The Infant-Eating Widower, Centipede Dragon Dear Child

As soon as he finished cursing, Ge Xian twisted his body and flipped the Jade Pig Dragon, which was about the size of a water buffalo, onto the ground.

He didn't care how dirty the monster, transformed from an antique, was. He raised his fist and began to smash.

The force of his punches made the entire Graveyard tremble.

The Jade Pig Dragon, which was both stupid and ferocious, originally intended to spew poisonous corpse gas to drive Ge Xian away, or to coil him with its Jade Flesh Dragon Tail.

But before it could use these tactics, it was stunned by the heavy punches.

Although they were both Dragon Kin, Ge Xian had cultivated the Dragon Transformation Chapter and was a legitimate cultivator who had successfully endured the Nine Heavens.

Any Dragon Kin monster or demon that was still in the Dao Entry Realm and not yet perfect would not fare well against him.

Thus, apart from the initial sneak attack and collision, which gave the Jade Pig Dragon a slight advantage, it couldn't even struggle afterward. Amidst the dull thuds, it gradually lost the ability to even roar. Corpse gas surged, and it even began to reveal its true form.

Bang!

After the final dull thud, a gray-white corpse light flickered, and a greasy, foul-smelling Jade Pig Dragon the size of a palm landed in Ge Xian's hand.

Upon closer inspection, Ge Xian had to admit that despite its stench, it was indeed a good item.

If it weren't soaked in Corpse Fluid and harboring a Dragon Kin monster within, it would fetch at least a thousand taels of silver if sold. It was truly a treasure.

Of course, what truly concerned Ge Xian was the Dragon Kin monster.

It was temporarily scattered by his blows, but after a few more hours, it could regenerate. As long as the Jade Pig Dragon wasn't destroyed, it wouldn't die.

Ge Xian didn't immediately initiate Cai Bu to plunder its power. Instead, he pondered:

"From my previous experience, Cai Bu-ing a wondrous item that has gained sentience yields the wondrous item's unique power."

"If I Cai Bu a demon or monster itself, I should directly obtain its bloodline demonic energy."

"This [Jade Pig Dragon] is actually a wondrous item, possessing unique powers like Corpse Devouring and Dragon Transformation."

"If I Cai Bu it, can I choose during the process, taking only the Dragon Transformation Power and discarding the Corpse Devouring Power?"

As soon as this question arose, Ge Xian quickly received an answer through his self-perception.

Yes, he could!

Asking and answering himself, it was quite mysterious.

But it was his own innate talent, a rare talent that the Ghoul General and all the Evil Cultivators valued highly. Ge Xian felt it was trustworthy.

Moreover, even if he were to plunder the powers of "Corpse Devouring" and "Corpse Nurturing," it wouldn't be a big deal. They would dissipate within ten to twenty hours, and he could simply choose not to use the residual power later. It wouldn't disgust him.

With his thoughts settled, Ge Xian immediately took action.

First, he activated his Charm Talent. As expected, the Jade Pig Dragon, a strange creature so slippery it seemed about to slide off the ground, suddenly stuck fast to Ge Xian's palm, a pulling force originating from within.

Before it could succeed, a Devouring Power, more than a hundred times stronger, was born.

The creature, which had been radiating a jade-like light, dimmed at a speed visible to the naked eye and began to turn mottled gray and white... During this process, Ge Xian, who was concentrating and sensing, indeed detected two almost intertwined streams of Qi light about to surge into his body, one gray and one red. The former stirred up Corpse Fluid, while the latter flashed with a dragon's form.

Seizing the opportunity, Ge Xian willed himself to reject the gray Qi light.

The next moment!

A wondrous change occurred on the spot.

Ge Xian first sensed a ball of Fiery Demonic Qi appear within him. Before he could even sense it, and before it could dissipate even a tiny bit, it was immediately swallowed by the Dragon Transformation Chapter, which was operating on its own within him.

"It really works!"

"Once the conditions are met for cultivation, the same source Dao Qi absorbed later can be considered a supplement, like a Pill. It won't dissipate anymore, it will only be refined by me."

"A shortcut, this is the true shortcut to the Great Dao."

As Ge Xian exclaimed with joy in his heart.

Dragon Scales immediately appeared on his body. They were still black and gold, but clearly possessed a jade-like luster. This not only added a mysterious aura but also gave birth to extremely practical demonic arts. As the jade light flickered, his Half-Dragon Half-Human body began to conceal and disappear, only vaguely visible during large movements.

"Strength increased by ten percent!"

"The Dragon Scales have transformed, becoming even harder, and I've gained a special power similar to [Invisibility]."

Sensing these changes, Ge Xian was extremely excited.

He imagined, with his current Dragon Transformation combat power, if he could quietly approach a target and launch a surprise attack, what would the success rate be?

Such a demonic art was wasted in the hands of the "Jade Pig Dragon," but in the hands of Ge Huolang, it was an excellent skill for Home Travel and Murder and Robbery.

After his joy, Ge Xian looked at the ground where the antique treasures should have been shattered, as if sensing something.

"Eh!"

As he exclaimed in surprise, Ge Huolang tore off a piece of tattered cloth and wrapped up the Jade Pig Dragon, which had changed its appearance again. It was now a foul-smelling, sticky, bloody yellow mass, as if it had just been taken out of Corpse Fluid.

Even through the cloth, Ge Xian could still sense what changes had occurred to the object and what special powers it now possessed.

"Because its essence was plundered and devoured by my Dragon Transformation power, the spirit within the jade is dead."

"But I drove the Corpse Devouring and Corpse Nurturing Qi back into the jade, so the strange creature itself was not destroyed. Instead, it has become a treasure that can be used for Corpse Nurturing? It could also be called a Devilish Creature."

After understanding this, according to Ge Xian's original intention, he should have destroyed the Jade Pig Dragon in his hand.

But for some inexplicable reason, he did not do so. Instead, he wanted to keep it.

This thought arose!

Ge Xian immediately sensed it, then revealed a wry smile. His vague previous guess was finally confirmed.

"This is bad!"

"I've indeed contracted a vicious habit, and it really is [Compulsive Collecting], specifically targeting rare items."

"If it were just ordinary rare antiques, even priceless ones, I'd have no interest."

"But if it's a rare item, I find it hard to let go."

As he muttered these words.

Ge Xian's expression turned solemn, and he recalled everything he currently knew about vicious habits.

If it were just a compulsive collecting habit, a hoarding habit, or the like.

Though a bit strange, Ge Xian could tolerate it.

But if even his talent couldn't exempt him, and he was destined to undergo this worldly transformation, becoming like those non-human cultivators, burdened by one terrifying vicious habit after another, then he would have to re-plan his cultivation path.

Fortunately, it only took a few breaths.

When Ge Xian cross-referenced everything he had learned from Hong Buyi, the many evil cultivators, the Two Ghoul Spirits, and the Anle Zishen's Logbook.

His heart relaxed slightly, and understanding dawned on his face and in his eyes.

Ge Xian felt he had glimpsed another secret of cultivation and guessed:

"The process of cultivation in this world, Dao Qi entering the body, transcending the mundane... all of it, is very much like [Race Modification]."

"As one transforms from human to various non-human forms, all sorts of uncontrollable vicious habits are born."

"The deeper one's attainment, the more thorough the modification, the more vicious habits one gains, and the more terrifying and horrifying they become."

"And almost all cultivators, even those just starting out, won't develop just one vicious habit. Even a weakling like Hong Buyi has several, and Lu Hualong has at least four or more."

"The reason I only have one, and it's very mild."

"Is likely because I've suppressed this Dao Qi. It's not a permanent modification, and it's not them modifying me, but rather I've absorbed and am commanding them."

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Ge Xian felt even more at ease.

In his mind, he had already thought of a way to verify this: continue to absorb and plunder more "Dragon Transformation Dao Qi," infinitely approach Foundation Establishment, and even possess the cultivation base of the Foundation Establishment Realm. At that time, he would see the extent to which his vicious habit increased. If it only increased slightly, then his guess was correct... If it surged, and other vicious habits emerged, then Ge Xian would have to handle it cautiously.

This was a matter of life and death, and Ge Xian didn't intend to delay any further.

He hid the Jade Pig Dragon and the Peddler's Pole together deep within the ancient tomb in the Graveyard.

He himself channeled his divine abilities and sped towards the next territory.

Not long after, deep within Phoenix Mountain on the north bank of the Qiantang River.

As the mountain wind blew, a chilling, fishy, and foul stench immediately permeated the air. The source of the smell was a demon about ten feet long, entirely black. Its front half had already transformed into a dragon's, while its rear half remained a centipede's body. Its pair of ghastly green eyes actually held an emotional color close to that of humans.

It was a kind of childlike innocence, mixed with the innate bloodthirsty coldness of a demon.

At this moment, it held an infant still in swaddling clothes in its mouth, crawling with a rustling sound. In the blink of an eye, it crossed half the mountain and entered a secret cave in a cliff.

Throughout the cave, corpses could be seen.

Hair carpeted the ground, and dry teeth were like gravel.

In the deepest part, on a warm nest made of straw and human clothing, lay a grotesque old man who had already undergone demonic transformation.

Apart from his ugly, age-spotted, ancient head, his body from the neck down was that of a centipede.

At this moment, the old man stared at the "Centipede Dragon" crawling over, his eyes filled with complex emotions: affection, hatred, and unwillingness.

He mumbled in a slurred human language:

"Dear Child, my dear child."

"Why didn't I meet you sooner? I used your Centipede Pearl to cultivate, but I'm old, too old, and there's no time."

"No, it's because I was too kind. If I had captured enough humans to feed you from the start, wouldn't you have been able to gestate the Centipede Pearl sooner... I hate it, I'm unwilling!"

The old man initially just mumbled.

Later, he was roaring.

The Centipede Dragon, clearly still in its juvenile stage, was startled by its suddenly frenzied father.

But it quickly adapted, then affectionately crawled over and offered the swaddled infant it held in its mouth.

The next moment, the demon also spoke in human language, indistinctly and haltingly:

"Dad... Daddy... don't be angry."

"It's your beloved... child... I stole it from the mountain... eat quickly."

When this scene unfolded.

From the shadows of the secret cave, jade light suddenly flashed. Ge Xian could no longer bear it.

Without anyone explaining, he could already guess what had happened here.

"What a wicked beast!"

"This old widower fed Human Infants to the Centipede Dragon. After his scheme failed, he fled to Phoenix Mountain and didn't stop. When he grew too old and weak to hunt himself, he taught the Centipede Dragon to hunt."

"He even used the Centipede Pearl within its body to undergo Demon Transformation and enter the Dao, extending his lifespan by who knows how long. And after entering the Dao, this old beast's favorite food turned out to be Human Infants."

"What is inhumane? This is."

When Ge Xian revealed his Half-Dragon Half-Human form, both the Centipede Dragon and the old widower sensed it and looked over in unison.

The old widower was initially terrified. But upon realizing the uninvited guest was a Half-Dragon Half-Human, whether he was addled or mentally confused, he showed a look of joy and shouted at Ge Xian:

"Dragon clan? Are you a true cultivator who has attained the Dao through the Dragon Clan Secret Technique?"

"This Old Man... This Old Man is willing to offer up my Dear Child, only begging for you, senior, to bestow the true method upon me, allowing this Old Man to also attain eternal life."

"Please, senior!"

"Dear Child, quickly, quickly kowtow to the senior."

As he screamed, the old widower actually suppressed the Centipede Dragon's head, forcing it to kowtow with him.

This scene caused even Ge Xian to pause, his heart filled with dread.