Chapter 3: First Transformation

Chapter 3: Chapter 3: First Transformation

Reading the system panel clearly worried Ye Xuan.

From what he could see, the white snake was just an ordinary snake, a kind of python, and not venomous.

But the strange fact that it had been locked in a formation proved something was wrong with it.

Could the seal the system mentioned be keeping the power of an ancient bloodline from awakening? If so, it had to be a snake from an ancient legendary race, sealed away on purpose for some reason.

I’ve already formed a beast contract with it. It’s the only one who knows the way out of here.

And besides, it’s the only spirit-stage beast I have. It also cleansed my meridians and restored my dantian.

After thinking for a long while, still staring at the snake, Ye Xuan made an important decision.

He would keep the beast contract. But he would keep a close watch on the seal and try to find out the truth about it.

Ye Xuan saw the 50 spirit stones he had given Qingyu run out, crumbling into drifting specks of dust.

In response, the infinite return panel appeared again, showing a fantastic return for what he had given Qingyu.

[Congratulations! You have given an item to your partner.]

[Item given: 50x Low-Grade Spirit Stone]

[Item returned: 5000x Low-Grade Spirit Stone]

[Multiplication Level: 1]

[Affection: 40/1000] [+15]

The panel explained that Ye Xuan received at least 100 times whatever he gave Qingyu.

He had given 50 low-grade spirit stones, and the system had returned 100 times that, 5000 low-grade spirit stones.

Impressive. If I can give it lots of items, I’ll get even more back.

He saw 50 black pouches floating in front of his face. Each small pouch held only about 100 low-grade spirit stones. He would need a bigger bag to hold all 5000 at once.

Ye Xuan took them all and held one of the pouches. He emptied out everything and offered it to Qingyu.

If it accepts everything, the return system will give me 100 times that, which means 10,000 low-grade spirit stones.

Something surprising happened. Qingyu only sniffed the spirit stones and didn’t use them.

Ye Xuan was a little startled as he watched the snake crawl up and drape itself around his neck.

I should have guessed. I can offer, but that doesn’t mean it will accept.

Forget it.

I shouldn’t treat it as an investment. I should treat it as my beast and my friend.

Ye Xuan put all his spirit stones away again and stood up. He walked toward the end of the tunnel in the cave, which led straight to the bottomless pool.

"Do you know the way out?" Ye Xuan asked.

Qingyu’s eyes opened and looked ahead, then glanced around. Ye Xuan tipped his head back, assuming the only way out was up there, through the hole in the altar.

But to his surprise, Qingyu leaped off his neck and dragged Ye Xuan along with it. He panicked and tried to pull free of the white snake’s coiled tail.

Qingyu kept twisting and swam down into the dark, bottomless pool, and he had no idea what it was doing.

A magic rune appeared in front of Qingyu’s forehead, glowing with a red aura, and it fired a beam of the same color down to the bottom of the pool.

Ye Xuan watched with narrowed eyes, holding his breath and trying not to panic.

Mysterious bubbles rose from the bottom of the pool, and then the water began to move upward as if something were pushing it.

His body turned and he looked up. The hole in the altar was getting closer, a sign they would be out soon.

Water erupted from the base of the altar like a fountain.

Ye Xuan made it out of the chasm and was thrown some distance away, landing on the rubble of the ruins.

"Cough!"

Ye Xuan tried to stand, his body soaked. Qingyu was still on his neck, tail wrapped around him.

"If only you could talk... you should have told me earlier. I could have been ready."

Qingyu didn’t respond, only acting normal, flicking its tongue and hissing.

Ye Xuan glanced to the side and saw the water still gushing out of the altar chasm, nearly flooding the whole area.

"Let’s get out of here," Ye Xuan said.

He ran hard to escape the rushing water, putting distance between himself and the ruins until he reached safer ground.

Before he knew it, night had fallen, and the carriage that could have taken him to the nearest town was gone.

His best option was to find the nearest village, rent a room at an inn, and rest there.

He followed the dirt road until a village appeared ahead of them.

It looked quiet, but Ye Xuan was sure people lived there, that it wasn’t an empty village.

He could tell from the lanterns glowing in front of the houses. Even so, the silence of the village left Ye Xuan confused and suspicious.

"Is it really so late that nobody comes out of their houses?"

He looked at the sky and saw the moon shining above, a sign that it was indeed late. But something about the village made Ye Xuan uneasy.

"You... what are you doing out this late at night?"

The voice came clearly from behind him. He turned and saw three people who looked like bandits, holding axes, two men and one woman.

"No one is allowed out at night, no exceptions," the man said. "You’ve broken the rules. You’re coming with us!"

"I’m a cultivator who got lost. I didn’t know this village had a rule like that," Ye Xuan replied.

"A cultivator?"

Smiles spread across all three of their faces, sly and smirking. Ye Xuan watched them.

Clearly, this was not a good sign for him.

"A cultivator who doesn’t fly. Let me guess, you’re still at Qi Gathering, aren’t you?"

"HAHAHA!"

"We’re really lucky tonight!"

"Kill him and take his bag!" the man in the middle ordered.

Two of the bandits charged forward with their axes. Ye Xuan drew his sword and gripped it tightly.

His eyes widened in shock when he saw the qi aura around both bandits.

What? They’re cultivators too?

Ye Xuan leaped and managed to dodge their attacks, parrying now and then.

But fighting two at once, he was overwhelmed and his focus split.

The male bandit’s kick caught his body and sent him flying backward, and he coughed up blood.

From the front, the female bandit swung her axe with both hands, the blade wrapped in qi.

"DIE!"

He refused to lose. Ye Xuan channeled spiritual qi into his sword and blocked the woman’s swing. He succeeded.

"What...? What layer are you?!" the woman shouted.

PUNCH!

His foot rose and kicked her in the body, shoving her backward. Ye Xuan stood firm, his hand gripping a sword whose blade glowed with qi.

"He’s stronger, Second Brother. Be careful!"

"Don’t worry, Little Sister Mei-Mei. I’ve got something to deal with him!" the man said.

He reached into his pocket and threw a ceramic bottle ahead of him until it shattered.

Green smoke rose, and a medium-sized centipede monster appeared with it.

Ye Xuan raised his hand and stared ahead in shock. "A monster?"

"He may be strong, but against my Green Poison Centipede, which is as strong as a peak Qi Gathering cultivator, he has no chance of winning."

The centipede crawled toward Ye Xuan. He chose to run and jump, climbing onto a villager’s roof to avoid its attack.

Gripping his sword tightly, Ye Xuan swung sideways, sending a slash of sword qi flying ahead.

The attack hit the centipede and wounded it. But it wasn’t enough to kill it.

"Damn it!"

"I don’t have many fighting techniques," Ye Xuan said.

"Can you help me, Qingyu?"

Qingyu nodded in response, then leaped off Ye Xuan’s neck. When it landed on the ground, a red rune appeared beneath it, along with a thick red qi aura.

Ye Xuan saw what was happening, and his face froze in shock as he watched Qingyu transform.

The small white snake that had always kept its tail wrapped around his neck had become a medium-sized white python, hissing and roaring at the centipede.

The bandits’ laughter faded as they saw a white snake standing in front of their centipede. "Th-That’s... a spiritual beast?!"

I didn’t know Qingyu could transform to a size like that.

The centipede lunged at Qingyu, but Qingyu reacted fast, opening its mouth and spewing hot fire. The flames shot forward and struck the centipede.

The monster burned in the fire, writhing and curling up in pain, screeching in agony.

The force of Qingyu’s flames set half the village ablaze, and people scattered in every direction to save themselves.

Damn. This fight is way too much. I’m worried stronger bandits will come. That would be trouble for me.

"Let’s go, Qingyu!"

Qingyu stopped spitting fire and shrank back to its original form, then chased after Ye Xuan as they left the place.

This might have been Ye Xuan’s first battle with his beast. But winning or losing didn’t matter.

What mattered most was escaping before the chaos drew the attention of someone powerful.

"We can’t go back to the sect tonight," Ye Xuan said. "Let’s find somewhere safe and rest. Tomorrow morning, we will go home."