Serpent Spirit User · Lv Man

Beneath the blazing sun, Yan Qingshan sat cross-legged before the thatched hut in the valley. Peach-red flames rose as medicinal fragrance wafted from the medicine cauldron before him, where several differently colored liquids were attempting to merge.

Puff...

After another soft sound, a plume of black smoke rose from the medicine cauldron. This attempt had clearly failed again. Exhausted, Yan Qingshan slammed a fist into the ground. Though he improved with every attempt, the repeated failures were beginning to irritate him.

Xiao Yi Xian hurried over to comfort him. "Brother Qingshan, don't rush. Pill refinement can't be rushed. Look at this attempt—if you hadn't gotten impatient at the end and made the flames too fierce, you might have succeeded!"

Xuelan and Qingling also came over. Sitting on the soft blanket beside him with her long legs stretched out, Xuelan gently touched his forehead, wanting him to lie down. "You've been going nonstop these past few days. You must be in poor condition. Lie down and rest first!"

"No. I have a feeling that this time, I'll definitely succeed."

Yan Qingshan, normally calm and composed, was unusually stubborn this time. Even the long legs he habitually sneaked a feel of now and then could not change his mind. His bloodshot eyes fixed on Qingling. "Qingling, prepare another batch of herbs for me. Quickly."

"Young Master!"

Qingling wanted to refuse, but when she met Yan Qingshan's tired yet resolute gaze, she could never refuse her young master. She rose and went to select another set of the gathered medicinal herbs.

Two stalks of Azure Spirit Grass, one stalk of Underworld Grass, one Primordial Yang Fruit, and one Wood Attribute Magic Core—this was the formula for a second-tier Rejuvenation Pill. This second-tier Rejuvenation Pill held special meaning for the original Yan Qingshan.

Having tried for many days without producing any results, Yan Qingshan wearily closed his eyes. A voice in his heart kept urging him to try once more, then once more. Though he knew his condition was not quite right, Yan Qingshan did not resist the urge much, because he knew it stemmed from the original owner's obsession.

The original Yan Qingshan had once possessed a fairly happy and warm home in Qingshan Town, but after he turned ten, everything changed.

"Nothing is worse than having no money; nothing is worse than being sick!"

That saying applied in any world, especially to common families at the bottom of society. Living was truly not easy. For an ordinary family, a serious illness meant hardship at best, and at worst... no money meant no life.

Yan Qingshan's father had been a mercenary in Qingshan Town, while his mother had been a cook. Their family was not wealthy, but they had lived reasonably well.

Unfortunately, because she had not been properly cared for after giving birth to Yan Qingshan, his mother had always been in poor health. Years of overwork eventually turned into illness, and when he was ten, sickness completely shattered the family's peace.

His father, once always smiling, gradually fell silent and became even more reckless whenever the mercenary group went out. The home that had once been filled with laughter was replaced by constant coughing and the heavy scent of medicine.

But in the end, she was still gone. What took his mother was not some incurable disease, but treatment required medicinal pills.

A second-tier Rejuvenation Pill was not something an ordinary family could afford, and without the right connections, one could not even come into contact with such a healing elixir.

Yan Qingshan's mother's death seemed to prove one saying: there was only one kind of illness in this world—the illness of poverty. Afterward, Yan Qingshan's father became almost lifeless, shuttling between the mercenary group and home every day. Two years later, an accident utterly destroyed the family.

Yan Qingshan had inherited everything from the original owner, naturally including all those karmic entanglements. A second-tier Rejuvenation Pill had been far too deeply etched into the original Yan Qingshan's heart. Even knowing that directly attempting a second-tier pill was irrational, Yan Qingshan continued trying again and again as if possessed.

It was not that he had truly become obsessed. This concerned a knot buried in the subconscious of this body. If he did not untie it, it would only cause greater trouble in the future.

"If you won't rest, at least eat and drink something to replenish your strength. You can't exhaust your body."

Xuelan and Xiao Yi Xian could only sigh helplessly. Xiao Yi Xian had long told Xuelan and Qingling about Yan Qingshan's past, and they understood that he was trapped by a knot only he himself could untie. Still, seeing him neglect his health like this truly pained them.

"I'm fine!"

Yan Qingshan took the hot food and meat soup. He quickly filled his stomach with white steamed buns and the soup. Just as he was about to close his eyes again for a brief rest and adjust his condition, blue light suddenly flashed in his eyes. His body shot forward, and he grabbed Qingling around the waist from behind before retreating with her.

A series of crisp rumbles rang out. In the more than ten meters of Open Space where Qingling had been standing, between it and where Yan Qingshan's group had just been, countless blades of grass grew wildly as though mad.

Green light emerged, and the grass covering the ground broke through its natural limits, transforming into countless thick green trunks. The trunks lashed toward Yan Qingshan's group like lightning and intertwined with one another, forming enormous wooden cages that seemed intent on imprisoning them within.

"Crimson Serpent!"

As Yan Qingshan retreated, he shook Qingling's wrist. The Two-headed Fire Spirit Snake, Crimson Serpent, which had been disguised as an ornament, suddenly expanded. A terrifying pillar of molten fire then burned the enormous wooden cages to ashes.

Only then did Xuelan and Xiao Yi Xian react. Yan Qingshan had already returned to their side with Qingling, and the four of them and the snake looked toward one side of the valley at the same time.

A pale green figure standing atop the valley's high cliff suddenly shot downward. The green-clad figure was terrifyingly fast, closing in on the ground in the blink of an eye. Just before landing, a pair of green wings unfolded from her back. With a spread of those wings, her descent slowed, and she landed steadily before swiftly arriving in front of Yan Qingshan's group.

"Young Master, I feel that she's even stronger than Crimson Serpent. Be careful!"

Qingling leaned close to Yan Qingshan's ear and spoke softly. Yan Qingshan looked at the unfamiliar expert before him, a faint gleam appearing in his eyes. He seemed to have thought of something.

"A Dou Emperor!"

Yan Qingshan looked directly at the woman in green and cautiously asked.

"Hehe, little brother, you've got some nerve and sharp eyes. Of course, this little girl is even better. I'm getting more and more interested in her!"

The green-clad woman was rather delicate in appearance. Though her figure was not as voluptuous as Xuelan's, it was still fiery. Her limpid eyes carried a peculiar seductive charm, and the shifting glances in her eyes as she spoke were extremely enticing.

After giggling and teasing Yan Qingshan, she fixed her gaze on Qingling. Seeing Qingling beside the Two-headed Fire Spirit Snake, with her eyes displaying the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, the smile in her eyes deepened. Having confirmed Qingling's identity, she was determined to have her.

"You're from the Heavenly Serpent Mansion."

Yan Qingshan spoke abruptly after studying her for a moment. Caught off guard by being recognized so suddenly, the green-clad woman's gaze froze.