What a Huge Snake

After devouring the Child-Eyed Si Snake, scene after scene began to emerge.

Spring, Thirty-Sixth Year of Zhaoyang Country

Something had fallen from the sky, landing in the Great Wasteland region. It resembled a human eye and could parasitize animals or humans, multiplying and spreading on a massive scale. It had thrown the Great Wasteland region into turmoil.

Dragon-Raising Temple had captured quite a few of those evil eye creatures. After killing them, they tossed the remains into the Snake Abyss.

Yet... among this information, Su Qingqiu had not found how that Great Green Snake had become infected.

"Exorcism and Blessing says this is something belonging to the Hundred-Eyed Devil... Hundred-Eyed Devil... what kind of demon is that? It could throw the entire Great Wasteland region of Zhaoyang Country into turmoil all by itself..."

"Now, even the Snake Abyss has not been spared. I wonder whether those bald monks of Dragon-Raising Temple have noticed."

Su Qingqiu drew a sharp breath.

It made him feel that the Snake Abyss really was safer after all. The outside world was too dangerous. He would never leave until he became a dragon.

[Exorcism and Blessing complete]

[Obtained Buddhist Scripture: Vajra Sutra]

Those who stood unmoving like mountains possessed the wrathful gaze of Vajra.

This thing seemed like a cultivation method, yet not a cultivation method; like a divine ability, yet not a divine ability.

There was no need to meditate, no need to absorb Pure Spiritual Qi and transform it into Spiritual Light cultivation, and no need to train. One only needed to contemplate the Buddhist divine text within one's mind each day, and it could transform Spiritual Light to temper the body, allowing the fleshly body to break through further.

According to the cultivation path of the Ten Nations and Twelve Veins of the Taixuan Human Race, the Vajra Sutra was similar to a body-tempering art.

Yet the Vajra Sutra required no cultivation. It merely consumed Spiritual Light to help Spiritual Serpents temper their bodies. In the memories Su Qingqiu had obtained, such a thing could only be achieved by bizarre evil creatures.

Some bizarre evil creatures possessed similar abilities, but the severe negative effects that came with them were absolutely not something ordinary people could endure.

Thus, Su Qingqiu did not know what level of cultivation method the Vajra Sutra truly was.

The first time he used the Vajra Sutra, as his Spiritual Light was consumed at a furious pace, Su Qingqiu quickly felt that he was about to break through again.

His snake body, which had previously reached its limit, now concealed terrifying strength within its scales and flesh under the Vajra Sutra's blessing.

His entire body felt numb and tingly.

He was going to shed his skin!

His fifth molt!

And this would also be Su Qingqiu's most important molt. After this, the Spiritual Serpent would transform into a boa, soaring into the sky in a single leap.

Suppressing the instinctive drowsiness brought on by molting, Su Qingqiu swiftly returned to his snake cave and used enormous rocks to seal the entrance shut layer by layer.

He then burrowed into the deepest part of the Serpent's Nest. As the Spiritual Light throughout his body burst forth, he immediately fell into a deep sleep.

What he did not know was that after he fell asleep, countless faint golden lights appeared in the cold snake cave. If one listened closely, it seemed that a Buddha was chanting Buddhist scriptures.

Outside the snake cave, even more than a hundred meters away, some Small Spiritual Snakes felt an inexplicable unease, as though endless pressure filled their hearts. This caused countless Small Spiritual Snakes to race away in the direction farther afield.

Some deeply hidden evil remains also instinctively fled from this area. Even the evil power mingled with the Five Turbid Qi was unwilling to spread this way.

Within a hundred-meter radius around the snake cave, everything was swept clean.

Elsewhere, while Su Qingqiu was undergoing his fifth molt.

Within the Dragon-Snake Hall of Dragon-Raising Temple.

Yuanhui, the abbess of Dragon-Raising Temple, suddenly paused with the fly whisk in her hands.

When she opened her eyes, she saw a cyan snake shadow at the very center of the Dragon-Snake Hall abruptly crumble apart.

"Amitabha..."

Yuanhui sighed and silently began reciting the Rebirth Scripture.

Only after a moment did she look toward the young nun at the side. "Lingjing, go inform Master Yuanming to come here. There is an important matter to discuss."

The young nun Lingjing accepted the order and departed.

Dragon-Raising Temple was a place where monks and nuns cultivated together. However, the two did not reside together. Though both belonged to Dragon-Raising Temple, they were strictly divided into the East and West Temples.

The monks oversaw the east—the East Temple.

The nuns oversaw the west—the West Temple.

Only when east and west were combined did they form Dragon-Raising Temple.

This arrangement existed because, when the Snake Abyss had first been discovered, it was discovered jointly by several traveling monks and nuns.

But there was only one Snake Abyss, thus creating the situation where Dragon-Raising Temple was jointly governed by monks and nuns.

In the current generation of Dragon-Raising Temple, the abbess was Yuanhui, while Yuanming of the same generation managed the lineage of monks.

Not long afterward, a middle-aged monk hurried over. Upon seeing Yuanhui, he pressed his palms together and said, "Amitabha. Abbess, why have you summoned this humble monk?"

"Junior Brother Yuanming, another Great Spiritual Snake on the first level died at the hands of evil demons today. Its Spiritual Light has dispersed."

Yuanhui spoke with a face full of sorrow.

At this, Yuanming's gaze shifted slightly. He then feigned a trace of surprise, furrowed his brow, and said, "Abbess, we cannot wait any longer. We must open the seal above the Snake Abyss and enter to investigate. Otherwise, if this continues, the foundations of Dragon-Raising Temple will be shaken."

"Also, which Great Spiritual Snake met with misfortune this time?"

Yuanhui nodded and continued, "It was Great Green. I remember it was sent into the Snake Abyss thirty-six years ago. Fifteen years ago, it transformed from a snake into a boa, its Spiritual Light imprinting itself within its Dragon Bone. It then began receiving cultivation blessings from the monks of our temple."

"To date, thirty-six monks have absorbed the Spiritual Light Great Green emitted... The strongest among them is my disciple Lingli, who has already reached the stage where Spiritual Patterns arise naturally. Ah... who would have thought Great Green would depart first... Though they can switch to cultivating another Spiritual Serpent's Spiritual Light, but..."

Yuanhui sighed again and shook her head, unable for a moment to continue.

The monks of Dragon-Raising Temple absorbed the Spiritual Light emitted by Spiritual Serpents, transforming it into Daoism cultivation and magical power. Once the Spiritual Serpent they had chosen died and its Spiritual Light dispersed, the consequences for those monks were obvious.

"Have all thirty-six monks been placed under watch?"

Yuanming continued asking.

The main reason for asking this was that once the Spiritual Serpent corresponding to a monk's cultivation died—especially if it died after being eroded and contaminated by evil power—there was a certain chance that the contamination would be transmitted to the monk.

They had to guard against it.

Yuanhui nodded. "I have sent people to deal with it, and no abnormalities have been found so far. However, Lingli has already cultivated to the stage where Spiritual Patterns arise naturally, so I will personally detain her to ensure nothing goes wrong."

"Amitabha. Since that is so, this humble monk is relieved. But Abbess, no matter what, the Snake Abyss must be investigated. We cannot continue hesitating."

"The world is in chaos now. The monks of Dragon-Raising Temple have been affected one after another by the deaths of Spiritual Serpents. If this continues, a grave problem will arise!"

"It is Lingli and the others now. Perhaps in the next moment, it will affect the senior brothers and sisters of our Yuan Generation. When that time comes..."

Yuanming did not continue, but his meaning was already clear.

"I understand. Let me consider it further. You may leave for now."

Yuanhui nodded and sighed. Opening the seal of the Snake Abyss was no easy matter. She needed to think it over further.

"You... ah, Lingli is your disciple! How muddleheaded!"

Yuanming's expression stiffened, and he left in agitation.

"When have I not wanted to open the Snake Abyss? It is only..."

"Ah, if... Wait, this is... a new Great Spiritual Snake?"

As if sensing something, Yuanhui's eyes suddenly lit up, and she abruptly looked toward the very center of the Dragon-Snake Hall.

The next moment.

A phantom image of a Spiritual Serpent suddenly appeared.

"Cough, cough. Amitabha!"

"What a huge snake!"