Chapter 485 387: Li Wushao (Part 2)

"So that's how it is!"

Li Yuanjiao suddenly understood, thinking to himself:

'Kan Water... is the Metal Nature that Xiao Chuting demanded!'

He continued to ask aloud:

"If that's so, where are the Yin, Lu, and He three waters respectively?"

The hook serpent hurriedly answered:

"Lu Shui... was confirmed by the Perfected Lord of the Qing Chi Demon Sect long ago. He Shui has always belonged to the Jiao Palace. As for where Yin Shui is, this little demon truly does not know, only aware that someone occupies that seat..."

"Good."

Li Yuanjiao, having glimpsed such secrets, felt greatly pleased in his heart, then continued:

"Is there a full name for Metal Nature?"

"This little demon has no background, all this information is just hearsay, how would I know so much... Only know the titles of the five Water Virtue Fruits, Fire Virtue has five as well..."

The hook serpent stammered as he spoke:

"This little demon heard from rumors that there are three metals within the seas, and all the Fruit Positions of the Metal-Stone lineage have already been confirmed. Thus, Metal-Stone flourishes across the land, Qingwu Copper Essence and Zhen Iron Cold Gold are everywhere, their sharpness harms people, and even mortals are using iron tools and iron armor..."

Upon hearing this, an image of a white-robed figure suddenly flashed across Li Yuanjiao's mind, and he secretly exclaimed:

"Wang Xun in those years... truly was the descendant of a Golden Core immortal!"

When Wang Xun visited the Li Family years ago, he once claimed that the patriarch of the Wang Family was the head of the "Three Golds within the sea." Li Yuanjiao was half-convinced, thinking that there were only three Golden Cores left in the land.

But now, it was clear that these Three Golds were by no means just three Golden Cores, but rather three Metal-Stone Fruit Positions! The Green Pond Sect itself has Golden Cores in residence; counting Wu and Yue, the number of Golden Cores in the land might be nearly ten.

"Good, good."

Li Yuanjiao slowly nodded, turned the thought in his mind, then suddenly drew closer to the hook serpent and quietly said:

"Oh? Since you say all the Metal-Stone Fruit Positions have been confirmed, then why are there five Water Virtue Fruit Positions but only three for Metal-Stone?"

The hook serpent froze for a moment—he had never considered this carefully, and suddenly stumped, muttered:

"That's right... why is it so... Five Waters, Five Fires, yet only Three Golds..."

Then he responded:

"This little demon truly does not know! Upper Immortal, please discern!"

After being pressed back and forth several times, the hook serpent really had nothing of substance left to offer, so Li Yuanjiao simply examined him in silence, staring at him for several breaths, making the serpent's scales bristle in fear.

The hook serpent knew this moment was life or death, spat out his tongue, and said, voice subdued:

"This little demon has bitterly cultivated for a hundred years just to gain consciousness; coming to the seas was only to pursue spiritual water, never with the intent to harm. Spiritual water, double hooks, serpent bead—now all seized by Upper Immortal. I only beg for my life now..."

Li Yuanjiao lowered his eyebrows, inwardly calculating:

'The hook serpent matter was entrusted by Kong Tingyun, with Xuan Yue behind. They've shown goodwill to my family many times, it shouldn't be a problem...'

He lifted up the hook serpent and said quietly:

"I can spare your life, on the condition that you serve my family for the rest of your days. I've already borrowed a secret technique and need your cooperation to hand over your spirit nature. Are you willing?"

The hook serpent let out a long sigh of relief, seeing a chance at survival, and said joyfully:

"Willing! Willing!"

Li Yuanjiao straightened his sleeves, and Li Xihong had already arrived with the Jade Courtyard Guards. He stepped forward and saluted respectfully:

"Uncle."

Li Yuanjiao asked:

"How many spirit stones remain in the clan?"

Li Ximing quickly replied:

"The family's spirit stones always keep some aside for tribute. Fifty extra remain, the Green Ox River Embracing Formation consumed one hundred and fifteen, Yu Mountain sent eighty, which filled the gap, leaving fifteen surplus."

Li Yuanjiao was momentarily speechless; taming this demon required six types of spiritual objects, worth about ninety or so spirit stones. His own family had three, and the rest had to be bought from other clans. He immediately took out fifty spirit stones and commanded:

"This is my own savings, together with those earned from subduing demons, that's sixty-five in total. That should suffice. Gather the rest in the next few days and bring them here."

"Your aunt is going to close up at Mushroom Forest Plain for a breakthrough—send several people to accompany her."

Li Qinghong was a bit uneasy herself, but Li Yuanjiao had full confidence in her.

...

On Wangyue Lake, it snowed as expected; Qingdu Peak stood tall upon the lake, several small hills already rising around it. Blackish-brown stone peaks stood silently, and the blue great formation was activated, isolating inside from out.

The hook serpent's deep-black body was coiled atop one of these small stone peaks, head raised, spewing out streaks of white mist from its mouth, surging upward towards the mountain.

Li Yuanjiao had given him repeated instructions, warning that if the spell was broken, he would be severely injured, and the Li Family didn't have any extra spiritual medicine to match destinies. So the hook serpent was naturally very anxious, continuously spewing white breath.

Soon, a white light rose from the mountaintop, streaked through the air, and pressed upon the hook serpent's gigantic snake head, lighting up a white mark, a wisp of spirit nature peeled away and flew towards Li Yuanjiao on the mountain.

Li Yuanjiao slowly floated down; the Liuyan Life-matching Extraordinary Method operated without suspense. The hook serpent not only showed no sign of weakness, but his aura swelled, breath frosty—he had clearly profited from it.

"So this truly is a Zifu-level spiritual object..."

The six angles of the Liuyan Life-matching Great Formation naturally corresponded to the six spiritual objects from the records, and at the center Li Yuanjiao placed a blossom of Taiyin osmanthus, with the Taiyin Moonlight filled to the brim, much of it wasted and dissipated.

Flicking his hand, the hook serpent's icy serpent bead shot out, plunged into his bloody maw, and all at once the serpent's aura soared, its scales darkening in color, exuding the presence of a Demon General.

The hook serpent breathed for an hour, then opened his giant serpent eyes, in which white frosty light flickered for three whole breaths before he calmed down. The coiled body on the mountain twisted, setting off crackling landslide sounds.

He rose by riding the wind, casting a shadowy gloom over the ground, landed and transformed, and turned into a black-robed youth, with a sinister face, narrow eyes, and fitted robes. He clasped his hands and said:

"Subordinate pays respect to the master!"

Li Yuanjiao noticed that when the demon serpent had just resumed his true form, the two long tails were still bare, and asked:

"Can the hooks on your tails grow back?"

The hook serpent's venom was notorious; back then, even Kong Tingyun had to borrow a magic artifact to pin down its tail. Without those two poison hooks, its strength would be much reduced.

The black-robed youth shook his head repeatedly and replied:

"Reporting to master, unless I take some precious medicine or spiritual water, my tail hooks will take another few decades to regrow..."

Li Yuanjiao frowned:

"I'll keep an eye out for you. Have you ever taken human form before?"

"No—such things are not customary in the East Sea."

The black-robed youth answered meekly:

"I only broke through to Foundation Establishment about ten years ago, and spent the previous years in seclusion at Salty Lake..."

Li Yuanjiao squinted and observed him, seeing his sinister features, appearing ferocious and venomous, as if about to devour someone at any moment. He said:

"Why do you look so much like me? Not like a good person at all."

The other was taken aback, having not expected Li Yuanjiao to say such a thing, and awkwardly replied:

"My spirit nature is in your hands, sir... naturally I resemble you somewhat."

Li Yuanjiao nodded. Gaining a Foundation Establishment-level combatant of his own, he felt cheerful and laughed:

"Since you've taken human shape, you'll need a name. Can't keep calling you 'hook serpent' every day."

The sinister youth bowed his head in acceptance. Li Yuanjiao pondered for a moment, then said:

"You resemble a Wushao crow, and since you've entered my Li Clan, you shall be called Li Wushao."

Li Wushao cupped his hands and respectfully answered:

"Wushao obeys!"

Li Yuanjiao laughed, thinking to himself:

'Names borrowed from the ancients do sound better; saves Qinghong from muttering and laughing at me.'

Now that his household gained a Foundation Establishment demon cultivator, many matters were more at his leisure; Li Yuanjiao felt much more relaxed and told Li Wushao:

"Go and meet Ximing; have him introduce you to our people so that there's no mistake in the future, no flooding of the Dragon King's temple."

"Yes!"

Li Wushao replied in a sinister tone and flew down, while Li Yuanjiao turned to the courtyard, picked up brush and ink, and set out to write a letter to Qing Sui Peak.

"Ask Zhier if this Fudai Wood has any background... If this can work, then invite Yuan Chengdun or Senior Yuansi to lend a hand; the five of us will besiege this fellow."

"This guy has been in that region for so long, surely he's gathered quite a few treasures—precious medicine, witchcraft, even owns a Foundation Establishment Magical Instrument. Ridding us of evil and profiting, while winning over Fei Luoya..."

A rare genuine smile appeared on his face as he thought to himself:

"Zhier... has also been engaged to the Yang Family's daughter for several years, I wonder if there's any offspring now; I must remember to ask."