Dragon Raises Its Head on the Second Day of the Second Month

Five years later.

Mount Hua was the Northern Sacred Mountain. In winter, it was a frozen world, as beautiful as an immortal realm; when the ice and snow melted, spring returned to the earth.

Jingzhe, "Awakening of Insects," meant the stirring of hibernating creatures in the first lunar month. In the tranquil study, all things emerged from Zhen; Zhen was thunder, hence the name Jingzhe. Insects and animals seemed to be roused from sleep by spring sunshine and spring thunder, which was why this solar term was called "Awakening of Insects." White Snake, who had been sleeping soundly in the hall, shifted slightly.

On the second day of the second month, the dragon raised its head. Spring arrived, and people hoped the divine dragon would suppress all harmful venomous insects and bring them a bountiful harvest. The dragon raising its head also signified yang energy rising from beneath the earth, awakening all hibernating creatures and restoring their activity, corresponding to the solar term Jingzhe. There was also a folk custom that women were forbidden from sewing or embroidering on this day, lest sharp needles injure the dragon's eyes.

On this day, White Snake raised her head and woke groggily. Outside the main hall, the snow was melting as the weather warmed. Snowmelt dripped from the green roof tiles like falling rain.

For some reason, a deep unease always lingered in the depths of her soul—a terror she had never felt before.

And that unease came from the heavens...

White Snake raised her head and sucked an entire crate of Failed Pills and medicinal dregs into her mouth. After wriggling a few times to change position, she continued hibernating, absorbing the medicine to build up her strength. Faced with danger, her instincts told her to eat her fill and replenish her stamina for the coming crisis.

The spring chill still bit to the bone. White Snake had no intention of going outside; low temperatures would stiffen her body, slow her thoughts, and make her less nimble.

She slept for another two months.

Spring rain beat against pear blossoms, while the spring breeze brushed against faces; when spring came to the human world, even grass and trees knew it.

In spring, cats lay on rooftops with their bellies exposed, basking in the warm sunlight. Wildflowers covered the mountain, and pear trees bloomed as white as snow. Countless young couples carried umbrellas on spring outings, while even the sect master went to the sea of flowers to taste tea and discuss wine. It was truly carefree.

Qingxu Palace.

Yu Rong walked out of the hall, frowning as she looked toward the sky. For some reason, the pressure in the heavens seemed to be growing denser and denser.

Her jade fingers moved rapidly as she calculated. Then she turned to look at White Snake, who had been punished by having to balance a red candle on her head as a lampstand. This fellow had woken yesterday and stolen a stalk of Spirit Grass. Though it was not particularly precious, Yu Rong had been very angry and punished her for it.

"Big White, put down the candle and come here."

White Snake carefully set down the candle, then slithered before Yu Rong and coiled herself up. She looked at her nominal boss. Five years had passed, yet this beautiful expert had not aged at all—if anything, she had grown younger. Her cultivation must have improved greatly for that to happen. Worthy indeed of being one of the Chunyang Five.

"Have you constantly felt frightened and uneasy?" Yu Rong asked.

White Snake thought about it. That really did seem to be the case, so she nodded.

"This is the Demon Beast Tribulation. If you pass it, the benefits will be great. If you fail, your soul will scatter and your bones will vanish without a trace. You must have eaten plenty of Failed Pills and medicinal dregs these past years, yet you were able to absorb and transform them. Not bad. For the next few days, stay obediently and recuperate for your tribulation. But it would be best not to undergo it within the sect, and do not even think of hiding from it."

White Snake froze dumbly, not even noticing when Yu Rong left.

The tribulation...

Those two words felt as though twenty tons of TNT had been buried in her heart, with someone setting a fire beside it. The sorrow was beyond words.

Human cultivators did not need to worry about heavenly tribulations at all. They only had to cultivate diligently, and at most, when they reached the pinnacle and prepared to ascend, they would undergo a tribulation to see whether they were the real thing or merely all show. Other species had it far worse. They faced a tribulation not long after beginning cultivation, then another when ascending. One more than humans—do not underestimate that one extra trial. Most demons met their end there.

It would have been fine if passing a tribulation made their strength soar, but after surviving it, they were still only little demons. One blast from a human cultivator's magic treasure, and they were finished. It was practically species discrimination!

Xu Ling looked at White Snake with pity in her eyes. Five years had passed, and Xu Ling had become a graceful young beauty. No cultivator was ugly, and Xu Ling was a little beauty among beauties—pretty, adorable, and somewhat mischievous.

That fellow Yang Mu wore the expression of a thousand-year iceberg. He was either practicing swordsmanship or doing coursework. Yet after learning that White Snake was going to undergo a tribulation, he still took out all his Healing Pills. The meaning in his eyes was obvious. His whole face said only three words: Don't die.

Inside the hall.

Xu Ling pouted and grabbed Yu Rong's sleeve, shaking it wildly.

"Master~ Big White is so pitiful. Just give her two or three Spirit Tools to help her get through the tribulation~"

Yang Mu stood beside them. Though he said nothing, his meaning was much the same as Xu Ling's. He hoped their master would give White Snake a few good items so she could safely pass the tribulation. Qingxu Palace had only three people and one snake. If one of them were gone, would they not be bored to death?

The Spirit Tools Xu Ling spoke of were the legendary magic treasures. They came in different tiers: the lowest were Magic Tools, followed by Spirit Tools and Treasure Tools, with higher tiers beyond those, though they were rarely seen. Each tier was further divided into four grades—for example, low-grade Magic Tools, mid-grade Magic Tools, high-grade Magic Tools, and top-grade Magic Tools. Magic treasures could increase combat strength and defense, and even possess many other special functions. They were essentials for cultivators.

Yu Rong shook her head. This girl had learned nothing else, yet she had learned how to act cute. In all of Chunyang Palace, only their branch possessed such warmth.

"Demonic cultivation is exceedingly difficult. We humans are the spirits of all things and are spared many twists and turns. Demons are different. Gaining Spiritual Intelligence is already incomparably difficult, yet when their cultivation achieves something, they must still face heavenly tribulations. For beasts and birds to cultivate is to defy the heavens themselves; the danger is immense."

"For demons, using magic treasures to cross a tribulation is the worst strategy. If they rely on external objects to survive, then when they later take human form, they will find it difficult to transform completely. Neither human nor beast, even their Spiritual Intelligence will be lacking. Therefore, demons can only use their bodies to withstand the heavenly tribulation and accept its cleansing. Only then can they wash away the dust of mortality and build a solid foundation. Snake Child will not perish, so you may set your minds at ease."

"Oh..."

Xu Ling nodded to show that she understood, though she remained nervous inside.

"I have a task for you. Snake Child must go down the mountain to undergo her tribulation, and someone must be present to prevent petty villains from taking advantage of the chaos. You two will personally protect Snake Child, and while you are at it, experience the might of heaven and earth."

"Yes!"

Though they had failed to obtain Spirit Tools to assist her, protecting White Snake was not bad either. Surely no one would dare stir up trouble in the face of Chunyang's wrath. After thinking it over, Xu Ling darted out the door. She felt that she and her senior brother were too few in number, so she decided to call on some friends through her connections. One more person meant one more layer of protection.

Not long after.

Yang Mu looked around at the dozen or so female cultivators with a headache. They were all Xu Ling's friends. More than ten beauties chirped away about beauty pills and body-shaping pills, while several young male disciples followed behind them. They were either Xu Ling's admirers or the pursuers of those female cultivators. Yang Mu tried his best not to kick them all flying, then turned around speechlessly and flew toward the mountain gate on his sword. There would be no peace with all that chattering.

White Snake slowly made her way to the mountain gate with a Large Gourd in her mouth. It was filled with all kinds of Failed Pills, along with the finest healing spirit medicines Xu Ling and Yang Mu had given her.

Yang Mu landed and left the sect beside White Snake.

Before long, a flock of chirping female cultivators and their followers poured out of the gate and headed down the mountain, leaving the disciples on guard duty at the entrance dumbfounded.

White Snake was very happy. The gloom brought by the dark clouds that had gathered above her head for days without dispersing lightened considerably. What demon beasts feared most during tribulation was someone interfering. Demon beasts were usually lone wanderers, after all. Their natural enemies would never let such an opportunity pass, and human cultivators were even worse—like cats that smelled blood, they would pursue relentlessly.

After successfully passing a tribulation, demon beasts entered a period of weakness and were easily captured. They could be taken as mounts or thugs, or simply cut open and gutted.

If they failed the tribulation, people could still gather whatever bones, hide, and flesh remained after the lightning tribulation to use as pill-refining materials. In short, it was a business guaranteed not to lose money.