Encountering the Brown Python Demon Again

Chapter 5: Encountering the Brown Python Demon Again

Standing atop a cloud of cyan demon energy, He Yu soared through the air, feeling the fierce wind rush against his face. His mood was excellent; the sensation of flight was truly magnificent.

As his thoughts shifted, the demon cloud beneath his feet responded, turning soft or firm at his whim. He Yu, feeling a sudden surge of playfulness, alternated between making the cloud as hard as stone and as soft as down.

After flying past the forests surrounding the small river, a vast expanse of green greeted his eyes. Countless mountains and rivers connected, some towering and others low; some forests were lush, others bloomed with flowers, while some featured hanging waterfalls or swarmed with birds and beasts. The sheer variety left He Yu dumbstruck, and at the same time, he felt a faint, inexplicable sense of the light that permeated this world.

His intuition told him that it wasn't that the sun, moon, and stars were absent, but rather that they had yet to emerge for some reason. Though he didn't know the source of the world's light, it felt as if it radiated from the earth itself. This mystery left He Yu utterly baffled, so he tucked the thought away, hoping to uncover the truth when the opportunity arose.

After flying over a small hill connected to the forest, the initial thrill of flight began to fade. Looking down at the breathtaking natural scenery, he couldn't help but lower his cloud to travel on foot. In any case, given his current strength, he was unlikely to face any danger. Perhaps it was because a crab's shell was naturally sturdy, but now that his cultivation had achieved some success, his shell had reached an unfathomable level of hardness. He suspected that even the most powerful machine-gun fire from his past life would struggle to leave a scratch, provided they didn't target his eyes.

Although his eyes had strengthened significantly, they still didn't satisfy him; this weakness had become a persistent thorn in his side.

With his two massive iron pincers and six legs, He Yu moved with extraordinary speed. Crossing forests, fording rivers, and scaling mountains was effortless. Combined with his ability to fly, he suddenly felt a surge of heroic pride: "The world is vast, where can I not go?"

As he traveled, countless natural treasures of heaven and earth caught his eye. Their ages varied, but none were inferior to those he had seen in the forest by the river, and the sheer diversity of species left him in awe.

He Yu was no longer the same creature he had been upon his arrival; he now only considered treasures over a thousand years old worth his attention. Along the way, he occasionally swallowed one or two of these millennium-aged herbs.

The "Eight Meridians Mystic Pole" Qi Induction stage was now fully complete, and a circulating cycle had formed within his body, allowing him to cultivate at every waking moment. As the millennium-aged treasures entered his stomach and transformed into abundant spiritual energy, the circulation of his technique continuously strengthened his twenty-four demon core seeds, though his main demon core could only passively absorb energy to grow.

While traversing the mountains and rivers, He Yu sensed quite a bit of demon energy. Although there was plenty of it, not a single one could compare to him. Eager to test his strength, He Yu intentionally leaked a bit of his aura, which immediately attracted a number of demons. He had discovered something during his journey: every demon possessed its own territory. Powerful demons held large territories, while weaker ones held smaller ones and were often forced to submit to stronger masters. Some demons, whose energy was almost on par with his own, even commanded small groups of lesser demons, which reminded He Yu of the demons who claimed mountains as their kings in Journey to the West.

Since his transmigration, He Yu had focused solely on cultivation and increasing his strength, never considering building his own faction. Now, seeing that even demons inferior to him had subordinates, he began to entertain the idea of recruiting lesser demons to establish his own power. While numbers meant little to the truly strong, having subordinates could help him handle trivial matters and provide him with information. He decided that once he settled down for a while, he would begin subjugating lesser demons.

The many demons he intentionally lured were a great disappointment. They looked impressive enough—a wide variety of species with excellent appearances, including tigers, leopards, wolves, deer, wild boars, and giant elephants—but once they clashed, he lost interest. They couldn't even withstand two or three of his blows, and that was without him even trying. If he were serious, he doubted any of them could survive a single strike.

Having lost interest, He Yu stopped baiting them. As he continued his journey, he unleashed his full demon aura, causing every demon he sensed to tremble in terror, not daring to seek trouble.

He spent his time wandering through the mountains and waters, occasionally consuming a treasure that caught his eye, while the demon core within him grew slowly. He Yu felt carefree and at peace, marveling at the beauty of nature.

Hiss!

Just as He Yu arrived in a forest of giant trees, a familiar hissing sound rang out, and at the same time, a sharp, fierce wind rushed toward him from the distance.

"A Python Demon?" He Yu was startled. He instantly recognized the visitor, and while he lamented how small the world was, he also offered a cold smile. When they first met, the Python Demon could have crushed him with ease, but now, the outcome of a battle between them was anyone's guess.

Rumble!

The massive gust of wind, accompanied by the sound of crashing trees, approached rapidly. Looking ahead, he saw countless low shrubs being flattened as they moved toward him. Infusing his eyes with demon energy, He Yu saw clearly that it was the same brown Python Demon from before.

The Python Demon moved with incredible speed. No sooner had He Yu identified its form than it stopped just a few yards away.

"Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!" The hissing continued, its massive tongue flicking in and out, and a pair of cold, piercing snake eyes locked onto He Yu, as if the visual limitations of snakes didn't apply to this one.

The Python Demon was shocked to see the crab, which was the size of a winnowing basket, before it. Sensing its aura, it realized this was the same small demon it had encountered during the fight with the Giant Tiger Demon. Back then, caught in the heat of battle and sensing the creature's weak aura, it hadn't bothered with him. It never expected that in such a short time, the crab would have grown to such a degree that even the Python Demon could no longer discern its true strength.

The Python Demon had originally set out because one of its capable subordinates had been killed, but its anger vanished instantly. Seeing He Yu's strength, it couldn't help but want to recruit him. It had been locked in a stalemate with the neighboring Giant Tiger Demon for over a century, and if it could gain He Yu as an ally, it could finally eliminate its great rival.

"Was it you who killed my subordinate?" A gloomy voice echoed in He Yu's mind, startling him. He immediately noticed the Python Demon's expression and realized it was using telepathy. He was filled with wonder; to him, this was truly magical.

"Gurgle, gurgle!" He Yu didn't know how to use telepathy, so he could only speak aloud, resulting in a series of crab-like clicks. He felt a wave of embarrassment.

The Python Demon realized that He Yu didn't know the method of telepathic communication, which increased its confidence. Even though the opponent's demon energy was strong, it clearly lacked the finesse of a veteran. Without hesitation, it taught the telepathic technique to He Yu.

The method was simple, and once the Python Demon explained it, He Yu understood immediately.

"Was it you who killed my subordinate?" the Python Demon asked again.

"Subordinate? I've killed quite a few lesser demons—dozens, if not a hundred—so I have no idea if any of them were yours!" He Yu was excited to use telepathy for the first time. He had been incredibly stifled without anyone to talk to, forcing him to pour all his energy into cultivation. Now that he knew how to communicate with other demons, he was truly overjoyed.

"Dozens, if not a hundred? Say no more. This entire area for a thousand miles is my territory, so those you killed were indeed my subordinates. Now, I give you two choices: either be killed by me, or submit to me. From this day forward, you shall be the Second King of Cangmang Mountain!" the Python Demon said coldly.

"Second King?" He Yu was stunned.