Chapter 490 - 424: Chaos Bloodline, Taihu Python

Of course, the legends he knew were certainly more comprehensive than Xiong Batian’s, but they were also less imaginative. He didn’t dare consider beings from above the High Heavens—after all, that seemed patently impossible. Could a being from above the High Heavens even be called a living creature? That would have to be a Divine Spirit!

Therefore, he guessed that Jiang Qiu was most likely the descendant of some ancient, chaotic existence from the Primitive Ancient Forest. As for how deep within the forest he came from, the wolf couldn’t know. He had only heard rumors that a group of beings with Chaos Bloodlines, existing since the Dawn of Chaos, lived deep within the Primitive Ancient Forest.

They were the primordial beings of the First Celestial Realm. It could even be said that they were the very apex of this Realm. Even the strongest of the Demons from the outside world were wary of these bloodlines.

’And only their descendant could possibly intimidate me like this!’

Of course, the Primitive Ancient Forest was massive, so there was no way of knowing just how deep within it Jiang Qiu had come from.

But without a doubt, even based on this speculation alone, the giant wolf was certain that Jiang Qiu was someone he absolutely could not offend. He had to do his utmost to satisfy his needs, or he might be eaten—devoured as a casual snack!

"Sir, I have heard some rumors... would you like to hear them? It’s just, I haven’t seen it for myself, so I don’t dare say for certain that it exists..."

The giant wolf’s tone was humble and trembling. He was truly terrified and desperately wanted to live. However, Jiang Qiu remained expressionless. "Speak."

Frankly, the creatures of this world seemed to be in a nascent stage of development. They had yet to form any sort of complete societal framework, which meant information was only passed along as rumor—a world of "I heard it from someone who heard it from someone," with no way to confirm if anything was actually true.

Yes, everyone had only "heard" things; no one could be sure if what they knew was real. Even Xiong Batian had said many things that were so bizarre they didn’t seem like something a creature at his stage could possibly know. Therefore, the giant wolf’s rumors also had to be listened to with caution.

But caution was one thing; the giant wolf’s rumors certainly had their merits. After all, he was a powerful being who had already Opened his Spirit Veins. His breadth of knowledge was far greater than Xiong Batian’s. And, remarkably, he himself was aware that his rumors might not be true!

"I’ve heard that to the north, in that direction, a great serpent has taken up residence. It occupies Tai Lake, a lake so vast it could provide water for countless creatures. But large numbers of those who venture there meet with disaster. Even beings who have Opened their Spirit Veins are not spared, ending up as rations for the great serpent. People call him the Tai Python. He’s incredibly powerful, a true Dominator of his land!"

The giant wolf began to recount the rumors he knew, telling of the Tai Python, then a giant ape of the valley, and more—all of them Dominators of their respective lands, all of them clearly majestic and awe-inspiring beings.

The so-called "Dominator of a region," as the name implies, was simply the overlord of one area—the most powerful creature there. It was not some unique Realm.

To become the Dominator of a region, one had to make all the creatures in that place submit. All beings within the territory who had Opened their Spirit Veins must also hold you in awe and offer tribute. Only then could one be called a Dominator.

But Dominators were not numerous. Even a creature like the giant wolf, who had Opened his Spirit Veins, had only heard of a handful. As he listed them, it turned out to be just over a dozen, which seemed to cover all the surrounding territories.

He even mentioned that in a few places, the Dominators occasionally fought, making it unclear who currently controlled the territory. He could only give a vague account, explaining that a particular Dominator might have existed there in the past.

This information was very useful to Jiang Qiu. He asked a few more detailed questions. The giant wolf said that among these Dominators, the most powerful was likely the Taihu Python of Tai Lake. He said the python had been the Dominator there for several years and had become a symbol of the region.

Otherwise, the name "Taihu Python" would never have spread so far. It was precisely because he had been entrenched there for so long that everyone now considered him a symbol of Tai Lake—a personification of its lordship.

Furthermore, the giant wolf mentioned a piece of gossip he’d picked up from who-knows-where. "Sir, I’ve also heard a rumor that there might be some Treasures of Heaven and Earth at the bottom of Tai Lake. The fruits that grow there can instantly grant a creature intelligence, or even allow them to Open their Spirit Veins. They’re incredibly, incredibly potent. Because of this, many powerful beings have been born there, and every year, even Lord Level creatures go to fight over them."

"But none can compare to the Taihu Python. They are all eaten, turned into his Food. By now, the Taihu Python has probably grown so powerful that he is invincible across dozens of the surrounding territories. If not for the fact that he cannot leave Tai Lake, he wouldn’t be the Dominator of just that one place."

Hearing this, Jiang Qiu’s interest was gradually piqued. Xiong Batian, on the other hand, stared wide-eyed, drool unconsciously trickling from his mouth.

Having never seen much of the world, Xiong Batian was instantly captivated by the Treasures of Heaven and Earth the giant wolf described. He was even more stunned by the Taihu Python’s power.

’I never imagined that magical fruits that could let someone Open their Spirit Veins just by eating them actually exist in this world—and that they grow at the bottom of a lake, no less!’

’If I could just eat one, wouldn’t that mean I could finally start my Cultivation? Then I could protect my own territory!’

’How great would that be? I would slowly grow stronger and stronger.’

’But on second thought, it’s far too difficult. After all, Tai Lake has the Taihu Python as its Lord, and he’s been entrenched there for several hundred years.’

’You have to remember, the previous Dominator of our own area only survived for less than a century before being killed by the Demons from outside. His reign was fleeting.’

’And Tai Lake... hundreds of years... That’s truly astounding!’

In reality, the Demons’ paths were not fixed. They often appeared directly in the deeper parts of the forest, rather than just pushing inward step-by-step from the outside. It was also quite normal for them to hunt Dominators directly within the Primitive Ancient Forest.

The key was whether these Dominators were particularly rare or if they were guarding some Treasures of Heaven and Earth. And without a doubt, Tai Lake had Treasures of Heaven and Earth, but with the Taihu Python guarding them, there had seemingly been no issues to this day!

Didn’t that prove how powerful the Taihu Python was?

Xiong Batian felt that even if his own former Dominator went to Tai Lake, he would most likely be eaten as a snack by the Taihu Python.

Because the giant wolf had also just said that when the Taihu Python turned over, it would stir up monstrous waves, flooding the nearby Primitive Ancient Forest under dozens of meters of water. With a single stir, tens of thousands of creatures drinking at the shore would be swept into the lake, where they would ultimately die.

When the Taihu Python rose from the water, its two eyes were like a natural sun and moon. Its colossal body, hundreds upon hundreds of meters long, could tower over all the trees of the entire Primitive Ancient Forest!

He was a living mountain, his gaze falling upon every creature in the Primitive Ancient Forest. Sometimes, he was watching everyone.

This was an incredibly powerful being, one that could be said to possess a Chaos Bloodline; after all, he was simply too powerful. Tai Lake itself was also a vast place, equivalent in size to a Primitive Ancient Forest in its own right.

To be the Dominator in a place like that was a testament to the Taihu Python’s immense power. Thus, the giant wolf couldn’t be certain if the rumors he was sharing were even true, or if they would be enough to pique Jiang Qiu’s interest and, in turn, spare his life.

Evidently, Jiang Qiu was interested. He nodded. "Not bad. The Taihu Python of Tai Lake... his bloodline seems promising. How strong is he?"

"To this day, I’ve never heard any news of the Taihu Python being injured. I don’t know any more than that. Perhaps you’ll have to ask the creatures near Tai Lake. I remember Tai Lake is in that direction. It’s very, very large. When you get there, you’ll see a boundless expanse of water. That will be Tai Lake."

"Sometimes, monstrous waves will surge through the water. That is the Taihu Python turning over..."