Skillful Melon Planting, Dragon Liver in the Jar

Humans and beasts of scum, Ge Xian had seen and heard of plenty in his past and present lives. Nothing less than inhuman would surprise him anymore.

But the "Old Widower" before him, half centipede and half human, with its obsessive madness and soul-distorting mutation, still made Ge Xian's heart pound.

Of course, his killing intent only grew stronger.

The human corpses filling the cave were too much to bear, especially around the Old Widower's bed. The infant bones, clearly much smaller than adult skeletons and covered in bite marks, made Ge Xian unwilling to let the Old Widower live for even a moment longer.

Seeing him desperately kowtow, begging for him to bestow a technique.

Ge Xian lunged forward, grinning as he delivered a soul-crushing blow:

"You old widower, you were sitting on a treasure trove and didn't even know it. If you had been willing to bring your dear child and offer it to the River God of the Qiantang River earlier, you would have truly entered the Dao by now and extended your lifespan by hundreds of years."

"Now you are too old, your body and soul are both rotten beyond repair. Immortality? If you can live for more than three breaths, I'll consider my strike too light."

The last sentence hit home.

The Old Widower was instantly terrified. He suddenly opened his toothless, foul mouth and let out a hoarse cry, trying to call his dear child to protect him.

Unfortunately, in his previous state of mental confusion, believing he was receiving a technique from a senior, he had held his dear child down tightly.

Now, panicked and anxious, he couldn't make a sound.

That single breath was enough for Ge Xian to strike a killing blow.

First, he channeled the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, sweeping one palm towards the Old Widower's face.

Simultaneously, a dragon's foot, bursting with immense power, stomped down on the Centipede Dragon pinned to the ground by its father.

Even at this moment, the Exotic Dragon Beast's eyes still held a childlike innocence. This only made Ge Xian's foot strike harder. After all, it was not long ago that this dragon beast had carried a swaddled infant in its mouth, intending to offer it to its perceived father for consumption.

If it were a fair fight, Ge Xian could still win, but it wouldn't be easy. The Centipede Dragon was, after all, a dragon-variant. It could struggle for a while, entangle him for a dozen rounds, and perhaps even inject him with a few venomous stings.

However, he, Ge Huolang, was skilled at sneak attacks, and it seemed to be a developing habit.

Bang!

Bang!

With barely a moment between them, two muffled thuds echoed.

Two ugly heads exploded simultaneously. The scene was quite bloody, but Ge Xian's resentment and anger eased slightly.

It was at this moment that he sensed something.

He looked down and indeed saw a change.

After Ge Xian shattered the Old Widower's head, his aged body also turned to dust. Inside, a black pill, emanating a strong demonic aura, rolled out. It was clearly attracted to the Centipede Dragon's corpse and shot towards it, as if to return to its owner.

Looking at the situation, once the Centipede Pearl returned to its body, this Centipede Dragon could be revived.

Furthermore, judging from the killing intent and hatred toward Ge Xian within the surging demonic qi, once the Centipede Dragon was revived, it would definitely be much stronger and would certainly hunt down Ge Xian, its "father's killer," with madness.

Seeing this, Ge Huolang laughed heartily again:

"You beast, you've been well-trained by that old widower."

"Unfortunately, the end result will be you changing from one beast into two. I don't know if you corrupted him, or he corrupted you."

"It doesn't matter, I'll send you both to the west."

Before his voice even fell, he snatched the Centipede Pearl, which was halfway to him, out of the air.

He also disliked how it struggled and thrashed wildly in his palm.

Ge Xian thought for a moment and decisively initiated the Charm and Cai Bu process.

His original purpose for coming here quietly was to plunder the Dragon Transformation Demonic Qi and, on the side, verify the matter of the Vicious Habit.

Within the Centipede Pearl, the will of that Centipede Dragon clearly existed, but it was simply no match for Ge Xian's talent.

In just an instant, it willingly clung to him, and was immediately plundered and devoured.

To avoid wasting anything, Ge Xian even took the opportunity to extend his other Dragon Claw and swallowed the Centipede Dragon's corpse on the ground as well. Although the Dao Qi contained within was far inferior to the Centipede Pearl, any bit of gain was still a gain.

Cai Bu complete!

A very special and potent emerald-green "Demon Dao Qi" was absorbed into Ge Xian's body. The already stirring Dragon Transformation Chapter instantly activated and refined it, without any waste.

Before long, Ge Xian's half-human, half-dragon Demonic Body underwent further changes. Besides becoming even tougher, with Dragon Scales as sharp as blades, it also began to shimmer with a dark light, with a strange, ethereal mist rising and dispersing, seemingly containing potent venom.

In his mind, he sensed:

"Strength has increased by another ten percent!"

"The Dragon Body has transformed, and I have gained another unique demonic art, named [Centipede Venom]. It can be sprayed as poisonous water, or released as poisonous smoke from the acupoints all over my body."

"Those poisoned by it, below the Foundation Establishment Realm, will surely die."

"And the power of this demonic art will grow as my cultivation increases and I devour more Dao Qi."

As this demonic art appeared, Ge Xian felt a sense of relief.

Fortunately, this beast had been spoiled by the old widower, and coupled with Ge Xian's surprise attack, the process had been exceptionally smooth.

If he had faced the Centipede Dragon head-on and been sprayed, even if he didn't die, he would have been injured and lost the strength to hunt Dragon-kin Demonic Creatures.

After understanding these things, Ge Xian did nothing else. He simply stood in the cave, silently sensing something.

A moment later, he opened his eyes with a delighted expression.

"My previous guess was completely correct."

"The collection vice only increased by a sliver, almost imperceptible. No second vice was born. This shortcut is not blocked..."

"Wah!"

Just as Ge Xian was celebrating, the wails of an infant erupted. It was the child brought by the Centipede Dragon as an offering to its father, now awake and crying from the foul smell in the cave.

Ge Huolang quickly picked up the child. After some clumsy attempts to soothe it, he simply unleashed his innate talent.

As expected!

His charm was universally effective.

Even the Human Cub couldn't resist and soon began giggling.

Ge Xian didn't delay. Holding the infant, he left the cave and descended Phoenix Mountain. As expected, at the foot of the mountain, he found a small village with lights on in the middle of the night. Listening closely, he confirmed they were searching for the stolen infant.

He was in the midst of a hunt, and time was short. He had no time for elaborate concealment. He directly placed the infant in the village's Ancestral Hall and carved the cause and effect onto a wooden pillar in the hall, letting the villagers know that the Old Widower and the Centipede Dragon who had wreaked havoc in the mountains were dead.

As soon as Ge Xian left, the infant's cries drew the villagers. They came and marveled at the script on the pillar, clearly not something a human could carve.

At noon the next day, when the Sun Star was at its hottest.

More than ten miles outside Qiantang County, Tianzhu Mountain, Dragon Blood Valley.

A vast expanse of flat, fertile valley. All other Vegetation had been cleared, leaving only a sprawling Melon Field. Its flowers and leaves were scarlet, exuding a blood-like aura, more dazzling than the blazing sun and more pungent than excrement.

Beside the Melon Field stood a Thatched Hut. Inside, an ugly man in short, rough clothing lay half-reclined. He had a large face, a red nose, and disheveled hair. With his chest bared, he fanned himself with a fan while contentedly gazing at the incredibly tempting Black-skinned Watermelons in his field.

This ugly man seemed to be a Connoisseur, reciting poetry as he watched his melons.

As Ge Xian entered the valley carrying his Peddler's Pole, he happened to hear the fellow reciting: "Life is only Village Field Joy; I don't feel Marquis is better than growing melons."

Although Ge Huolang knew the fellow's background, he still didn't want to engage in direct combat.

So, after blurting out "Specializing in treating oxen and horses," he swallowed the word "children" and seamlessly continued, praising, "Good poem, good poem!"

The ugly man in the hut was startled awake. He abruptly dropped his fan, grabbed a thick, sharp Iron Fork beside him, and charged out with a ferocious expression.

In that instant, the ugly man's already tall frame seemed to swell considerably, resembling a monster like a Yaksha Mountain Imp.

Judging by his ferocious appearance, he likely mistook Ge Xian for a "Chana Demon" or some other monster intruding into his Melon Field, eager to skewer him with his steel fork.

Seeing this, Ge Xian feigned panic and terror, repeatedly explaining:

"Big brother, why are you so fierce? I'm just a peddler from Qiantang County passing through. I heard there's a refined gentleman here who's good at growing melons. I'm thirsty, so I thought I'd trade some small items like bowls and plates for a melon."

"Even if this deal doesn't go through, you don't have to take my life, big brother."

The Young Peddler said fearfully, pushing his dazzling array of goods on his peddler's pole forward. It was a flawless act.

Ge Xian's acting skills were praised by no less than the County Magistrate's Wife and the Eldest Young Lady of the Yelü Family.

It would be easy to fool this ugly wildling named "Yu Li."

This fellow had instead set his sights on Ge Xian.

Seeing his fair skin and tender flesh, and that he was indeed human.

It was rare to encounter such a foolish, ignorant, and reckless fellow in this desolate wilderness. The wildling immediately felt a desire to toy with him.

Upon hearing this, he paused, then thrust his steel fork into the melon field, and burst into laughter:

"So that's how it is!"

"Don't panic, little brother. Your big brother here just mistook you for a demonic creature trying to steal my melons."

"It was all a misunderstanding. Don't talk about a deal, I'll give you a melon for free."

"You're in for a treat. You should know this melon isn't simple. I'm the only one for hundreds of miles around. Those magnates and wealthy households buy my melons to entertain guests. They come from places like Qiantang County and Renhe County, I have clients everywhere..."

The ugly man bragged as he bent down and picked a large watermelon from the scarlet vines.

It looked ripe and sweet, very tempting.

The ugly man struck the melon once, splitting it in half, revealing sweet flesh that looked like "blood jelly."

The aroma made one's mouth water, and the scent rushed into Ge Xian's nostrils.

"Eat, eat quickly!"

"If you let it sit too long, it won't be as fragrant."

Ge Xian saw the look on the ugly man Yu Li's face and immediately guessed that the fellow was up to no good.

After taking the melon, before he could even take a bite, he sensed roughly: this melon couldn't be eaten. It was watered with human blood and dragon qi. Although it had some benefits, any ordinary human who ate it would surely be poisoned and mutated.

Knowing this, he pretended to be oblivious and took the Dragon Blood Melon.

Then he began to wander around the melon field, spewing all sorts of words of admiration.

Initially, Yu Li was quite pleased with himself, but he soon realized something was wrong. The young peddler in front of him had an eager look, holding half a Dragon Blood Melon, deliberately swallowing hard, but he just wouldn't take a bite.

Just as he was about to erupt in anger and reprimand him!

Suddenly, his knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.

The immense strength accumulated within his body from consuming many "Dragon Blood Melons" was now utterly useless. His massive frame had turned a sickly green, clearly poisoned.

His scattered attention returned. He opened his eyes to get a closer look, and then witnessed a scene that made his eyes split and his mind verge on madness:

Within the valley, a faint, almost imperceptible wisp of sickly green mist had somehow permeated the air.

The moment the potent poison took effect within him, the concentration of this poisonous gas had increased tenfold.

In an instant, the vast melon field, the culmination of his life's work, began to wither. Each and every Black-skinned Watermelon seemed to have been doused in some toxic liquid, developing rotten spots and cracks. Blood and flesh flowed out, splashing down, but there was no longer any fragrance within, only a foul stench.

"No!"

A heart-wrenching roar erupted from Yu Li.

But this was not enough. What followed was a scene that terrified him even more, making him forget everything else and beg for mercy.

The Young Peddler, who had been constantly flattering him, now revealed his true colors. With a look of disgust, he threw down the remaining melon in his hand. Then, he walked towards the Thatched Hut, or more accurately, towards a giant water vat beside the Thatched Hut, three times the size of a normal water vat.

Ge Xian spoke as he walked:

"Wildling Yu Li, who stumbled upon a copy of the Melon Cultivation Art and is skilled in growing Dragon Blood Melons."

"This melon seems to primarily use Human Blood as its main ingredient, mixed with the blood of other Beasts, to be watered and grown."

"However, since it's called Dragon Blood Melon, the other main ingredient must be 'Dragon'."

"I wonder, what kind of dragon? Or perhaps a specific part of some Dragon-kin Demonic Creature?"

"It doesn't matter. Whatever it is, whether it's the art or the dragon treasure, it will all belong to me, without any effort."

Every word from the Young Peddler struck Yu Li's soul like a steel needle.

He finally understood completely that he had been tricked.

What frail peddler?

This fellow was clearly a terrifying demon disguised in human skin.

He had come here to scheme for his Melon Cultivation Art and his dragon treasure.

Thinking about how he had recently considered toying with the man, then skinning him and using his blood to water the watermelons, Yu Li wished he could slap himself hundreds of times.

Alas, it was too late for anything.

He was already weakened by the Centipede Dragon's poison and paralyzed on the ground. Now, his soul was shattered by the shock.

The next moment, he heard a "bang."

The water vat exploded, and fresh, bloody gore poured out like a waterfall. As the Young Peddler dodged to the side, he reached out and easily snatched a strange piece of flesh.

This piece of flesh was dark red, covered in golden speckles. No one knew how long it had been soaked, but it was still very fresh and emitted an aroma that could stir intense cravings in almost any race or living being.

For Ge Xian, the temptation was even greater.

"So it's a dragon liver. The dragon qi it contains is so potent; it must have come from a Dragon-kin Demonic Creature in the Mortal Transformation Realm."

"You fool. You had such a treasure but didn't consume and refine it for cultivation. Instead, you used it to grow melons?"

"But it's good for me. It all falls into my lap."

"It was worth my while to deliberately poison you. Otherwise, with your connections to the surrounding demonic creature forces and evil cultivator sects, if you had called for reinforcements, I might have actually failed. How could I have so easily obtained a dragon liver and a Demonic Art Manual..."

As Ge Xian held the dragon liver and spoke, he seemed to sense something. He turned his head and saw that Yu Li had indeed died of unknown grievances at some point, vomiting a pool of Pus Blood, his face filled with unwillingness and resentment. He died with his eyes wide open, glaring at the Young Peddler from beyond the grave.

He should hate. He was, after all, an Evil Cultivator with some renown around Qiantang County. Through his melon-farming and bartering, he had acquired much sustenance. Although he was still some distance from the Foundation Establishment Realm, he was not weak among cultivators at the Dao Entry Realm level.

Unfortunately, his brain wasn't good.

Easily tricked by Ge Xian, poisoned silently, and finally angered to death, it was truly a stifling end.