Snake Clan Celebration!

The lingering summer heat was cleaved apart by bursts of energy, Ji Xueruo, dressed in a black outfit, appeared in the sky above the ancestral land of the snake clan.

Behind her followed six representatives of the Demon Race, each dressed in a different style— the Golden Lion Clan in gilded battle robes, the White Elephant Clan in ivory necklaces, and the Azure Luan Clan in feathered cloaks—casting dappled shadows beneath the vermilion archway of the Snake Clan.

"Xue Ruo, but I am fortunate to have the trust of the Six Great Demon Clans." She clasped her hands in a gesture of respect, her attitude humble. "The journey has been long, and since you seniors have personally escorted Xue Ruo, why don't you come with me to the clan, so that I may fulfill my Xue Ruo a host?"

Ji Xueruo was already stunningly beautiful, and the great demons at the Feather Transformation Realm all looked at her with admiration, seeing her neither humble nor arrogant, and her extraordinary demeanor.

The Golden Lion Clan representative was the first to clasp his hands in greeting and laugh, "Clan Chief Xue Ruo, you're too kind! Now that we've safely delivered you, we must return to our clan to report."

"Besides, the Serpent Clan has just suffered a calamity, how could we possibly have the face to disturb them? Azure Luan Clan Chief Xue Ruo, there's no need to keep us here. In the future, once the Serpent Clan settles in the Divine Mountain, we will have a time to gather and celebrate." The representative of the Azure Phoenix Clan spoke in a way that was as gentle as a spring breeze. With a light wave of her jade hand, a jade box slowly floated out and flew towards Ji Xueruo. "Consider this Phoenix Lamp an apology gift from my Azure Luan Clan for our absence."

Before the words were even finished, the representatives of the other five clans cursed inwardly at how generous the Azure Luan Clan was, and then they also presented gift boxes one after another— Star Sand Silk Weaving, Amber Bottle containing fire essence, Mysterious Iron Anvil that could freeze water into ice... all of which were extremely precious magical Law Treasure.

Ji Xueruo accepted them one by one, a humble smile always on her lips, until the last Azure Luan Clan representative took his leave, at which point her back relaxed slightly.

Meanwhile, the snake women had been eagerly waiting on the other side of the archway. Upon seeing the representatives of the Six Great Demon Clans depart, they erupted in thunderous cheers.

Ji Lingruo squeezed to the front row with Xiao Ling, holding a freshly made chilled wax apple in her hands, the glistening fruit trembling gently in the Glazed Cup.

"Sister, you've worked so hard!" Ji Lingruo over the other women and tiptoed to hand over the lotus apple.

Ji Xueruo gave her younger sister a warm hug, saying, "You've worked hard too."

After exchanging pleasantries, the sisters were surrounded by the ecstatic snake women. Ji Xueruo had to deal with the enthusiastic little snake women while also answering the elders' excited questions.

Normally she always maintained the airs of a clan leader, but now that she had returned to the ancestral land of the snake clan, she felt her tense nerves, which had been strained from traveling among the various clans, relax, and she couldn't help but smile.

She glanced at the crowd but couldn't see the figure who shared her love for black. A fleeting sadness crossed her eyes; she knew that with the arrival of the six powerful demons at the Feather Transformation Realm, how could You Su possibly show her face in public?

Her trip to the sacred mountain was clearly a great success. Not only did she withstand the pressure and successfully unite the Six Great Demon Clans Golden Peng Clan, leaving a good impression on the six clans, but she also became a great contributor to exonerating the innocent and tragically killed Heavenly Dog Clan, and thus was once again summoned by the Immortal Ancestor Temple of Star Zhao Divine Mountain.

In an instant, all the great demons of the Divine Mountain noticed this snake clan chief who had reached the Water Condensing Upper Realm at the young age of eighteen. During this period, she was arguably the most prominent figure in the Star Zhao Divine Mountain.

Furthermore, rumors that Ji Xueruo had previously refused an invitation from the Immortal Ancestor Temple, yet was now being recognized by them again, demonstrated the Immortal Ancestor Temple 'Immortal Ancestor Temple high regard for her. Thus, before any doubts or hostility could surface, they transformed into warm smiles.

The once mighty Golden Peng Clan had committed the crime of extermination, and further scandals, orchestrated by the Six Great Demon Clans, had tarnished its reputation. The Heavenly Listener Immortal Official of the Immortal Ancestor Temple even personally came to punish them, sending the Golden Peng Clan leader and his core members to the coast to exorcise evil, while the remaining Golden Roc Golden Peng Clan were judged according to the severity of their crimes. The Golden Peng Clan, once one of the seven great Demon Race, had fallen from grace in just five days, a truly lamentable situation.

With the rapid decline of the Golden Peng Clan, a huge vacancy has appeared on the Divine Mountain. Coupled with the regular rise and fall every few years, all the demons on the Divine Mountain are speculating in their hearts that the Eastern Snake Clan will surely take advantage of this situation to rise up.

At the beginning of the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), thousands of fireflies rose from the crater of the ancestral land of the snake clan, and the ancestral hall of the snake clan was brightly lit by candles, turning the originally dark ancestral hall into daylight.

The snake women shed their usual cool and comfortable gauze dresses and donned neon-colored, scale-patterned long skirts. The snake scales behind their ears shimmered like jewels under the reflection of pearls, and as they moved, their skirts swayed, as if a hundred snakes were swimming across a galaxy.

Ji Xueruo sat upright in the main seat, her dark wide sleeves embroidered with white snakes, while Ji Lingruo beside her wore a crimson gauze dress, her blue scale earrings swaying gently as she raised her cup.

Ji Lingruo was initially unwilling to sit on the same throne as her elder sister, who was the clan leader, but she couldn't resist the insistence of Ji Xueruo and the other clan members. The two sisters, one cold and the other beautiful, were like the moon shining on a cold pool and the sunset dyeing spring water, making You Su unable to take his eyes off them. He kept exclaiming how wonderful it was to be able to see them!

The rosewood table was piled high with wine cups and delicacies, and in the corner tucked away were Cold Wind Fan brought by various families, bringing a cool breeze that also caused the snake women's skirts to flutter gracefully. You Su caught a glimpse of this dazzling whiteness and couldn't help but exclaim once again how damn good it was to be able to see it!

You Su's seat was right next to the seven elders, which shows how high his status is in the hearts of the snake women. When he first arrived, he probably wouldn't even have had a seat.

The banquet began, and naturally, it wasn't You Su's turn to speak. Ji Xueruo raised her wine cup and delivered a passionate speech to the people of her tribe, reminiscing about the past and looking forward to the future. Although it was cliché, it certainly inspired the snakes, and You Su listened with great interest, feeling that his wife was shining brightly, which made him proud as well.

As the banquet was in full swing, Elder Hua, who was sitting to his left, approached. Elder Hua was dressed in a pink tiered dress, with a gold hairpin shaped like a carnivorous flower tucked behind her ear. She picked up her wine cup, smiling sweetly:

"Our snake clan has been able to turn the tide today entirely thanks to Young Master You and the two young ladies. I toast Young Master You with a cup of wine."

"Elder Hua, please don't underestimate yourself. Without the combined efforts of the seven elders, the clan leader's plan would not have gone so smoothly." You Su raised his cup to clink glasses, naturally not wanting to miss the opportunity to get closer to the snake clan elder, and drank it down heartily.

Elder Hua was clearly pleased with the young man's words, and seeing that You Su had finished his drink in one gulp, he even took the initiative to refill his cup.

"You told me not to belittle myself, but why doesn't Young Master You mention his own contributions at all? That's insincere; you should be punished with a cup."

You Su raised an eyebrow, thinking that Elder Hua was not bad. Among the seven elders, she was the first to give him a kind look, so he decided not to refuse.

Liu Yinyin, who was at the front of the group of seven, caught a glimpse of the two chatting happily out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't help but grit her teeth and think to herself that Elder Hua was indeed the most shameless one.

The second elder, dressed in a red dress, touched her lips with vermilion ink, her smile as fiery as fire, "Young Master You would better be careful of this Hundred Flower Snake. She always likes to slip a little of her Flower Poison into our drinks. Poisoning people makes it seem like she has a huge capacity for alcohol."

You Su paused, the wine cup he had just brought to his lips, and looked at Elder Hua with surprise.

Elder Hua was so angry that her eyebrows shot up. "Stop talking nonsense! Elder Chi has a bad temper, but his poison is weak. I was just training your tolerance to poison!"

So, do you mean I should thank you?

Elder Chi was indeed short-tempered. His original intention was to speak up for You Su so that he could have a few drinks with him, but at this moment he was completely engrossed in his verbal dispute with Elder Hua.

You Su found the bickering between the two beauties quite amusing, but then he saw an elder in silver gauze raising a cup and walking towards him.

"Young Master You, please don't take offense. From the day you first arrived, I knew you were no ordinary person. Now that you have done a favor for the snake clan, I offer you a toast."

You Su naturally recognized Elder Yin, since she was the one who made things difficult for him the most during the Ice Room incident, so how could he have felt that she was extraordinary at first sight? However, You Su did not blame her; she was only concerned about the affairs of the Snake Clan, and she was also the one who supported him the most in the later work such as the renovation of the Ice Room.

"Elder Yin is joking. The snake clan is no ordinary race; I have merely benefited from their good fortune."

The remaining elders, each with their own unique beauty, followed closely behind Elder Yin, clinking glasses with You Su one by one. Amidst the clinking of glasses, they began to chat more. You Su then learned that the names of these elders all had origins; the true forms of these six elders in the demon Demon Race were the Hundred Flower Snake, the Crimson Chain Snake, the Red Chain Snake, the Silver Ring Snake Fragrant Snake, the Golden Thread Snake, and the Bamboo Leaf Green Snake.

The six elders toasted and drank with You Su, and the snake women below didn't find anything amiss. In fact, they were eager to join in, but they couldn't move around as freely as the elders. However, the sisters clinked glasses and joked around, which was quite fun. After all, the snake clan rarely had such a grand celebration, and everyone was caught up in the atmosphere.

Overjoyed at being completely accepted by the snake clan, You Su drank heartily. Enveloped in the rich aroma of wine and the cool scent of snake scales, he felt as if he were floating on air when he suddenly felt a coolness on his wrist—it was Liu Yinyin who had used her snake-headed staff to pull him out of the pile of rouge.

You Su's throat tightened. The two hadn't spoken much since that absurd day, and Liu Yinyin seemed to be avoiding him, so he took the initiative to raise his cup in a toast:

"Elder Liu... Elder Liu, congratulations on your progress in cultivation. I salute you."

Liu Yinyin nodded slightly and clinked glasses with him. Their fingers briefly touched as their glasses clinked, then quickly separated as if electrocuted. Liu Yinyin concealed her embarrassment well, saying, "Since this is a grand ceremony for the whole clan, there's no need to be so formal. The Eldest Young Lady and Second Young Lady should also offer their toasts."

You Su felt a chill run down his spine and cast a grateful glance at Liu Yinyin. Elder Liu was clearly reminding him that the two sisters upstairs had seen through his familiarity with the elders.

He dared not linger among the beauties any longer, and hastily apologized to the elders who were still reluctant to leave, then picked up his wine cup and headed towards the seat of honor. The elders dared not stop him, and could only look at the uneasy Liu Yinyin with resentful eyes.

"Elder Liu doesn't seem to drink at all, does she? She's making an exception for Young Master You." Elder Hua said sarcastically, secretly thinking that this Granny Liu not only cheated on them with food but also tried to prevent them from getting close to Young Master You. She was truly taking advantage of her age.

Liu Yinyin understood perfectly what she meant. To prevent these six fierce elders from saying anything more terrible that the Eldest Young Lady and Second Young Lady might hear, she had no choice but to use wine to silence their gossip.

After several rounds of drinks, Elder Crimson Flame suddenly clapped his hands, and the bonfire outside the hall was lit in response.

A hundred-foot- Crimson Flame soared into the sky, transforming into a serpentine shape. The snake maidens removed their embroidered shoes and leaped into the fire ring, their ankle bells resonating in unison. Their steps swayed to the rhythm of the tambourines, and their flowing sleeves created a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

The snake race are all charming and graceful women, naturally skilled in singing and dancing. How could they possibly be the dull and uninteresting female demons that Ji Lingruo she politely rejected Yu Xiaoran?

The beautiful scenery that Yu Xiaoran longed for but could not obtain was now being seen in its entirety by You Su.

The usually shy Xiao Ling became unusually unrestrained when she danced, her skirt unfolding like lotus petals as her toes touched the ground, moving clumsily yet vividly in the firelight.

"Good!" Elder Hua clapped his hands and shouted, then flew into the dance floor, his wide sleeves billowing like flowing clouds, each step landing precisely on the most intense beat of the drums.

"You old rascal! Trying to outdo a junior!" Elder Chi laughed and scolded, waving a red silk ribbon. The fiery ribbon cleaved through the air in a scorching arc, heading straight for Elder Hua.

You Su leaned against the wisteria trellis, the amber wine swirling gently in her glass.

He admired the hundred snakes dancing in the sea of fire when he suddenly felt a tightness on his wrist— Ji Lingruo had grabbed his wrist, the girl's breath, tinged with the scent of alcohol, brushing against his ear:

"Senior brother, dance with me."

Before he could answer, she playfully pulled him onto the dance floor. You Su smiled knowingly; the atmosphere was so inviting that even he, who had only danced once before, instinctively wanted to move, but unsure how, he could only stammer:

"Junior sister... I don't know how."

Ji Lingruo the heat, and she felt like the happiest person in the world. She hooked her fingertips around the boy's palm and said with a mischievous smile:

"Foolish! Wouldn't it be perfect to dance using the footwork of the Mandarin Duck Sword?"

You Su suddenly realized, and immediately felt confident, gripping the soft hand in her palm tightly.

When the women saw the handsome couple enter the dance floor, they instinctively made way for them, all looking on with anticipation.

As the first note of string and wind instruments sounded, You Su suddenly spun around, pulling Ji Lingruo's wide sleeves along with her. Their hair intertwined like two cranes with their necks entwined, while their footwork subtly matched the starting stance of the Mandarin Duck Sword.

The tacit understanding they cultivated day and night made them work together seamlessly. Their steps in the duet grew faster and faster, and their staggered turns resembled two yin-yang fish, their heads and tails intertwined. This perfect couple, born for each other, were inseparable and deeply in love, captivating all the women who watched.

As the final spin ended, Ji Lingruo suddenly leaned back, You Su caught her waist at just the right moment. The girl's black hair cascaded down to within three inches of the fire, eliciting a collective gasp.

Wow! So beautiful!

"Wonderful! Wonderful!"

Even the usually composed Liu Yinyin couldn't help but clap and cheer, not to mention the excited snake women who flocked to her.

"One more song! One more song!"

The atmosphere outside the hall was lively, Ji Xueruo stood alone in front of the hall door, her fingertips quietly digging into her palm.

Watching her younger sister dance so freely with her lover, she couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.

Her status as the head of her clan ironically made it the hardest for her to fit into the boisterous crowd.

Suddenly, she saw You Su turn around and look at her, his gaze piercing through the hot smoke of the campfire like an arrow. What was hidden in that glance made her throat tighten, and she quickly looked away.

You Su's dance froze, Ji Lingruo sensed his feelings faster than anyone else.

After another light spin, the girl, panting, leaned on You Su's shoulder. "I'll go and trick my sister into coming here."

Before You Su could stop her, she raised an eyebrow, tapped his palm three times with her fingertips, and then slithered out of his embrace like a nimble snake, running towards the pillar...