Chapter 39: The Truth of Python Clan

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: The Truth of Python Clan

"If it’s true that he’s connected to the Thunder Crimson Python Clan, why didn’t he show the clan’s emblem from the beginning? Then I wouldn’t have attacked him."

[It must be because the crimson lightning contained in your attack caused the emblem to resonate with your power.]

Ye Xuan extended his hand and summoned a bolt of crimson lightning in his palm.

It crackled faintly, taking the shape of a tiny lightning needle.

[I need to find out who it is.]

The red rune on Qingyu’s forehead glowed as she released her spiritual qi toward the rattlesnake’s forehead.

Qingyu closed her eyes, and the qi auras surrounding both creatures surged, as though they were connected through that energy.

Before long, another wave of qi erupted, startling Ye Xuan. A powerful gust of wind swept throughout the area.

He raised his hand to keep the dust out of his eyes, his attention fixed ahead as the red light emanating from Qingyu gradually faded.

"How did it go?"

[Unfortunately, it’s not a member of the Thunder Crimson Python Clan. It’s merely a beast from another tribe who serves one of my clan’s members.]

[I also found out why it’s staying in this desert. His master ordered it to remain here until a member of the Thunder Crimson Python Clan arrived.]

Ye Xuan crossed his arms and pondered the situation.

"So his master knew that a member of the clan would eventually come here? If the emblem hasn’t disappeared from it, doesn’t that mean its master is still alive?"

[Yes. I spoke with it, and he told me that its master is still alive, but his condition is limited.]

"What do you mean by that?"

Before long, the rattlesnake slithered toward another direction.

Qingyu turned to Ye Xuan and told him to follow, explaining that the rattlesnake intended to lead them to its master’s location.

Ye Xuan cleared his throat and nodded.

He extended his hand, asking Qingyu to transform back into her original form. A crimson glow shone from her body as she began to shrink.

She then flew toward him and coiled around his hand before making her way up to his neck, where she wrapped her tail around him once more.

Ye Xuan summoned his flying sword and followed the rattlesnake across the Sword Graveyard Desert.

He continued flying for quite some time, yet the snake showed no sign of stopping.

After an uninterrupted hour of flight, they finally arrived in front of a cave within a stone sword hill.

The entrance was formed by three swords embedded in the ground, arranged to create an opening.

"Could this be the place?"

The rattlesnake leading them said nothing. It simply slithered through the three-meter-wide cave entrance.

Ye Xuan snapped his fingers, summoning a small flame in his palm to illuminate the cave. He hoped it would keep him from getting lost or falling behind the rattlesnake.

He followed the creature deeper into the cave. His eyes narrowed when he noticed a red glow shining from the far end, brighter than the flame in his hand.

When he arrived, Ye Xuan was startled to discover an enormous circular hall. Stone pillars adorned with python ornaments supported its ceiling.

I never expected a place like this to exist.

The rattlesnake slithered forward until it reached an altar. The circular altar was protected by a dome-shaped red barrier.

Inside the altar, a man with an athletic build and long white hair sat in cultivation.

His upper body resembled that of a human, while his lower body consisted of a serpent’s body and tail.

A half-human, half-snake?

[Uncle Ling Yuxia?]

Ye Xuan heard Qingyu’s voice and stared ahead in shock. Looking more closely at the man, he realized that Ling Yuxia had a connection to Ling Qingyu.

Curious, he approached the red dome barrier. He could see rows of rune characters floating and revolving around it.

Although he had already studied and comprehended 243 rune characters under Wang Shuyuan’s guidance, he strangely couldn’t understand the runes inscribed around the dome.

It was as though he had never encountered those characters during his training.

Could these be the 74 advanced rune characters Senior Wang mentioned?

Upon hearing Ye Xuan’s voice, the half-serpent man awoke and looked ahead.

His attention first settled on the young man before shifting toward Qingyu.

"The Thunder Crimson Python Clan’s sigil."

"You enslaved one of my clan members?!" Ling Yuxia shouted.

In an instant, the cultivation pressure emanating from the man slammed into Ye Xuan.

The force was enough to leave him completely powerless. He immediately coughed up blood and fell to his knees.

COUGH!

"Was destroying our clan not enough for you humans? Now you want to enslave one of our clan members as well?!" he declared sternly.

"You have some nerve coming here, human!"

Ye Xuan could feel how powerful Ling Yuxia’s cultivation pressure was.

It reminded him of the overwhelming pressure he had once experienced from Yan Jin, the leader of the Blazing Red Fire Python Clan.

Qingyu slipped away from Ye Xuan’s neck and slithered forward toward the dome barrier. Ye Xuan noticed her movement.

"No, Qingyu!"

"That’s the same formation as the one protecting the sword altar. It’s dangerous!"

Calmly, Qingyu released a beam of light toward the barrier and unlocked the formation, creating a small portal that allowed her to enter and speak with Ling Yuxia.

Ling Yuxia’s attention shifted to Qingyu. He extended his hand, allowing her to slither onto his palm.

"I’ll destroy this beast contract mark and kill you, human!"

Just as the man was about to carry out his threat, he was startled to see a blood oath mark appear on Qingyu’s forehead.

It was different from the Thunder Crimson Python Clan’s tattoo.

He examined Ye Xuan’s forehead and was shocked to discover an identical mark there.

"A-A blood oath?"

"S-She’s... Ling Qingyu!" Ye Xuan explained, his voice trembling.

"Qing’er?"

Ling Yuxia waved his hand, immediately withdrawing the cultivation pressure bearing down on Ye Xuan.

The young man slowly rose to his feet and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

His heart was still pounding, and his chest continued to ache from the powerful pressure he had just endured.

The man released a stream of red qi from his hand into Qingyu’s body.

Both of them closed their eyes, appearing to establish a connection with each other.

Ye Xuan could only watch without approaching.

He had no idea what was happening, but the mysterious red formation didn’t seem dangerous when Qingyu was near it.

Ling Yuxia’s eyes suddenly widened, glistening with tears of overwhelming emotion.

"Qing’er... it really is you."

"Thank goodness you’re safe!"

His attention returned to the formation. He raised one hand and formed a hand seal, deactivating the barrier surrounding the dome.

"I’ve been communicating with Qingyu through telepathy. She explained many things to me, including who you are."

"Forgive me for what I did earlier. I thought you were a human who had cruelly enslaved one of my clan members. It turns out you’re her savior."

"My name is Ling Yuxia. I’m an elder of the Thunder Crimson Python Clan and Qing’er’s uncle."

Ye Xuan clasped his hands together and bowed his head slightly, "This junior pays his respects to Elder Ling. My name is Ye Xuan."

"I know."

"Come here, Brother Ye. There’s something I’d like to ask you."

The young man walked over and sat cross-legged directly in front of Ling Yuxia. Qingyu still seemed perfectly comfortable resting in the man’s hand.

"I realize that the two of you met by chance. However, you still proceeded with the beast contract and even formed a Blood Oath with Qingyu."

"For our clan, that is a major taboo because of Ling Qingyu’s unique status. Our rules state that a Blood Oath may only be formed between members of the same clan."

"But given the circumstances, I’ll set aside those old rules for Qing’er," Ling Yuxia explained.

"The most important thing you need to understand about her is her status," Ling Yuxia continued. "Do you already know anything about her bloodline?"

Ye Xuan fell silent for a moment before turning toward Qingyu and nodding slightly.

He explained that he knew Qingyu came from the Thunder Crimson Python Clan and had a bloodline connection to the Seven-Colored Lightning Python.

Ling Yuxia nodded. What Ye Xuan had said was correct, but he also intended to share some important information so that Ye Xuan could better understand who Qingyu was and the true nature of the Thunder Crimson Python Clan.

"By choosing Qing’er as your partner, you should already be prepared to face the consequences," Ling Yuxia explained.

"W-What are they?"

"Every human cultivator will hunt you down and kill you. That’s because they’re threatened by the power of the Thunder Crimson Python Clan."

"They refuse to let our clan rise and rule this star once again. That’s why they chose to destroy us and seize our dominion over this star," Ling Yuxia replied.

Ye Xuan was somewhat shocked by Ling Yuxia’s explanation.

"So, are you saying that human cultivators aren’t the original inhabitants of this star?"

"That’s right," Ling Yuxia explained.

"For tens of thousands of years, the Python Clan ruled this star. However, ever since foreign cultivators arrived from a neighboring star, our position has gradually been weakened, and we’ve been pushed aside."

"Qing’er carries a trace of our clan’s noble bloodline. You have a responsibility to awaken her bloodline once more and help our clan reclaim its dominion over this star."

The young man fell silent for a moment. His eyes shifted toward Qingyu, who was now staring back at him with her slit pupils.

He had heard everything Ling Yuxia said, yet he had never imagined that such events had actually taken place.

After all, there were no historical records or even rumors of human cultivators invading the Shattered Cloud Star.

"So, what will your decision be, Brother Ye?"

"Will you help us and fight against your own race? Or will you turn your back on us, side with them, and betray our clan?"