Chapter 710 - 652: News of the Ancient Ba Snake

Chapter 710: Chapter 652: News of the Ancient Ba Snake

But even in these chaotic times, that was no excuse to be a beggar. Still, he had to admit this group of beggars was smart about their location. They knew that people who came to burn incense believed in gods and Buddhas and might be inspired to acts of charity, allowing them to beg for a considerable sum. If they encountered someone truly benevolent, they might even receive something precious.

Tu Xiao’an then saw a stall selling incense and candles. With the Azure Dragon Statue here, people flocked to it, drawn by its fame. Selling incense and candles in this spot was a great idea.

The stall owner was a deeply wrinkled old woman in a wheelchair, with a bag of incense and candles hanging from it. She was making her own living, struggling to survive in these chaotic times.

As he carefully surveyed his surroundings, Tu Xiao’an was astonished. ’Looks like I missed a lot by holing up in the Yaoling Mountain Range for a few months.’

The Cyan Dragon had already gained so many followers; the crowd was practically an endless stream.

’Did another one of Taotie’s avatars appear to wreak havoc on the populace, only to be stopped by the Cyan Dragon? Or is the Cyan Dragon’s reputation alone enough to draw these crowds?’

Tu Xiao’an walked toward the Azure Dragon Statue. Without bringing incense, offering a prayer, or even bowing, he went straight to the statue’s side. This act immediately drew the ire of many onlookers.

Tu Xiao’an could only give a wry smile, pretending not to hear the murmurs of displeasure. He leaned against the Azure Dragon Statue and said nonchalantly, "My dear Celestial Master Zhang, you’re living the good life, aren’t you? You’ve even got a huge fanbase."

"Master, why have you come?"

A faint voice emanated from the Azure Dragon Statue, one only Tu Xiao’an could hear.

"Have any of Taotie’s avatars charged through here recently?"

"No. Ever since you had me stand guard here, Master, I haven’t seen a single Fierce Beast."

’So the visitors really are just here for the Cyan Dragon’s reputation,’ Tu Xiao’an thought, a little irked.

For him, a mere snake, to win the faith of the human populace, he had to work his tail off and deliver concrete results.

Otherwise, aside from the people of Bai Town, no one in the other regions would give a damn about a snake like him.

This was also the insurmountable gap between a snake and a dragon.

As for why no more Fierce Beasts were coming to Bai Town, Tu Xiao’an had a pretty good idea. Wencheng must have stationed experts near the War Relics at Wenjialing. Now, even if one of Taotie’s avatars broke through, it would be killed instantly by those human masters.

So, for the time being, peace had settled over Wencheng and its surrounding areas.

However, the real problem was not yet solved. This was merely the calm before the storm.

"Master, you made a special trip today. Is something wrong?" Celestial Master Zhang asked. It knew that Tu Xiao’an had moved his entire family to the Snake Palace in the Yaoling Mountain Range.

’If it wasn’t something important, he wouldn’t have the spare time to come see me.’

Tu Xiao’an said lightly, "That’s right. Celestial Master, I’m afraid you can’t continue to enjoy this peaceful life. The Yellow Demon King and the Gray Demon King of the Yaoling Mountain Range have united the Twelve Great Races to wipe out my Snake Race. Your master needs your help."

The Cyan Dragon was a Demon King now, one of Tu Xiao’an’s key powerhouses. Besides, Bai Town was peaceful at the moment, so it didn’t temporarily need the Cyan Dragon to stand guard. Its presence or absence wouldn’t make a difference for now.

On the other hand, Tu Xiao’an needed the extra strength, so his only choice was to take the Cyan Dragon with him.

Since he couldn’t summon his Battle Companion from within the Yaoling Mountain Range, he had no choice but to make the trip himself.

Tu Xiao’an had initially considered bringing Bureau Chief Wu Tianyi along as well, but on second thought, Wencheng needed him to hold down the fort. Besides, it wouldn’t be appropriate for a human to get involved in the demons’ infighting.

"I will follow all of Master’s arrangements." Celestial Master Zhang naturally had no objections. It was a Battle Companion; it would fight wherever its master pointed.

"Then let’s go," Tu Xiao’an said, preparing to disappear suddenly.

But Celestial Master Zhang suddenly said, "Wait, Master. There is something I wish to report."

"What else is there?"

"Although Bai Town has not been visited by any Fierce Beasts, two months ago, a Snake Spirit at the Peak stage of second Rank Cultivation tried to enter. I stopped it, but the Snake Spirit wouldn’t give up. It tried to sneak in and force its way past me several times, and I threw it out each time."

Tu Xiao’an laughed. "Just a mere Snake Spirit? Does it think it can enter Bai Town and wreak havoc? The nerve of it!"

"I was originally going to swallow that impudent Snake Spirit whole, but I could see its bloodline was extraordinary. And since you, Master, are now the King of the Snake Clan, I decided to show mercy."

"An extraordinary bloodline? What kind of Snake Species was it?" Tu Xiao’an asked casually, not thinking much of it.

Celestial Master Zhang said, "It’s a variant bloodline of the Ancient Ba Snake, not at all inferior to my own former Hu Snake bloodline."

"What? An Ancient Ba Snake?" Tu Xiao’an was stunned. Realization dawned on him, and he hurriedly asked, "Does that Ba Snake also possess a Water Element Ability?"

Celestial Master Zhang was taken aback. "How did you know, Master? You’re acquainted with it?"

’Acquainted? I know it all too well.’ That Ba Snake was the most powerful Snake Species he had encountered in his early days. It had an Ancient Bloodline, knew how to cultivate innately, possessed exceptional Talent, and had an extraordinary pedigree with limitless potential for growth. On top of all that, it even had a damn Water Element Ability. He remembered it vividly.

In his entire existence, Tu Xiao’an had only ever encountered two snakes that could control Elemental Power.

The first was this Ancient Ba Snake, and the second was the Mutated Bloodsucker Snake.

The two of them, one with Water and one with fire, were even more formidable than a King Snake.

"Where is that Ba Snake now?" Tu Xiao’an was extremely interested in its Water Element Ability.

Besides, this Ba Snake didn’t just have a noble and extraordinary bloodline; it was also a genius, having figured out how to use a human womb to birth its offspring. His own Evil Snake was a descendant of that Ba Snake.

Back then, Tu Xiao’an was still weak. Even with his Thunder Power, he was no match for the Ba Snake. If the Ba Snake hadn’t taken a fancy to his Power of Thunder and Lightning, wanting him to help it cross its tribulation in the future, the situation likely wouldn’t have been resolved so easily.

Speaking of which, he still had that agreement with the Ba Snake about Crossing the Tribulation.

But that Ba Snake could have never imagined that the snake Tu Xiao’an was back then was a shadow of his current self. Not only had he crossed his tribulation and ascended far faster than it, but he was now the exalted King of the Snake Clan—its direct superior.

He wondered what it would think if it saw him now.

The Ba Snake had a high-grade bloodline and was born with a silver spoon in its mouth, allowing it to cultivate quickly. But compared to Tu Xiao’an, that was nothing.

"I don’t know where it is now. That Snake Spirit is very sly. It always tries to sneak into Bai Town in the middle of the night. I have no idea what it’s trying to do," the Cyan Dragon said in frustration.

Tu Xiao’an gave a faint smile. "It’s looking for your master. Me."

’Is the Ba Snake about to cross its tribulation?’

When they first met, the Ba Snake was Level 27. It had said it would need several more years before Crossing the Tribulation. But with the world undergoing such drastic changes and nature’s spiritual energy growing so dense, it must have had some other fortunate encounter, causing its tribulation to arrive early.

’If it wasn’t for the tribulation, there’s no way it would be looking for me.’

The Ba Snake controlled the Water Element. It wasn’t afraid of Celestial Fire, but it feared Celestial Thunder. Wanting to enter Bai Town, it must need his help to resist the might of the Celestial Thunder.

"Haha, I’m not leaving just yet. I’ll stay here for the night and see if I can run into that Ba Snake."

If the Ba Snake’s tribulation was truly imminent, it would definitely come again.

Tu Xiao’an had it figured out completely.

And so, Tu Xiao’an didn’t return directly to the Yaoling Mountain Range, but stayed. As he watched tourist after tourist burn incense and make wishes before the Azure Dragon Statue, he felt a pang of jealousy.

’Dragons really have it good. They can do nothing and still earn the faith of so many humans.’

These tourists, many of them came from other places drawn by its fame. Very few were locals from Bai Town.

The people of Bai Town were still very loyal; their hearts belonged only to him, the Bai Town Snake King. This, at least, was a source of great comfort to Tu Xiao’an.

As time passed, Tu Xiao’an couldn’t help but ponder: if he ran into the Ba Snake, how should he deal with it?

Should he swallow the Ba Snake whole and seize its Water Element Ability, or should he subdue and recruit it?

In terms of recruiting and cultivating it, the Ancient Ba Snake certainly had the potential and qualifications. If Tu Xiao’an put in a little effort, it wouldn’t be difficult for this Ba Snake to leap over the Dragon Gate and become a Demon King.

The thing was, Tu Xiao’an didn’t really need to recruit more Snake Species to cultivate anymore. More importantly, the Ba Snake’s Water Ability was simply too tempting to him.

He had witnessed the power of the Water Ability firsthand. If he could master it, his own strength would rise to another level.

Then, he would wield the power of six different Elements.