Chapter 1017: Conflict

Li Qing had initially intended to erase the nine-headed serpent he had visualized in his mind and replace it with the image of another snake demon.

However, he quickly realized that the serpent no longer radiated its previous chilling aura. It seemed the Exquisite Immortal Sound had purified it, preventing any autonomous consciousness from arising.

He hesitated for a moment. After all, this was a supreme taboo entity. Should he truly use it to cultivate the Nine Serpent Heart Sutra?

This was a true spirit-level snake demon. Using it to cultivate the Nine Serpent Heart Sutra would undoubtedly yield extraordinary results.

After all, few snake demons in the world could rival the nine-headed serpent in power. The assistance it would provide in cultivation would surely surpass all imagination.

Li Qing felt tempted. Since the Exquisite Immortal Sound had eliminated the potential dangers of visualizing the nine-headed serpent, what was there to fear?

Without further hesitation, Li Qing committed himself fully, using the serpent as his foundation to begin cultivating the Nine Serpent Heart Sutra.

"Forge the divine within your heart, strengthen your inner self," he murmured, reciting the scriptures as he commenced his cultivation.

He quickly achieved entry into the heart method. With the nine-headed serpent as his foundation, his progress was astonishingly rapid. With each cycle of the heart method, the serpent in his sea of consciousness grew increasingly solid and tangible.

Throughout this period, Li Qing remained vigilant, fearing a recurrence of the earlier incident.

Fortunately, the nine-headed serpent's pupils remained lifeless, showing no signs of awakening.

As his cultivation progressed, Li Qing clearly felt the benefits of the heart method. His divine soul, mana, and fleshly body were all improving in perfect synchronization!

Although his cultivation level hadn't increased, his actual strength was steadily growing.

"The Nine Serpent Heart Sutra may not be a True Spirit Inheritance, but it's probably not far off," he mused.

"And this is just the entry level of the first layer! Yet my strength has already increased so much. It's truly astonishing."

Li Qing marveled inwardly, gradually grasping the essence of the heart method and executing it with increasing fluency.

Soon, he became completely immersed in his cultivation, unable to tear himself away.

Of course, all this was due to his use of the nine-headed serpent as the foundation for his entry. If he had visualized any other snake demon, the rate of progress would never have been so extraordinary.

If the higher-ups of Nine Serpent Island were to learn of Li Qing's extraordinary encounter, they would undoubtedly revere him as a celestial being, perhaps even declaring him their holy son.

The True Spirit Nine-Headed Serpent was a forbidden entity, its form endlessly mutable. Attempting to visualize it within one's sea of consciousness would inevitably lead to either a swift death or enslavement as its puppet.

This creature was notoriously difficult to kill. Even severing all nine heads and annihilating its demon spirit on the spot might not guarantee its demise. As long as someone continued to visualize the nine-headed serpent within their sea of consciousness, it could draw upon that connection to regenerate.

Days turned into weeks, and since beginning his cultivation of the Nine Serpent Heart Sutra, Li Qing had rarely left his cave abode. He intended to fully master the first layer of the technique before emerging, a breakthrough that would significantly enhance his strength.

Meanwhile, the outside world remained in turmoil. As more and more young prodigies from various clans reached the void refinement realm, conflicts intensified.

Among them, the Crimson Phoenix Holy Son of the Flying Spirit Clan stood out most prominently. The Crimson Phoenix True Blood within him had undergone further awakening, fueling the clan's hopes that he might one day truly transform into a true spirit.

After a period of seclusion, the Crimson Phoenix Holy Son emerged from his retreat. He personally ascended Wild Bull Ridge, seeking justice for his fallen clansmen.

News of this event spread rapidly, causing a stir among all the races. No one had expected the Crimson Phoenix Holy Son to dare visit Wild Bull Ridge alone—it was truly astonishing.

However, when they recalled the inter-clan agreement recently issued, everyone understood the situation.

Old monsters in the body integration realm were forbidden from intervening; otherwise, all the races would unite to eliminate them.

"He's certainly confident, challenging Wild Bull Ridge to battle alone. Does he think he's invincible in the void refinement realm?"

"But he's the holy son, bearing the Crimson Phoenix True Blood! What if an old monster from Wild Bull Ridge takes a desperate gamble, kills him, and steals his blood? Wouldn't that be incredibly dangerous?"

"Heh, if you can think of that, the Flying Spirit Clan's higher-ups certainly have too. They'll undoubtedly have an old monster from their clan secretly protecting him."

"That makes sense. This might even be a trap to lure out Wild Bull Ridge's elders, allowing the Flying Spirit Clan to use the other races' strength to strike against Wild Bull Ridge."

Regardless of the true motives, the Crimson Phoenix Holy Son's actions had indeed captured the world's attention, drawing countless eyes.

At that moment, outside Wild Bull Ridge, the Crimson Phoenix Holy Son stood with his fire-like wings spread wide, his face cold as he gazed at the primeval mountain range before him.

"What's this? Is there not a single warrior in the mighty Barbarian Bull Clan brave enough to face me in battle?"

The Crimson Phoenix Holy Son amplified his voice with divine sense, his words booming like thunderous bells, shaking the entire mountain range.

He had come today with murderous intent, determined to slaughter the middle and younger generations of Wild Bull Ridge and cripple the clan's future.

Soon after his challenge, movement stirred within Wild Bull Ridge. The ground began to tremble faintly.

Moments later, a line of burly bull-headed men wielding massive axes charged out of the mountains.

Leading the charge was an Old Black Bull, followed by the Little Bull King and over a dozen other Barbarian Bull Clan members, all possessing cultivation at the void refinement realm!

Each Barbarian Bull Clan member exuded a refined aura, clearly seasoned experts who had long since mastered the void refinement realm.

"Motherfucker! You think you're so tough, daring to challenge us alone at our doorstep!"

"Kill him! Slaughter this mangy bird, pluck his feathers, and use them to spice our wine!"

"Heh heh, I've heard this red-haired holy son carries True Spirit Blood. Today, we'll drain every last drop!"

The Barbarian Bull Clan members were wild with excitement, itching to tear the Crimson Phoenix Holy Son apart.

The Crimson Phoenix Holy Son's expression shifted dramatically as he witnessed the scene. He hadn't expected the Barbarian Bull Clan to be so unscrupulous, resorting to a group attack.

"You... do you dare face me in single combat?!"

The Old Black Bull's response was equally blunt: "I'll fight your old wood! You came here to challenge us, why are you backing down now?"

"Niu Shan, activate the Iron Bull Bell! Seal this area off—let's see where he thinks he can fly!"

The Little Bull King nodded eagerly. "Right away!"

Unbeknownst to the holy son, the Little Bull King had already advanced to the void refinement realm and acquired a rare treasure from the clan.