Snake God

Dugu Yan leaned down, gently coiled the Bamboo Green Snake around her wrist, and picked it up.

Xiao Qing flicked its tongue quite obediently, showing no signs of struggle at all.

It was as if a child who had run away from home had finally found its mother.

This docile appearance instantly struck a chord in Dugu Yan's girlish heart.

She tapped Xiao Qing's head lightly with her finger and said:

"Little one, did you run away from the Snake Pet Shop?"

"Which one was it?"

Dugu Yan decided on the spot to buy it and keep it as a pet, but Xiao Qing naturally could not answer her.

Helpless, Dugu Yan had no choice but to enjoy the thrill of getting it for free.

She tucked Xiao Qing into the scenery at her chest, a bold move that made Ye Lingling, standing beside her, roll her eyes.

At the same time, she quietly put some distance between herself and Dugu Yan.

She still couldn't bring herself to be so close to a creature like a snake.

Having gained a satisfactory pet, Dugu Yan couldn't be bothered to bicker with her good friend.

"Let's go, no need to keep shopping today."

Ye Lingling naturally wouldn't refuse; she was only too happy to leave the Snake Pet Shop as quickly as possible.

Parting ways at the academy gate, Dugu Yan returned to her dormitory.

She took a few tiny tadpoles from a fish tank nearby, then pulled the Bamboo Green Snake out from her collar.

"Since your whole body is green, I'll call you Xiao Qing!"

"Come on, Xiao Qing, have something to eat!"

Using tweezers to hold the frog in front of Xiao Qing, the snake flicked its tongue slightly, then opened its mouth as wide as it could and swallowed the frog in one gulp.

The ravenous way it ate made Dugu Yan break into a doting smile.

"Eat slowly, don't choke!"

Having wolfed down the frog in no time, the outline of the frog immediately appeared on Xiao Qing's belly.

Accustomed to watching pet snakes feed, Dugu Yan was not surprised by this.

Snakes need a long time to digest after eating, so Dugu Yan placed Xiao Qing on her nightstand, not wanting to disturb it.

She began to sit cross-legged on her bed to cultivate.

Dugu Yan was so focused on her cultivation that she didn't even notice when Xiao Qing finished digesting and quietly crawled onto her shoulder.

It wasn't until she felt a needle-like stinging sensation in her head and the soles of her feet that Dugu Yan frowned slightly and exited her meditative state.

"Strange, why has this pain appeared again?"

At this moment, Dugu Yan did not know that this was a sign of toxins entering her body, the very same hereditary poison from their family martial soul that had killed her father.

Dugu Bo had not told her too early, so as not to let his granddaughter fall into the fear of death.

Therefore, Dugu Yan simply assumed it was a symptom of over-cultivation.

Feeling a cold sensation against her neck, Dugu Yan immediately turned her head to look at her shoulder.

Locking eyes with the Bamboo Green Snake, Xiao Qing flicked its tongue against Dugu Yan's cheek at just the right moment.

"Haha, stop that, it tickles!"

Dugu Yan had absolutely no guard up against Xiao Qing, so when the snake attacked the next second, she didn't even have time to react.

By the time she felt the sharp pain in her neck, Dugu Yan was completely stunned.

"Hiss, Xiao Qing, what are you doing!"

"Why did you bite me all of a sudden?"

Xiao Qing just stared straight at Dugu Yan, its snake eyes filled with calm.

As Dugu Yan stood there in a daze, a cold, feminine voice invaded her mind.

"Young girl, you are kind-hearted; you should not die from the toxins within you."

"Are you interested in accepting the inheritance of the Snake God?"

These two sentences, packed with an overwhelming amount of information, left Dugu Yan frozen in place.

"Die... die from toxins?"

"And a Snake God?"

"Xiao Qing, are you the one talking?"

The Bamboo Green Snake shook its head, seemingly pondering the meaning of the name Xiao Qing.

"Xiao Qing? Call me whatever you like."

"Now tell me, young girl, do you wish to accept the inheritance of the Snake God?"

"What is the Snake God?"

"Besides, how could I possibly die from toxins? My martial soul is the Jade Phosphor Snake, the pinnacle of poison-type martial souls."

This rebuttal caused a soft chuckle to bloom within Dugu Yan's mind.

"You are too naive."

"Tell me, do you feel a needle-like stinging sensation in the crown of your head and the soles of your feet every so often, sometimes accompanied by mild full-body spasms?"

"Yes... yes, that's right. Why is that happening?"

Dugu Yan was startled, as Xiao Qing's words had hit the mark perfectly.

"Not only that, but on rainy days, you feel a numbing itch in your ribs, don't you?"

"These are signs of toxins entering your body."

"And the source of those toxins is your ancestral martial soul."

"If I am not mistaken, someone in your family has already died from this toxic backlash."

As these words fell, Dugu Yan was struck as if by lightning, freezing in place.

Xiao Qing's words instantly made her think of her parents, who had vanished so silently.

Whenever she asked her grandfather about it, he would refuse to speak a word.

Now it seemed certain that her father had died from the toxic backlash; it was no wonder her grandfather had been so despondent.

"Then... then what should I do?"

In the prime of her youth, Dugu Yan did not want to die from her own toxins, and she was completely enveloped in panic.

"Inherit the position of the Snake God, and everything will be resolved."

"Our meeting is fate, and it is your good fortune."

"Since the Great War of the God Realm, the Snake God has fallen for too long—so long that the remnant divine power within me is only enough to select a successor."

The Great War of the God Realm, the fall of the Snake God, the selection of a successor—this series of secrets left Dugu Yan speechless.

But at least she finally understood the beginning and the end of the matter.

"Inheriting... the position of the Snake God, will it be dangerous?"

Hearing this, Xiao Qing's tone carried a hint of disdain.

"What do you think?"

"Shall I just make you a god directly?"

"Since this is the selection of a successor, you naturally must undergo various trials. Otherwise, you might as well just die from your toxic backlash."

"The position of the Snake God does not need a weakling to inherit it."

The merciless words made Dugu Yan grit her teeth, but she had to admit it was reasonable.

Otherwise, how could such a thing as becoming a god out of thin air fall into her lap?

The position of the Snake God would have been inherited by someone else long ago, wouldn't it?

"Senior, I accept your trial."

"Very well."

Following Dugu Yan's agreement, Xiao Qing instantly transformed into a streak of light and shot into the center of her brow.

The wound on her neck began to heal instantly.

"Ninety-Nine Trials of the Snake God, First Trial: Snake Transformation."

"How can a successor to the Snake God lack the nature of a snake?"

"Perform an authentic Snake Dance in front of everyone during class to announce the return of the Snake God."

"Time limit: one week."

The issuance of the trial made Dugu Yan's mouth drop open.

Was this meant to make her die of social embarrassment?

Performing a Snake Dance in the middle of class—how was that any different from defecating in the street?

The issue of the toxins remained a doubt for now, so Dugu Yan temporarily set the trial aside, found her counselor to request leave, and headed straight toward the Sunset Forest.

There were some questions she had to verify with her grandfather first.

In a hotel next to the academy, watching Dugu Yan rush out in a hurry, Lu Xian revealed a knowing smile.

Go and verify it, young girl!

The only lies that can truly deceive people are always seven parts truth and three parts falsehood.

Once Dugu Bo told her the whole truth, he did not believe Dugu Yan would not fall for it.

Once she was convinced, this brand-new Destined Worker would be officially on the job.