Taming and the Serpent's Shedding

Following this, a wave of ecstasy—"So delicious! So comfortable! More!"—surged toward Xia Dong through their intangible mental connection, washing over him like a tide.

The snake raised its head, its tail slapping the ground unconsciously as the intensity of its projected intent grew, carrying a hint of impatient, spoiled behavior.

Xia Dong instantly understood its meaning: "Hungry, want more."

Xia Dong helplessly spread his hands and waved them in mid-air: "None left, that was the only one."

The great snake grew anxious the moment it heard this.

Its massive body twisted into a knot on the spot in frustration, then, with a "whoosh," it transformed into a streak of black lightning and darted back to the cliff where it had been sleeping.

Before Xia Dong could even react, another "whoosh" sounded, and the black beast returned just as quickly. In its gaping maw, it carefully carried a huge, intact, blue-black snakeskin, offering it to Xia Dong like a treasure. Its eyes clearly said:

"Take this... in exchange."

Xia Dong: "You want to trade your snakeskin for my pills?"

The great snake nodded its head like a chick pecking at rice, terrified that Xia Dong might refuse.

Xia Dong couldn't help but laugh. Good heavens, this was a treasure-grade garment shed by a beast comparable to a late-stage Qi Refining monster. To get a few Qi-Gathering Pill infused with Profound Yin Divine Water, this black beast was actually willing to part with its own "old clothes."

He calmly took the last two remaining Profound Yin Qi-Gathering Pill from his robes and shook them: "Here, this is all I have left. Want them all?"

To his surprise, the great snake clamped its jaws shut on the snakeskin and shook its massive head violently like a rattle.

Seeing it guarding the skin so fiercely, Xia Dong had an idea: "How about this? You give me the snakeskin, and I'll provide you with one every month. But in exchange, you must obey me from now on."

The great snake froze, a flicker of remarkably human-like hesitation crossing its large, vertical pupils. It seemed to be seriously weighing whether the deal was worth it.

A moment later, an extremely clear, almost probing mental wave flowed through their connection:

"Two?"

Xia Dong, hovering in mid-air, stumbled, nearly falling out of his Wind-Riding Technique state.

Xia Dong: "..."

Not only could this black beast understand human speech, but it could also haggle?

Looking at the great snake's "no two, no deal" expression, Xia Dong waved his hand: "Fine! Two per month, it's a deal, no backing out!"

Hiss!

The great snake was overjoyed. With a "thud," it dropped the snakeskin from its mouth, curled its tail, raised its head, and gazed up at Xia Dong with its vertical pupils.

Xia Dong shook his head helplessly, flicked his finger, and fed it the remaining two Profound Yin Qi-Gathering Pill.

The great snake gulped them down in two swallows.

Next, the fierce beast actually straightened its upper body, bent its head in a decent imitation of a bow, and performed a comical, exaggerated "grand salute" toward Xia Dong in the air.

"Alright, alright, rise."

Having consumed three Qi-Gathering Pill laced with Profound Yin Divine Water, the great snake was clearly feeling the "potency." It let out a massive yawn, its eyelids began to droop, and it grew incredibly drowsy. With a "slither," it expertly swam back to its usual spot, coiled itself up, and fell into a deep slumber to digest the medicinal power.

After the great snake fell asleep, Xia Dong clearly sensed that the mental connection between them had become tighter and more stable.

As long as he was within a certain range, he could clearly perceive even the most subtle trace of goodwill or malice from the snake.

Likewise, he could effortlessly issue clear commands to the great snake through this link.

Xia Dong drifted to the ground, looking at the great snake sleeping soundly in the distance, and couldn't help but think:

"The Black Water Profound Snake lineage shall never be enslaved... unless there are enough Profound Yin Qi-Gathering Pill?"

He chuckled to himself and turned to look at the massive snakeskin on the ground.

Xia Dong reached out and grabbed at the air.

The snakeskin looked massive, and the scales remaining on it were terrifyingly sharp, still shimmering with a cold, metallic blue luster under the sunlight.

However, when Xia Dong actually took it into his hands, he discovered that it was incredibly light, possessing almost no weight at all.

"Truly a fine item—light, thin, and tough, with mysterious spiritual energy flowing through it. It's a natural masterpiece, absolutely perfect material for crafting defensive inner armor." Xia Dong stroked the snakeskin and nodded with satisfaction, though he sighed with regret a moment later, "It's a pity I know nothing of artifact refining."

Xia Dong drew his steel dagger and pressed the tip hard against the edge of the snakeskin. Following a harsh, grating sound, only a faint white mark remained on the seemingly thin skin.

He couldn't help but be secretly shocked. He then channeled his Mysterious Yin Mana into the blade and sawed back and forth, finally managing to cut off a few regular-sized scraps from the edge.

"With my current strength and mana enhancement, it's still this difficult to cut; the defensive power of this snakeskin is truly remarkable." Xia Dong looked at the slightly dulled dagger, but instead of feeling pained, he was extremely satisfied with the skin's astonishing resilience.

In the world of cultivation, the hides of spirit beasts have always been excellent materials for making talisman paper and brushes.

Xia Dong planned to keep these scraps to try crafting talismans with the spirit-rich skin later, to see how much the power of his talismans would increase.

As for the rest of the large snakeskin, he naturally hoped to have it made into a suit of inner armor.

He calculated that he would be returning to the city in a few days, so he might as well ask Zhao Ting for help.

The Eagle-Wolf Guard naturally had its own artifact refiners. A piece of snakeskin this large would be more than enough to have a custom inner armor made for him.

It just so happened that the monthly quota for talismans and pills was due, so he could bring it back to the city to report to Zhao Ting.

However, Xia Dong had already decided that the "Profound Yin Qi-Gathering Pill" infused with Profound Yin Divine Water must never be sold.

Although the quality of the pills improved after adding the Profound Yin Divine Water, the trace of Profound Yin Divine Water aura contained within was far too distinct. If an expert were to notice any clues, it would inevitably invite trouble.

Having made up his mind, Xia Dong followed the secret passage back to the Well-Bottom Secret Chamber.

He sat cross-legged in meditation, adjusting his essence, energy, and spirit to their peak state.

Over the next few days, he devoted himself entirely to alchemy and talisman crafting.

Consuming three drops of Profound Yin Divine Water, he refined three more Profound Yin Qi-Gathering Pills to keep in reserve, then started a batch of ordinary Qi-Gathering Pills for trade, and finally drew a stack of low-grade talismans.

Once everything was prepared, Xia Dong sorted the items into his Storage Pouch and quietly left the secret chamber.

Passing by the cliff, the Black Water Profound Snake remained in a deep slumber, digesting the medicinal power.

Demonic beasts all possess an intense sense of territory; even in its sleep, the fierce aura of the demonic beast permeated the surroundings without reservation.

Deterred by this aura, ordinary wild beasts and birds of prey dared not approach this area in the slightest.

Xia Dong was not worried that anything would accidentally stumble into the cave dwelling, let alone find the secret chamber.

Xia Dong unfolded his frame and quietly cast the Wind-Riding Technique.

Invisible currents of air gathered beneath his feet, lifting his body into the air as he nimbly wove through the dense forest and treetops, heading straight toward the city.

His Wind-Riding Technique had become increasingly proficient, his posture as elegant as an immortal; with every glide, there was a faint, profound charm of "riding the wind across the sea, treading the void upon the breeze."

However, as Xia Dong carefully sensed the flow of mana within his body, he knew clearly that his Wind-Riding Technique was still lacking the final touch to reach the true realm of "perfection."

I wonder if I can break through the limits once I grind the Wind-Riding Technique to perfection... Xia Dong mused to himself while galloping through the wind.