground Pythons. Storm Pythons wrapped in howling tempests. And of course, Hai Yuanlong, the young tribe leader of the Flood Serpent Tribe itself.

Every one of those giant pythons now bore the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils in place of their original eyes. Their wills had been entirely stripped away; Qing Lin’s control was absolute.

The Flood Serpent Demon Venerate’s expression changed dramatically. Hundreds of serpents had appeared in only a few seconds, and every single one was at least Rank 7. His tribe still held the advantage in raw numbers, but roughly twenty of Qing Lin’s giant pythons had reached Rank 8!

The most terrifying among them was undeniably the dark red demon snake beneath Xiao Yan and Qing Lin’s feet.

"Ancient Heaven Demon Python! You can actually control even the ferocious beasts of the Ancient Wasteland Region!" The Flood Serpent Demon Venerate’s scalp prickled. This Ancient Heaven Demon Python was not only stronger than he was; its bloodline was of a higher grade entirely. Yet it still hadn’t escaped the domination of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils!

Given enough time, Qing Lin could command an invincible army of snakes. And she hadn’t even drawn on the Nine-Headed Heaven Serpent’s soul body yet. Once she did, her personal strength would climb another step.

The number one miraculous pupils on the Dou Qi Continent lived up to their name.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!!

Qing Lin’s aura shifted, and hundreds of snake slaves surged forward like a tidal wave crashing toward the Dragon Palace City. The Ancient Heaven Demon Python opened its maw and spat out a cloud of pitch-black, ink-like venom.

At Five-Change Dou Venerate strength, the Ancient Heaven Demon Python could crush almost everything before it. Even without Xiao Yan lifting a finger, Qing Lin alone already had the qualifications to challenge the entire Flood Serpent Tribe!

Under the charge of those snake slaves, the roar of the waves was like collapsing mountains. Qing Lin, all by herself, nearly had the power to sweep through the entire Dragon Palace City.

Some freshly advanced Rank 8 Flood Serpents attempted to ambush her. One sweep of her gaze plunged them into bewilderment, and in the same heartbeat, the Ancient Heaven Demon Python’s fangs closed and tore them cleanly in two. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

’Qing Lin’s potential really is enormous...’ This was Xiao Yan’s first time watching her fight from such close range. He had fully expected to step in himself.

He had been wrong.

With the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, Qing Lin’s army of snake slaves only swelled the longer she fought. The so-called Ten Snake Guards clashed with her forces, and before long, three of them had already fallen under her control. Everyone else’s numbers dwindled with each exchange, while Qing Lin’s ranks grew larger and larger.

How were they even supposed to fight a battle like this?

The Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils had their weaknesses, of course. They consumed a great deal of Dou Qi and Spiritual Strength, and they could not control serpent-type magical beasts whose bloodline was too powerful. But the Flood Serpent Tribe’s bloodline was not particularly strong. The fight was already turning into a one-sided slaughter.

"Damn it! Damn Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils!!" The Flood Serpent Demon Venerate’s face twisted with savage fury. The horror of this miraculous pupil far exceeded anything he had imagined. No wonder the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe wanted her dead at all costs!

If she reached Dou Saint... no, even Half-Saint would be enough. She alone could sweep through the entire Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe!

"This can’t go on! Blood sacrifice! Summon the Ancestral Soul!!" The Flood Serpent Demon Venerate roared, and the blue pendant at his neck erupted with a blast of blinding azure light.

A dragon’s roar seemed to cross through the void. The enormous sea dragon carved into the Dragon Palace City’s walls stirred as though it might come alive, and threads of energy began pouring out of the crystalline inlays embedded throughout the palace, flowing steadily into the engraved dragon.

A massive formation rose above the city with a heavy buzz. Within the Dragon Palace, countless Flood Serpent tribesmen offered up their blood. Streams of crimson coursed along the channels of the array and converged upon the sea dragon carving.

This sea dragon was not a true living being, of course. Xiao Yan judged that it had likely been the corpse of some super-rank magical beast. After obtaining it, the Flood Serpent Demon Venerate had refined it into its current state. It appeared almost lifelike, its dragon breath surging forth in wave after thunderous wave, each one higher and more terrifying than the last.

Wuu! Wuu! Wuu!!!

The gigantic blue sea dragon coiled around the Dragon Palace, its massive body gliding slowly through the water as if a real dragon had awakened. It moved like a sentinel on patrol, circling the palace and gazing down upon all below.

Faint traces of Saint Might radiated from the blue sea dragon!

The instant it surged forward, every one of the snake slaves under Qing Lin’s control trembled involuntarily. A heartbeat later, an extremely vicious aura erupted from her body.

Hiss!!!

A pitch-black illusory Nine-Headed Heaven Serpent materialized behind her and reared up to roar at the sea dragon. The Nine-Headed Heaven Serpent’s soul was inferior in raw strength to the dragon before it, yet its eyes held nothing but disdain.

Judged purely by bloodline, this sea dragon fell far short of the Nine-Headed Heaven Serpent.

Xiao Yan’s gaze, however, was locked not on the sea dragon but on the Flood Serpent Demon Venerate, or more precisely, on the blue pendant now floating above his head.

’So that’s the thing that blocked most of the fire lotus’s power back then.’ His eyes narrowed. At the time, he had only possessed Two-Change Dou Venerate strength, and he had further suppressed the fire lotus’s might in an attempt to capture the Flood Serpent alive. Even so, for that pendant to blunt the lotus enough to allow its owner to escape spoke volumes about its defensive power.

From Hai Yuanlong’s memories, Xiao Yan already knew the pendant’s origin. It was the Flood Serpent Tribe’s inheritance treasure, forged from the Monster Core of an ancient sea dragon, a token passed down from tribe leader to tribe leader across countless generations, capable of unleashing terrifying force.

Every powerful race had its own hidden foundation. The Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe, for example, possessed a scepter, an heirloom held by each generation’s tribe leader. Rumor claimed it contained not only a vast reservoir of Ancient Heaven Serpent essence blood but also a special power, one that could spur the wielder’s bloodline to revert and ascend back to its ancestral Ancient Heaven Serpent state, dramatically elevating cultivation in the process. It was extremely frightening.

That was precisely why Xiao Yan hadn’t grown reckless just because he had stepped into the Dou Saint realm. Hidden foundations were unpredictable things. Who knew what fearsome trump cards the Profound Sky Sect and the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe might still conceal?

"Qing Lin, let me handle this." Xiao Yan patted her shoulder gently. An Ancestral Soul that possessed Dou Saint-level power was beyond what she could handle on her own. Moreover, that thing didn’t look like it belonged to the serpent race at all. It was most likely an Ancient Flood Dragon, a type of sea dragon beast.

Qing Lin nodded and withdrew the Nine-Headed Heaven Serpent’s soul. As it receded, the serpent cast a wary glance at Xiao Yan.

It had sensed it clearly. The current Xiao Yan... was very strong!

Xiao Yan clasped his hands behind his back and took a single step forward, walking to the very front of the surging snake-slave tide.

Tiny. Insignificantly tiny. In the endless depths of the sea, on a battlefield where countless giant pythons raged, a lone human was as small and unremarkable as a pebble by the roadside.

Yet the moment he stepped forward, those frenzied snake slaves all lowered their heads in unison, as if kneeling in worship to welcome this tiny human.

The Flood Serpent Demon Venerate’s face drained of color. The faint sense of security he had gained from summoning the Ancestral Soul vanished in an instant, replaced by a formless, suffocating dread that surged up from deep within his chest.

"At first, I was a little worried. I wasn’t sure if a single Tier 9 Treasure Pill and your Flood Serpent Tribe’s treasury would be enough to restore the Nine-Headed Heaven Serpent to its former strength." Xiao Yan looked up at the colossal blue sea dragon circling overhead, and a faint smile crossed his lips. "But now that I’ve seen this Ancestral Soul, I think it will be more than enough."

"Consider it a generous gift from you."