Chapter 1016: The Nine-Headed Serpent

Hearing this, Si Kong waved his hand magnanimously. "Then speak plainly! What do you want in exchange? If the Golden Abundance Trading Company possesses it, I'll move heaven and earth to acquire it for you."

Seeing the other party's straightforwardness, Li Qing said, "Does the merchant lord happen to have any essence blood from a high-grade snake demon? Preferably one at the body integration realm or higher!"

Patriarch Si Kong's expression gradually stiffened. He cleared his throat lightly, his brow furrowing.

"Hiss... Essence blood from a high-grade snake demon, and it has to be at the body integration realm level? You've truly given me a difficult task."

Li Qing wanted the snake demon's essence blood to cultivate the Nine Serpent Heart Sutra, seeking to further enhance his strength and ensure his survival.

This heart method was exceptionally powerful. If he could fully master it, he would gain an additional true spirit-level protective technique, greatly increasing his ability to safeguard his life.

However, obtaining essence blood from a high-grade snake demon, especially one at the body integration realm, was indeed a formidable challenge.

After all, snake demons capable of reaching the body integration realm typically possessed extraordinary bloodlines, being powerful ancient species.

Moreover, Li Qing specifically sought essence blood, not ordinary true blood. The difference between the two was vast.

The simplest and quickest way to obtain a demon beast's essence blood was to kill it directly and then extract the essence blood from its body.

After a long silence, Patriarch Si Kong slowly relaxed his furrowed brow and spoke:

"Let me be frank: the Golden Abundance Trading Company currently has no stock of body integration realm snake demon essence blood."

"The Tonggu Continent doesn't have any native snake demon clans. Unless one were to be born in some remote, rarely visited region, it would be exceedingly difficult for such a wild demon to reach the body integration realm."

"To my knowledge, even the Giant Spirit Royal City might not be able to satisfy your request."

Hearing this, a hint of disappointment flickered in Li Qing's eyes. This wasn't entirely unexpected, given the exceptionally high requirements of the body integration realm.

If he had been seeking a void refinement realm snake demon, there might have been a chance of finding one in the wilderness.

"However," the merchant lord continued, "our Golden Abundance Trading Company has branches on several other continents in the surrounding sea territory. I can arrange for our agents to gather information for you. This will likely take some time."

Li Qing's face finally broke into a smile.

As expected, the Golden Abundance Trading Company was indeed a transcontinental power. Though its true strength remained unknown, it was likely considerable.

Establishing a connection with such a company and maintaining good relations would undoubtedly be advantageous.

"Then I shall await the merchant lord's good news. This Li takes his leave!"

With that, Li Qing departed from the Golden Abundance Trading Company's territory, escorted by Patriarch Si Kong, and returned to his cave abode.

"Collecting the essence blood of a high-grade snake demon alone is simply too difficult and unrealistic."

"As expected, I'll need to align myself with a powerful force like a merchant guild. That would save me a lot of trouble."

With that, Li Qing slowly regulated his breathing, settled into a meditative posture in his cave abode, and began cultivating the Nine Serpent Heart Sutra.

The entry-level practice of this technique emphasizes visualization. One must construct the image of a powerful snake demon within their sea of consciousness, continuously refining and solidifying it until the visualized serpent becomes permanently imprinted there.

Naturally, the more extraordinary the visualized serpent, the better.

"Forging divinity within the heart..."

Li Qing began his cultivation attempt. Though he had never seen the True Spirit Nine-Headed Serpent in its true form, he meticulously conjured a vivid image of what he imagined such a formidable serpent might look like.

Soon, a lifelike phantom shadow of a nine-headed serpent gradually materialized within his sea of consciousness.

The serpent possessed nine heads, each with icy, serpentine pupils that seemed as real as if they were truly present.

As Li Qing continued to refine the details, the nine-headed serpent seemed to come to life. Even the golden vertical pupils began to glow with a faint spark of vitality.

Lost in the process, Li Qing was about to complete the nine-headed serpent when he suddenly noticed a flicker of emotion in its eyes—a gaze filled with contempt and disdain.

Yes, the nine-headed serpent he had conjured was actually staring back at him with all nine heads!

In that instant, a melodious sound involuntarily triggered:

Exquisite Immortal Sound!

As the Exquisite Immortal Music filled his ears, the nine-headed serpent in Li Qing's sea of consciousness shuddered violently. The emotion and vitality in its golden vertical pupils rapidly dissipated.

Soon, only a lifeless image of the nine-headed serpent remained in his sea of consciousness, utterly lacking the lifelike presence it had possessed moments before.

"Hah!"

Li Qing's back was drenched in cold sweat, his body trembling faintly. When the nine-headed serpent had been staring at him, he could vividly sense an overwhelming pressure emanating from its form, as if the creature were about to come to life within his sea of consciousness!

This demonic heart method is truly sinister! How could it be so bizarre?!

Li Qing wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his voice trembling slightly.

He hesitated to continue cultivating, shaken by the eerie experience.

If not for the Exquisite Immortal Sound protecting me, I might have been in serious trouble just now.

"What exactly is this heart method? If I truly complete the visualization of the nine-headed serpent, will I still be myself? Will my body be directly possessed, or will I become a slave to the True Spirit Nine-Headed Serpent?"

Li Qing felt a wave of lingering fear. The demonic nature of this heart method had frightened him so much that he dared not continue practicing it.

"How could Fallen Soul Mountain reward me with such a heart method? There must be some grave issue hidden within it."

"Moreover, if this heart method is a crucial inheritance of Nine Serpent Island, doesn't that mean the entire island will become puppets of the True Spirit Nine-Headed Serpent?"

According to the heart method's description, the more extraordinary and powerful the visualized snake demon, the better!

Knowing of the True Spirit Nine-Headed Serpent's existence, Li Qing naturally gravitated toward visualizing its image.

Soon, Li Qing realized there might be some misunderstanding at play.

"No, that's wrong. Nine Serpent Island has always revered the True Spirit Nine-Headed Serpent, even considering it a deity. They would never choose it as a visualization target for their minds; that would be a grave act of disrespect."

"It seems true spirit-level beings truly cannot be casually approached."

As the saying goes, "The master leads you to the door, but cultivation depends on the individual." Li Qing had only obtained the heart method; he had no master to guide him through the door. He was completely unaware of the many taboos and considerations involved.

The Soulfall Mountain Spirit of the Nine Heavens Holy Sect used this cultivation technique as a reward for the trial, which naturally indicated that the technique was cultivatable and not some evil path secret technique.

"It seems I've taken the wrong path. For this entry-level visualization, I shouldn't have targeted the True Spirit Nine-Headed Serpent. Such beings shouldn't even be casually visualized."

"Whether it's the people of Nine Serpent Island or the disciples of the Nine Heavens Holy Sect, they would likely receive warnings before practicing this heart method. But I ventured alone and nearly went astray."

As he spoke, Li Qing realized that the image of the True Spirit Nine-Headed Serpent still lingered in his mind.